Food Fun Family

Nutella-Cheesecake Crescent Rolls #ItsBakingSeason

Lolli — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 21:33:34 +0000

This recipe for Nutella-Cheesecake Crescent Rolls is sponsored by Pillsbury but all thoughts, opinions and photos are my own. #ItsBakingSeason

I love the holidays.

When I was growing up, holidays meant time with my extended family and some of the best foods ever. My mom, grandma, and all of my aunts would make their most delicious dishes and we would enjoy an amazing feast, regardless of which holiday we were celebrating.

The holidays changed quite a bit for me once I got married and moved across the country from the rest of my family. I still love the foods of the holidays, of course. But now it’s just a bigger challenge because all of the cooking and baking responsibility are on my shoulders.

I don’t want to skimp on all of my favorite holiday dishes, but I’m always on the look-out for recipes that make my holiday cooking easier and less time-intensive. Because time with family and celebrating the holidays together is important, I don’t want to spend the entire holiday by myself in the kitchen!

I love cooking, but I like spending time with the family even more, and nobody has time to be slaving away alone in the kitchen, especially when they’re supposed to be enjoying the holidays with family and friends. I’m guessing I’m not the only one that feels this way.

I have found a new family-favorite recipe that is a perfect addition to the holiday menu. It’s delicious and meets my picky holiday-worthy standards. And it’s fast and easy, which meets my holiday craziness needs!

When I told my kids and husband what I was making the other day, they just about died. They couldn’t wait for the crescent rolls to be done (and for me to take pictures). Once they were all done, you wouldn’t believe how quickly 16 Nutella and cheesecake-filled crescent rolls disappeared. No one could eat just one!

Here’s how to make these simple but delicious Nutella cheesecake crescent rolls:

The trick to making this recipe so quick and easy? Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls!

Yum

Nutella-Cheesecake Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls Twin Pack (two 8-oz containers)
½ cup Nutella
4 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten and divided
¼ cup turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, combine 4 oz cream cheese, softened, with ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon egg, beaten. Set aside.
Separate crescent rolls into 16 triangles. Spread a heaping teaspoon of nutella and a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture onto the wide end of each crescent roll wedge.
Roll each wedge starting from the wide end, tucking pointed end underneath.
Repeat until all crescent rolls are filled and rolled. Place on a baking sheet, 1-2 inches apart. Note: you’ll probably need to separate the crescent rolls between two baking sheets.
Mix ½ teaspoon of water with the remaining beaten egg. Brush egg mixture over the top of each crescent roll. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.
Bake at 375 F for 12 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Serve warm or cold - these Nutella-Cheesecake filled crescent rolls are delicious both ways!

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What are your favorite time-saving recipes for holiday cooking? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comment section below!

Be sure to visit the Pillsbury Baking page and check out the delicious holiday-friendly recipes you can make with Pillsbury!

You’re welcome to pin this recipe for later! Let me know if you try these!

Light Carrot Cake Cupcakes {With Hatching Chick Cookies}

Lolli — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 15:18:58 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bakery Crafts for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you know me, you know that I enjoy any excuse to bake. Last week, my youngest son, AJ, had a Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts, and I was tasked to bring a dessert to share. It was the perfect time to try out Bakery Crafts.

I was at Wal-Mart earlier this week, where I was able to pick up a few Bakery Crafts cupcake and cookie decorating kits that took my cupcakes to the next level. I had so much fun with my “Bunny Talk Cupcakes” at the Blue and Gold banquet that I made a fresh batch of cupcakes – this time a whole new recipe! – just for my family.

Many of you who read my blog regularly have seen my “cupcake makeovers.” I am hooked on making a basic cake mix into something extraordinary – and much lighter than the regular treats made straight from the box. Because Easter is coming up next month, I was curious to see if I could make a lighter carrot cake cupcake (because carrots and bunnies just go together!), and I was pleasantly surprised by my results.

I had no idea if my kids would turn their noses up at cupcakes filled with carrots and pineapple (even if they were decorated so adorably) but they were such a hit that we finished them off in less than 2 days!

The best part (beyond the fact that they’re lighter AND delicious)? They’re so easy to make! And with a Bakery Crafts decorating kit, they can taste great and look great, too.

How to Make Hatching Chick Light Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES:

1 box spice cake mix
2 eggs, whole
1 egg white
1 cup carrots, pureed
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
5 ounce container vanilla or plain Greek yogurt

FOR DECORATING:

1 Hatching Chick Cookie Cupcake Decorating Kit
Cream Cheese Frosting (you can buy pre-made frosting, or make my favorite recipe here)
Sugar cookie dough (I bought refrigerated dough to save time, but you can use your favorite recipe, of course)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake tin with paper liners found in decorating kit.
In a blender or food processor, add carrots and pineapple; blend until carrots are finely chopped. Add yogurt and eggs and blend briefly to mix.
In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients with cake mix and stir til combined (batter will be lumpy).
Fill each cupcake liner at least 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted at center comes out clean).
Meanwhile, prepare sugar cookies. Roll out sugar cookie dough and cut out hatching chick shapes. Place on a cookie sheet and bake according to package or recipe directions.
Let cupcakes and cookies cool completely.
To decorate: Start with cookies. Using the icing tubes in the kit, frost cookies (I just copied the look of the cookies on the package, although mine didn’t turn out half as cute!).
Color cream cheese frosting green. Pipe green frosting onto cupcakes.
Press decorated cookies onto the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle finished cupcakes with flower candies from kit.

I am no cake, cupcake or cookie decorator, but I loved how these turned out! Note: the cupcakes alone are light…but the frosting and cookie aren’t! But they’re totally worth it!

About Bakery Crafts

For a limited time only, Bakery Crafts will carry select items at select Walmart in-store bakeries and Easter holiday aisle:

Easter Bunny Cookie Cupcake Decorating Kit: This kit combines a cookie and a cupcake to make an adorable Easter Bunny! Includes: (1) Cookie Cutter, Cupcake Liners, Candy Decorations, and (2) Tubes of Icing.
Hatching Chick Cookie Cupcake Decoration Kit: This kit combines a cookie and a cupcake to make a cute Hatching Chick! Includes: (1) Cookie Cutter, Cupcake Liners, Candy Decorations, and (2) Tubes of Icing.
Easter Cake Decoration Kit: Perfect for finishing off Easter themed Cupcakes or Cakes! Includes: (1) Banner and (3) Easter Themed Picks.
Bunny Tail Icing Decorations: Great for adding the last touch to cupcakes. Includes: Edible Bunny Tail Decorations.

Check out Bakery Crafts on Pinterest and Like Bakery Crafts on Facebook!

Which Bakery Crafts kit would you like to try?

Pumpkin Strawberry Doughnuts Recipe

Lolli — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 17:44:00 +0000

This recipe for pumpkin strawberry doughnuts is brought to you by Libby’s. All opinions are 100% mine.

Think pumpkin is just for the Fall and pumpkin pies? Think again!

Think pumpkin can't be enjoyed year-round? Pumpkin Can! Not only is pumpkin delicious ANY time of the year (for much more than your typical holiday pie) but pumpkin literally is a superfood that can add both deliciousness and nutritional value to sweet AND savory dishes year-round.

I took the Pumpkin Can challenge – are you ready to join me? Keep reading below to find out how #PumpkinCan can help you win a Vitamix Blender as well as provide tons of ideas for using pumpkins in your recipes!

Here are just a few of the amazing benefits of pumpkin:

good source of fiber and a great source of Vitamin A
packed with Beta Carotene
can reduce the fat in some of your favorite recipes (use it as a replacement for butter, oil, or even eggs!)
can be added to jarred or prepared sauces to reduce sodium per serving
can be used as a substitute in your favorite recipes to reduce calories

Tip: Leftover pumpkin can be stored in the freezer so it ready whenever you want it. Just freeze scoops of pumpkin puree in an ice cube tray then "pop" them into a freezer bag for later use.

I love baking with Libby’s Pumpkin. In an effort to be creative in the kitchen and think outside the "pumpkin box" I decided to incorporate two favorite flavors – pumpkin and strawberry – into one delicious baked good. Pumpkin is typically eaten in the fall, and strawberry is typically eaten in the summer. How would they taste paired together?

The answer? Better than any of us could have ever imagined!

Ready for the recipe? I will be making these pumpkin-strawberry donuts again and again….and I'm already brainstorming ways I can add pumpkin to some of my favorite savory dishes. (I'm currently itching to try adding a can of Libby’s Pumpkin to my next recipe of BBQ chicken in the crock pot!).

Pumpkin Strawberry Doughnuts

1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup diced fresh strawberries
Topping: 4 Tablespoons butter, melted and 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1 – Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease doughnut pan(s).
2 – In a large mixing bowl, beat together applesauce, oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and spices.
3 – In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to bowl with wet ingredients and stir gently until combined. Fold in strawberries.
4 – Spoon batter into greased doughnut pans. Fill approximately 3/4 full. Bake at 350° for about 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
5 – Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then gently loosen the edges with a butter knife and remove to a cooling rack.
6 – Melt butter in a small bowl. Mix cinnamon and sugar in another small bowl. Dip or brush both sides of doughnuts in the butter and then the cinnamon sugar mixture, making sure that you cover all of the sides.
7 – Enjoy and bask in the amazing combination of strawberry and pumpkin!

Are you ready to get creative in the kitchen and help pumpkin break through the seasonal barriers? Then this #PumpkinCan contest is for YOU:

Not only does Pumpkin Can have ideas and inspiration to help you get cooking delicious meals and treats with pumpkin, but it also has info on how you could win a Vitamix blender!

For more ideas and inspiration, visit Libby’s on Facebook, Libby’s on Twitter, and Libby’s on Pinterest. And be sure to check back here for more creative ways to use pumpkin all year!

Glazed Apple Spice Cakelette Recipe

Lolli — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 05:38:53 +0000

This recipe post and giveaway is sponsored by Cake Boss Cakes but all thoughts – and the glazed apple spice cakelette recipe – are 100% my own. Note: the giveaway has ended, but be sure to check out the delicious (and easy!) recipe!

When I was approached about working on a post with the Cake Boss, I jumped at the chance (ok, I didn’t really work WITH the Cake Boss, but I sure am getting a kick out of saying that the Cake Boss sent me my newest bakeware and cake mixes and frosting). My kids – particularly Reese and AJ – are huge fans of the Cake Boss and I find them watching his shows, TLC’s series Cake Boss and Next Great Baker all the time. They can’t wait for Bakery Boss, premiering in December.

They both totally wish that they could bake like Buddy.

While I have absolutely zero talent for creating “pretty” cakes, I do know a thing or two about making a tasty cake, and I’ve been passing those skills on to my kids (someday they will thank me!). As much as I love baking from scratch, I love finding a good quality cake mix as a base and making it “my own.” I am loving the Cake Boss cake mix and frosting that I got to try out.

Baking is an expression of love – whether it’s baking a cake on someone’s birthday or baking cupcakes to bring into the office on a gloomy Monday.
Baking is also about bringing people together in the kitchen. It is an activity that everyone, of all ages, can participate in and enjoy.

This weekend, I set out to make a cake that was seasonal and delicious AND stunning in its presentation. I think I totally nailed it, thanks to my fun new pan and a box of Cake Boss white cake mix (more on that below) and my super amazing spiced glaze that I use on a seasonal-traditional apple cake.

Baking cakes with a cake mix base is SO easy and it pretty much guarantees a perfect cake every time. In putting together the recipe below, I had meant to add a teaspoon of vanilla but totally forgot (I’m blaming my forgetfulness on the 8 mile hike I had just come back from when I started cooking).The cake was amazing without it, but next time I make it I’m going to add the vanilla. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Glazed Apple Spice Cakelette Recipe and #CakeBossCakes Giveaway

Save Print

Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

28 mins

Author: Better in Bulk

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 box Cake Box Divine White cake mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
1 cup finely diced, peeled apples
Glaze:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp each cream of tartar, cinnamon, nutmeg
¼ cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix cake mix, along with the added spices for this recipe, according to package directions. Fold in apples.
Fill cakelette pan about ¾ full and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes away clean.
Allow cakelettes to remain in the pan until they are cool to the touch.
While cakelettes cool, make the glaze by combining glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool before drizzling on cakelettes.
Going back to the cakelettes – Using a serrated bread knife, slice off the tops of the cakelettes so that the bottoms are uniform and even.
Remove cakelettes from pan, place on a platter or individual plates, and drizzle with glaze.

Notes

You can make this same recipe in a muffin tin – just bake for less time (according to cupcake timing on your cake mix).

Check out new Cake Boss Cakeware collection by Meyer Corporation and TLC, available at stores now. For more information on Cake Boss bakeware, serveware and decorating tools, visit cakebossbaking.com

Cake Boss Cake Mixes:

I am so excited about the new Cake Boss cake mixes and frostings. Check out these amazing flavors:

VA VA VELVET – Moist, delicious and smooth red velvet cake.
IT’S YOUR PARTY – Fun, festive and full of flavor confetti cake.
DECADENT DEVIL’S FOOD – Indulgent, satisfying and sinfully delicious devil’s food cake.
CHOCOLATE TRIFECTA – Deliciously moist triple chocolate cake made with chocolate liquor.
PRIMO YELLOW – Moist, flavorful and simply delicious cake.
DIVINE WHITE – Exquisitely moist, rich and delectable white cake.

Cake Boss Frostings

WHOLE LOTTA CHOCOLATE – Made with chocolate liquor and two kinds of chocolate, creating double the decadence.
VIVA VANILLA – A sweet and creamy taste using vanilla extract.
MEGA MILK CHOCOLATE – A thick, rich and milk-chocolaty delicious frosting with chocolate liquor.
CRÈME DE LA CREAM CHEESE – A rich, creamy and scrumptiously sweet frosting with cream cheese.

In addition to the new mixes and frostings, the Cake Boss baked good line includes buttercream cakes, fondant cakes and boutique-style cupcakes.

Share the Love Cake Boss Giveaway!

Cake Boss Cakes would love to send YOU the very same package they sent to my house. This giveaway is valued at over $60 and is perfect for all the coming holiday baking. Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before midnight 11/24/13, when a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Good luck!

Included in the giveaway package are: 6-Cup Round Cakelette Pan, 12-Cup Covered Muffin Pan, 9-Inch Heart Cake Pan, and Cake Boss Cake Mix and frosting

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Butternut Squash Candied Apple Bread

Lolli — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:22:30 +0000

This post brought to you by P.F. Chang’s. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love the flavors of Fall. Not only does the Fall season supply us with delicious ingredients like apples and pumpkins and other winter squash, but the cooler temperatures make baking near a hot oven and cooking comforting soups and stews an enjoyable experience (I’m sure I’m not the only one who would rather not be near a hot stove or oven during the hot months of Summer!).

This weekend, I baked a brand new bread that I can’t get enough of. Between the smells that filled the kitchen while I was baking and the perfectly blended flavors that I’ve been enjoying ever since….I am in love with this bread!

I have never baked with butternut squash, and while it is somewhat similar to pumpkin, the flavor is totally different. The butternut squash paired perfectly well with Granny Smith apples, and the candied walnuts literally topped this bread off for a perfect finish.

Butternut Squash Candied Apple Bread

5.0 from 1 reviews

Butternut Squash Candied Apple Bread

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Author: Better in Bulk

Ingredients

2⅔ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup shortening
2 cups pureed cooked butternut squash
4 eggs
⅔ cup water
3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup chopped candied walnuts (I like my nuts chopped pretty small)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Spray two 9×5-inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat sugar and shortening together. Add butternut squash, eggs, and water to sugar mixture.
In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves; stir into the both with the wet ingredients until fully combined. Add nuts and apples; stir until batter is just blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
Bake at 350° for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before removing.

This bread makes great muffins, too!

P.F. Chang’s Fall Seasonal Menu

You know who else has some amazing Fall flavors? One of my favorite restaurants ever: P.F. Chang’s! Check out their brand new Fall Seasonal Menu, full of delicious Fall ingredients like butternut squash, apples, prawns, Fresno peppers, brussels sprouts, red quinoa, and more.

The Fall menu includes:

Shanghai Waldorf Salad
Crispy Korean Chicken Wings
Citrus Mustard Prawns
Miso Chicken
Ginger Jalapeno Mule and Apple Cinnamon Martini
Harvest Vegetable Quinoa ‘Fried Rice’
Caramel Apple Wontons
Vietnamese Noodles with Steak and Shrimp
Pumpkinn Dessert Wontons

Not only does P.F. Chang’s have a host of new foods to try, they are also hosting The Goodness of Fall Contest, where contestants can enter recipes that use at least 3 of P.F. Chang’s Fall-inspired ingredients from their new Fall Seasonal Menu (like the recipe I’ve featured above!).

The top 5 recipes will then be submitted to a panel of judges, which includes Philip Chiang (co-founder of P.F. Chang’s), Yuji Iwasa (head development chef at P.F. Chang’s), Mary Melton, director of beverage at P.F. Chang’s, and Jennifer Chong (a blogger partner).

How to enter:

Submit a recipe to be entered to win a daily prize of one $50 P.F. Chang’s gift card. The GRAND PRIZE winner will receive a two-night trip for two to Napa Valley in the Spring of 2014. The trip includes an exclusive chef’s dinner at a vineyard where judges Philip Chiang and Yuji Iwasa will be cooking some of their favorite dishes. P.F. Chang’s Director of Beverage Mary Melton will lead the wine tasting.

Ready to get started? Check out The Goodness of Fall Contest on Facebook, Follow @pfchangs on Twitter, and Follow P.F. Chang’s on Pinterest…And then hurry to P.F. Chang’s to experience the new seasonal dishes for yourself! Even better – on the The Goodness of Fall Contest page, you can print off a $10 off $40 special offer to use the next time you go out to eat at P.F. Chang’s. Awesome!

Which Fall dish from P.F. Chang’s are you most excited to try?