Tag Archives: butter

Hawaiian Dream Cookies

Posted on by

2

As promised, here is a photo of me from prom this past weekend!

Senior Prom 2013

I did not ask permission to post a picture of my date, but he’s not that important anyways right? ;) In all seriousness, he is actually a really great guy and was super fun to spend the day with.  Can’t believe I have no more high school dances left EVER!

Senior Prom 2013

I really don’t have a ton to share about prom, there wasn’t any major drama worth sharing so let’s move onto these ahhh-mazing cookies I baked up!

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

I’m sure many of you have tasted or heard of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

I’m a huge fan. I particularly love macadamia nuts, which are sort of a special treat for me because they are super duper expen$ive here in the non-tropical Midwest. I decided to treat myself and bake up some cookies made with a match made in heaven-coconut and macadamia nuts.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

All I have to say is, you MUST try this recipe. These cookies are everything you need and more.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies (Hawaiian Dream Cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup white  sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups coconut

3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  2. Cream together butter and sugars using a mixer. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Add in salt, baking soda, and flours. Stir in coconut with mixer. Fold in nuts by hand or slowly using the mixer
  3. Drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet by the teaspoonful and bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes or until edges are golden. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then let finish cooling on wire rack for about 5 minutes. Enjoy! Store leftovers in sealed container.

Random Fact of the Day: A sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles per hour.

Hawaiian Dream Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Related articles

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Posted on by

2

Eeeek! Prom is tomorrow. I feel like I was seriously just writing the overview of prom weekend from last year, weird how the time flies!!

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

I’ve been my uber busy self this week. It is like everything that I need to do for senior year has been piled into one week. We have AP tests starting this Monday after prom weekend (yeah, our school is that cruel) and then I had senior night for soccer last night, the soccer program pasta dinner Wednesday night, a game Tuesday night, and several tests and practice AP tests throughout the week that the teachers have been throwing at us to be prepared for next week.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Thankfully, my dress was bought and altered with plenty of time before this week and my appointments were scheduled for hair and such pretty far out to be sure I got the time I wanted. Oh and another nice little twist to throw in for my prom weekend?…we have a soccer game. Yep, same thing as last year.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

My coach insists EVERY year to schedule a game on the day of prom, so then we all get to sprint from the game to our appointments with hardly a shower. I guess he likes to keep us busy.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Enough with the prom talk, I’m sure I will have plenty to say after the weekend. Let’s talk about these bars! I have never had a nanaimo bar, but had heard about them and have been intrigued for a while now. This is a peanut butter version, and guys…you NEED these in your life! They are super decadent little bites of a chocolate-coconut graham cracker crust, with a smooth peanut butter filling, topped with a thin shell of chocolate. Yum!

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

(Makes 36 small bars)

FOR CRUST:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (I used dark)

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups (1 sleeve/9 crackers) graham cracker crumbs

1 cup shredded coconut

FOR MIDDLE LAYER:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

2 Tablespoons vanilla pudding powder

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR TOP LAYER:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate

  1. Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in a double boiler until fully incorporated (don’t let it come to a boil). Add the beaten egg and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Press down firmly into an ungreased 8 x8-inch or 9 x9-inch pan. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 
  2. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, instant pudding powder, and powdered sugar, until light and fluffy. Spread filing over crust layer in an even layer. Pop pan in fridge for about 30 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
  3. Melt the chocolate for the top layer, spread over the filling and spread out evenly with a knife or spatula. Let sit in fridge for about 1 hour, then slice into bars and keep in sealed container. I keep them in the fridge to stay firm.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: Only 1 out of 700 identity thieves gets caught

Related articles

Banana Crumb Cake

Posted on by

1

Over this past week I have realized how much I truly appreciate my family.  I love my parents with all my heart but, as I have gotten older, I have grown to be increasingly thankful for my brother and sister.

Banana Crumb Cake | Beautiful Disasters

This past weekend was the last weekend I was able to visit my sister at college (the same college that I will be attending next year). She is graduating in just a couple short weeks and even though I have already visited her twice by myself for “fun visits” (without parents), I wanted to squeeze in one more visit before we both graduate and I head off to the University of Illinois. Brooke is always a great host, she always lets me borrow whatever clothes I want, and  we hardly ever argue anymore like how we did when we were younger. She’s my best friend in the world, who I know I will always be able to trust.  I am super thankful to have a sister. My mom always says, “Friends come and go, but sisters are forever”, and that is certainly something I believe in full-heartedly.

Banana Crumb Cake | Beautiful Disasters

Now that I have gushed over my sister, Brooke, I think it is time to rave about my big brother, Jack.  Let me start out by saying that my brother was not the most organized guy when he was a teenager.  Birthday presents from him usually went something like him driving me over to Borders and me picking out some books, or maybe a gift card of a place I picked out. Teenagers are busy (as I know very well of right now in my life) and birthday presents often seem silly or too much effort to try and be creative.

Banana Crumb Cake | Beautiful Disasters

Fast-forward to present day and now my brother is Mr. Organized with birthday gifts.  It was my mom’s birthday recently and even though he lives across the country in LA, HE bought the present for my mom (which I still need to pay him back for) and had it sent to a local Best Buy, where all I had to do was drive over and pick it up!

When I got home from my visit at U of I with my sister this weekend my mom told me that my Jack had a surprise for me. I was kind of like ok…what kind of joke is this going to be?  The surprise? These gorgeous BCBG earrings that he bought for me to wear to my prom. Yes, feel free to cry everyone. I mean..what?!  I was not expecting that one at all!! Anyways, I owe a big ‘ol THANK YOU to Jack and Brooke for being rockstar siblings. Love you both with all my heart!

Banana Crumb Cake | Beautiful Disasters

On to banana crumb cake!  I am super pumped to share this recipe with you all. Oh my gosh…so good! The night I made it, my dad ate probably about 1/4 of the 13″ x 9″ pan!!! I KNEW he would like this one, as he is the banana king and loves basically anything associated with bananas (food-wise).

However, this was actually a request from my mom, so I guess I am just trying to make the whole family happy with this post today. Must be that I am getting close to high school graduation and starting to feel sentimental and stuff… yikes.

Banana Crumb Cake

(Makes one 13″x9″ cake)

3 bananas, ripened

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and spray a 13″x9″ baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. Using a mixer, beat bananas and sugar until liquidy and combined. Mix in butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add in flours, baking soda, and salt. Mix in milk until thoroughly combined.
  3. In a smaller separate bowl, mix together crumble toppings with hands or fork until crumbly.
  4. Pour half the batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, sprinkle half the crumb mixture on top, pour remaining batter over top, add final layer of remaining crumb mixture. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Let cool and enjoy! Cover leftovers in container or with plastic wrap.

Banana Crumb Cake | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee. Of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.

Related articles

Sour Cream Bundt Coffee Cake

Posted on by

1

When I was younger and my mom did all the baking in the house, it was always such a treat whenever she made her sour cream coffee cake (my grandma’s recipe).  You would smell the baking cake with cinnamon and a toasted nutty aroma.

Coffee Cake Bundt Cake | Beautiful Disasters

It certainly is something that will make you jump out of your bed in the morning!

Coffee Cake Bundt Cake | Beautiful Disasters

I decided to try something new and bake it in a tube pan…er…but found out later it was actually one of my grandma’s old jello molds. It was actually kind of a funny accident but only because, thankfully, it was oven-safe! I made one larger-mediumish cake and then one smaller cake. But this recipe would fit one regular, large tube pan.

Coffee Cake Bundt Cake | Beautiful Disasters

Cakes in bundt form are just more exciting than the classic ‘ol rectangular coffee cake, am I right?? Enjoy the layered goodness in this coffee cake because, trust me, it is worth savoring.

Sour Cream Bundt Coffee Cake

(Makes 1 large bundt cake)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

FOR TOPPING:

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F and spray a large tube or bundt pan with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly add in flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in sour cream just until combined, be sure to scrape down the sides for everything to be completely incorporated.
  3. In a small, separate bowl, combine chopped walnut, 3/4 cup sugar, and ground cinnamon with a fork or whisk until evenly combined.
  4. Pour half the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan, then half the topping mixture, then the remaining batter, finish with the remaining topping mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for about 20 minutes, then use a knife to loosen the cake around the edges, invert onto cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely. Enjoy! When not eating, cover with plastic wrap or in sealed container to avoid dryness.

Coffee Cake Bundt Cake | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: There are more than 50,000 earthquakes throughout the world every year!

Related articles

Toasted Coconut Double Chocolatey Cookies

Posted on by

1

It is no secret that my family has a fascination with coconut, particularly when it is teamed up with it’s bestie, chocolate.

Toasted Coconut Double Chocolatey Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

All during Lent I was CRAVING to bake like you wouldn’t believe (reason for approximately a million quick bread recipes).  Because my family gives up treats for Lent, it is really hard for me to keep coming up with new things for the blog. Yes, I could make real entrees with cooked veggies and shenanigans like that, but the problem with me and cooking “real” meals is that I often eat at a different time than the rest of my family. Or an average human.

Whenever I get home from school I am STARVING. My lunch at school is at 9:40 AM. Yes. Take it in. Many of you are probably still chowing down on breakfast at that time. Sooo I basically go ham on my fridge when I get home and eat a dinner then. That is sometimes  at 3 PM. Okay, 3 PM dinner is rare, but 4 Pm (retirement home time), that is quite common for me.

Toasted Coconut Double Chocolatey Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Eating dinner at 4PM is usually a solo occasion because my mom and dad are either still working or like not even thinking about dinner. So there is my overly long explanation of why I baked you guys these cookies. Actually they were more for my favorite with their favorite flavors in mind, but I hope you try them and love them as much as we did!

Toasted Coconut Double Chocolatey Cookies

(Makes 1-2 dozen small cookies)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used dark)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt (regular salt is fine too)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup sweetened coconut, toasted (toast coconut on a rimmed baking sheet in a 300˚ F oven for 8 minutes, shuffle with spatula half-way through)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (minis work really well, but I have used regular-sized and they’re stil great!)

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 
  2. Sift together flours, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a large stand mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Slowly mix in sifted dry ingredients until completely combined. Finally, mix in toasted coconut and chocolate chips.
  4. Drop dough onto cookie sheet by the teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart, and flatten down slightly to about 1/2″ thick. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for about 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in sealed container.

Toasted Coconut Double Chocolatey Cookies | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: There are 365 steps on the front of the U.S. Capitol Building – one for every day of the year. Not sure why you would need a step for each day of the year (and what about leap years??)

Related articles