Rest In Pie

It's almost Halloween which has meant I've had to step up my game. This spooky graveyard pie is easy and fun. I got the inspiration from this Martha Stewart recipe, but I pretty much completely changed it.

What you will need:
Pie pan
16 Graham crackers
1 stick unsalted butter
1.5 quarts Breyers Oreo blast ice cream (or whatever other flavor you pick)
Oreos (10 just cookies...and yes that means you get to split them apart and eat the side with the frosting, and 5 with the frosting)
5 milano cookies (I picked 5, you can use however many will fit)
1 small tube red gel frosting
1 toothpick
Blender- optional, but makes your life a lot easier

What you do:
1) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees 
2) Grease the pie pan.
3) Break up the graham crackers into large pieces in the blender (if you aren't using a blender put them in a zip-lock bag and mash with your hands into small pieces), and use the chop setting to make small pieces.  You may have to turn the blender off, shake it up a bit, then press chop again.
4) While this is happening, melt butter in the microwave, and let it cool slightly before pouring over the graham cracker crumbs, and press chop again until the butter is fully mixed.
5) Pour graham crackers into greased pie pan and press down with clean hands. I found that pressing down the sides first was easier. Make sure that it is even all around.
6) Put the pie pan in the oven for about 10 minutes/until the crust is SLIGHTLY browned. When it is done, take it out, and let it cool completely.
7) While the crust is in the oven, prepare the gravestones. Put 5 or so Milanos on a plate. Squeeze a little red gel frosting onto the plate, and with the tip of a toothpick scoop up a little of the gel.  Be very careful, and write R.I.P. on each of the Milanos.
8) Leave them flat on the plate, so that the gel doesn't drip.
9) While the pie crust is cooling, spoon the ice cream into a bowl and stir with a spoon until smooth.
10) Pour onto crust, and spread evenly, and set aside.
11) In the blender use the chop setting to crush the oreos into crumbs.
12) Use spoon to spread over the ice cream, and put the grave stones in.
13) Put into freezer overnight. Serve cold ;)

Raise your pitchforks and torches for these Halloween bottles

Alright, as promised here is a crafty little project that I completed while watching the new episode of The Walking Dead (so excited for next week!). So that means I finished these bottles in under an hour, and I bet you could too.  The ghost one was obviously easier. The inspiration for this project came from this blog, but I did them completely differently.

Here is what you will need:
Clear bottles (bottles that had soda in it are perfect...I used Stewarts Orange n' Creame soda bottles)
Paint:

•  Soft body acrylic paint (white for ghost, green for Frankenstein, orange for pumpkin)...Tempra paint would also probably work, but it won't look as good and will take longer.
• Regular acrylic paint (black for ghost, red/black/white for Frankenstein, black for pumpkin)...Tempra would work, but it might turn flaky, and it won't be as vivid, you would also have a little less control because Tempra is water based.

*Be warned acrylic paint is permanent. 
Paint brush (a flat edged one will come in handy)
Water

What you do:
For Frankenstein:

Start with a clear bottle and squeeze about half of the soft body green Acrylic paint into the bottle.  Swirl it around, keep squeezing little bits of paint into the bottle until the entire inside is covered.

Squeeze a little bit of black paint onto a palette. Paint the top of the bottle black, but stop around the curve. I found it helpful it start by painting a line so that I did not cross it. Using a flat edged paintbrush will make this next part easier, but it is not necessary. Paint triangles along the line that you have drawn to make a hair line.

Wash the brush, and squeeze a little white onto the palette. Paint two filled in half circles just below the hairline, and wait for them to dry (with acrylic paint it is really quick...only a few minutes, but with tempra it will take longer).

This picture includes three steps, the first being while the eyes dry, use the red paint to make a straight horizontal line as a mouth. Again, the straight edged paint brush will make this a lot easier. Then, make several vertical lines along the horizontal one. When you have done that, use the black paint to make two black half circles at the top middle of the eye as pupils. Hopefully by then the red paint will have dried (although you can wait a few minutes to play it safe), paint another layer on the red mouth to make it really pop.

Using the soft body white paint, squeeze about half the tube into the bottle to coat the inside, you may have to repeat a few times to coat the inside completely. Using the flat edged paint brush make black triangles along the bottom of the bottle.

Paint two ovals for eyes, and a sort of warped oval for the mouth. 

Put them out for everyone to see!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

When I first found the recipe on Pinterest for honey whiskey cupcakes with honey whiskey buttercream frosting with a bourbon drizzle I knew I had to try it. Luckily for me my friend Ben's birthday is on Monday, so I got to make them and give them away quickly so that I don't end up eating them all!

So these cupcakes are surprisingly easy, and they look nice and fancy. They take about 25 mins for the cupcakes, about an hour to cool completely, 15 mins to do the frosting, and about 5 for the drizzle. All in all they take about 2 hours since you don't want to rush anything.

What you will need:
Cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 TSP vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 TSP salt
1 1/4 TSP baking powder
3 TBSP Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
3 TBSP milk
12 cupcake liners

Frosting:
1.5 sticks butter (unsalted) *note: this needs to be at room temp, so it should be left out from when you start the cupcakes if not before
3 cups powdered sugar
1 TSP vanilla
2 TBSP Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
1/4 cup heavy cream

Drizzle:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey
1 TBSP unsalted butter

What you do:
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put cupcake liners into cupcake tin.
Melt 1.5 sticks butter in microwave until ALMOST melted (not all the way).
Beat in 1 cup sugar until fluffy.
Beat in 2 eggs and 1 TSP vanilla until completely mixed (be careful to not over mix).
In separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 TSP salt, and 1 1/4 baking powder and mix with a fork.
Add slowly to the sugar mixture and beat until mostly combined.
Add 3 TBSP honey whiskey and 3 TBSP milk and mix until completely smooth.
Pour batter into cupcake liners so that they are about 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 17 mins (ovens vary, so check at 15) or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and put on plate or wire rack to cool completely (will take about 45 mins- an hour).

Frosting:
While the cupcakes are cooling you can start the frosting.
Put room temperature butter (1.5 sticks ) in a bowl, it should be a bit mushy.
Beat until fluffy, then add 3 cups sugar.
Mix until a little crumbly.
Add 1 TSP vanilla and 2 TBSP honey whiskey and mix.
Add 1/4 cup heavy cream (add 1/2 at a time to make sure you aren't adding too much).
Beat completely it. It should be thick in texture.
Put in ziplock bag, and push all of the air out of it. Seal the bag, and cut a small corner in the corner of the bag (the opening should only be about a centimeter wide).
When the cupcakes are cooled, start from the outside rim of the cupcake (at the 12 o'clock position), and work counterclockwise along the cupcake lining to create a swirl ending in the center of the cupcake.
Put in the refrigerator while you make the drizzle.

Drizzle:
Put 1 TBSP unsalted butter in a pan and heat over medium high heat.
Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup honey whiskey and stir completely.
Stir occasionally until mixture starts boiling. 
Let boil for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, and let cool.  Keep stirring or else the mixture will get a skin on the top.
Drizzle over cupcakes with a spoon.
Serve! (or store in the refrigerator)

I promise my next post will be a craft of some sort, I have been doing a lot of baking and cooking posts recently, but I'm already working on a craft project that I hope to post at the end of the weekend.  Enjoy!!

Pumpkin spice and everything nice

Everyone loves all things pumpkin spice, especially at this time of year. These bite sized treats are perfect to bring to a party or just have out while relaxing with family or friends. They only take about 45 minutes to make, but they take a while to cool, so be prepared for that. Even better, though, is that it only requires 1 pot and 1 baking pan, so not a ton of bowls or dishes to wash at the end!

Pumpkin spice fudge:

What you need:
Baking pan (as close to 9x13 as possible I ended up using two pans)
1/2 TSP butter for greasing
3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks I used 1 salted and 1/2 unsalted)
2/3 cup evaporated milk (make sure it is evaporated not condensed... they are not the same thing)
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pumpkin puree (the canned pumpkin in the baking isle or if you wanna make your own try this recipe)
1.5 TSP pumpkin pie spice (most stores will have it this time of year, but if not, you can make your own by following this recipe)
1 12 oz package of white chocolate chips
1 7 oz jar of marshmallow fluff
1.5 TSP vanilla

Optional: chopped pecans or macadamia nuts (I didn't use these cause I don't really like those types of nuts, but for people who do it would taste really good)

What you do:
1) Grease baking pan (or pans) completely with butter.

2) Combine 3/4 cup butter, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, and 1.5 pumpkin pie spice in a medium-large pot.

3) Heat over medium heat stirring to mix completely while it heats.

4) Bring mixture to boil, stir constantly to prevent burning until mixture is at 234-243 degrees F (if you don't have a thermometer boil for about 30 minutes).

5) When the mixture has reached 234-243 degrees remove from heat and pour in entire bag of white chocolate chips.

6) Stir until they are completely melted, then stir in the jar of marshmallow fluff and 1.5 TSP vanilla and mix completely. Make sure that you stir completely because there are usually pockets. To stir completely takes about 3 minutes of stirring and folding.

7) Pour evenly into pans and smooth the top with a spatula.

8) Leave out until the fudge has cooled to room temperature.

9) Cut into 1 square inch pieces, and EAT (or share if you are feeling generous)!

If you are storing them keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

The good, the bad, and the delicious

Heart attack on a plate.  That was what my mother used to call any dessert so decadent that it was a legitimate health concern.  I think these "enhanced" snickers might qualify. That being said, if you cut them into small enough pieces they are nice bite sized candies to bring to the office or to a friends house.  The best thing about them is that if you store them properly (in a sealed container) they last forever especially in the freezer. The original recipe was found here, but I have some additional notes to add. It takes a long time (it took me about 3-4 hours), but they are definitely worth it, and you can spread the work out over a whole weekend, so that it isn't that bad.

What you will need:
Baking pan
Tin foil
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 bags of chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
1 jar creamy peanut butter
1 jar marshmallow fluff
1 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
14 oz bag of caramels
1/4 cup cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP heavy cream
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pretzel sticks

Prep:
Grease tin foil and put in pan (make sure it is entirely greased up the sides).

Layer 1: Peanut butter chocolate
Put 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until melted.  It usually takes about 1 minute 30 seconds.
Pour into the baking pan over the tin foil and let cool in the refrigerator for about 30 mins.  Really do wait until it is hard, it makes things much easier in the long run.

Layer 2: Nougat
Chop 1 cup peanuts.
In a pot melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter over medium heat.
Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup whole milk.
Stir until sugar is melted.
Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add 1 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff and 1 TSP vanilla extract.
Mix completely while still on medium heat. When completely smooth, remove from heat and add 1 cup chopped peanuts, and stir completely.
Pour over the hardened chocolate layer in the baking pan, and put back in refrigerator, and let cool about 30 minutes (it won't ever be completely hardened because it is a chewy layer).

Layer 3: Caramel
Unwrap all of (14 oz.) the caramels, and put them in a pot, add 1/4 cup cream.
Melt over low heat stirring occasionally until caramel is smooth.
Pour over over nougat layer.
Put back in the refrigerator until cool (about 30-45 mins, but again it will not be completely hardened).

Layer 4: Brown butter cookie dough
In a pot melt 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter. Let it get frothy and turn brown (it will start smelling a bit nutty).
Let cool for 10 minutes.
Pour butter into bowl, and add 2/3 cup brown sugar, 2 TBSP heavy cream, 1 1/2 TSP vanilla. Beat until completely combined. Make sure that there are no clumps of brown sugar.
Add 1 cup flour and 1/4 TSP salt, and beat until completely combined.
Pour and spread across the caramel layer, and put the pan back in the refrigerator and let cool until hard (about 45 mins.).

Layer 5: Peanut butter chocolate
Put 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until melted.  It usually takes about 1 minute 30 seconds.
Pour into the baking pan over.
Break up pretzel sticks over the chocolate layer.
Put back in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Cut into bars.
(If you can keep from eating them all) store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Be warned this project takes a long time, but as I said before, you can spread it out over a day or a weekend which makes it easier. They are absolutely amazing, but make sure you brush your teeth afterward!! 

Down by the patch, where the pumpkins grow

Cut outs and tissue paper.

In an attempt to stick with my promise to try as many things from my post about Halloween activities and recipes here is a post on how to decorate a pumpkin without carving it. While I do love carved pumpkins, in a small apartment it doesn't make the most sense 1) because of smell and 2) because no one is really going to see it. At least with a pumpkin you didn't carve it will last much longer. This activity takes about 30 mins, and would be great to do with a group of friends or with some little cousins, nieces, or nephews at Halloween or Thanksgiving.

What you'll need:

Post-cut

White pumpkin (orange may work too, but I didn't try it, you would have to use only darker colors)
Tissue paper (red, orange, yellow, brown)
Mod-podge
Paint brush

What you do:
Clean off your pumpkin with water and dry it with a paper towel.
Print out leaf outlines (I used this one, this one, this one, and this one).
Cut squares of different colors of tissues paper.

My helpful assistant

Stack them and divide into four groups (or more or less depending on how many leaf cutouts you printed).
Place the tissue paper behind the leaf cut outs and hold tightly while you cut out the leaf.
Repeat with the other leaf cut outs.
Using the paint brush, paint on a layer of mod-podge in a band around the pumpkin.
Place a tissue paper leaf down on the mod-podge, place another one so that it overlaps slightly (you might want to do a bit of planning ahead because mod-podge dries quickly).
Paint over the tissue paper with another layer of mod-podge.
Do the red tissue paper last because it will bleed.
Let dry and put in the window or outside on the porch.

Sips of Autumn

In my opinion Fall is the best time of year. It's birthday season in my family which is always fun, the leafs on the trees turn fantastic colors, the air has that distinct fall smell (while still being warm enough that all you need is a slight jacket or sweater), and it is my favorite time for sipping cocktails.

For this post I want to share a few cocktail recipes for all occasions.

My personal favorites are the Apple cider margarita, cranberry mimosa, and cranberry punch.

Apple:
Harvest sangria- Great for parties because of it's easy prep and the recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Apple cider margaritas- Margarita Monday just got a little bit of fall added to it.  The fresher the cider the better, so hit up those Farmers Markets/apple picking farms.

Apple pie- Who doesn't want an apple pie in drink form? This one is a good one if you are on a budget as the alcohol required is grain alcohol.

Cider cooler- This one doesn't have a link because it is from The Gold Cookbook, and it sounds delicious and another one that would be good for larger parties.

•  Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/3 grenadine syrup, 1 pint ginger ale, 1 quart hard cider, 1/2 cup brandy. Serve chilled.

Cider frappe- Another one from The Gold Cookbook.  I like this one because you can make it without the alcohol so that the designated drivers (or kids) have something fun to drink too!

• Mix 4 cups sweet cider, 1 1/4 cups water, 1 1/4 cups orange juice, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 1/4 cups sugar and freeze to a mush.
• When ready to serve, beat with a beater or fork.  Slowly add 1/2 cup of Applejack, and beat until frothy.

Thanksgiving cider punch- From The Gold Cookbook. This recipe serves 12-15, and doesn't require a lot, so it would be nice to prepare for Thanksgiving meal or a brunch.

• Mix 3 cups apricot juice, juice from 3 large oranges, juice from 3 lemons, and 1 1/2 quarts sweet cider. Add red and green (if you can find them) maraschino cherries for a garnish.

Cranberry:
Cranberry mimosa- Something to drink while you are starting to cook the Thanksgiving meal or just a nice way to add a fall taste to a Sunday brunch.

Sparkling cranberry cocktail- I know the recipe says pomegranate, but you could definitely substitute in cranberry and it would taste amazing.

Hot spiced cranberry cider- This ones for the younger set as it is non-alcoholic.

Cranberry punch- Ok, so cranberry isn't the only ingredient here, but it still sounds delicious! Another good one for serving larger parties.


Pumpkin:
Bourbon pumpkin pie milkshake- Not exactly a party drink, but maybe something fun to have with a significant other or a friend while watching a movie.

Pumpkin and apple cider - While this may not sound great to me (personally, I can't imagine adding straight pumpkin puree to alcohol), it could be right up your alley. If you are looking for something along the lines of an alcoholic smoothie then this could be it!