Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
• 3 pints strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 3 cups heavy cream
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Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil, along with the amount of water called for by the package directions. Beat until well combined. Divide the batter between the pans. Place in oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Cool completely before assembling the shortcake.
3. Meanwhile, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar over the strawberries. Set aside at room temperature until the berries release their juices, about 30 minutes. About 15 minutes before serving, combine the cream and the remaining sugar in a medium bowl and whip by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter. Pile on half the strawberries and half the whipped cream. Top with the remaining layer, the rest of the whipped cream, and the remaining strawberries. Serve immediately.

Baklava

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, but is also found in Central and Southwest Asia.


Ingredients
• For the Filling
• 2 cups (8 oz) finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup (4 oz) finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup (2 oz ) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2-3 tbsp bread crumbs (optional. It helps to bind the filling. I dint use it in this recipe. I came to know of this trick later)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• For the syrup
• 2 cups (1 lb) sugar
• 2 cups (16 fl oz) water
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• For the cover
• 150 grams (5 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 12 oz packet filo pastry (375g) 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam

2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Betty Crocker Blueberry Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Pastry

2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon salt

2/3

cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

4

to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

3/4

cup sugar

1/2

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired

6

cups blueberries

1

tablespoon lemon juice

1

tablespoon butter or margarine, if desired

Directions

• 1In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• 2Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• 3Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
• 4In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/2 cup flour and the cinnamon. Stir in blueberries. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over blueberries. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
• 5Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours.

Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake

I love icecream cake! I've always wanted to one and this recipe looks delicious and sweet! Hope you all enjoy this yummy icecream cake!!!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 box brownie mix

1/4 cup milk

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

1 20 oz bottle chocolate sundae syrup

1 20 oz bottle caramel sundae syrup

1 11.5 oz bag mini snickers, chopped, divide into three groups

Instructions

NOTE: An 8-inch springform pan is best for this recipe. If you do not have a springform pan, line your pan with clear wrap before adding your parchment paper and cake board. You can use the clear warp to lift your cake out of the pan.

Brownies:

1. Make brownie dough according to instructions on back of box.

2. Grease two 8-inch pans (preferable springform pans, see above) and line the bottoms with parchment paper to allow for easy removal. Bake at temperature on box, reducing baking time to about 20 minutes (You can also bake 1 big brownie - which would cook for the normal time - and cut it in half, but cutting a brownie in half isn't super easy).

3. When brownies are done baking, allow to completely cool.

Ice Cream:

1. Combine milk, cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer. Mix until completely combined.

2. Fold in the cool whip.

Assembling it all:

1. Line the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper should stick up above the top edge of the pan, since the cake will probably be a little taller than your pan. If you want, put a cardboard cake circle in the bottom of the pan.

NOTE: You should be using the same 8-inch pan you used for the brownies.

2. Put the first brownie layer in the bottom of your pan.

3. Spread 1/2 cup caramel sauce and 1/2 cup chocolate sauce over the brownie. Top with first group of chopped snickers.

4. Top with half of the peanut butter ice cream.

5. Add second brownie to the pan, on top of the ice cream.

6. Again cover with 1/2 cup caramel sauce and 1/2 cup chocolate sauce. Top with second group of chopped snickers.

7. Top with remaining peanut butter ice cream.

8. Allow ice cream cake to freeze completely.

9. When frozen, remove from springform pan and remove parchment paper from sides.

10. Top with additional caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.

11. Cover with remaining chopped snickers and a little more caramel and chocolate sauce

Gulab Jamuns (An Indian Treat)

Hello, fellow bloggers. Today, i wanted to bring a different type of dessert to you all. This one is an Indian Dessert that caught my attention. It looks super delicious. Have fun with it!

Ingredients

for the gulab jamuns:

• 1 cup milk powder
• ¼ cup all purpose flour or maida
• 1 tsp oil or ½ tsp ghee
• a pinch of salt (optional)
• a pinch of baking soda
• 1 to 2 tbsp yogurt
• a few blanched pistachio or almond slices for garnishing

for the sugar syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 3-4 green cardamoms, husked & crushed or powdered
• a pinch of saffron (optional)
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Instructions

preparing the sugar solution:

1. mix water, sugar, cardamom and saffron.
2. keep this sugar solution on fire and cook till you get a syrup consistency.
3. there should be no thread formation in the sugar solution.
4. stir in the rose water and keep aside.

preparing the jamuns:

1. first mix the milk powder, all purpose flour, soda in a bowl.
2. add oil or ghee and just 1 tbsp of yogurt.
3. mix and keep on adding little of the yogurt to get a soft sticky mixture.
4. the dough should not be crumbly or dry. if it is then add some yogurt.
5. make smooth small balls from the dough.
6. heat the oil and the reduce the flame to low.
7. add the balls and fry them stirring often to get even color.
8. when they become golden, remove from a slotted spoon and add them to the sugar syrup.
9. let them soak in the sugar syrup for atleast 1-2 hours.
10. gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold. if they are at room temperature, then warm in the microwave and serve gulab jamun topped with sugar syrup.

Cannoli Recipe!

Buy the cannoli shells..because the labor is too intense!

Anyways, for the cream filling: 

-4 cups of ricotta cheese

- 1 & 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

-1 tbs of vanilla extract

-1/3 cup of any maraschino fruit bit

-CHOCOLATE CHIPS!

-1 cup of heavy whipping cream

*mix together cheese, extract & and powdered sugar

*stir your fruit (make sure you rinse them and dry) then mix them into the ricotta cheese with the chocolate chips 

*whip the cream, if you want a lighter filling.