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Cinnabon Donuts

I have to tell you that I am totally addicted to homemade donuts.  Tons of recipe ideas are always swirling around in my head.  When I made these, my kids went nuts.  Noah ate nearly 3/4 of them himself.  They are soooo good.  I will definitely be making these again and again.  You know how even the donuts from those famous places tend to get hard or stale the next day?  Not these.  They were still fresh the next morning and quickly gobbled up!  Not to mention super easy to make!

Cinnabon Donuts - http://www.shariblogs.com

I keep giggling while I type up this post because my husband made the comment at dinner the other night that I add cinnamon to everything. Not true, but I do have to admit that I LOVE cinnamon in a lot of things.  An example would be these Cinnabon Donuts.  They are nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

I also have to admit to my new obsession with International Delight Coffee Creamers.  I have been creating all kinds of yummy treats with them (coming to the blog soon).  They come in a wide variety of flavors which makes the possibilities nearly endless!

Cinnabon Donuts - http://www.shariblogs.com

One of the things that makes this recipe so easy is that the base is a boxed cake mix.  I know there are those that are shaking their head at me, but I absolutely LOVE Pillsbury boxed mixes.  They are easy, always turn out perfectly and taste like homemade to me.  You can use any boxed mix you want, but I HIGHLY recommend the Pillsbury Moist Supreme mixes.  They never fail me!

Cinnabon Donuts
 
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Ingredients
FOR DONUTS:
  • 1 box Pillsbury white cake mix
  • ¾ cup Cinnabon Coffee Creamer
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted
  • Dash of Cinnamon
FOR GLAZE:
  • 2 cups powder sugar
  • 6-8 Tbsp Cinnabon Coffee Creamer
  • Dash of Cinnamon
Instructions
DONUT INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all of the donut ingredients.
  3. Transfer your dough mix into a gallon sized freezer bag. Snip a hole in the corner of the bag.
  4. Pipe dough into your donut pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops spring back when you touch them.
  5. Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.
GLAZE INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. In a small bowl, stir together the glaze ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved. Use immediately to glaze donuts.
  2. Dip each donut in glaze and place on a wire rack to set.
Do you need a Donut maker or Donut pan?  You can pick them up from Amazon using the links below. I used the Babycakes Donut Maker and Cake Pop Makers for these.  They are AWESOME!  I am dying to try some of their other makers now!

 

**This post is not affiliated with International Delight, Babycakes or Wilton in anyway.  The thoughts and opinions are completely my own.  I did not receive any compensation for this post, but would be more than happy to try out their other products if they want to send them to me!  😉

Oreo Dirt Cups

Oreo Dirt Cups - http://www.shariblogs.com

Like I have mentioned before, I am going to be posting recipes that my family loves.  I don’t know about you, but I have been to many “family friendly” recipe blogs before and there was nothing my kids would ever let cross their lips.  I want this to be a place where you can come and know that anything on this blog will be a hit in your house!

Oreo Dirt Cups - http://www.shariblogs.com

Yes, Dirt Cups have been around for a long time and are easy to make, but I think they deserve their own spotlight.  Don’t you?  What is not to love about chocolate pudding sandwiched between layers of crushed Oreo cookies and topped with sweet gummy worms?

Oreo Dirt Cups
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 1 package (4 oz) chocolate instant pudding
  • 1 - 8 oz container whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 package (16 0z) Oreos (crushed into crumbs)
  • Gummy Worms
  • 10 plastic cups (8 oz. size)
Instructions
  1. Pour the milk into a mixing bowl and add the pudding mix.
  2. Beat with a wire whisk until well blended (about 2 minutes)
  3. Let pudding stand for five minutes.
  4. Stir whipped topping into the pudding very gently until it is all the same color.
  5. Place about 1 Tablespoon of the crushed cookies into the bottom of each cup.
  6. Then add a 2 Tablespoons of pudding to each cup.
  7. Then repeat another layer of cookies, then pudding, and then cookies.
  8. Finish up by adding 2 gummy worms cut in half to the top of each of the cups.
  9. Put cups into the refrigerator for about one hour to chill them.
Notes
* I usually wait and add the gummy worms when I am ready to serve, rather than put in the refrigerator.
 

Cinnamon Pecans

Cinnamon Pecans - http://www.shariblogs.com

Do you get the munchies for something sweet?  I have gotten in the habit of needing a little bite of sweetness every evening. It doesn’t have to be anything big.  These are perfect to grab and take care of my craving. My husband and daughter request these pretty frequently.

Cinnamon Pecans
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  2. Beat the egg whites and water together in a large bowl.
  3. Next add in the pecans and stir to coat.
  4. Whisk together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Then pour over the pecans. Stir to coat.
  5. Spread pecans on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
  6. Bake for one hour, being sure to stir every 15 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Kevin and Amanda. 

Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Satin Glaze

My son Noah is a chocolate-a-holic.  Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, it doesn’t matter.  He loves all of it.  I think it’s kind of funny because I am not a big chocolate fan.  I will admit that (thanks to him) I do eat more chocolate things now than I did before.

Chocolate Cake - http://www.shariblogs.com

I made this chocolate cake for a recent get together with friends and it was a HUGE hit.  I think the whole thing was gone in record time!  The satin chocolate glaze is to die for and could be used on so many other things besides this cake.  I already have several other ideas in mind for this glaze too!

Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Satin Glaze
 
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Ingredients
FOR CAKE:
  • 1 - box Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 1 (5.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
FOR CHOCOLATE SATIN GLAZE
  • ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1 TBSP light corn syrup
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water.
  3. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
  4. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  5. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate.
  6. If desired, dust the cake with powered sugar.
GLAZE INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. In a double broiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup.
  2. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.
  3. Spread warm glaze over top of cooled cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.
 

Mini Key Lime Pies

Mini Key Lime Pies - http://www.shariblogs.com

I have an amazing recipe for you today. Key Lime Pie is one of my favorite desserts.  I love how light and refreshing it is.  This recipe has just the right amount of tartness to it.  I can see us making this one a lot, especially on hot summer days.

Mini Key Lime Pies
 
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Ingredients
  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed (about 12 squares)
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • ¾ stick of butter (5⅓ Tbsp)
  • 3 egg whites beaten
  • 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
  • ¾ cup lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp lime zest
  • ⅓ cup nonfat greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor.
  3. Add sugar and butter and mix into the crushed graham crackers.
  4. Press 1 Tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a tart pan or cupcake liner.
  5. Bake for 5 minutes to harden the crust.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together egg whites, condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and greek yogurt. Mix well until smooth.
  7. Fill the tart pans or cupcake liners about ¾ full with the mixture.
  8. Bake for 12-14 minutes and then let cool.
  9. Top with whip cream, lime zest or other garnish. Store in the refrigerator.
  10. Enjoy!
*Adapted from original recipe found here.

Chili’s Skillet Queso

Chili's Skillet Queso via Shari Blogs | www.shariblogs.com

We have been known to eat out a lot around here.  With a family of five that can get quite expensive. I decided to go on a quest of finding or creating recipes that were similar to our restaurant favorites.

Have you had Chili’s Skillet Queso?  If not, you are missing out. We get it as an appetizer every time we go.  It is so creamy and warm.  Combine that with their amazing tortilla chips and you have a true winning combination.  This recipe is almost identical to the original, although my kids say it is even better.

I couldn’t wait to share this one with you because we love it and make it quite often.

Chili's Skillet Queso
 
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Ingredients
  • 16 oz. box of Velveeta Cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 15 oz. can Hormel Chili (with or without beans, your choice)
  • 4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 lb. brownded ground beef
Instructions
  1. In a skillet, brown ground beef, drain and set aside.
  2. Cut Velveeta into cubes.
  3. Combine Velveeta with the remaining ingredients (minus the beef) in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Stir frequently until cheese melts.
  5. Once cheese is melted, stir in ground beef.
  6. Mix thoroughly and serve.
Notes
* I use Hormel Chili with Beans and run it through my food processor before adding to cheese.

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