Tag Archives: dessert

COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

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COOL WHIP Whipped Topping.  Yum!  A childhood favorite, not only mine, but now my kids love it too! It was for special occasions when I was a kid, which was usually at my grandparents.  COOL WHIP whipped topping on pie, gelatin salads or desserts.  And being from the Midwest, it always made appearances at potlucks!  But my favorite part was licking the tub in my grandma’s kitchen.

Whipped topping adds a touch of special-ness to our everyday food.  With a busy schedule, I am finally learning to keep things simple.  And as much as I wish I could make everything from scratch, when I can’t I’m always looking for ways to “doctor them up” to add a little “Wow” factor for my kids. COOL WHIP whipped topping is a simple way to meals and snacks a bit extra special.

  • On strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, bananas, and other fresh fruit – YUM!
  • On ice cream sundaes – YUM!
  • Banana splits minus the ice cream?  Yep – Bananas, a little Chocolate Syrup and COOL WHIP whipped topping!   YUM!
  • On pudding – YUM!  (Butterscotch is our favorite flavor)
  • On cake or cupcakes– YUM!  No need to frost a cake, especially in the warmer weather. Whipped Topping is the perfect “frosting” for cake and cupcakes.
  • In your coffee – If you like cream and sugar in your coffee, you will like COOL WHIP whipped topping in it too!
  • On top of waffles, pancakes or French toast with fresh fruit – peaches & blueberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Especially easy with frozen waffles.
  • Make a graham cracker sandwich with jam and a little whipped topping between the crackers.

And if you’re having company, there are so many easy desserts that everyone will love like…

  • All things Banana Cream (my husband’s favorite) – cupcakes, pudding
  • Angel Trifle
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Add it to ice cream shakes with ice cream and fruit to make it especially creamy – don’t forget to add a dollop to the top!

And one of my favorite desserts, especially as we move into warmer weather and berry season – Angel food cake and strawberries.  It’s a hit with everyone!  Made especially easy with a fresh angel food cake from the bakery.   Of course, topped with a dollop of COOL WHIP whipped topping!
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It’s easy to have on hand and the possibilities of how to use it are pretty endless. Summer is the perfect time to add a refreshing taste of COOL WHIP whipped topping to your day.  What’s your favorite way to enjoy COOL WHIP whipped topping?

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Gingerbread Trifle

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For Christmas I made a Gingerbread cake and it was good, but kind of got lost in all the goodies and food that we had been eating.  So a couple of days after Christmas with over half the cake left, I cut it in pieces and stuck it in the freezer.

This weekend, Chad’s parents came over to visit Maria after her tonsilectomy and it was his mom’s birthday, so instead of cake, we made a trifle and used the Gingerbread cake from the freezer!  How about that?! I wasn’t sure about the flavors of gingerbread and raspberries, but it was excellent!  I highly recommend!

Grandma's Birthday Trifle

Gingerbread Trifle

FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD:
9 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar and
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE FILLING AND GARNISH:
3 (12-ounce) packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
1 cup chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar and
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
AND
Gingerbread – a 9×9 or 9″ round cake.

Make the Custard:
Divide the egg yolks and whites by carefully tipping each yolk back and forth between the shell halves, letting the whites spill into a bowl. Place the yolks in a separate bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly pour half the milk into the egg mixture and beat until blended then pour the mixture into the remaining milk in the pan. Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil while whisking constantly. Allow the custard to boil for 1 minute as you continue to whisk. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Let the custard cool slightly, then cover its surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard cool completely, then refrigerate it until ready to use (up to three days).

Assemble the Trifle:
In a medium bowl, toss the thawed raspberries and sugar. Cut the cake into cubes.

Arrange a layer of cake over the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart bowl. Spoon and spread 3/4 cup of the raspberry mixture over the cake, then top the fruit with 1 cup of custard. Repeat the layering 2-3 more times depending on the size of your bowl with the remaining ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours to let the flavors meld (the dessert can be stored overnight).

Before serving, make the whipped cream. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, and garnish it with the fresh raspberries.

Crockpot Apple Crisp

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I bought some apples this weekend.  And first I was thinking applesauce in the crockpot, but then I realized I didn’t allow for enough time, so then I went to apple crisp in the crockpot.  Only after I had it all ready, did I realize it’s not hard to make apple crisp in the oven.  But this was good and it made the house smell wonderful for 2+ hours while it was cooking.  The flavors were great too. I loved the subtle ginger & lemon flavors.

I did make one modification to the recipe I started with.  After mixing up the topping, I realized it didn’t look crunchy (because I had omitted the nuts) so I mixed in a cup of oatmeal.  And after I had it cooking away, I read the reviews and found many others had done this too!  One review mentioned this would be great for a potluck at work, the whole office could smell it cooking and it could be served warm!
Crockpot Apple Crisp
this is the leftovers, because I was so excited to eat, I forgot to photograph before putting this away.

Crockpot Apple Crisp

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup white sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups apples – peeled, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice

  1. Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Combine butter with the flour mixture using fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts and set aside.
  2. Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the apples in a slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle the walnut crumb topping on top. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours, until apples are tender. Partially uncover the slow cooker to allow the topping to harden, about 1 hour.

Quick Buttercream Frosting

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I came across Mel’s Kitchen Cafe blog last week and decided to try this Buttercream frosting recipe for Luke’s birthday cake this weekend.

I doubled the recipe and then added a bit more cream cheese just to use the block and it was great. A double batch frosted one 2-layer round cake and 24 cupcakes with about 1/2 cup to spare.

Star Wars cake – easy! Buy a lego snowtrooper kit. Frost cake. no need to make it smooth, because it’s snow. Silver sugar sprinkled on top. Little laminated sign with a Star Wars font.

Luke's 4th Birthday

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

adapted from melskitchencafe.com

½ cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
about 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until it is light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar gradually and mix in fully after each addition. Cream at low speed until well blended and creamy. Pour in the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Rhubarb Berry Crunch

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I planted a new rhubarb plant this spring and haven’t harvested much. and even though I already have a super yummy rhubarb recipe, I had strawberries I wanted to use. And now next time I have rhubarb, it will be a toss up. These are both equally good!

I started with this recipe, read the reviews and then added blueberries when I realized I would maybe be a little low on strawberries.  Result was DELICIOUS!  And here is my recipe:

Rhubarb Berry Crunch

3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 lb sliced fresh strawberries
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
3 cups diced rhubarb
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, berries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9×13 inch baking dish (or Pampered Chef Deep Dish Baker).
3. Mix 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. (I used a pastry blender for this.) Crumble on top of the rhubarb and berry mixture.
4. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

Tres Leches Cake

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This recipe comes from Pampered Chef Season’s Best Spring/Summer 2005 book.  It is an incredibly moist cake and awesome served with strawberries.  Great and easy dessert to make ahead!

Tres Leches Cake

1 pkg (18.25 oz) white cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
8 0z sour cream
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz frozen whipped topping

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray. Combine eggs, cake mix, and water; whisk  until well blended. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely.
  2. Poke holes all over top of cake using fork or chopstick.
  3. Combine evaporated milk, sour cream, condensed milk and vanilla; whisk until well blended. Slowly pour milk mixture evenly over cake; let stand 5 minutes or until mixture is completely absorbed into cake.
  4. Spread half of the whipped topping over cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  Serve with strawberries.

Optional: Garnish with cinnamon and/or toasted almonds.

Quick and Almost-Professional Buttercream Icing

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I tried a new frosting for Elizabeth’s birthday cake. I wanted something that went on more smoothly than the Wilton’s buttercream recipe. This worked really well for the smooth frosting, and it was delicious!  It did however get really melty quickly when I piped on the bubbles.  It was fine for this cake because I didn’t have a lot of piping to do.

So overall, if I’m doing a whole bunch of piping, I’d do the Wilton recipe, but if I want to spread a smooth cake, I’ll use this recipe found at allrecipes.com.  I quadrupled the recipe, but a triple recipe would have been plenty for this cake and the dozen cupcakes I made.

The Rubber Ducky Cake

Quick and Almost-Professional Buttercream Icing

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
  2. Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

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Last week’s theme for Whip It Up was “Guilty Pleasure”. And I thought these brownies fit the description perfectly!!

Was the recipe easy to follow?

Yes! Basically following directions on the back of 2 boxes!  Not too difficult at all!

Did the dish taste good?

Ummm??? Chocolate Chip Cookie on top of a Brownie with Chocolate Frosting… Yummy! They were especially good when they were warm and a bit gooey and the frosting was melty!

Would you make it again?

Most definitely. Easy to take somewhere and I think you could guarantee an empty pan at most functions!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

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Golden Graham Smores

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At work in the cafeteria, there are always lots of yummy treats. My favorite lately has been a golden grahams smore bar.  I decided to make them last night for Chad to take to his Poker game.  I got to try one and it was good! And he said all the guys raved about them.

Golden Graham Smores

3/4 cup corn syrup
3 tbsp butter
12 oz chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
9 cups golden graham cereal (13 oz box – I used store brand)
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Grease 13×9 inch pan. Heat syrup, butter and chips to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal until coated, fold in marshmallows. Press in pan, let sit 1 hour and cut into squares.

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