My mother always made this cake for us growing up, and it has now become a staple in my home as well. It is very simple to make and is a great alternative to the classic pumpkin pie.
Ingredients:
1 lg can pumpkin
Yellow cake mix (I usually buy the deluxe, with pudding in it...makes it even more moist)
3 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup softened butter
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Mix 1 egg, melted butter, and cake mix minus 1 cup (save for topping). Press into a greased and floured 13x9 cake pan.
Beat 2 eggs well and mix with pumpkin, milk, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Pour into pan on top of cake.
Mix remaining 1 cup of cake mix, softened butter, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, cutting together until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of pumpkin.
Bake at 350* for 1 hour 10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool and serve with whipped cream topping.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
I have been making this recipe for years, and it is always a hit at every get together. I have coveted it for all this time, but decided after numerous requests, that I will finally share it with you guys. The recipe calls for it being made in cheesecake pans, but I have also made this as mini cheesecakes in the baby baking cups/mini muffin pans (see photo) and they turn out fantastic (which is great for a party).
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 lb softened cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 lb caramel cubes
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
4 cups apples peeled, cored, and medium diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are my favorites to use)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
Preheat the oven to 325*
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1/4 cup sugar, cutting together until the crumbs are soft and hold their shape.
Press into the bottom of 2 8" springform cheesecake pans
Combine the cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a bowl and beat at medium speed until the sugar is dissolved and the cheese is fluffy.
Mix the heavy cream and caramel pieces together over a warm water bath. Stir frequently until the caramel has melted completely. Remove from the heat and cool.
Mix the sour cream, eggs and vanilla with a whisk until the are completely combined.
Slowly add to the cream cheese and mix until it is smooth and combined.
Add the melted caramel, mixing until it is completely absorbed by the cheese mixture.
Mix together the apples, cinnamon, and 1/8 cup sugar, coating the apples completely.
Pour the apples into the cheese mixture, stirring until mixed in thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the two cake pans with the crust until the pans are 2/3 full.
Place the cakes on a sheet pan, and pour some water on the pan so that it is 1/8 of the way full.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the cheesecake puffs in the center and the top is a light golden brown.
Cool completely and then remove from the pans, placing on a serving platter.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve (I usually chill overnight)
Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 lb softened cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 lb caramel cubes
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
4 cups apples peeled, cored, and medium diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are my favorites to use)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
Preheat the oven to 325*
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1/4 cup sugar, cutting together until the crumbs are soft and hold their shape.
Press into the bottom of 2 8" springform cheesecake pans
Combine the cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a bowl and beat at medium speed until the sugar is dissolved and the cheese is fluffy.
Mix the heavy cream and caramel pieces together over a warm water bath. Stir frequently until the caramel has melted completely. Remove from the heat and cool.
Mix the sour cream, eggs and vanilla with a whisk until the are completely combined.
Slowly add to the cream cheese and mix until it is smooth and combined.
Add the melted caramel, mixing until it is completely absorbed by the cheese mixture.
Mix together the apples, cinnamon, and 1/8 cup sugar, coating the apples completely.
Pour the apples into the cheese mixture, stirring until mixed in thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the two cake pans with the crust until the pans are 2/3 full.
Place the cakes on a sheet pan, and pour some water on the pan so that it is 1/8 of the way full.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the cheesecake puffs in the center and the top is a light golden brown.
Cool completely and then remove from the pans, placing on a serving platter.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve (I usually chill overnight)
Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The first time I made this recipe I thought I was in heaven. I love this time of year because of all the yummy pumpkin infused goodness that comes with it, and this recipe is definitely one of those your family will look forward to each year.
Ingredients:
1 1 to 1 1/4 lb pumpkin
3 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups eggnog
5 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup golden raisins
8 cups french bread cut up into 1" cubes
Warm Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350*.
Cut pumpkin into quarters, cleaning out seeds and strings.
Place pumpkin, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until almost tender.
Remove peel, cut baked pumpkin into 3/4" cubes.
In a large bowl, stir together milk, eggnog, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spice. Sprinkle raisins on the bottom of an ungreased 3 quart rectangular baking dish.
Spread bread over raisins.
Pour egg/milk mixture over the bread. Let it sit for 5 minutes, letting the bread saturate slightly.
Carefully stir in the cubed pumpkin.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the pudding is puffy and a toothpick comes out of the center cleanly.
Cool pudding slightly (it will fall in the center, that's okay!) and then drizzle with warm caramel sauce.
Warm Caramel Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt 10 caramel squares with 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
Stir in 1/4 tsp crushed anise seed and 1/4 tsp rum flavoring.
Cool slightly before pouring over pudding.
Ingredients:
1 1 to 1 1/4 lb pumpkin
3 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups eggnog
5 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup golden raisins
8 cups french bread cut up into 1" cubes
Warm Caramel Sauce (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350*.
Cut pumpkin into quarters, cleaning out seeds and strings.
Place pumpkin, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until almost tender.
Remove peel, cut baked pumpkin into 3/4" cubes.
In a large bowl, stir together milk, eggnog, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spice. Sprinkle raisins on the bottom of an ungreased 3 quart rectangular baking dish.
Spread bread over raisins.
Pour egg/milk mixture over the bread. Let it sit for 5 minutes, letting the bread saturate slightly.
Carefully stir in the cubed pumpkin.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the pudding is puffy and a toothpick comes out of the center cleanly.
Cool pudding slightly (it will fall in the center, that's okay!) and then drizzle with warm caramel sauce.
Warm Caramel Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt 10 caramel squares with 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
Stir in 1/4 tsp crushed anise seed and 1/4 tsp rum flavoring.
Cool slightly before pouring over pudding.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I decided the next couple week's recipes will be dedicated to some delicious and unique desserts you can make for you family get togethers. And since pumpkins and apples are fall traditions, they will be the basis of these recipes. Today is a wonderfully rich knock off of Cheesecake Factory's Pumpkin Cheesecake. It is decadent and creamy...everything you could want from a cheesecake.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbl melted unsalted butter
1 cup + 1 Tbl granulated sugar
3 8oz packages softened cream cheese
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350*
Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 Tbl sugar in a bowl. Cut together using a fork to coat the crumbs but keep it crumbly.
Press crumbs into bottom and 2/3 up the sides of a 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes and then set aside.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, and spices and beat until creamy.
Pour into the pan and bake 60-70 minutes until the top becomes a little golden
Cool to room temperature
Place in fridge and chill (preferably overnight)
Top with whipped cream and serve!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbl melted unsalted butter
1 cup + 1 Tbl granulated sugar
3 8oz packages softened cream cheese
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350*
Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 Tbl sugar in a bowl. Cut together using a fork to coat the crumbs but keep it crumbly.
Press crumbs into bottom and 2/3 up the sides of a 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes and then set aside.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, and spices and beat until creamy.
Pour into the pan and bake 60-70 minutes until the top becomes a little golden
Cool to room temperature
Place in fridge and chill (preferably overnight)
Top with whipped cream and serve!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Teacher Appreciation Apple Pot
| Now that back to school time is upon us, why not make a cute little apple pot as a gift for your new teacher! It is great for their desk, and can be used to store all sorts of things! Materials Needed:
|  |
| Instructions: Wipe down your terra cotta pot and saucer with a damp cloth and let dry completely. Paint the clay pot and saucer red (figure 1) - let dry. Paint a face on pot (figure 2). Paint the wooden spool green. Once all your paint is dry, spray it with the clear acrylic sealer.   Flip the saucer upside down and place it as a lid on top of the clay pot. Glue the wooden spool on to the bottom of the saucer (figure 3). Cut a small leaf shape out of fun foam and glue it to the wooden spool. Your apple is now done! A great place to keep treasures, candy, or other small items.  Of course, if you don't have the time to make a gift, you can still show your appreciation with a gift from our website. Our beaded badge holders make a wonderful teacher gift as it allows them to wear their school id badge with style. | |
Monday, August 8, 2011
Back to School Flower Pens
With it getting closer and closer to back-to-school time, we are going to start giving out some great tips on back-to-school crafts that will get your kids excited about going back. What better way to cheer them up than with flowers? This craft is for a flower topped pen or pencil.
You'll need: a silk flower, stick pen or mechanical twist pencil, super glue, and floral tape (optional items are crafters' tape (can usually be found in the scrapbooking aisles...it's double sided and will state that it holds ribbon, paper, etc) and ribbon)
-First, cut the stem off the silk flower to about 2" long.
-Strip off any rubber exposing just the wires.
-Place a dot of super glue under the flower and place it centered on top of the pen/pencil.
-Wrap the wires around the pen/pencil, keeping the flower centered on top of the pen/pencil.
-Now wrap the entire pen/pencil with floral tape to keep the wires covered and in place.
-If you want the "natural look, you are done! But if you want it to be brighter, keep going...
-Wrap the pen/pencil with the crafter's tape, removing the top side of protective paper as you go to expose the sticky side.
-Now wrap the pen/pencil with the ribbon, pressing gently to make sure it adheres as you go.
-Place a dot of super glue along the top seam and bottom seam of the ribbon just to give it added strength.
-Let it dry, and you are ready to write your schoolwork in a bright sunny style!
Of course if you don't feel you are crafty enough, or just don't have the time, we do sell these pens at my craft site Dayna Lane Gifts. Otherwise, have a great time getting ready for school and keep a lookout for more great back-to-school craft ideas!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sea Creatures Mask
So I've been inspired by my planning for our trip to Key West in August for the Lobsterfest craft fair to do some beach themed crafts. This one is a Sea Creature Mask and is a lot of fun to make, whether you can do it at the beach or at home in a sand box.
What you need:
Beach stuff such as shells, sea glass, driftwood, etc
Plaster of Paris
Water bucket
String
What to do:
In a perfect world, you would do this project at the beach, picking a moist hard packed strip of sand just above the wet tidal sand. But if you are landlocked, just pour some sand at least 3-4 inches deep and 10 inches tall (an old cake pan works great for this), and wet it and pack it tight.
1) Dig an oval/face shaped hole into the sand that measures about 5-8 inches tall by 2 inches deep.
2) Arrange you beach findings to make a face. Remember to tell your kids that they are looking at the face in reverse, so to put the side they want showing face down into the sand.
3) Mix the Plaster of Paris in the water bucket based on the package instructions (if you are lucky enough to be at the beach, just use seawater). A standard box will make 3-6 masks, depending on their sizes. Usually a think creamy consistency works best. Too runny and the plaster will seep under your findings and cover them up, too thick and the plaster will dislodge messing up the mask.
4) Pour the plaster over your hand, held about an inch or two above the hole, to break it's fall and make sure your findings don't get disturbed. Make the plaster layer about an inch thick.
5) Tie a knot at both ends of your string. When the plaster begins to thicken, press the knots into each side of the mask to create a hanger.
6) Once the plaster begins to harden, but is not too firm, dig the sand away from the mask (rather than just pulling the mask out). Then use water to gently wash away any flaws as you will have a few moments to manipulate the plaster's surface before it hardens completely.
Hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Pictures will be posted soon.
What you need:
Beach stuff such as shells, sea glass, driftwood, etc
Plaster of Paris
Water bucket
String
What to do:
In a perfect world, you would do this project at the beach, picking a moist hard packed strip of sand just above the wet tidal sand. But if you are landlocked, just pour some sand at least 3-4 inches deep and 10 inches tall (an old cake pan works great for this), and wet it and pack it tight.
1) Dig an oval/face shaped hole into the sand that measures about 5-8 inches tall by 2 inches deep.
2) Arrange you beach findings to make a face. Remember to tell your kids that they are looking at the face in reverse, so to put the side they want showing face down into the sand.
3) Mix the Plaster of Paris in the water bucket based on the package instructions (if you are lucky enough to be at the beach, just use seawater). A standard box will make 3-6 masks, depending on their sizes. Usually a think creamy consistency works best. Too runny and the plaster will seep under your findings and cover them up, too thick and the plaster will dislodge messing up the mask.
4) Pour the plaster over your hand, held about an inch or two above the hole, to break it's fall and make sure your findings don't get disturbed. Make the plaster layer about an inch thick.
5) Tie a knot at both ends of your string. When the plaster begins to thicken, press the knots into each side of the mask to create a hanger.
6) Once the plaster begins to harden, but is not too firm, dig the sand away from the mask (rather than just pulling the mask out). Then use water to gently wash away any flaws as you will have a few moments to manipulate the plaster's surface before it hardens completely.
Hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Pictures will be posted soon.
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