Delicious Desserts for Your Holiday Fete!

I am one of those people who can just live off of carbs and sweets. Granted, I think a bowl of berries topped with whipped coconut cream is sweet as much as sticky buns covered in pumpkin butter, but who's being picky? NOT ME!!!

Anywho, I went scouring through Pinterest to find four delectably decadent desserts that are sure to leave you salivating. As you can guess from my previous posts, I can pick the best of them. So, get ready for this, and no...I will show NO MERCY whatsoever. Don't you just love me?!?!! =)

Pecan Caramel Sticky Buns

 

This image can speak for itself. Oooey gooey sticky & yummy, these buns are a sure fire hit. To amp it up a notch, top with candied pecans (or almonds/walnuts, if you wish) and the results will be a sight too pure and beautiful for this world.

 

 

Overnight Cider Pumpkin Waffles w/Pecans

 

 

Due to the fact that these beauties are cooked using the "overnight method", they end up being way more decadent than the average breakfast waffle. Thus, save these bad boys for those specialty brunch dates, for a "breakfast for dessert" night, or to whip out when you're trying to snag that special someone. Why? Simple. The cider pumpkin flavour is enough in itself to warrant salivation of the mouth but the scent overload is more than likely to result in a foodgasm that won't be denied. So, thus, use with caution.

 



 



Cranberry lemon Sweet Cake

 

 

This...legendary pastry...is just...let's take a moment of silence to revel in this delicious fete of culinary perfection. *silence* Now, onward and upward! This beloved holiday cake is baked in lemon Bundt cake fashion and topped with both icing, dried cranberries AND fresh cranberries which results in a flavour palette so unique yet so damn delicious!!! Trust me...if you try this during the holidays and have leftovers, you don't need those negative people in your life.

 

 



Spiced Almond Pancakes w/candied Butternut Squash

 

 

This, like the waffles, takes the idea of breakfast and amps it up SEVERAL notches. From the gourmet flapjacks, the candied butternut squash, the pure maple syrup and compound maple butter, this screams cozy blustery morning in New England during the Fall. Wrap yourself in a cozy sweater, some fleece lined leggings, slip on some winter socks and enjoy this plated beast in the only way that you should...with a ginormous cup of Minted dark chocolate hot cocoa.

 

 

 

 

Buon Appetito!!!

Homemade Pastry Porn

I just love me some pastry porn...especially homemade pastry porn. I had a can of biscuits on hand and some ideas in my head so, naturally, baking thus ensued.

 

 

Ingredients You Will Need...

 

I literally took the leftover dark chocolate chunks (nibs, pieces, whatever you wanna call them, they're all flavored the same) and some pumpkin butter that I had lying around and combined everything to make some delicious (yet slightly burnt on the bottom end) pastries just because it's what I wanted to eat for BRUNCH.

 

 

What Your Pastries Should Resemble...

 

 

Once you have gotten out all of your enhancements, this is how the pastries should look. I have two discs speckled with dark chocolate nibs, I have two pumpkin butter swirls, and two pockets (most likely overstuffed, so ignore my lead on that one) filled with butter and nibs then folded over. Again, I went a bit white girl wasted on these last two, so they will definitely overflow if you don't pay better attention then I did. Why didn't I? Simple. I was hungry. End of.

 

 

Finished Product

 





 

Again, this is the finished product of  baking at 375 degrees for 15 minutes (it only needed 12 minutes but I lost track due to cleaning). They are quite delicious, but they came with a bit of charring on the bottom because, well, impatience is a trait that I am currently working on as far as self improvement is concerned. Still, the outcome looks quite delicious, and it tastes good to me, too, but be warned: I used a can of butter biscuits that I had on hand so, naturally, these tasted half like pastries and half like buttery biscuits. To be honest, I wasn't complaining as I kind of liked the flavor combo. Thus, proceed at your own risk.

 

 

 

Buon Appetito!!

Treat Yo'Self.

As of tomorrow, and Thursday (with the blessing of The Man & Woman Upstairs), I will officially be finished with my entire semester of FOUNDATIONS OF ALGEBRA (aka Algebra for beginners) class!!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!!! (in the vein of Daniel Bryan from WWE) I can't believe this, but at the same time, my upper back and shoulders believe it because I have spent tireless hours up past 1am doing this course in order to complete it in under the 14 day trial period. You see, the pitfalls of being a broke-ass college student means that all of my money went to transit to and fro class, buying what supplies I could get asap, and (of course) sustenance and libations aka food & drink. Thus, no dinero for MathLab online course' access code, which is $90, and $150 with the book...so...yeah no Bueno. No Bueno at all.


With the imminent arrival of the end of my course, I figured that I should celebrate, but since I repeat that I am a broke-ass college student, I will suffice with making another batch of Pumpkin Butter Hot Cocoa.

Afterwards, I shall curl up with a good YouTube channel, and lull myself to sleep. Tomorrow, I will finish up the last homework assignment and then the last quiz (I have already passed my midterm...WITH A MUTHAFCUKIN 95?!!!!) and await my practice final to arrive in my email. La Vie est Belle...Troup Belle.



Bien Provecho!!!

Busy Day Snack Hacks...because The Struggle is REAL.

I often find myself the victim of an oncoming onslaught of snack attacks with nothing readily available to snack on. The longer I wait, the stronger it gets, and that's why an entire Talenti jar of candy from Saturday night is now empty in my bedroom. The struggle is REAL, and I am here to help you fight this war...and WIN. After all, it was Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita, RIP) who said "fighting not good, someone always get hurt...but if must fight...WIN." Paint on your under-eye war stripes, strap on your Kevlar, and let's get this party started right. Leggo!!!

Donut Chips by Pure Wow Blog

 

1) Donut Chips. Putting it blankly, you take donuts that have been store bought and remove from their container. You spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray (preferably butter flavored), place the donuts into the iron & press for up to a couple of minutes, then remove and let cool. The result? A beautiful hybrid that is too pure and good for this world.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Peanut Butter Cups

 





2) Pumpkin Spice Reeses Cups. These homemade chocolate bombs can be either half pumpkin/half dark chocolate, or you can mix the pumpkin pie puree with peanut butter and then pour them into the dark chocolate molds and then freeze for several hours. This, being a no-bake recipe, is helpful to keep on hand for those times when the craving just hits you and you have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and only one option: these. Go elevate your basic white girlness and make these asap. I did you all a solid and left the link to the recipe above, so go ahead and have at it.

3) Nutella Stuffed Crescent Rolls. In about 12-14 minutes, you will have buttery, flakey, ooey gooey goodness coming straight out of your oven. If you want to take the healthier route, sub out the Nutella for smashed bananas and strawberries, but either way, the results are phenomenal. Go ahead. You'll thank me later.

4) Strawberry Banana & Nutella S'Mores. You had to know that this was coming. I mean, it's Nutella, and therefore, it will be in everything that there is when it comes to desserts (at least in my house. I don't know how you roll.). Again, if you want a "healthier" option, nix the mallows & nutella but keep the bananas and strawberries. Sprinkle on a few bits of dark chocolate chips and voila! Goodness worthy of Dionysus himself...and there was no naked bacchanalia involved in the process of obtaining these deviant and decadent delights.



Bien Provecho!

Why So Secret?

Well, I'm glad that you asked. I have a mildly successful (and growing) blog on WordPress that I began back in January. Between that blog, classwork, and finding paid work, I just needed another creative outlet that I didn't have the pressures and requirements to promote, where I was just doing this for myself and no one else. Plus, I like food and drinks, I have no real recipe measurements, but yet I still want to give my recipe ideas to the masses, so this was the safest route to go.

 

 

I strive to hand out recipe remixes and easy does its' so that I myself and anyone who ever reads this blog can find comfort in knowing that you don't need fancy ingredients (although they will be enjoyed, because this is a foodie blog and I believe that fancy ingredients are rule #5 in the handbook of food blog ownership) in order to make and bake delicious goods.

 

 

 

Bien Provecho!

Homemade Sugar Donuts

So, yesterday I was asked to make those at home donuts that I made once before, almost a year ago. I did, and they were simply MAGICAL!!! Crispy and airy to crunch, but not too crunchy, these homemade treat bombs were an utter delight!

 

 

 

 

Recipe:

Can of store bought biscuits, the plain kind work best. Canola, corn, or hell even coconut oil will work as we are frying these suckers and need heart friendly ingredients. As well, you'll need some sort of circular cutter to remove the center and form the biscuits into donuts....so, yeah. Get on that.

 

 

Directions:

Take the 8 discs and proceed to flatten them out. Once to your desired flatness, use a small circular cutter to remove the center. Set aside and repeat on every disc. As far as your cooking device goes, pour enough oil into the pan so that the donuts will fry and float, about 1-1.5 inches from the bottom. Once hot, use a METAL SLOTTED SPOON (as a plastic one will bubble...LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES, PEOPLE?!!!)to both insert and remove the donuts, which will literally take 3 minutes to cook on each side. Let drain of their oils, cool off for a bit, then dip them in sugar and cinnamon while still warm, so it sticks. Sit for a new 5 or so minutes, then serve.

 

 

Bien Provecho!

The Return of the Pumpkin Spice Everything!!!

Hello!


Tis the season to bake everything in Pumpkin Spice! Thus, in this post, I will be bringing you guys a few of my favorite all natural yet totally delicious Pumpkin Spice Pie flavored treats. From pop tarts, to cakes, to (yes) even a drink or two, this post is inspired by all things 'basic white girl', ugg boots and yoga pants OPTIONAL. Without further ado, let's go!

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

This GLORIOUS dessert-for-breakfast dish, linked above to the direct recipe, is marvelous, mouth-watering, coma-inducing...and all things AUTUMN wrapped up in a pretty and delicious treat. If you don't quite understand how this works, you can either bake it the morning of (which I assume is part of the original recipe/instructions on the Love & Lemons website), or do it "overnight style" which doesn't involve baking/heat, yet yields just as yummy the result. If you wish, I will post an alternate recipe below, for my fellow finicky eaters who still yearn to indulge in this delectable seasonal fare.


Brioche Bread
Almond Milk, Vanilla/Sweetened, or Dark Chocolate (for added decadence)
Pumpkin Pie Puree, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coconut Sugar


Instructions (measure out according to your liking/needs):

Dice Brioche slices into cubes, then set aside in a cool glass bowl. Then, empty some (or all, depending on your needs) of the Pumpkin Pie puree into a separate bowl and add in the cinnamon, coconut sugar, and JUST A PINCH OF NUTMEG (I'm so for serious on this one because a tiny nutmeg goes such a long way, and it's flavor can totally ruin a dish if left unsupervised), stirring until completely combined. Grab your baking dish and butter the interior, then place the cubes of Brioche into the pan. Cut a ton of this so that there is an overflow, because it will all "bake" down whilst working itself out overnight. Once the cubes are in the dish, pour in your milk till it covers the cubes but isn't "overflowing". Next, smear a bit of the puree mixture onto the top, just enough for the flavor to sink into the cubes and all over the pan during the sitting process. Place into oven for 5+hours (hence the whole 'overnight' thing), and once you wake up, it should look similar to the above picture. Smear on some more puree to your liking, add whatever you want to the top (whether it be confectioner's sugar or dark chocolate chips) and heat a little until it melts then serve alongside Mimosas...because it's Mimosas, and they seriously go with everything.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Spice Ice Cream

 

 

This, right here, in all of its deliciousness...should be criminal. It really should be illegal, but alas, it is very much legal, and can be made right in your very own kitchen. Linked above is the recipe and website of origin, but I found this on Buzzfeed, so please go thank their writers for showing us all this lovely masterpiece of frozen delight.

 

 

 



Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

This right here will undoubtedly remind me of all those frigid New England mornings at the bus stop waiting for my ride to school inside of Dunkin Donuts because we would've gotten frostbite otherwise. It's hot cocoa, with pumpkin spice, and all of the warmth of a cozy winter morning, so naturally, every basic white girl will be drinking it this season...and I will be, too. Hell, why not be basic for the winter? That time of the year all but demands us to wear ugg boots, fleece lined leggings, layered sweaters, and faux fur hats/mittens/coats. Let's all be basic white girls, shall we?? WE SHALL!!!!



Bien Provecho!