Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Bacon-Date Scones with Orange Marmalade Glaze

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

 Bacon. Date. Scones. With Orange Marmalade Glaze.

Is it a sweet or a savory treat? A little bit of both! It's also the brainchild of Joanne Opdahl of Venice, CA, and a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off this year!

As she says, "Coffee shop scones? No special stop is needed with our easy and delicious bacon, date and citrus combo. Bring on the coffee!"

Here's how you make this magic--16 servings' worth--happen in your home.

Bacon-Date Scones with Orange Marmalade Glaze

Scones

• 2 1/4cups Pillsbury All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup chopped precooked bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1  Egg

Glaze

• 1/2 cup Smucker’s Sweet Orange Marmalade
• 2 tablespoons Butter

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 1 large cookie sheet with No-Stick Cooking Spray. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder; mix well. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in 6 tablespoons butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
2. In small bowl, stir together bacon, dates and nuts. Stir 1 cup of bacon mixture into flour mixture; set remaining bacon mixture aside. Make a well in center of flour mixture. In small bowl, lightly beat cream and egg together with wire whisk. Pour into well of flour mixture. Stir with fork until flour mixture is moistened. Gently form into 2 balls.
3. Place balls about 3 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet; pat each into 8-inch round. Using knife dipped in flour, cut each round into 8 wedges; do not separate. Sprinkle top of each round with remaining bacon mixture. Press mixture into dough.
4. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave glaze ingredients on High 20 to 30 seconds or until melted, stirring until smooth. Spread glaze evenly over the 2 rounds. Carefully separate into 16 wedges. Serve warm.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Mini Carrot-Spiced Cupcakes with Molasses Buttercream

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Cookies? Cake? Why decide? In this brilliant Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist recipe created by Natalie Morales (no relation to the Today Show one, to the best of my knowledge!), you can "Turn sugar cookie dough into cupcakes. Really! Just add carrots and a few extra ingredients and slather with creamy frosting."

Sounds like a winner to me! This recipe makes 32 mini cupcakes.

Mini Carrot-Spiced Cupcakes With Molasses Buttercream

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1roll Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 tablespoon Unsalted or Salted Butter, melted
• 1tablespoon full-flavor (dark) molasses
• 2tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Frosting

• 7 tablespoons Unsalted or Salted Butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon full-flavor (dark) molasses
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon  Ground Cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Spray 32 mini muffin cups with Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray with Flour.
2. In large bowl, beat cookie dough, melted butter, 1 tablespoon molasses, 2 tablespoons milk, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add carrots and pecans; beat on low speed just until blended. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup.
3. Bake 16 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. To make frosting, in large bowl, beat 7 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon molasses with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons milk, beat on medium speed until smooth. Spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Store in covered container.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Peachy Cream Cheese Appetizers

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Peachy keen? Yawn. The new standard of awesome is Peachy Cream, as in Peachy Cream Cheese Appetizers, a Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist recipe created by Shana Butler of San Diego, CA. These morsels are a wonderful intersection of sweet and a bit of savory, spicy zing: per the recipe creator, these "Two-bite appetizers are flavor packed. Cilantro, chili and cumin kick meets creamy sweet peach for a tasty appetizer."

Sounds like a wonderful way to work up an appetite for dessert. This recipe makes 24.

Peachy Cream Cheese Appetizers

Ingredients 

• 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet
• 2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, cut into 24 pieces
• 1 jar (12 oz) Peach Preserves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1medium lime, grated and juiced
• 1/2teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

  Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Uroll 1 dough sheet; press into 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut dough sheet into 12 squares. Repeat with remaining dough sheet.
2. Place 1 dough square in bottom and up side of each of 24 ungreased regular-size muffin cups, letting points of dough extend over edge of cup. Place 1 piece of cream cheese in bottom of each cup.
3. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, add peach preserves, shallots, 2 teaspoons lime juice, chili powder and cumin; mix well. Cook over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Remove cups from pans; place on serving platter.
5. Immediately spoon about 1 teaspoon peach sauce over cream cheese in each cup. Sprinkle each cup with lime peel. Serve warm with remaining sauce.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

What kind of field does Mary Fields of Gilbert, AZ live in? A field of delicious, obviously.

If you needed proof, you can find it in her recipe for Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups, a finalist in the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-Off. Will she win? Nobody knows yet, but one thing's for sure: you can be a winner in your kitchen by whipping up a batch, right now. Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Creme Cookie Cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup  Pecan Chips
• 1 package Pillsbury® Big Deluxe refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
• 1/2 cup Hershey’s white baking chips
• 1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper or foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, place pecan chips. Lightly coat each cookie with pecans; press into dough. Place each cookie, flat side down, in muffin cup.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool in muffin cups on cooling rack 30 minutes. (Centers of cookies will sink slightly.)
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chips on Medium 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir peanut butter into melted chips until blended.
5. Spoon about 2 teaspoons peanut butter mixture into each cookie cup. Store in covered container.

Gimme S'more: Chocolate Drop S'mores Pop-Tarts Cookies

CakeSpy Note: It's high time to take another look at this updated version of the pop-tarts cookie recipe, because it's featured on Serious Eats this week!

Have you ever found yourself eating a chocolate cookie and thought to yourself that surely, surely there must be a way to heighten this delicious experience?

The answer is yes, and that thing is Pop-Tarts. More specifically, S'mores Pop-Tarts.

And with that, let me introduce what is bound to become a new classic: The Chocolate Drop S'mores Pop-Tart Cookie. It's a mouthful in more ways than one, a taste so wholly unholy that while part of you may cry no, most of you will cry for s'more.

Here's the recipe. For more details and printable instructions, visit Serious Eats!

Chocolate Drop S'more Pop-Tarts Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz), melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 chopped s'mores Pop-Tarts

Procedure

1. Mix butter, sugar, egg, and chocolate thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt; mix in with wet mixture.
3. Fold in the Pop-Tarts pieces.
4. Let dough chill for at least an hour.
5. Heat oven to 400 F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until no imprint remains when lightly touched. Let sit for 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Dough You Love Me: Batter Belly Dough Cake Recipe by The Miss Cupcake

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from The Miss Cupcake, who was a finalist in the "So You Wanna Be a CakeSpy?" Contest.

Batters’ Up! This mile high mini cake is sure to please any batter-licking soul. The hip hugging delight starts with a chocolate chip cookie layer, and then is topped with cookie dough filling. Bring on the brownie with a chocolate fudge variety which is blanketed under a plump layer of brownie batter filling. Lastly, a moist funfetti layer sends this cake into doughy harmony. Laced with a cake batter frosting and topped with mini baked treats, this dessert is no dream, it’s an unbaked ecstasy. Dough you want to try it?

Batter Belly Dough Cake

(Makes 2 mini cakes)

Items Needed:

Cake:

• 1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 box brownie mix, reserve ¼ cup for filling
• Water, oil, and eggs called for on the back of the brownie box
• 2 box Funfetti cake mix, one for baking and one for filling
• Water, oil, and eggs called for on the back of the cake box

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and lay parchment paper into 3 pans. (1 Square 8x8 and 2 9x13 pans)
2. Press cookie dough into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
3. Prepare brownie mix according to package, making sure to reserve ¼ cup for filling. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake according to package. Let cool.
4. Prepare cake mix according to package. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake according to package. Let cool.
5. Using a 6 inch round cookie cutter or the end of and large circular object, cut two circles of each of the following: chocolate chip cookie, brownie, and cake. Set in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden. (If desired, using a small round cookie cutter. cut out circles of cookie, brownie, and cake. This will be used as a garnish)
6. Meanwhile, prepare the frostings: recipes follow.
7. To assemble each mini cake, start with a small dollop of cookie dough filling on the bottom of a small cake plate. Place cookie layer first, top with cookie dough filling, then the brownie layer, brownie filling, cake layer, and frost entire cake with cake batter icing. Pipe round dots of each icing flavor around the entire cake. Frost the mini cake circles, and place several small cutouts on top of the cake.
   
   
Cookie Dough Filling

• 1 stick softened salted butter
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 TBS. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add flour, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium high for 3-4 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.

Brownie Batter Filling

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup brownie boxed mix
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Milk, as needed

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, then brownie and vanilla. Beat on medium high for 3-4 minutes. Add milk if too stiff.

Cake Batter Buttercream

•  2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup Funfetti cake mix (You will have leftover!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Milk, as needed

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time, then cake mix and vanilla. Beat on medium high for 3-4 minutes. Add milk if too stiff. 

Pound of Fresh: Pound Cake Sandwich Recipe

Here are two facts:

1. Sandwiches are tasty.

2. Pound cake is delicious.

But what about when you combine these toothsome treats in one sweet, dessert-sandwich form? 

I think you probably know where I'm going with this. Friends, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite--and incidentally, one of the easiest--recipes I know: the Pound Cake Sandwich.

This is a sandwich that satisfies: two thick slices of pound cake with delicious (pink is best) frosting in the middle--a hefty treat that will fill your belly for breakfast, soothe rumblings at lunch, and will definitely spoil your dinner. Here's how you make it:

Pound Cake Sandwich

Makes one (easily duplicated)

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices of pound cake (plain or a flavor, you choose your own adventure)
• 2-3 tablespoons pink frosting

Procedure

1. Place two slices of poundcake side-by-side in a mirror-image direction.
2. spread each slice with 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of frosting. 
3. Sandwich the two frosted sides together.

4. Eat.

Cookie Props: A Tutorial from Sugarlicious by Meaghan Mountford

CakeSpy Note: This is an excerpt from Sugarlicious  by Meaghan Mountford; you can enter to win a copy here! Photography by Abby Greenawalt.

What's cuter than a cookie pop? How about a cookie prop pop? These adorable pops are decorated like accessories, so you can play with your food--and then eat it, too!

Prop Cookie Pops

Recipes

• cookie dough
• royal icing

Supplies

• mustache, bowtie and eyeglasses template (link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/81007914/Prop-Cookie-Pop-Template)
• cookie or lollipop sticks
• gel paste food coloring (brown, black, white, red and blue)
• 6 decorating bags
• 3 couplers
• 4 decorating tips, two size 2, one size 3 and one size 5
• rubberbands

*Find cookie sticks, decorating bags, couplers and tips at the craft store. For food coloring, I suggest Americolor Soft Gel Pastes, found online or in specialty stores.

1. Roll out chilled cookie dough on a floured surface about 3/8-inch thick, cut out your mustaches, bow ties and eyeglasses with the templates, insert sticks and bake according to the recipe. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare royal icing according to the recipe, divide and tint. Use any preferred colors for the mustaches (such as brown or gray), bow ties and eyeglass frames. You’ll also need black and white. I used black, white, brown, bright blue and red. Prepare 3 decorating bags with couplers and 3 different size tips. Fill the bag with the size 3 tip with the black icing, the bag with the size 5 tip with the brown icing, and the bag with the size 2 tip with half of the white icing. Cover and reserve the rest of the white icing and the blue and red icing. Close the bags tightly with rubber bands.

3. Outline your eyeglasses, mustaches and bowties with the black icing as shown. Let set about 15 minutes.

 

4. For the mustache, pipe the brown icing to fill the mustache, piping in the direction of the “hair” growth so the lines of icing look like hair. Let dry overnight before handling.

For the eyeglasses, pipe to fill the frames with brown icing. Flood white icing in the glass area. To flood, thin the reserved white icing with water, a few drops at a time, until the consistency of thick glue. Fill an empty decorating bag with the thinned icing, snip ¼-inch from the tip, and loosely pipe back and forth to fill the cookie. Use a toothpick to encourage the icing as needed until the entire space is filled. Let dry several hours; then pipe highlights on top of the white icing with the black icing after switching to a size 2 decorating tip. Let dry overnight before handling.

For the bow ties, use empty decorating bags to flood the blow tie with red or blue icing. Let the icing set several hours and pipe dots using the white icing in the decorating bag. Let dry overnight before handling. 

Sweets for Your Sweet: Chocolate Covered Chocolates Recipe for Serious Eats

Let's get one thing straight. There is nothing necessary about coating your Valentine's Day chocolates with more chocolate. But oh, does it ever taste good.

The process is really quite simple: melt some chocolate, dip your chocolates in it, and then let them set until solid. You can create a lovely visual by choosing a chocolate coating that complements the chocolates you're dipping: dip dark chocolates in white chocolate for a pretty finish, or coat milk chocolates in dark chocolate for a lovely flavor and visual contrast.

You'll be rewarded with an extremely decadent treat that will melt in your hand, but tastes better when it melts in your mouth.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Scouting Sweetness: Neapolitan Cream Pie in a Samoas Cookie Crust

Recently, I was handed a secret spy mission by a super-sweet establishment.

Oh, you've probably heard of them...or at least their cookies.

Yup: I'm talking about the Girl Scouts. Of Western Washington, to be specific. When these sweet Scouts announced their recipe contest, in advance of their cookie sale to the public (March 2-18, and you can find them via cookie locator, as well as an app, which will be updated closer to the date of the sale), I knew I had to be part of it.

But before anything else...I received a super secret spy package (spoiler: it included cookies). Cue the "Mission: Impossible" music, and off to baking.

Would I make a grasshopper pie, using a Thin Mint crust? Would I make Samoas cupcakes? Would I make 'em into milkshakes and call it a day?

No, no, no.

First, I tried a lemonade cake festooned with the lemony crescent meltaway cookies known as Savannah Smiles...and while it was tasty, it was a little garish, and not quite special enough.

And then, it hit. Perhaps inspired by recent CakeSpy contest winner Molly, mixed with a little bit of these candies that I adore, I decided to go for a Neapolitan Triple-threat. 

And O.M.G. was this thing good. Employing a Samoas cookie crust, which became crisp and caramelly and so rich it almost (but not quite) hurt, it got even better with three flavors of milky, creamy pudding on top--and then got even more delicious (and cuter, in my opinion) with a garnish of whipped cream and even more cookies on top.

If you're scouting sweetness, you've certainly found it with this recipe!

Neapolitan Cream Pie in a Samoas Cookie Crust

For the Crust:

• 2 boxes of Samoas cookies--save 4-6 cookies, but with the rest, ground coarsely by hand or in a food processor
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1 large package instant vanilla pudding (5.1 ounce size)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate milk
• 1/2 cup strawberry milk

To Finish: Whipped cream, and lots of it.

Methodology:

1. Make the crust. Directions Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into a 9 inch greased pie plate (you need more butter or shortening to grease it because the caramel from the cookies will make them stick to the pan!). Also, you might want to flour or wet your hands first, because this business gets sticky. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 5-7 minutes. Cool for at least an hour, or until the shell is at room temperature. You can put it in the fridge to chill more rapidly, too.
2. Divide the pudding mix into three equal portions. Place each portion in a medium-sized bowl.
3. First, mix 1/2 cup of strawberry milk with one portion of pudding mix, whisking until smooth; pour on top of  baked pie shell.
4. Next, mix 1/2 cup of regular whole milk with a second portion of pudding mix, whisking until smooth; pour on top of the chocolate pudding layer, and gently spread to cover the layer entirely.
5. Finally, mix 1/2 cup of chocolate milk with the final portion of pudding mix, whisking until smooth; pour on top of the milk layer, and gently spread to cover the layer entirely.
6. Finally, top it all off with a very generous helping of whipped cream right before serving. Garnish with your left-over Samoas!

Connect with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington online: http://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsWW and https://twitter.com/#!/GirlScoutsWW; the Twitter hash tag is: #GSCookieRecipe.