Pizza!

It seems like it's been a while since my last post. I feel like I've been so busy but with nothing really to show for it! :) Anyway, here's a recipe for pizza :) This pizza was soooo good. I think I'm going to make it again for dinner tonight! :)

Ingredients:

1 package of active dry yeast
1 Cup warm water
2 Cups flour

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 Tablespoon honey

Tomatoe sauce

Cheese

Oregano

Directions: 

- In a small bowl, proof the yeast; Pour the yeast and little warm water into the bowl.

-In a large bowl, combine flour, olive oil, salt, sugar, honey, and yeast mixture.

-Mix until a stiff dough has formed.

- Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

-After the 30 minutes, form dough into the shape of a pizza crust.

- Pour on desired amount of tomatoe sauce.

-Next, put desired amount of cheese on top and sprinkle with some oregano (and any other toppings you like).

-Cook on 350 for 15-20 minutes and you are done! 

Enjoy!


Next, I'll try to put up my pie crust recipe...I'll try to get that up before Thanksgiving! 

Molten Lava Cake.

Finally made these today. I had planned on making them Sunday but got sick and was out of commission. I hope you guys like the recipe!

Ingredients:

2 Eggs
2 Egg yolks
5 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
3.5 oz Chocolate
3 Tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

-Generously butter ramekins (yes, mine are heart shaped...all I have.) :)

-Place ramekins in a casserole dish and set aside.

-In a large bowl pour in eggs, egg yolks, and sugar.

-Beat until mix is frothy. Then, set aside.

- In a small bowl, place butter and chocolate.

-Microwave butter and chocolate until just melted. Don't cook the chocolate! Then mix till smooth.

-Add chocolate to egg mixture and whisk until well mixed. Then add your flour, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

- Next, pour mixture into ramekins. Easiest way to do this is by putting mixture into a plastic bag, cutting one corner and pouring mix into each ramekin.

- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

-Preheat oven to 450. Fill the casserole dish about halfway up with hot water.

I know this picture is hard to tell, but I was trying to show you the water level.

-Bake for 12-18 minutes. You want the outside to be well cooked (cake-like) but the inside still gooey (like pudding).

-Next, you'd typically put a plate over the top and flip it upside down (after waiting for the cakes to cool) but I was bringing these to someone and ran out of time to let them cool so I kept them in the ramekins. You can choose do have it either way. Just sprinkle with confectioners sugar and you are done!

-Here's one I made for my husband. I let this one cool and flipped it out of the dish.

Yum...and a picture with the center open to see the inside:

I hope you guys enjoy this!

Next up: Home-made Pizza! and as always, feel free to leave me a comment with any recipe you'd like me to try! Also, if anyone ever tries the recipes I post, feel free to let me know how they turned out and if you liked them!

Dark Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies.

Cookies are my weakness. Which is why I find myself baking at 11:30 at night instead of going to bed. The result were these dark chocolate chip espresso cookies. Hope you enjoy:

 Yields 24 cookies.


Ingredients:

3/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup white granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 Cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup dark chocolate chips
2 1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee
24 whole coffee beans

Directions:

- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars till fluffy.

-Add Vanilla, Egg, and water. Beat mixture until smooth.

-Add in chocolate chips (I had leftover halloween candy so I just chopped up some dark chocolates I had)

-Stir in Flour, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee.

 -Mix it all up.

-Spoon out onto a ungreased cookie sheet or silicone mat.

-Place a coffee bean on top.

-Bake on 350 for 10-12 minutes and enjoy!

Tomorrow, I'll probably be making a home-made pizza, so I might add the recipe for pizza dough here and since Tara asked, I'll make the molten lava cakes sometime this weekend :) In the mean time, enjoy these cookies!

Yay!

Big or rather, just happy news for me! I found in one of my drawers a thermometer that goes up to like 500 degrees! I'm excited. This means, I can now give making spun sugar another try without guessing if it's reached the hard crack stage. I'm also going to try making soft caramels at some point and probably will give toffee a try. I love having toffee for Christmas and I'm excited Christmas is around the corner. I've been putting our Christmas decorations up and that just put me in more of a baking mood. I will probably be baking something tomorrow or Saturday so look for a new baking post soon. I'm thinking Molten Lava Cake, but that's just what I'm craving at the moment. It may change with my mood. :) In the mean time, to gear you up for Christmas, enjoy this picture. I took it a couple year ago. It shows my love of Christmas and coffee (though ironically, I don't actually enjoy Starbucks coffee).

Also, if anyone has a recipe they'd like me to try, just feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do :)

Not a recipe but.......

So this isn't a recipe, just a random post telling you all about my sister's book giveaway. She giving away the book "Matched". So go check out her blog Here.  :)   Enjoy!

Blast/Flurry/Blizzard Call it what you will :)

I know I promised Cream cheese filled pumpkin muffins, and I'll get to those, but in the mean time.....don't know what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy? Make a blast (or blizzard, flurry...whatever you want to call it!). It's not really baking, but it's delicious! One of my all time favorite desserts and it's sooooo easy! Like ten seconds easy.

First, pick your candy :) We went with Reese Cups and also Oreos.

Next, pick an icecream flavor (we used chocolate and vanilla) and fill a cup up with however much you'd like.

After that, fill the cup up about a third of the way with milk and microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Then stir in all up until the icecream is smooth.

Next, chop up your candy and add it to the icecream.

Stir it up and top with whip cream (we were out of it!) and chocolate syrup.

Super easy and soooooo good! Enjoy :)

Apple Crisp with Caramel Drops

My husband and I loved this. It was so yummy. Hope you enjoy it! Oh, and I apologize in advance for the crummy pictures...I was in a hurry. Will try for better ones next time! :)

Ingredients:

Apple Crisp:
6 Medium sized granny smith apples (peeled and sliced)
1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Quick Oats
1/2 Cup Butter
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Caramel Drops:
1 Cup White granulated sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
Dash of Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg

Directions:

Apple Crisp:

- Butter/Grease sides of a 9x11 Baking dish, and preheat oven to 375.
- Put apple slices into the baking dishes. Set aside.

- In a medium bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Mix will have a crumbly texture.

- Next, sprinkle mix onto the apples. (I also like to add an extra handful of oats on the top once I've sprinkled my mix).

- Then, just bake for 30 minutes!

Caramel Drops:

- While the Apple Crisp is baking, pour sugar into a medium size saucepan. Before you turn on the heat, shake pan so sugar is evenly distributed.

- Cook over medium heat and wait.......and wait.........and wait some more! Once, you see the edges start to melt, then shake the pan again, so it doesn't start to burn. As the sugar starts to melt more, you can stir it around.

- The sugar should obtain an amber looking color. Right after the sugar starts to smoke, remove it from heat. Now, add the butter, but very carefully, as the mixture will sputter! I suggest wearing an oven mit so you don't get burned. Next, add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

- Now, spoon the mixture onto a silicone baking mat while it's still warm. Don't worry about it looking pretty, the excess strands will just snap off.

- Next just place them in the fridge to cool and you're done! Serve with the apple crisp...or eat them by themselves for a sweetly spiced candy treat :)

Enjoy......try the Apple Crisp and Caramel Drops with some icecream too!

Up Next :  Cream cheese filled Pumpkin Muffins!