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Triple Chocolate Brownies

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Triple Chocolate Brownies – rich brownies made with 3 kinds of chocolate and walnuts. A must make for chocolate lovers!

I like to keep at least one sweet in the house at all times and after my red velvet cupcakes disappeared within a matter of hours, I needed to make something else. Brownies are a favorite around here so it was an easy decision.

We loved this recipe! The three kinds of chocolate made them very rich, so rich that I only needed a sliver to be happy. They are also chewier than most brownies which is exactly how I like them. This is definitely a keeper!

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Bacon Cheese Ball

Bacon Cheese Ball is going to be your go-to party snack! Cheese ball filled with bacon, green onions, and pecans and coated in strawberry jam.

To go with the red velvet cupcakes, I made this cheeseball and my Honey Mustard Chicken Wings. Let me tell you what I did to my wings. I like to cook the sauce for a long time so it gets super sticky and delicious. Well, long story short, baby was hungry and my sauce burnt. So bad that I think I’m going to have to throw the pan away!

Anyway, this cheeseball won’t win any awards in the looks department but it’s my favorite. My mom has been making it for years and I’d forgotten it until a friend sent me a message the other day reminding me of the time we ate nothing but this cheeseball for a week.

It’s super simple and always a crowd pleaser. Just 2 kinds of cheeses, bacon, pecans, and green onions squished together with strawberry jelly on top. I know, sounds weird but I promise it’s awesome. There were 4 adults here last night and we demolished the entire thing.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 12 servings

Bacon Cheese Ball

Bacon Cheese Ball

Bacon Cheese Ball is going to be your go-to party snack! Cheese ball filled with bacon, green onions, and pecans and coated in strawberry jam.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces shredded cheddar
  • 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack
  • 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1 bunch green onions chopped
  • 1 cup pecans diced
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • strawberry jam

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except strawberry jam. Shape into a ball.
  2. Before serving, spread strawberry jam on the outside of the cheese ball.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 404Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 889mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 23g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: appetizer

Caramelized Onion Risotto

This Caramelized Onion Risotto is my go-to for night’s when Spencer’s either gone or not eating with us. It’s so creamy and the onions get so sweet. I’m definitely not an onion fan but I love them in this.

My number 1 risotto tip: don’t be scared of the risotto. I know the Food Network hosts make it sound like some time consuming, tricky thing but it’s not. I made this recipe for the first time while I was also pan-frying some chicken, prepping asparagus, AND talking on the phone with my mom. So it’s really not all that difficult. Just don’t let the liquid get too low and stir it every couple minutes.

Thyme is awesome in this but I was all out, so if you want to use it I would stir it in when the rice is close to being cooked.

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Caramelized Onion Risotto

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion sliced thinly
  • 1 ½ cups Arborio risotto rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 7 cups chicken broth heated
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh herbs optional

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until onion is soft and caramelized. Add rice and stir to combine. Let cook for another minute. Add white wine and let reduce almost all of the way. Reduce heat to medium low. Begin adding chicken broth a cup at a time. Add more broth as each cup is absorbed. Continue until rice is al dente (you might not use all 7 cups). Season with salt, pepper, and any herbs.

Stuffed Mushrooms

One of the scariest things for me is cooking for my family (which is probably why I waited until I made tart crusts out of cocoa puffs for BettyCrocker.com to tell anyone I know about my blog) but I’m trying to get over that fear and these stuffed mushrooms were a good start.

We had our final holiday celebration today because my cousin Michael (who’s 10 and has a food blog!) and his family came into town. My grandmother did the traditional black eyed peas and greens and asked the rest of us to just bring some appetizers. I’m not sure why but I immediately thought of stuffed mushrooms.

I’m happy to report that I came home with a clean plate (seriously clean because my grandmother even washed it for me after all the mushrooms were gone!). Most of us did agree that a little bacon would’ve made them even better but I’m happy with how they turned out.

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 8 servings

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 24 whole fresh button mushrooms
  • 3-4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • Bread crumbs and minced fresh herbs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later. Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor and pulse in brief bursts until them mushroom stems are finely chopped.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy; remove from the heat.
  3. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. Top with bread crumbs, if desired.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh herbs if using and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 239mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: appetizer

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies are sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

These cookies are a must make for me during the holidays! Some of my other must makes are Crockpot Candy, Holly Crackles, and White Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers!

Cranberry Orange Cookies - sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

Today I’m sharing my most favorite Christmas cookie ever!

Okay, so it’s not really the kind of cookie you’d think about for Christmas.

Normally it’s Snickerdoodles or decorated cut out sugar cookies or Italian Sugar Cookies dipped in a glaze and covered in sprinkles.

But I have been making these Cranberry Orange Cookies every Christmas for years now. And the holidays are the only time I make so I look forward to them all year long.

What You Need

Scroll down for exact measurements!

  • Butter – let it sit at room temperature until softened.
  • Sugar – sugar is going both in the cookies and on the cookies!
  • Egg
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder – this is the leavening agent for the cookies.
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Dried cranberries
  • Orange zest – use a microplane to remove the zest of a fresh orange. The zest is going into the cookie batter and into the sugar mixture that you roll the cookies in.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Cookies

  • Prep. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Combine wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
  • Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined.
  • Add cranberries and orange zest. Fold in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest.
  • Refrigerate. Chill dough while you make orange sugar.
  • Make sugar mixture. Combine ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the 2 together until everything is combined and mixture is fragrant.
  • Shape and roll. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
  • Bake and cool. Bake at 350F for 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

How Long Are They Good For?

Cranberry Orange Cookies will be fine at room temperature for about a week. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.

You can extend the life of these cookies by an extra couple days if you store them in the fridge – make sure to use an airtight container!

Cranberry Orange Cookies - sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

Can You Freeze Cookie Dough?

You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it (like in preparation of the holidays). Either freeze it in a large disc or after you roll it into balls. If freezing single balls of dough, freeze on a baking sheet with an inch between each dough ball and once frozen, transfer to a freezer ziploc bag, making sure to squeeze all the air out of the bag.

Cranberry Orange Cookies dough will be good for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can bake them from frozen by adding a few extra minutes to the baking time or let them defrost for several hours in the refrigerator before baking. 

Can You Freeze Cranberry Orange Cookies?

To freeze already baked cookies, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then transfer to a freezer ziploc bag.

They will be fine in the freezer for up to up to 3 months. To defrost, let the cookies sit at room temperature until thawed.

Cranberry Orange Cookies - sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

More Holiday Cookies

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 36 cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies are sugar cookes filled with dried cranberries and orange zest, and rolled in sugar and orange zest before baking. They make great Christmas cookies!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

For the rolling sugar:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Using an electric mixer, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Chill dough while you make orange sugar.
  4. Combine ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the 2 together until everything is combined and mixture is fragrant.
  5. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in orange sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly.
  6. Bake 10 - 13 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: cookie

Mint Chocolate Crinkles

When I made my Starbucks knock-off mint brownies a couple weeks back I bought a bag of the Andes baking bits just to use for decoration. I had actually seen a great sounding brownie recipe or a cookie recipe or who knows what kind of recipe in a magazine recently that called for the Andes bits but, of course, once I actually had the bag in my hand I had no idea what magazine it was in and Google was absolutely no help.

These cookies are wonderful. They’re soft and chewy and have just the right amount of mint flavor. And crinkle cookies are among my favorites as far as appearance so obviously I love how they look. The only thing I don’t like is that the recipe calls for shortening but what do you do?

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Mint Chocolate Crinkles

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour sifted
  • ¾ cup cocoa sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cup 1 – 10 oz. package Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.
  3. With a hand held or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. Fold in Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips.
  4. Roll the dough, by hand, into a 1 ½ inch balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to fully cover ball. Flatten the balls gently into ½â€ thick disks and place about 2” apart, spacing them evenly on un-greased baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove from sheet and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Doggy Cookies

If you’re anything like me, your pet is an important part of your family which means he or she gets presents on holidays. Normally I buy our Duke a couple toys and a bag of treats but sometimes even dogs need a homemade treat that was baked with extra love.

(Yes, I found a way to force pumpkin on even the dog. It’s good for their digestive system. Who knew!)

Duke loves them and while I’m too much of a chicken to try them, they’re bound to be good with pumpkin and peanut butter!

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Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Doggy Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 c whole wheat flour plus flour for dusting
  • ½ c rolled oats
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ c canned pumpkin
  • 3 tablespoon natural peanut butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ c water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Combine all ingredients in stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix until ingredients combined. Flour work surface. Roll dough to ¼″ thickness. Cut into 1″ to 1.5″ pieces.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes (depending upon size). You want them firm but still a little chewy.

Mint Brownies

I worked at Starbucks through 2 holiday seasons and starting about August each year, people started asking about the holiday pastries, especially the Cranberry Bliss Bars and the Mint Brownies. A few weeks back I posted my version of the Cranberry Bliss so it’s only fitting that I post a Mint Brownie knockoff too. It’s pretty darn close to the real thing too!

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Mint Brownies

Ingredients

For the brownies:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup flour
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the mint layer:

  • ⅓ cup butter softened
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Green food coloring

For the chocolate layer:

  • ⅓ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

To make the brownies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment (or aluminum foil). Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir gently to combine Stir gently to combine. Spoon into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before proceeding.
  2. To make the mint layer:
  3. Use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until it reaches buttercream consistency. Add extracts and food coloring. Spread over brownies. Place in refrigerator (or freezer if pressed for time) until hardened.

To make the chocolate layer:

  1. Put butter and milk in a small saucepan. Once the butter has melted add chocolate and whisk vigorously until melted. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Use an electric mixer to add powdered sugar. Spread over mint layer. Place in refrigerator to harden slightly before slicing.

Oatmeal, Cranberry, White Chocolate Cookies

Mmm, I love the combination of white chocolate and cranberry. Something about the tart cranberries and the smooth sweet white chocolate just gets me every time.

These cookies combine the two perfectly and the addition of oatmeal makes them feel almost healthy. Kind of like a breakfast cookie instead of a dessert cookie. My little man loved them and tore through the batch faster than any other cookie I’ve made. This one is definitely on my “make again next year” list.

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Oatmeal, Cranberry, White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup butter softened
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces dried cranberries
  • ⅔ cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.
  3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate.
  4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brow. Cool on wire rack.

Baklava

I don’t know if baklava is typically considered a holiday goodie but it’s always been one in my mind. My mom told me once many years ago that she only makes it around the holidays because it’s such a pain in the butt.

But anyway, baklava is my husband’s all time favorite treat and I make it every year around the holidays because it’s also around this time that Greek Fest happens in our city and I would rather make him a huge pan of it than watch him fork over $6 for 5 small bites at the festival.

I’ve made it a few times for him now and tried a different recipe each time. This one was by far the best I’ve tried yet. It was soft where it was supposed to be and crunchy where appropriate, which is something I’ve had trouble with when trying out other recipes. It was delicious. So delicious that I might actually make it more than once next year.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 24 servings

Baklava

Baklava

Classic Baklava has layers of crunchy phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and it's soaked in a honey syrup.

Ingredients

  • 1 16 ounce package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 3 cups finely chopped or ground pecans walnuts, pistachios, or almonds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • For the syrup:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup honey

Instructions

    1. Butter a 13 x 9 inch pan. Set aside.
    2. Cut phyllo in half crosswise, and cut each half to fit prepared pan; discard trimmings. Cover phyllo with a slightly damp towel.
    3. Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Set aside.
    4. Combine nuts and next 3 ingredients; stir well. Sprinkle one-third of mixture over phyllo in pan; drizzle with melted butter.
    5. Top nut mixture with 11 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter. Repeat twice with remaining nut mixture, phyllo, and butter, ending with buttered phyllo.
    6. Cut stack into diamond shapes, using a sharp knife. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.
    7. For syrup, combine sugar, water, and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Pour over baklava.
    8. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: Greek / Category: bars

Cranberry Bliss Bars

I’m kicking off December with 25 days of holiday treats! Expect cookies, candy, cakes, and so much more!

And for the big kickoff, here’s one of my all-time favorite holidays treats. I worked at Starbucks many years ago and their Cranberry Bliss Bar was always my favorite holiday pastry. This is almost exactly like the Cranberry Bliss but (should I even say it?) better!

The base is kind of a hybrid cake/cookie with cranberries and white chocolate chunks mixed in. And then the topping is pretty much a cream cheese frosting with chopped dried cranberries sprinkled over top.

So delicious and rich enough that you only need one to satisfy your sweet craving.

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Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • 6 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped

For the frosting:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries

For the drizzle:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350F.

    Make cake by beating butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Dice cranberries.

    Add ¾ cup cranberries and white chocolate chunks to batter and fold in. Pour batter into a well-greased 9 x 13 baking pan, spread evenly. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake is lightly browned on the edges. Allow to cool.

    Make frosting by combining cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Frost cooled cake, using spatula to spread evenly

    Sprinkle ¼ cup diced cranberries over freshly frosted cake

    Whisk together ½ cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over cranberries.

    Chill bars in refrigerator for several hours before slicing.

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© Amanda Livesay
Category: bars

Butterscotch Cashew Bars

A few months back I bought The Sweet Melissa Baking Book on complete impulse after seeing a baking group using it. I participated in the group for two weeks and then the next recipe called for ricotta. At that point, the thought of ricotta made me nauseous so I dropped out of the group and I haven’t picked up the book since then until recently.

I was thumbing through the book looking for holiday-ish recipes (because having a newborn isn’t going to be enough to keep me occupied in December apparently) and these butterscotch cashew bars called out to me. They looked so simple and I’m a sucker for anything with cashews. And a shortbread base? Oh man, I went to the store that day to get the ingredients.

I made them on a football Sunday and the pan was gone by the time our guests left. They were just gobbled up and everyone raved about them.

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Butterscotch Cashew Bars

Ingredients

  • ½ pound 2 sticks, or 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 & ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 11 ounces butterscotch chips
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 cups roasted salted cashews

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9″x 13″ pan with cooking spray. Using two sheets of parchment paper, line the pan’s width and length, creating a parchment “sling.” Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
  2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt for 1 to 1 & ½ minutes. Decrease mixer speed to low and add the flour. Mix just until combined. Lightly press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is a golden color. Remove to wire rack to cool.
  3. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir together butterscotch chips, corn syrup, and water. Stir until mixture comes to a simmer and butterscotch chips are melted. Pour over crust.
  4. Sprinkle cashews over the butterscotch caramel. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. After cooling, remove from pan and use a very sharp knife to cut into bars.

Apple Custard Pie

Apple Custard Pie has layers of cinnamon apples, creamy custard, and a streusel topping. The perfect Thanksgiving apple pie!

Apple Custard Pie - layers of cinnamon apples, creamy custard, and a streusel topping. The perfect Thanksgiving apple pie!

My parents recently brought back some food goodies from their Tennessee vacation, including some big, beautiful apples. I’m usually not a huge fan of fruity desserts, but I really wanted to try these apples in a pie. I didn’t want a typical double-crust pie though and after a lot of searching, I settled on an apple custard pie. My husband’s favorite dessert is flan so anything custard-y is usually a winner around here.

Bag of apples

This pie was easy, easy, easy. I had a storebought crust in the fridge that needed to be used and I have to say I’m super impressed with Pillsbury. I love a good crunchy crust and it was perfect. The only element that took any real time was cooking the apples but that just involved stirring them every few minutes.

Apple Custard Pie - layers of cinnamon apples, creamy custard, and a streusel topping. The perfect Thanksgiving apple pie!

The pie just tastes like fall. I tend to think of custard pies as warm weather food (probably because we usually have one on my dad’s birthday in April) but the cinnamon in this recipe totally changed that. Well that and the streusel, streusel makes everything feel like fall! It was delicious right out of the oven AND cold.

Apple Custard Pie - layers of cinnamon apples, creamy custard, and a streusel topping. The perfect Thanksgiving apple pie!

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Apple Custard Pie

Apple Custard Pie

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ 15-ounce package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
  • Cooking spray
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 ½ tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple, about 1 large
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup fat-free buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. To prepare crust, roll dough into a 14-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute. Place pie plate in refrigerator until ready to use.
  3. To prepare streusel, lightly spoon ⅓ cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine ⅓ cup flour, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Place streusel in refrigerator.
  4. To prepare the filling, heat a large nonstrick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add sliced apple, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon; cook 10 minutes or until the apple is tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Spoon the apple mixture into prepared crust.
  5. Combine remaining ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour over apple mixture. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300F (do not remove pie from oven); sprinkle streusel over pie. Bake at 300F for 40 minutes or until set. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: pie

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Stew

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is the most comforting soup for winter! Beef, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and barley all cooked in the crockpot. 

I made a beef and barley soup last winter and we really enjoyed it but then for some reason I never thought about it again. I stumbled upon a recipe recently and decided I would make another one as soon as it got cold.

This time I filled it with veggies and it was absolutely delicious. It’s not often that I look forward to leftovers but I had this stew for lunch for 3 days!

Ingredients

  • Chuck Steak – this is a fairly inexpensive cut of beef but it becomes really tender when slow cooked.
  • Onion – any color onion will work.
  • Potatoes – you can use russet, gold, red, whatever kind of potatoes you like.
  • Beef Broth – I recommend low-sodium beef broth so that you can control the saltiness of the stew.
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Dried Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Green Beans – I recommend frozen or fresh green beans for this recipe. Canned beans will become mushy.
  • Corn
  • Barley

Instructions

  • Combine. Place chuck steak, onion, carrots, and potatoes in slow cooker. Add water, broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings.
  • Cook. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
  • Add remaining ingrdients. Add green beans, corn, and barley.
  • Cook. Cover and cook on low for 2 more hours or until barley and veggies are tender.

How Long Is It Good For?

Beef and barley soup will be good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it in an airtight container.

When you are ready to serve it, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Can You Freeze It?

You can freeze beef and barley soup for up to 3 months. Once it’s cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container. I like these soup containers for freezing soup.

When you are ready to serve it, let it defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

What To Serve with Beef and Barley Soup

I like to serve bread with this soup to soak up any broth that is left in the bowl, like Cheesy Garlic Cresent Rolls or Oatmeal Rolls.

A simple salad on the side would also be nice.

More Soup Recipes

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Beef & Barley Stew

Beef & Barley Stew

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup is the most comforting soup for winter! Beef, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and barley all cooked in the crockpot. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups frozen green beans
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • ¾ cup medium pearl barley

Instructions

  1. Place chuck steak, onion, carrots, and potatoes in 5 quart slow cooker. Add water, broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
  2. Add beans, corn, and barley. Cover and cook on low for 2 more hours or until barley and veggies are tender.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1152mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 38g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: soup

Pumpkin, Fruit, and Nut Bread

Pumpkin, Fruit, and Nut Bread is classic pumpkin bread filled with chopped nuts and dried fruits!

I know, I know. I just posted a pumpkin bread recipe a few days ago. But this one is actually supposed to be a bread and it’s full of walnuts, raisins, and dried cranberries which makes it that much better.

This bread was tender and stayed super moist for days after it was made. The nuts and dried fruit gave it a great texture and you get a little something different in each bite. My kid loved it and I’m pretty sure he ate half the loaf by himself and that is saying a lot because he’s having a picky month!

(The great big bonus of it all is that it’s actually healthy! No butter, no oil! I felt no guilt having this for breakfast!)

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📖 Recipe

Yield: about 12 servings

Pumpkin, Fruit, and Nut Bread

Pumpkin, Fruit, and Nut Bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅓ cups sugar
  • 1 cup solid-pack pumpkin
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  • ⅓ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and cloves; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture until blended. Fold in the walnuts, raisins and cranberries.
    2. Transfer to greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
    3. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 154mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 4g

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© Amanda Livesay
Cuisine: American / Category: breads