No Bake Cookies

It has been so hot here lately. Everyday we seem to be in the upper nineties! Temps like that do not make turning on the oven very easy. I can stand the stove top, but only if it is for something like a No-bake cookie. My friend wrote out her recipe for me for her No-Bake Cookies and I have been searching the web for more cookie recipes to try. They are so wonderful! Here are some of the recipes that I have found. I haven't tried them out yet because my boys love my friends recipe, but I might mix it up a little here soon!

This is a recipe for Butterscotch No- Bake Cookies.
Here is the recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
Caramel Golden No-Bake Cookies sounded really tasty.
I believe that I am going to try the recipe for No-Bake Cookie Dough Truffles very soon, who doesn't like chocolate chip cookie dough?
Chewy No-Bake Cookies and Cream Dessert looks like I would make it and hide it before my boys saw it- I would not want to share!
Peanut Butter Buckeyes - peanut butter and chocolate, do I need to say anything else?

Here is my friend's tried and true, two thumbs up from my boys, No-Bake Cookie recipe.

No-Bake Cookie
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick oats

In a large saucepan, bring butter, sugar, milk and cocoa to a rolling boil. Boil for at least 2 minutes or cookies will not set. Remove from from heat, stir in peanut butter, vanilla and oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let it cool and set up for at least one hour.

Eclair Dessert

I have started to eat healthier and track my food lately. Sigh. That means that I only want what I can't have! So I am posting something really yummy that I will probably not be eating, well, maybe tasting, but definitely not eating!

Eclair Dessert
One box of graham crackers
2 pkgs.  instant french vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 9 oz. carton Cool Whip, thawed
Line 13x9 in. baking pan with graham crackers. Mix pudding and milk and fold into the Cool Whip/ Spread half of the mixture over the graham crackers. Put another layer of crackers on top. Spread with the remaining pudding mixture.Add one last layer of graham crackers.Spread with chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping
Melt 2 squares of baking chocolate in microwave with 3Tbsp. butter. Add 2 Tbsp corn syrup, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp. milk. Mix to a spreadable consistency. Spread over dessert. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.

All credit for this really yummy dessert goes to my friend Jeanette who shared it with me.

Overnight Carmel Sticky Buns

This recipe is really good! Easy, yummy, and did I mention it is really good? I think that this would be a great thing to whip up when you have overnight guests, or in my case, you need to take a breakfasty dish to church. This is another Our Best Bites recipe- I really like them!

Overnight Carmel Sticky Buns
18 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
1 small box cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1/3 cup melted butter

Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Place the frozen dinner rolls evenly around the pan. Sprinkle the dry pudding mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon evenly over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Pour melted butter evenly over the top. Cover with a clean dish towel and leave at room temperature overnight. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then invert onto a serving platter.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Every now and then I find a recipe that all my family enjoys. This is one of those recipes. These taquitos were easy to make and they were really yummy! They also made for good leftovers- another bonus!

Creamy Chicken Taqutios
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
Flour tortillas, soft taco size
Cooking spray
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Combine cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then stir in the cilantro, green onions, chicken, and pepper-jack cheese. Place 2-3 Tbsp of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, then roll it up. Place seam side down on your baking sheet. Once you have rolled all your taquitos, spray them lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to turn golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and then serve with salsa, guacamole, or whatever floats your boat!
All credit for this recipe goes to the ladies at Our Best Bites, they have a wonderful blog and great recipes!

Vertical Cake

I love trying out new things. When I saw this tutorial for a vertical cake on I Am Baker, I knew I would be making one! I have been waiting for the right occasion, and this week, I found one! It was my friend's birthday!

 I think that it turned out pretty good. I happened to pick the most humid day that I have ever tried baking in to attempt this, which made things difficult,  but in the end, I made it work out. Here are a few notes about this well written tutorial. Don't skip any steps. Make sure that you freeze your cakes completely so they don't start falling apart on you when you are cutting them. Don't use to much of the simple syrup when you pour it on, it can make the cake soggy. Lastly, frosting can cover any errors- just pick a tasty one! I  tried out a new butter cream frosting- White Chocolate Butter Cream frosting, recipe found here. It was really good! I hope that you will try this cake- it really looks cool when you cut into it!