Fudgy Vanilla Brownies

            

             Fudgy, chewy, vanilla amazingness... basically the perfect brownie for vanilla lovers.

Ingredients
2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter {room temp}

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cup powdered sugar {sifted}

Instructions

Preheat oven 350F

-Grease and flour jelly roll pan or rectangular cake pan {15x10}

-Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

-In large pot, combine butter, heavy whipping cream and white chocolate chips. Stir until the chips 

  have melted and the liquid begins to boil. Remove from heat.

-Add flour mixture to the pot, stirring to combine.

-Stir in sour cream, beaten eggs, almond and vanilla extract, spread evenly in pan.

-Bake 25 minutes or until the tip of your knife comes out clean {poke the center of the the sheet with 

  the tip of your knife}. Set aside to cool.

-Make frosting {blend butter, milk, extracts and powdered sugar together in an electric stand mixer. Start mixer on low speed and end on high speed. Stop mixing when frosting can hold stiff peaks}

-Spread vanilla brownies with frosting

Vanilla Chai Chia Seed Pudding

It tastes just like a creamy chai tea. This is an incredibly easy recipe and convenient to take with you on the go. I like to make mine in a mason jar and screw on the lid so I can toss it in my purse when the morning gets busy. 

Healthy benefits of chia seeds …"they add fiber to your diet and are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your brain, heart and skin. Chia seeds have a high source of Calcium, Manganese and Phosphorus all of which support healthy bones and teeth. They are chock-full of protein and can fight belly fat" according to The Huffington Post. Sign me up!

Ingedients

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 cup cold milk (or almond milk is you prefer non-dairy)

2 tbsp. condensed milk (or 1 tsp stevia for a healthier option)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of allspice

pinch of glove

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or large cup. Let sit for 15 minutes to activate the natural gel that surrounds the seeds. Simple as that.

*I like to eat mine cold so I suggest placing it the the refrigerator until you want to eat it. You can also heat it up if you prefer it hot. 

Flavored Milk Straws

I found the coolest flavored milk straws the other day and they are kid approved too (I had my nanny baby try one and she loved it). 

How they work: * Step 1 - Dip your straw into a glass of plain milk. (Do not cut the straws) * Step 2 - Take a long sip * Step 3 - Powerful flavor beads magically transform your milk into a delicious treat  Fun facts that make you love them even more! * No Artificial Colors * No Preservatives * No Artificial Flavors * Gluten Free Flavors: * Banana * Orange Cream * Wild Berry * Chocolate Peanut Butter * Strawberry Banana * Vanilla Milkshake * Strawberry *cookies and cream    These are so much fun! Where were these when I was a kid? Ok so I'm not going to lie...I picked the pack up for myself.

 

 

Chocolate Éclairs With Vanilla Bean Custard Filling

I love making these...they are actually easier than you would think. As soon as I make them they're gone. Everyone loves chocolate éclairs!

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs

Filling:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Chocolate Icing

• 2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Pastry:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition.

With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Poke a hole on one end of each éclair (for the filling) and set aside until your custard is ready.

Custard Filling:

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated.

Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly.

Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 20 minutes or until the custard is cool enough to be spooned into a piping bag to fill your éclairs.

*Filling techniques. I like to use a pastry piping bag, but if you don't have one handy, you can also use a Ziploc bag and cut one corner off. When filling the pastries, be sure to tap them on the counter to make sure the custard is distributed the whole length.

Chocolate Icing:

Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup of sifted confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and dip the top of each filled éclair into the chocolate icing. Refrigerate until serving.

This is an altered and combined version of two separate recipes found on Allrecipes and Foodnetwork.
Picture by: A Bit of Bees Knees

 

Vanilla Olive Oil Scrub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vanilla Olive Oil Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 cups raw sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (optional...I like to add this to make my skin feel extra smooth)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract (or your favorite essential oil)

Directions: Combine the two sugars in a bowl and mix to incorporate. Add olive oil and coconut oil and stir. Mix in honey and vanilla. Store in an airtight jar and enjoy!

* This is a coarse scrub, if you would like a more gentle scrub you can substitute brown sugar for the raw sugar.

* Oil will settle in the jar so stir before using.
* I do not recommend using this scrub on your face. It is intended for use on the body only.

Pictures and (altered) version of recipe via (freutcake)