Cake Mix Pudding Cookies

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday. Unfortunately for me, Shawn and I didn't get to spend much time together today but we did get to celebrate Vday yesterday. We decided to have a laid back, no fuss holiday. We just wanted to spend quality time together so we decided to make dinner together. This never happens as I am the queen of the kitchen...

I actually like cooking with him. Which is surprising because I tend to bite those who enter my kitchen while I am hard at work...true story. I was even nice enough to let him pick out the main course and the sides...as long as I got to pick dessert...

duh...

Shawn and I have two total opposite preferences when it comes to dessert. He likes things light, refreshing and fruity while I like rich, indulgent dessert. I was feeling romantic I guess and decided to make a "Shawn" dessert and a "Tarrah" dessert...

A strawberry angel food cake roll and a dark chocolate truffle cheesecake (both of which are lighter, slightly guilt-free recipes!)

Why I get so ambitious is beyond me...

But it worked out...for the most part...but the details will come when I post the said recipes. He chose a grilled salmon, wild rice and salad. We had a light and delicous meal and it was fabulous. He insisted on buying all the food and was such a jerk that he brought me my favorite color rose, peach, but I was prepared.

I know when I am on the road I love snacks and he is constantly on the road so I scoured the grocery store for all his favorites and even some stuff that I thought he would like and put together an "on the road survival kit" if you will...ha! Oh, and Kirby also got him a card so I had to throw together something small...

None of this is relevant to todays post...so onward!

I came up with these cookies to make for the woman who always does my hair. When I lost my car keys a few weeks ago (remember that long stressful post?) I missed my hair appointment and felt bad that I took up space on her schedule.

Cookies fix everything if you ask me so I searched my pantry and found a box of spice cake mix and a box of pumpkin spice pudding and was determined to make something out of it. The inspiration from the cake mix cookies I posted was still present so I figured I'd throw a little something something together and it worked!

These were fluffy cake-like cookies that I could not stop "testing". The pudding made them super moist and almost fudgy...I say everyone who reads this should go through their pantry and try to find these things and mix and match with different flavors...

fun fun!

Cake Mix Pudding Cookies
Dame Good

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package dry instant pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and water in a large bowl.

Scoop dough using a cookie scoop and set on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the top slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees F  for 8 - 10 minutes.

Classic Dog Cookies

I may or may not have mentioned how Kirby got neutered a couple weeks ago. Poor thing was not happy about it. Since then he has kind of been acting up and misbehaving and basically driving me insane. Slowly but surely his behavior seems to be settling down...

To show him I appreciate him behaving more I made the little turd some homemade treats. He loved this and they were easy. :)

Classic Dog Treats
From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.

Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter (I prefer bone shaped), and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.

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little gremlin bathtime!!

Peanut Pretzel Bark

Does anyone remember when I went through that bark craze (which I put on hold until my waistline shrinks some more)? Well this stuff is to blame. I made this over the holidays and was so amazed with how awesome it was that I ate maybe half of the pan...true story.

Part of what amazed me was the fact that I found white chocolate to be delicious. Ever since I was a little tot, I have shuttered at the thought of white chocolate. I think everyone has one of these experiences with some type of food. I remember one easter I ate a giant white chocolate bunny...

Which ended up all over the place. My stomache did not agree with the bunny if you catch my drift. Since then, I have not been fond of chocolate bunnies, particularly white chocolate ones. Blegh, I can taste that bunny now.

Anyway, I decided to give white chocolate another chance. I like to give the benefit of a doubt. Plus, I really really loved the idea of peanuts and pretzels and chocolate. Sure it would be awesome with milk or dark chocolate but the white was more "holiday-y" to me.

I am so fricking glad I decided to forgive white chocolate because this was amazing. I LOVED it and will most likely be making it every holiday to come. Gosh I want some now...:/

Peanut Pretzel Bark
From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

18 (1-ounce) squares white chocolate
3 cups skinny pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces but not crushed, then measured
2 cups dry salted peanuts

Directions:

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until smooth, or melt in the microwave in a 2 quart glass dish. Microwave on high (100 percent) for 1 minute, stir, and microwave on high for 1 minute more. If necessary, microwave on high for 10 seconds more, and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the pretzel pieces and peanuts. Stir well with a flexible spatula.

Spoon onto the prepared cookie sheet, spreading the mixture out so that ingredients are relatively evenly distributed.

Allow for the chocolate to cool for several hours or refrigerate for about 45 minutes, until firm. Break the bark into irregular pieces, like peanut brittle. Store in cookie tins, or package in Chinese food take-out cartons lined with waxed paper.

Chocolate Tiramisu

I love trashy relaity television. I realize I should probably be ashamed and keep this information under wraps but I do not care. I am not ashamed. I don't care who knows it. The trashier the better! There, I said it.

For the season premier of "The Jersey Shore" (yep, love it) my friends and I had an Italian Potluck (yep, we got made fun of). I don't care what anyone says, the show is HILARIOUS! Maybe I like trashy tv because it makes my life seem less crazy and dramatic, who knows. Anyways, I made this chocolate tiramisu.

Its to die for...really. And I am not even a huge fan of tiramisu (I realize that this too may be an unbelieveable Tarrah-fact that makes me crazy). It was the chocolate part, the chocolate intrigued me.

So much so that neither of the 2 grocery stores I searched up and down had lady fingers so I determined that I would make my own. How hard could it be right?

Wrong! This was an experience very similar to my angel food cake one. Aka: disaster. I attempted twice to make these seemingly easy little devils. The taste was right but the texture was oh so wrong. They were flat...like pancakes but I made do and layered them anyway and threw together with this semi-tiramisu.

I added whipped cream and if you ask me that covers any and all mistakes...that and sprinkles but shaved chocolate will do...sprinkles would be just silly.

I still don't know what I did wrong but I ate a very generous portion of this so I don't think it matters. I will probably never try to make ladyfingers again...although I am a firm believer in 3rd times a charm....so we'll see...

Chocolate Tiramisu
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

8 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, shaved
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone
2 cups espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
About 44 ladyfingers (available at supermarkets and Italian bakeries)
2 cups fat-free whipped topping
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Quickly pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute; then whisk together until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the mascarpone, then strain into a bowl big enough to whip the mixture in the next day. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator and whip until fluffy and slightly stiffened, being careful not to overwhip (like heavy cream, the mixture can turn to butter if whipped too long). Refrigerate.

Combine the espresso and coffee liqueur in a shallow dish. Pick up 1 ladyfinger, then place it in the espresso for just as long as it takes you to pick up the next 1 and place it in the espresso (about 10 seconds). Fish the first 1 out and place it in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers, arranging them in rows in the bottom of the dish and continuously adding and removing the ladyfingers from the espresso mixture. (This will allow them to soak for the perfect amount of time without getting soggy--they should be wet on the outside but still have an unsoaked core at the center.)

When you have made a complete layer of ladyfingers, spread half of the chocolate mixture over the ladyfingers and cover lightly with some of the chocolate shavings. Repeat, making 1 more complete layer of ladyfingers, chocolate, whipped topping and shavings. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.

Serve cold, dishing out spoonfuls with a large serving spoon. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Buckeyes

Here in Ohio we have something that is totally amazingly wonderfully awesome. I don't know who came up with these but its genious and one of the things that I'm proud to claim as "Ohio's" and that is buckeyes. Not only does this include the Ohio State football team but the peanut butter chocolate candy...they are easily one of my favorite things ever.

I know football season has quickly passed before I had a chance to post this recipe but the Buckeyes ARE #1 in Basketball right now so I still deem it appropriate to show my pride and love of all things Buckeye. I make these any chance I get and anytime I go up to Minnesota to visit family because they are always requested.

If you haven't heard of or tried these...you haven't lived...get on it ASAP!

Buckeyes
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar, or as needed
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Shortening

Directions:

Combine peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on LOW until blended. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating until blended. Beat in additional powdered sugar until mixture, when shaped into a ball, will stay on a toothpick. Shape into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until mixture is smooth. Reheat as needed while coating peanut butter balls.

Insert toothpick in peanut butter ball. Dip 3/4 of ball into chocolate, leaving top uncovered to resemble a buckeye. Remove excess. Place on wax paper-lined tray. Smooth over holes with finger or butter knife. Refrigerate until firm.