mini apple pies

I love making food "cute".  I made these special little pies for my sweet little girls!   The only thing that would make these little pies taste better would be a scoop of bluebell vanilla homemade ice cream....

Mini Apple Pies

Recipe from "she wears many hats"

What you'll need...

1 pastry crust recipe (I used pillsbury pie crust)

1/2 cup butter

 4 apples diced

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the topping...

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon flour

Instructions:

Preaheat the oven to 425.

Roll the dough out to 1/8" thick and cut into circles that are a little larger than the cupcake pan circles. 

Line the greased muffin tin with the dough circles.  Bake these shells in the oven for 10 minutes or utnil the shell is no longer raw but pale.  Remove and reduce the heat to 350.  

In a saucepan melt the butter.  Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.  Coat the apples well and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Scoop a little of the mixture into each pastry shell.  Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of each pie.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden brown.  

ENJOY!

Ina Garten's Carrot and Pineapple Cake

This is my go-to recipe for Carrot Cake.  It's Ina Garten's recipe and I usually leave out the raisins and walnuts since most people I know don't like those ingredients.  It's a wonderful carrot cake recipe that is moist and tasty!  

Carrot and Pineapple Cake

recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients for the cake:

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 pound carrots, grated

1/2 cup diced pineapple

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Ingredients for the frosting:

3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat over to 350.

LINE the bottom of 2 round cake pans with parchment paper, and then grease and flour the pans.  

Beat the sugar, oil and eggs together with a stand mixer until light yellow, and add the vanilla.  In another bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until blended.  If you are using the raisins and walnuts, toss with 1 tablespoon of flour before adding to the batter.  Fold in the carrots and pineapple and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.  I usually stick my layers in the freezer to make frosting easier!  

Cream Cheese Frosting:

mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of your mixer until combined.  Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost your cake and ENJOY!

PB & Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to share a yummy cookie recipe with y'all - then I realized how long it has been since I have posted on here!  Where has August gone?!? Things have been BUSY around here and I turned THIRTY at the beginning of the month!  I had a wonderful birthday and thought I would share a few pictures...

Just a few of my favorite gifts.  SO excited to own an iphone again - it was almost a year...what a luxury!  Thanks Dad & Mom!  Sarah sent me a giftcard to hobby lobby all the way from Venice.  I bought something I have been eyeing for a LONG time - every time I see it I think of you!  Melissa, thanks for the BEAUTIFUL oven mitt....I'm afraid to use it it is so beautiful!  Phil & LeAnn gave me a cooking class to SMOKE here in Tulsa. Thank you for the thoughtful gift...it will be my first cooking class and I can't wait!!!

At the cheesecake factory enjoying my birthday cake!

Landon took me to the Melting Pot for a night out for my big 30!  We enjoyed every minute together!

Like I really need to be baking cookies after all that food???

Here's the recipe!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 c peanut butter

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c light brown sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 c rolled oats

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat.  

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add the flour until just combined.  Stir in the oats and the chips.

Roll a scant half-cup (or 1/4 c if you want smaller cookies) of dough into a ball.  Pull apart into two equal halves and place jagged surface up on the cookie sheet.  This gives it a rough, bakery look on top! You can also just use a cookie scoop too.  :O)  Bake for about 10 minutes until the edges are golden.  Don't over-bake!  The center will finish cooking on the sheet.  Cool completely on the cookie sheet.  Enjoy!

June Happenings & Another Ice Cream Recipe

Lily & Lauren turned TWO June 10th.  I still can't believe it.  

Birthday celebration - ice cream party!

Daddy pampered the girls - they got their toenails painted at the mall!

We absolutely LOVE our backyard and spend a lot of time outside. The girls got a slip & slide for their birthday and they all had a great time playing on it. Landon also got us (I hog the grill at our house...Landon prefers it that way though) a new grill.  We grill out A LOT - about 4-5 times a week so I am EXCITED!  

Sweet girls enjoying cookies & ice cream.

Homemade ice cream - we love it.  Tonight was chocolate chip cookie dough.  I will post the recipes for the eggless cookie dough and sweet cream base below if anyone is interested.  :O)

Vanilla Ice Cream, Philly Style

David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients:

2 cups cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

vanilla bean (i didn't have one)

3/4 t vanilla extract

Pour 1 cup of the cream, sugar and salt into a medium saucepan.  If using the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the mixture and add the pod to the pot.  Warm over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the head and add the remaining cream, milk and vanilla extract.

Chill thoroughly in the fridge.  When you are ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean and freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker.

This makes a great base for adding your favorite candy bar, brownie pieces, cookie dough, etc.

Eggless Cookie Dough

1 stick butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 T milk

1/2 t vanilla

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c mini chocolate chips

Beat butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.  Mix in the milk & vanilla.  Add the flour and mix until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Voila!  Cookie dough that is safe to eat! 

 I rolled mine into tiny balls and threw them in the freezer until the ice cream was done churning!  I ended up using a little over half of the recipe for the ice cream.  The other half is waiting in the freezer for a craving to hit.  :O)

Crazy Day & Churro Chex Mix

I have had mixed feelings about Lily & Lauren turning two.  I LOVE their little personalities developing, but I am missing those little baby days so badly.   I had some GREAT things planned for this week...none of them we have been able to get to.  Let me just give a re-cap of yesterday just for laughs:

6:00 - run, eat, read and get ready

7:30 - Brooke wakes up, eats and gets dressed

8:30 - Twins wake up, eat and get dressed

9:00 - we all load up in the car and head to wal-mart to look for a sound machine for the girls' naps.  While we were there, I didn't even look for one because I forgot.  he he.

9:20 - we all load up in the car

9:30 - we tour a school we are hoping Brooke will get into 

10:00 - get home and unload

***play, scream, cry***

10:55 - Load up into the car

11:00 - Meet a friend for lunch at Chick-Fil-A....I long for adult fellowship!  :O)

12:00 - get home and lay everyone down for naps

This is where it got crazy - LOTS of screaming.  I tried to separate the girls, but they just kept screaming each other's names across the house.  Funny now - not so much yesterday.  I had plans of cleaning the house and preparing dinner.  Lauren has had a pretty bad cough (which is keeping her up)....so she had an appointment at 2:30.

2:30 - load up into the car 

2:45 - we are late.  I hate being late.  Thankfully they are pretty understanding.  :O)

3:00 - Head home with a prescription for steroids and an antibiotic.  Thankfully nothing contagious, she just has some serious allergy problems. Poor baby girl.  I had an appointment scheduled for 4:15 so I called Landon and begged him to come home to watch the girls so I wouldn't have to take them.  :O)

***Play, scream, cry***

4:15 - Who knew going to the dr. could be so relaxing?!?  I'm exhausted from just the loading and unloading!

5:00 - get home and hustle to get dinner & dessert ready!  I also got a phone conversation with a sweet friend who was encouraging me in God's word. I am so thankful for the friends that God has placed in my life!

6:00 - we enjoy some great fellowship with friends after a crazy day.

Whew.  It as a crazy day and I didn't get anything done that I had planned.  Several times throughout the day this verse came to mind:

"From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2

I am already missing those sweet newborn days.  I know in another year I am going to wish I could go back in time to "enjoy" another one of these crazy days.  I need to look to God for strength and patience, but I also need to ENJOY every day as a gift from Him.  

Since I didn't have time to make the dessert I planned,  I made this churro chex mix that I spotted on Pinterest instead.  It was a hit!  Have a great week!

Cinnamon Churro Chex Mix

1 box of Rice Chex cereal

1 cup cinnamon chip (Hershey's is the brand I found at wal-mart!)

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Microwave the chips and butter in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth.  Pour over the cereal and stir until coated.  Throw the sugars and cinnamon into a large plastic bag if you have one (if not, pour on top of the coated cereal and toss) and toss the cereal in it.  Shake until coated! Throw in a bowl and enjoy.  Just a warning:  this is highly addictive!

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I saw this Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast cake on pinterest a few days ago and decided I needed to make it ASAP.  I had the perfect opportunity while making dinner today for one of my favorite friends who is under the weather.  Chili, cornbread and breakfast cake.  Great combination, huh?  My favorite part of leaving her dinner was plugging my crockpot in on her front porch to keep the chili warm.  Classy...

Try it soon!  It's a super quick and easy recipe, and it smells delightful! 

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

from : Alexandra's Kitchen

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (i used salted and cut the salt to 3/4 t.)

 zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups fresh blueberries (i used frozen blueberries, thawed)

½ cup buttermilk

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

** The 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream butter, 7/8 of the sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Toss the blueberries in 1/4 cup of flour.  Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter alternating with the buttermilk.  Fold in the blueberries.  This batter is THICK!  

Grease a 9 inch square pan with non-stick spray.  Spread into the pan and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  ENJOY!

S'mores Cookies

 Sunday we grilled out with friends.  I have really been enjoying the beautiful weather and our pergola!  We have spent many hours outside already.  I was looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe when I stumbled across this one.  I had everything in my pantry, including all the chocolate that was in Brooke's Easter candy stash.  Landon said they were great - except for the cinnamon.  It was a little weird to him.  I thought the cinnamon was unusual for a chocolate chip cookie recipe right AFTER I added it.  I'll leave it out next time.  Brooke had no complaints.  My sweet little girl who had the same bite of chicken in her mouth for almost 2 hours, devoured 2 of these in about 5 minutes.  That girl doesn't eat anything fast.  Hope you enjoy this recipe, as well as many summer nights to come!

S'mores Cookies

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (i used salted and cut the salt in half)

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (i will leave this out next time!)

2 ½ cups flour

1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

1 cup mini marshmallows

3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces

1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. 

Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon (if using). 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.

Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight (I didn't chill the dough, and they turned out fine!)

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart.  Press down slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. 

Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

Crispy Coconut Cookies

Two weeks ago I cut out diet coke AND sugar from my diet.  I have been enjoying water, green tea and fresh fruit to fulfill all those cravings.  Thankfully, I don't miss either one!  Here comes the real test...making cookies for my family!  Cookie dough is my favorite treat.  I will make cookies, only so I can sample the cookie dough.  :O)  I made these crispy coconut cookies dipped in chocolate and Landon loved them!  I was tempted, but I stayed strong!  I just grabbed a few raisins and kept on baking!

Here's the recipe...hope y'all have a great weekend!

Crispy Coconut Cookies (allrecipes)

What you'll need:

1/2 cup butter

1/1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 cup crushed cornflakes 

1 cup oats

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugars until smooth.  Stir in the egg and the vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and add to butter/sugar mixture.  Add the oatmeal, cereal and coconut and mix until combined.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are light brown at the edges.  Leave them plain, or dip in melted chocolate.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

I got this candle on clearance at target...love it! Just thought I would share. :O)

We are just loving fall. Pumpkins, candy, cooler weather. I don't bake as often as I used to...but when I do, it is usually a dessert containing pumpkin. I have a slight obsession. This is a pumpkin pie cake recipe. My friend Jana brought this over a couple weeks ago. I tweaked it just a little bit. It is simple, easy and delicious. It tastes like pumpkin pie with streusel topping, and I am sure it would have been even better with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. This makes a lot...so prepare it for company. I won't tell if you keep half of it for yourself though. :O) Again, please excuse my picture quality. I am not a photographer and still can't find my camera charger. Sigh.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter, softened

4 large eggs, divided

2 cans pumpkin (or 1 large one)

1 5 oz can of evaporated milk

1 1/4 c sugar, divided

1 t cinnamon

1 t pumpkin pie spice ( just use cinnamon if you don't have it...or add a little nutmeg and cloves)

4 T butter, chilled

1 c toasted and chopped pecans

1/2 - 1 cup toffee pieces (optional...but SO good)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 13 x 9 pan.

Set aside 1 cup of the cake mix and put the rest in a mixing bowl. Add ONE egg and the stick of butter and mix until combined. Press the mixture into the pan, evenly and up the sides a little bit.

In the same bowl (no need to rinse!) add the pumpkin, 3 eggs, evaporated milk, ONE cup of sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on low until it is combined and then beat for 2 minutes until "fluffy". Pour the mixture on top of the cake base.

Prepare the topping. Combine the reserved cake mix and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the cold butter until combined. Using your fingers...add the nuts and toffee pieces until incorporated. Sprinkle this on top and bake for 65-75 minutes until the cake is set in the middle. ENJOY EVERY BITE.

Pumpkin Chiffon

This is one of the "staple" recipes of fall here in the Miller home. I tasted this wonderful pumpkin treat at my friend Bethany's bridal shower years ago. It is the ONLY pumpkin dessert Landon will eat. Everyone is always raving about this pumpkin "chiffon" and asking for the recipe...so here it is! I love making it because it brings back great memories of great friends.

Pumpkin Chiffon

Crust:

1 3/4 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c melted butter

Cream cheese layer:

1 package cream cheese, softened

2 beaten eggs

3/4 c sugar

Pumpkin topping:

2 small packages of instant vanilla pudding

3/4 c milk

2 c packed pumpkin

3/4 c sugar

1 t cinnamon

1 tub of cool whip

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and press into a 13x9 pan.

Beat together the cream cheese, eggs and sugar until fluffy. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes until the cream cheese layer has set. Cool completely before topping with the next layer.

Beat the vanilla pudding and milk for 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon and ONE cup of the cool whip (reserve the rest for topping). Spread this over the cooled crust. Spread the remaining cool whip on top. Refrigerate and ENJOY!

***I slimmed the recipe down a little bit...just used skim milk, 1/3 less fat cream cheese, about 1/2 of the sugar in the pumpkin topping, and lite cool whip. Hey...every bit helps, right?!?***

The Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie

Need a quick, easy last minute recipe?!? Make this recipe...it is the Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie recipe. So yummy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Hope you have a wonderful time with your family this week.

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust

1 cup white sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup corn syrup (i used light)

1/3 cup melted butter

3 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp. vanilla

1 heaping cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lay pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and decoratively fold the edges. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well-combined.

Pour chopped pecans in an even layer on the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour the syrup mixture over the top of the pecans. Allow to stand about 20 seconds to let pecans float to the top.

Bake for 50 minutes, being careful not to burn pecans or crust. (if you need to, lay some foil over the top to prevent burning) Allow to cool for several hours or overnight before serving.