Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats

4 out of 5 children will not eat these treats. In fact, those same 4 out of 5 children will sit about whining loudly that they are absolutely starving to death while these cereal bars sit on festive plates directly in front of them, forcing you to make two big bowls of popcorn so these same 4 out of 5 children won’t keel over from extreme after school hunger.

The fifth child will actually eat these bars and not complain. As for the adults, they'll enjoy the fall themed flavor variety of these classic cereal bars and grab a second one.

Not the 4 out of 5 children however. When asking the 4 out of 5 children why they detest these blameless bars they’ll tell you “because they’re different”, and a couple of them will even be too scared to try a taste.

Change is difficult. I’ll give them a few years.

Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats
Candy corns are cute, but definitely optional. Print Version.

1/4 cup butter
10 ounce bag Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Mallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup caramel or plain candy corn

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; lightly grease foil.

Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 45 seconds, or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes, or until marshmallows are completely melted, stirring after 45 seconds. Add cereal, mix well. Press cereal mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan and press candy corns lightly into top of cereal bars.

Remove cereal mixture from pan, using foil handles. Cut into squares.

Recipe from back of Kraft Jet-Puffed package. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Candy Airplanes

I’m Baaaaack. Tons of work was accomplished these past two weeks. Most of the unhoarding is done around here too. Except the garage, but that doesn’t count as the house right?

Every cupboard, box, bag, closet, drawer and room are cleaned out. I admit it was all fear driven. Fear of not having enough time with school on top of the rest of my life, plus too many scary episodes of Hoarders.

I painted my daughter’s room blue as well. She loves it and I’m so glad, because I don’t want to do it again for another decade! Or longer.

Finally, today was my first day back at the University of Idaho after twelve long years. There were a sacred few moments for me this morning riding my bike in the rain and walking through my old campus. I’ve often felt if those walls could talk they’d have some pretty neat stories to tell.

As far as recipes go I’m sorry to admit it, but meals these past two weeks haven’t been very interesting. Lots of pb&j sandwiches, hot dogs, salads and ordering in. All I have to offer are these candy airplanes I made for my daughter’s last day of class.

We come from a family of pilots and my mother made a version of candy planes with Lifesavers I adored as a child. Clara loves them now and they’re something she can pass on to her own children. Later on. Much much later on.

Candy Airplanes
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These fun treats are as much a part of our family as growing up around the actual planes themselves.

Small roll of candy like Lifesavers, small size Fruit Mentos, or Smarties
More Lifesavers or candy with holes for wheels
Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum
Rubber bands

1. If the gum is too soft the wings will bend. Take all sticks of gum out of their packages (leave them in their foil though) a few days ahead of time and set aside to dry out.

2. Run a rubber band through two individual Lifesavers. Stick a candy roll between the wheels and place a stick of gum on top for wings. Wrap each side of the rubber band up around the wings. This takes a little practice, but you’ll get it quickly.

By Laura Flowers.

Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

On Allrecipes.com this recipe is called cake, but there’s not a hint of cake here. It’s a crisp with a top and bottom plus a simple glaze that’s poured over tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries.

The glaze alone is worth making again. It makes the fruit sweet without being grainy and I can see myself using it for other recipes with blueberries, cherries, peaches and pears.

Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp
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Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

Fruit Filling
4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 pint fresh strawberries, halved
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine flour, packed brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Gently press half of the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch round baking pan.

3. Place chopped rhubarb across the bottom. Top with strawberries.

4. In a saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add water and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Pour glaze over fruit. Sprinkle fruit with remaining crumb mixture.

5. Bake for 1 hour. Scoop and serve with vanilla ice-cream.

Recipe instructions adapted from Allrecipes.com Submitted by Roxanne39. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Grandma's Pineapple Carrot Cake

Not all special cakes are multi-tiered or fancy looking. Sometimes they come home-style in 9x13 inch cake pans with messy cream cheese frosting like this one from Abby Hicks at Tweedle Dee Design Co.

This pineapple carrot cake is American nostalgia and my personal pick for best tasting carrot cake. It’s got a lot of texture and moisture going on with pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts infiltrating the batter. As if that’s not enough, a buttery glaze soaks into the hot cake as soon is its pulled from the oven.

It also has a great story and family history. One than makes me wish I could walk into a New York diner for cup of tea, a slab of cake and conversation with friends.

Here's what Abby had to say, “One of my grandmothers owned a restaurant in New York, which I worked in as a teenager. She had an award-winning recipe for Pineapple Carrot Cake that people would come in for every Thursday. It is the most moist and delish carrot cake I have eaten in my 44 years! The secret to this incredible cake is a buttery toffee sauce that is poured over the cake as it comes out of the hot oven. When it cools and you top with a cream cheese frosting...every bite melts with buttery sweetness.”

After a pitch like that I had to give this a try. Now I'm trying not to eat the whole pan!

Grandma's Pineapple Carrot Cake
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Laura’s notes: Like any good fruitcake the longer it sets the better it is. I think at three days this cake is amazing, so don’t be afraid to make it way ahead of time.

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside....

3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Oil
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Cups Sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

1 8 0z. can of crushed pineapple
2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Add pineapple, coconut, carrot and nuts and mix well. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" glass cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Prepare glaze....

Buttery Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 pound butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients (in at least a 2 quart pot) and boil for 1 minute. Remove cake from oven and while hot, pour glaze over cake. Cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 pound butter
1 8oz. package cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and beat until think and smooth. Frost over cooled cake.

Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

Recipe via Abby Hicks. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Oregon Fruit Vanilla Plum Crisp

Harvest for this townie is often gleaning off the land. I know where wild blackberries are to be found and where old apple, plum, cherry, and pear trees grow in rural abandoned areas. I’ve memorized back alleys where ancient unharvested trees drop forgotten varieties and where the nicest raspberry bushes are.

Each year I fill my freezer with gleaned fruit for winter. But I never get around to using it all and by spring I’m scrambling to do something with it before the season begins again. However, by then I tend to forget important details. Like if the fruit was ripe.

So I made a plum crisp. A painfully tart and tannic plum crisp.

Dishboy Scott was visiting for dinner (as usual) and he looked at me with this horrible pucker on his face and said, “I think the crisp might need more sugar.”

“Really?” I said, just as I was taking a bite. “It’s not so bad.” Two bites later, “Crap, these are the plums we picked out at the blackberry area. The ones we tugged off the trees because we were too lazy to drive back when they were ready.”

Long story short. The crisp was so sour we gave up and I made another one. This time with my favorite canned Oregon Fruit. And oh man, it was so good. Perfectly sweet with lots of plum flavor and a crispy vanilla crust.

Half the benefit of canned Oregon Fruit is the heavy syrup it comes with. The syrup adds so much body to whatever I’m baking that I always adjust recipes to include some of it, as I’ve done with this crisp.

For when the actual ripe plums arrive, I’ve included a recipe adjustment for fresh fruit. This crisp also works well with peaches or pears. Ripe ones at least.

Oregon Fruit Vanilla Plum Crisp
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If you don’t have vanilla sugar on hand, stir a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the filling.

Filling
3 (15 ounce) cans Oregon Fruit canned Plums
1/4 vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside a 1 1/2 quart baking dish or a 9 1/2” pie dish.

2. Strain the juice from 1 can of plums into a large bowl. Strain the other cans of plums and discard the juice.

3. Place the plums on a cutting board and gently slice out the pits. Cut plums into 3 to 4 pieces each. Place them in the large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the vanilla sugar and flour. Sprinkle over the plums. Drizzle with almond extract and gently toss to combine. Pour the plums into a baking dish.

5. Move on to topping.

Topping
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 quick oats
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Place the flour, oats, vanilla sugar and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with butter and stir just until crumbly. Use fingers if needed.

2. Sprinkle topping over crisp. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbly and top is golden. If needed, broil the top for a few minutes to crisp the topping.

Fresh Plum Variation: Use 5 cups of pitted and quartered fresh plums and reduce the flour in the fruit to 1 tablespoon.

Peach or Pear Variation: Canned peaches or pears work well with this recipe. If using fresh fruit, measure out 5 cups of sliced fruit and reduce the flour in the fruit to 1 tablespoon.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.
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The People’s Chocolate Cheesecake

This wonderful creamy dreamy deeply chocolate cheesecake’s roots come from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Cake Bible. Several years ago, Dishboy Scott’s family turned it into a food processor chocolate cheesecake. When I got my paws on it, I made a few adjustments and reorganized the recipe.

Now I’m not sure whose recipe this is. So I’m calling it “The People’s Chocolate Cheesecake”. Much like Kate Middleton will become the people’s princess in about eight hours.

The last people’s princess, Diana, married when I was 5-years-old and I still perfectly recall the wedding. I was a wild spirit, and it was the last summer before that boring old kindergarten class would forced me to sit and learn, instead of running around with the neighborhood kids and playing in the dirt.

As the daughter of a pilot and a nurse we were solidly middle class, and I stared at our little television in disbelief witnessing opulence I’d never experience. Princess Diana floated up those beautiful red steps in a gown fit for a fairytale storybook.

I loved watching her enter what I thought at the time was a castle. Her castle. It was certainly the most beautiful building a kid from Walla Walla could ever imagine. Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding was also the first wedding I’d ever witnessed. How’s that for high standards?

From that moment on I realized princesses were real. Not just in the many piles of books I made my parents read to me. It gave my childhood a tie between my imagination, stories and reality. Cinderella all of a sudden didn’t seem so far fetched.

In eight hours I’ll be sleeping, but I’d still like to see the royal wedding. Maybe afterwards, I’ll celebrate like a 5-year-old by gulping down fruit punch and tearing across the neighborhood on my bike.

The People’s Chocolate Cheesecake
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This rich mousse-like cheesecake is prepared in just a few minutes in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, crush the graham crackers in a bag, and mix the filling with an electric mixer.

Crust
15 standard or chocolate graham crackers
1/4 cup granulated sugar
10 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the outside of a 9” springform pan with foil. Place the pan in a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Process the graham crackers, sugar and melted butter together in a food processor until you get mostly fine crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into the springform pan base and up the sides about 2 inches.

3. Wash and dry the food processor bowls.

Filling
8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (not chocolate chips)
16 ounce full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups full fat sour cream

1. Break up the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Cook it on high in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a food processor, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the sour cream and pulse well to combine, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the chocolate and puree to combine.

3. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crumb crust. Place the rimmed baking sheet in the oven with the cheesecake. Pour very hot water into the baking sheet until it’s about half full.

4. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the timer for 1 hour. Do not open the oven door. Once finished, cool on a cooling rack and chill for several hours before serving.

Recipe adapted by Laura Flowers from Scott Bader from Rose Levy Beranbaum. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

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Jam Sauce Creme Brulee & Inside a Food Blogger Life

Have you ever wondered what a food blogger’s shooting area looks like? Are you a food blogger who’d like a peek into someone else’s setup? I thought I’d share a little bit of the inner workings of what goes around here.

When I’m not shooting for a client I’m here at my own home. That means my little house ends up looking a bit too much like a studio, but that’s the life of a regular food blogger.

In my southwestern windows there’s a square white child’s table and a homemade round table I built out of an old beat up coffee table and an outdoor side table. Both tables are set low so I can shoot above them without too much difficulty.

You’ll notice that there are several layers of tablecloths covering the round table. Storing them on top of each other keeps them from getting wrinkled, and I can quickly find what I’m looking for.

I also have several lighting set ups, but the one I prefer is a mix of natural light, soft boxes, and silver and gold reflectors. My other lights tend to stay stored away until I have a large shoot where I’m covering people and food, instead of just small place settings.

My camera is a Canon and I most often use a 50mm macro lens for food blogging. It gives me the flexibility to get close to my subject and move away from it without having to switch lenses. When there are hungry people waiting for dinner, it makes a difference!

Props are a big deal here. (Sorry about the mess, I really do need to clean them out.) When I’m shooting for a magazine oftentimes they’ll ask for a holiday or season specific shot months ahead, and without those types of props I wouldn’t be able to fill the order. This photograph is just a small section of my very messy prop area. Anyone want to help me organize? Please?

As far as food propping goes, I try to purchase as many items as possible that coordinate well together. Lots of solid colors with a few patterned pieces to draw the eye and make the look more interesting. That way the feel can be changed quickly but the items will still work together.

Most of my props come from discount stores like Ross, Wal-Mart when they clearance out their holiday items, and even the Dollar Store.

It’s also important that I take extra time for photographs to get my creative juices going. I try at all costs to shoot when I’m not stressed trying to feed the numerous people who come through my door. I’ve learned that sauces can be thinned out the next day with water, and many foods can be styled later without compromise to quality.

Since I’m a photographer by trade and not a food stylist, I have a couple of food styling heroes whose books have been vastly helpful to me. Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera by Delores Custer, and The Food Stylist's Handbook by Denise Vivaldo are my go to bibles.

Not all things Delores and Denise do apply to us as food bloggers, as we shoot real food that we actually eat, but I’ve learned little things from them that help a lot. Like trimming edges of hamburger buns to clean them up, and brushing foods with oil for a fresher look.

And that’s it. At least that I can remember right now. If you ever have questions please feel free to ask. I’m always happy to try to help.

Jam Sauce Crème Brûlée
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This is a twist on the Blackberry Crème Brûlée with Brown Sugar Sauce recipe. Thick jam turns to flavorful sauce on the bottom of your custards. I used blackcap raspberry jam, but marmalade, strawberry or any favorite good quality jam would work well.

Special tools you’ll need are 4 six-ounce ramekins, a fine mesh sieve (strainer) and a torch of some kind. I use Jesse’s shop propane torch (more fire=more fun), but you can buy a little brûlée torch at most fancy kitchen stores.

2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 cup or so fresh or frozen blackberries
8 teaspoons dark brown sugar, divided
Sugar for brûlée

1. Place 4 six-ounce ramekins in a metal rimmed half bakers sheet. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and set a kettle of water to boil.

2. Place the heavy cream in a 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring often until just the point of boiling. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl whisk together egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Whisking the entire time, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot heavy cream into the egg mixture. Then pour the egg mixture into the heavy cream while whisking.

4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large clean bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon of your favorite jam onto the bottom of each ramekin. Slowly ladle cream mixture evenly into the ramekins, scraping all of it out of the bowl with a spatula.

5. Pull the oven rack out about half way and place the pan on it. Pour the hot water into the pan until it’s about half way up the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Custards should be mainly set around the edges, but the center will still be jiggly.

6. Carefully move the custards to a cooling rack. Once cool, move to the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours.

7. To Brûlée: Sprinkle custard tops with about a teaspoon of granulated sugar and torch with fire until deeply golden brown pulling back the torch as needed so the sugar doesn’t char.

Recipe and photographs by Laura Flowers.

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Blackberry Creme Brulee with Brown Sugar Sauce

Best crème brûlée ever.

When I die, please bury me in a giant vat of this amazingly perfect custard. It’s so incredible, it made crème brûlée hating Dishboy Scott moan and proclaim it to be about the best thing he’s ever put in his mouth.

It’s that good. It’s so good my husband Jesse, who could care less about dessert, inhaled half the batch in less than 24 hours.

Make this custard and you’ll thank me again and again. In fact, skip dinner and eat this instead. Why bother with dinner at all when there could possibly be such a perfect dessert in your life?

Blackberry Crème Brûlée with Brown Sugar Sauce
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Like magic, brown sugar makes it’s own sauce on the bottom of each ramekin.

Special tools you’ll need are 8 four-ounce ramekins, a fine mesh sieve (strainer) and a torch of some kind. I use Jesse’s shop propane torch (more fire=more fun), but you can buy a little brûlée torch at most fancy kitchen stores.

2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 cup or so fresh or frozen blackberries
8 teaspoons dark brown sugar, divided
Sugar for brûlée


1. Place 8 four-ounce ramekins in a metal 9x13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and set a kettle of water to boil.

2. Place the heavy cream in a 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring often until just the point of boiling. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl whisk together egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Whisking the entire time, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot heavy cream into the egg mixture. Then pour the egg mixture into the heavy cream while whisking.

4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large clean bowl. Place 1 teaspoon brown sugar into each ramekin. Place blackberries over brown sugar so they are nearly touching, but not packed. Slowly ladle cream mixture evenly into the ramekins, scraping all of it out of the bowl with a spatula.

5. Pull the oven rack out about half way and place the pan on it. Pour the hot water into the pan until it’s about half way up the ramekins. Bake for 35 minutes. Custards should be mainly set around the edges, but the center will still be jiggly.

6. Carefully move the custards to a cooling rack. Once cool, move to the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours.

7. To Brûlée: Sprinkle custard tops with about a teaspoon of granulated sugar and torch with fire until deeply golden brown pulling back the torch as needed so the sugar doesn’t char.

Recipe and photographs by Laura Flowers.
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Emergency Treats

Do you still need another treat for your cookie tray? Or perhaps you skipped baking all together this season and now feel obligated to bring something tasty to the family Christmas gathering?

This is an easy, fun solution you can force the kids to do for you.

Of course, if you do that you’ll deprive yourself of the pleasure of pummeling out your holiday stress crushing that bag of mini candy canes.

There are so many options for these treats. White chocolate coating looks beautiful with colored frosting drizzle and candy canes are always striking and festive. Oooo or indulgent dark chocolate and caramel scattered with chopped nuts would be good.

Then there are countless dipping devices too. Pretzel sticks, mini pretzels, potato chips, Oreos, thin chocolate wafers and even dog bones for your favorite furry friend.

My personal favorite this year are Biscoff cookies. They’re a thin, crunchy cross between graham crackers and gingersnaps.

I know you’re busy and won’t stall you any longer. Let’s get started!

Emergency Treats
Switch up the colors and candy for other holidays, celebrations or game days.

Base
1 bag white chocolate coating

Dipping Device Options (Pick one)
Pretzel sticks
Mini pretzels
Oreos
Biscoff cookies
Thin chocolate wafer cookies
Sugar cookies
Shortbread
Biscotti
Ruffles potato chips
Candy canes
Dog bones (Don’t dip human treats with these please!)

Coating Options (Pick one or more)
Crushed Mini Candy Canes
Sprinkles
Wilton Cooking Icing
Melted colored candy melts
Melted chocolate
Melted caramel squares (prepped as for apples)
Chopped toasted nuts

Lay out several feet of wax paper near your dipping area.

Melt white chocolate coating in a microwave safe bowl, or in a tall glass for pretzels on high for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave 30 more seconds. Repeat until melted.

Dip dipping devices into coating shaking off the excess. If using crushed candy canes or nuts sprinkle the base area on the wax paper. Lay the dipping device down and sprinkle the tops and sides. Let set.

If dressing dipping devices with icing, melted chocolate or caramel, first let the coating set then drizzle as desired.

By Laura Flowers.

Elves’ Favorite Dessert. Run Away!

Glancing through recipes for a winter photo assignment I spot something quite out of the ordinary. Fluff. What the heck is fluff? Isn’t that the stuff hidden in the back corner of salad bars old ladies eat?

So I make, style and shoot this fluff stuff, all the while sniffing my nose up at it. I do not eat fluff. No one eats fluff! In a hurry, I stuff strangely pale green fluff back into the Cool Whip container and get back to work.

After several more hours of shooting I start to crave something sweet. Peering into the fridge I sigh and gingerly take out the evil fluff container. I take a spoon and dip it into said crazy evil fluff.

It was there at that very moment something magical happened.

I liked it. Really, really liked it! Unfortunately, I "liked" it so well that I ate the entire container all by myself over the next several days.

So what do you think I did after eating an entire container of yummy pistachio fluff? That’s right. I made a whole new batch just for me.

Ah fluff, I love you. Wait a second... Does this make me an old lady?

Elves’ Favorite Dessert
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1 tub Cool Whip (thawed)
1 small box pistachio pudding
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix pineapple with it's juice and pistachio pudding powder together in a medium sized bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Store fluff inside the Cool Whip container and chill before serving.

“Yum Food and Fun for Kids”, Winter Issue 2010. Recipe from Menu Mom Christine Steendahl. Photograph by Laura Flowers.

Butterfinger Caramel Apples

Having only one child can be a problem sometimes. Like when I need emergency kid models and one won't cut it. Thankfully, my friend Julie loaned me her two for this Halloween assignment. I wouldn't have been able to finish without them.

It’s so hard to be little and behave well for hours in the hot sun, but they did great. Sadly, the kids didn’t make it into Yum Food and Fun for Kids this time, but I still have cute shots of them to enjoy.

This kid-friendly recipe starts with a bag of caramels. Feel free to use any kind of Halloween candy you have around for pressing into the sides. I think Snickers bars, M&Ms or chopped chocolate covered pretzels would be especially tasty here.

Butterfinger Caramel Apples
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This is a fun way to use up some of that excess candy and enjoy the fall apple harvest.

5 Granny Smith Apples
5 wooden dowels or popsicle sticks
3 (2.1 ounce) Butterfinger candy bars
14-ounce bag caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt

1. Wash and dry apples. Twist off the stem and place a wooden dowel or popsicle stick into the apples. Lay out a piece of wax paper to set apples on.

2. Place candy bars in a gallon-sized bag and crush into small crumbs with the back of a spoon. Place crumbs on a large plate. Set aside.

3. Place caramels, half & half, corn syrup and salt together in a shallow bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments on high stirring at each stop. Repeat until well melted. Stir in vanilla extract.

4. Roll an apple in caramel spooning some over the top. Let the excess drip off and spoon off the bottom. Dip the bottom in the crushed candy. Scoop up some of the candy and pat crumbs onto the sides of apples. Place apple on wax paper.

5. Reheat caramel between each apple for 15 to 20 seconds. Stir and repeat with the rest of the apples. If desired, trim bases of apples with kitchen shears.

Yields 5 Apples. Prep time 20 minutes. Setting time 1 hour.

From Yum Food and Fun for Kids Magazine, October 2010 by Laura Flowers.

Mildly Spiked Watermelon Popsicles

I’ve caught the madness. The popsicle making madness that seems to be going around. I suppose it’s about time I caved to pressure. I never did make French macaroons.

I couldn’t help it with popsicles though. There are so many fun shapes and flavors to mix together. Then there’s new potential to use leftover fruit sitting around in my fridge. I had so much extra watermelon I got to give watermelon pops a couple tries before I found one I really love. This is the one! They taste like icy watermelon on steroids. Floral and flavorful.

Sometimes, if you’re lucky like I am, watermelon popsicles arrive by pickup truck to a sweltering farm by a really sweet husband. Then you get to share your creation with your classmates and take a break from hoeing up weeds and building hoop structures.

Mildly Spiked Watermelon Popsicles
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You’ll need a fine mesh strainer and a blender for this one.

Watermelon chunks, enough to fill a blender to the top
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar, to taste
Small pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Watermelon Pucker
1 tablespoon Chambord Liqueur

Blend together watermelon chunks, sugar and salt. Taste for sugar adding more if needed.

Press the mixture with the back of a spoon through a fine mesh strainer into a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl leaving behind the pulp. Stir in Watermelon Pucker and Chambord.

Pour the mixture into molds and freeze. Run molds over hot water to remove popsicles.

Recipe and photographs by Laura Flowers.

Bing Cherry Malts

Hi! I'm just popping in for a minute with dessert. I’m taking a two plus week hiatus from technology to ride bikes, swim and picnic with my kiddo. I also plan on spending time with favorite foodie friends doing some carefree summer cooking. It will be strange to cook and taste without writing a single ingredient down for a while.

My Mactop will be locked away during this time but I should be back to posting recipes the week of July 12th.

Unfortunately, spammers worship me so I’ve turned on my comment moderation for this break. You probably don’t want to read all the crooked and terribly perverted things they try to sell me. If you leave comments I’ll post them as I can from my phone and try to answer any questions. Just try to be patient with me please.

Hope you’re having a fun and exciting summer!

Bing Cherry Malts Printer Version
I adore my Ninja Blender. If you need a new blender these are worth checking out. They’re not too expensive and work better than anything I’ve used before.

2 cups Bing cherries, pitted
2 to 3 tablespoons malted milk powder (usually found by the hot cocoa in stores)
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk
4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
Whipped cream for garnish, optional

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Garnish with whipped cream for extra decadence.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.

Shortcut Homemade Twinkie Copycats

I couldn’t face producing three batches of Twinkies from scratch for Jesse’s work this week. So I didn’t. Instead, I tweaked Todd Wilber’s pound cake mix version into something more Twinkie-like. What's neat about Todd's version is he made his copycats without a cream canoe pan by wrapping foil around spice jars to created molds. If I didn’t have the pan already, I’d have done things his way.

There were a couple problems with Todd’s recipe. I’m not sure if they’re because I used a nonstick pan instead of foil, but they needed a roll in simple syrup. Without it they weren’t really Twinkies, just pound cakes with filling and strange crusty outsides. I adjusted the cooking time as well, but that’s probably just a difference in baking methods. If you use the foil method they’ll take longer to bake.

If you’re not into shortcut baking, Leslie Bilderback made a fantastic, but complicated Twinkie recipe from scratch. It might be fun to tackle if you have the spare time, or are making just a single batch.

I think sometimes a shortcut is perfectly fine though. Especially for something fun like this. Overall, these little cakes are pretty darn Twinkie-like, not too difficult, and have that cool novelty of being baked at home. I'll be making these again.

Shortcut Homemade Twinkies
Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water

Boil together in a small pot with a lid. Once mixture comes to a boil remove the lid and cook for three more minutes to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cakes
Crisco for greasing
4 egg whites
1 16-oz box of golden pound cake mix
2/3 cup of water

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cream canoe pan with Crisco. (Butter doesn’t work as well here).

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not a solid mass. In a separate bowl combine the cake mix with water and beat until blended. Then, fold egg whites into the cake with a spatula then beat it with the hand mixer at the end until just combined.

Fill the molds half full of batter. Bake for around 22 to 23 minutes, or until the cakes are lightly golden brown around the edges (but light on top) and a toothpick comes out clean.

Run a toothpick around the cakes to loosen the sides. Dump the hot cakes onto parchment paper. Turn cakes upside down so the bottoms are now on top. Place some of the simple syrup into a wide shallow bowl and immediately roll the tops, sides, and ends of hot Twinkies in the syrup. Try not to get syrup on the bottoms. Fill with cream filling, below.

Repeat the process for second set of cakes. Be sure to grease the pan again.

Cream Filling
2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups marshmallow cream (or one 7 oz jar)
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 chopstick

To do the cream filling, first mix the salt into the bowl of hot water, and mix until the salt is dissolved. Let it cool.

Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and mix, preferably with an electric mixer or stand mixer on high, until fluffy.

Now pour the salt-water solution in and mix.

When the cakes are mainly cool, poke a hole into the bottom in three places like a Twinkie with a narrow ended chopstick. Move the chopstick around inside to make some room for filling. Then stick a pastry bag into the holes and press gently to fill.

Storing “Twinkies”
Store in a wax paper lined covered container for a few hours before serving. Twinkies need time for their outsides to get soft. Twinkies also freeze quite well after filling.

Makes 16 Twinkie Copycats.

Adapted from Todd Wilber from Top Secret Recipes. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Chambord Strawberry Shortcakes

Ripe strawberries arrived from California! Yay! California, I love you when you ship good fruit.

I went a little crazy with the Chambord Liqueur in this recipe, every element has some, but it doesn’t overpower the flavor. Instead it leaves a slightly perfumed hint of that beautiful black raspberry taste mixed with luscious ripe strawberries, whipped cream, and perfect home-style biscuits.

Chambord Strawberry Shortcakes

Chambord Strawberries
The Chambord flavor doesn’t come through as a liqueur, but it nicely rounds out the sweetness of the strawberries with a pleasing fruity perfume.

2 pounds ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar, preferably organic
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons Chambord Liqueur

Several hours before serving shortcakes, place all the ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine, cover and place in the refrigerator to macerate.

Chambord Biscuits
These are rustic looking flavorful biscuits. Perfect for shortcakes.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons organic sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
2/3 cup half and half
2 tablespoons Chambord Liqueur

For Brushing Top
1 tablespoon half and half
1 tablespoon Chambord Liqueur
Organic sugar

1. Set the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 425 degrees. Line an Airbake cookie sheet with parchment paper. Or put two baking sheets together if you don’t have an Airbake.


2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the diced butter and pulse to pea size pieces. Add the half and half and Chambord and pulse until almost combined. Don’t over work the dough.


3. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly four or five times. Pat the dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle and slice into 6 squares. Place the dough on the parchment two inches apart.


4. Stir together 1 tablespoon half and half and 1 tablespoon Chambord. Brush the biscuit tops and sprinkle lightly with sugar.


5. Place the biscuits in the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack until ready to assemble shortcakes.

Makes 6 large shortcakes.

Chambord Whipped Cream
2 cups very cold heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Chambord Liqueur
Small pinch of salt

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks start to form. Add the powdered sugar, Chambord, and salt and continue to beat until whipped cream constancy. (Don’t overbeat or you’ll have some strange sweet butter on your hands.)

To assemble Chambord Strawberry Shortcakes
Stir the bowl of strawberries. Slice biscuits in half and place one per person on a plate. Spoon on lots of strawberries and dollop with whipped cream. Top with matching biscuit half. Drizzle with a little Chambord if you'd like.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Robin H. your number was picked! You get a two-pound bag of Mocha Roca Mishaps. I feel like I should apologize. That’s a lot of Roca!

Dishboy Scott introduced this pudding to me. He’s been making it since he was a kid from his favorite dessert book, the 1960 “Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Cook Book”. Scott still likes to make this pudding and drizzle it hot over cold vanilla ice cream.

Sometimes we get lucky and he makes this for us. I had no idea hot pudding and ice cream could be so incredible together. But if you like your pudding cold be sure to chill it with a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so a skin doesn’t form.

This old dessert book is a gem in the Better Homes and Gardens collection. I finally found a copy of my own so I can pass these nearly lost recipes to my daughter.

I’m left wondering how advertising conned us into believing pudding came from a box. It must have taken awhile, because this is such an easy dessert. Growing up though, I thought pudding only came from a little box. I’m grateful I know better now.

Chocolate Pudding
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

In saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually blend in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture thickens. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add vanilla.

Pour into 5 or 6 sherbets; chill. Or pour into individual molds, rinsed with cold water; chill till firm. Unmold in chilled dessert dishes. Serve with cream.

*Or add two 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, cut up, along with milk.

Notes: Directions are from the book, but you can serve this warm as a sauce over vanilla ice cream or you can place it in a bowl and cover and chill with plastic wrap directly touching the pudding so a skin doesn’t form.

Recipe from “Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Cook Book”, 1960. Picture by Laura Flowers.

Oreo Truffles, Veronica's Post

I’m 100% positive the best part about being a food blogger is the friends. I can’t believe how many great people I’ve become close to over the last year. Friends who would invite me into their homes and feed me type of people. The best kind in my opinion!

Veronica is one of those friends. She came into my life when I wasn’t food blogging yet. Finding me, and my early pathetic food photography attempts on MySpace when I was first learning to shoot food. Veronica’s been making me laugh and encouraging me for nearly two years since. When I finally set up this food blog, she jumped right in and edited my posts. I didn’t even have to ask! She just knew she could help and did.

Veronica also knows my weakness for Oreos. She recently sent me a giant (but evil) box of these Oreo Truffles. This post is her’s, and every time I read it I laugh. The photograph above is what was left from the box. Now she owes me money for bigger pants.

How the heck did I get so lucky to have a Veronica in my life? Veronica thank-you for the truffles, the friendship, and the fun!

"LAURA DON’T READ THIS BLOG!" (Ha too late V!)

(Veronica takes pretty darn good pictures too! This is her photograph.)

When my friend, Laura, an Oreo-cookie fanatic, saw my picture of these Oreo truffles, she told me, “Please, please don’t give me the recipe. They’d be my new Rolo crack.”

Rolo Turtles (aka “Rolo crack” among certain circles) is so delicious that it is absolutely irresistable and has caused weight gain in those who were foolish enough to make it, including Laura herself (the one who gave us the big idea in the first place)!

Hence the blog title. Yes, I’m well aware that it will most likely not deter her, but I can’t be held responsible–I did my best. After all, I couldn’t deprive my other friends of this recipe for her benefit. (Sorry, Laura!)

Now, onto the truffles!

The middles of these truffles are black, soft, and taste just like an Oreo cookie. If you have a food processor, they’re a snap to prepare. In fact, they’re the easiest truffles I’ve ever dipped in chocolate, because I didn’t have to refrigerate them first (they don’t melt when dipped in warm chocolate), which means the chocolate cooled much slower and I didn’t have to keep zapping it in the microwave. None of the filling melted off into the chocolate when I dunked them, and the chocolate slid off the truffles effortlessly, making a perfect, smooth, thin coating. I really deplore dipping truffles and usually just roll them in cocoa, but if I must dip, I would love it if the job were this easy every time.

Whip up a batch and take them to your next party or package them up as a gift–I guarantee they’ll be a hit!

Oreo Truffles
1 package (1 lb. 2 oz) Oreo cookies

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

6 squares chocolate almond bark

1 square white almond bark (optional)

*It is OK to eat several of the cookies before you crush them. If you use the whole package, you will be left with over a cup of extra crushed cookies once you’re done making the truffles.

Put the cookies in the bowl of your food processor and process until very finely crushed. Measure out 3 cups of the crumbs and put them in a mixing bowl. Set the remaining crumbs aside for later. Add the cream cheese and mush it all up with your hands until it is a soft dough and is uniform in texture.

Form the mixture into balls, rolling until smooth, and place on a plate. Set a long piece of wax paper on a work surface, such as your counter.

Melt the chocolate almond bark according to package directions and dip each truffle in the chocolate with a fork. Tap the excess chocolate off and use a second fork to push the coated truffle onto the waxed paper. Sprinkle cookie crumbs onto the chocolate while it is still wet.

Continue until all the truffles are coated, leaving half uncovered if you wish.

If you choose, you can melt the white almond bark and, using a fork or pastry bag, drizzle it over the truffles without crumbs on top.

Mine were OK at room temp for several days, but to be safe, I’d recommend storing them in the fridge if you aren’t going to serve them within 24 hours.

Original Oreo Truffle Recipe may be from Kraft.com. Post content by Veronica Miller. Visit and say hi to Veronica at her blog Recipe Rhapsody. Top shot by Laura Flowers.

Hershey's Hot Cocoa Eleven Ways

Here’s a hot chocolate with more variations than you may ever use. After the kiddo went to bed Saturday night, we took the opportunity to sample a few liquors in our hot cocoas while we chatted.

This isn’t a super rich cocoa. It’s light and nice on it’s own, but really shines sharing the stage with other flavors. I like to serve hot cocoa in six ounce servings, but if you want bigger portion sizes by all means go for it.

The Chambord won hands down for the best flavor. Although I must say, the rest were quite excellent.

Ingredients
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Hershey’s Cocoa, packed
Dash of Salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups (1 quart) milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Stir together sugar, cocoa, and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk; heat to serving temperature, stirring constantly. Do not boil.

2. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy (I often skip this part to save time). Serve topped with marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Makes about 6 (3/4 cup) servings, or 5 (1 cup) servings.

Our Own Individual Serving Variations

Luxurious Chambord Hot Cocoa
Add 1 Tablespoon Chambord to a ¾ cup serving of hot cocoa.

Cool Peppermint Schnapps Hot Cocoa
Add 1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons Peppermint Schnapps to a ¾ cup serving of hot cocoa.

Special Coffee Liquor Hot Cocoa
Add 2 Tablespoons Kahlua Especial to a ¾ cup serving of hot cocoa.

Cowgirl Style

Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste per serving. Top with whipped cream.

Hershey’s Variations for Entire Recipe

Spiced Cocoa Add 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg with vanilla extract. Serve with cinnamon stick, if desired.

Mint Cocoa Add ½ teaspoon mint extract or 3 Tablespoons crushed hard peppermint candy or 2 to 3 tablespoons white crème de menthe with the vanilla extract. Serve with peppermint candy stick, if desired.

Citrus Cocoa Add ½ teaspoon orange extract or 2 to 3 Tablespoons orange liqueur with vanilla extract.

Swiss Mocha Add 2 to 2 ½ teaspoons powdered instant coffee with vanilla extract.

Canadian Cocoa Add ½ teaspoons maple extract with vanilla extract.

Cocoa Au Lait Omit marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream. Spoon 2 Tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream on top of each cup of cocoa at serving time.

Hershey’s Single Serving Variation

Quick Microwave Cocoa for One To make one serving, in a microwave-safe cup of mug, combine 1 heaping teaspoon Hershey’s Cocoa, 2 heaping teaspoons sugar and dash of salt. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk; stir until smooth. Fill cup with milk. Microwave at high (100%) 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until hot. Stir to blend.

Hershey’s Hot Cocoa recipe from "Hershey’s Recipe Collection", Copyright 2009, Page 472. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Copycat Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Yummmm yum yum yum! I love these things dipped in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with coconut. I also love them with a little bit of huckleberry puree in the dough. Oh heck I just love these things!

For the huckleberry doughnuts I took the dough and divided it in half. With half the dough, I added ¼ cup of huckleberries I’d ground in the food processor and then kneaded in enough flour to make it the consistency of the plain dough. After frying the huckleberry doughnuts I dipped them in vanilla glaze. I think I might use a little less vanilla extract next time. It overpowered the flavor of the delicate huckleberries a bit.

With the plain dough I made chocolate glazed doughnuts and top them with sprinkles and coconut. My daughter claimed the sprinkled ones and my husband the coconut. I think the two of them ate most of their calories in doughnuts this past weekend. I'm feeling a tad guilty about this.

You might find it easier to just run to your local donut shop, but there is a benefit to making your own. Because they get fried so quickly and drained well on paper towels they are not greasy. Granted I didn’t say healthy! Just not greasy.

Oh, and my friend Krista says doughnut holes have no calories. I think her logic makes perfect sense. So don't forget to fry those up too.

Mmmm Doughnuts

2 (1/4 ounce) packages yeast
1/4 cup water (105-115)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
Canola oil

Creamy Glaze
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (I'll use less next time, this amount overpowered the flavors)
4-6 tablespoons hot water

Chocolate Frosting
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4-6 tablespoons hot water
4 ounces milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Toppings
Top with your choice of sprinkles, coconut, nuts, bacon, Fruit Loops cereal, or anything you think should be on top of a doughnut.

Instructions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl.
2. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups flour.
3. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.
4. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
5. Stir in remaining flour until smooth.
6. Cover and let rise until double, 50-60 minutes.
7. (Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.) Turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour.
8. Gently roll dough 1/2-inch thick with floured rolling pin.
9. Cut with floured doughnut cutter.
10. Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes.
11. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350°.
12. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula.
13. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface.
14. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side.
15. Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface); drain.
16. Dip the doughnuts into creamy glaze set on rack then when slightly cooled spread chocolate frosting on top.
17. Dip in sprinkles or other toppings after chocolate if desired.
18. Creamy Glaze: Heat butter until melted.
19. Remove from heat.
20. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
21. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
22. Chocolate Frosting: Heat butter and chocolate over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
23. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
24. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Makes about 24 doughnuts and 24 doughnut holes.

Recipe from Roosie on RecipeZaar. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Black Rice Pudding

A surprise package showed up in the mail recently from my friend Veronica in Kansas. Inside was a bag of black rice, a note, and a recipe for this beautiful soupy pudding. Veronica thought this looked like something I would enjoy, and she was right. I enjoyed this “pudding” so much that I ate part of it for dessert, and the rest for breakfast the next morning all by myself!

The recipe comes from The Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann. I used to own this great little book, but thinned it out of my overflowing cookbook collection a couple years ago and now I want it back!

I should never part with a cookbook; it always bites me on the backside later.

Black Rice Pudding
½ pound raw black rice (forbidden rice), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce can) light coconut milk
4 Tablespoon granulated sugar
A pinch of salt

1. Place the rice in a 2-quart saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water to within 1 ½ inches from the top. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Add the sugar and salt and boil, stirring, for one minute, until sugar dissolves.

3. To serve, place rice into six dessert cups and top with coconut milk.

4. Black rice pudding is good cold or at room temperature, but it’s even better served warm. For lunch, pack the pudding in a lidded container in the lunch box to eat it cold, or pack in a preheated insulated food jar for a luscious hot pudding on a chilly day.

Recipe from “The Vegan Lunch Box” by Jennifer McCann. Picture by Laura Flowers