Simple Baked Alaska

My hubby and I took an Alaska cruise for our five year anniversary in 2009. Five years later, I finished scrapbooking the pictures and memories we created on our awesome trip. So, to celebrate that I finally got it done, I made my first ever baked Alaska! I've scoured the internet for recipes and there are a few versions out there. I'm all about simple and easy so this is recipe I created with help from others. It turned out so well and didn't take too long.

You will need:
1 9-inch frozen pie crust
Neapolitan ice cream
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp sugar

Thaw the frozen pie crust for 10 minutes on the counter.
Pierce the sides and bottom of the crust with a fork.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
Scoop the Neapolitan ice cream into the cooled pie crust. Add as much as you want, just don't over pack. Level it out and place in the freezer for about 2 hours or until firm.
To make the meringue, use an electric mixer and beat three egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy.
Add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time until stiff and glossy.
Beat in the vanilla.
Gently spoon over the ice cream. Be sure to cover to the edge of the pie crust.
Bake at 475 degrees for 2-4 minutes until lightly brown on top.
Serve immediately or cover and freeze up to 48 hours.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle aka Heaven in a Bowl

This is an easy, yummy trifle recipe for chocolate and peanut butter lovers! I whipped this up for a girl's night and it was a hit!

1 fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
1 package (13 ounces) miniature peanut butter cups 
4 cups cold 2% milk 
2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed 

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not over bake!). Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-in. pieces. 
Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1 carton of whipped topping. Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. 
Cover with whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled. Enjoy!

No-bake desserts

It's time to get creative! We can't have fires at girl's camp this year so I'm looking for no-bake recipes. It is hard trying to find recipes that don't require a campfire! I've found a few so far and they seem pretty good... feel free to share any other recipes you may have. We only need to plan for three nights. Luckily, the stake is handling the food so it's just treats, yum!

Graham Treats

Here's a simple treat that the kids will love. These can be messy in hot weather, so be ready to lick some fingers.

Ingredients:

• chocolate covered graham crackers
• peanut butter
• bananas

Preparation:

Slice bananas. Put peanut butter on one graham cracker. Put sliced bananas on top of peanut butter. Cover with second graham cracker.

Servings: As needed

Dirt Dessert

Kids love this stuff.

Ingredients:

• Oreo cookies
• Cool Whip
• Gummie Worms
• Gummie Critters

Preparation:

Crush Oreos and mix with Cool Whip and Gummie Critters. Serve chilled.

Servings: Varies

No-bake Chocolate Crackles

Indulge your sweet tooth with this fast, no-bake recipe for chocolate cookies.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• Graham crackers, broken into small pieces

Preparation:

 Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate in microwave oven on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Add cereal and crackers; stir until coated.

Drop mixture by 1/3 cups onto lined cookie sheet. With fingertips, shape mixture to form rounded mound if necessary. Refrigerate cookies 30 minutes to set. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Servings: 9 cookies

Christmas Cookies in a Jar

This is such an easy and tasty gift for the whole family! I made cookies in a jar for my bosses this year and they loved them! I tested the recipe and the cookies are scrumptious! I got the recipe from Make It Do and it works great! You have to smash the ingredients down after each addition and I mean, really smash it down or it won't all fit. I experimented with the order and thought this version worked the best.

I used a wide mouth quart Mason jar and decorated the lid with fabric and ribbon.


Here's the recipe if you want to make a batch for yourself:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.
Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Cake Pops

What's a cake pop, you ask?
It is a little ball of crumbled cake mixed with frosting and covered in candy melts.
It is divine and delicious.

I borrowed the book, "Cake Pops" by Bakerella from my co-worker, Annie.
It is filled with cute ideas! If you check out Bakerella's blog, you'll find even more creative designs from "cake poppers" around the country. This was my first attempt so while they might not look fancy they sure tasted yummy!