Salted Caramel No Bake Eclair Cake

 I needed to take a dessert somewhere the other night and I wanted something that was easy and could be made ahead of time. I have a Pinterest board with several of these eclair cakes in various flavors. I think the salted caramel was a good choice. I think you will like it too.

One of the best things about these cakes is that they get better the longer they sit. Overnight is the perfect time for them to sit and as Paula Deen says let those flavors marry.

Another good thing is you can add some reduced fat items to the recipe as well.

Start by lining the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with graham crackers. You might have to break some to fill in around the edges.

Then in a bowl add the two small boxes of vanilla instant pudding mix.

Add 3 cups of milk to the pudding mix.

Whisk it well to mix the pudding.

Fold in 8 oz of cool whip.

Measure 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping.  I like the Ghirardelli caramel. I also had a salted caramel topping but I didn’t have enough. So that could be an option for you too and then you wouldn’t add the salt.

Add 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 

Mix that well. You don’t want to mix too much or use a mixer. I used a spatula and folded well.

Put about half of the pudding mixture on top of the graham crackers. Smooth it out.

Put another layer of graham crackers on top. 

Then out the rest of the pudding on top. Put it in the fridge to let it set up. I left it for an hour but if you don’t have that long a few minutes will be good.

Take the foil off the top of the frosting. I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to just warm it a little to make it easy to spread. You don’t want to mess up the top of the cake. Stir it well after the 30 seconds.

Then pour it around the top of the cake.

Then smooth it out.cover and put in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Salted Caramel No Bake Eclair Cake Recipe

2 3.5 oz boxes vanilla instant pudding (I noticed they are now 3.4)

8 oz cool whip

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 box graham crackers

1 container chocolate frosting 

Pride of Iowa aka Caitlin Clark Cookies

 Now these were not originally called Caitlin Clark cookies. But when I found this recipe the pride of Iowa I had to print it out and save for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. I was really hoping Iowa would make it to the final four so I could try them. Like her or not Caitlin has done a lot to promote women’s sports not only now but also for future generations of little girls. Ten years from now we may be watching a girl in the finals that credits Caitlin with her getting interesting in basketball. Good luck Hawkeyes. We will be watching and having a cookie or two.

Don’t they look good?

Now for the cookies. Gather your ingredients.

Measure out one cup sugar.

1 cup brown sugar. Pack it in.

1 cup shortening. I like to use butter flavored shortening. 

 Is well. It will be nice and fluffy.

Add two eggs. Look at these pretty eggs. A friend of mine shared some of her fresh eggs with me. They are such pretty colors. 

They are just as pretty in the inside. Add these to the bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. I like the vanilla paste.

Mix well. It is a pretty golden color.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda.

1 teaspoon baking powder.

Add 2 cups plain flour. Add just a little at a time and mix well between each addition.

Add three cups quick oats. The batter will be thick so add a little at a time and mix between each edition.

Add 1 cup shredded coconut.

As I was mixing, dough was flying at me. I stopped the mixer and realized one of the whisk pieces broke.

Another look at it. Not bad for a 30year old mixer. Never fear I have a replacement whisk in my Amazon cart. I’m so glad that didn’t happen during my Christmas baking.

So my friend that gave me the eggs I am going to bake hem some cookies as a thank you. There’s a nut allergy there so I am baking some before I add the nuts.

This batch has no nuts. So if you can’t have nuts or don’t like them it’s fine to leave them out.

This is about a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. If you want walnuts they would be good too. Add them to the batter. 

This batch has nuts. Place in a 350preheated oven. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

This is the first batch without nuts fresh from the oven.

There was also plenty to put in the freezer for later.

These have nuts. I’m not sure these will last until game time Friday night. You have plenty of time to make yourself a batch before the game. Let’s go Iowa.

Pride of Iowa Cookies Recipe

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups quick oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Easter Funfetti Cupcakes

 My quilt group meets this week and we have a birthday and Easter this week so I wanted to make a special treat to take. I have made similar cupcakes in the past but I made chocolate cupcakes so it would look like dirt under the grass. This year I didn’t want to do chocolate cupcakes, we have a couple of ladies that are allergic to chocolate. Terrible I know. So these funfetti cupcakes are like little east eggs hidden in the cupcake. You don’t have to wait for Easter to make them they will make any occasion festive.

Decorated with cute little Peeps and eggs. I know there are some people that don’t like Peeps but they are on a toothpick so easy to pull out.

Very simple ingredients.

The recipe calls for sifting 1 1/2 cups plain flour. I don’t normally shift my flour but it is baking so I tried it to see if it makes a tender cake.

Add 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder to the sifter of flour.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the sifter too.

The dry ingredients sifted.

In another bowl add 2/3 cup sugar.

Add 2 eggs to the sugar.Beat until fluffy and a light yellow color.

Melt 3/4 cup butter. I put it in the microwave and barely melted it because I didn’t want it to be hot.

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the egg mixture.

The melted butter.

Add to the wet mixture. Mix well.

Measure 1/2 cup of milk. Alternate adding milk and dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix and scrape the sides between each mixing.

First part of the flour mixture added and mixed.

All mixed up and ready for sprinkles.

Fold in 1/4 cup of sprinkles to the batter. You can use any kind of sprinkles you want.

I preheated the oven to 350 while I put the batter in the cupcake tins. The recipe said it would make 24 Cupcakes. I don’t know if I put in too much batter or my cupcake tins are larger but I only had 15. Keep that in mind if you use this recipe. I found cute Easter cupcake liners to use. Put the pans in the oven for about 15-16 minutes.

Out of the oven and cooling before I ice them.

Funfetti Cupcake Recipe

1 1/2 cup plain flour 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs 

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 cup sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 Bake 15-16 minutes

Buttercream frosting

Very simple buttercream 

Start with 2 sticks softened butter

Since I already had the sifter out and my powdered sugar had lumps I sifted 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla to butter.

Add a pinch of salt

Mix well. The butter will be fluffy and a light yellow color.

Alternate between 1 teaspoon milk or heavy cream either will work and the powdered sugar. Mix well.

About halfway through I add the green gel coloring so it will be mixed well.

Mixing well.

Frosting is read.

Load your piping bag and put your favorite tip on and you are ready to frost the cupcakes.

Cupcakes frosted now it is time to decorate them.

They are already to share with my group.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1 cup softened butter

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon milk or heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Gel food coloring