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dessert,fall,recipes,Thanksgiving

Simple Bourbon Apple Crisp

posted on : October 4, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 4 Comments

This simple bourbon apple crisp is one of my very favorite fall recipes! It’s a tradition in our house to bake some easy fall sweets, turn on a fun Halloween/autumn movie (Hocus Pocus anyone?), and smell the delicious autumn recipe baking while we watch it. Way better than a fall scented candle because your house smells amazing, and you get to eat it! (Not recommended with candles, I’m told.)

simple bourbon apple crisp

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dessert,fall,recipes,Thanksgiving

Quick & Easy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

posted on : September 27, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 3 Comments

The leaves are starting to change colors where we live, and it’s seriously feeling like fall! That makes my heart SO happy – I actually squealed with delight today seeing them and scared Charlotte by accident haha!

If you haven’t noticed, autumn is by far my very favorite season. It’s so cozy, and such a perfect time for fun fall baking recipes, snuggling up and watching movies…I could wax romantic about it all day long!

If you’re looking for a super quick and easy fall baking recipe for this weekend, these pumpkin bars are it! Soft and cakey with just enough spice, these are guaranteed to be gone faster than you may like to admit. I’m such a sucker for pumpkin and chocolate recipes, aren’t you?

These delicious pumpkin bars take 10 minutes max to whip up, and 30 minutes to bake. So in under an hour you could be enjoying scrumptious, gooey, melted chocolatey pumpkin bar goodness. No excuses, just make them! (And if you’re looking for a super delicious cake, check out my Pumpkin Caramel Layer Cake recipe!)

Makes 24 Bars

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F,. Grease a 9×13 pan with butter, and line it with parchment paper with a small overhang for super easy removal of the bars.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through salt. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter through pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and combine with a spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the dough into the prepared baking dish, using the spatula to make sure it’s evenly spread. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

dessert,recipes,Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Caramel Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

posted on : September 20, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 2 Comments

Fall officially begins in just a few short days – can you believe it? We’ve had a week of rainy, colder days and that crisp Autumn chill has started to settle in around us. Fall is my very favorite season. I love the changing leaves, sweaters, and of course, everything pumpkin spice!

This is my first fall dessert of the season, and I’m SO excited to share it with you! Pumpkin cake with caramel filling, and cream cheese frosting. It’s definitely hard to pick a favorite of my cake recipes, but this pumpkin cake is going to be pretty dang hard to beat! The rich, spicy pumpkin cake pairs so well with the creamy caramel, and is topped with delicious cream cheese frosting.

Used In This Post:

As a fan of all things pumpkin spice, I thoroughly approve this cake recipe! I also love how quick and easy it is to make. Since the cake calls for melted butter, there’s not even any need to wait for butter to soften. You’ll also notice that for the caramel filling, I used store bought caramel sauce (this one is my favorite). If you have a favorite caramel recipe, feel free to use it instead.

Also, can we talk about how cute those fall sprinkles are? They’re called Fall Harvest by Sweets and Treats, and it’s safe to say I’m obsessed!

Cake Ingredients: 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease and line three 6″ cake pans. Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through brown sugar. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine all the wet ingredients, butter through buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing on low speed until just combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Distribute the batter between the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

For The Frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all 3 cups are added, beat on high speed for about 5 minutes. If the frosting is too wet, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too dry, add a bit of heavy cream.

Assembly: Start with cold cakes. I wrap mine well in plastic wrap once cooled, and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Frost the bottom layer with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Pipe a small perimeter of frosting on top, and fill the well with caramel sauce. Repeat for the second layer. Use the remainder of the frosting to cover the outside of the cake. Decorate with candy pumpkins and sprinkles!

By the way, be sure to check out my Instagram (@thiscelebratedlife) for videos on how I decorate my cakes!

More Fall Recipes:

fall,recipes,savory

Easy Beef Brisket with Homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce

posted on : September 13, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 0 Comment

Whew, it’s Friday! Has it been a week or what? Well, I have an amazing recipe to share with you today! The most delicious, easy beef brisket recipe plus my super easy homemade Brown Sugar Bourbon Barbecue Sauce. After trying this delicious barbecue sauce, trust me! You will never buy barbecue sauce from the store again! It’s smokey, sweet and savory all at the same time, and so easy to make!

 

easy beef brisket

 

I have to give a quick shout out to my husband. He and I tag teamed these recipes – he put together the brisket and I owned the barbecue sauce. We wanted these recipes to be really easy, and relatively hands-off.

 
 
easy beef brisket

 

Beef brisket reminds me of tailgating at football games, and that’s exactly what I was imagining as we pulled these recipes together! So with that in mind we thought up recipes that could be made in advance, be easily transported, and would taste incredible on a fall day.

 

Easy Beef Brisket & Barbecue Sauce Flavors:

Now let’s talk flavor! Because we all know that good, strong flavor is the cornerstone of both a good brisket and a good barbecue sauce! Since both the brisket and the barbecue sauce feature the same major flavors, (Brown Sugar Bourbon, worcestershire sauce, and garlic) they compliment each other so well. I love that the brisket itself leans toward the savory side, and the sauce slightly favors the sweet side thanks to the molasses and brown sugar. They are such a delicious combination when paired!

 

easy beef brisket

 

One of the flavors I especially want to call out is from the Brown Sugar Bourbon. It is soooo good! I love a splash of it in my coffee on the weekends! You might also remember it from my Pina Colada Cake and Mint Julep Cupcakes. Grab a bottle and cook through all of these recipes with me – more to come! (hint hint, it might involve pumpkin spice!!!)

 

homemade bourbon barbecue sauce

 
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Easy Beef Brisket with Homemade Bourbon BBQ Sauce

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  • Author: Kirsten Bell
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 Hours
  • Total Time: 6 Hours and 10 Minutes
  • Yield: 10 Servings
  • Category: Barbecue
  • Method: Barbecue
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Easy and delicious beef brisket and bourbon barcecue sauce. Perfect for tailgates, backyard parties and cook offs!

Ingredients

Easy Beef Brisket: 
5 lb Beef Brisket
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1 Cup Worcestershire
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar Bourbon
Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce: 
1/2 Onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup Molasses
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijion Mustard
1 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/8 teaspoon Chili Powder
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Instructions

Combine all of the brisket ingredients, paprika through Brown Sugar Bourbon, in a small bowl. Rub onto both sides of the brisket. Wrap the brisket and refrigerate overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce below!
Preheat the oven to 260 degrees F. Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Pour excess juices/liquids into pan. Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours per pound of meat. Flip the meat over once, about halfway through cook time. The meat is done cooking when it has reached 180 degrees F, as measured by a meat thermometer. Wrap the meat in foil, turn the oven off, and then place the foiled brisket back into the now off oven for at least an hour.
Serve hot, with the Brown Sugar Bourbon Barbecue Sauce below!
Barbecue Sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, simmer together the onion, garlic, and Brown Sugar Bourbon for about 10 minutes or until the onion because translucent.
Add the remaining ingredients, ketchup through brown sugar to the saucepan. Stir well to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate overnight. The flavors will continue to come together as it sits, so it will taste even better the next day!
If you prefer a chunky barbecue sauce (like me!), serve as is. If you prefer a smooth sauce, run the sauce through fine mesh sieve.
Serve with the above brisket recipe, chicken, fries – this sauce will taste amazing with pretty much anything!
dessert,recipes

Easy Mint Julep Cupcakes

posted on : August 30, 2019 posted by : Kirsten Bell 3 Comments

Today I have the perfect boozy cupcake recipe for you: easy mint julep cupcakes. Full of delicious bourbon, warm vanilla and bright, fresh mint, these are the best cupcakes for a Kentucky Derby party. And even though the Kentucky Derby is months away, I can’t wait to serve these!

 

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This Celebrated Life