Month: April 2020

Easy Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Easter is almost here, and Carrot Cake is a “Go to” dessert for this holiday! However, this year is a little different…we can’t celebrate with extended family and friends, because of the Coronovirus that’s got us on lock down, but we can still eat!!

We aren’t making a huge Easter dinner this year, but one thing is for sure, we definitely still need dessert! Not to mention, this dessert has veggies in it! How bad can it be?!

Carrot cake is usually a lot of work, and let’s be honest, you only make this once a year. I like to make things easy, so I came up with this recipe! This recipe uses boxed cake mix! It doesn’t get much easier than that! With a few added ingredients you will have carrot cake in no time at all!

This carrot cake is very moist, fluffy and delicious of course! Topped with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon sugar, it’s a winner. Typically carrot cake has nuts incorporated in the recipe. I am allergic so this recipe does not call for any, but it would be a very easy add!

Cream Cheese Frosting

What is carrot cake without cream cheese frosting? It isn’t…You can opt to make homemade cream cheese frosting or you can use store bought. Either way it will be delicious. I have provided my cream cheese frosting recipe below, in case you want to make it! (You will only need to make half of the recipe) Let me tell you it is delicious, and actually simple to make.

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 Box yellow cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of Milk
  • 1/4 cup of canola oil (or vegetable)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 – 1 cup of shredded carrots (about 2 large carrots)
  • Cinnamon sugar (to sprinkle on the top)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease an 9×11 baking dish / 11×7 if you want the cake thicker
  • Mix together the yellow cake mix, egg, milk and oil
  • Add in the vanilla and cinnamon until well incorporated
  • Mix in the carrots
  • Evenly spread into baking dish
  • Bake for 22 minutes
  • Let cool before frosting
  • Top the frosting with Cinnamon sugar

Enjoy!!!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!!! Follow me for more ideas on Pinterest! https://www.pinterest.com/FunandFrosted/

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookies + Lemon = Absolute deliciousness! I am so excited about these! They have the right amount of lemon flavor and the perfect cookie texture!!

Typically, when I think of sugar cookies, it’s usually in a “cut out” shape and is for some sort of occasion; Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day or in many cases Birthdays. Cutouts are great, but can be a lot of work. Making them into a cookie bar takes out all of that extra work, but they are still delicious!!

I love that these Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make! Also, you can easily substitute different flavors, and top them with frosting! Lemon is surely a hit, but I’m thinking lime or orange would be great as well! I included a recipe for the glaze, but it’s definitely not needed, it just adds a little more lemon flavor!

Also, whenever we have lemons, my kids cannot resist eating them to to see who can handle the sourness!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Don’t Be Afraid to “Zest”

This recipe calls for the zest of a lemon. If you haven’t used zest from a citrus fruit before, don’t let that scare you. It’s super easy and it really gives it a lot of flavor. I take a cheese grater and scrape the side of the lemon until you see the white part, keep rotating the lemon until there is nothing left to zest! Easy as that!

Here Is What You Need

For the Sugar Cookie
  • 1 cup (2 Sticks) of Unsalted Butter – room temp
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar + 3 Tbsp for the top
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Tbsp juice from a lemon + (1-2 Tbsp for the glaze)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp lemon Zest (1 Lemon)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
For The Glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp juice from a lemon
  • 3-4 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F
  • Grease a 9×13 dish with baking spray, or you can use my cake release recipe
  • Using your stand mixer or an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar until well combined
  • Mix in the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients; Flour, baking powder, salt and the lemon zest

Slowly pour incorporate the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients

  • Press the dough into the 9×13 baking dish
  • Top with 3 tbsp of sugar
  • Bake for 22-25 minutes
  • For the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, and lemon juice.
  • Slowly mix in the milk until you get the consistency you desire. More milk for a thinner glaze, less for thicker

  • Wait for the cookies to cool before drizzling the glaze over top. You can glaze the whole dish or individual pieces, whatever you like!
  • Enjoy!

There you have it! Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars (Say that fast 3 times!) They are delicious and one of my absolute favorites!

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S’mores Cookie Bars

Now that I have had a S’more’s Cookie Bar, I don’t know how I have survived without them. Life surely just got better! Any type of “cookie bar” is really my favorite kind of dessert. They are easy to make, easy to eat, and the possibilities are endless!

Marshmallow Fluff

We are still in isolation here in Michigan, due to the Coronavirus. Therefore, I stare for hours on end into my pantry. Then I see it- Marshmallow fluff. This has been sitting in my pantry for months and months. I can’t remember why I bought it, I can only imagine I told myself I would need it someday. Well guess what? That day came, I definitely needed it!

I’ll be honest, S’mores are not a “go to” dessert for me. Although delicious, and I won’t turn down a s’more, they aren’t something I have to have. However, I’ve been watching my husband build our fire pit and patio in the backyard this past few weeks and I keep thinking about the fun bonfire’s we will have! Now, I’ve got s’mores on my mind.

Like I said earlier, I really wanted to use the Marshmallow fluffy stuff, so S’mores cookie bars, here we come! They are very easy to whip up and they don’t take that much time. The are delicious, rich with chocolate and marshmallow, but have a great cookie texture. Part S’more and part cookie! You will not be able to stop eating these! These are best eaten warm in my opinion. Stick them in the microwave for a few seconds to heat them up and…yummy!

Here’s What You Need

  • 1 Cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup graham cracker crumbs (I used Nabisco, because they are Soy Free!!)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 Tbsp)
  • 3/4 Cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 7oz. container of marshmallow fluff (or you could substitute for marshamallows – just enought to cover the surface)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can also use chocolate bars) (I used Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious – they are soy free!)

How To Make

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease a 8″ square pan (If you don’t have baking spray you can use my cake release recipe and it works great!)
  • Crush your graham crackers into crumbs. You can use a food processor or put the crackers in a bag and hit with a mallet, rolling pin or crush with fist)
  • In a small to medium bowl, mix together graham crackers, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside
  • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or your stand mixer to mix the butter and sugar
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla, beat until well mixed and scrape the sides of the bowl
  • Slowly add in the flour mixture
  • Divide the dough in two.
  • Press half of the dough into the bottom of your greased pan. You may want to coat a spatula or your hand in flour, so the dough sticks to the pan and not your fingers!
  • Spread the marshmallow fluff onto the dough
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the marshmallow
  • Take the remaining dough and crumble over the top. It doesn’t not need to be even.
  • Bake for 28-20 minutes. Or until the top and the marshmallow turns a golden brown.
  • Enjoy!!!

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Bagels! New York Style

Bagels are one of my weaknesses, true fact. I don’t eat them often, but when I get a craving, I cannot get them out of my mind. So the other day, during “Coronavirus isolation”, was one of those days. I’ve always wanted to make homemade bagels, so I did!

I really wish I had Trader Joe’s, Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, but I didn’t so I made Salt and Plain bagels. We are on “lock down” here in Michigan, so it’s not like I am running out to the store to get a few ingredients here and there. I’m working with what I’ve got!!

If you have never made a bagel in your life, don’t worry you are in good company, I hadn’t either. I am admitting that to be transparent. They turned out great, and I am going to make these again, maybe Cinnamon Sugar bagels this time! I used my stand mixer with the hook attachment, but you can use your hands to knead the dough too!

Ingredients

Bagel

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water (1/2 cup + 3/4 cup)
  • 3 ½ Flour – You can use All-purpose or Bread Flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Toppers

  • Kosher Salt
  • Cinnamon Sugar
  • Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

Okay Here We Go!

  • Pour the sugar and yeast into 1/2 cup of warm water. Don’t stir, just let it sit for a few minutes.
  • Stir the yeast and sugar together, until it all dissolves in the water.
  • Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
  • Pour in the Yeast/Sugar
  • Pour in the remaining warm water. You may need more water – up to 1/4 more if needed.
  • If using your stand mixer, use the hook attachment and let the dough need for 10 minutes. If you are kneading by hand, make sure to flour the counter top and knead for 10 minutes.
  • You want the dough to be firm and smooth with some elasticity.
  • Lightly coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel.
  • Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
  • Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil
  • Boil a large pot of water
  • Divide the dough into 8 pieces
  • Roll each piece into a ball.
  • Press your finger in the middle of each dough ball to form a hole. Stretch to create a big enough hole.
  • Place the 8 bagels on the cookie sheet and cover with the damp towel, let rise for 10 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In the large pot of boiling water, gently set each bagel in for 1 minute and then flip the bagel in the water for another minute.
  • Remove from water and place the bagels back on the baking sheet.
  • Now is the time to add your topping. Prepare an egg wash (whisk egg + water) and coat the top of the bagel and then put on the topping.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown
  • Cool on a wire rack
  • Enjoy!

Whew! We made it! I hope you enjoy your bagels! Subscribe to Fun and Frosted for more ideas!

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