Black Forest Cobbler~ Easy and Decadently Delicious

I was looking for a very quick and easy dessert that didn’t require a great deal of time, and came up with this lovely, delicious and unusual dessert. If you serve it warm, it will have a wonderful texture similar to chocolate lava cake with a brownie topping. If you refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, it will resemble chocolate pudding with whole cherries with a brownie crumble on top. Positively easy, and so deliciously rich!  Enjoy!

 Black Forest Cobbler

~Ingredients~

1- Devil’s Food boxed cake mix
2- 12 ounce bags of frozen cherries
2 teaspoons almond extract
16 ounces cherry cola
( I used Cherry Pepsi, you can also use diet for cutting calories)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the inside of a medium casserole, or 8 x 8-inch pan. Open and pour cherries into the bottom of pan. Sprinkle cherries with almond extract. Open cake mix package and sprinkle cake mix over cherries. Gently pour cola over cake mix until it is completely moistened. DO NOT stir. If you find large spots of dry cake mix, gently stir that area until moistened. Place in a preheated oven for 55-60 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes to serve warm with ice cream and it will resemble a lava cake. If you let it cool more than 4 hours, serve it chilled with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It will resemble chocolate pudding with whole cherries and brownie crumbles. Absolutely decadent and very, very easy. A marvelous dessert for company, You can never, ever have enough chocolate!

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole...

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

I’m focusing a great deal of my cooking towards healthier recipes and I’m incorporating more vegetarian dishes in my weekly menu. Here is a vegetarian enchilada that is healthy, easy…and delicious! Enjoy!~

~Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole~

~Ingredients~

Large flour tortillas
8- Morning Star Original Sausage Patties, thawed and finely chopped
1-15 ounce can Black Beans (seasoned or unseasoned), drained
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Sour Cream ( I prefer to use Sour Lean)
1/2 cup,  Mexican 4 Cheese blend, or Cheddar cheese
1 jar-Newman’s Own Salsa Pineapple or Peach
1 jar-Newman’s Own Salsa (mild or spicy)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon cocoa

In a large sauce pan add olive oil and onions, sauté until translucent. Add chopped Morning Star Original Sausage Patties cook until heated through. Next, add black beans and stir mixture until well incorporated.
Next, add cumin, chile powder and cocoa. Add 1 jar (reserving 1/4 cup), Mild, Newman’s Own Salsa, stir mixture. Heat on low and continue heating until simmering.

In a large skillet, over very low heat, warm tortillas. This will make them more pliable.
Prepare a 9 x 12 casserole (if you’re using a smaller one, the vegetarian enchilada mixture keeps in the fridge!) by pouring 1/4 cup of Newman’s Own Salsa in the bottom of the casserole to prevent tortillas from sticking.

~Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole~

Mediterranean Tomato Soup

This is a wonderful soup that is delicious and full of flavor. It’s also low in fat and cholesterol, and can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth. 

Mediterranean Tomato Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
28 ounce can whole tomatoes (and basil) with juice
1 large onion, diced (3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, diced (1/2 cup)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil, julienned
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons tomato paste

In a large, dutch oven or large saucepan,over medium heat add 3 tablespoons of olive, onions and celery. Sweat vegetables,  until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes (with a large spoon, break up tomatoes into small pieces), chicken broth, tomato paste, basil leaf, celery seed, basil and oregano. Stir mixture. On low heat, simmer soup mixture for 20-30 minutes. Add baking soda ( soup will slightly foam) and stir soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Puree soup in a food processor. Ladle into bowls with a toasted or grilled slice of garlic french bread topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!

Note: You can also use this tomato soup over pasta and added freshly, grated Parmesan cheese for a quick and easy lunch. If you prefer cream of tomato soup, add milk or half and half to taste. This is a wonderfully versatile and delicious soup, that is so easy to make!

Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole...

I’m always on the lookout for recipes you can make and bake later. I thought this would be a perfect blend of my love of blueberries and bread pudding. You can make it the night before, and bake in the morning! Perfect as breakfast for a bunch, brunch or for dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy!  Rose Victoria

Blueberry Almond French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

1 (24-inch) loaf of French bread
6 large eggs
zest from 1 lemon
3 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup melted butter

Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Slice french bread into 1-inch slices and place standing up in rows, then tilting bread so they lay stacked at an angle. To make the custard~ In a large bowl add: eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk together until well blended. Pour over french bread slices. Cover casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, until custard is completely absorbed.

Next morning, remove casserole from refrigerator and check to see if custard is completely absorbed. If not, turn over bread slices into remaining custard and let stand for 20 minutes. Sprinkle blueberries over and between bread slices. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of sliced almonds. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place casserole in the oven and immediately turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake 45-55 minutes, until blueberries pop and bread is browned. Watch carefully the last 10 minutes for over browning.
Serve with maple syrup or  Blueberry Syrup. Enjoy!

BoBerry Biscuits

 

 Biscuits: 

2 Cups Flour
1 Cup milk
1/3 Cup sugar
5 T of butter
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 oz of blueberries (fresh or dried)

Glaze: 

1 Cup of powdered sugar
1/8 Cup of water
1 tsp of vanilla
½ tsp of lemon juice 



Directions: 

Freeze butter. Preheat oven to 450F. Mix salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder in a bowl and sift. Add the cold milk into dry ingredients and mix. As dough begins to form, use a cheese grater to grate your frozen butter evenly over dough. Fold dough, and knead… repeat until all butter is spread evenly throughout dough. Fold in the blueberries. Gently pull of chunks of dough and pat to form biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheet or cake pan.

Place in oven and bake for about 7-12 minutes (until golden). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave, and paint finished biscuits with pastry brush. Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl, and drizzle over BoBerry Biscuits with a fork.

Easy BLT Roll-Ups

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
8-10 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 eight-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

Mix cream cheese and mayo in a bowl. Add crumbled bacon and diced tomatoes. Spread mixture on tortillas and top with lettuce. Roll up tightly and refrigerate for an hour. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.

"Oh My".... Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Famous Pumpkin Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1 1/2 c. Sugar
• 1/2 c. Fat Free VanillaYogurt
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 c. Canned Pumpkin
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan, set aside.
2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg, into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, yogurt, and egg whites. Whisk thoroughly until blended. Stir in thepumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until completely incorporated.
4. Pour into pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Let cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 serving.
6. Add a powdered sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting if desired :)

Cutest Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole milk, scalded

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages active dry yeast (1/2 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

5 cups all-purpose flour

15-20 pecan halves, sliced into 3 vertical sections

1/4 cup melted butter, optional

Directions

1. Pour hot milk in a mixing bowl, add butter and stir to melt. Add sugars, pumpkin puree, salt to the milk and combine well.
2. In a small bowl proof yeast in a lukewarm water with a teaspoon sugar. When it gets foamy add to the pumpkin mixture, and add the egg, mix well.
3. Add in flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. The dough will be sticky.
4. If using electric mixer, attach a dough hook and beat the mixture until the dough itself pulls from the side of the bowl.
5. Turn the dough out to a wooden board dusted with a little flour. Knead with hand for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball shape, place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hr.
6. Punch the dough to deflate and knead it for a few seconds on a wooden board. Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into about 15 pieces.
7. Roll each piece into a ball shape with your hand. Flatten the piece with palm of your hand a little. Using a knife, give 8 cuts on the edge to mimic flower pedals but the leave center uncut.
8. Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation, and repeat the same procedure to all the other pieces.
9. Place them, 2" apart, on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or baking mat, and let them rise again to be doubled, about 45 minutes.
10. Preheat oven 350ºF for 20 minutes.
11. If the center indentation is not obvious on the rolls, poke them again with your finger.
12. Brush with egg wash, if you wish, and bake for 9-12 minutes until the top gets slightly golden.
13. Brush the rolls with melted butter or a little honey diluted with water to make it shine if you wish.
14. Insert pecan slices on top to mimic pumpkin stem.

Yummy Cinnamon Roll Bites

The great thing about these is they can be made overnight too. I got a} craving for them the other day at like 10 pm, so I whipped up the dough {which takes like ten minutes tops and just stuck it in the fridge overnight. Then you just make them like normal in the morning. This way you don't have much waiting around to do if you're making them for breakfast! {Which I highly suggest doing. These babies will put anyone in a good mood right off the bat.}

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1 & 1/2 cups hot water {as hot as you can get it out of the tap - not boiling.}
• 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 & 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour {you can use all-purpose flour as well}
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup {1 stick} salted butter, melted

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar and let sit until frothy. {about 5 minutes}
2. Add the salt and vegetable oil and mix well.
3. In a large bowl, yeast mixture and about 2 cups of flour.
4. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull away from sides and is no longer sticky.
5. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
6. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 
7. Let rise for one hour, until doubled in size. {Or if you're doing this the night before, just place it in the refrigerator and go to bed.}
8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
9. Punch down dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth again; set aside.
10. In a small bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon.
11. Place butter in another small bowl.
12. Rip off small pieces of dough {I used like a quarter size} and roll into a ball.
13. Dip the ball in the butter and then roll it around in the sugar mixture; place on a cookie sheet.
14. Repeat steps 12 & 13 until you fill your cookie sheet up and then bake for 10-12 minutes.
15. Do this until all the dough is gone.
16. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla until smooth. 
17. Use a spoon to drizzle your frosting over the cinnamon roll bites.
18. Serve warm.

Healthier Zucchini Brownies

Brownies made with zucchini, bananas and applesauce, yielding a brownie with only 120 calories, 2 grams of fat, and a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals, and egg free. YESSSS!!!! 

These are even a very moist low fat chocolate brownie alternative, for weight watchers, only 2 ww points per serving ( 24 servings). Its not going to be the same box brownie, but especially someone that only eats sweets occasionally like me, this healthier option is delish and guilt free!!

♥♥ Be sure to SHARE on your page to find it later ♥♥

Ingredients
1/2 cup applesauce
2 small or medium bananas mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, mashed bananas and sugar. Add vanilla and cocoa and mix together. Then add baking soda, salt, and zucchini and mix together. Add flour and walnuts and mix together. Spread evenly into a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until brownies spring back when gently touched

Crockpot Weight Watchers Potato Soup

Here's a recipe that I am making almost weekly now. Only 2 Points per cup, easy, and very filling!

Makes 8-10 cup servings
WW Pts+: 3.5 per cup

Ingredients:
1 26-30 ounce bag frozen hash browns (plain)
2 14 ounce cans non-fat chicken broth
1 10-3/4 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp pepper
1 - 8 ounce pkg lowfat (1/3 less fat) cream cheese
1 cup fat free milk

Directions:

Add first 5 ingredients to crockpot and cook on high for an hour
Stir and then turn to low for another hour.
Add cream cheese, and cook another 1/2 hour or until cheese can be stirred into mixture.
Add milk and cook 10 - 15 minutes longer.

Optional: Garnish with chopped green onion and bacon bits. (Add 1 pt for garnish)
Variation: Use frozen Country potatoes or Potatoes O'Brien in place of the hash browns.

S'mores on a Stick

S'mores on a Stick

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 TBSP shortening
3 graham crackers, smashed to crumbs
6-10 large marshmallows
toothpicks or lollipop sticks

Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments. Add shortening to thin chocolate out {never use water!}. 

Once chocolate is smooth, assemble your "dipping station." Stick the marshmallows on the stick. Arrange the chocolate, crushed graham crackers close by so that you can easily move the marshmallows from one to the other. 

Dip the marshmallows in the chocolate, covering as much as you'd like. I did some half covered, then some completely covered. Dab off any excess chocolate on the bottom and then dip or roll in the cracker crumbs. Allow marshmallow to set up on a piece of foil or wax paper. 

High Protein Peanut Butter Cookies

High Protein Foods  Peanut butter cookies (2 ingredients) - 2 eggs - 2 cups of peanut butter Mix 2 eggs and the 2 cups of peanut butter. Thereafter use an electric mixer to make the batter smooth. Take the mixed in your hand, roll it in your hands until it has become a smooth and soft ping pong boll size and place it on the baking tray with some non stick baking paper. Use a fork to flatten the pong shaped cookies Preheat oven for 5-6 minutes, then place the cookies in your oven on 180-190 degrees Celsius for 10-20 minutes depending on your oven or until the cookies are nice and firm. When you take them out you need to let them cool for about 10 minutes. Because when you let them cool they'll harden up. Low on carbs, high in healthy fats and good amount of protein Benefits of peanut butter - Healthy fats - High in potassium - High in dietary fiber - Good source of vitamins & minerals - Decreased chance of developing gallstones - Lowers chance to develop heart disease & diabetes

Pretzel Pumpkins

Pretzel Pumpkins

• 1 bag mini pretzels {you won't use the whole bag, only about 1/4}
• 1 bag M&M's candy, needing only the green ones {fun separating activity for kids!}
• orange food coloring, I used about 1/8th tsp of Wilton's gel colors
• 1 bag White Chocolate chips, melted slowly {directions below}
• 1 TBSP shortening, to thin out chocolate

First step is to melt the chocolate. I used 10 oz of baking chocolate squares, but you can use a bag of white chocolate chips- the process is still the same. Before you even put it in the microwave, add about 1 TBSP shortening. You need to thin out the chocolate prior to dunking the pretzels or else the chocolate will be so thick you won't even be able to tell it's a pretzel under there! Shortening is the ONLY thing that will do this- don't add water, butter, etc. Shortening!

Go slowly! White chocolate seizes easily, and you don't want to coat your pretzels with grainy chocolate, right? Go slowly and stir minimally. I put mine on for 1 minute, stirred gently, then put it in for an additional minute. When I took it out, the chocolate still looked solid. It wasn't! Add your orange coloring and stir gently, until it's nice and smooth.

I've tested out a few ways to coat pretzels in chocolate and none of them really work as well as simply using your fingers. So I took a picture above of my elaborate technique.

Once you've dunked your pretzel, adding a nice coating, lay it out on a piece of wax paper. While it's still wet, take a green M&M and set it in the crook of the pretzel, on it's side. See? Now it's a cute little green stem.

Dark Chocolate Mandel Bread

Dark Chocolate Mandel Bread                                                         

Print

Ingredients

• 1 stick shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2½ cups flour (use a little more if dough is sticky when you roll it out)
• Marmalade
• Cinnamon
• Walnuts (finely chopped)
• 1 bag dark chocolate chips
• Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add Fage Greek yogurt and egg.
3. Add in baking powder, baking soda and flour.
4. Roll your dough into 4 balls and chill 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Flatten each ball with hands until you make a circle about ¼” thick.
7. Spread with marmalade, then sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon.
8. Roll jelly roll style and place seam down and greased cookie sheet.
9. Repeat with other balls.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown.
11. Cool mandel bread slightly and slice ½ inch think pieces.
12. Continue to bake at 375 on each side until crispy.
13. Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Add in orange zest.
14. Dip ends of mandel bread into chocolate. Let dry on parchment paper.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Salty and sweet.  Crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth.   Peanut butter and chocolate.  Dangerous and delicious (you know what I mean).  One little bite, so much to experience.  Why did I wait so long to give these a try??  A perfect treat to share with a large group of people that you love a whole lot, or to share with yourself on a self-indulgent sweats and sofa  sorta day.  Yum and yum. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar (maybe more)

3/4 cup brown sugar (maybe more)

Pretzels

1 bag  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer.  Add the sugars and mix to combine.  At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go.  If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll (I used about 3/4 cup of each sugar).

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling.  Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels.  When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted.  Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate.  Return to the tray and repeat with remaining sandwiches.  When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely.  Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Shrimp & Orzo Bake

Using fish and seafood is a great way to keep meals lower in calories and fat.  Here’s a lighter pasta dish that is easy to assemble and tastes great.  The shrimp keeps it light and just a small amount of feta cheese adds great flavor.  It even looks fancy enough to serve for a special occasion.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orzo
  
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 0.5 cup white wine
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 Tbsp. dried chives
• 0.75 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 ounces reduced fat feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to the directions on the package.  Drain.  Heat olive oil in a large pan.  Cook onion for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook 30 seconds.  Add wine, tomatoes, chives and oregano.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for five minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.   Combine shrimp, cooked orzo and tomato mixture.  Divide among baking dishes.  Sprinkle feta and lemon juice over top.  Proceed to freezing directions or bake immediately at 425 for 15-20 minutes until shrimp are thoroughly cooked.   

Freezing Directions:

Prepare baking dishes as listed above and freeze.  To serve, thaw and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until shrimp are thoroughly cooked.