Mexican Hot Chocolate Donuts with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Alright, so my turkey turned out pretty good. It did. But honestly, it wasn't great, and that made me a little sad. Just a little. I wanted to make a super fantastic, mouthwatering, irresistible turkey dinner. Instead I made a nice turkey dinner. I think, though, that mostly it was just that the work involved didn't really give a big payoff. As I said before, I usually just make turkey breast for Thanksgiving, and I'll be doing that again next year, because in the end, the results were no different.

Why would they be? Something in my brain had me convinced that roasting a whole turkey this year would yield something far different than just roasting a turkey breast. What was I thinking?! They're basically the same thing! Unless, of course, you're craving a drumstick...

I brined the turkey using PW's favorite turkey brine, but I have to be 100% honest and tell you that it didn't do a whole lot for our turkey.Well, the turkey was juicy, yes, but it didn't seem to pull any of the flavors from the brine, which was disappointing. I rubbed the whole turkey with a delicious herb butter that we all enjoyed very much, though, and I'll definitely be doing something similar from now on. All in all, it was a good bird, and definitely a good learning experience.

Anyway, though, our Thanksgiving was wonderful, and dinner was delicious! I also made homemade, creamy mashed potatoes (and totally fried my blender in the process), green beans, sweet cranberry sauce, and (my favorite!) homemade dinner rolls. Not much, but there were only the three of us, and even this was still too much for us. For dessert we had mini pumpkin cheesecakes and pumpkin bread, both with fresh whipped cream.

I had decided a few nights before the big day, though, that I wanted to do something fun for breakfast too. I quickly settled on donuts. 

Um, can you say yum?! Donuts are the best thing ever! I. love. donuts. If there are donuts, I can't resist. It's a little ridiculous how much I love them.Which is why it's so ironic that I've never made them before... But then again, I never had this pan before:

The hubster got me this adorable mini donut pan a few weeks ago. Mine is made by Norpro, but there are a few other options to choose from. I could hardly wait to try it out, and decided thanksgiving was a great excuse to break it in! I only had to decide on the flavor. I knew I wanted to make either a sweet and cinnamon-y option, or something chocolaty, but it was the hubster who decided because I froze with indecision. He was more intrigued by a spicy chocolate and marshmallow idea, so I went for it, and they turned out really tasty!

Confession...

I have no food today. I don't even have a pretty picture.

Wait...



There.

I know, I know. It's not food, but today I'm just gonna talk about food...and hopefully, you'll all talk back.

See, I'm nervous. I'm nervous because I'm making a whole turkey tomorrow. I'm nervous because this is only the second time that I'm ever making a whole turkey. That's right, I've only ever made a turkey once, and it was entirely underwhelming. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It was completely unremarkable to the point that neither my husband nor myself can even remember it.

Sweet Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Ginger Snap Crusts

Yesterday I admitted my dislike for pumpkin pie. Today, I want to let it be known that my dislike doesn't extend to all things pumpkin. One of my favorite treats ever is fresh pumpkin bread and I love pumpkin seeds, but even though I don't like pumpkin pie, that doesn't mean I don't have a great substitute for it that I absolutely love!

Pumpkin cheesecake is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, hands down. I admit, if there's chocolate, I'll go for it, but I'll still have a slice of pumpkin cheesecake too. In my opinion, it's far superior to pumpkin pie, which I think is nothing short of gross. I make pumpkin cheesecake every year, and it never get's old.

Thanksgiving Cookies: Soft Ginger Sandwiches with Creamy Ginger-Orange Filling

I have to be honest, I've never been a big fan of most traditional Thanksgiving desserts, like pumpkin or pecan pie. In fact, I'm not really a fan of pies, in general. There, I said it. I don't (usually) like pie. In most cases, it's the texture (this is normally where people look at me like I've lost my mind). But I just don't like cooked fruit, and I know I'm not alone.

I know, I know...not all pies have fruit in them (like pecan pie, which, for the record, I don't like because of the pecans), but the majority do. And, for the record, I like a lot of the pies out there that don't have fruit. That's why, every year, I like making less than traditional desserts for Thanksgiving. Of course, even though I like to make something different, I still like for it to have those warm Fall flavors that make Thanksgiving so memorable.

This year, I decided to make a cookie. I wanted to make ginger snaps because I've never made them before, and they have such a wonderful, spicy flavor. Then I stumbled onto a recipe that made ginger snaps into sandwich cookies, and I knew that's what I wanted to do! Except, I had an issue or two.

My Favorite Movie Snack: Homemade Popcorn with Yummy Mix-ins

I'm still not exactly sure how it happened, but last night I found myself standing in line to get into an early showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1. We're not talking about the first midnight showing here, either. I was in my seat, butterbeer in hand, by seven o' clock! I'm sure you can imagine just how thrilled I was!

Isolated as we are here, I fully expected to miss the movie altogether this weekend. Our theater is so small, that they only release five movies a week, and public expectations/popularity have little bearing on the choices they make. My relief was great when I learned that they were, in fact, releasing the film here this weekend! I got everyone into their HP tees, packed up some cauldron cakes, the fixins' for butterbeer, and my favorite movie snack, and out the door we went.

That's right, I'm one of those people. A smuggler. Someone who packs their own drinks and snacks to take to the movies with them. Sure, we may buy some candy or a soda once we're there, but for the most part, I'm a smuggler. I don't do it just because the treats at the theater are exorbitantly overpriced, although they are. I also do it because I like my popcorn better.

Yep, you heard me right. I pack my own homemade popcorn for the movies. Honestly, though, movie theater popcorn is awful, not to mention unhealthy. That's why I make my own stovetop popcorn to take along. For those of you thinking that you could have microwave popcorn for a fraction of the work, you're right, but this is really worth the extra work, and it's super fast and easy anyway!

Happy Birthday Loki!

Today I'm taking a little break from celebrating Harry Potter week to celebrate my puppy!

Loki is a Bichon Frise, and he is a huge part of our family. Today is his birthday! He's eight years old, and completely spoiled rotten. :)

I'm totally a bake-my-dog-his-own-birthday-cake kinda girl, so when I say he's spoiled, I really mean it. This year, though, I'm making him some yummy organic cookies.

Double Double Chocolate Cauldron Cakes

From the first time I read about them, cauldron cakes captured my imagination! More than any of the other little snacks and sweet treats in the novels, these little cakes had me drooling from the start. Yet I've never attempted them before. Now, after having visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I can't resist the temptation any longer! And there's no better excuse to make them than my continuing celebration of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1!

Cauldron cake from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

My favorite treat at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, after the butterbeer, was absolutely the cauldron cake that I got at Honeydukes. They were tasty little chocolate muffins dipped in rich chocolate and topped with smooth chocolate frosting. Definitely my kind of treat! Like butterbeer, I could hardly wait to recreate these!

My cauldron cakes

And boy, am I glad I did! They turned out adorable and whimsical, and don't even get me started on how mouthwatering they are!

Butterbeer?! Oh Yes, Friends! Butterbeer!!

As I continue my little celebration of the release of Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1, today I get to share with you my favorite treat that I have ever, ever made: butterbeer!

It seems to be the Harry Potter food that most people want to try more than any other! Fortunately, now you can, of course, at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And the best part about it, is that you know it's the right stuff, because Jo Rowling herself taste approved the park's recipe!

Harry's Favorite Treat: Teeny, Tiny Treacle Tarts

Obviously, I am a big Harry Potter fan. The complete magic and wondrous world that J.K. Rowling created captured me from the first time I picked the books up. The first book was published in 1997, when I was 17. At the time, I hadn't even heard of the books, let alone read one. I didn't pick up the Harry Potter books until 2002, shortly after I got married.

During the first year of our marriage, my husband was deployed several times. Of the 12 months of that first year, he was gone about nine of them. This was shortly after the first film was released, so HP was really entering mainstream at this point, and it finally caught my attention. I've always been a huge reader, so I snatched the first two books up at Target and ended up reading them voraciously!

Since then, I've read the books dozens of times, waited around at midnight release parties, arrived at movie theaters insanely early to guarantee good seats, attended Harry potter festivals, and had the good fortune to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (where I have decided that we will be retiring)! If it involves the Harry Potter series, I'm there, I'll buy, I love it! My next endeavor is to make it to LeakyCon! Hopefully 2012 is my year!

This week marks the beginning of the very end. This Friday, November 19, Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released (Part 2 comes out in June 2011). When the book was released, I tried so hard to read it as slow as possible so it would last just a little bit longer. That same feeling is why I'm actually quite glad that the film is being released in two parts. Some people are annoyed by it, but I'm glad that the experience will last just a little longer. Love it or hate it, you have no choice but to acknowledge that Harry Potter changed the world!

In celebration of the film's release this week, I'll be sharing some delicious Harry Potter treats with you. I had the best time writing these posts! It was a little bit like stepping into the magical world of Rowling's! No feature of Potter treats would be complete without Harry's favorite food: treacle tarts!!

Admittedly, I had no clue what treacle was, let alone treacle tarts, so I had a small bit of research to do. It turns out treacle is a sweet syrup that is derived during the processing of cane sugar. I searched high and low for it, but as has become the norm for me, it was unavailable for me. I think it wouldn't be completely unreasonable to think that it might be available in some places in the States, but if you can't find it, never fear! I have a substitution.

Sweet Maple Nut Cake

When we lived in Vermont, I had real maple syrup for the very first time. Well, that's not entirely true... I'd had it before but it had been low quality and I was convinced I didn't like it. Then we moved to The Maple Syrup Capital of the World: Vermont. 

The whole maple sugar process in Vermont is such a part of life. Even after living there only two years, we knew when it was time for the lines to go up; time for the steam to start pouring from the sugar houses.It was one of my favorite things about Vermont. In fact, we lived right across the street from a big, beautiful farm/bed and breakfast that had it's own sugar house! There was maple syrup, maple sugar, and maple candy everywhere you turned. It was wonderful! I never came across a maple cake, though. I never attempted one either. 

I have to admit, at that time my cooking and baking skills were in the toddler stage. Vermont was where I made my first fondant cake, baked my first 100% from scratch cupcakes, and roasted my first whole chicken. I'd been cooking for a few years, but I've come an awfully long way since then. Now, for some reason, I have been dying to try making a maple cake. Maybe it's the tropical air making me nostalgic for cooler whether and Autumnal flavors, but I finally couldn't resist any longer!

Boy-oh-boy! Am I ever glad I finally made it, too! It's like all of the best flavors of fluffy pancakes rolled up with all the deliciousness of cake! I know, right?! Yummm!! It was easy to make too! I decided to make the decorations as easy and delicious as the cake, and buttercream all the way...maple buttercream, no less!

**Instructions for converting this to a gluten-free cake are included in the recipe!!!**

Thank You...

Today, in the U.S., is Veterans Day. In other nations around the world, it's Armistice Day and Remembrance Day.

As a military wife, today I say thank you to my dad, uncles, cousins, grandfathers, father- and brothers-in-law. Thank you to my many military friends. Thank you to all of the women and men who have served and are serving today. Thank you to the husbands, wives, parents, and children who support them.



Thank you to my dedicated husband, who gives nothing less than the best, for his country and his family.

Much love,
Darla

Lazy Day: Semi-Homemade Caramel Apple Cookies

If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I'm usually all about the homemade. I love baking from scratch as much as possible, but every once in a while, I'm either too lazy or too rushed. And even less often, I have some little thing that I love, that comes in a box or a bag, and I can't resist putting it in a cookie or a cake. That's the case with these cookies.

These yummy little babies were inspired by not one, but two pre-made items, as well as a moment of need. I was on the search for a last minute Fall themed treat that I could make, and these cookies were born.

Good Morning Cookies: Cinnarookies!

Since starting my blog 11 months ago, I've noticed that a lot of my baking and cooking is influenced by my childhood. This shouldn't really come as a surprise, though. Several of my family members, including my dad, enjoyed cooking very much, and my parents cooked dinner almost every single night when I was growing up.

I remember my parents made this one cookie when I was little that I used to just love. It was a sort of cinnamon roll cookie, but without any frosting, and they were small, and a bit dry and crunchy, but in the right way. I have fond memories of my mom and dad whipping them up at the last minute as a snack for my sisters and I. Unfortunately, I don't have the recipe, but they did inspire the cookies I have for you today! And maybe soon, I'll finally have that old recipe figured out so they're just right! Until then, trust me, you don't want to miss these!

The hubster calls these "cinnarookies." I think we all know how I feel about giving fun food a cute name, so cinnarookies they are! Making "real" cinnamon rolls takes quite a bit of work and time, so I wanted another way to capture the flavors and feel of them with a little less work. Plus, these make many, many more, and they're far easier to share with friends and family. Which, for me, is always a bonus!

Crumb Top Coffeecake Muffins

When I was a kid, I used to love to get those Hostess coffeecakes that came in a three pack at the gas station! I thought they were so delicious, and my mom never, ever made coffeecake, so they were quite a treat too. I always used to have them with chocolate milk. The breakfast of champions, clearly.

Now, as an adult, I never buy them. We try to eat more natural and organic foods in our home, and sadly, those fall far outside of our eating style. However, several weeks ago, shortly after I celebrated my 100th blog post, I ordered something that inspired me to recreate those little cakes, in a healthier form. 

Many of you mentioned, during the Bake It Pretty giveaway, that you would buy the muffin top pan if you won (unfortunately, it's currently sold out!). Well, I couldn't stop thinking about how fantastic it would be to have that damned pan. Thanks, guys. So now I have it. And now I really am thanking you guys, cause I made the yummiest muffin tops with it!

Because I always thought those little Hostess coffeecakes were like muffin tops, they were the first thing I was inspired to try!

FYI-these are not exclusively to be made as muffin tops. I have included directions for making them as standard muffins, too.

Delicious Flavored Candy Apples

Halloween is over and November is here! You know what that means, right? To my American friends who thought "Thanksgiving and all of it's delicious food," you're right, and, yes, it's also Loki's birthday this month, but that's not what I'm thinking either! There's another reason to get excited about November! That's right, folks, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 comes out on November 19!!!

You wouldn't believe how excited I am! Oh, the sweets I have in store for the occasion! And all of them are straight from the books!! I have been like a mad scientist, trying (and succeeding!) at recreating flavors and ideas for the treats I want to make. But that's not for a couple of weeks yet. For now, I'm still mourning another Halloween gone by.

No more ghosts and ghouls. No more witches. No more jack o lanterns. And worst of all, no more yummy Halloween goodies. This year was especially sparse for us on Halloween goodies, because our boy is officially "too old" for trick or treating.  That's right, no more "checking" his candy for bad pieces, sorting it with him into what he likes and the "throw away" pile. As if any Halloween candy ever gets thrown away!

I told the hubster Saturday evening that we should find a baby to borrow, so we'd have an excuse to keep trick or treating. Babies are the best for trick or treating...everyone loves them and gives them plenty of treats, but you get to keep it all, and the baby'll never know! It's the perfect scam! As it is, we now have to buy our own Halloween candy again. That's why I decided this year to make some, in the form of candy apples.

I've loved candy apples all my life. Not caramel, mind you (although they're delicious too), but candy apples. The bright red, hard candy coated apples that I only ever got to have when the fair was in town. As I've gotten older, though, I've come to realize that, if I'm really honest with myself, they're not very tasty at all. The candy shell is always just a super sweet, flavorless sugar candy. I was inspired to try and make a better tasting candy apple.

Bonus, these treats are great for pretty much everyone, because they are naturally gluten- and dairy-free and they're vegan, as well!