Grilled S'mores!

Summer will be gone in less than a week.

And while I'm REALLY excited for Fall,

(Hello boots, scarves and sweaters!!!),

I'm going to miss a few things about Summer.

And one of those things is s'mores!

Of course you can make s'mores year-round,

but there's just something about the hot Summer months

that just make it perfect for s'more making!!!

I even started my Summer making them Memorial Day weekend at the beach.

Now if you're like me and crave s'more year round,

I have a super easy solution for you!

Having a nice bonfire to roast your marshmallow is nice,

but it's not a necessity for s'more making.

I bought a grill this Summer and was grilling everything possible.

I quickly realized I didn't need a bonfire to make s'more,

and could use my newly purchased grill instead.

You don't get the same effect as sitting around a fire, but they're just as tasty!!!

The Goods:

Large Marshmallows*

Chocolate Bars

Graham Crackers

*I purchased S'mores specific marshmallows with HIGH hopes,

but sadly they didn't roast as easily as regular large marshmallows.

The weight distribution seemed off or something.

Get all your ingredients prepped before starting to roast your marshmallows.

My grill has easily removable plates,

so I took them off to get closer to the flame.

Roast the marshmallows on a stick like usual.

Once your marshmallow is golden brown and gooey,

 sandwich between two graham crackers and some chocolate.

Take a bite of the deliciousness,

 getting marshmallow all over your face,

and enjoy this yummy treat!

Whiskey Wednesday: Kickin' Blood Orange Spritzer

Happy Wednesday guys!!!

Over a year ago, I started a fun new blog series - 

Whiskey Wednesday!!!

If you missed them, here are past posts:
Irish Mule
 Mint Julep
Bourbon & Sparkling Lemonade
Irish Redhead
Old Fashion
Jameson Coke Floats
Bourbon Cherry Coke
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
Hot Toddy
Whiskey Sour
Sage Brown Derby

Strawberry Whiskey Smash
Gold Rush
Blackberry Whiskey Punch

As you can see, I've made quite a few whiskey drinks so far.
Whenever I run across a recipe that sounds appealing,
I make a note to make it soon and include it in this monthly blog series.

While I originally set out to make a variation of this recipe,

I wasn't able to track down blood oranges or even blood orange juice,

so I did the next best thing and created a brand new drink!

The Goods:

Whiskey

Orange Juice

Blood Orange San Pellegrino

Jalapeno

Get all your ingredients prepped and measured out.

Add ice, whiskey, orange juice and sliced jalapenos 

to a cocktail shaker and shake for about 30 seconds. 

Strain mixture into two small glasses.

The liquid should fill about half of each glass.

Finally, top with chilled Blood Orange San Pellegrino.

Cheers your friend, take a sip and enjoy!

Warning - there's quite a kick to these from the jalapenos!!!

Kickin' Blood Orange Spritzer

(Makes 2 Drinks)

4 Ounces Whiskey

1/2 Cup Orange Juice

1 Can Blood Orange San Pellegrino

1 Fresh Jalapeno, Sliced

1. Add ice, whiskey, orange juice and sliced jalapenos to a cocktail shaker and shake for about 30 seconds. 
2. Strain mixture into two small glasses. It should fill about half of each glass.
3. Finally, top with chilled Blood Orange San Pellegrino.
4. Cheers your friend, take a sip and enjoy!

Baked Donut Monday: Chocolate Chip Donuts!

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about some super tasty

CHOCOLATE CHIP DONUTS!!!

After making six different types of baked donuts,
I was stumped what type to make next,
but then I found this recipe with three different options!

While all of them sounded absolutely amazing,
I went with the Chocolate Chip ones this month
because hello - CHOCOLATE!!!

The Goods:

Butter

Vegetable Oil

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Eggs

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Ground Nutmeg

Salt

Vanilla

All-Purpose Flour

Almond Milk

Mini Chocolate Chips

Powdered Sugar

Add butter, vegetable oil, sugar and brown sugar to a mixing bowl.

Then beat it all together until smooth.

Next add two eggs and beat again to combine.

Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

Add the vanilla and mix again.

Now it's time to add the flour to the batter, alternately with the milk.

Start with half the flour and mix it in.

Then add all the milk and mix again.

And finish with the rest of the flour mixing once more.

Dump in the chocolate chips...

And carefully mix them into the batter!

 Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag.

Cut off the end of the zipper bag 

and fill your donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Remove baked donuts from oven, but keep them in the pan a few minutes.

Transfer donuts to wire racks and cool completely.

Then shake the donuts in your desired coating!

I did half with regular sugar, and half with powdered sugar.

Now pour yourself a glass of cold milk, dig in and ENJOY!!!

Past donut posts can be found here, here, here, here here and here!

Chocolate Chip Donuts

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Almond Milk

3/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Powdered Sugar

Sugar

1. Add butter, vegetable oil, sugar and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
2. Add the two eggs and beat again to combine.
3. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
4. Add the vanilla and mix again.
5. Now add the flour to the batter, alternately with the milk. Start with half the flour and mix it in. Next add the milk and mix to combine. Then finish with the rest of the flour mixing once more.
6. Dump in the chocolate chips and carefully mix them into the batter.
7. Transfer donut batter into large zipper bag and fill donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full. 
8. Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes, depending on your oven.
9. Remove baked donuts from oven, but keep them in the pan a few minutes.
10. Transfer donuts to wire racks and cool completely.
11. Lastly, shake donuts in a plastic bag with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the desired coating.

Baked Donut Monday: Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles!

First off - wow!

I'm pretty sure that's the longest title this blog has ever had!

I honestly couldn't think of a shorter way to put it. 

So just deal with it.

Moving on...

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about some super tasty

BAKED RED VELVET DONUTS!!!

But what's Red Velvet without Cream Cheese Frosting?

And really - you can't forget the Rainbow Sprinkles either!

Enough talking out of me...

Let me show you how to make them!

The Goods:

Butter

Sugar

Vanilla Extract

Eggs

Cake Flour

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Salt

Milk

White Vinegar

Red Food Coloring

Cream Cheese

Powdered Sugar

The recipe I used called for Buttermilk.

But I hardly ever buy it at the store,

and just end up making my own!

How you ask?

Using regular milk and either vinegar or lemon juice.

This site has a great explanation on how it's made! 

Get your dry ingredients ready. 

Whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, 

baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Set aside. 

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined.

Add half the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the buttermilk, vinegar and remaining dry ingredients.

Mix until everything is fully combined.

Tint batter with red food coloring until desired color is reached.

Transfer batter to a zipper bag.

Cut off the the tip of the zipper bag and fill your donut pan 1/2 to 3/4 full. 

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, 

cool in the pan another minute.

Then cool completely on a wire rack.

Now time to make the frosting!!!

Mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Add in the vanilla and 1 teaspoon of milk until incorporated.

For a thinner frosting, add the remaining milk and combine.

Transfer frosting to bag and pipe onto cooled donuts!

Package up and deliver them to someone lucky!

And of course share them with a friend!!!

If you've missed my past baked donut posts,

you can find them here and here.

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles Donut Recipe

Donuts Adapted from Spoonful of Flavor

Frosting Adapted from Amy's Healthy Baking

For the donuts:

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups cake flour

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk

3 teaspoons white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon red food coloring

For the frosting:

6 tablespoons cream cheese - softened

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and mix together.
5. Add the butter milk, vinegar and remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Gradually add red food coloring until desired color is reached.
7. Transfer donut batter into large zipper bag and fill donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full. 
8. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool on a wire rack. 
9. Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar.
10. Add in vanilla and 1 teaspoon of milk until well incorporated. Add remaining milk for thinner consistency. 
11. Transfer frosting into a new zipper bag and pipe onto donuts.
12. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles to your liking!

Baked Donut Monday: Apple Cinnamon!

At my office, we have Bagel Fridays every week.

Recently a coworker told me she wished we had donuts instead.

I've taken homemade donuts to work on a Monday more than once,

so as soon as she said she wished we got donuts and not bagels,

I immediately had a light bulb go off in my head!

I've decided to make Baked Donut Monday into a blog series.

I'm hoping to post a NEW baked donut recipe every 1st Monday of the month!

Make sure to check back each month for something new.

For the very first Baked Donut Monday post, 

I'm going to tell you all about some delicious

APPLE CINNAMON DONUTS!!!

The Goods:

Flour

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Salt

Cinnamon

Egg

Apple Butter

Vanilla

Honey

Apple Juice

Sour Cream

Vegetable Oil

Butter (Oops! Not pictured!)

(Full Recipe at bottom of post!)

I was inspired by this recipe on a blog I read often.

Silly me, I didn't read the recipe fully the first time,

and when I went to make it, I was missing Apple Butter.

So I tried to make do, but I didn't love the end result.

After purchasing the Apple Butter weeks later,

I decided to try again, but was now without Apple Cider.

I didn't want to buy a HUGE jug of it,

so I substituted Apple Juice for the Apple Cider

and made a few other small changes too.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Grease your donut pan and set aside.

Now get to work making the dough!

In one large bowl, combine the following:

flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar.

In another large bowl, combine the following:

egg, apple butter, vanilla, honey, apple juice, sour cream and oil.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

After making a few batches of donuts,

I've found it's easiest to transfer your dough to a gallon zipper bag.

This will make filling the donut pan MUCH easier!

 Cut off the the tip of the zipper bag and fill your donut pan 1/2 to 3/4 full. 

Bake for about 10 minutes, remove from oven and start cooling in the pan.

After a few minutes, remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

While they're cooling, get your topping ingredients ready.

Simply melt your butter in the microwave 

and combine your cinnamon and sugar in a separate dish.

Your donuts should still be slightly warm and it's time to finish them.

Brush both sides with the melted butter...

Then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.

And then they're done!

(Note - there are so many here because I doubled the recipe.)

I didn't wanted to be temped by all those donuts, 

so I packaged some up for neighbors...

Then I ate one (ok maybe two!) 

and got the rest ready to take to work!

Apple Cinnamon Donut Recipe

Adapted from Christina's Recipe

For the donuts:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons canola oil

For the topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar. 
3. In another large bowl, whisk the egg, apple butter, vanilla extract, honey, apple cider, sour cream and oil. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer.
5. Transfer donut batter into large zipper bag and fill donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full. 
6. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool on a wire rack. 
7. While donuts are cooling, melt butter for the topping in a microwave safe dish. 
8. In a separate dish, combine the remaining sugar with the cinnamon. 
9. Brush both sides of the donut with butter and roll in sugar mixture until coated.

Makes 8 to 10 donuts.

(Note - I had so many because I doubled the above recipe!)

Don't forget to check back in April for the next yummy donut!!!