Apple Taffy Dip

Today I have something simple and quick to share with you which includes a Fall staple, the apple. Apple Taffy Dip is the perfect little mid-week treat. It has just the right amount of sweetness like a dessert and there are some healthy aspects to it too. I always like to have it as a treat with a nice Granny Smith apple with my lunch or after my workout. Just because it is called “Apple Dip” doesn’t mean you can’t have it with anything else. I like to dip strawberries, grapes, and melons in it as well.

Apple Taffy Dip

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1 tsp. of vanilla

½ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup of powdered sugar

Whip up the cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla.

I usually double the recipe and sometimes I put in less sugar as well so that it doesn’t get too sweet.

Slice up an apple and dip away. I like the Granny Smith apple because the sourness compliments the sweet dip.

Better than Robert Redford Cake

I bet you are intrigued by the title. Before we get to that, Happy October. September flew by as has all these months and weeks, haha.

This week we’re trying a new recipe. My mom found it in her recipe box. She first made this about 20 years ago and it is a recipe of my grandmother. We are making Better than Robert Redford cake. This cake involves pudding, chocolate, and whipped cream. It also has five layers of goodness.

I’m making this cake a little differently. It does take a little while as there are a few steps so I started yesterday and will show you what I have so far and then share with you the rest and the finished product next week. I want to have the cake ready for Friday so two days in advance is pretty good for timing.

So here we go…

For the crust part of the cake you will need…

1 cup of flour

1 cup of crumbled graham wafer crumbs or chopped walnuts (your choice; we have a nut allergy)

½ cup of melted butter

Mix all these things together and then press in a buttered 13x9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

                                                         

Allow to cool and cover before refrigerating.

I also did the pudding in advance. It is instant pudding that you have to use but I always worry about things setting.

So you’re not going to quite follow the box instructions.

Make the puddings in two plastic sealable containers.

                                                      

For the vanilla, use two of the big 153 gram boxes and add two cups of milk. Whisk for two minutes then put in the fridge.

                                   

                                             

The chocolate pudding comes in a 170 gram box so use two of those and add the same amount of milk and whisk and put that in the fridge as well.

                                              

That’s part one. Come back next week to see the finished product. 

Five Minute Frozen Yogurt

Oh my gosh, two weeks have passed and I had forgotten to post something. I was convinced to put up the backsplash in the new kitchen and combine that with work, I have been swamped with stuff to do!

The heat has been a huge factor over the past few weeks. It is definitely Summer now and each day has been so warm. To cool off Nicole and I have been making sweet cold treats for our families so today I’m going to share the first of those treats. It’s a very simple and easy recipe for frozen yogurt so take a look and enjoy!

Five Minute Frozen Yogurt (serves one)

2 cups of the frozen fruit of your choice (I like to mix up berries with something tropical like mangoes, peaches, or pineapple)

1 ½ tsp. of honey

¼ cup of Greek plain or vanilla yogurt

¼ cup of fruit yogurt or you can add more of the plain or vanilla Greek

You can also add in 1 banana (try to freeze it beforehand)

Add all of the ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth. A blender will work as well.

Serve immediately. The frozen fruit should make it nice and cold and the yogurt will give it that creamy consistency. You can also add a couple of ice cubes to the processor if it doesn’t seem “frozen” enough.

Simple Granola Bars

Once again we are heading to Nicole’s kitchen and checking in on a recipe that she tried out not long ago. She made some good for you healthy granola bars so take a look and see how she made them.

Simple Healthy Granola Bars

2½ cups of rolled oats

½ cup of coarsely chopped whole almonds

1/3 cup of honey

¼ cup of butter cut into pieces

¼ cup of packed brown sugar

½ tsp. of vanilla

¼ tsp. of salt

½ cup of dried cranberries

¼ cup + 2 tbsp. of mini chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 8 inch or 9 inch square baking pan with tin foil. Then spray with cooking oil or brush with melted butter.

Put the oats and almonds on a small baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes, stir and then cook for another 3-5 minutes until toasted and then pour into a mixing bowl.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter with honey, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

Pour the butter mix over the oats and almonds and stir until well mixed. Cool for about 5 minutes and then add in the cranberries and ¼ cup of chocolate chips. Stir.

Spread and pat into the prepared pan. Press firmly to make sure it’s all packed in there. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.

Cover and then refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Banana Splits and Homemade Ice Cream

So we have a very exciting and fun Summer theme planned out this year. We are picking some very unusual ice cream flavour names and then creating things that come from the inspiration of that name. Some will be baked goods, some will be crafts, and some will be fun activities.

To kick the ice cream theme off, we are going to share with you how to make the very popular classic, a banana split, from scratch (with your own homemade ice creams).

I love to make my own homemade ice creams in the Summer. I often try out new flavours, but also stick to many classic ones as well. I sometimes make frozen yogurt as well with my ice cream maker.

For the banana splits, we’re sticking with the basics, chocolate and vanilla.

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love. I always keep the bowl in the freezer so that it stays nice and cold. Having a completely frozen bowl and really cold ingredients are keys to success when making your own ice cream otherwise it can affect the process and it turns icy and slushy instead of creamy.

Usually the day before I make my ice cream, I’ll mix the ingredients and then let them get cold in the fridge.

For the vanilla ice cream, mix 1 ½ cup of whole milk with 1 cup of sugar. Then add in 3 cups of heavy cream along with 1 ½ tbsp. of vanilla. Chill overnight.

For the chocolate ice cream, mix 1 cup of cocoa powder with 2/3 cup of sugar, ½ cup of brown packed sugar, and then stir in 1 ½ cups of whole milk. Add in 3 ¼ cups of heavy cream along with 1 tbsp. of vanilla. Chill overnight.

When mixing day comes, I follow the machine’s instructions and pour the mix into a frozen bowl right out of the freezer. For the vanilla, it usually takes about 45 minutes for it to thicken up and for the chocolate, about 30 minutes. Once the ice cream is mixed, transfer into a Tupperware container and freeze. It’ll be soft serve for the first few hours, so if you want a more frozen ice cream, then let the ice cream stay in the freezer overnight.

Other than bananas, no banana split is complete without toppings so before you have your banana split/sundae party, gather up some toppings. You can use crushed pineapple, sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, Maraschinos cherries, whipped cream, and sauces. Speaking of sauces, I have included my famous gooey butterscotch sauce that you can drizzle on top.

Butterscotch Sauce:

In a sauce pan on medium heat, mix 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 2 tbsp. of butter, and 1 tbsp. of vanilla. Heat until all dissolved and bubbling. Usually 3-4 minutes. You can use after cooling slightly or if you want a thicker sauce, then let it cool sompletely.

A good fudge sauce is one that you’ll see us using as a glaze in a future post about Boston Cream cupcakes, but I like it as an ice cream sauce too.

Chocolate Fudge Sauce/ Glaze:

1 cup of semisweet chocolate

2/3 cup of heavy cream

¼ cup of light corn syrup

½ tsp. of vanilla

Microwave the chocolate, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla all together in a heatproof bowl. Stir every 30 seconds for 1-2 minutes until all of the ingredients are melted and smooth. Let it thicken for about 20 minutes.

Now it’s time to assemble your splits. There is no right or wrong way; make it exactly how you like it.