Italian Meatballs

I used to make these years ago, and they are extremely good. Serve them with a marinara sauce over hot, cooked pasta.

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1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
garlic salt, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1 tsp dried basil flakes
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the above together and form into small meatballs, the size of a walnut. Brown the meatballs on cookie sheets in the oven, 350 degrees, for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Drain on paper towels.

Heat up a marinara sauce in a saucepan and simmer in the sauce, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Crockpot Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapple Glaze

Another recipe for Ham in a crockpot. Again, I have not made this, but it sounds fantastic.

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4-5 pound boneless ham, scored if desired
2 cups brown sugar
15-oz can pineapple in juice, undrained (use whatever type of pineapple you desire)
1/2 cup water

Place ham in the crockpot. Combine the brown sugar, pineapple, and water and pour over the top of the ham. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours or on LOW for 3-4 hours. Remove ham from crockpot and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with any reserved juices there may be in the bottom of the crockpot. 

Crockpot Ham with a Honey Glaze

I have a couple of recipes to make in the crockpot that I will post. I've never made ham in the crockpot myself, but I have tried it, It is very tasty, and makes the house smell so good while it is cooking.

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4 pound ham
1 (12-oz.) can 7-Up or Ginger Ale soda

Glaze
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp of the drippings from the ham

Place the ham and soda in the crockpot on a rack, if you have one. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before end of cooking time, combine the honey, dry mustard, ground cloves and cinnamon and the 3 tbsp drippings from the bottom of the crock pot and drizzle over the ham. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove ham from crockpot and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Thinly slice the ham and serve with the glaze and juices if there are any remaining in the bottom of the crock pot.

Apple Pie sweet Bread

This is another recipe that I used to make frequently when I was in my 20s and also when my kids were little. It is so good! You can use Rhodes frozen bread dough, either the white bread or the sweet bread dough.

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Bread
1-2 loaves Rhodes frozen white bread dough, or sweet dough, thawed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
1-2 cans apple pie filling (Sweeten with granulated sugar, if desired)
butter
granulated sugar

Frosting
powdered sugar
butter, softened
milk
vanilla extract



1. Roll out one of the loaves and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with the cherry pie filling

2. At this point, you may either roll up jelly-roll fashion, or top with another rolled out loaf of bread.

3. Butter top of bread dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

4. Bake 350 degrees until dough has baked through.

5. Make a very thick frosting with some powdered sugar, softened butter, and a little milk. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Spread over the top of the bread while bread is still warm. Decorate with maraschino cherries. Let cool for one hour before cutting.

Pizza Bread

I used to make this all of the time when I was in my 20s, taking it to all sorts of gatherings. It always went over very well, and people always requested the recipe. This can be made from Pillsbury canned pizza crust or a loaf of Rhodes frozen pizza dough that has been thawed.

                       

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There are no real measurements to this recipe. You just use as much of each as you desire, as though you are making a pizza.

Ingredients:
2 cans Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped or you may use Ragu pizza sauce, instead
Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Pepperoni slices
Italian sausage, browned and drained

Roll out one can of the refrigerated pizza dough and place on a large jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes over the crust. (You may use pizza sauce instead, if desired.) Sprinkle on Italian seasoning. Layer on the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Layer with pepperoni and/or browned sausage.

Roll out another can of the pizza dough and place on top of the other. On top of that, spread with a generous amount of tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and pepperoni and/or sausage.

Bake 350 degrees until cheese has melted and the bottom crust has browned on the bottom. Cut into squares.

Alternate crust 
If you wish to use the Rhodes frozen pizza dough, thaw out and then allow the 1-2 loaves of dough to rise until doubled. Top the dough as directed above with the pizza ingredients. You may either roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion or top with with another loaf of dough that has been rolled out. If using two loaves of Rhodes dough, top with tomatoes or pizza sauce, cheeses and meats as directed above.

Allow dough to rise a second time, and bake as directed above. You may need to increase the oven temperature to ensure the bottom dough has baked through.

When done baking, cut into squares. Serve warm, but this is even good served cold.

Chocolate Pie Deluxe

This recipe comes from a very old Betty Crocker baking cookbook. It is a nice alternative to French Silk Pie.

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Crust
one 8 or 9 inch baked pie shell, baked and cooled

Filling
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows (or 16 large)
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 oz.) milk chocolate bar, broken into small pieces
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Topping (Optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
1(8 oz) chocolate bar, the sides shaved with a vegetable peeler to form chocolate curls

In a heavy saucepan, heat the marshmallows, milk, and chocolate bar until melted and smooth. Chill this mixture until, stirring occasionally until it mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. Whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture and pour into the pie shell, chilling for at least 8 hours. Serve with the additional whipped cream, if desired.

Lemon Dessert

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1 small store-bought Angel Food cake, sliced into 1/2' slices
juice of 3 lemons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff peaks form
a few drops yellow food coloring, optional
thinly sliced almonds, optional
shredded coconut, optional


1. Combine the fresh lemon juice, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk.

2. Fold the lemon mixture into the whipped cream and mix until smooth. If desired, you may add a few drops of food coloring to this mixture to make more yellow.

3. Place half of the cake slices into a 9x13" pan and spread half of the whipped cream mixture on top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake slices, then the remaining whipped cream.

4. If desired, you may top the dessert with shredded coconut and/or sliced almonds. Chill several hours to soften the cake before serving. 

Chocolate Mousse Brownies (Moonies)

I just found this recipe on Pinterest. The recipe can be found on Imperial Sugar. The recipe originated on Dinners and Desserts cooking blog. They look delicious! Go and check out the post on the Dinners and Desserts blog.


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Brownies
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup extra fine granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mousse
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into the flour will firmly pack the flour, resulting in too much flour required for the recipe.


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8" square baking pan.

2. In a bowl, combine the melted chocolate with vegetable oil. Add the sugar and eggs. Mix until well combined. Stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Removed from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

4. To prepare the chocolate mousse, heat the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

5. Once the chocolate has cooled, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Slowly add in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined and stiff peaks form.

6. Spread chocolate mousse over the cooled brownies. Store in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Store remaining brownies in the refrigerator.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Update: I decided to bring this recipe, originally published on this blog in June of 2011, back to the forefront. I've intended to make these again, but this recipe is on my long list of things I want to make. In trying to find the original recipe, I found out that the website is no longer online, so the links do not work. I removed the hyperlinks, but left the original posting intact.

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I browse a lot of cooking blogs and recently found this recipe on
Elle's New England Kitchen.  These cookies are very good!  They stay soft and still taste fresh, even a few days later!  I cut the recipe in half, and they still made quite a few cookies.  You mix together a mixture of butter, peanut butter, and honey that you then add to the cookie dough.

Note: The recipe calls for 4 oz. of honey in the peanut butter mixture, and I wasn't sure if it means by weight or by volume, and if it even makes a difference in the way you measure it out.  I will have to contact Elle and ask her.  I did measure it by weight and the peanut butter mixture seemed a little runny, but in the end, the cookies still tasted great.  However, they did seem a little on the thin side and I had to cool them completely on the cookie sheets before removing them.  Maybe next time I will use a measuring cup instead of weighing it, and see if that makes a difference.  Perhaps chilling the dough before baking will help, too.

I divided the dough in half and used Reeses Pieces in half, and milk chocolate chips in the other half.  These are definitely a new favorite!

See the original recipe here.


2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temp
1/4 cup shortening, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut butter mixture (see below)
1/2 (10 oz) bag Mini Reese's Pieces

Peanut Butter Mixture
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, room temp
2 tbsp honey

Mix together the peanut butter mixture and set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the 3/4 cup of butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in thirds and beat on low speed until mixed in.

Roll into large balls and bake 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size of the ball of dough. Do not over bake.  Remove from oven when lightly golden brown.  They will set up nicely as they cool.  Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to a cooling rack to cool thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

I used to make this frequently when my oldest son was young. He loved them and requested them frequently. It comes from an old Betty Crocker cookbook, so old that I can't find it online, anywhere.

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1/2 cup butter
1 (12-oz) package semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Turn off the burner and stir in the sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and then spread batter in the prepared pan.

Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and then cut into bars. Store in a tightly-covered container.

Strawberry Cream Pie

This is a very old recipe. Other than a short baking time for the crust, this is a no-bake pie that is easy to make and tastes very good.

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Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup powdered sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

Mix together the ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 375 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool.

Pie Filling

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash nutmeg

1 cup fresh strawberry slices, divided

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Garnish (Optional)

Additional strawberry slices

Additional whipped cream

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg, mixing well until well combined. Mash 3/4 cup of the strawberry slices and stir into the cream cheese mixture. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the remaining strawberry slices. Spoon mixture into the prepared pie crust and chill for several hours. If desired, serve with additional strawberry slices and whipped cream.

Orange Jello Salad

This is another recipe that is very old, coming from an old church cookbook. We used to make this frequently in my family, and it is very good. You can find similar recipes online. I can see this being made with other flavors of jello and sherbet, as well. You can add the mandarin oranges, or not. It's whatever your preference might be.

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2 (3-oz) packages orange jello
2 cups boiling water
1 pint orange sherbet, slightly softened
1 small can mandarin orange, drained
1 cup whipping cream, whipped (You could also use Cool Whip instead, if you want to lighten it up)

Dissolve the jello in the boiling water and as soon as the jello has dissolved, mix in the sherbet and chill until somewhat firm, but no too firm. Fold in the whipped cream and oranges and then chill until completely set. 

Strawberry Supreme Jello

This recipe comes from a very old cookbook. I haven't made it in years, but it is delicious.

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2 (3-oz) packages strawberry jello mix, divided
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 (10-oz) package frozen strawberries
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Dissolve 1 package jello in 1 cup boiling water and add the strawberries. Stir until thickened and pour into a pretty 5-cup glass bowl. Chill until almost set, but not completely firm.

Dissolve the 2nd package jello in the other cup of boiling water. Add the ice cream by spoonfuls, stirring until the ice cream has melted. Pour over jello mixture in bowl and then chill until firm. 

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

I've never made these, but they sound fantastic. The recipe can be found here on the Pillsbury.com website.

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BROWNIE BASE
1/2 cup butter
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

FILLING
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened and reserving 2 oz. for the frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows

FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Reserved cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

2. To make the brownies, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, eggs, and nuts. Mix well until smooth and spread in the prepared baking pan. Set aside.

3. To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine 6 oz. of the cream cheese, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg. Using an electric mixer, beat for 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Stir in nuts and spread over brownie base. Sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips.

4. Bake 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle over the mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Meanwhile, to make the frosting,  in a large saucepan, combine the butter, milk, unsweetened chocolate, and reserved cream cheese. Cook over low heat stirring until well blended. Remove from heat, and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

6. Pour the frosting over the marshmallow layer immediately after removing pan from the oven, and lightly swirl with a knife to marbelize. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I do plan on making it soon. It sounds so good ...

I found this recipe on the Jamie Cooks it Up blog. This sounds like a sweet and sour chicken sort of recipe that is baked on sheet pans and served with cooked, white rice.

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1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks
1 red onion
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
garlic salt
lemon pepper

SAUCE:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch  (see note at the bottom)*
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp lemon pepper

cooked white rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain the juice from a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Chop the onion, and bell peppers into uniform 1-2" chunks. Cut the chicken breasts into 1" chunks. Place the chicken, onion, bell peppers, and pineapple chunks into a large bowl. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp olive oil over all, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garlic salt and lemon pepper and stir to combine.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and spread out the mixture evenly between the two pans.Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Take the reserved pineapple juice (you should have about 1 cup of juice, adding enough water to equal 1 cup if you are short on the juice) and add to it the 1/4 cup water, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, chicken bouillon granules, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch (see note)*, garlic powder, ground ginger, and lemon pepper. Whisk everything together to combine, making sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to boil for 2 minutes.

Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce over the chicken and vegetables over each pan, leaving 1/3 cup remaining to drizzle over individual servings. Stir the sauce into the chicken and vegetable to coat all. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the sauce bubbles up and becomes nice and sticky. Serve in individual bowls over cooked white rice and drizzle remaining sauce on top.

*Note*
In the sauce recipe, my advice is to stir the cornstarch into the sugar and brown sugar so that the cornstarch does not clump up. It might be okay without doing this, but it is easy for cornstarch to clump up, and by mixing it into something else first, such as the sugars, this might be less likely to happen.

Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata

The original recipe can be found here at The Chunky Chef.

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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a 3/4 to 1" thickness
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground thyme
1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine (See here for a list of substitutions if you, like me, do not use alcohol)
2 lemons
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley and basil for garnish
1 pound thin spaghetti pasta

1. Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season flour with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.

2. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook batches of 2 (unless you have a huge skillet) to ensure a golden brown exterior. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is completely cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

3. Drop your pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente (according to package directions).

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and garlic in the same skillet, stir to saute for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, and heavy cream. Whisk to combine and bring the sauce to a low boil. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed. Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes.

5. Drain the pasta, place in a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and add the fresh parsley and basil, and toss to combine.

6. Slice the chicken into strips and place over cooked pasta. Pour sauce over the top and garnish with additional chopped parsley and basil.

Note: May serve with cooked pancetta or bacon, as additional garnish.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This recipe comes from the Delish cooking website. If you haven't visited it yet, you should go and check it out.

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For the Chicken

Set up three separate bowls for breading the chicken.

Bowl 1:

1/2 cup flour

Bowl 2:

2 large eggs, beaten together with 1 tbsp water

Bowl 3:

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

vegetable oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Marinara 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup water

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp freshly chopped basil, plus more for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare breading station with 3 large mixing bowls: 1 bowl for the  flour. In a second bowl, beat together the eggs and water. In a third bowl, add the panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese mixed with a fork.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture. Repeat these steps for remaining chicken and set aside on a plate. 

3. In a deep cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/4" oil. When pan is hot but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

4. Meanwhile, make the marinara: In a medium pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the tomato and water, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and let simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. 

5. Pour sauce into a 9x13" baking dish and top with the mozzarella and bake until cheese is melty about 10-12 minutes. If desired, broil until cheese is golden, 3 minutes.

6. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. 

Cherry Almond Bread

This recipe comes from The Recipe Critic.

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1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 (8 oz) jar maraschino cherries, chopped and juice reserved
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 8x4" loaf pans; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and oil; add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts and beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Measure out 1/2 cup of the reserved maraschino cherry juice. If juice does not equal 1/2 cup, add enough water so that it equals 1/2 cup. Alternately add the flour mixture and cherry juice to the sugar mixture just until it is combined. Stir in the chopped cherries.

Divide the batter equally between both loaf pans. Bake 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack. Dust tops of bread with powdered sugar, of desired. Serve. 

Salted Butterscotch Coffee Cake

I make a similar cake to this that I've also served as a breakfast cake. The recipe is right here. This particular recipe is found on the Julie's Eats and Treats blog.

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Cake
1 (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix, dry
4 eggs
1 (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Cinnamon Swirl
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Salted Butterscotch Glaze    Note: You can also use just a regular vanilla glaze, if you prefer
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butterscotch ice cream topping
2-3 tsp milk
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or a 9x13" cake pan. Mix together the cake mix, eggs, pudding, vegetable oil and water until well combined. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. In a small bow combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over on top of the cake batter.

Bake 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake. In a small bow, combine the powdered sugar, butterscotch topping and milk (you want the glaze to be fairly thick so it doesn't run off the cake). Drizzle the butterscotch glaze over the cake and then sprinkle the sea salt over the glaze. 

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

This recipe can be found at The Gunny Sack.


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8 cups French bread cubes (slightly less than one loaf)
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups peeled, diced apples (about 2 large apples)

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1. Cut the French bread into slices, and then into cubes. Spread in an even layer in a greased 9x13" pan.

2. Peel, cube and dice two apples and sprinkle over the bread cubes. (Note: If preparing the night before or if you want softer apples in the baked casserole, microwave the diced apples fo 2-3 minutes in a small bowl.

3. whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and apples in the prepared pan. (If preparing the night before, cover the apple cinnamon french toast casserole at this point and refrigerate.

4. To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. (If preparing the night before, store the crumb topping in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle over the casserole just before baking.)

5. Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.