No Bake Cake Balls

"In cooking (baking), as in all the arts, simplicity is the sign of perfection." --Curnonsky

That quote was obviously written about cake balls.

I love making cake balls.  They are the easiest, but most delicious little creations ever.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ball Bites

I'm taking a Digital Media class right now and loving it.  I'm learning so much.

We have to "make a blog" for an assignment.  Unfortunately, when someone asked "Do we have to make a new blog if we already have one?" my professor said yes.  So I have to create a new blog.  My idea is to make a blog that relates to this one and have a tab that sends you to my new one.  The only problem is that I have no idea what I could do that would relate to this.  Please give me ideas! :)

Today, we talked about keywords and I found the lesson really helpful for bloggers who use advertising on their sites, so I'm going to give you a few tips that I learned today.

1. Be general, yet very specific.  How helpful, right? Ha! What this means is that when using a label or keyword, use more than one and make one super broad and the other super specific.  That way, you'll (to  put it how my professor put it) "stand out as the bright fish in the millions of fish caught in the net." 
2. Use Google's Keyword Tool.  Use your resources!  This is an easy tool that helps sort which keywords you should use and which ones you shouldn't.
3. Use the keywords in the labels/keywords section and in the header, body, and even your URL.  Don't just save the keywords for the keyword section.  Use them as much as possible!  
4. Realize how important keywords are.  Without keywords, your blog won't get recognized.  You may have really good content, but no way to get recognized because your keywords aren't very good.
5. Use keywords with a high CPC.  CPC is the cost per click.  The more clicks you get on your ads, the more money you make, so the CPC is something you should be checking out.  You can check that here and here. 
6. Use this site to analyze what keywords other websites are using.  Use the URL's of big websites to see what they use to get recognized.

If you all have any ideas for a "sister" site to What Katie's Baking, I'd absolutely love to hear them!


What other keyword tips do you have?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ball Bites
Adapted from: Joy the Baker

Ingredients: 


2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (i know we’re not baking them, it’s for flavor)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or applesauce or peanut butter
1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted for dipping

1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and a wooden spoon) cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes in the machine.  Beat in yogurt or applesauce or peanut butter along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine. (I used applesauce, but peanut butter would be so good!)
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add all at once to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Scoop large spoonfuls or ice cream scoops onto a  waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Spear each dough ball with a cute plastic fork, Popsicle stick, or cut-up straw.  Place in the freezer overnight or until frozen, at least three hours.
4. When ready to dip the balls, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over a low flame or in the microwave.  Remove balls from the freezer and dip into warm chocolate.  Return to the lined cookie sheet and return to the freezer to harden.  Serve cold from the freezer.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Thank goodness this no sweets week is coming to an end. 

I will admit that I thought it was going to be harder, especially since I've baked 3 times this week, but it actually hasn't been that bad.  I've felt pretty good!  I've even been exercising this week, which lately I've not been able to motivate myself to do.  So... even though it probably won't last, I'm not taking the motivation for granted.

Anyway, I made some cookies!  I'm a sucker for white chocolate, and these have white chocolate in them so I was disappointed that I had to pass them up.  Hopefully there will be some left for Sunday!  My neighbor came over and had one... and then came back again for another one, so I'm assuming they're good!

Anywayyy.... I'm leaving tomorrow and I'll be back Monday the 1st, but I'll have some delicious guest posts for you in between. 

Do you guys go through spurts of motivation to work out? What do you do to push through the times when you aren't motivated?

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from: Southern Living

****I cut the following recipe in half and got about 20 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats
• 1 cup (12 ounces) white chocolate morsels
• 1 cup (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

• 1.  Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
• 2.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in oats, morsels, and pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.
• 3.  Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 3 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Quick and Easy Nutella "Candy Bars"

I'M BACK!!!

Kellen had a wonderful 21st birthday!

We were planning on leaving on Friday morning of last week, but ended up leaving at 11 p.m. and getting to his house at 3 a.m.!  Definitely worth it because I know Kellen wouldn't have been able to wake up Friday morning. ;) So we got there and obviously went straight to sleep!

We spent the next few days eating and laying around at the pool.  Soo relaxing not to have to worry about anything at all.  We ate at Kellen's favorite place, China Palace, somewhere around 329042 million times.  Needless to say, I'm sick of Chinese food.  Luckily his mom made us some pretty good dinners in between.

We obviously both think we're really cool...

...when we have sunglasses on.

On his actual birthday, we ate at China Palace for lunch (go figure) and some new Mexican restaurant for dinner.  Being the nice girlfriend that I am, I planned a surprise party with all of his friends, so Kellen's mom and I spent most of the dinner stalling while everyone showed up.  We went to his friend's house to "go pick her up on the way to the bars" and when we got there, everyone jumped out and surprised him.  It turned out perfectly!

SURPRISE!!

That night we just hung out for a while and eventually ended up at the bar.  Kellen had a really good time:

The rest of the week was just takin' it easy, eating, and hanging out with friends.  I had a lot of fun, but it's nice to be home again.

So, I suppose you want a recipe?  Perfect!  I really missed baking while I was gone (isn't that cheesy?) so I made something immediately when we got back.

The thing is, I'm not eating sweets this week.  I can't even remember the last day I went without having some kind of dessert... probably since lent last year.  So, I'm doing a 'cleanse' and cutting them out... but only for a week.  So my mom and dad have the job of dessert tester this week. I'm just hoping you all will trust their judgement considering they love sweets just as much as I do.

The other thing is, it's too freakin' hot to be baking right now! So I made a no bake dessert... I'd love to tell you how great it is, but I have no idea.  What I do know is that my parents both gave it an A, it's super easy to make, and it looks and smells delicious.

Help, please! I'll be gone from this Thursday until Sunday the 31st and I'm in need of some guest posters.  If anyone would like to do one for me, I'll love you forever. :)

Nutella "Candy Bars"
Gingerbread Bagels

1 cup Nutella
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (finely ground)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

4 Tablespoons Nutella
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips.

Put 1 cup of Nutella in a large bowl.

In a food processor, grind up the graham crackers. Measure out 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and add them to the Nutella.

Add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix everything together.

Pour in 1 cup of melted unsalted butter and stir to completely combined.

Spray the inside of the pan with non stick spray. This will help the wax paper/parchment paper stick to the pan. Line a 9 by 12 baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper.

Put the Nutella Candy Bar mixture in the pan and press it down evenly.

For the topping:

In a microwavable bowl, melt together 4 Tablespoons of Nutella and 1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips.

Pour of the Nutella Candy Bars and spread it out evenly.

Refrigerate the Nutella Candy Bars for 1 hour. Let the Nutella Candy Bars come to room temperature before you eat them!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Filling

First of all, thank you all so much for the kind words on my last post! You all made me feel really good and next time I don't have anything to write about, I won't feel so bad. You're awesome. :)

To repay you, I've made you something.

How many of you like Oreo's?

Most of you? Okay, good!

How many of you like chocolate chip cookies?

All of you?  Perfect!

How about a chocolate chip cookie sandwich with cream filling?

Not sure? Check it out! :)

Do you guys ever sit around and dream of new recipes?  Or am I alone on this one? ;)

 Yes, that's Harry Potter in the background.  Are you guys excited!?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Filling
Makes 24 sandwiches


Cookie:
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups (11 5/8 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips


Cream Filling (From Smitten Kitchen)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Place the very soft butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and stir well. Add the egg and stir until well blended. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop rounded teaspoons of dough onto light-colored baking sheets. Flatten into disks, using gentle pressure from your fingers.  You can also flatten with the bottom of a cup or something.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned; the tops shouldn't brown, they should still be slightly gooey. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then slide them onto a rack to cool completely. 


To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.


Place half of the cookies bottoms up and place a little less than tablespoon of filling on each one.  Top with another cookie.

Lemon Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dad's out there.  I'm blessed to have such an awesome one! :)  Love you dad!


This is actually not what I made my dad for father's day, but they're still yummy and I've been meaning to put this recipe up!  They're delicious muffins and fairly healthy for you!


I surprised my dad with one of his mother's old coffee cake recipes and he loved it.  I'll post the recipe soon!

I also made him this card:

He loves McDonalds.  He goes there to get coffee at least twice a day!

How are you all celebrating Father's Day?

 

Lemon Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
93 cals each!


Ingredients:


1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup applesauce 
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/3 cup dried fruit (I used blueberry infused craisins... umm YUM)
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. 2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Stir ingredients just until moistened.
4. Fold in dried fruit and chocolate chips.
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups by the tablespoon.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before 
removing from pans to wire racks.