Bacon Pecan Cookie Waffles!

So… it’s Pecan Day AND International Waffle Day today!

Don’t mistaken National Pecan Day (4/14/14) with Pecan Day (3/25/14). Apparently there’s a difference between the two like International Waffle Day (3/25/14) is different from National Waffle Day (8/24/14). It’s all very confusing, but really all we care about getting some waffles! So the Immaculate solution to make everyone happy is… make some Pecan Waffles!

And then I threw in some bacon just cuz.

 

So this is what you do: You get 1 pack of our Immaculate Baking Co. ® refrigerated Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough. Let it soften a little in room temperature before you add in 2 eggs and mix it with an electric mixer. I added a couple tablespoons of milk just to make sure the consistency is a little bit closer to a typical waffle batter. Then I added chopped up pecans and cooked bacon bits. Your waffle maker should be already preheated by now, and now we can let the waffle making begin! Of course, you can’t have waffles without drizzling on (or in my case, smothering it…) some maple syrup!

Caramel Apple & Pecan Baked Brie

I think somehow all the holiday lights and festiveness and family reunions have severely impaired our reasoning. Why else would certain foods that normally would be completely off the table, literally, now be totally acceptable, if not welcomed by flying arms that busily shove them into eagerly chewing mouths?

Okay, I don’t want you to think that I’m complaining. I’m just making an observation that’s rather perplexing for me, because if nothing else, the one thing you should know about me by now is that I LOVE food. Sweet and savory. I don’t need no reason or special occasions to gobble down delicious goodies, in other words, I have no self control and might be better off actually abiding by this all-bets-are-off-only-on-holidays rule of thumb. No wonder my current job can be, and has been, very hazardous for my waistline.

But here’s something that I think is perfect for the holidays, and for parties and gatherings, book club meetings and casual dinners with friends on any other day of the year: An caramel apple & pecan crescent-wrapped brie that oozes the melting concoction of apple sweetness and savory brie-ness. My mouth waters just writing about it… so I’m just going to let this picture do the rest of the talking:

Guest Blogger: Deep Dish German Chocolate Cookie Pizza

For some people, our cookie dough is cookie dough is cookie dough. You break ’em and bake ’em and enjoy warm and gooey and almost baked-from-scratch-as-good-as-homemade cookies. And there’ s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Because we’ve got some out-of-this-world cookies that are pretty fantastic all on their own. But then there are others, the ones who knows how to “play dough” like its nobody’s business, they don’t just see cookies, they see a sheet of edible canvas to unroll their infinite creativity on. We’re so glad that we know so many of these incredibly talented bloggers that just dream up fantastic food ideas with Immaculate Baking goodies, and Keri from Shaken Together is most definitely one of them. Brace yourself for this delicious Deep Dish German Chocolate Cookie Pizza.

Who would’ve thought that you could bake up something so wonderful with only 2 ingredients! Well, if you’re as incredulous as I am, then you’ve gotta click here to find out exactly how Keri pulls this off!

Easy Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

One thing that I’ve learned since starting my baking education is that cinnamon and apples are great for all seasons! I shared this Easy Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread recipe with the Facebook community way back in the summer, and everyone just LOVED it! Figured it would be even more perfect for right now!

You Will Need:

• 1 can Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Chip Scones OR Buttermilk Biscuits
• 4 tsps granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tsps crushed pecans
• 1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup crushed pecans

SAUCE:

• 2 T. brown sugar, packed
• 2 T. orange juice
• 1 T. butter

ICING:

• 2 T. low-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2-4 tsps orange juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp powdered sugar

Here’s How to Get the Dough Rolling:

1. Heat oven to 350F. Cooking spray a 8×4″ loaf pan.
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon and 4 tsps pecans in small bowl. Cut scones/biscuits in half, and coat each half with sugar mixture. Alternately arrange the scone/biscuit halves and apple slices in loaf pan. Keep pressing dough forward to fit in pan. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture and 1/2 cup pecans over top of loaf in pan.
3. SAUCE: In sauce pan over medium heat, mix together brown sugar, OJ and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over loaf in pan. Bake for 25 min. or until center is cooked through.
4. ICING: In small bowl, whisk together icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the bread while it’s still warm.

Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie!

Confession: Fall is by far my favorite season of the year! Okay, so maybe it has a little bit to do with the fact that I’m an autumn baby, but I could probably come up with a laundry list of other reasons why Fall is under-appreciated and people should totally give it more love – boots season is back, perfect weather to slip back into your leather jackets, the breath-taking fall colors that blaze up the blue, blue skies, and wait for it, Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie.

This is where you say, you had me at pumpkin.

 

TGIF Treat: Caramel Pecan Monkey Rolls!

Fridays in general just calls for high-fives and woo-hoos and happy dancing. It’s the reset button of the week when all the oopsies and oh-no’s and ARGH-i-wish-i-didn’t-do/say-that in the past 4 days are erased and forgotten (until Monday hits…), because Friday marks the glorious fresh start into the weekend! For this reason, celebration must be in order, and we all know that yummy nomnoms go hand-in-hand with a proper celebration. And so we present the nomnom-licious Caramel Pecan Monkey Rolls!

Yep, that slushing sound is the sound of me drooling (and yours, too, I hope!) Oh your kiddos are so going to adore you when they wake up to a Friday smelling this good! Here’s what you’ll need to celebrate your Friday with taste (literally):

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can Immaculate Baking Co. ® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

And with just 3 easy steps, you are on your way to a sweet Friday and a fabulous weekend!

1.   Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or cooking spray. In small bowl, mix butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 tablespoon pecans into each muffin cup; spoon slightly less than 1 tablespoon brown sugar mixture into each muffin cup.

2.   In 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into 6 pieces. Shake pieces in bag to coat. Divide dough pieces among muffin cups, putting about 5 pieces in each. 

3.   Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; turn upside down on serving plate. Serve warm.