Creative Cooks

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PEEPs Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Yield: 8 inch cake, serves 14-18

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Icing
1 1/2 cups salted butter
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
10-11 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp peppermint extract
3/4 cup water or milk
Red icing color
3/4 cup cocoa

Chocolate Ganache
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Additional ingredients
PEEPS® Chocolate Dipped Candy Cane Flavored Chicks
2-3 candy canes, chopped

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DIY Heart Cake

You Will Need

1 square cake pan (about 8 inches)
1 round cake pan (about 8 inches but the same size as the square pan)
2 containers of frosting
1 box of cake mix (usually you’ll need oil, water, and eggs for the mix)
Sprinkles (optional)
Non-stick spray

Directions

Prepare the square and circle cake pans with non-stick spray
Gather all of the ingredients according to your cake mix of choice (or make a homemade recipe!)
Mix all of the ingredients until smooth
Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the square pan and 1/2 into the circle pan. Eye ball the cake batter to make sure the thickness of it in each pan looks similar.
Bake the cakes according to the cake mix recipe
Remove the cakes from their pans
Cut the circle cake in half evenly
Position the square cake so it looks like a diamond, then place each half of the circle cake on top
Place the cake on a large plate or cake board. If you don’t have one, use wax paper or parchment paper and place the cake where you plan to serve it.
Liberally apply the frosting. It’s so easy! The frosting will fill in the imperfections and it will connect the 3 pieces
Add sprinkles, icing letters, birthday candles, whatever you want:)

Pecan Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting
Total Time Prep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling Makes 20 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup Biscoff creamy cookie spread
1/4 cup 2% milk


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking pan.
Place pecans and sugars in a food processor; process until ground. In a large bowl, cream butter and pecan mixture until blended. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in syrup and milk. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating well.
Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
In a large bowl, combine all frosting ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread over cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Tips
This dense cake has a hint of maple flavor and a sweet cookie butter frosting.
If you don't have reduced-fat milk on hand, fat-free or whole milk can be used instead.

Raspberry and Pink Peppercorn Meringues Recipe
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling Yield: 48 Servings

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch salt
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon raspberry extract
5 to 8 drops food coloring, optional
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
2 tablespoons whole pink peppercorns, crushed

Directions
Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Beat in extract and food coloring if desired.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a large star tip. Fill bag with egg white mixture. Pipe 1-1/4-in.-diameter cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 300° for 20-25 minutes or until set and dry. (Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour.) Remove to wire racks.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; sprinkle with peppercorns. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 4 dozen.

Portuguese Custard Tartlets
Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 18

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, softened
All-purpose flour, for work surface
2 (14-oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry (such as Dufour), thawed
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Powdered sugar

Directions

Lightly grease 18 wells of a standard-size muffin tray with butter. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 15-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick). Using a 5-inch round cookie cutter (or cutting around a 5-inch-diameter bowl), cut out 9 pastry rounds (the number of rounds per sheet may vary according to brand). Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet. Tuck puff pastry rounds into prepared muffin wells; cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Heat heavy cream, orange zest, and vanilla bean and scraped seeds in a small saucepan over medium; bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat; cover with lid. Set aside, and let steep for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until thickened and pale yellow. Gradually add steeped cream, whisking constantly. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Set custard filling aside.
Place paper liners inside each pastry-lined muffin well. Add pie weights or dried beans to liners; bake in preheated oven until pastry is set around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully remove paper liners and pie weights from muffin tray, and return tray to oven. Bake at 425°F until bottoms of pastry become opaque and slightly firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Divide custard filling evenly among pastry shells (about 2 1/2 tablespoons per shell). Bake until lightly golden and custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool in muffin tray 5 minutes. Transfer pastry shells to wire racks, and let cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve warm or at room temperature. Tartlets may be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cinnamon-Apple Brown Betty
Total Time Prep: 15 min. Cook: 2 hours Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

5 medium tart apples, cubed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter, melted
6 cups cubed day-old cinnamon-raisin bread (about 10 slices)
Sweetened whipped cream, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. In a large bowl, drizzle butter over bread cubes; toss to coat.
Place 2 cups bread cubes in a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Layer with half of the apple mixture and 2 cups bread cubes. Repeat layers. Cook, covered, on low 2-3 hours or until apples are tender. Stir before serving. If desired, top with whipped cream.

Root Beer Pie
Time: 8 hours 15 minutes Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package imitation whipped topping, thawed and divided
3/4 cup root beer, cold
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 (3-4-ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
maraschino cherries, optional, for topping

Directions

Step 1 - Reserve 1/2 cup of the whipped topping in the fridge.
Step 2 - In a large bowl, whisk the root beer, milk, and pudding mix for two minutes.
Step 3 - Fold in 1/2 of the remaining whipped topping.
Step 4 - Spread the mixture into the graham cracker crust.
Step 5 - Spread the remaining 1/2 of the whipped topping over the pie filling.
Step 6 - Freeze for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 7 - Serve with dollops of the reserved whipped topping and the maraschino cherries.

Cheesecake Summer Fruit Salad

Ingredients

2 cups Strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
1 cup Blueberries, washed and dried
1 cup Raspberries, washed and dry
2 cups Blackberries, washed and dry
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz cool whip - thawed

Instructions

Slice and wash your berries, then lay them on paper towels to dry.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it becomes smooth.
Add your sugar and cool whip & Continue mix until it becomes a smooth.
Scoop half of your mixture into a bowl and begin to add your fruit.
Gently fold in mixture until completely combined.
Add the rest of the fruit and cheesecake mixture.
Gently fold in mixture until completely combined.
Chill until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY EGG ROLL
PREP TIME 15 mins COOK TIME 15 mins TOTAL TIME 30 mins Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely diced strawberries
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
⅛ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup cold water
6 egg roll shells/wrappers
Oil, for frying
Optional: serve with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, fresh whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixing bowl, combine diced strawberries, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour and water. Set aside.
Begin heating oil to 375-degrees F in a heavy bottom pot.
Lay individual egg roll wrapper on a clean, flat surface with a corner pointed toward you (so it looks like a diamond shape). Place about 1½ tablespoons of strawberry mixture near the closest corner. Fold the corner closest to you over the filling. Use your finger to paint the water/flour mixture on remaining exposed edges. Evenly and snuggly fold in sides of the wonton wrapper. Finish by rolling the egg roll up to close. Make sure it is sealed up tight with no holes showing. Repeat for each egg roll. Cover and refrigerate until oil is ready for frying.
Gently place prepared egg rolls into 375-degree oil and cook until golden brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from oil and place on paper towels until cool enough to serve.
Serve with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and/or fresh whipped cream.