A Brief Break

Just so you know, I may not post for awhile. My baby is due any day now. Once she comes I'm not sure how much time I'll have, especially since I already have a little toddler running around. Wish me luck and you'll hear again from me soon! I've got one more post for Makin' It From Scratch that I'm really excited about. So, stay tuned!

Makin' It From Scratch #6 - Sweet Treats

Sweet Treats

In honor of Valentine's Day, I had to put up a post about this. Of course there are a million dessert recipes out there, but I wanted to feature a few that were on the unique side.

1. Toaster Pastries (a.k.a. Pop Tarts)

Homemade Pop Tarts? Heck yeah! Here's a version posted on Chicken In the Road.

I gave these a try because it was just too tempting not to! I have to say that I learned a few things:

1. You need to roll out the pie crust as thin as you can without it being too difficult to handle. It puffs up a lot when it bakes and then you just end up with a lot of pie crust in one bite.

2. They need a lot of icing on top. (The sprinkles are awesome.) It helps to make the icing thicker too.

3. I like mine with way more filling. Pick a jam that you absolutely adore. Otherwise it's not worth it.

4. Try not to think that you're just eating pie crust and jam. It totally takes away all the enjoyment.

5. Make them once a year. After all you're eating pie crust and jam, for goodness sakes! That cannot be a good thing. However, it is far better than eating the store bought kind.

And if you prefer something more like a Toaster Streudel try out this recipe from Baking Bites.

2. Twinkies

Yes, folks, it's true! Something that was never meant to be homemade has crossed over. Of course the homemade versions won't last 2 millennia, but that's a good thing!

- Here's a recipe for twinkies.

- My friend, Holly, put up a post about her homemade twinkies - complete with special twinkie pan and cream injector! Impressive! (This post has some really nice pictures of the finished product.)

3. Donuts

I just made these yeast donuts featured on The Pioneer Woman and they were wonderful!

They are a little time intensive, but when I get the craving for a store-bought donut I can either make them myself, or ignore my craving because I can't wait the 8+ hours it takes to make these. Oh, but it is so worth it! (Try one of these donuts spread with Smuckers Raspberry Jam - if you don't have any homemade raspberry jam. I swear that Smuckers stuff tastes just like jelly donut filling...)

4. Marshmallows

When I found out you could make your very own marshmallows I nearly fell over in shock! Who knew???

Here's a recipe featured on Our Best Bites with some yummy variations like Cocoa and Peppermint.

5. Caramel Pop Corn

I had to put up my favorite caramel corn recipe from my friend Leslie. This is so super easy to make and so, so good. Perfect for watching a movie if you'd prefer something sweet over salty. (Or if you want some sweet and salty, try out this recipe for wonderful Homemade Kettle Corn featured on Joy the Baker.)

Microwave Caramel Popcorn
2-3 bags of popcorn (or 2/3 - 1 cup of popcorn kernels popped the way you prefer - air or kettle)
½ c butter or margarine
1 c brown sugar
1 ½ c marshmallows

Pop the popcorn in the microwave and pour into a bowl. (I recommend picking out the old maids). Melt butter/margarine, brown sugar, and marshmallows in the microwave in a glass dish. I put it in for 30 seconds at a time, and then stir until it is all blended and most of the sugar has melted so the mixture isn't grainy. Pour over popcorn and enjoy!

Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day! Get with some friends, bake some sweet treats and have some fun!