Fruit Pizza (Cheat Day)

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruit of your choice: strawberries, mandarin orange slices, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries

Glaze

5 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over crust. Arrange your fruit of choice on top.

For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, pineapple juice and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate until chilled.

Classic Spinach Dip (Cheat Day)

This is super simple and always a crowd pleaser!

1 package Knorr® Vegetable Dry Soup Mix
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, and squeezed dry
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 large round pumpernickel bread loaf

Combine Knorr® Vegetable Dry Soup Mix and all other ingredients, except pumpernickel, and chill about 2 hours.

To make pumpernickel bread “bowl” hollow out centre of pumpernickel loaf. Slice bread from centre into cubes and set aside. Fill with spinach dip, and serve with fresh vegetables, pumpernickel bread cubes or potato chips.

Horchata Cupcakes (Cheat Day)

My friend Nat came to spend the weekend with me and nothing reminds me more of her than horchata. So together we made these horchata cupcakes. They were simply decadent!

Horchata is a traditional Mexican beverage made with rice. It is flavored with lime and cinnamon and sweetened with sugar. Originally horchata was made with the chufa nut and sometimes melon or squash seeds. The rice, nuts or seeds are ground and mixed with water to make a milky looking drink. Since it does not contain milk, it will not spoil as easily as a dairy containing beverage. The origins of this drink stem from Egypt where they originally used the chufa nut to make horchata. During ancient times, the drink made its way to Spain. When the Spaniards brought the drink to Mexico, the natives used rice to make the drink.

Horchata is easy to make but you do need to start the day before you plan to make cupcakes because it needs to soak overnight. Fortunately the prep work is less than 5 minutes!

Horchata
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 whole cinnamon stick
1/3 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Let it soak overnight. Blend the mixture to break up the rice (it won’t blend all the way). Strain the mixture and throw away the rice. Your horchata is ready!

Horchata Cupcakes (~12 cupcakes)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups  flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh Horchata
1 egg
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350*. Cream together the butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the egg and egg white to the butter mixture.  Alternately add the flour mixture and horchata to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full and bake for 22 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test.

Horchata Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh horchata
dash of salt

Cream together the butter and shortening. Add in the salt. Slowly add the horchata. You can choose to add it gradually as you add the powdered sugar. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, allowing each cup to be mixed in before adding the next. After you frost the cupcakes, sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Ole!

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Cheat Day)

These are simply the best chocolate chip cookies ever!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
½  tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Lemon Bar Trifle (Cheat Day)

This is the ultimate cheat day recipe! This by no means is Paleo but is super delicious!

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted

Lemon Layer 
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups cold water
3 egg yolks, beaten
2/3 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp butter
4 tsp grated lemon peel

Cream Cheese Layer 
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a small bowl, combine flour and pecans; stir in butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and flour. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature without stirring. Cover surface with waxed paper; refrigerate until chilled.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. 

Crumble the baked pecan mixture; set aside 1/2 cup for topping.

Just before serving, in a 3-qt. trifle bowl, layer 1 cup each pecan mixture, lemon mixture and cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with reserved pecan mixture.

I would say refrigerate the leftovers but who's kidding there will not be any leftovers. 

Baking Powder Biscuits (Cheat Day)

Nothing reminds me more of my grandma than her baking powder biscuits. These were always a treat. Today I often make these for my co-workers and I have never heard a complaint. They are simple to make and delicious! I bet you can't eat just one!

2 cups flour (needs to be white all purpose - I have tried it with many different types of flour and it just doesn't work)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter
1 cup milk (I use almond milk)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the flour baking powder, sugar and salt together. Cut the butter in the dry ingredients until the butter is the size of peas. Add in the milk and mix until it forms a ball.

Roll out on floured surface to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut out in desired size and shape. I use an espresso cup (about 3" diameter). Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns (Cheat Day)

This is one of the ultimate cheat day recipes. This one is simple to make and is loved by everyone. I make this for all of my overnight guests to Saskatoon and it has become one of the requested items by returning visitors. My mom has made this recipe for years and used to make this for all holidays. It was always one of the best ways to start a holiday. A warm, gooey, sweet breakfast. What's not to like!

Beautiful isn't it!

20 frozen dough rolls (these can be found in the freezer section at most grocery stores)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding

2 tbsp cinnamon

3/4 cup pecans

1/2 cup melted butter

Before you go to bed, grease a 10″ bundt pan and add frozen rolls. Sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding powder, cinnamon and pecans. Pour melted butter over all. Cover with a clean, damp cloth. (leave out at room temperature). Turn out the lights and say goodnight!

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 F and bake for 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then turn out on a serving plate. Simple as that!