Baking Supplies

Cinnamon Roll House Centerpiece

11 · Dec 5, 2016 · 1 Comment

There is something truly magical about baking during the Christmas season. I have very fond memories in the kitchen with my family during the holidays making all kinds of goodies. Cookies, fudge, peanut brittle, my favorite cinnamon roll and all kinds of candies and goodies to pass out to friends and family. I loved to watch my parents in the kitchen working on these projects together. When I was little, my Dad never really spent a whole lot of time in the kitchen except for Christmas. That was the time of year he would join my Mom in the kitchen helping her make up the magical Christmas goodies and making up the scrumptious plates that would be whisked off to our loved ones.

The years we made cinnamon rolls were some of my favorite. As I thought back on those memories, I thought it would be fun to make a centerpiece for our Christmas table out of cinnamon rolls. I mean really, that’s a perfect holiday centerpiece!

I headed off to Walmart to get some inspiration and boy did I find it. I found this fun Gingerbread House Bundt Pan and thought it would be great to make the house out of CINNAMON ROLLS!

It would bring back those memories in the Christmas kitchen with my parents along with bringing in a new tradition with my kiddos. To make it even easier, I decided to make our cinnamon roll house with Pillsbury Grand Cinnamon Rolls. Super easy & tasty as well.

You know when you dream up an idea and then cross your fingers and toes in hopes that it will work? Well, I was beyond thrilled with how this one turned out and it hardly took any of our precious holiday time to make the magic happen. Here’s a quick little video to show you how to make one as well…

I’m mean really, how fun is that?

All you really need to do is…

Spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Layer your Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls in the gingerbread house pan. I used three cans of Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls Make sure to press it a bit into the nooks and crannies.

Bake at 350˚ for 50-60 minutes.

You may need to cover it with foil after about 30 minutes to avoid over browning on the bottom.

Once it is baked all the way through (make sure to test with a cake tester), remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

I dressed mine up with holiday greenery, some cranberries, powdered sugar and then at the last minute thought I would try it with a drizzle of the icing on top.

First, I laid down some of the greenery on a cake plate.

Then I placed my cinnamon roll house on top and dusted it with powdered sugar and placed a few cranberries and a festive sprig of holly at the door…

Then I thought, you could either leave it like this with the powdered sugar, you could even decorate it with Royal Icing just like a gingerbread house OR, you could drizzle the icing that comes with the Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls on top of the roof.

I love it BOTH ways! I decided it didn’t need the full Royal Icing treatment. I love the rustic look of the powdered sugar and/or the Pillsbury icing. PLUS, it makes it so much easier to make and extra tasty as well.

So, what do you think? Are you inspired to make a Cinnamon Roll House for your Christmas table?

Disclaimer // This is a Pillsbury sponsored post. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own. Rest assured, I will never promote a brand that I don’t truly love and use in my every day life.

5 GREAT Thanksgiving Recipes

9 · Nov 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Are you gearing up for Thanksgiving? We sure are at our house. Everyone has placed their orders for their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Most of the shopping has been done and we’re gearing up for a scrumptious day.

Last week, I had a fabulous opportunity to travel out to Denver for a fun early Thanksgiving with some blog friends at WhiteWave Foods. You may not be familiar with WhiteWave Foods, but I’m sure you are familiar with some of their brands. One of my favorites is International Delight! They also have other great brands like Silk, Horizon Organic, Earthbound Farms and many more.

Now, I’ve been an International Delight Ambassador for several months now and they invited me to help cook for their WhiteWave Foods Thanksgiving. Of course I said yes, and set to work to create a fun dessert using International Delight for the feast.

But before we get to dessert, here are some of the other Thanksgiving recipes that my co-chefs brought to the feast.

Lisa from Wine & Glue brought a tasty Bacon Jalapeño Creamed Corn that was scrumptious! This recipe is great for Thanksgiving and any time of the year really. It’s lovely with the Horizon Organic Milk & Cream.

Lisa from Veggies don’t Bite made a Thanksgiving recipe that absolutely blew my mind! I came home raving about it. VEGAN SCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER is my new favorite Thanksgiving dish. This creamy veggie dish doesn’t have a lick of dairy in it and you would NEVER know. You’ll have to check out the recipe to see what magic she created using all plant based ingredients like Silk Cashew Milk. AAAAmazing!

Next, we had a lovely Roasted Acorn Squash Rings from Nosh & Nourish. Again, another totally plant based dish that was out of this world using some great organic ingredients from Earth Bound Farms.

Now, onto the sweets! Kat from Mama’s Losin’ It made lovely Pumpkin Bars that were a scrumptious alternative to Pumpkin Pie!

Last but not least, was my recipe. A mini version of my No-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake using International Delight Simply Pure Vanilla Creamer.

You can grab the recipe and watch the video on how to make this simple & scrumptious treat HERE. All I did to make it mini was to make it in disposable baking cups that are a bit larger than your standard cupcake cup and super sturdy.

All-in-all it was a fabulous WhiteWave Thanksgiving Feast! I LOVED trying all of the new recipes and can’t wait to make them for my own Thanksgiving and throughout the year!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

Grilled Pineapple Delight Boats

10 · Jul 20, 2016 · 1 Comment

+ This Grilled Pineapple Delight Boats Recipe brought to you by Old El Paso +

We’re a huge fan of pineapple at our house! That fresh tropical flavor is perfect with all kinds of dishes from savory to sweet. I especially LOVE to grill pineapple during the summer months. One night I was enjoying some grilled pineapple and started to dream up a fun new dessert that I just had to try. It’s a cross between a taco and a cheesecake. Yep, kind of crazy but once you try it… You’ll know it’s crazy awesome!!

I started with the base of the dessert by using our favorite Old El Paso Mini Taco Boats. It’s a perfect 2 bite dessert that’s perfect for a party. I coat the mini taco boats in cinnamon sugar and pop it in the oven for a few minutes. Then I fill them with a scrumptious cream cheese mixture that also involves marshmallow creme… Yep, now we’re talking! Top that with some grilled pineapple and you will be in heaven. Here’s how to make them.

Grilled Pineapple Delight Boats Recipe

Grilled Pineapple Delight Boats

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

38 mins

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Cuisine: Dessert

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 package of Old El Paso Mini Soft Tortilla Taco Boats
Cooking Spray
3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
2- 8 oz. packages of cream cheese - room temperature
2- 7 oz jars of marshmallow creme
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pineapple
12 blackberries - optional
⅛ cup of toasted unsweetened coconut - optional

Instructions

Prepare Mini Taco Boats first by preheating the oven to 400˚ then place Mini Taco Boats on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Coat each of the Mini Taco Boats with cinnamon sugar.
Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
While the Mini Taco Boats are cooling, place the cream cheese, marshmallow creme, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and mix starting on the lowest speed and gradually increase the speed until the ingredients are fully combined. If you aren’t using this right away, you’ll want to place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cut pineapple into roughly 1 inch wedges about a ½ and inch thick. Grill on a grill pan for 1 minute on each side or until you see some grill marks appearing. Remove from grill and let cool completely.
To assemble your dessert either spoon or pipe your filling into the Mini Taco Boats, top with a couple of slices of pineapple, a blackberry and garnish with toasted coconut.

For more great recipes visit the Old El Paso website! They have thousands of tasty and unique recipes that your family will love.

Disclaimer // I am an Old El Paso blogger and receive payment for my time and efforts in developing new ideas and recipes. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own. Rest assured, I won’t ever promote a company or a brand that I truly use in my every day life and truly believe in.

Pineapple Coconut Scones Recipe // Dairy-Free

7 · Sep 3, 2015 · Leave a Comment

+ This Pineapple Coconut Scones Recipe brought to you by the folks at Crisco +

I adore scones. I mean really, what’s not to like? It’s like a sweet biscuit with a bit of a crunchy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. It’s a sweet addition to any breakfast or brunch. Not to mention that scones can be a blank canvas for all kinds of flavor profiles.

I’ve had blueberry, chocolate, raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon sugar scones in my life and I’m sure there are many more variations out there. After my recent trip to Hawaii, I thought a pineapple coconut scone would be LOVELY!

After doing a little playing around, I thought I would also make my pineapple coconut scones dairy-free.

WHAT’S that you say… You can’t even image your scones without their creamy buttery base? I’m telling you it’s possible. Not only possible, but scrumptious! The secret, I use Crisco Organic Coconut Oil instead of butter and rich Coconut Milk instead of cream. Crisco Organic Coconut Oil is PERFECT for this application, because it stays firmer than most coconut oils which is a must when baking goodies such as scones. I also love that it is certified organic and non-GMO. Crisco Organic Coconut Oil is an easy substitute in recipes calling for butter, margarine, and other oils, making it a go-to pantry staple. It has no coconut aroma or flavor, offering maximum cooking versatility without changing the taste of your food. Plus, I love that it is a better fat for your body than traditional animal fats.

Looking for more Crisco inspiration? Visit the Crisco Heritage Kitchen a hub dedicated to all things food, tradition and family, where generations of home cooks can gather and discover tried-and-true fresh summer recipes with this seasons bounty that will delight and inspire.

Pineapple Coconut Scones

Want to watch how I make my pineapple coconut scones? Here’s a quick video showing the entire process…

Pineapple Coconut Scones from Heather Thoming on Vimeo.

It truly couldn’t be any easier. The other secret is using Self-Rising Flour.

I found those fun dried young pineapple that looks like flowers at Trader Joe’s. I thought they really added to the presentation and taste of the overall scone, but they aren’t a deal breaker by any means if you can’t find them.

Pineapple Coconut Scones Recipe

Pineapple Coconut Scones // Dairy-Free

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

These tropical scones are perfect for any breakfast or brunch table. Packed with all kinds of tropical goodness and thanks to Crisco Organic Coconut Oil they are also DAIRY-FREE.

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Serves: 11-12

Ingredients

2 cups SELF-RISING flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Crisco Organic Coconut Oil
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons Coconut Milk
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 egg
GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
1½ tablespoons pineapple juice

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 425˚
In a large bowl, add the flour, salt and coconut oil. Cut the coconut oil into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives.
Add the pineapple and coconut milk. Mix until just combined.
Mix in shredded coconut until combined. Make sure not to over mix.
Place on a floured surface and shape into a disk about 1 to ½ inches thick. Cut out with a biscuit cutter or just cut into wedges.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush an egg wash onto the top of the scones and then add a light layer of sugar on top.
Bake in a 425˚ oven for 10 minutes.
While the scones are baking, mix up the glaze.
In a small bowl, add powdered sugar, salt and pineapple juice. Stir until the sugar and juice turn into a smooth glaze.
11 If you are garnishing with dried young pineapple. Add them to the tops of the scones in the last two minutes of baking.
12 Remove the scones from the oven and brush the tops with the pineapple glaze.
13 Serve warm, or store in an air tight container for a day or two.

*Disclosure: As a participant of the Crisco Ambassador Program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own.

Baking Supplies

Grilled Pineapple Delight Boats Recipe

Pineapple Coconut Scones Recipe

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