brownie fruit pizza + homemade cream cheese frosting

It's Memorial Day - the unofficial kick off to summer! We're laking and pooling and gathering on porches and patios from coast to coast! And this Brownie Fruit Pizza is a dreamy bite of sweet for your get together! The brownie is sweet and cakey, the homemade frosting will knock your socks off, and the fruit serves as the perfect tart bite! And y'all, it's just so pretty. Sure to become a favorite! Here's to grassy little bodies playing in the sprinkler, grilled hot dogs on paper plates, pink shoulders, and freckled noses! Happy summer to you and your people!

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BROWNIE FRUIT PIZZA

with cream cheese frosting

1 family-sized brownie mix

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs + 1 egg white

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Several drops of red food coloring or gel

3-4 tablespoons milk 

Fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries

Mint for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 15" aluminum pizza pan with baking spray. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the brownie mix, oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Pour batter onto prepared pan and spread evenly around the pan, leaving a 1-inch border. Bake for 20 minutes; remove and allow to cool entirely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese for a minute until smooth. Add in half of the powdered sugar, the vanilla, and the almond. Mix on low until combined. Add in the remaining powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Stir in the food coloring to get a pretty pink shade!

Spread the cooled brownie with the frosting, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover the top with berries and mint leaves. Refrigerate before serving. Slice into narrow wedges or cut the circle into smaller squares and serve. 

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french toast bread pudding with berry maple syrup

French toast bread pudding is comfort from your head to your toes. This recipe is all of the things we love about french toast - creamy, sweet, rich, cinnamon-y, and warm warm warm - but it's soaked and stirred and baked in casserole form! Bread pudding is a go-to for me so often when I have a house full of family or company because it serves as breakfast or dessert! It can be served fresh out of the oven or easily reheated. And it just scratches all of my comfort food itches! This french toast bread pudding is ladled with a rich berry maple syrup that can be made ahead and reheated. You’ll want to make this for your people when the temperatures drop and you need to feel warmth from the inside out!

FRENCH TOAST BREAD PUDDING

with BERRY MAPLE SYRUP

Serves 8 or more

1 (14-16 ounce) loaf of French bread

8 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Unsalted butter for the pan

-for the berry maple syrup-

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen blackberries or blueberries, thawed

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons sugar

Pinch cinnamon

1 ½ cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the ends of the bread off and discard. Slice the bread into 1” slices, then cut each slice into quarters. Put the cubed bread pieces into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs to combine. Whisk in the sugar until combined. Then whisk in the milks, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour the cream mixture over the bread cubes, stirring and folding them gently to soak well. Allow the bread mixture to soak for 10 minutes, then stir and soak another 10 minutes. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 casserole dish or or deep oval baker. Pour the mixture into the dish, carefully distributing it evenly in the pan. Set the pan inside a larger pan filled with enough warm water to come up about halfway. Loosely cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, increase oven to 375F, and bake another 10-15  minutes or until the french toast casserole is golden brown and puffed up. The center should be moist and custardy but not sloshing wet. Carefully remove from the oven, remove the pan from the water.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

In a medium saucepan, combine blackberries, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring gently on occasion until the juices begin to thicken a little bit. Remove from the heat. Stir in pinch of cinnamon and maple syrup. May make syrup a few days ahead, stored airtight in the refrigerator.

lemon blueberry crumb bars

Oh my word. These crumb bars. All of the things I love. Buttery, shortbread-y crust. Sweet fruity filling. And tart, zest-y lemon goodness! I made this recipe on my cooking show not long ago, and I had a gal tell me she made a pan that her family ate entirely! So she went back to the market and made a second pan for the next day! They’re just that good, and they're equally suitable for breakfast or dessert! You will want to let them cool 1000% in order to cut them because similarly I had a report from another gal that she rushed the cool so the bars fell all to pieces. Don’t be that gal. Be the first gal. And make two perfectly awesome pans!  Enjoy!

LEMON BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS

Makes one 9x13 pan

-for the crumb-

1 cup sugar

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Zest of one lemon

1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg

-for the berries-

Juice of one lemon

½ cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

4 cups blueberries

Set the oven to 375F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment with enough parchment overhanging to lift out the entire pan of bars once cooled.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and zest. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and egg until a crumbly mixture forms. Gently press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Carefully fold in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberries over the bottom crust, using your fingers to evenly distribute. Cover the berries with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool entirely. Don’t rush the cool or the bars won’t cut cleanly.

In a small bowl, mix together the juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of milk, and enough powdered sugar to make a drizzly glaze. Carefully lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan using the parchment sheet overlap for lifting. Drizzle the glaze off the end of a spoon over the entire pan just before cutting and serving.

mama grace's chocolate pie

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Mama Grace's chocolate pie. I am so delighted that she shared this family-favorite with me before she went to be with Jesus at the ripe old age of 99 3/4! Food equals memories, especially at the holidays. And we can't help but think of her when we eat this pie when we're together. Y'all share your recipes with your people. Stand together in the kitchen and stir them and measure them and serve them and eat them. You'll all be so glad ya did. 

MAMA GRACE’S CHOCOLATE PIE

{with or without meringue}

Makes one 8-9” pie

One unbaked pie dough round, either homemade or storebought

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

1 12oz can evaporated milk plus enough whole milk to make 3 cups total

2oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 eggs, separated (plus one more white if you’re making meringue)

1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 ½ tsp vanilla

-for the meringue-

5 egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cream of tartar

7 Tbs sugar

In a standard pie dish (not a deep or oversized pie dish), blind bake a pie crust at 450F for 10 minutes with pie weights, then remove the weights and bake another 3-5 minutes until the crust looks golden and no longer wet-looking. Turn off oven, remove and set aside.

In a 3qt saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and milk. Whisk together. Add chopped chocolate. Over medium high heat, whisk until chocolate melts and the mixture gets thick and bubbly, as long as 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Spoon about ½ cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly to temper the eggs. Add the yolks/chocolate mixture to the saucepan, stir well. Return pot to medium heat and allow to bubble up and simmer for about 2 minutes or so until nice and thick. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into the baked pie shell.

You may choose NOT to top your pie with meringue. If that’s the case, then at this point you may allow the pie to cool at room temperature then chill in the refrigerator for four hours before cutting and serving with homemade whipped cream! OR if you’d like to top with meringue, then keep reading...

Turn the oven on to 350F. In a mixer, combine 5 egg whites, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk on medium high until soft peaks form. With mixer on medium high, add all of the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Then turn mixer to high and whisk for 2-3 minutes until glossy, fluffy, stick peaks form. Pile meringue in the middle of the pie, spreading gently to the outer edges, making sure to seal the meringue to the pie crust which will help keep the meringue from shrinking. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Allow pie to cool entirely on the counter 1-2 hours. Refrigerate uncovered in the refrigerator. Serve cooled. Cut with a wet, sharp knife.

Alternately, you might wish to serve the chocolate pie with homemade whipped cream. Find that recipe in our recipe archives.

ham, leek, and gruyere breakfast bake

It's the season for hosting company! This breakfast bake is not only perfect for morning, but also brunch, or even a light lunch or supper! Such a win-win all the way around!

I love all things even remotely related to the bread pudding family! This savory bread pudding-ish bake is creamy, cheesey, bready, smokey, and buttery with sauteed leeks. OH MY! Make ahead and reheat on low covered in the oven or even microwave a portion. No fuss, beautiful, and divinely good! Happy hosting!

HAM, LEEK, AND GRUYERE BREAKFAST BAKE

serves about 6

1 1/2 cups leeks, sliced 1/2" thick and rinsed

2 Tablespoons butter

6 cups hearty bread, cut in 1" cubes

1 cup chopped ham steak or leftover holiday ham

1/4 cup chopped scallions, green parts

3/4 cup shredded gruyere

several teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 eggs

3 cups whole milk

grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F. Toast cubed bread pieces for 15 minutes or so until lightly browned. Remove from oven.  While bread toasts, rinse leek rings by floating them in a large bowl of cold water. Use hands to separate rings and swirl around in water to remove any dirt. Pat most of the water off of the rings. In a skillet over low heat, sprinkle leeks with a pinch of salt, and saute leeks in butter until tender, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, dump the bread cubes, the sauteed leeks, scallions, ham, and thyme. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and grated nutmeg. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture, toss to coat. Stir in 1/2 cup gruyere. Let stand 15 minutes.

Butter a 9x9 pan or a deep pie dish, then pour the mixture in the pan. Spread around using your fingers, tucking in pieces and gently pressing down so bread is mostly covered in the cream. A little top layer of bread is fine above the cream layer. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup gruyere and bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

drunken raisin bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce

There is a reason that they sing about figgy pudding in Christmas carols. Because it's amazing and rich and perfect for every holiday reason in the world!

Dinner party? Check.

Taking dessert to a gathering? Check.

Curling up and watching a movie by the fire? Check.

Breakfast? Check.

Blustery night? Check.

Itching for something shamefully good? Check.

See? So many reasons to love this Drunken Raisin Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce. (Yes, whiskey. Run the liquor store on Wednesday nights when your Baptist friends are at choir practice. HA!) (I have Baptist in my genes, so I can rightfully poke fun.)

Back to this comfort dish! Rich and creamy. Warm and cinnamony. Sweet and boubon-y. Toasty and mushy. 

And the sauce. No more words needed, y'all. And I meant that. 

Here's the recipe. 

Oh, and click HERE to watch me make this on my cooking show with additional tips and instructions! 

DRUNKEN RAISIN BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY CREAM SAUCE

Makes one 9x13 pan

1 loaf of french or Italian bread, torn (about 6 cups of bread)

⅔ cup golden raisins

2-3 Tbs bourbon

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

4 cups whole milk

6 large eggs

1 ¾ cups brown sugar

4-5 teaspoons good vanilla

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or freshly grated which I love

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 250F Place torn bread on a baking sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes to dry so the bread won’t become soggy when it soaks. While the bread bakes, heat the raisins and 3 Tbs bourbon in the microwave for about 30 seconds; remove and allow raisins to soak. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn oven to 350F. Place bread in a very large bowl. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 casserole or a 3qt baker with butter. Set aside.

Combine the heavy cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and raisins in a large bowl preferably with a pour spout. Whisk to mix and pour the cream mixture over the bread. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so.

Transfer the bread mixture to the buttered casserole dish. Place the casserole dish inside a larger pan and fill half-way up the sides with the hottest tap water available. Cover loosely with foil, tenting so as not to touch the top of the bread pudding. Cut a few slits in the top of the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake another 30-45 minutes more until the bread pudding poofs up. Carefully remove from the oven, remove the pan from the water bath, and allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. While it’s cooling down, make the sauce.

WHISKEY CREAM SAUCE

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup whole milk

½ cup granulated white sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

¼-½ cup bourbon or whiskey of your choice

Pinch salt

2 Tbs unsalted butter

In a 1 qt saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, and cream. Place the cornstarch and ¼ cup of bourbon in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend, making a slurry. Pour the slurry into the cream mixture and bring to a boil. Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt and stir in the butter. Taste and add more bourbon if you’re brave enough. Store sauce and bread pudding separately and covered in the refrigerator.

*adapted from Emeril Lagasse recipe*

cream cheese pumpkin bread

It’s October, and I’m in Heaven. I’m one of those obnoxious Fall-lovin loud-mouths who LOVES pumpkins, who LOVES warm drinks, who LOVES bittersweet branches, who LOVES the first day I get to wear boots. I’m that girl without question.

And the split second that it feels like Fall outside, I crank out loaves of this cream cheese pumpkin bread. It’s an absolute favorite! This recipe makes two loaves – one to keep and one to give (If you can stand to let go of a loaf!) It’s dense and moist. It’s cinnamon-y and warm. It’s creamy and sweet. Oh my, delicious.

True story. I shared a bite with one of the young men who was here at my house one night leading my son’s high school bible study. He texted my husband Sam after he got home and said it was the best pumpkin bread he had ever eaten. So Sam told him to wheel around and come back for the second loaf. And that’s what he did! He turned around and came back to my house for more bread. And the next time I saw him, he said he finds himself thinking about the pumpkin bread. So that says one of two things: the pumpkin bread is FABULOUS or that fella isn’t quite right. So let’s go with the bread is FABULOUS. See for yourself. And Happy October, y’all! 

 

Watch the cooking show episode with step-by-step instructions HERE 
   
CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes 2 loaves of bread

 -for the pumpkin bread-
3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup oil
1 15oz can cooked pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup water

-for the cream cheese swirl-
8oz cream cheese, softened well at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients together, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Divide into two prepared loaf pans. Mix together the cream cheese swirl ingredients until smooth. Equally spoon dollops of cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter. Then use a long toothpick or skewer to drag and swirl the cream cheese around the top of the batter. Just swirl it around, do not stir it into the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans then invert and cool completely.

snickers brownie cups

Three cheers for Fall baking! I mean, it's my absolute favorite thing in the year. I actually yearn for Fall when I think about it during the summer months. I get a real honest-to-goodness pang in my chest wanting it to be Fall so bad!! Am I the only one?

So today, I'm in heaven. HEAVEN! Here's why. Last night was the official kickoff of college football. Tennessee nearly got beat, and I have to say it was thrilling to think about. But those orange boys pulled it out. This morning the temps are in the low 60s! I'm wearing sleeves! And I am baking a batch of these Snickers Brownie Cups for our high school football coaches. 

Let's talk about that real quick.

For three years, my Luke played high school football. And for three years for every Friday home game, I made dessert for the coaches and trainers. Luke graduated and just started at the University of Arkansas, but tonight is the kickoff of Wildcat high school football. And y'all, I can't not take dessert. Oh yes, I have grieved all over again that #34 won't be running the ball tonight. But something about making dessert for the coaches comforts me. Like the Good Ol' Days.

Now I may well lose it when I walk these little chocolate dudes into the field house. But that remains to be seen.

Back to the brownie cups! I developed this recipe in partnership with Mars, Inc. for their local office to bake and give out at their Razorback tailgate this weekend! That's my third reference to a football team. These brownie cups are cakey, chocolatey, and nutty! There's a little Snickers bite tucked down inside each one that gives a surprising chew when you get there! They bake quick, they store well, and they travel easy. They're perfect for your tailgate or your Labor Day picnic!

Enjoy enjoy! And Happiest Fall!

SNICKERS BROWNIE CUPS

4oz (4 squares) semi-sweet chocolate

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 ⅔ cup sugar

1 cup flour

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

20 Snickers Bites (the smallest ones that come unwrapped in a bag)

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Chopped salted cocktail peanuts

Melt chocolate and butter together; allow to cool for several minutes until no longer hot. In a separate large bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. While whisking, slowly pour melted chocolate and butter into the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients; stir til combined.

Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners; spray bottoms with cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter. Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes. The brownie cups are done with then the tops crack and the center is just set.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Using a butter knife, make a little cut/well in the center-top of each muffin cup and gently push a Snickers Bite into the center. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips with coconut oil and stir until smooth. Spoon a tablespoon or two on the top of each muffin cup to fill and hide the hole that was created by putting the Snickers inside. Then top with chopped salted peanuts. Allow to cool entirely.

dove chocolate magic cookie bars

I really didn't know that there would be a way to possibly love magic cookie bars any more than I already did. Until now.

Do y'all call them Magic Cookie Bars or Hello Dollies? I think I say both. But today, they're the former. 

Most magic cookie bars are graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. But I amped up the chocolate layer by ditching the regular old chips and lining the pan with Dove Chocolates! And not just one kind of Dove Chocolates - TWO KINDS!  Oh my word. AND THEN after all of the layers are piled into the pan, I sprinkled the whole pan with sea salt to cut the sweet and bring out a sophisticated flavor in these bars. They really are over the top perfection. A little bite of something for everyone!

The recipe follows, but if you want to watch my fun episode with my nieces, then click HERE. They made these bars from beginning to end with just a little bit of coaching! And we show a creative way to package these bars for a Back To School teacher gift! 

DOVE® MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 package Dove milk chocolate squares

1 package Dove dark chocolate squares

1 ½ cups flaked coconut

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecan bits

Sea salt

Set the oven to 350F. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Line the unwrapped chocolate squares to cover the crumb mixture, alternating milk chocolate and dark chocolate. They don’t have to touch because they’ll melt and spread. There can be a little bit of space between them. Sprinkle coconut over the chocolate squares. Carefully stir the vanilla into the can of sweetened condensed milk, and pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the pan. Top with pecan bits. Lightly dust the pan with several pinches of sea salt. 

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate so the chocolate can set up enough to cut them. Or cut them gooey and melted if you don’t care that they’ll be a mess!