Christmas Morning Blueberry Coffee Cake

Being a Southern Girl from North Carolina, my all-time favorite magazine is Southern Living. This month, I found a wonderful recipe for a Blueberry Coffee Cake hiding in the current Southern Living issue. I made the Coffee Cake this week for our family guests,and it was simply delicious-even my young children loved it. This would make the perfect dish to serve on Christmas morning. You can serve it with coffee and hot cocoa while you open gifts and enjoy time with family.

Merry Christmas my dear friends and family. I pray that you enjoy your families and praise the one who gave us HIS GREATEST GIFT-His Son who died for our sins. I am so thankful for God's Love and Sacrifice.

Luke 2:11-14

"The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.””

 



Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla)

3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

TOPPING:

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds (or crushed walnuts or crushed pecans)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together egg, milk, yogurt, and oil. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Toss 1 1/4 cups blueberries in 1 Tablespoon flour; fold into batter. Pour into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup blueberries. Stir together 2 Tablespoons sugar, sliced almonds (or other nuts), and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove sides of pan. Serve warm or cool.

Gingerbread Oreo Blondies

When I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Two Peas and Their Pod, I knew that I had to find the Gingerbread Oreos and make these yummy treats for our Sunday School Class Christmas Party. Thankfully, the Gingerbread Oreos were easy to find at my local Walmart. The recipe produces a large pan full of deliciously-thick blondies with a Gingerbread Oreo tucked in the middle of each bar. This recipe was a fun twist on the traditional blondie and is a perfect treat to package and share as Christmas gifts with friends and neighbors.

Enjoy my friends! You are dearly loved and prayed for daily. I pray that this Holiday season, you truly "Taste and See that the Lord is Good!" (Psalm 34:8)

 

Gingerbread Oreo Blondies

Yield: 20 blondies

Sweet brown sugar blondies with Gingerbread Oreos and white chocolate chips.
 

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups of all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
20 Gingerbread Oreos

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
2. In a small pan, melt the butter over medium low heat on the stove. Or in a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. In large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
4. Pour half of the blondie dough into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Press the Oreos on top of the blondie dough, evenly spacing them out. Pour the rest of the dough over the Oreos and spread as evenly as possible. The dough will be thick and sticky.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

Christmas Peppermint Poke Cake

If you are in search of the perfect Holiday Dessert to take to a Christmas party or to serve on Christmas Day for your family, then search no more. I stumbled upon this recipe from Something Swanky blog, and I knew that I would make it for our Sunday School Class Christmas Party. The party was last night and the cake was a big hit. It combines all the flavors of the season and the layer of hot fudge and oreos makes it over-the-top delicious! The crushed peppermint andes mints on top give it such a pretty Christmas look that make it even more appealing to your taste buds. I tweaked the original recipe a little by using the red holiday oreos and two containers of cool whip for the topping. If you prefer to use the original recipe, it can be found here: http://www.somethingswanky.com/better-than-christmas-poke-cake/

I encourage you this Holiday season to make LOVE your focus-share love with everyone you meet, forgive others, and put your LOVE into action as you serve and honor others above yourself. Slow down from the busy month and just LOVE someone-truly from the heart.

Romans 12:10

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

Christmas Peppermint Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 1  chocolate fudgecake mix, prepared and baked according to the directions on the box.(I always use Duncan Hines-simply the best!)
• 1 cup peppermint dairy creamer
• 14.5 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar Smuckers hot fudge sundae sauce
• 1/4 cup peppermint dairy creamer
• 1 cup crushed Oreos (you can use the red holiday oreos for a super festive look)
• 2 containers of (8 oz Cool Whip)
• Andes Peppermint Chips for topping (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• Crushed Oreos for topping (approximately 1 cup)

Instructions

1. Once the cake has cool, use the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke 20+ holes in the cake.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup of the peppermint dairy creamer. Pour over the cake, trying to fill in the holes.
3. In the same bowl, whisk together the hot fudge sundae sauce and 1/4 cup peppermint dairy creamer. Mix in 1 cup crushed Oreos.
4. Pour and spread the fudge mixture over the cake as evenly as possible.
5. Spread the cool whip over the fudge. Sprinkle on the Andes candy bits and crushed Oreos (as much or as little as you want).
6. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours, until the sweetened condensed mixture has soaked into the cake and it's thoroughly chilled. Cut and serve.

Sour Cream Banana Cake-The Perfect Holiday Bread to Share!

 

 

I LOVE this time of year because it gives me an exuse to bake lots of yummy treats to share with my family and friends. When I saw this recipe for Sour Cream Banana Cake, I knew that I had to make add it to my baking list. It turned out so moist and absolutely delicious. I made two batches and baked them in cute little Christmas loaf pans that I found at Michaels for $1 each. I loved sharing this bread with my MOPS group and our Sunday School class. It was a super easy recipe to follow, and the sour cream made it nice and rich

Bake some and share the love with your neighbors and friends. I love to give gifts because it makes the recipient feel loved.

 

Enjoy dear friends. You are prayed for and loved dearly by your Heavenly Father! I hope you enjoy this song that we sang in church today. It blessed my heart. One Thing Remains-His LOVE never fails; never gives up; never runs out on you!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_2qG22SPwU

Sour Cream Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (2 layer size) yellow, white, or butter cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3-4)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond flavoring

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat cake mix, eggs, bananas, sour cream and oil with mixer on low or until moistened, scraping bottom of bowl often.
3. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
4. Bake 35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
5. Use a 13×9 or full size bundt pan. (I used loaf pans-both the 8 inch size and the mini ones: One recipe makes two large loaves or four mini loaves)
6. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack.

Thanksgiving Recipes to Make and Share

Because of a recent surgery and the unfortunate arrival of bronchitis and the flu to our household, I haven't been cooking very often. But, I wanted to share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving and Holiday recipes from older posts on my blog.

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Friends! I encourage you to take the time to share your gratitude with your family and friends. Pour your hearts out to God in gratitude for the blessings He daily pours out on you.

Psalm 95:2

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

Psalm 100:4

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Bars: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/autumns-mosaic-in-my-home-my-heart-and.html

Butterscotch Apple Pie Cookies: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/12/cutest-apron-ever-holiday-cookie.html

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pie Cookies: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/12/cutest-apron-ever-holiday-cookie.html

Pumpkin Cheesecake: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/carolina-blue-birthday-wishes-pumpkin.html

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Creamy Ginger Frosting: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful-heart.html

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/11/oatmeal-craisin-white-chocolate-chip.html

Angus Barn Chocolate Chess Pie:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful.html

Peanut Butter Honey Fudge:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful.html

Perfect Pecan Pie:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful.html

Pumpkin Streusel Pie:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful.html

Peanut Butter Crumb Apple Pie:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/11/peanut-butter-crumb-apple-pie.html

Caramel Apple Munch Mix-The Perfect Autumn Treat to Share!

Caramel Apple Munch Mix

 

Ingredients:

1 Box of Apple Cinnamon Chex Cereal

4 cups Caramel Bugles (2 small bags)

2 cups Kraft Caramel Bits

2 cups Honey Roasted Peanuts

2 bags (2.5 oz) bags of dried apple chips, caramel flavor

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, and put in storage containers to share with friends.

Portable Breakfasts: Sausage Egg & Cheese Muffins and Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Muffins

Mornings are often rushed during the school year, and many Mommies and Daddies find themselves rushed to eat a healthy and filling breakfast before they head to school or work. My son takes FOREVER to eat and thus often doesn't get enough to sustain him before lunchtime at school. The answer-quick portable breakfast options that can be made ahead and frozen.

Here are two recipes for portable on-the-go breakfast goodies. 

Enjoy and remember that you are dearly loved and prayed for daily! This song by Laura Story entitled "Grace" has been a blessing to me. I am so thankful for God's Daily Sufficient Grace!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51LGsPMKeAE

 

Apple Walnut Pull-Apart Muffins

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen dinner rolls, thawed (I used Parker House Rolls)
2 Golden Delicious apples, chopped and peeled

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (12 cup) muffins pans (I used 2 (6 cup) jumbo muffin pans) with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix together the chopped apples, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon until well combined.
Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut each roll into thirds.

Place 3 small roll pieces in the bottom of each muffin cup. Drizzle about a half of the melted butter on top of the roll pieces. Then top with the apple mixture. Next, layer the remaining pieces of bread dough on top and brush the tops with your remaining melted butter. Let rise for about an hour (or until rolls have doubled in size).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until tops are golden brown and the middle rolls are done . Make a glaze of powdered sugar and milk and drizzle that on top of the warm muffins.

To freeze prepared muffins, wait until they have completely cooled and place muffins on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 1 hour to flash freeze. Remove the cookie sheet and put each muffin into a Ziploc bag to store in the freezer. When you are ready to eat one, take it out of the freezer and place on a plate or paper towel in the microwave. Microwave for 1 minute and enjoy!

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Healthy Sausage, Egg and Cheese Muffins

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground lean turkey sausage, drained 1 tsp onion powder or minced onion 3 cups all-purpose low-fat baking mix (Bisquick) 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup 2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican Cheddar cheese 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk Directions: Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium to med-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and no longer pink. Drain and cool.Preheat oven to 375. Combine sausage, baking mix, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together the soup and water; add to sausage mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon until generously greased muffin tins, filling to tops of cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 standard-sized muffins.   To freeze, allow muffins to cool completely. Put cooled muffins in individual ziploc bags and store until ready to eat. Place muffin on papertowel and microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Enjoy!