The Easiest & BEST Coffee Cake Known to Man

You can only handle so many bowls of cold cereal every morning before you get sick of bran flakes and Cocoa Puffs. Let me save the day! I present to you my favorite rise-and-shine breakfast: Coffee Cake.

Is this really breakfast? Is it really healthy and filling? Is this really something  you want to eat when you start off your day? I don't know the answer to the first two, but I do know it's super easy and unbelievably good, so yes, you do need this to start your morning.

This recipe came from the family, once again. To be honest, someone probably got it off of the back of a Bisquick box or something and it ended up in the family cookbook. Regardless of where it came from, it's a cherished gem that has been feeding the messy-haired, sleepy-eyed, sometimes grouchy, early morning Crandall risers since at least 1968.

This cake is moist, flavorful, and filling. It is a super easy recipe because it's made up of Bisquick. I highly recommend everyone keep Bisquick mix as a staple in your pantry. You can make so much from it.

You simply just dump the Bisquick, milk, eggs, and sugar in a bowl, mix it up and voila! You're halfway there.





Secondly, you just mix up the topping and sprinkle it on the top. HOW SIMPLE!? You can make it into a cake or portion it out in a muffin tin and make coffee cake muffins for an on the go option!

Fun hint: In the video above it shows me adding flour to the chocolate chips. I do this so that they don't all sink to the very bottom of the cake when I mix them into the batter.



Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cake

2 1/3 cup Bisquick (divided)
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar (divided)
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
chopped walnuts (optional)


Combine 2 cups Bisquick, eggs, milk, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. For the topping, combine 1/3 cup Bisquick, 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter. Add nuts to the crumble mixture. Sprinkle on top, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Mildred's Chocolate Ice Cream

 

 

POP QUIZ: When is the perfect time to eat ice cream? 

a. When it's really hot outside

b. When you've finished all your dinner

c. When it's 20 degrees outside in the middle of January

Trick question, the answer is always. It's Always the perfect time to eat ice cream. 

So why not in the middle of this Utah winter, break out the ice cream machine and make some homemade goodness? Yeah, I can't think of a reason going against that plan either.
 

This recipe comes from my great grandma. Let me introduce you to Mildred. 

This redheaded, beauty queen who never left the house without being perfectly done up, knew how to cook. She was that grandma that would shove food into your hands right as you walked through the door. She would never let you go hungry and would always have something to offer you. S/O to grandma great for still keeping us fed today with her brilliant recipes. 

Her homemade ice cream recipe is super simple and nothing short of delicious. It reminds me of a Wendy's Frosty. You just mix up all the ingredients, throw it in an ice cream machine, and after you wait for what feels like three days, the ice cream will be frozen, soft, and ready for your belly!

Here's a quick video of the basic recipe. 

 

Note: I did put the mixture in the blender and blend it because I felt like the whisk wasn't doing well enough. I also lacked the patience. So you can mix it in a blender as well! 

Mildred's Chocolate Ice Cream

1 quart heavy cream

2 quarts milk

6 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Mix all above ingredients. Use an ice cream machine to freeze, takes anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and a half. Layer ice and rock salt around the ice cream container. When done, pour into an airtight container and store in the freezer (that is if there is even any leftovers). Enjoy!

I Sold my Soul to Cafe Trio

I get cravings worse than a pregnant woman. Welcome to my life struggle. I was born an avid foodie.  My life is a constant quest to find the next greatest dish. Hold onto your seat ladies and gentleman, I have found it. Polenta. Holy smokes, I love polenta.

This recent addiction came on when Lexi Crandall and I discovered a little piece of heaven on earth. It is located at 680 South and 900 East in Salt Lake City. Behold, Café Trio. Ah, just picture a chorus of angels descending from heaven singing hymns of praise surrounding this sacred vicinity.

Image from triodining.com

The Trio Experience

It is a modern restaurant that serves traditional Italian food.

When I say Italian food I mean it. None of the crappy Americanized Italian food. It blows Olive Garden out of the water. Trio’s claim to authentic Italian dining is backed up by Lexi’s expertise. She traveled to Italy on a Study Abroad last summer. She knows that Trio is the real deal. This restaurant is brilliant to say the least.

Lexi ordered the pomodoro braised meatballs served over a creamy polenta. At first I thought she was insane. Granted, I was not a fan of meatballs. Especially when it was on a bed of some unknown creamed substance. I thought it was weird to order something like this.

Then I tried a bite.

My life has never been the same since.

My fork glided right through the tender, moist meatball. The steam rose off the soft pink beef as I split it in half. I stuck my fork into the small piece, and slid it through the smooth polenta. The sauce coated both the meatball and the polenta.  I raised the fork to my mouth. The moment it touched my tongue, I knew it was love. The meatball almost melted in my mouth. The polenta was rich and creamy. An excellent duo. I scraped the plate clean. I did everything I could to get every last bit of the dish into my mouth. I owe a big thanks to Lexi for sharing her appetizer. And by sharing, I mean letting me devour the whole thing.

The Basic Construction of the Dish

 Pomodoro is a simple tomato sauce. Tyler Florence has basic instructions on how you can prepare it. You can find it here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pomodoro-sauce-recipe.html

The sauce consists mainly of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and seasonings.  This isn’t the exact recipe that was on Trio’s meatballs and polenta, but it will send you in the right direction.

The meatballs were insanely moist and seasoned perfectly. If you aren’t familiar with a meatball, you need to get out more. If you want a good recipe, ask your grandma. Family recipes are the second best thing to Trio.

Now to the main event:

The Polenta.

Before my first encounter with this magnificent grain, I was living a subpar life. Polenta can change your life everybody! After having no clue what in the world it was, I did some research.

According to the Academic Search Premier database I learned that polenta is made from corn. According to an article in Health Magazine you get polenta from “removing the hull from corn kernels, then grinding them.”

(TIME inc. Health, March 2005, vol. 19 Issue 2, p170-172) 

Image from frenchrevolutionfood.com

Sounds weird to eat with meatballs huh? That is what I thought. You have to give it a chance. You’ll end up giving it your whole soul nonetheless.

After leaving the restaurant, my cravings began. For weeks all I wanted was another delectable dish of Trio’s polenta and meatballs.

The Creation

Due to the long commute, I had to result in playing around with polenta myself. 

After looking through a plethora of recipes I created my own. It’s based on two recipes I found from Ina Garten and Bon Appetit Magazine. Their original recipes can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/creamy-parmesan-polenta-recipe.html

and here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/creamy-polenta

For Alisa’s POLENTA

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta (NOT corn meal)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Start by adding the chicken stock, water, and salt to a large pot. Bring this to a boil. Once it is boiling add the polenta slowly while whisking constantly. If you whisk it continuously it will ensure that you won’t get lumps. After all the polenta is added, you’ll turn the temperature down to medium low heat. Simmer the mixture for about fifteen minutes, or according to the package’s specific cooking directions. After it has thickened and is still creamy, add the cheese, butter, and cream. Once it is all melted and incorporated, devour.

You’ll be licking your plate clean!

All in all,

You can check out www.triodining.com for more information on their restaurant and their menu. If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping by. I give it five stars. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll probably even run into me there.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles, or according to Uncle Bret "choc-ey crinks". These cookies have been I'm the Crandall family cookbook since as long as I can remember. When I was little, my mom would always mix up the dough for me and my brother Mitch and we would eat it by the spoonful. Probably not the most nutritious after school snack, but definitely a delicious one!

These gooey chocolate cookies are so soft and the powdered sugar coating really adds that extra sweetness. You start off making these cookies by combining sugar, cocoa, oil, butter, and vanilla. Once that's mixed then add the eggs one at a time. Then add your dry ingredients and mix until the dough really comes together.

 This is a very moist, sticky dough. And depending on the altitude and amount of moisture in the air the amount of flour will differ. My mom would always do a test cookie then add more depending on it's results. 

After the dough is completed, roll into balls (or use a cookie scoop) and drop it into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll the dough around until it is completely coated. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes depending on the size!

Voila!!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

2-3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Blend the first five ingredients until comes together. Then add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, powder, and salt. Roll into balls and coat with powdered sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes 



Scotcheroo Bars

These gluten free treats go by so many various names. My family calls them Scotcheroos or Rice Crispy Oh Henry Bars, but you could have known these as something else.

They are super simple to whip up. I like making them because they make a whole cookie sheet worth with only a little effort. These are my go to treats when I'm feeding larger quantities of people.

These ones that are pictured were made for a kid in my Calculus class's birthday. Hence the festive rainbow sprinkles (;

The Recipe is all follows :

8 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup peanut butter

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

12 ounces butterscotch chips

Start by boiling the corn syrup and sugar until all the sugar dissolves. Then remove from heat and mix in the peanut butter till completely melted and smooth. Pour over crisp rice cereal and mix until completely coated. Press into cookie sheet pan.

Then while it cools, melt both chocolate chips in the microwave (using 30 second increments) and spread over the top of mixture in the cookie sheet. 

Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate sets and becomes firm. Cut into squares and enjoy(:





Have you made these before? What are your thoughts on this recipe? Comment Below!!(:

Oreo Truffles

Out of everything that I make, These little balls of heaven are what people always request. They are ridiculously easy, far from nutritious, and insanely addictive. If you share them with anyone, just be prepared because they most likely will ask you for more.

These are made up of only three ingredients, Oreos, cream cheese, and white chocolate for dipping. When you first bite into this little hand dipped Oreo Ball the hardened white chocolate flakes off into your mouth. Followed by a burst of chocolate. The inside dough is rich and soft. The combination of these ingredients produces a very sweet end product and the cream cheese blends it all perfectly together, adding a small amount savor.

The easiest way to make this, and I highly recommend using a food processor. That way you don't get stuck crushing it all by hand.  First add all the Oreo's and blend them into crumbs. Then add the cream cheese in small chunks. The temperature of the cream cheese is a great contributing factor that determines how much you need to add. So I usually add half of the block, and then drop it in by the spoonful until it all comes together to form a soft dough.

After it's well blended and no Oreo cookie clumps remain, roll into small, quarter sized balls. At this point you can freeze them before you dip them, or if they are firm enough you can just dip them right then.



Once they are hardened, you can help yourself & indulge(:

Oreo Balls/ Oreo Truffles/ Oreo Cake Balls

1 package Nabisco Oreo cookies
8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 pkgs. white chocolate morsels

Blend Oreos and cream cheese together until a dough forms. Roll into quarter sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave (30 second increments) Dip the balls into the white chocolate and sprinkle with Oreo crumbs, or drizzle with milk chocolate. Let harden before serving.

Ice Cream Roll

Depending on which Crandall you talk to, this dessert is highly favored and one of the very best family recipes. Next to Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls and Steamed Chocolate Pudding, of course. Ice Cream Roll is a heavenly, soft, spongy chocolate cake rolled up with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with hot fudge sauce. Does food get any better than that? Nope!

To make this delectable frozen treat start by separating five eggs, and whipping the whites with cream of tarter till stiff peaks.

You can determine if the whites are to stiff peak by immersing the beaters in the whipped whites and slowly pulling them straight out. The whites that separate from the beaters should form peaks that do not fall over or collapse.

Next in a separate bowl, mix the yolks till thick and lemon colored.

Next, add in flour, cocoa, salt, and sugar to the egg yolks.

Mix this well. It should form a thick chocolate batter. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure it's mixed evenly.

Fold together the whites and chocolate mixture. Be sure to use gentle motions so that you don't remove the air you just whipped into the whites. This is an important step because it's what gives the roll its fluffy, pliable texture.



The folded batter should look like this after it has been completely

incorporated.

Pour out onto a wax paper greased and floured jelly roll pan. If you do not have a jelly roll pan a cookie sheet will work!



After baking the cake turn out onto a powdered sugar coated towel

 Loosely roll up and allow to cool. This step helps the cake take its rolled form and helps it not crumble and break when the ice cream is added to it.

I take a whole carton of Vanilla ice cream and slice it with a knife to place the pieces on top of the cake. Yup, you read that right, the WHOLE thing(:

Roll up the cake and ice cream and then wrap in wax paper and plastic. Make sure to seal it tightly to avoid freezer burn. Place in the freezer to harden and cool completely before slicing.

Top with hot fudge sauce, and enjoy(:

Ice Cream Roll

5 eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 gallon Vanilla Ice Cream

Separate eggs. Combine the whites and cream of tartar and beat till stiff peaks. Beat the yolks until thick in consistency and lemon colored. Add sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt and mix well. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour onto prepared jelly roll sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Flip cake out onto powdered sugar coated towel and loosely roll up. When cooled add vanilla ice cream. Roll up and securely cover the roll with wax paper and set in freezer. Slice and drizzle with chocolate syrup or hot fudge. Serve immediately.