Our Favorite Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls

This is one of the most requested recipes I have . It is truly the best cinnamon roll recipe I have tried,  To print this recipe click here Print below. Enjoy !!

(Print ) 
Activate ... 1 1/2 TBSP yeast ½ Cup Water
Meanwhile add the following in the bowl of a mixer:
½ Cup Melted butter
1 Box ( 3.4 oz size )instant vanilla pudding
2 c Milk (scalded and cooled so it doesn’t cook the eggs )
2 Egg s
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
6 C flour ( I add 1 cup of flour and then add the yeast and then continue adding the remaining flour)
Continue mixing until you have a soft dough place in an oiled bowl cover with saran wrap and let rise until doubled. Roll out in a large rectangle and fill with the butter/ cinnamon mixture.

  Fill with: 1/2 C Softened butter 1 1/2 C Brown sugar 3 tsp Cinnamon

 Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over top. Roll tightly from long end, pinching edges closed when completely rolled.

Slice rolled dough into 1/2" slices (or larger if a larger bun is preferred ). Place into greased pans..
Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 15 -20 minutes, until golden. Do not over bake.

   FROST with:
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/4 C butter (softened)
1 1/2 C confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp milk
SPREAD on very warm rolls.
They are best when eaten fresh, but have found that 10-15 seconds in the microwave rejuvenates them!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

I definitely have a Love / Hate relationship with these cookie bars. They are soft and delicious just like Lofthouse Style Sugar cookies. They are super delicious. The hate part is that they are so yummy and so effortless so easy to make that they can be a little dangerous to have around. I have another Sugar Cookie Bar recipe on this blog but this one from Jamie Cooks it up is definitely the BEST. I trust you will enjoy it as much as we do !

 Sugar Cookie Bars  (print here)

Cookies: 1 1/2 C sugar 1 C butter, softened 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/2 t almond extract 1 t vanilla 1/2 t baking soda 1 t baking powder 2 1/2 C flour Frosting: 1/2 C butter softened 4 oz cream cheese, softened 3 1/2 C powdered sugar 3-5 T milk 1 t vanilla food coloring 1. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and egg until nice and frothy. About 4 minutes. 2. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for 1 minute more. 3. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix them around so that all ingredients are well incorporated. 4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. 5. Press the dough into a large jelly roll (cookie sheet) pan. 6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 7. Let the pan cool completely. 8. Time to make the frosting! In a medium sized bowl (or your stand mixer) combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat for about 2 minutes. 9. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and food coloring. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. 10. Frost your pan of cookies. Cut the cookies into bars and serve!

Ginger Cookies

 

 

 

 

Ginger Spice Cookies

(printable version )

recipe from Paula Deen

Ingredients:
3/4 C Butter flavored Crisco
1 C sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1/4 C molasses
2 C flour
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.  Or don’t line them at all :)
With an electric mixer, combine shortening and sugar and cream until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg and the molasses and beat until completely incorporated.
Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt
and then add to the mixture. Stir until combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.
Place on cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set around the edges and you start to see “crackling” on the top.
Don’t overbake! You want to keep them nice and chewy-soft in the middle.
Yield: about 4 dozen

Homemade Marshmallows

Well I finally did it. I made homemade marshmallows. I have been wanting to try these for a while and New Years day seemed like a perfect day. The result was great. Alot better than I had hoped for. I will experiment with flavors and shapes I like but all in all these mint marshmallows were a hit with the kids. They melted nicely in the hot cocoa ..... I found the recipe at our best bites and was confident that if they endorsed them it would be worth a shot.
Homemade Marshmallows
(printable version)
adapted from Alton Brown, variations by Our Best Bites
3 packets unflavored gelatin
1 C ice water, divided
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 C corn starch
1/4 C powdered sugar
9 x 13″ pan
non stick spray
Optional for variations:
cocoa powder
peppermint extract
food coloring
dipping chocolate
crushed candy canes
Place the contents of the gelatin packets into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 C of the ice water. Stir gently to combine and then set that bowl aside.
In a small saucepan combine: remaining 1/2 C water, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir mixture to combine and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then clip a candy thermometer onto the pan.
The sugar mixture needs to remain on a simmer and come to a temperature of 245 degrees F. It may take 20 minutes or so, so just stir the mixture every once and a while and keep an eye on the temp.
After the mixture reaches 245 degrees, remove from heat. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin. You may want to dirty one more dish and ladle the sugar mixture into something with a pour spout for easier/safer handling.
After you add the entire sugar mixture to the gelatin turn the beater speed up to med-high. Continue to whip for 12-15 minutes, adding the vanilla in the last few minutes of beating.
*Also, immediately put your sticky pan and utensils from the sugar mixture into very hot, soapy water. The quicker you get it soaking the quicker the goo will come off!
While your sugar goo is magically transforming into soft, fluffy marshmallows, prepare your pan. Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Spray a 9 x 13″ pan with non stick spray and coat the bottom and sides with the cornstarch mixture. Tap excess out and save it.
When your marshmallows are done beating the mixture should be thick and white and luke warm.
Scrape the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. The stuff is sticky and gooey and it might put up a fight. Show it who’s boss. I found it helpful to spray my spatula with non-stick spray. Once the marshmallow mixture is all in the pan you’ll need to spread it out. A lot of recipes tell you to dip an angled knife into cold water first, but I found it much easier to spray the back of a large spoon with non-stick spray and spread it that way. It will be kind of lumpy, but just keep spraying and patting and get it as smooth as you can. (You can read my notes on variations later in the post to see why my marshmallows are two-toned)
Let the pan sit at room temp for about an hour (to form a dry layer on the top) and sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of the corn starch mixture over the top. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. Technically, you could cut the marshmallows after 4-5 hours, but I think they work better after sitting overnight.
When they’re ready to cut, just pull the marshmallowy sheet out of the pan. It should pop right out. The bottom side will be much nicer looking than the top side!
At this point you could use cookie cutters if you want some cute little shapes. I think hearts would be adorable for valentines day and stars are darling for Christmas time. If you do use cookie cutters, you can use a pair of kitchen shears to snip the scraps into mini marshmallows so you don’t waste any.
Otherwise, grab a pizza cutter, or a sharp knife if you don’t have a pizza cutter, and cut the marshmallow into cubes. It helps to dust your cutting implement with the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Especially after it gets sticky stuff on it.
Once they are cut, dust each marshmallow lightly with the remaining cornstarch mixture. This makes them easy to handle and keeps them from sticking together.
After cutting you’ll want to keep these in an air tight container or they will dry out just like store-bought ones do. They’ll be good for a couple of weeks if stored well.
variations:
– Add all flavorings and colorings in the last few minutes of beating.
For Cocoa Marshmallows: add in 3-4 tablespoons of unsweetened cococa powder. If you make cocoa marshmallows, add a spoonful or two of cocoa powder to your cornstarch mixture as well.
For Peppermint Marshmallows: add in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
For Colored Marshmallows: add food coloring in the last few minutes of beating (think colored fruit flavored marshmallows!)
Another fun thing to do is chocolate dipped marshmallows. Melt 1/2 C chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet or dark because you’re basically dipping sugar squares into it) with 1/2 tablespoon shortening and combine until smooth. The cornstarch coating on the marshmallows makes it a little hard sometimes to have the chocolate stick, so just work slowly and it should work just fine. I sprinkled crushed candy canes on too for extra Christmas cheer

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Bars

This amazing recipe recipe came from Mels Kitchen Cafe, She always has the best recipes that are mostly from scratch. YUMMY !! I added a drizzle of caramel sauce to mine partly for presentation but the flavors paired nicely.

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Bars
(printable version)

*Makes 16 squares

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, diced

1 cup pecan halves (about 4 ounces)

3/4 cup old-fashioned or quick rolled oats

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (light or regular), room temperature

1 1/2 cups canned pure pumpkin (a little less than a full 15-ounce can)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping:

2 cups sour cream

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Blend the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter by pulsing (in a blender or food processor) until the texture is like coarse meal. Add the pecans and pulse until the nuts are chipped. Add the oats, and again pulse until the mixture is moistened by not clumping. Press about 3 cups of the crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared 9X13-inch pan. Transfer the remaining crumbs to the lined baking sheet. Bake the crumbs until golden, stirring once, about 8-10 minutes. Cool crumbs. While they cool, bake the crust until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while preparing filling. Keep the oven turned on.

For filling, blend all the ingredients in the same blender or food processor (no need to clean it in between) until smooth. Spread the filling over the warm crust and bake until it is slightly firm to the touch and the edges are just slightly risen, about 18-20 minutes. Keep that oven on!

For the topping, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread the topping evenly over the hot, baked filling. Bake until the topping sets and bubbles at the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Cool the bars completely in the pan set on a cooling rack. Once cooled, sprinkle the golden crumbs over the topping and gently press them into the topping. Cover the bars and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve. I drizzled caramel syrup over the top as a decorative touch it was a perfect addition not that they needed it .

Raspberry Bread Pudding

I had this yummy treat at a ward relief society function, I begged for the recipe immediately. My  friend Stacy was awesome and shared.

This is a great recipe that you can use with any type of berry.

The picture above I used a mixture of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

It's a great brunch item as well. Enjoy...............we sure did.

KNEADERS RASPBERRY BREAD PUDDING

(Printable version)

• 1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread ( I used regular french bread)
• 1 qt. heavy cream
• 3 C. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 C. raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. apple juice

In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla.

Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture, coating the bread well.

Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb.

Mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan 3/4 full with the bread mix and pour fruit filling over the bread mix, spreading evenly.

Top with the remaining bread.

Bake 50 minutes at 375.

Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.

(If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Cream Sauce

• 1 1/3 C. butter
• 5 T. flour
• 3 C. heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 C. sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour. Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add salt, cream and sugar until mix is thick. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the pudding.

Sweetheart Peanut butter blossoms

I saw this version of peanut butter blossoms on my sisters cafe.......amazing perfect for Valentines day !!!

Sweet “Heart” Peanut Blossoms
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 package heart shaped chocolates

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 375°. Then press heart shaped chocolate gently into each cookie. Bake 1-3 minutes longer.

(Print This)

Pretzel Turtles

This is a great treat to make if your short on time and the kids can help !!! My husband thought they were dang good!!

Pretzel Turtles

Ingredients

• 20 small mini pretzels
• 20 chocolate covered caramel candies
• 20 pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Autumn Chopped Salad

Today was the day I tried this fabulous recipe I found on Pinterest...Go ahead and Thank Me...

This is the PERFECT salad for your Thanksgiving Meal. It is amazing....best side salad ever.....

I prefer a homemade dressing over the bottled dressing mentioned ...however this salad is great either way...ENJOY I know you'll love it.

Autumn Chopped Salad(Printable Version)

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and
feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of
the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing:
70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you
prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the
combination.

**** My Favorite Option for the dressing comes from Shannon Carlsen recipe to follow:

2 tsp Poppy seeds
2/3 C sugar
3/4 C. vegetable Oil
1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 TBSP onion
1/3 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until blended

Parker's Pumpkin Bread

My soon to be 11 year old son has been asking me to make pumpkin bread since school started. Kind of a strange request from him. Today he asked again and I finally felt in the mood to honor the request................He was quite excited as he announced that he was going to take his teacher a loaf since it was her favorite. With a smug look on his face he declared that he LOVES being the teachers pet........so there you have it a GREAT pumpkin bread recipe that makes superb muffins as well. I made large muffins and baked them for 30 minutes . My loaves take the full hour. Enjoy!!!

Parker's Pumpkin Bread

Printable Version

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup water
29 ounces pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 
Directions In a large bowl, mix together ingredients in order given.
Divide mixture into 3 greased loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Fudge

 

Let's just say that we made lots of treats over Christmas and I realized I did not have a post for fudge ... so here it is. The Classic Fantasy Fudge recipe right off the jar of marshmallow creme . The recipe for the carmels pictured above can be found here.

  Fantasy Fudge

(Printable Version)

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup  (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine

1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)

1  12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

1 cup  chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla

LINE 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in large heavy saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

ADD chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted. Add walnuts and vanilla; mix well.

POUR immediately into prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled; cut into 1-inch squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

 

I made this great treat to take to some of  our neighbors . They loved it!!! It is great and easy to prepare.

I switched out the cinnamon bears for gum drops on a second batch and the results was EQUALLY yummy. Thanks Jaimie for sharing this recipe

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn as seen at www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com 

Printable Version

24 C popped popcorn (1 C unpopped)
1  16 oz bag cinnamon bears
1 C butter
1/2 C corn syrup
1 1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla
4 C mini marshmallows
red food coloring

1. Pop up your popcorn. Sprinkle it with just a bit of salt and set it aside.
2. Snip your cinnamon bears up with a pair of kitchen scissors. 

3. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the butter, corn syrup and sugar. Heat it over medium to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. 
4. Remove it from the heat and add your vanilla, marshmallows and red food coloring.
5. Isn't that a fun pretty color! You could of course add more food coloring for a darker pink.  Mix it all around to get everything  melted in and combined.
6. Stir in the bears.
7. Add the mixture to your popped popcorn. Stir it all around until well combined.

 

French Toast Cups

 

 

My Sister Haven and I were talking the other day and she asked me if I had ever made these "French Toast Cups". I had not tried them and decided that it would be a perfect pre-sledding breakfast. I did not have any sausage on hand so I opted for bacon and the results we delicious . This is a great Brunch item.

Maple and Sausage-Stuffed French Toast Cups (as seen on Rachel Ray)

(Printable Version) 

Ingredients

• Butter, for the muffin tins
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon (a splash) milk, (eyeball it)
• 2 teaspoons (about half a palmful) cinnamon
• A dash of vanilla extract
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 6 slices white or wheat sandwich bread 
• Topping: (I just diced up some bacon and tossed it with maple syrup)
  
• 1 1/2 cups maple syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 pound country breakfast sausage, casings removed if links
• 3 McIntosh apples, skins left on, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh apple cider

Yields: 6 servings, as a brunch item

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Rub the inside of each cup of a 6-cup muffin tin with butter and set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

Cut a slit in the corner of each slice of bread from the middle of the slice to the edge. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture then lightly press it into a cup of the muffin tin, overlapping the pieces where you cut the slit to make it fit into the cup without tearing.

Bake the French toast cups for 12-14 minutes, until they're light golden brown.

Fabulous Sugar Cookies

 We made these tasty sugar cookies for Easter, the addition of the lemon zest was awesome. This cookie would be great as the "base" for a fruit pizza.

Fabulous Sugar Cookies

 (Printable Version)                           as seen on  "Good Things Catered"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp lemon zest
5 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.
-Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.
-Add vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.
-Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time.
-Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.
-Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.
-Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake cookies for 7-8 minutes.
-Wait until cookies are cooled before icing.

I found that this recipe made 30-32 big, thick cookies.  Frost the cookies with your favorite icing, I used this Glace` icing.

Sugar Cookies with Glace` Icing

 

I have been wanting to try this cookie and icing recipe ever since I saw it on Our Best Bites. Valentines Day seemed like a great time . This was my first time using this type of icing . The result was perfect (I need to fine tune my decorating skills ) but they were great and the icing sets so you can actually stack the cookies without making a big mess. Make sure you allow them to dry overnight. Enjoy

Sugar Cookies with Glace` Icing

(Printable Version)

1 C real butter (no substitutions!)
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t almond extract (you could use vanilla instead)
3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in eggs and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.

Shape the dough into 2 flat disks and wrap in waxed paper and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. If you want your cookies to hold their shape well, the dough needs to be chilled properly.  A great tip to speed things up is to immediately roll dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper and place on a flat surface in the fridge. It will chill super fast and be ready to go in no time.

When you're ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. The baking time really depends on how you like them. If you like them really soft under-bake them. In my oven, about 8 minutes does it. However if you're making large cookies, or ones with small parts or heavy frosting, you might want to be careful because they might break when they're super soft.
About 8 minutes will get you a really soft cookie, a few minutes longer (when they start to just brown around the edges) and you'll get just a little crispiness around the edges and then a soft center, bake even longer (and roll thinner) and you'll get a buttery, crispy cookie that will just melt in your mouth. Any way you do it, they'll taste good. Remove onto cooling racks when you're done and let cool completely. I honestly think these even taste better the second day.


Glacé Icing

1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
6T C whole milk (low-fat actually works, but use whole if you can)6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)
With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. The way it is right now is the consistency you want for glazing. It's smooth and thin, like in the picture below. It easily runs off the whisk in a pretty thin drizzle.

To prepare the icing for piping, you just add more powdered sugar. Just eyeball it. You can't really mess it up because if it's too thick you just add more milk and if it's to thin, you add more powdered sugar. I add it in small amounts until it's a good consistency. For me, it's when it gets to a point where it's relatively hard to whisk it by hand. When I pick up the whisk, it still runs off, but in a very slow, thick stream now, like this:

Take your glazing icing and separate it into bowls if you want to color it. I decided to do red (more pink, but I love it!), green, and blue. And I left my piping icing white. Use gel food coloring (you can find it at craft or cooking stores) for more intense colors.

There are a few ways to use icing like this. One way is to just glaze the cookie and leave it like that. I'm going to glaze it and then pipe a decoration on top. So the first step is to glaze. Take a small spoon and drop a spoonful of glaze onto a cookie. (Do one at a time, I'm just doing 3 for picture-taking-fun)

Then take a small spoon (baby spoons work great) and gently spread it out to the edges of the cookie. If you want the cookie completely covered, you could just hold it by the bottom and dip it in, then place it over a rack to let the excess drip off.


You need to wait for the icing to set before you pipe on top of it. It doesn't have to be completely dry, but just set on top. An hour or two will probably be enough, but it depends on humidity and everything, so just barely touch the top and don't smash the glaze because it will probably still be soft underneath. If it's dry to the touch you can go ahead and decorate.

Bacon Cheddar Quiche

Bacon Cheddar Quiche......(Printable Version) 

Quiche is a dish perfect for any meal of the day. A deep-dish pie shell filled with the delicious ingredients including savory bacon, cheddar cheese and evaporated milk.

Contrary to popular belief, real men do eat quiche . . .

Estimated Times
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 45 mins
Cooling Time: 10 mins cooling

Servings: 89

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell  (I used this one)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup finely dice, cooked Bacon

2 green onions, sliced
1 can (12 fl. oz.)  Evaporated Milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

SPRINKLE 1/2 cup cheese, bacon and green onions into pie shell. Whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, flour, salt and black pepper in large bowl. Pour mixture into pie shell; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

BAKE for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.