Simple Country Apple Dumplings

You have all been to a local place that served up the best apple dumplings you had ever eaten. It was your favorite dessert and probably a place you snuck off to just to grab one from time to time. So, you try to whip them up at home and either A) They fall apart or B) take too much effort to bother. You end up going back and dropping a lot of cash on them, because well they are just sooooo good! Yeah, well those times are over. Here is a very quick and simple recipe that some of the ingredients might just surprise the heck out of you! I ran across this recipe years ago and tweaked it a bit to fit my own personal taste.

• 1 Large Apple – Which ever is your favorite
• 1 Can Grands Flaky Crescent Rolls
• 1/2 Cup of Butter
• 1/2 Cup of White Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
• 6 Ounces of Mountain Dew (I am not kidding!)

1. Preheat your oven for 350 degrees and get out a glass baking pan.  
2. Peel and core your apple. Then cut it into 8 slices. 
3. Take 1 slice and wrap it up in your crescent roll dough, just like you normally would. Stretch it out to bit to make sure it is completely wrapped and sealed. 
4. Place each one in your backing pan with a couple of inches clearance on each side – these will PUFF!!! 
5. Take your butter and melt it over medium heat in a sauce pan. 
6. Add in your vanilla, sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon. 
7. Mix it well and then pour it over your apple dumplings.
8. Take your Mountain Dew and pour it over everything. Don’t worry if it looks runny, watery or such. 
9. Just take it and toss it in the oven now. Set your timer for 30 minutes and step away. 
10. When your timer goes off come back and check for brownness. If it is golden brown on top, remove from oven, if not, check back every 1 minute or 2 till it is. 
11. Take it out of the oven just place it on a wire rack and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Almost all of the liquid will be absorbed by the dumplings, the rest can be spooned over the top. 
12. Serve and enjoy! 

I prefer to serve 1 dumpling in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Also goes great with a slice of cheddar or american cheese on top – for those that like that southern twist. (Copied this post from my original post on my sister site Surreal Fare.)

Read More

Irish Crepe Cake

Cakes, good. Crepes, better. Guinness, good. Irish Cream, better. Chocolate, good. Frosting, better. A Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake with Irish Cream Whipped Frosting....Top of the Morning To You, You Just Found The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow, Holy Mary Mother Of God, Let Me Say A Few Hail Marys, This Is Sinful, Yes Please Pass Another Slice!!

Nothing more to say, I will get straight to the recipes because I know you want it.

Chocolate Guinness Crepes

• 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour, Sifted
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder, Sifted
• 5 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3 Cups Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Stout Guinness
• 3 Eggs
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1. In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. 
2. In a different bowl combine the buttermilk, beer, eggs, oil and vanilla. Keep separate until right before cooking.
3. Heat a lightly oiled pan, non stick in good condition is best, over medium low heat. 
4. Combine wet and dry mixture together. Mix until smooth but do not whisk or over beat. 
5. Place a small amount of batter on the pan and swirl around until a thin coat forms over the bottom. Around 1/3 cup for a 7 inch skillet. 
6. Cook until lightly set and then flip carefully. 
7. Remove form pan when fully cooked and place on a plate to cool.
8. Continue until all batter is gone. 

Irish Cream Whipped Frosting

• 3 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 6 Tablespoons Bakers Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Irish Cream

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Whip until stiff peaks form.

(If you do not have Bakers Sugar, just measure out 6 tablespoons of granulated table sugar and run it through a clean coffee grinder real fast. ^_~)

Chocolate Guinness Crepe Cake With Irish Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 Batch Chocolate Guinness Crepes
• 1 Batch Irish Cream Whipped Frosting

1. Place a single cooled crepe on your serving plate.
2. Place a large dollop of frosting in the center and spread around until a thin layer covers the crepe.
3. Center another crepe on top.
4. Continue with whipped topping and crepes until the cake is the height you wish. 

(For added decoration, use a large cookie cutter to cut a shape out of the top. I use a large shamrock. It is an Irish Cake after all. I am serving this one for St. Patricks Day ^_~)

Huge thanks goes out to Chef Jason Gibson of Cynical Cuisine for letting me alter his Basic Crepe recipe for this and cooking up the crepes for me. ^_^ 

Read More

St. Patricks Rainbow Cupcakes

Top of the morning to you! (Yeah, okay done with that.) It is late and I am tired. I promised that I would do a quickie for my St. Patricks Day Cupcakes and here I am. ^_^

I made these last year and they were a huge hit. These are super simple cupcakes that anyone can honestly do no matter where you are or what you have. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, these are sure to please anyone this St. Patricks Day.

I normally go with a simple Chocolate Cupcake Recipe and then do a mint flavored buttercream in favor for the holiday but feel free to change up what you do. The ones I did this year are just simple plain vanilla cupcakes, some chocolate, and all have a buttercream icing.

Now, before we start I want you to head over to Glorious Treats and check out these various links. I swear it is the perfect place to get the best cupcake and icing recipe for this. Now I have used each recipe I am posting here for this very lesson and tested them myself. I know they work and give them my Surreal Approval Stamp!

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Buttercream Recipe - For white white icing I substitute the butter with crisco, it works well.

While you are at it, read through these two pages to learn some more about cupcakes. It is well worth your time.

How To Bake Cupcakes - I reread this every time I make cupcakes
How to Frost Cupcakes - Good quick lesson on basic frosting techniques if you have tips.


Now onto the tutorial. You will need a few thing.

• Batch of Cooled Cupcakes
• 2 Batches of Buttercream - 1 white, 1 green. I recommend making the white first, setting it aside and then making the green. If you aren't careful the color will separate with the green after a bit, so best to make it last. 
• "Pot O Gold" Candy - Rolos, Reeses Minis, Ferrero Rocher or anything in a gold wrapper
• Rainbow Chew - Warheads Sour Rainbow Twists, Airheads X-Treme Rainbow Berry Sour or any rainbow like rope candy
• Green Food coloring - Wilton or Americolor Leaf Green/Mint Green works best for me
• Grass tip for your icing - or green sprinkles if you don't have one. 

Now for what you to.

1. Use your grass tip and decorate half the cupcake with the green frosting. 
2. Decorate the other half with the white, use a basic large round tip. 
3. Cute your rainbow rope about 4 inches in length and stick one end in the icing. 
4. Bend it gently and stick the other end on the other side of the cupcake.
5. Place a Gold Foiled Candy at the end of a rainbow and done.
6. Marvel how easy, complain to those you give them to how long it took. 

Seriously, that is it. You can do variations with what you have near you. Some with clouds, some without. Some on grass fields, some covered in candy shamrock sprinkles. Small rainbows, big rainbows, double rainbows (OMG WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?! LOL) Just enjoy them. Super simple for the kids to help out with. ^_~

Read More