Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

July 23, 2014 by Mackenzie

Rice Krispy Treats… always a childhood favorite! For whatever reason, I wasn’t a fan of rice krispy treats when I was growing up. It was always the post-game snack after soccer games or the summer camp go-to. But I just refused to like them. I honestly think it was because my mom loved them. Don’t you remember as a kid when your parent loved something and you just decided that you don’t like it, really just to spite them? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that was why I never liked rice krispy treats – because my mom LOVED them. Well, when I got to college and discovered our campus bakery’s rice krispy treats, all of my rice krispy treat resolutions went flying out the window. The cafes sell individually packaged, just-made rice krispy bars and they are so good. Gooey, sticky, marshmallow-y… So much better than the store-bought kind! They quickly became my go-to library study treat and at the end of the school year, when I had to finish out my meal points, I bought ten of them to bring home for my mom and I! Oh, how things change 🙂 Well, I found this recipe on Pinterest awhile back and have been dying to try it. I’m not sure what took me so long – it is the simplest recipe! It took me a whopping ten minutes to make. And seeing as I did NOT need to eat them all, and I would have if they stayed in my kitchen, I brought them in to work to share with my coworkers. They were a hit! I watched several of the staffers casually wander by for seconds and even thirds! Ha 😀 It’s a fun twist to a classic treat!

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Mackenzie

Serves: 28

Recipe slightly adapted from JustJennRecipes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows
6 cups cheerios (peanut butter cheerios, multigrain cheerios, honey nut…whatever your favorite is!)
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Butter a 9×13 glass baking dish. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and peanut butter. Add the marshmallows and melt them down. Just as the marshmallows dissolve into the peanut butter, pour in the cheerios and stir it all together, making sure all the cheerios are coated in the peanut butter mixture.
Transfer the cheerios to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 10 minutes to set and cool and then serve!

Vegan Peach Pretzel Ice Cream

July 9, 2014 by Mackenzie

Sweet and salty. Can anyone tell me a better combination?

It’s my first summer on the East Coast and I am thrilled to say I have now experienced fresh, ripe, juicy Georgia peaches. I can’t seem to get enough of them!

I was inspired by all the peaches around here to make a peach ice cream because there’s just nothing better than a bowl of ice cream after a hot, sticky walk home from work. Two years ago I received an ice cream maker for my birthday and became an ice cream making addict! I love picking (sometimes crazy) flavor combinations, churning it up and eating my very own homemade ice cream! Here’s one of my favorites: Blueberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt!

I am totally bummed not to have my ice cream maker with me here in DC – but I really wanted to try to make some anyways. I ended up completely cheating and basically just froze the base overnight then let it melt a bit when i was ready to eat it. It certainly wasn’t the prettiest ice cream I’ve ever made but it sure did taste delicious!!

But I also love some kind of crunchy something in my ice cream. Plain vanilla or chocolate is just boring! It’s got to be moosetracks with those chocolate caramels in it, or frozen yogurt with chocolate chips. Well, this sweet delicious peach ice cream needed a salty balance and some crunchy goodness, so I added crushed pretzels and boy, what a perfect combination!

I also decided to try a vegan twist on this. I love a rich, creamy, milk-based ice cream – but thought I would see what I could do with coconut milk instead!

Vegan Peach Pretzel Ice Cream
Recipe slightly adapted from Gluten Free Goddess
Makes 1 quart of ice cream

Ingredients:

4 cups peaches, washed, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 14oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 cups whole pretzels, lightly crushed

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine half the peaches, the coconut milk, the coconut oil and the brown sugar. Heat for about five minutes over medium heat allowing the peaches to soften and the sugar to melt. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining peaches and the vanilla to the mixture, stir and pour into a 9×13 glass dish. Refridgerate for two hours or until very cold.

3. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions. During the last 2-3 minutes of churning, add the crushed pretzels. Alternatively, transfer the cold mixture to a large tupperware and freeze overnight – this method won’t make the softest, creamiest ice cream but it works if you don’t have an ice cream maker. But it does make it more difficult to stir in the pretzels – you may just have to sprinkle them over each serving.

4. Eat right away or transfer to a container to freeze for later use!

Walnut Breton Cake

March 11, 2014 by Mackenzie

Well hello! It’s been a LONG time. Over a month actually… I can’t believe how fast time flies and how busy life can get! As I tend to keep having to do, I’m apologizing again for my long absence! This semester has been my busiest one yet, but I think my favorite one as well. I’ve taken on new leadership positions, organized a huge campus-wide event, and am continuing to work part-time, take a full load of classes and play varsity golf.

Thankfully, it’s spring break and I’m spending my week here in St. Louis – catching up on sleep, schoolwork and finally getting a chance to cook something besides Trader Joe’s freezer meals and canned soup. Seriously… I hadn’t cooked anything more involved than grilled cheese since my last post about the Lemon Rosemary Bread. But here we are! I’ve got several great recipes to share and so for at least the next few weeks – I’ll have some things to post! Who knows what will happen as this school year starts to wrap up (and how is that possible?!!!!) but for now, I’ve got yummy things to share!

First up, I had to celebrate the beginning of spring break (and my long-awaited return to my kitchen) with a cake! I honestly had no idea what to expect of this recipe when I made it. The recipe came from a cookbook with no pictures and the short description said it would taste like shortbread. I had in my mind a moist cake that somehow had shortbread characteristics and in my head it just didn’t add up.

But let me tell you – this cake is amazing. It’s not a moist, tall cake like what you envision when you think of a cake – it’s more like shortbread or spritz cookies baked in a cake pan. The top of the cake is hard like shortbread but the middle of the cake is soft like spritz cookies. Wow. And it’s so simple! Just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand (if you don’t have cake flour, look up how you can turn all-purpose flour into cake flour).

Walnut Breton Cake
Recipe from Baking for All Occasions
Makes one 8-inch round cake, 12-14 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch round cake pan, then flour it, tapping out the excess flour. Cut out a circle of parchment paper (trace it) to line the bottom. Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

2. Stir together the flour and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on medium speed until it is lighter in color and has a satiny appearance, about 45 seconds. Maintaining the same speed, add the sugar in a steady stream. Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides of the bowl, then continue to beat at medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg yolks, one at a time. Continue to beat until well combined, sopping to scrap down the sides of the bowl at least once.

4. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture and mix by hand until it is well combined. Stir in the walnuts. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared ban, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Use a fork to create a lattice design on the surface.

5. Bake the cake until it is golden brown on top, feels firm to the touch and is beginning to contract from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment liner and turn it right-side-up. Let cool completely. To serve, cut the cake into small wedges with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Store at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.

Lemon Rosemary Bread with Lemon Glaze

February 3, 2014 by Mackenzie

I’ve been “mass-baking” a lot lately for different events and this was one of my favorites. I baked half of it in a loaf pan and the rest in a 9×13 because apparently we only have one loaf pan (oops – should have checked that beforehand). Regardless, both turned out great and were a hit with everyone I shared them with. I loved the strong lemon flavor, especially in the dead of winter when everything seems to be a bit more bland than other times of the year. And the rosemary makes it oh so unique and a little bit fancy 😀

Also, I made my Salted Rice Krispy Bars yesterday for another event and they disappeared SO FAST! Another easy crowd-pleaser!

Lemon Rosemary Bread with Lemon Glaze
Recipe from bakedbree
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and mix. Add the yogurt and then the eggs, one at a time – mixing between each addition. Add the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary, and mix until combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes than remove it from the pan and allow to cool completely on a rack.

4. When loaf is completely cool, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place foil under the rack with the loaf to catch the drippings and then drizzle the glaze over the top. Let stand until glaze is set.

My Top 7 Favorite Christmas Cookies

December 5, 2013 by Mackenzie

Well, it’s been a week since Thanksgiving, the weather has turned bitterly cold, (we’re expecting our first real snow this afternoon!) and my taste buds are asking for peppermint flavored things! I’d say it’s officially the Christmas season.

To kick things off for Christmas on Never Skip Dessert, I’m pulling out some of last year’s hit Christmas cookie recipes! These are some of my favorite recipes and I will be making many batches of them in the coming weeks! (Click the cookie name or photo to go straight to the recipe! I also apologize for the poor quality of most of these photos – I’ll take new ones when I make them again this year!)

First, the ever-classic – Sugar Cookies

Next, we’ve got my personal favorite – Candy Cane Cookies

Third, always a crowd pleaser – Spritz Cookies!

Fourth, for the peanut butter-chocolate lovers out there – Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Next we’ve got another classic – Gingerbread Men and Women!

For the coffee lovers – mocha cookies 🙂

And last but not least, one of my favorite holiday treats – peppermint bark!

I hope you try some of these out and if you do – be sure to leave me a comment and tell me how they were!

Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Pie

November 30, 2013 by Mackenzie

Gooey caramel, creamy pumpkin, savory crust… what could be better in a pie! I’ve actually made this twice in the last week – once for our Coop Thanksgiving potluck, and then since it was so good – I added it to my family’s Thanksgiving menu! I changed a few things when I made it the second time, a few things for the better and a few things that were better the first time! So hopefully, I’ve got the recipe nailed perfectly here and you can enjoy it just as much as we did!

I will warn you, this is a complicated recipe! There are many steps and it can take a long time. The steps themselves aren’t difficult or time-consuming, there’s just a lot of chilling, cooling, cooking and baking time so you’ll have to make sure you give yourself enough time. I think the best way to split it up is to make the candied pumpkin seeds and do both parts of making and chilling the crust (see below) on the night before, and then bake the crust, make the caramel, make the filling and bake it the day of.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends! I am so thankful for my family and the blessing of being able to come home for this holiday. Enjoy this holiday season!

Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie, serving ~10
Recipe adapted slightly from FineCooking

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Seeds:
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Crust:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons fine cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Caramel:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon

Pumpkin Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions:

Candy the pumpkin seeds:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in bottom third of oven. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, sugar, and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and stir until evenly coated (add more maple syrup if needed). Spread them out in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes to let them harden and then break them up into small pieces and set aside. (Can make up to 24 hours ahead – store in an air-tight container at room temperature.)

Prepare Crust:
1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and one tablespoon of ice water. Add egg mixture to food processor and pulse until mixture begins to come together, adding another tablespoon or two of ice water if needed. Gather dough into a ball and press slightly to form a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. After dough disk has chilled, lightly flour a work surface and roll dough out on it, into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to springform pan. I like to carefully begin to roll the dough back onto the rolling and then slide the springform pan under it and unroll dough into the pan. Press gently into bottom rim and up the sides, tearing off any pieces so that the height is about 1/2-inch below the rim of the pan. The edge should look ragged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

4. After dough in pie pan has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in bottom third of oven. Prick bottom of crust with a fork at 1-inch intervals, line it with foil and fill it to the top with dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and return pan to oven to bake for 10 more minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and keep the oven on.

Make Caramel:
1. While pie is cooling, make the caramel. Combine the brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts and begins to darken around the edges, about 7 minutes. (Use the time I give as a general reference but caramel is finicky so pay attention to what it should look like before moving on, instead of following the time strictly.) Slowly whisk in the cream and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the caramel has thickened, so that the whisk leaves the bottom of the pan visible when pulled through, about 15 minutes. Whisk in the bourbon and simmer again until caramel has thickened and the whisk leaves the bottom of the pan visible again, 2-5 minutes.

2. Pour 1/3 cup of the caramel over the bottom of the cooled crust and tilt the pan around to spread it evenly. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to set the caramel while leaving the remaining caramel at room temperature.

Make Filling and Bake:
1. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating well until combined. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Finally, slowly mix in the half-and-half.

2. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 40 minutes, or until the surface no longer appears wet. Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes.

To Finish:
1. Warm remaining caramel so it is pourable. Drizzle caramel over cooled pumpkin and spread evenly. Carefully arrange pumpkin seeds around edge of pie. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow caramel to set and then remove springform ring to serve. Alternatively, you can chill it for 4-24 hours before serving (and serve cold) but I enjoyed it best when it was warm and gooey.

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