Creamy Banana Pudding

This dessert is based on a recipe I found online for Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding. I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant, and this is the only thing that I have been wanting to eat for the last week. I made some and ate it something like three times a day until it was gone. Good thing I'm almost ready to have this baby so that I (hopefully) won't be doing that again! But let me just say, it was totally worth. This is creamy, sweet, and delicious. Enjoy!

Creamy Banana Pudding

1 pkg. (4 serving size) Banana or Vanilla instant pudding
1/2 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup cold water
1 vanilla bean
1/2 pkg. (12 oz.) vanilla wafers
1 pkg. (16 oz.) light cool whip
6 bananas, thinly sliced

1. Mix pudding (I used sugar free) with sweetened condensed milk and water. Whisk until well combined. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pudding mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the cool whip.
2. In trifle bowl or large glass bowl, layer 1/3 of the vanilla wafers. Top with 1/3 pudding mixture, 1/3 bananas, and 1/3 cool whip. repeat layers three times, ending with cool whip. Top with a couple of crushed vanilla wafers or shaved chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (but it is best if refrigerated overnight).

Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

I love asparagus. Nothing says spring to me like crispy, fresh green asparagus. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandpa had an orchard and grew asparagus in the orchard...so I grew up not only eating it (a lot) but also picking it fresh from the orchard. I thought this recipe was a WOW...and even my asparagus-hating husband said "it's not too bad." I take that as a high compliment since he normally won't even look at it, let alone taste it. If you like asparagus, definitely try it--it's great!


Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus spear, washed and trimmed
cooking spray
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tb. butter
1 -2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus in single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally so it doesn't burn. Make sure to watch carefully--you want it to brown, but not burn!
3. Remove butter from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Drizzle over the roasted asparagus, tossing to coat well.

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Baked Chicken Taquitos

My husband Corey made these for dinner last week. They were absolutely amazing...I ate two that night...and two more for lunch the next day...and two more for the lunch next day. They were so good and made fantastic leftovers. Plus, even Corey can make them, so you probably can too!

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Our Best Bites

Makes 12 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
12 small flour tortillas (6 - 8 inches)
kosher salt
cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Mix all ingredients except tortillas, cooking spray, and salt.
3. Warm up tortillas 3 - 4 at a time in the microwave for 30 seconds. Place 2 - 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up tightly, and place seem side down on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
4. Spray taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

5. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve with dipping sauce, if desired (I had some with ranch and salsa and that was great, but the next day I had them plain and I thought that was even better).

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

Last year at work we had a dessert contest, and this was the winning recipe. Corey's favorite flavors of dessert are lemon and raspberry, so I thought I would make this for him for Valentine's Day. He absolutely loved it, and I think you will too. I preferred mine topped with fresh raspberries or strawberries instead of the sauce (I thought it was a bit too lemony with the sauce and the lemon in the cheesecake) but Corey loved it with the sauce. Enjoy!


Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese softened

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 - 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

1 large egg white

Topping

3/4 cup super

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 egg yolk, beaten

fresh raspberries

Crust: Mix crumbs, sugar and butter: press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan (sprayed lightly with baking spray). Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, juice, zest and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 3 eggs and egg white, mixing on low speed just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until center is almost set (but still a little jiggly). Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Topping: Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan; gradually stir in water and juice. Bring mixture to a low boil on medium heat, stirring constantly until clear and thickened. Stir 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture into egg yolks; then slowly mix the egg mixture into the sauce. Cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Stir in raspberries Spoon topping over cheesecake just before serving. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Best. Brownies. Ever.

Six months ago my friend Hannah brought these brownies to a barbecue we were having. I have literally been craving them ever since. I've been begging her for the recipe, and she finally brought it to me two weeks ago. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have made them three times since then. They're perfectly chewy and fudgy, which is hard to achieve when you are making homemade brownies with cocoa instead of baking chocolate. Just let me say this: try it and you definitely won't be disappointed.

Chewy Cocoa Brownies from Nestle

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tb. water
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.
2. Whisk melted butter and sugar together until well combined. Add water, eggs, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. Add cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Batter will be very thick.
4. Spread batter in pan. Top with chocolate chips. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until slightly puffy and no longer jiggly in the middle. Enjoy!

Creamy Nutella Frosting

I love Nutella. On crepes. In pie. On sandwiches. In brownies. And now, in this frosting. It is completely amazing. I frosted some devil's food cupcakes with this frosting and topped it with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings, and oh man, it was completely amazing. Trust me, if you like Nutella, try this. It is amazing.

Creamy Nutella Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Nutella
5 Tb. butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Beat Nutella, butter, vanilla, salt, and sugar in electric mixer on medium-low speedy until creamy and well combined.
2. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Use to frost a 9 x 13 cake or 18 - 24 cupcakes.