Mexican, Russian, Italian. . . you decide

Let it chill

After round one in the sugar

Oh soooo good!

The last couple of weeks have been so crazy busy that I was really excited to be able to take the time to look through my recipes and find something fun to make.  I found a card that I had made one of the many times I transferred recipes out of my mom's recipe box many years ago.  It was called "Mexican Tea Cakes" so I thought "I know I've heard of "Russian Tea Cakes" before too"; I'll do some research and find out the difference, make them both and see how they are. 

for the Women's Shelter

Quick and Easy

mini chocolate sour cream cupcakes with ganache and white chocolate shavings

classic peanut butter kisses cookies

I had a large cake to make this week and after all the traveling and company of last week I looked through my box for something simple.  I went back and forth on a couple recipes but decided on the cookies because I am a peanut butter junkie and I just wanted them! ;)  Thankfully however, I was able to send the majority off to my daughters small group Bible study instead of keeping them around the house.  (I said majority - not all!) 

The cupcakes came from mis-judging the amount of batter I needed for the half-sheet cake I made for the local women's shelter's monthly Birthday celebration.  I just up-sized from a 11x15 half sheet to a 12x18 pan and had batter to spare.  I sent those off to small group too! 

I think that I've been found out though and now they are all going to be expecting a box each week of my latest "project"! 

Travel Snacks

It was kind of a hodge podge week.  We were going on a road trip so I wanted to make some take along treats.  2 different kinds of caramel candies to use up last weeks bounty, then some "spearmint" bark for St. Patricks Day and some apple-spice & lemon cake mix cookies.  Other than the cookies that I learned from The Cake Mix Doctor book a long time ago, the other things were just putting things together.  The teenagers in the car were all pretty happy with all of them!

what a week!

The beginning of a turtle candy

From a picture that I saw on Pinterest but didn't think I needed to look up directions

This week started out with such good intentions.  I was going to make some St. Patrick's day themed treats and I realized that my mom's birthday was coming up.  I looked on the list I've started for desserts I want to make and caramel was on it.  My mom loves the "Turtle" candy - perfect I'll make that and it will cover 2 things!  There are warnings on every recipe for caramel

Chicky's for a Princess

Not just a brownie!

Well, this wasn't actually from my recipe box - but it was a combination of a few recipes that were rattling around in my head and I decided to give them a try together.  First it was a brownie recipe (from The Hershey's chocolate lovers cookbook) and I divided the batter between 24 cupcake wells, with liners and leaving a little bit to add to the top of each one before baking.