Global Warming

NOT!!  Oh dear, friends - it is a whopping -22 here in my hometown.  Yes, thats right NEGATIVE 22 and we are now experiencing power outages - that NEVER happens here.  Needless to say, I am staying home today, not getting out of my jammies and watching movies with my poor sick hubby.  Its that time of the year I guess.

Anywho, I thought I would stop by and say hi and that I am freezing!  I may make some banana bread later today.  If I do, I will try and post my experience :)

Happy Saturday All!!!!!

Snickerdoodle French Toast

This is going to be two posts in one...aren't yous lucky??! :)

I made Snicker-doodle Bread on Thursday night.  My closest friend and co-worker had to be at work on Friday at 6:00am so I decided it would be best to bring her (and everyone else that had to be there that early) a little pick-me-up first thing in the morning.  What better way than with some bread :)  I ended up having about half a loaf left so, I decided that instead of letting the bread go to waste, that I might as well try and put it to some good use.  Hence the Snicker-doodle French Toast.  Let me tell you, it was some of the best french toast I've ever had!  Even my hubby loved it and he isn't that big of a French Toast fan.

So, here is the recipe for the bread.  I don't remember where I found it.  All I know is that I love it and never want to lose this recipe.

Snickerdoodle Bread

2 1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

2 cup sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips/chunks

Topping:

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9 x 5 loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.  In a larger bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy - about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla and sour cream or yogurt and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture stirring until just combined and then stir in the White Chocolate.

Spoon batter into two 9 x 5 greased loaf pans. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the batter in the pans.  Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a crack in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Eat warm with some butter and enjoy!! :)

Some notes:

**I used a block of White Chocolate and I kinda shaved the chocolate into small pieces.  The smaller pieces pretty much melded into the batter, which I thought was awesome and made the bread even better.  Of course the chips are pretty awesome, so if you only have the chips, don't worry, because they are just as good

***I also put some pecans on the top of one of the loaves.  Oh my, this was amazing.  The pecans ended up toasting on the top which gave the rest of the loaf an amazing taste.  Next time I make this bread, I am going to toast some pecans before hand and put them directly into the dough rather than just on top.

Now...on to the French Toast!

Ok, honestly, making this french toast isn't that much different from making most other french toasts.  I combined two eggs and about 1/2 cup of milk.  Once combined, I coated each side of a slice of the snicker-doodle bread and put the coated bread on a heated frying pan with about 1 tablespoon of butter. 

 Cook normally and once browned/crisp on either side, serve them up :)  I put maple syrup on my pieces, but honestly, there was no need for it at all - thats how good this french toast is (haha, I got a tad impatient with my pieces and may have slightly burned them).

I hope you are all having a fantastic night and weekend!!!!

Caramel Pecan Layer Cake ***Now with a picture!

I made this cake for my Co-Workers birthday (this is the cake you use the Caramel Sauce for) and I'm happy to say she LOVED it!  I of course adapted the recipe for the cake a little bit to make it my own, but the original came from The Magnolia Bakery.  This is one of my favorite cookbooks - I use it all.the.time!  They have a recipe for Toasted Pecan Drop Cookies that I try and make bi-weekly and then there is a Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake that I have made only once but am definitely willing to make again!

Also, this is the BEST frosting recipe I have come across to date.  Its perfect and I look forward to making even more different varieties of this frosting!

Ok, so the recipe...here it is:

Caramel Pecan Layer Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vanilla sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting Ingredients (from The Baker Chick):

2 sticks butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk or cream

1/2 cup Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and slightly flour two 9 x 2-inch round pans.

In a small bowl, combine the flours and set aside.  In a large bowl, on medium speed, cream butter until smooth.  Gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but be sure to not over-beat.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure ingredients are well blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted int he center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the layers cool in the pans for one hour and then remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

In the meantime, make your frosting

Cream butter until smooth and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat until well combined (take your time, the powdered sugar likes to fly everywhere) Add 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce and beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream if desired if your frosting is a little thick/dry (I normally add between 2-3 tablespoons because I like my frosting to spread easily).

Assemble your cake! (the best part, other than eating it)

Place one of your layers on a cake stand (top side up) and place about 1/3 of the frosting int he middle and frost.  Once evenly spread, sprinkle 3/4 cup of pecans over the frosting and drizzle some of the caramel sauce over the pecans (just enough to add a touch of caramel).  Place second layer of cake (top side down) and frost top and sides.  Top with remaining pecans and drizzle caramel sauce over the top.  

Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream and coffee

Here is the photo (I did half with pecans, because not everyone likes them...).

I did it!!

I actually followed through and am posting my second post in... A DAY! Hahaha! 

I made Caramel Sauce on Sunday for a cake I was making for a co-workers birthday.  I adapted the recipe from Here.  It is a game changer...holy my, I will never, EVER buy caramel sauce again.  I may or may not have licked the pot 20 times just once.  It wasn't my fault!  Its just so dang good!! :)

A few notes:  Take your time.  This is a must.  Do not step away from the stove/pan for a second.  The sugar can go from caramel to a burnt stinky mess in a SECOND!  Also, line up ALL of your ingredients so that they are right next to you, ready to go.  I have found that if you remove the pan from the heat, stir for a few and then add the butter, it doesn't cook/burn as quickly as it could.  

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar - I use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup Vanilla Sugar (I make this myself and its super easy...next post, haha!)

6 Tbsp Salted butter - cut into small pieces

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp Sea Salt (I usually omit this as I do not like Salted Caramel...GASP!  I know, this is unacceptable)

Directions:

1. Line up ALL of your ingredients - SUPER IMPORTANT
2. Heat sugar on a moderately high heat in a heavy bottomed pan.  Once the sugar begins to melt, continuously stir (with either a whisk or wooden spoon).  Once the sugar crystals have melted (mostly) remove the pan from the heated burner.  Continue stirring.
3. Once sugar crystals are melted, add the butter in, a few small pieces at a time, your sugar will begin to bubble - don't worry...this is normal.
4. Count to three and slowly add the Heavy Cream.  When you begin to add the cream, the mixture will begin to bubble again like it did with the butter.
5. Add salt.  Continue to whisk/stir until smooth.  Pour Caramel into a glass mason jar.  Remember that the glass jar is going to be hot, so be sure to handle with care.
6. The Caramel Sauce will keep in the fridge for about two weeks.  When ready to serve, warm sauce by placing the Mason Jar in a pan of warm water (I avoid the microwave as much as I can)

Viola! You just made the most wonderful Caramel Sauce ever!  I hope yous like it as much as Steve and I do (and my parents and co-workers and friends from church).  Seriously, do not wait too long to make this :)

Have such a wonderful night friends!!!

Sometimes, I just laugh at myself

Well.  I have not stuck to my plan of posting at least once a week.  How about once a month?  Nope.  Can't even do that.  Good grief!  I even do things throughout the week (like make a Caramel Cake or sew squares for a quilt I'm making my mom for Christmas) and think to myself "Jessie - you really should post this stuff to your blog. It would be great!!" and so on.  But nooooo, I cant seem to pull myself to my computer and just type little diddys out.  I think it has to do with the fact that 1. I'm super busy sewing/baking/cleaning/being a wife and 2. I dont always take pictures of what I do.  I feel like if you post something, that you should also include pictures because pictures make everything so much more fun.  But alas, this no-picture-taking-girl has nothing to "show" (picture-wise) of all the things I accomplish.  Well, I'm going to fix this and fix it soon!  I'll even leave you with a teaser (and try to hold myself accountable to actually post the recipes)...I made a Vanilla Cake with Toasted Pecans and Caramel Frosting.  I also made Caramel Sauce from scratch.  All of these things I want to show...so...I will.  I'm going to try and do that...TONIGHT!  After bible study....hopefully I can make it happen...if not...dont hate me. :) 

Coming Soon!

It has been almost 3 years, I do repeat THREE YEARS! since my last blog.  A lot of things have changed, but a lot of things have remained the same  :)

I have decided that it is time for me to get back into the Blog world.  I love reading other peoples' blogs and I have decided I think it will be super fun to get back into doing my own.  I will more than likely focus on baking and cooking and sometimes crafts along with the fun stuff my Husband and I do.  I will not make any promises, but I will definitely do my best to do at least one post a week for now. 

I have a few fun ideas of things to make that I will post in the next week or two.

Until then - have a great week!!! :)

Jess

Just so you know...

I leave for CA in about 5 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!

I am so stinking excited! (obviously...otherwise i wouldnt have used so many exlamation points, haha)

My Fiance and I are deading out of town the second he gets off of work (ok, well maybe not the second, but pretty darn close to that)

I cannot wait...it has been about 2 years since i've been in CA to see my sister and her family...granted they have come here...but, there is just something about going to her house that is just fun!

So...we are driving straight there...and straight there means about 18 hours...yes, i did say 18 H.O.U.R.S.  Crazy?!  This i know.  But we thought we might as well try driving straight through and if i hate it, Stephen says we can stay in a hotel on the way back.  I'mr eally hoping i dont hate it...because it would be nice to save the extra monies that would be spent on a hotel for fun things, but you just never know.  18 hours in a car is a long time...but, it will be all good.  I just know it :)  So...when i get back i will post some pictures :)

OOOH!!!!  Speaking of pictures, i have a few from our Engagement Photos session to share.  Hopefully i've got it all figure out and they will post fine : )  I hope yous enjoy!

Peace out playa (yep, i totally just got gangsta on yous...ahahaha!)

~Jess

Never mind...the picture thingy is being lame and wont let me upload any of my pictures.  I'l try again later.