Happy Birthday America!

Although I moved to Canada 10 years ago, the USA will always have a very special place in my heart. Always.

Here's to another 236 years of being a great nation. I made you some dip. 

PATRIOTIC CHEESECAKE DIP

1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted

½ cup fresh blueberries

1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup Cool Whip

5 tablespoons cherry, strawberry or raspberry jam

1 teaspoon water 

Place cherries in one bowl and blueberries in another. Using a microwavable safe dish, warm jam and water in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Spoon a generous tablespoon of jam over blueberries and the rest over the cherries. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice together. Add in Cool Whip and mix just until incorporated. 

Drop onto a square dish, approximately 12x12. Using an offset spatula, spread cream cheese mixture all over plate. You can also use an 8x8 square baking dish for this dip.

Begin layering fruit to resemble Old Glory. Don't worry if the juices ooze onto the 'white stripes'. It's delicious hazards of the job. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with graham cracker sticks. 

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

A riddle.

What do you get when you cross a bottle of Irish cream liqueur in the pantry, the last day of school, and hankering for a chocolate chip cookie? 

I don't know for sure, but it could very quickly become happy hour in the teachers lounge courtesy of one very delicious cookie.

I think being a teacher is a tough job, but I can imagine, it's a very rewarding one. I don't think they always get the credit they deserve either. Sure, there are some rubbish teachers out there (yeah, I'm talking to you, Mrs. Matthews, my 9th grade Biology teacher with skirts up to there, ALWAYS flirting with the other male teachers and cute boys in class. It was so gross and I learned absolutely nothing that whole year, thankyouverymuch), but for the most part, these scholars inspire our children. You really do have to be a certain kind of person to do that everyday. I know how far my daughter has come since her first day of school, so I have all the respect and admiration in the world for them. 

I'm especially not a fan of those that criticize teacher wages. If I had a dollar for every time I heard, "Well, they make enough money" or "That's why they earn the big bucks", I'd have a lot of money in my possession.

Like $543.28.

Hey, I didn't say I was good at the math, I just said I'd have a lot. This is no reflection on you, Mr. Benson, my awesome 5th Grade Math teacher. I may not be smarter than a 5th Grader anymore, but I can bake better than one, so it evens itself out. 

All I'm trying to say is that teachers earn and deserve their paychecks. Sit down with one and ask them all that they do. You may be surprised.

Show them your love and support. You'll get back so much more than what you give.

Even if it has to be explained by using a Venn Diagram, word problems, or by opening your Calculus book and turning to page 146. 

*Groan*.

IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

  

2¼ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1¼ cup packed brown sugar 

1 egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

¾ cup Irish cream Liqueur 
1 teaspoon Irish whiskey, optional
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts OR ½ cup of both

That's right. Chocolate Cheesecake Pops. There are no words.

Wanna know the best part? With my version, you can even eat the stick. Hazardous to the hips, but environment friendly to the landfill. 

All the more you should eat them. 

Waste over waist.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE POPS*

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste (extract works fine as well)

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon lemon zest

24 Pocky Sticks OR 24 lollipop sticks. Pocky Sticks come in a box of 24, but you'll want extra in case of breakage....and this will happen.
16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate squares
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

* These can be made gluten-free! Omit graham cracker crumbs and use crushed crispy rice cereal.

Preheat oven at 350ºF.

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and flour together until creamy. Add eggs, lemon zest, and milk and mix until combined.

I used Pocky sticks in place of lollipop sticks for an extra treat. These are sold in most grocery or convenient stores, so you shouldn't have a problem finding them. If you do use these, it's VERY important that you use extra caution as they will break very easily if you're a bit heavy handed. I placed mine in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate from melting and some added support. 

Place one stick in the center of the cheesecake balls and freeze for several hours, overnight for best results. 

Funny enough, these bars have been deemed a 'homemade version' of the ever popular KitKat Bars, but as a *a-hem* professional KitKat connoisseur, I don't think they taste anything like them. In fact, I think they favor more so on the side of a Twix bar, which is equally amazing. Either way, these bars have the satisfying factors of both, but in their own delicious way. The best part about these bars is that no oven is required. 
I'm going to go and enjoy a nice conversation with my buddy Walter while noshing on these, but I implore you make these. 

You'll be happy you did. 

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen's Best Desserts Magazine

Club Crackers or Toppables Crackers (in Canada), about 2 sleeves

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup milk

⅓ cup sugar

⅔ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup butterscotch chips

Sprinkles, if desired

To all the superhero Dads. Today is all about you. Enjoy and be blessed, because you truly are.

I wish you the best Father's Day ever.  

Thank God it's Saturday. Oh, and thankful I am.

Yesterday, I did not once proclaim, 'Thank God it's Friday!' If I did, it would have implied that I was happy it was Friday and could deal with the day's worth of issues because tomorrow was Saturday.

Yeah, not so much. Not this time.

I had the *craziest* week. I can't remember the last time I felt so many emotions in one go. It was ridiculous. I won't bore you will all the details of my going-ons, but trust me when I say that if I had a button to stop the world just so I could get off, I would have pushed in on Tuesday at 7am. It's like the saying goes, 'When it rains, it pours'. Someone for sure got that right. It's also like the....sorry, I'm going to stop. Now. I'm starting to sound like those frustrating friends that put vague statuses on their Facebook page.

Yeah, and can we just talk about that for one quick second? Seriously, what is that? We all have at least ONE friend on our list that does this, so I know you know what I'm talking about.

"Jane Bag of Doughnuts is weighing out the options..." or "Jane Bag of Doughnuts is hoping for the best...." or "Jane Bag of Doughnuts thinks it's a good thing this has happened..." 

And that's ALL they give you.  

Really? REALLY? You're gonna make me go there? You're going to make me ask, "What options, Jane?" "What's going on?" "Are you alright Jane?" Even when I feel like indulging them and ask, I still don't get an answer much of the time! Why Jane? I deserve at least that much. Of course I care about you and truly hope you're okay, but don't make it like pulling teeth. It's frustrating as all get out.

However, I don't need a Facebook status to say these muffins are incredible, but they are. Oh, they are. The weekend already looks brighter.

"I think it's a great idea..." 

"...to make these muffins! Now."

Don't worry, I'd never leave you hanging. 

Unless you're hanging off the side of a skyscraper. Then it's all you baby.

INSIDE OUT CARROT CAKE MUFFINS

Recipe adapted and slightly modified from King Arthur Flour 

FILLING

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

2¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg

¾ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¼ cup buttermilk

½ cup water

⅓ cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup grated carrots

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.  

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, beat the eggs, butter, buttermilk, water, and vanilla together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fold in the grated carrots.  

Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup, making sure to completely cover the bottoms. 

Drop about a tablespoon of filling into each cup on top of batter. I piped the filling into the centers of the muffins as it was less of a mess and I knew that the filling would be right in the middle.

Cover with enough batter to fill the muffin cups. You can sprinkle with sanding sugar if you like. We added pink sanding sugar to half of the muffins because, well, why not?

Bake for 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the muffin (not the filling) and it comes out clean. 

Yields: 12 muffins.

What is a Samoa you ask?

Well, if you guessed a country, then technically yes, you'd be absolutely right, but not in this case. If you weren't raised in the beautiful US of A, there is a pretty good chance you have no idea what I'm even talking about.

Samoas are a gorgeous cookie confection consisting of coconut, caramel, and chocolate the Girl Scout Organization have locked and loaded in their arsenal of deliciousness every year. Keebler came out with a version of them several years ago called, 'Coconut Dreams' and Canada has their own version, called 'No Name Caramel Chocolate Cookies'. I know, sexy, right?

When I saw the amazing cupcake version of these, I was like, "Why and how did I not think to create this masterpiece?" Seriously though, why did I not think of this?

Oh, I know why. Because I was too busy eating the box of actual Samoas to do anything about it. That and I'm a bit lazy when it comes to creating - but thankfully I wasn't too lazy to get off my tush and make these.

I'm not kidding folks. These cupcakes are kick ass.

Consider them the Chuck Norris of cupcakes. Just don't tell Chuck I said that. I'm not too sure he'd be thrilled his name and the word 'cupcake' are in the same sentence.

And I'd hate to show him up.



CAKE:
1 box devil's food cake mix, plus ingredients needed to make cake
2 boxes Coconut Dreams OR No Name Brand Caramel Chocolate Cookies

CARAMEL FROSTING:
Frosting adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

GARNISH:
12 cookies, cut in half
1 cup toasted coconut
½ cup chocolate chips, melted

To toast the coconut, spread the coconut onto a rimmed sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven, stirring frequently, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes. 

To make caramel, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir in the salt and brown sugar and heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Use caution as mixture will bubble up once milk is added. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla. Allow caramel to set at room temperature, about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2-12 cup muffing tins with liners. Drop one cookie into tin, chocolate side up.



Prepare cake mix according to box. Fill liners about ¾ of the way.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer cakes to rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For Caramel Frosting:

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat caramel and slowly add powdered sugar. Mix until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as you go. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.

Yields: 24 cupcakes.