#caitybakes

[caitybakes]

Have extra box of Funfetti Cake Mix lying around, will make Funfetti cookies. 

Eventually.

That box was lying around for a while.

But in the end, it was totally worth it!! And even better, unlike having to use oil when you make it in cake form, these cookies use butter instead! Which means I can pretend they are healthy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Box Funfetti Cake Mix (just the mix, not the additional ingredients listed on the back of the box which you would use if making a cake)

1/2 C Unsalted Butter, room temp

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have non-stick cookie sheets, grease or line with parchment paper two cookie sheets.

2. In a standup mixer, beat together cake mix and butter. Add in egg, vanilla, and salt, and beat until well combined. If you like your cookies super full of sprinkles, you can also add in extra sprinkles of your choosing (a Tablespoon or two) at this point.

3. Drop by the tablespoon-full on cookie sheets, about two inches apart. These cookies won’t spread much, so you don’t have to give them too much space. Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes, or until edges are just starting to brown.

4. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to complete cooking.

5. Eat em! You can go all crazy on me and dip em in some Funfetti frosting, or just eat em plain (my preference).

[caitybakes]

Blackberry Pie Bars.

The perfect spring treat, from Joy The Baker, as delicious berries being popping up in the market!

CRUST

3 C Flour

1 1/2 C Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 C Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed

Zest of Two Lemons

FILLING

4 Eggs

2 C Sugar

1 C Sour Cream

3/4 C Flour

Pinch of Salt

32oz Frozen Blackberries (thawed and drained) OR 6 generous cups of Fresh Blackberries

MAKE IT

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13" pan with butter.

2. Combine 1 1/2 C sugar with lemon zest, working with your fingers to release zestiness.

3. Add 3 C flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and butter cubes and mix until crumbly. (I use either a pastry cuter or a food processor, pulsed a few times.)

4. Reserve 1 1/2 C of "dough" for the topping. Press remaining dough into bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until it starts to brown. Remove and cool while you make the filling.

5. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add in 2C sugar, sour cream, 3/4 C flour, pinch of salt, and whisk until well-combined. Gently fold in fresh or defrosted/drained blackberries.

6. Pour blackberry mixture over top of baked crust. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 C of crust dough evenly over top.

7. Bake at 350 for 45-55 min, until top crust is golden and middle doesn't jiggle much. Let cool for one hour before slicing.

**You can honestly bake this in any size pan, just cook a little longer or a little shorter per pan size - I enjoy doing a couple small pans and a few ramekins, all at the same time. Then the ramekins are easily served snacks or desserts, and the pans are good for taking somewhere to share!

[caitybakes]

The Christmas Party Cookie Season is upon us. To kick off the season, I made my simplest cookie recipe this weekend. And by simple I mean there are 5 ingredients, and you mix it up all at once, in one bowl, so then you only have to wash one bowl, and if you play it right you could probably get away with only having to wash one measuring cup, and basically it’s Christmas joy all around.

Here’s what you’ll need for 24-30 cookies:

2 C Peanut Butter (I like using one that’s just peanuts and salt, but any will work)

1 1/4 C Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1/4 C Melted Butter (you do NOT need this if you use a peanut butter that has added oil...it just helps to up the moisture in the cookie if you go the natural PB route like I do)

24-30 Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses (milk or dark)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and butter (if you decide to use it). Slightly wet your hands and form dough into tablespoon-sized balls, placing evenly on cookie sheets. (These won’t really spread out at all, so you don’t have to have more than an inch or so between each ball of dough.)

3. Bake at 35 for 10-12min, until dough starts to crack. While baking, unwrap chocolate kisses - one per cookie. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, gently press one kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool for two minutes on the pan, then transfer to cooling racks.

[caitybakes]

Sometimes you just want a little bit of pumpkin pie at a time, and you don’t really feel like crust, so you just make the filling and bake it for 30 minutes in ramekins. 

And then you make whipped cream by whipping up some heavy whipping cream with a dash of sugar and a dash of vanilla extract.

And then all is good in the world.

[caitybakes]

I tripled my stuffing recipe this year and thus had to use this much butter. I was not mad.

[caitybakes]

I made tots out of broccoli.

They were delicious and I highly recommend them as a way to get your daily dose of broccoli and parmesan cheese.

That’s right. They have a sh*t ton of delicious parmesan cheese in them as well. Protein. Boom.

Here’s what you’ll need for about 25 Tots:

2 Packed Cups of Steamed, Diced Broccoli (aka just steam two large heads of broccoli, chop it up, and it’ll likely come out to be about two cups when you measure the chopped bits)

1 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese (I recommend shredding it yourself. Better than the pre-shredded kind that never quite tastes like parmesan.)

1/4 C Diced Yellow Onion

3/4 C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs (if you use plain Panko, that’s totally fine, just add in some garlic powder and/or additional spices to your liking, as the Italian ones add a great kick of flavor)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Paprika

2 Large Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine chopped broccoli, cheese, onions, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Crack two eggs on top of the mixture and again, stir until well combined. I found using my hands for this really worked well.

3. Using just your hands, scoop mixture out by about the Tablespoon-full. Shape into balls or loggish tot shapes, or if you’re really pressed for time, just plop em by the tablespoon-full onto prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Allow to cool five minutes prior to eating.

The great thing about these tots is you can adjust the recipe to your liking! Use plain breadcrumbs, and instead add spices like garlic and rosemary, or use cheddar cheese instead of parmesan. You can likewise serve with a whole variety of dipping sauces -- melted butter, ketchup, oil and vinegar...

And guess what? Even though there’s all this cheese in them, they really aren’t unhealthy. There’s no sugar (watch out for what breadcrumbs you use -- many contain sugar or evil palm oil -- run away!!), they’re made mostly of a vegetable, so unless you eat all of them in one sitting, you’re doing well on the healthy tots spectrum.

[caitybakes]

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS and/or BLONDIES

You choose what to call em. I’ll call em delicious.

My husband loves the chocolate chip cookies I make, but I wanted to make something a little different, because making chocolate chip cookies every weeks gets a bit boring. So I made these. 

Note to the wise: I know it’s tempting to eat things asap after they come out of the oven (guilty), but these are truly better once completely cooled. Even better the next day (if stored in a tightly sealed/saran wrapped container). An anomaly, I know.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 C Unsalted Butter, melted

1/2 C Granulated Sugar

1 C Brown Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs

2 1/4 C All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbs Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 C Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 9x13″ pan with butter (I like to use the butter wrappers from the 1 C of butter in this recipe).

2. In a mixer, beat together sugars and melted butter until smooth. Add in vanilla and eggs, one at a time, again beating until smooth. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to sugar mixture and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Press into prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and cool completely in pan prior to slicing and serving.

**If you like your bars thinner, you can set some of the dough aside for later use. I suggest that later use be putting 1/2 C of dough into a ramekin, baking at 375 for 12-15 minutes, allowing to cool for 5 minutes before topping with ice cream and eating your very own homemade pizookie a la BJs Restaurant.**

[caitybakes]

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Like My Mom Used To Make.

I grew up in a household that used biscuits in our strawberry shortcake. I know, I know, some of you are used to a more cake-like substance, but let me tell you, these biscuits are the way to go. Just trust me on this one.

Here’s what you’ll need (8 servings):

BISCUITS (adapted from Taste of Home)

2 C All-Purpose Flour

2 Tbs Sugar

1 Tbs Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 C Cold Butter, cubed

1 C Milk (I used half and half because RICHNESS...any milk works)

1. Preheat oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease sheet.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Slowly stir in milk until a soft dough forms (you might not use all of the milk).

3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheet. (Should make 8 biscuits.) Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, slice the strawberries (about two pints) and make the strawberry syrup (requires another cup of strawberries)!

STRAWBERRY SYRUP (adapted from Add A Pinch)

1 C Sliced Fresh Strawberries

2 Tbs Sugar

1/4 C Water

In a tiny saucepan, combine strawberries, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, which will probably take all of two minutes with such a small amount of water. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and use a blender or immersion blender to blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. 

ASSEMBLE!!!

Slice the biscuits in half with a sharp, serrated knife. Fill with sliced strawberries, a generous dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle strawberry syrup on top.

EAT.