Cherry Walnut Bread

We loved this quick bread that I made from my LionHouse Bakery book the other night. It paired great with corn chowder for dinner.

Cherry Walnut Bread
1 C sugar
1/2 C veggie oil (I used applesauce)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 jar (8 oz) maraschino cherries, chopped and juice set aside
1/2 C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 9x5 loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. Measure 1/2 C of the cherry juice and if there isn't enough, fill the rest with water. Alternately add flour mixtures and cherry juice to sugar mixture until well blended. Fold in cherries and nuts. Bake 55-60 minutes.

Cake Truffles

Last weekend I made German chocolate cake truffles. Yes, I know most people refer to them as cake balls but I just don't think that name does them justice. So anyway, they are pretty much the same as when I made them as Mickey pops, just decorated differently. They were absolutely delightful!

Homemade Granola

I got to sample some homemade granola recently at a Relief Society meeting and decided it would be a fun snack to make. I mostly followed the original recipe but reduced the amount of sugar because I thought it was way too much and it turned out great. One thing I didn't like, was that the recipe had me add the chocolate chips before I put it in the broiler, but I would not do it this way again. I would rather the chocolate be whole and not all melted in. So I actually adding both white and milk chocolate but I don't think you can even tell. I also threw in some walnuts because I have them and I love them so much!

So anyway, definitely a yummy snack and I will be making more again. It would also be fun to try different combinations of dried fruits and nuts. Maybe macadamia with dried cranberries and white chocolate? Or one with dried mango and pineapple! Or, maybe chocolate chip and dried rasperberries? The possibilities are endless!
Granola

6 T butter
6 T milk
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
6 T peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan, stir in milk and sugars. Boil for two minutes, while stirring. Remove from heat and mix in remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips if you a adding them. Spread loosely on a cookie sheet and broil for 2 minutes. For a crispier granola, broil for 3 minutes but check often because it can burn easily. Allow granola to cool, then mix in chocolate chips.

English Toffee Bars

These were a hit last week when I made them for my mom and sister, and Travis too of course. The recipe is from my Hershey book and they were fast and easy and so delicious!
English Toffee Bars
2 C flour
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1 C pecan halves (I used walnuts since that is what I have)
Toffee Topping
1 C chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Mix until fine crumbs form. Press into ungreased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle nuts on top. Prepare Toffee Topping and drizzle evenly over nuts and crust.

3. Bake 20-22 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on top-press them gently into the surface with a spatula. Cool and cut into bars.

Toffee Topping: Combine 2/3 C butter and 1/2 C brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it comes to a boil. Boil and stir additional 30 seconds, use immediately.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

I wanted to make something a little different that would be nice and cool for a good summer dessert for my mom and sister. I found this recipe online and although it didn't take the most gorgeous pictures, it was a super easy and tasty treat.


Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 package of cookies (I used some chocolate covered grahams)
1 3/4 C milk
1 package instant pudding
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 package softened cream cheese
1 container of cool whip

Crumble cookies and press into pan. Mix the pudding with the milk, stir in vanilla. Beat softened cream cheese into pudding mixture. Fold in 1/2 of the cool whip. Gently spread on top of cookie crumbs and cool for a few hours. I served mine with a dollop of cool whip and some shaved dark chocolate.