JenOni

dessert

Monkey Bread for Dessert with the Perfect Recipe

monkey bread

For desserts, I always check Pinterest for “the best of ______”. I tried Monkey Bread years ago and I was not overly impressed with it. It was so long ago I do not remember if it was the brand of biscuits used or the ratio of brown sugar and butter. The best Monkey Bread I had was at the shore during a summer getaway. This dessert must have the caramelized topping and moist center to wow me.

This recipe was perfect. I used 2 cans of Pillsbury flaky biscuits. My bundt pan is metal and heavy so I adjusted the temperature to 325F.

The recipe is simple and you probably have everything on the shelf except for the biscuit dough. You will need 2 cans of biscuit dough, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar. You can find the recipe on the link below.

Thank you to The Diary of a Real Housewife for this yummy recipe.

Recipe

  1. Greased the bundt pan
monkey bread

2. Cut each biscut in fourths, added to a freezer bag with sugar and cinnamon,

monkey bread



3. Melted 2 sticks of butter with brown sugar

monkey bread

4. After layering biscuit dough and butter/brown sugar

monkey bread

5. Simple Delicious, definitely our go-to recipe for monkey bread.

monkey bread

Spring Dessert- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake with this Easy Recipe

Just in time for National Oreo Cookie Day! Are you looking for a yummy spring dessert? Well, look no further because this requires no oven and only five ingredients.   It is the Oreo No Bake Cheesecake.   It is kid approved in my home and literally vanishes within hours!  It’s so easy you may have your kids make it by themselves.    If you have a potluck or July 4th bbq it is a perfect dessert.   How can you go wrong with a dessert that has cream cheese and Oreos.    I real time saver was purchasing the Oreo pie crust vs. making the pie crust.    This is the recipe shared with me.   Enjoy my pictures. Happy Making!!!!!

If you have a potluck or  bbq it is a perfect dessert.   How can you go wrong with cream cheese and Oreos?    A real time saver was purchasing the Oreo pie crust vs. making the pie crust.    Below is the recipe shared by one of my friends.   Click link below to see full recipe.   Enjoy my pictures.  Happy Making!!!!!

Dessert NobakeOreocheesecake

Spring Dessert: No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

    • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

You can find the remaining recipe from link below.

recipe credit 

Dessert NoBakeOreoCheesecakeChop

Dessert NoBakeOreoCheesecakeStep2

Dessert NoBakeOreoCheesecakeStep3

DessertNoBakeOreoCheesecake

DessertnobakeOreoCheesecakePlated

Holiday Dessert : A Hummingbird Cake

Holiday Dessert

I baked this cake for the first time in the mid-2000s. My mom loved the cake and Thanksgiving was a perfect time to bake the cake again. The hummingbird cake is a three layer cake filled with bananas, pineapples, and spice with cream cheese frosting. This recipe was found on Southern Living.com. This recipe calls for toasted pecans, I toasted the pecans for the garnish only. The cake is absolutely delicious, moist, and every bite is filled with richness combined with the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting.

The recipe is found here https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/hummingbird-cake-recipe

holiday dessert

Cream Cheese Frosting

holiday dessert
holiday dessert

Toasted Pecans

holiday dessert
holiday dessert

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for Holiday Dessert

Carrot Cake – Thanksgiving Dessert

Carrot Cake

For this carrot cake recipe, it was a real winner for Thanksgiving.  I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com.   This is one of my go-to sites for recipes.   A few tweaks to the recipes I omitted the coconut.  I love carrot cake however I am not a fan of extra ingredients like coconut and raisins.    The finale  of  the cream cheese frosting  which is absolutely delicious.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 1 (15 ounces) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Click the link above for the rest of the recipe.   As you can see  I covered the remainder of my walnuts around the cake.   A baking confession:  After I poured the cake batter in my three cake pans I forgot to shake the pans to evenly spread the cake batter.  Once the baking time was over I realized that two of my three cake pans were uneven.   Frosting hides blunders and the walnuts was a nice added touch.     I hope you enjoy as much my family!!! This is now my go-to recipe for CARROT CAKE!

 

Carrot Cake

 

Hershey’s Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Recipe for all the Chocaholics

Chocolate Overload

Brownies are the best for dessert.  The only thing sweeter is adding a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.    I started baking when I was ten and it has become a hobby for stress relief.     If you’re a chocolate lover like me, you will love these brownies.   These brownies are chocolate overload with chocolate chips, chocolate buttercream frosting, and more chocolate chips.  I am now convinced that homemade from a recipe is far better than a box mix any day.   My brownies have to be fudgy from the first bite and not like cake.   The recipe credit is from Hersheys.com.   If you are looking for a recipe using chocolate this is my go to site.

INGREDIENTS

  • Additional HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
  • 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup butter or margarine , melted and divided
  • 1/2 cup water boiling

The rest of recipe can be found here

BrowniesHershey'sCocoa

BrowniesRecipesStep1

BrowniesHersheysRecipestep3

BrowniesHersheysRecipeStep4

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

BrowniesButtercreamFrosting

More Chips….

chocolate overload

 

chocolate overload

Dessert – Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding Whipped Cream & Berries

*this post contains an affiliate link and I will receive a commission if you click and purchase*

*items received free of charge for review and recipe purposes only.  All opinions shared are my own*

Dessert Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding

For a quick dessert, I whipped together ingredients on hand for my first bread pudding.  This was perfect for a July 4th dessert.   I received Brioche Bread with chocolate chips from St.Pierre Bakery and was up for the challenge of finding ways to eat every morsel of the bread shipped to me.

Bread is my number one guilty pleasure and then you serve any type of French bread and I can’t resist the temptation.  I know I have gained a few pounds in a couple of days.

 

 

The chocolate chip brioche bread is filled with layers and layers of buttery sweetness in every bite.  The chocolate chips add another level of sweetness for a perfect bread pudding.   Bread pudding is even better with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries!  I did add cinnamon and nutmeg for added spice to the milk before I blended with the eggs.

recipe credit: NY Times

The remaining recipe found here

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  •  Pinch salt
  • ½ loaf sweet egg bread like challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups)
  • 2 eggs, beaten

PREPARATION

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla,  sugar,  and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.

My Quick Recipe for Whipped Cream (chill bowl and mixer beaters in freezer a few minutes before making)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of vanilla flavor

1/4 cup of sugar

Fresh berries

Add all ingredients to the bowl, start mixing on low and gradually increase speed as you tilt the bowl and peaks begin to form.

 

 

 


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Thanksgiving Holiday – Meal Preparation

The Thanksgiving countdown is on.   I have put together my checklist for preparing my dinner for Thursday’s dinner.   Some of my dishes and desserts from last year’s meal.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ThankssgivingTurkey2015

Weekend Before Thanksgiving

  1. Determine which side dishes, additional meat and desserts.
  2. Make a shopping list (include all food and baking items).
  3. If you are buying paper products to serve dinner, I found the Chinet brand has a platter size plate for a sturdy paper product.   Definitely, choose a brand that is sturdy, leakproof and large enough to hold a full dinner.
  4. I purchase my dinner rolls and store in freezer (this keeps them fresh until Thursday).
  5. Check shelves for spices, seasonings, extracts (also check the expiration dates and toss out if expired), add to shopping list.
  6. Determine what size turkey based on the  number of guests ( I usually buy a frozen turkey.   Just keep in mind you have to allow enough days for a frozen turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
  7.  I store my frozen turkey in the coldest section of the refrigerator to thaw.  ThanksgivingCornbreadDressing2015
  8. ThanksgivingSweetPotatoMac&Cheese

2 days before Thanksgiving

  1. Add  any missed items to  shopping list(i.e. butter, more eggs, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc).
  2. I purchased my vegetables.

Day before Thanksgiving

  1. Bake my desserts ( sweet potato pie is a MUST, my baking hack is to purchase Marie Callender’s deep dish pie crust)  I have rolled my own crust but to save time a good quality frozen pie crusts works well too.
  2. Bake my cornbread for dressing.  Saute onion, celery and pepper.
  3. Prepare my side dishes (including my dressing), refrigerate and bake on Thanksgiving.
  4. Prepare vegetables, store in containers and refrigerate.
  5. Thoroughly rinse,  discard waste, prep, season and slather turkey with oil.   Roast in the oven for the designated number of hours based on pounds.  I like to insert veggies in the cavity of the turkey. (usually a few stalks of celery and a medium onion).    Baste a few times during cooking time.  I try to keep the door shut for most of the baking time so the oven temperature stays consistent.   *I still keep my turkey in the oven for another 30-45 minutes after the thermometer pops out.   I also turn over my turkey to brown on the bottom.   Store in the refrigerator until next day.
  6. *If making fresh cranberry sauce, I prepare the day before so it can chill and the added citrus flavor blends well in the sauce.    Now if you are using canned, a trick I learned from my mom is to mix a can of whole cranberry sauce and a can of jellied cranberry sauce.   Chill in a container and serve at dinner.

Thanksgiving, 1-2 hours before dinner

  1. Preheat oven at 325-350
  2. Bake side dishes (45mins- 1hr)
  3. Warm vegetables on low.
  4. Heat gravy (low simmer)-another hack purchase my favorite brand.  No fuss with worrying about making perfect gravy.
  5. Thaw dinner rolls and warm in oven for about 5-8 minutes before dinner
  6. Warm the turkey in the oven for about 30 minutes! Baste with the stock.  Slice off legs and wings and assemble on the side of my platter.  Carve the white meat for the center of the platter.   Transfer to a platter and carve and serve on a platter.
  7. Don’t forget the cranberry sauce!
  8. Assembly all the plates, utensils, napkins, side dishes, meats, on a table for buffet style.

ThanksgivingSweetPotato

 

 

Big Chill,   retro and professional kitchen appliance manufacturer  provided a cool infographic for Thanksgiving.   “10 Tips & Tricks for a Harmonious Thanksgiving”  for you to print!

ThanksgivingInfographics

Summer Dessert

When it gets warm I always crave this wonderful dessert,  I discovered the recipe watching one of my favorite Food Network cooks- Paula Deen. I hope you enjoy it too.

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding

  • 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
  • 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding(if not available I use vanilla)
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Photo and recipe credit :   Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding