All You Need is Love...and Cookie Cakes

Sometimes, you just need dessert and you need it now. Let me present the cookie cake:

You could always buy one from the supermarket but then it is at least a foot in diameter and its harder to handle having that much cookie cake in your life at one time. (You're gonna keep going back, don't lie). And there seems to be some type of perserative in supermarket baked goods that makes me feel a bit gross aftter a few rounds...

This is the easiest, laziest cookie cake in the world. Meh.

What you need:

chocolate cookie mix, and whatever that requires. I use Betty Crocker.
Canned frosting and sprinkles/jimmies/whatever you call those decorative accents. I used funfetti Christmas-themed (hence the green) because it was on clearance. Judge away.

1. Make the cookie dough. Eat some. Immediately split it in half (or thirds) and put half in the freezer. 
2. Squish remaining dough into vague roundish shape. Bake according to package directions.  
3. Let cool. No really, it needs to cool. All the way.
4. FROST! As much as you can get on there. I actually piped my canned frosting on so I felt like I was making some sort of an effort. Add any other decorations you may want.
5. Display on a board, ala Jamie Oliver. Cut and serve.

Amaze your friends, astonish your family! 

Or, maybe not. But they can't complain or they won't get any cookie cake.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee pudding: a British tradition. I actually had my first real taste of sticky toffee in the Netherlands and then ate quite a few Sainsbury's ready made puddings for breakfast whilst in London two summers ago. I had always intended to make my own, but so many of the recipes seemed so involved and long, so I just went without pudding...until I stumbled upon this beauty and adapted accordingly: 

Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding for Two (adapted from a Daily Mail recipe)

Golden syrup
1/4 c butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c flour (I use white)
1 banana, mashed
1/4 c chopped, pitted dates
1 tbsp skim milk

Spray two ceramic ramekins well with non-stick spray.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon or two golden syrup into the bottom of each ramekin; set aside.

Cream sugar and butter together.

Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine.

Mix in mashed banana followed by chopped dates.

Fold in flour and stir in milk.

Split mixture between two prepared ramekins, filling both evenly until you've used all the batter. 

Wrap the tops of the ramekins tightly in foil and place if water bath.

Bake for 50 minutes at 355 degrees. (Or until they are sponge-y and golden brown.)

Remove carefully from water bath and take of foil. Invert on a plate and admire the golden syrup pool of deliciousness. Enjoy.

The end result, in all it's glory:

And with it's twin.

They may not be the most beautiful pudding ever presented, but they make up for it in taste, I promise!

Juuuuuuuuice

I didn't set out to buy a juicer this weekend. I had wanted a juicer for months - years, even - but they were always too expensive or the size of a small family car.

But then, Mom gave me several thousand coupons and this Cuisinart compact beauty revealed itself to me.

I may never eat solid foods again.

The adventure began with the utmost goal of recreating my favorite beverage from a local bookstore / cafe.

Apple Ginger Seltzer 

 And a 'Green Monster', modeled by my assistant

A bunch of green grapes
Handful or two spinach
2 apples

Then a little bevy I like to call 'cleaning out the fridge'

5 carrots
large chunk of ginger
7-8 green grapes 
1 apple

A little fresh juice makes justifying dessert that much easier...

Thrifty Thursdays Snackles: MUFFINS

I hate to waste food. I can invent meals with the best of them. It's like the Great Depression in our kitchen; I won't throw anything out and the Month stockpiles food like there's no tomorrow.

I have had Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix living in my pantry for an unpublishable amount of time. Since I didn't really want to eat three pounds of pancakes in the near future and it's essentially fall flavor season, I decided to do something with it. The power of google brings us to the solution:

Pancake Mix Muffins (adapted from a post found via Taste of Home)

3 cups pancake mix (I used Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix)

2 tsp brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 - 1 2/3 cups milk

 Chocolate chips, nuts, etc for topping / mixing in.

Mix till just moist. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 375 for 18 min. Makes 12 muffins.

 I customized each muffin with different toppings: chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, vanilla almond granola, and a combo of all of the above. These muffins puffed up gloriously and were taste tested approved.

*The phrase "Thrifty Thursdays" popped into my head an a delightful alternative of what used to be "Thirsty Thursdays"...why drink heavily when you can make muffins?