pretzel kisses.

one of the best things about this time of year is baking. i love to bake! i like to find a new recipe each year and test it out. this year i found a cute idea on pinterest. shocker. this year's sweet treat is one of my new favorites: pretzel kisses. normally they're called pretzel hugs, but since there's only one pretzel, i feel like it's more of a side-hug. so i renamed mine pretzel kisses. i found two recipes with differing instructions, so i improvised. recipe one / recipe two.

instructions:
-preheat oven to 200 degrees.
-place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
-put pretzel squares on cookie sheet.
-unwrap hershey kisses and place on top of each pretzel.
-pop in the oven for about three minutes or until kisses look soft.
-remove cookie sheet from the oven and lightly press the m&m's on top of each kiss.

VIOLA! pretzel kisses. these were a big hit at church.

i used the peppermint hershey kisses, but any flavor will work.
i also placed the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 - 7 minutes to harden the chocolates.

turkey cupcakes.

i cannot fathom that thanksgiving is this week! time is flyin'.
i wanted to share these adorable cupcakes i made a couple years ago.
this is a fun way to let the kids participate in the thanksgiving food prep.

directions:
bake and frost the cupcakes as directed.
use candy corn for the beak, feathers, and feet.
for the head, i used candy corn pumpkins, but anything round will do.
for the eyes, i used those little icing tubes.

tomato soup.

the weather dropped forty-five degrees in a 24-hour period over the weekend.
welcome to oklahoma, y'all! 

i wanted soup, but we didn't have any, so i was perplexed.
that's when i got the idea to come up with a recipe all on my own.
this was either going to turn out really awesome or really not-so-awesome.

i found tomato soup and wanted to see what i could create.
(oh, i should mention i've never had tomato soup before.)

VIOLA!

ingredients: 

- tomato soup

- 1/2 cup of milk

- a few pinches of rosemary

- pepper.

top with parmesan goldfish.

it was so so so so good.
in fact, it was so good that i had it for lunch again today.

what ingredients do you put in your tomato soup? i'd love to know!

chocolate chip scones.

over the weekend, i tried this scone recipe from one sheepish girl.

one word: delicious. 

i can't wait to try different flavors!

ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of cold cubed butter

3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 egg

2/3 cup of dried cherries

1/2 plus 2 tablespoons of mini-chocolate chips

place your dry ingredients in a food processor and blend. slowly add your cubed butter pulsing your food process after each addition until mixture is soft and crumbly. in a separate bowl place your egg and heavy cream and mix with a fork.  add all the the ingredients from your bowl except enough to use as an egg wash on your scones into the mixture in your food processor. add your cherries and chocolate and pulse until well mixed.  

on your counter or on parchment paper scoop a small mound of flower and place a large round mound of scone dough to the center. press your dough out until it forms a circle about 3/4 - 1 inch thick. cut into 6ths or 8ths and place on a well greased pan (or covered in parchment paper).  use a basting brush to add your egg wash to the tops of your scones before baking. bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes if you make small scones or 25-28 if you make larger scones.

amber's tips:

• use a lot of chocolate chips. mine were slightly bland, but still delicious.
• for the cold cubed butter, i used unsalted butter that i had left over from these salted caramels.
• parchment paper is kinda awesome.
• it took around 16-17 minutes for my scones to bake.
• having siri remind me to take the scones out of the oven is epic.

salted caramels.

my favorite drink from starbucks is the salted caramel mocha frappuccino. the sweet and salty combo is genius.
so you can imagine how i reacted when i saw these salted caramels from baby boy bakery. ohmylanta.

after some research, i found the recipe and got everything to make them!

disregard that they're not perfect squares. the caramel and i had a disagreement. 

after some time apart, we are on good terms now.

homemade sea salt caramels:

vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  lightly brush the paper with the vegetable oil.

2.  in a small pot, bring the cream, butter, and one teaspoon of the sea salt to a simmer, over medium heat.  do not let it boil.  once it has reached a simmer, turn off the heat, and set it aside.

3.  in a deep saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar.  over medium-high heat, stir only until the sugar has dissolved.  then allow the mixture to boil, without stirring, until the mixture is a warm, golden brown.  watch very carefully, as the caramel can burn quickly toward the end.  (it can be helpful to use a wooden spoon and drip some of the caramel onto a white plate to gauge the exact color).

4.  when the sugar mixture is done, remove it from the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture.  be careful because it will bubble up violently.  stir in the vanilla.

5.  return the mixture to the heat and cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball), about 10 minutes.  pour the caramel into the prepared pan.  (don’t scrape the pot).  refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

6.  remove the caramel from the refrigerator and allow it to come close to room temperature.  pry the caramel from the pan.  on a cutting board, cut the square in half.  using parchment paper, roll each piece of caramel into a tight 8- to 10-inch log.  sprinkle the logs with sea salt.  cut each log into 3/4-inch or 1-inch pieces.  individually wrap each caramel in glassine or parchment paper, twisting the ends.  store in the refrigerator or in an air-tight container.

helpful tips: 

• step 3 takes forever and a day.
• parchment paper and wax paper are NOT the same thing.

chocolate chip muffin pops.

fun fact about me: i lovelovelove to bake.
cakes, cookies, pies... oh my! baking is so fun.

i bought a donut hole/cake pop maker yesterday.
i was a little skeptical since that whole cake pop ordeal i had two years ago. don't ask. 

i decided to try out this little machine, not expecting much at all. (the cake pop incident of 2010 scarred me for life.) 

i'm pretty sure it's the best purchase i've made in a long time.
i spent all morning "baking" these little yummy treats. 

 i used a chocolate chip muffin recipe courtesy of betty crocker.

 i think it's safe to say i will be making a lot of donut holes and cake pops.
stay tuned for new and yummy recipes.

over the [four day] weekend.

she's aliiiiiiive! i've been MIA since last wednesday. sorry 'bout that.
i had a four-day vacation and the internet was the last thing on my mind.
i caught up on some much-needed sleep, had lunch with a friend, and shopped til i dropped with my mama.
it was supercalafragalisticexpealadocious.

• -thursday was just what the doctor ordered.
  -mama and i got up early and headed to okc for a day of shopping.
  -we ate at smashburger and had starbucks (twice).
  -i bought a fedora. it was a spur-of-the-moment purchase and a major score.

• -i spent friday afternoon in stillwater with alisia.
  -we ate at buffalo wild wings and talked. and talked and talked.
  -i stopped by old navy on my way home and scored these super cute and comfy pants on sale. 
  -as i'm pulling into the driveway, i notice there was a ferris wheel next to our house. totally random.

• -i spent saturday in my pj's and watched friends and the golden girls.
  -i'm not a morning person, so i get a little jealous of people who do their bible study in the am. since i woke up before noon, i decided to join all you morning people. (who cares if it was 10:30?) i must say, it was glorious. i'm considering trying to wake up earlier. (if that happens, congratulations -- you will witness a miracle!)

• -oh, sunday. my favorite day of the week. there's something about church and afternoon naps that does a soul good.
  -we started revival sunday morning. the pastor is my kind of pastor. he tells you like it is. no sugar-coating. no feel-good message. no tip-toeing. he talked about how, in dating, we tend to treat ourselves like a used car. we let others test drive us, giving them the option of keeping us or looking for something better. but that's not how God intended it to be. he also draws pictures with chalk and incorporates it into his message. i'm excited for this week!

 i added a title to my resume this weekend. you can call me chef amber. here is the recipe for my new (quick and easy) creation.

cheesy ranch potato bites:


slice a bake potato. (already cooked)
add sour cream and shredded cheese.
sprinkle ranch powder on top. (i used the hidden valley powder used to make dip)


heat and enjoy!

the best homemade hot chocolate recipe ever.

 hot chocolate in my penguin cup. perfect.

i was in my room earlier and heard the best sound that only comes once a year: daddy was shaking (mixing) a huge bowl of homemade hot chocolate. i raced into the kitchen and my parents laughed because they knew i was about to have a cow. (where did that expression come from? geez.)

and guess what? y'all are getting an early christmas present from yours truly. say whaaat? my parents gave me the recipe to give to all of you! happy, happy, joy, joy.


easy hot chocolate mix

4 cups non-fat dry milk
1 1/2 cup presweetened cocoa powder (nestle quick)  
3/4 cup nondairy creamer

combine all ingredients in bowl. mix well. (that's where the shaking comes in)

mix 1/3 cup of mix with 2/3 cup of boiling water. enjoy!

gobble, gobble!

thanksgiving is two weeks away. (eek!) add a little fun to your thanksgiving feast with these adorable cupcakes i made. they are so easy and fun!

all you do is bake and frost the cupcakes like normal.
use candy corn for the beak, feathers, and feet.
i used candy icing for the eyes.

hamburger cupcakes.

i made these adorable "hamburger cupcakes" last fall, so i thought i'd share the recipe.
it's super easy and seriously cute. the kids can even join in on the process!

you'll need:


- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix
- 2 cans of frosting


bake chocolate cake as directed. let cool. bake white cupcakes as directed. let cool.
cut cupcakes in half. cut circles out of chocolate cake to make the 'meat'. mix frosting in 3 different bowls with red ('tomato' or 'ketchup'), green ('lettuce'), and yellow ('mustard' or 'cheese') food coloring. then put it all together. (i found using the back of a spoon works best for add the frosting)


VIOLA! "hamburger cupcakes" :)

turkey sandwich with a twist.

i'm always looking for new recipes, so i wanted to share my new favorite recipe with y'all:
a turkey sandwich with oregano and parmesan cheese. it's uh.may.zing.

 preheat the oven to 425*

 slice tomatoes. sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese and oregano on top. bake 7-8 minutes.

 pop the bread in the toaster to desired taste.

 add turkey and condiments of your choice. (i love mayo!)

 VOILA! your taste buds will do the happy dance upon consumption.

you have a delicious sandwich that takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish.