Cake Batter Waffle Sundaes!

How amazing do these look!  Let me tell you how amazingly EASY these were... and how very, very excited my kids were to get to make their own!

Cake Batter Waffle Sundae

All you need is any boxed cake mix.  Prepared as instructed on the box.  We used a Chocolate Cake Mix.  The best part about this is that they are ready very quickly!  No waiting on the oven to preheat...no waiting for the cakes or cupcakes to bake, cool, etc.  And as a bonus this is something easy for kids to make themselves, with a little supervision of course :)

Preheat your waffle iron... pour batter (mine uses about 1/3 cup per waffle section)... Close and cook.... My waffle iron has a green light when finished... probably about 4 minutes or so...

Pour Cake batter in heated waffle iron.  (Mine takes about 1/3 cup per waffle section)

Once they are done, carefully transfer to a plate.  Add a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, well... whatever your heart desires!  We happened to have some maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips... and of course some chocolate syrup!  Imagine them with some crushed Oreo's, or some peanut butter, vanilla cake mix with colorful sprinkles and strawberries!  Oh the possibilities get me excited!  These will also be great in the summertime when it is so hot I don't dare turn my oven on!

Here is my oldest... All 3 of my kid were pretty excited about these!

I think the one box mix made about 16-18 waffles!  I really lost count cause we were eating our sundaes up :)    I flash froze the remaining waffles, once frozen, transferred them to a freezer bag.  I think there are around 10 waffles left... These will be great to have a quick and yummy dessert after dinner, or a special afternoon snack for the kids (& me :)

Strawberry Stuffed Cupcakes

After a visit to Paul's Pastries this past weekend, and having only a bite of my friend's cupcake....  They lingered on in my mind...  I just knew I would have to come up with something comparable... a basic white cupcake filled with jelly... but th e icing.... ooooh the icing... i was whipped creamy, lighter than air... not too sweet, pure goodness...

If I had a white or yellow box cake mix.... well, I'm not going to lie... I would have used that... but I did not... I came up with  this recipe Sugar Cookie Cupcakes

so, take the easy route with a box... or try my amazing recipe... either way your friends and family will love you... Promise :)

Bake cupcakes, and cool

You will need the following for the filling and icing... (for 24 cupcakes)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup sugar

strawberry extract

plus strawberry jam or preserves for filling

With a paring knife core a small circle in the top of each cupcake... remove the cone add a teaspoon of jam, cut off the "point" portion of your cupcake cone.. then place the cupcake piece back on top.

You can make this ahead and store at this point if needed...

For the Whipped Cream Icing.... with whisk or mixer beat cream until soft peaks begin to form.... then add sugar and either extract or jam, or puree... (this is best done the day of serving, and must be stored in the fridge or it will collapse on ya)

now... it has been years since i have worked with heavy cream... and let me tell you.... I whipped it a little too much.... and it began to seperate... I thought oh no... what did I do wrong here?  let me mix some more.... well low and behold I had done whipped my cream into butter!

batch # 2 then followed... this time I was sure to not over beat... keep it cold and pop it in the fridge a while to make sure it did not collapse on me....

pipe the icing onto your cupcakes.... for a pretty effect use a 1M tip and garnish with a strawberry or 1/2 of one....

I was short on my icing due to the butter incident so I whipped up a strawberry buttercream for my remaining 12 cupcakes...  Wilton has an easy buttercream recipe here that I have used for years... for 12 cupcakes you only need 1/2 the recipe... and I substituted the vanilla extract for strawberry extract which also gives you the pink color :)

Sugar Cookie Cupcake Recipe

The name says it all! While experimenting with a basic white cake recipe I came up with this.... now these have all kinds of possibilities and I may never buy another white cake mix again! I absolutely LOVE sugar cookies.... and this tastes almost like eating one :-) I am using these for the base of a strawberry stuffed cupcake... more to come on that.... here is the recipe.

2 sticks margarine (room temp or softened)
2 cups sugar... (yes... I know... they are divine though)
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream margarine and sugar... then add eggs 1 at a time. Beat very well until smooth and creamy... I did 4-5 minutes in my kitchen aid mixer... add flour, and baking powder... mix on low until blended... then switch to medium for a few minutes... add milk and vanilla... and beat well until your batter is fluffy.... scoop 1/3 cup of batter into each cupcake liner... bake about 20 minutes until slightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Sourcream Apple Pecan Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pecan Pie

favorite pie crust... I cheated :) place in pie dish then chill

Mix:
1 cup sourcream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Peel core and slice 4-6 apples.... slice thin... then mix with the sourcream mixture.

Dump in pie crust.... bake on 400 for 30 minutes.... then kick the oven down to 350... bake 20 minutes longer....

Meanwhile mix:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 sugar
6 Tbs melted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans chopped

Crumble the topping on the pie and bake another 20 minutes... allow to cool... serve warm... delish :)

Reese's Layered Pie

Oreo Crust

1st Layer... Melted Reese's cups...(I didn't measure, you can't go wrong though)

2nd Layer: (Mix together then layer on the 1st layer)
1/2 C Peanut butter
4 oz cream cream (softened)
1/4 C sugar
1/3 tub of cool whip (Large container)

3rd Layer (again mix these together and then layer)
package of chocolate pudding mix
1/3 tub of cool whip

4th layer
1/3 tub cool whip (this should be the remaining if you did it right :)

drizzle the top with melted chocolate for a pretty effect or garnish with reese's cups :)

refrigerate about 4 hours or overnight before serving

a cup, a cup, a cup Cobbler :)

This is a basic recipe you can use for most any fruit, fresh, frozen or canned.... Our favorite is blueberry & blackberry... The kids call this "pie"...

preheat oven to 350...

I don't measure but probably use around 2 cups of fruit... put it in a baking dish of your choice... I have a great dish that is smaller than a 13x9 that I love for this...

1 cup flour (if you use self rising great... if not add 2 tsp baking powder)
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter

melt butter, mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour over fruit....

Bake til browned and batter is cooked... about 30 minutes, give or take...

Serve warm, serve with ice cream...

Ice Cream Sandwich Desert

½ cup fudge topping
8 oz. cool whip divided
chocolate pudding mix
12 ice cream sandwiches
oreo cookies crushed

Heat 1/2 cup fudge topping...
then stir into 1 cup cool whip topping intil blended well....
add package of dry pudding mix... stir well.. (add a tad of milk if too thick)
mix in crushed oreo cookies

Layer on aluminum foil (very long piece)... 4 ice cream sandwiches... then some of the mixture... repeat...
then frost the "cake" with cool whip...

freeze several hours before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

2 graham cracker pie shells reg. size
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1- 3 oz package cream cheese (I just cut the portion)
1 1¼ cup peanut butter
2 tbs margarine
2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbs vanilla
1/2 16oz conatiner whipped topping
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Beat Cream Cheese, peanut butter and margarine with electric mixer. When soft add sugar and vanilla.. beat, fold in whipped topping. Pour into pie shells and freeze.

Topping: Heat milk and chocolate in saucepan oven med. heat. stir until melted. cool.
spread over frozen pies. makes 2 pies... freezes well..