Lynn's Kitchen Adventures » Desserts

Fried Apples

Lynn — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:49:10 +0000

Nothing says comfort food quite like fried apples. They are a simple, easy, frugal, and old fashioned comfort food.

I do have one question though. Are fried apples a dessert, a side dish, a delicious breakfast treat, or all three?

I will admit that we have used them for all three.

What do you think?

Fried Apples

¼ cup butter
6 apples peeled and sliced into ¼ to ½ inch pieces ( I prefer granny smith or another good baking type apple)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large pan melt butter. (I like to use my cast iron pan for these fried apples)
Add apples, sugar, and cinnamon to melted butter and mix well.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook until apple are tender about 15 minutes. You will need to stir these often.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert or plain as a side dish or snack.

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A Year In Review: Dessert Recipes

Lynn — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:04:27 +0000

If you have read my site for long, you have probably guessed that I LOVE desserts. Desserts are one of my favorite things to make and I can spend hours and hours in the kitchen making all kinds of desserts.

When I was looking back over the dessert recipes that I shared in 2011 I realized that I shared more pie recipes than any other kind of dessert, so today we are going to focus on pies.

Chocolate Cream Pie anyone? This pie is so rich and creamy!

If you are looking for an easy frugal pie to make Buttermilk Pie is perfect. And is really good.

If you like mounds bar than you will love Mounds Bar Pie.

And although not technically a pie this Brownie Pie is delicious.

I can’t wait to share more yummy dessert recipes with you in 2012.

For more year in review posts see Finding Joy In My Kitchen.

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Homemade Coconut Pudding

Lynn — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:49:17 +0000

Homemade pudding is the perfect holiday treat. And I have another easy homemade pudding for you today.

If you need a last minute holiday dessert idea you can easily make up a few different flavors of homemade pudding and serve them for a holiday dessert buffet. You could make homemade vanilla pudding, homemade chocolate pudding, homemade butterscotch pudding, homemade white chocolate pudding, and/or this homemade coconut pudding.

The great thing about homemade pudding is that it can be made a day or two ahead of time, which will save you time the day you need to serve it.

I also love homemade puddings because they are an easy and naturally gluten free dessert.

If you have not tried making homemade pudding before, you really should give it a try. And I did a how to make homemade pudding video a while ago that some of you might find helpful.

Homemade Coconut Pudding

2 cups milk
1 cup cream
4 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon rum extract, optional but good
½ cup shredded coconut

In a large saucepan combine milk, cream, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and sugar. Cook over medium hight heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. This will take 3-5 minutes.
Once thickened remove from heat and stir in rum extract.
Strain pudding through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
Fold in coconut. And cover with plastic wrap placed tightly over the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming as the pudding cools.
This can be served warm or cold.
Serve and enjoy!

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A Few Christmas Dessert Recipes

Lynn — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:30:58 +0000

I love dessert. I mean really love it, especially if it involves chocolate. One of my favorite things about the holidays is all the baking and candy making that goes along with it.

Today I thought I would share a few of our favorite desserts that are perfect for the holidays.

One of my favorite holiday desserts is cheesecake. If you love cheesecake than you will love my Crustless White Chocolate Cheesecake. This is so good!

If you prefer chocolate than you need to try Crustless Chocolate Cheesecake. Again so good! And cheesecakes are really not hard to make. Last year I shared a few tips for making perfect cheesecakes. If you are new to making cheesecakes it is a great place to start.

Chocolate bread pudding anyone?! This is one of my all time favorite comfort food desserts. So good and perfect for the holidays. (And it works with gluten free bread.)

If you love peanut butter and chocolate you will love these Frosted Peanut Butter Brownies. This is one of my husband’s all time favorite desserts. And one that he really misses since my daughter developed a peanut/tree nut allergy, so maybe you can enjoy a piece for him.

If you are looking for a really easy, but very rich and delicious dessert, this Coconut Cake may be just what you are looking for.

Another really easy, but delicious dessert is Easy Tres Leches Cake. My kids love this. It is similar to the coconut cake, but different.

And if you are looking for an easy dessert that is also inexpensive to make, you need to try my mom’s easy cheesecake. This cheesecake appeared at almost every holiday dinner when I was growing up. We always loved it and now my family enjoys it also. And this one is easy to make gluten free, but using a gluten free graham cracker or cookie crust.

What is your favorite Christmas dessert? And I would love to hear what you all are making this year.

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Homemade White Chocolate Pudding

Lynn — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:08:16 +0000

I love homemade pudding. It is rich and creamy and so very good. It is also really easy to make.

We love my homemade chocolate and homemade vanilla pudding, but if you are looking for something a little different for the holiday this homemade white chocolate pudding is perfect.

It would be even better layered in a trifle bowl with my homemade chocolate pudding. YUM! I think I may have to try it that way for the holidays.

If you have never made homemade pudding and are looking for a few tips, I have a whole post and a video I did on how to make homemade pudding.

Homemade White Chocolate Pudding

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips

Combine the first three ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Gradually whisk in the milk.
Heat over medium high and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute or until it starts to thicken.
At this point the pudding will start to thicken, but will not be quick all the whole thick.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, and white chocolate chips.
Stir until chips have melted.
Place a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding, pressing the plastic wrap right up against the pudding. This will keep the thick skin from forming.
You can serve this warm or refrigerate until serving.

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Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix

Lynn — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:11:44 +0000

Chex mix is a classic holiday snack that has been around for years. There are many different versions of it, but I prefer the sweet versions like muddy buddies, lemon buddies, snow buddies, and today’s cinnamon sugar chex mix.

What I love about chex mix is that it makes the perfect gift to give away. You can easily make up a few different kinds of chex mixes and place them in a nice gift bag or box to give away.

A simple and easy gift that anyone would enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix

¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups Cinnamon Chex Cereal
3 cups Rice Chex Cereal

In a small bowl mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Stir vanilla into melted butter.
In a large bowl combine cereals. Pour butter and cinnamon sugar mixture over the cereal until evenly combined.
Microwave entire mixture for 3-4 minutes or utnil it just starts to brown. Stir once while cooking.
Spread on a cookie sheet to cool and then store in an airtight container or bag.
Serve and enjoy!

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For more great Christmas ideas please visit the other bloggers joining me on this series.
Christmas Homeschool Fun: 1+1+1=1
Christmas Decorations: Songbird
Tips for a Healthy Holiday: The Thrifty Mama
Saving Money: Surviving the Stores
Travel Tips: Mom’s Travel Tales
Christmas Family Fun: Life as Mom
Homemade Christmas Gifts: The Happy Housewife

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Lynn — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:07:09 +0000

The combination of chocolate and mint is a classic one. They just seem to go together so well.

This peppermint bark combines not only regular chocolate, but white chocolate. I love regular peppermint bark, but the addition of white chocolate in this makes it even better.

And this is so easy. It does have a few steps, but it is really easy. This would be a great holiday recipe for kids to help with.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

22 ounces white chocolate
22 ounce semi sweet chocolate
about 6 ounces of peppermint striped candy or candy canes, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
¾ teaspoons peppermint extract

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silpat mat.
Place half of the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir and continue melting at 50% power stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Spread on cookie sheet and sprinkle with half of the crushed candy. Place in the refrigerator to harden. This will take 1-2 hours.
Place the chocolate and whipping cream together in a bowl and melt in the microwave at 50% power stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Stir in peppermint extract. Spread carefully over the white chocolate peppermint layer. Place in refrigerator until hardened.
Melt remaining white chocolate. And spread over chocolate layer. Sprinkle the remaining crushed peppermint candy over the top. Place in the refrigerator until firm.
Break into pieces and enjoy!

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Mint Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Lynn — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:51:53 +0000

Meringue cookies have always fascinated me. They are crunchy on the outside and light and airy on the inside.

Many people are intimidated by meringue cookies, but they are really very easy to make, they just take a little time.

We love this mint version of meringue cookies. I used a little green food coloring in mine, but you could easily do a little red, or make a batch of both for a really fun plate of holiday cookies.

Mint Chocolate Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites at room temperature ( Room temperature eggs are important. The meringue whips up better.)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon mint extract
2-3 drops of green food coloring
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy, but not stiff.
Add sugar slowly 3 tablespoons at a time.
Continue beating until all the sugar is added. Add mint extract and food coloring and beat until meringue is shiny and firm.It should form peaks.
Gently fold in miniature chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoon full carefully onto baking sheets.
Place in oven. And turn off oven. Leave in the oven for at least 2 hours or overnight until cookies are crisp and dry. The meringue cookies will cook from the heat of the turned off oven.
Store in an airight container.
Serve and enjoy.

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For more great Christmas ideas please visit the other bloggers joining me on this series.

Christmas Homeschool Fun: 1+1+1=1

Christmas Decorations: Songbird

Tips for a Healthy Holiday: The Thrifty Mama

Saving Money: Surviving the Stores

Travel Tips: Mom’s Travel Tales

Christmas Family Fun: Life as Mom

Homemade Christmas Gifts: The Happy Housewife

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here

Homemade Heath Bars

Lynn — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:29:29 +0000

It is no secret I love homemade versions of our favorite candy bars. I shared my homemade nestle crunch bar recipe earlier this week and today I am sharing my version of homemade heath bars.

I love to give homemade candy away as gifts during the holidays. And what better gift to give than a plate of homemade candy bars. A plateful or package of these homemade heath bars, paired with another homemade candy bar, is a treat anyone would enjoy!

If you love heath bars, or english toffee type candy bars, you will love these. They really are good.

And I might just have eaten a few too many last time I made them.

Homemade Heath Bars

1 tablespoon plus 2 cups butter, at room temperature, divided
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Grease a 15-in. x 10-inch pan with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside. ( I use my silpat mat here for lining the pan and it works great.)
In a large pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt. And cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295 degrees. This is hard-crack stage.
Quickly, and I do mean quickly before it hardens, pour into 15 x10 inch pan.
Let stand at room temperature until completely cooled and hardened. This will take about 2 hrs.
In a microwave, melt chocolate chips on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread over toffee.
Let stand for 1 hour, you can also put this in the fridge to harden the chocolate up.
Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

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Crispy Marshmallow Squares

Lynn — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:46:52 +0000

For day two of our Twelve Days of Christmas I am sharing Crispy Marshmallow Squares. These are the perfect quick and easy holiday candy. They only contain three ingredients. You cannot get much more simple than that.

So easy and so good!

Crispy Marshmallow Squares

3 cups chocolate chips
2 cups rice krispies ( I used the gluten free ones)
3 cups marshmallows

Grease 9×13 pan.
In a large bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave on 50% power stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Stir in rice krispies and marshmallows.
Spread into pan and cool. I place them into the refrigerator to cool.
Cut into bars and enjoy!

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For more great Christmas ideas please visit the other bloggers joining me on this series.

Christmas Homeschool Fun: 1+1+1=1

Christmas Decorations: Songbird

Tips for a Healthy Holiday: The Thrifty Mama

Saving Money: Surviving the Stores

Travel Tips: Mom’s Travel Tales

Christmas Family Fun: Life as Mom

Homemade Christmas Gifts: The Happy Housewife

Download your FREE Christmas Recipes Ebook From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. This offer for subscribers only. Click Here