Recipe: Gee's Apple Dumplings

I got this recipe from my then mother-in-law more than a decade ago.  It's been a family favorite since the first bite!  I've made tons of substitutions over the years and basically every sub has worked ("baking Splenda" for sugar, diet soda, light crescent rolls, half the butter, etc.), but the BEST result is from the following recipe IMHO.  No more comment needed. These things are GOOD.

Gee’s Apple Dumplings

by Peggy Does Cake

1 ½ sticks butter (170 grams)

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla

2 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and cut into eighths)

2 cans (8 count) crescent dinner rolls

12 to 16 oz. Mountain Dew 

Core and peel apples. Wrap 1 piece thoroughly in crescent roll and arrange in baking dish.

Throw first four ingredients into a heat-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir well and microwave another 1 minute or so, until gravy-like consistency.  It’s fine if it’s still grainy.  Pour sugar mixture over apple dumplings.  At this point, you can cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until later.

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees.  Pour 12 to 16 oz. Mountain Dew over dumplings (it looks like a lot of liquid, but that's ok) and pop in the oven.  I usually measure out about 2 cups of soda from a 2 litre bottle, but if you can find a 12 or 16 once can or bottle, that would work great.  It doesn't have to be a perfect amount.  At about 30 minutes in, take them out and baste well.  I just use a spoon.  I stir the sauce a bit first in between the dumplings to get it a bit thicker.  Then cover each dumpling generously.  Continue baking until nicely golden brown.  I’ve been known to baste more than once.  Or more than twice.  Total cooking time at my house is about 50 minutes. 

Great served warm with homemade no-churn ice cream found here.   

Dumplings are VERY rich, so I often cut the recipe in half.  

If you try these, I'd love to hear from you!  Until then, oven's on - I'll be back soon!

~ Peggy

Recipe: Super Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These super easy chocolate chip cookies are DELECTABLE.  Just because they're easy, doesn't mean taste will suffer.  These are our household favorites for chocolate chips.

I love my Kitchen Aid, but we make this with our Viking hand-held mixer.  Trial and error has proven that works best.  ;)

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour (*gasp*)

1 and 2/3 cups firmly packed LIGHT brown sugar

1 stick (113 grams) of room temp salted butter

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)

Directions

1.  Preheat Oven to 350 F

2. Toss butter into a large glass mixing bowl and beat with hand held mixer until it begins to lose its yellow color a bit.

3. Add brown sugar, mix briefly with mixer to incorporate – don’t overmix.

4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well with mixer. Now put the mixer away.  The rest is done by hand. (Don’t worry, it’s easy.)

5. Add about half the flour, mix in by hand – batter is soft, so this is easy.  Don’t overmix.

6. Add remaining flour, mix in by hand – mix well, but don’t needlessly overmix.

7. Add chips, fold to incorporate.

Roll into 1" balls and bake about 10 minutes or until your desired level of “doneness.”  We like to do a batch really soft and gooey, and then we like to do a batch a bit more brown and crispy. That way we have cookies for all our moods!  

These warm up beautifully in the microwave for about 13 seconds each for that "just baked" taste.

Oven’s on – I’ll be back soon!

~ Peggy

Recipe: Crusting American Butter Cream: My favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe!

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 sticks) SALTED butter
3 - 4 ounces semisweet chocolate (nicest quality you can justify) 
2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
16 ounces (1 pound) confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) 
Liquid for thinning (see Step 5. below)

Directions:
Step 1.  Using the paddle blade, cream butter until it’s very light in color. 

Step 2:  Melt chocolate carefully over double boiler or in microwave, being careful to not let it get too hot. 

Step 3:  Mix corn syrup into cooled (melted) chocolate and add mixture to creamed butter. 

Step 4:  Mix well and add powdered sugar straight from the bag or box. No need to sift. Continue mixing.

Step 5:  Add milk, half and half, or heavy whipping cream until you reach desired consistency. I typically add 1 tablespoon of skim milk at a time until I have “nearly” the consistency I want and then I add a dash or 2 (or 3 or 4) of heavy whipping cream. 

This frosting is so lush and delicious. It crusts beautifully and you can use the Viva method to smooth it. I love the silky smoothness of chocolate Swiss meringue for a filling, but to me, this icing can’t be beat for frosting the outside a cake.  It does NOT need to be refrigerated once it's on the cake, but I refrigerate the leftover icing for a few days. If I don't use it within a couple days, I freeze it.  It freezes well.  Just let it come to room temperature and give it a quick whip with your mixer.

Here is a cake I smoothed with this icing and a Viva towel:

And here are a couple other super easy techniques, the swirly rose from i.am.baker (find the tutorial HERE):

 

And the stacked ruffle technique from Sweet and Saucy (find the video tutorial HERE):

I'd love to hear from you if you try this and would like to leave a comment!

Oven's on, I'll be back soon! 

~ Peggy

And the winner is...

It’s been an exciting weekend ‘round here and I’m so happy to announce the winners of my 20,000 Fan Giveaway!

Thank you so my wonderful sponsors:  Cakes with L.O.V.E, Frosted Sensations, Not Just Cakes by Annie, Print the Party, Sophie Bifield Cake Company, Whisk Me Away, and Yummy Treats by Yane who donated over $300 worth of loot!

And with that, *drum roll* - here are our winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered and for all of you who support and frequent Peggy Does Cake on Facebook and on this blog!

Oven's on, I'll be back soon!
~ Peggy

Peggy Does Cake 20,000 Fan Giveaway!

Once you enter the contest via Rafflecopter (see my Facebook page HERE  to enter), leave a comment on this post telling me the name of your Business or Facebook Fan Page (if you have one) and where you are located.

It's over! See the winners HERE.

Leaving a comment is strictly optional for an extra shot at winning.

Good luck to everyone!

Must be 18 to win, one entry per household. See all Terms and Conditions HERE and see prize detail and rules HERE.

~ Peggy xx