Mug Cakes, Cookies, and Brownies. Oh My!

Some of the easiest desserts to make are Mug ____ (insert dessert of your choice). Here's a compilation of different recipes. All of the recipes (and a few more) except for the one that is my own can be found here. (No. 2 Pencil.)


1. Ooey Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake (my own recipe)
3 T flour
3 T sugar
2 T cocoa powder
3 T milk
3 T oil
3 T chocolate chips or chunks (you could use mint chinks here!)
1/4 t. baking powder
Mix in a medium-sized mug. Microwave for 90-100 seconds on HIGH.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie In A Cup
This one is REALLY delicious, and it tastes just like a chocolate chip cookie. It is crusty on the outside, and nice and chewy on the inside.

3. Microwave Berry Cobbler
I haven't tried this one yet, but the recipe calls for plenty of fruit and a crusty deliciousness is formed on top of the berries.

4. Brownie in A Cup
This one is similar to the chocolate cake, but has more of a brownie texture.

5. Chocolate Fudge Smores Cake
Let's be honest here: it looks delicious.

These are all great to satisfy a sweet tooth. I know there's "healthy" versions out there, but, to be honest, who cares? It's chocolate. Or sweet. Or both. Enjoy!

5 Valentines Day Recipes

Have you ever thought about how much Americans spend on Valentine's day? Records show we spend $20 billion annually.

$20 billion. 

That's a lot. 

So, here's a compilation of Valentines day recipes that you can give as gifts, instead of spending your money on chocolate.

1. Cherries and Chocolate Fudge

2.Strawberry Heart Bark

3. Double-Decker Marshmallow Fudge

4. Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

5. Toffee

Well, that's all! Hope you enjoy! 

Disclaimer: None of these recipes are my own. They are all from Allrecipes.  

Coconut Macaroons

Ahh...coconut. The taste of this is so delicious. You can do lots of flavor combos with coconut macaroons, but it is possible to dress them up too much.

However, I came up with a combination of perfectness for the wintertime/holidays. Chocolate-dipped macaroons, topped with crushed peppermint, was delicious.

Here's the finished macaroons. These are super simple. The macaroon itself is sweetened shredded coconut, egg white, and sugar. If you desire, you can also add chocolate (I cheated and used almond bark) and toppings. Or, you could break a Hershey's bar into small pieces and tuck them inside the macaroons. 

The first step is optional. If you like snowy-white macaroons, skip this step. I like mine to be a nice golden brown, so I toast half of my coconut in a 350* oven for 5-7 minutes, just until it is starting to turn color. This also makes for a deeper coconut flavor. 

In a bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar until frothy.

Mix the coconut that is un-toasted in with the egg whites. Then add the toasted coconut, and fold together until it is sticky, but holds together well. 

Grease or line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out the coconut mixture in tablespoonfuls. You can form them with your hands, but I used a cookie scoop. Bake for 15-20 minutes. If desired, dip in chocolate or almond bark and add toppings. Enjoy!

Recipe:

3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Pie Class Lesson 1: Decorative Pies

Have you ever seen those pictures of beautiful pies in Taste of Home magazines, ones with rows of braided edges, and beautiful lattices? You think to yourself, I am going to make that. Then, when the pie is finally out of the oven, it ends up looking like this:

Well, never fear- the Pie Queen is here! I  love making pies, especially decorative ones for special occasions. Within just a few lessons, you can have your pies looking like this: 

For the filling, use your favorite fruit filling. I tossed five cups of apples in 1/4 c sugar, 1 TBSP  flour, and 1 tsp cinnamon. 

 If you are one of those people that uses the refrigerator pie crusts, I beg you to try something new.  Those pie crusts are tough, not flaky, and overall disgusting. Only real homemade pie crust will be made in Pie Class. You will need a double-double pie crust recipe. I'll put the quantities below.

Put the flour in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in half the Crisco or vegetable shortening until there are marble-sized lumps. Cut in the other half, until there are pea-sized lumps. Add ice water, two tablespoons at a time, until the crust is the right consistency. It should hold together and not crumble when it is flattened, but it should not be too sticky.  Now split it up in the following amounts:

In half.

Wrap one half in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. 

Divide the other half into two, and put one in the fridge. 

Now, you are ready to roll out your bottom crust. Between two pieces of waxed paper, roll it out to 1/8" thick and 1" wider than your pie plate. Place in pie plate, and trim. Fill with your fruit filling. 

Now get the larger amount of crust still in the fridge, and roll it out. 

Cut eight 1" strips out of this crust, making sure they are long enough to reach across the pie plate. 

Weave your strips by laying four strips one way, then alternating over-under in the opposite direction with the other four strips. 

To calculate the needed size of the braid, take the diameter of the pie plate (in my case, 9-inch) and multiply it by 3.14. I needed about 29-inches of braid. Cut 1/2 inch strips, and braid. When you need to join new strips onto old ones, leave about 2 inches of length on the old ones. Pinch together, then flatten out. Continue braiding. Lay around the crimp on your pie plate. 

Bake according to the directions on the filling recipe. 

Here is the finished pie!

Pie crust recipe:

4 C. flour

1 3/4 C. Crisco or Vegetable Shortening

2 tsp. salt

8-10 TBSP ice water

Mocha Swiss Roll

Even though these decadent roll cakes are called Swiss Rolls, they are actually believed to have originated in Austria. An old English recipe for a roll cake reads “Bake quick and while hot spread with jelly. Roll carefully, and wrap it in a cloth. When cold cut in slices for the table.” 

This is the finished roll. The cake is chocolate, the filling is coffee, and it is covered with a dark chocolate ganache. Delicious!

Mix the flour, cocoa, salt, and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Set aside 1 TBSP of the sugar for later. In a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Beat until lemon-colored, thick, and fluffy, about five minutes. Sift 1/2 of the flour mixture over the eggs, then fold with a spatula until just combined. Sift the rest over, then stir until just combined. 

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar. When they have formed soft peaks, gradually add the 1 TBSP sugar and whisk until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, being gentle.

Prepare a 10"x15"x1" pan by placing parchment paper in the bottom and greasing the paper. Pour the mixture into the pan, and spread it out evenly. Bake in a 450* oven for 6-8 minutes or until done.

Once the cake is done, immediately take it out of the oven and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Invert it onto a tea towel, then sprinkle the other side with powdered sugar. Roll while hot, inside the towel. 

To make the ganache, finely chop the chocolate. This is important. The smaller pieces melt faster, so you don't have to wait forever. If you want, you can just throw the pieces in a food processor. It's much quicker. 

Melt the butter, and add the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove. 

Add the chocolate in, and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Then whisk it in. It should be soft. Whisk vigorously for one minute. Let cool slightly.

To whisk up the pudding, combine milk, vanilla, and coffee in a saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and flour. Heat the milk mixture, then pour a small amount into the egg mixture. Whisk together, then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan. Whisk until bubbles appear, then cook without stirring for one minute. Remove from heat, cool. 

Unroll your cake very carefully, then spread the coffee filling over all of the cake, leaving a 1/4" border on all edges. Roll the cake back up, using the tea towel to help you get started. Cover the whole thing in your chocolate ganache. Let harden, then slice and enjoy!

Recipe

Cake: (recipe adapted from Joy Of Baking)

1/4 C. Flour (sift, then re-measure without packing into the measuring cup)

2 TBSP Cornstarch

2 TBSP cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 C. granulated sugar

2 lg.  whole eggs

3 lg. egg yolks

2 lg. egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (THIS IS A CRUCIAL INGREDIENT)

Chocolate Ganache: 

1/2 C. Milk

1 stick butter

1/2 C. dark chocolate chips

1/2 C. semisweet chocolate chips

Filling: 

2 egg yolks

3/4 c. sugar

1 3/4 C. milk

1 TBSP flour

2 TBSP cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla

Enjoy!

Basic Baking Definitions

Since some of you may be beginners at baking, here are some basic baking definitions for you.

These are from Pillsbury's Glossary of Baking Terms. 

Beat- To thoroughly combine ingredients and incorporate air with a rapid, circular motion. This may be done with a wooden spoon, wire whisk, rotary eggbeater, electric mixer, or food processor. 

Combine- To stir two or more ingredients together until mixed.

Cream- To beat one or more ingredients, usually margarine or butter, sugar, and/or eggs, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Drizzle- To drip a glaze or icing over food.

Fold in- To gently combine a heavier mixture with a more delicate substance, such as beaten egg whites or whipped cream, without causing a loss of air.

Knead- To fold, push and turn dough or other mixture to produce a smooth, elastic texture.

Proof (In my posts, I more often use the word 'rise'.)- To allow yeast dough to rise before baking. Or to dissolve yeast in a warm liquid and set it in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes until it expands and becomes bubbly.

Temper- to stabilize certain ingredients by keeping them at certain temperatures

Whip- To beat rapidly with a wire whisk or electric mixer to incorporate air into a mixture in order to lighten and increase the volume of the mixture.

Scant- just under the measurement. 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Butter Braid

While selling factory-made butter braids for a fundraiser, my littlest brother wanted my mom to buy one. My mom convinced me to make a homemade one instead, and it turned out beautiful and delicious.

When I first started making butter braids a year or so ago, I baked strawberry cream cheese and  cherry cream cheese. This time, I decided to try blueberry.

In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and 1 TBSP of water. Let them sit until the blueberries do what I call "emitting their juices". In a small dish, mix the cornstarch and 2 TBSP of water. This makes it so the cornstarch will mix with the blueberry filling easier. Stir it and put it on low heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and let cool. 

Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Refrigerate until it's time to use. 

For the recipe, you'll need one recipe amount of Allrecipes Basic Sweet Bread. (link in the recipe below)

Roll it out to be roughly smaller than the baking sheet, and to be as rectangular as you can get it.

Make upward slashes on the rectangle on the outside thirds of the rectangle. Spread the cream cheese and then the blueberry filling on the middle third. Then alternate folding in the strips: left, right, left, right, so that it looks like a braid. Fold in your ends, and pinch them closed. 

 Let rise for 30 minutes, then bake in a 325* oven for 20-25 minutes. It will be darker brown on the outside, but towards the middle of the braid, it will become lighter. If desired, rub butter on it when you take it out of the oven. It makes it shinier and butterier. 

Recipe:

One recipe AllRecipes Basic Sweet Bread

8 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

2 TBSP cornstarch

2 TBSP water

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars

I really like math. So, I have an equation for you:

Pumpkin Pie + Cheesecake = ?

The correct answer is heaven. Pure heaven with a touch of graham cracker crust.

This is a great, easy recipe for the holidays. My favorite holiday flavor is pumpkin. Pumpkin anything, from pumpkin pie to pumpkin bread. It's great for Thanksgiving, but it's great for Christmas, too. When you need to whip up something quick, these cheesecake bars are perfect. The only downside is the refrigeration time. Otherwise they're great!

 Preheat the oven to 325. Add the graham cracker crumbs to the bowl. I had some larger pieces, but I broke them up more before adding the next ingredients. 

Mix in the sugar with the graham cracker crumbs, then melt the butter in the microwave. Pour it over the graham cracker mixture, and stir until it comes together. Press it in the bottom of a 9" square pan and bake it for 10 minutes. 

Whip up the cream cheese, sour cream (pssst! If you have it, use greek yogurt! It's a lot healthier!), vanilla, and sugar. After that's whipped, beat in an egg. 

Add 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture to canned pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. 

Spread the plain cream cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker crust, then the pumpkin mix. You can leave it plain, or you can swirl it, like I did. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Recipe: 

Crust: 

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 TBSP Sugar

4 TBSP butter

Filling: 

11 oz. cream cheese

1/3 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/3 c. sugar

Pumpkin Filling:

1/2 c. cream cheese mixture

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Follow the directions above. Enjoy! 

Crispy BBQ Roasted Chickpeas

The Finished Chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas are a favorite at my house, and we've tried many different flavors. However, after tasting these delicious, crispy BBQ-flavored bites, I don't think I will ever go back to Garlic Parmesan! With two main ingredients and several spices, these chickpeas are hard to stay away from! 

The only problem with these little guys is that the inside, soft part tends to dry out overnight, whereas the crispy shell gets soft. . 

You can adapt this simple recipe. Just use the same process but experiment with different spices. 

Now for the recipe:

Ingredients

For the recipe, you will need chickpeas, salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, olive oil, and brown sugar. 

Step 1

After several experimentation batches, I found out that the best way to get the beans crispy was to let them dry for a few hours. Open up the can, thoroughly rinse the chickpeas, and lay them in a single layer to dry. Let them dry for 1.5-2 hours. This lets the moisture out of the peas.  

Step 2

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix up the spices and set them aside. 

Step 3

Place the chickpeas in a small bowl and pour the olive oil over them. You can reduce the oil amount by half, but they won't be as crispy. 

Lay the chickpeas out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then shake the chickpeas or stir them on the sheet.  

Repeat twice. They should bake for a total of 30 minutes. When they're done, they will be golden brown and crispy. 

Sprinkle on the spices quickly. Stir the chickpeas to coat. Let cool slightly, but they're served best when warm!!

Okay, so now for the actual recipe amounts. 

Crispy BBQ Chickpeas

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, a.k.a garbanzo beans

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp of the following: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder

Follow the steps above to create this yummilicious masterpiece!!

Welcome to Creative Confections By Audrey!!

Got a sweet tooth?

Good.

Welcome to my blog, Creative Confections by Audrey. If you're a person who likes to cook (or even if you're not) you can follow the recipes that I use for making some creative confections. And then make them. And taste them. For yourself. Because the ones that I make?

Yummy.

And mine. 

Yummy.

Delicious.

Did I mention that they are yummy?