PB&J all the way!!!

Okay folks! I'm new to blogging, so if this comes out backwards, upside down, or totally does not make any sense, accept my apologies. I've tried four times to get this to upload. For some reason, my posts didn't combine (I'm still working on that aspect). I think I've figured it out.

These are my newest little creations I've made for my family to sample. So easy, tasty, and the little kiddies love them.

The ingredients are normal everyday items and are usually stocked in everyone's kitchen. Of course, I again ended up eating way too many of these little sweets. I always was a sucker for PB&J sandwiches. It seems some things never change. Only my waistline.


Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Total bake time: 30-35 minutes

CRUST
4 sticks of softened butter
1 cup of sugar
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the above together and press half of the mixture into two separate 8 x 8 pans which have been lined with foil and then sprayed with non-stick spray.

TOPPING
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup of your favorite jelly (I've used strawberry and grape so far)

Melt each of these in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds until spreadable. I then spread half of the peanut butter on each crust, then spread over top of that half of the jelly on each.

Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes at 350 deg.

GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons of milk (Use the amount you like for your glaze. I like mine pretty thick and not runny)
1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Just mix with fork.

Apply the glaze when bars are slightly cool.

Cool bars completely. Lift foil out of pan. Cut into squares. EAT!!!!

Ahoy Mateys! My pirate ship has sailed!

Today I worked on a pirate themed birthday party. Nordicware has this awesome pirate ship pan which with just a little spray of Baker's secret turned out the cutest little ship with hardly any work at all. Usually though, you can't use just cake mix and not have it stick. I haven't been that fortunate enough yet to figure that one out.
For the ship I used a traditional Kentucky Butter Cake recipe as I wanted a cake that could handle the design of the pan and resemble the design once done. This is an extremely easy cake to make, delicious, yet uses everyday ingredients most people have on hand.

Butter Cake
3 cups of All Purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
I mix all of these together with a whisk and then set aside

In the mixer I mix:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
Cream together then add:
4 eggs, one at a time
Then add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring
Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and then the one cup of buttermilk, starting with the flour then ending with the flour (or 1 cup of milk that has had white tablespoon of white vinegar added and left to sit for approximately 5 min. cause nobody here drinks that stuff full strength!)
Now bake this at 325 deg F for approximately 60 minutes.

To get really wicked with this recipe and give you that good warm feeling I glaze the cake when it comes out of the oven with this:
Glaze

3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons of Amaretto (my special feel good part) Water if you're not ready for this
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter
Cook over medium heat until fully melted. For goodness sake though, don't let this boil! I made that mistake one time and it was like trying to pour maple syrup over the cake. Only problem with that was it sure didn't taste like good maple syrup. More like burnt caramel popcorn. Yuck!
When the cake is still warm in the pan gently poke holes in it and pour the syrup over it. I let the cake sit for approximately 2 min. but no longer. Then I invert, cool the cake completely and dust with powdered sugar. I did leave the cake in the pan too long one time and I had to pick it out of the pan peice by peice.
So let me know what you think!

This takes a lot of patience!

Hi everyone. I'm trying to get this thing up and running. I see all the other beautiful creative work other bakers have out on their blogs and I'm thinking they have to also be a professional photographer/internet web designer/with a Master's degree in Blogology! I'm just sitting here wishing these instructions to set account up were as easy as a cook book recipe.
One of these days, hopefully soon (along with the help of my daughter), I will have step by step instructions along with pictures to be able to show the world all the delicious things there are in the pastry world. Well, here's to hoping this even blog will even post. Keep your fingers crossed for me.