Iron Man Cake

Cookies and Cream

Cake Balls/Pops/Truffles

1 cake mix (flavor of your choice)

1 can frosting (or home-made)

melting chocolate

I will give you the abbreviated version, but for the lengthy process please check out Bakerella.

Here is the short version - Make the cake mix as directed.  Let the cake cool overnight, then the next day dump the cooled cake in a bowl and mash it all up.  Mix in almost an entire (I leave about a half inch in the bottom) canister of frosting.  Make sure the frosting is completely incorporated, then take a spoonful of the cake/frosting mixture and roll into a ball with your hands.  Place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Once you have rolled all the cake into balls, place the cookie sheet in the freezer until slightly firm.  While the balls are chilling, melt the chocolate.  Drop the chilled cake balls into the melted chocolate, coat using a spoon and place on a second parchment lined cookie sheet.  Decorate and embellish as desired.

Cakes, Cakes and Cakes

This is what I've made this week...

My feet hurt....

Confession: I made almost 20 chocolate cakes this week - I don't even really like chocolate cake.

This, this is only for the straight up HARD CORE chocolate lovers, Chocolate cake, frosting and ganache.

German Chocolate - Super yummy homemade frosting!

I'm trying a new cookie recipe tonight, so check back later in the week for a new recipe.

Oatmeal Toffee Bars

I'm not sure what pulled me to this recipe, maybe it was the oatmeal, the versatility of the recipe, I'm not sure, but I am so glad I tried it.  Can I just tell you how super simple this was?  SUPER SIMPLE!  Not only were they easy to whip together, took less than 20 minutes to bake, but they tasted great and were a huge hit.  That is my kind of recipe.  It was so easy, that I decided as soon as I pulled them out of the oven to make another batch and switch things up.  Both the original and altered recipes follow.

Oatmeal Toffee Bars
Recipe from 3B's.. Baseball, Baking & Books.

1/2 cup canola oil (I used vegetable)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cup toffee pieces

Mix together the oil, sugars, eggs, milk, vanilla and salt.  Mix for 2-3 minutes or until sugars dissolve.  Add in baking soda and flour.  Mix in oats and then chocolate chips.  The mixture will be THICK, like cookie dough.  Transfer to a greased 9x13 cake pan.  It was easiest to spread this batter with my dampened fingers.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Variation:
Make the above recipe, but omit the chocolate chips and toffee pieces.  Add 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, 1 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup coconut.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

I really liked this recipe, warm out of the oven with the tangy glaze - a perfect snack at 11 o'clock at night.  This is when I do most of my baking - please don't judge.  My only complaint is that between the glaze and the fresh blueberries it got soggy quick.  So, my suggestion would be, MAKE IT and then eat it the same day or as close thereto as possible.

Recipe from Butter Sugar Flour, who adapted it from Smitten Kitchen.

1 1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp. lemon zest
1 1/2 cup blueberries, dried and tossed in 1 tbsp flour

Icing:
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl mix eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt, extract and zest. Mix on high for 2 minutes.  Add the dry ingredients and mix.  Fold in the blueberries.  Pour batter into prepared 8x8 square pan (or loaf pan) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Once tester comes out clean allow to cool before adding the icing.

Ice-Cream Cupcakes

I am only adding this because I think sometimes we/I get caught up in the fancy, super hard, new recipe and forget about the easy but still yummy things we can make.  So, here is your reminder ...

1 cake mix any flavor (or from scratch)
1 can frosting (or from scratch, this is a recipe I use minus the mint)
ice-cream cones
cupcake liners
decorations

Make cake as directed.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and place an ice-cream cone on top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool cupcakes, remove liners, frost and decorate.