We’ve stumbled across some very incredible dessert recipes and decided, this is the perfect idea for upcoming Father’s Day. Almost every dad loves desserts, but not all dad’s enjoy the same thing. Some have a sweet tooth, and others prefer a more tart dessert recipe. We found a great post by Better Homes and Gardens that has 17 amazing dessert recipe ideas that’s sure to have at least one that is a homerun for dad. Our particular favorites include Hot off the Grill Apricot Pie, Grilled Berry Cobbler with Graham Cracker Topper, Grilled Skillet Peach Pie. We decided to use these amazing recipes as inspiration for our own Father’s Day recipes.

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Their “Hot off the Grill Apricot Pie” recipe inspired our Rodelle Vanilla & Apricot Almond Pastry 
Pie recipe. We changed a few things around so that our recipe only takes 45 minutes, whereas theirs takes a little over an hour and a half. However, their recipe is well worth the wait! We really enjoyed Better Homes and Gardens’ idea of baking fresh, in-season, apricots into a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust. They also added a little chili powder for an extra kick and prepared their recipe on the grill, which is such a wonderful idea for this time of year! After our pastry pie came out of the over, we inhaled deeply to take in the delicious aroma. We simply HAD to add chopped almonds to the top because we thought the combination would be perfect. The baked apricots were screaming out to be complimented by almonds. It’s easy to say, both recipes are excellent. They’re easy to create, and taste amazing.
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Next, we came across their delectable Grilled Berry Cobbler with a Graham Cracker Topper! Is there anything better to put in a spring recipe than berries!? We don’t think so, which is why we fell in love with this crumbly, tart dessert recipe. It inspired our Rodelle Vanilla Bean Blueberry Peach Cobbler recipe. Better Homes and Gardens added blueberries, raspberries and blackberries to their amazing creation. Again, they decided to grill their recipe which adds such a fun touch to a Father’s Day dessert. Their cobbler takes just a bit over an hour to create, and they finished their masterpiece with a big, heaping scoop of Beary Good Cheesecake Ice Cream. Mmmm!

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During spring/summertime, a grilling recipe really is the way to go. Just about every one of Better Homes and Gardens’ 17 Dessert Recipes have been created for the grill. We thought we should take theiradvice and created one of our own: Grilled Vanilla Apple Skillet Cake. The idea was inspired by their Grilled Skillet Peach Pie. Both recipes are incredibly delicious and can be baked on the grill. We chose to use apples just to give you a little recipe variety that will work year around. Here in Colorado, peaches are not always in season for us unfortunately. But whatever fruit you choose to use this Sunday, Dad will DEFINITELY love it!

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Happy Father’s Day Rodelle Fans! Be sure to visit Better Homes and Gardens’ website for more amazing recipes that perhaps will inspire you this Father’s Day. We’d love to hear about what you create on our Facebook page!

“This no bake cheesecake has always been very popular in my family, partly because it’s my mom’s favorite dessert. Once I was old enough to make it on my own, it became tradition that every year I make this cake for my mom’s birthday.

It’s very good with other pie fillings as well, but Cherry has always been our favorite.”

Recipe:

CRUST:
1 cup graham wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter or margerine

FILLING:
1 small tub Cool Whip
8 0z. pkg cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup icing sugar

TOP:
1 can Cherry pie filling (or other fruit)

Method:
Mix crust ingredients and press into a 9 inch pie plate; let it sit in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes.

In a separate bowl, Beat together cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Add Cool Whip and beat until mixed. Scoop into pie shell. Top with pie filling. Chill 3 hours before serving.

“These French Toast cupcakes have become a hit at family parties. It began one day when I saw the idea and thought it would be a perfect new cupcake challenge. With the help of my mom, she showed my how to beat the egg whites perfectly and how to fold them into the batter. With lots of sampling the batter, and swiping tastes of the frosting, we were able to get the combination of flavors perfect. My mom used to make our birthday cakes as kids, and I hope to be as good of a cake decorator as she is, starting one cupcake at a time and working my way up!” Thanks Maggie!

Below is the delicious recipe that Maggie entered in our contest:

Cupcake
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ pkg dry pudding mix
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with 20 liners
2. Using a flexed edge beater, combine butter and sugar on medium speed until incorporated and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon
4. Add egg yolks to the butter mixture and beat on low until fully incorporated, add vanilla
5. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Pour batter into a large bowl. Wash the mixing bowl and dry thoroughly.
6. In the dried mixing bowl, beat egg whites with whisk attachment, and whip until stiff peaks are formed.
7. Fold in egg whites (1/3 at a time) until just incorporated into the batter. Divide evenly between cups in muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tons are lightly golden, and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove cupcakes form tin and cool on wire rack completely before frosting.

Maple Frosting

½ cup butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Maple flavoring or syrup to taste
Bacon, cooked and crumbled (about 6 strips)

1. With whisk attachment, beat butter with about 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth.
2.  heavy cream and beat on high for about 5 minutes, change speed to low and add in remaining sugar (add more heavy cream if necessary to make a soft, but firm, frosting that can be piped).
3. Add maple flavoring/syrup to desired flavor intensity.
4. Crumble ½ of the bacon into frosting. Either crumble the bacon, or break into pieces and put on top of frosting.
5. Drizzle some maple syrup on top. Serve and enjoy!

“When I attended my first culinary arts course I discovered this famous bakery located in Paris (I have not had the honor to travel there), that gives away their delicate butter cookies to patron you shop or come in their bakery. I learned to make these at home. They are my hubby’s favorite cookie now and I use them in many ways. This is an adapted recipe in salute to Poilane, a dedicated Parisian Bakery and all the love he put in these little treats. We love them with ice cream too! A perfect spring treat.”

Recipe:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the butter is smooth. Add the sugar and process and scrape until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to process, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour, pulse about 12 times, until the dough forms clumps.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the ball in half, shape each half into a disk, and wrap the disks in plastic. Chill the disks until they are firm, about 4 hours.
Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Cut out cookies using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and place them on the lined sheets, leaving space between them.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set but pale and brown around the edges. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature. This makes about 6 dozen cookies.

This wonderful spring recipe comes to us from Susan who took a year long effort to make this cake perfect for her husband.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons of Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla extract
2 cups FINELY grated carrot (I use the smallest grater I have)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained (see tips below)
1 Cup of flaked coconut
1 Cup toasted chopped pecans

Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup REAL Butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) of REAL Butter
2 (8 oz) packages of softened cream cheese
6 cups of powdered sugar
3 Rodelle Gourmet vanilla extract
2 cups of toasted pecan pieces (optional)

Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax or parchment paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper.
Set pans aside.
Take all of the required cups of pecans (include the amount for the frosting if you are using them), spread them evenly over a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven while working on the cake (be careful not to burn them) about 5 minutes
Stir together first 4 ingredients – (I always use a paper plate, it makes it easier to put the ingredients in the stand mixer when I’m ready for it, just fold the plate and pour)
Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Time for the Buttermilk Glaze; Combine all ingredients except vanilla in saucepan; bring to boil. Boil 5-6 minutes, until thick and syrupy; add vanilla. Pour glaze over top while cake is still warm and in pans, allow cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pan to cool on racks until you are ready to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine all ingredients, except nuts in stand mixer until creamy – for best results do this while cakes re baking and refrigerate the frosting while the cakes cool.
Spread frosting between each layer as you assemble the cake, building up the edges where there will be a gap on the side as you go along; frost the sides of the cake and the top.
Take the chopped pecans in your hand and press them along the sides of the cake and viola you are done!

Tips:
Carrot cake always tastes better and it will cut cleaner once it has been refrigerated for a couple of hours.
Place the shredded carrots and crushed pineapple in a cheesecloth or very clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture to your desired amount.
Dip the spatula used for frosting the cake in cold water to get a nice clean appearance to the top of the frosting.
Add a little caramel sauce and a sprinkling of cinnamon to the plates before you serve

Here is a delicious recipe submitted to us from Tammy! These delicious bagels were inspired by her families’ love for the prior store bought type. She said that her family loved them so much, that she just couldn’t afford to keep buying as many as they were eating so- she was inspired to create a homemade version.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
1 cup raisins soaked in hot water for 5 minutes; pat dry with paper towel
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 TB honey
4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 TB canola oil
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 TB kosher salt
3/4 cups flour
1 large egg white for brushing bagel
Take lukewarm water, brown sugar, honey, yeast, and oil in a large bowl; mix until yeast is dissolved then add wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, and raisins. Stir in about 2 1/2 cups of flour to form a soft dough. Put out on lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to form a smooth and firm ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12- 2 ounce pieces. Roll each into a 10 inch rope, pinch ends together and set aside, let rest for 20 minutes.
Bring to boil 6 quarts of water and 2 TB light brown sugar. Cook each bagel for 45 seconds transfer to a clean towel. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper brush each with egg white bake for 15 minutes then flip over and cook for 5 more minutes. Cool and store in a tightly covered bowl. Serve with butter or cream cheese.

Be sure to enter in our 2013 Scrumptious Spring Sweepstakes for your chance to win a KitchenAid® 5-qt. Stand Mixer and some Rodelle goodies!

We used our Rodelle Vanilla Beans to take this salad to a gourmet level. Our supple beans are hand selected from Madagascar to ensure quality. They provide a rich aroma and add a smooth, creamy flavor to all your favorite vanilla bean recipes. By combing our beans with the beets, you have a recipe perfect for Easter that is unlike any other. It only takes 40 minutes and a few simple steps and you will certainly WOW everyone who tries your one-of-a-kind Rodelle Vanilla Bean Roasted Beet Salad.

Other great Easter recipes: Rodelle Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberries and Vanilla Bean Whip, Rodelle Cocoa Macaroons, and Bird’s Nest Cupcakes.

Since Easter is about creating wonderful memories with friends and family, we wanted a recipe that is perfect for all kinds of company. It’s decadent enough for the adults but a fun and exciting treat for the kiddos. It’s very easy to make and only takes about an hour. Simply mix the cupcake ingredients together, and bake for 30 – 45 minutes. After the cupcakes have reached the firmness you prefer, pull them out of the oven to cool. Once cool, you simply cut holes in the middle of each cupcake with a dull knife and add the strawberry glaze sauce. Lastly, we’ve topped the recipe off with our timeless Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream. It adds a sweet and gourmet taste to any recipe- especially this one!

So in just under an hour you’ll have a tray of delectable gourmet cupcakes everyone will enjoy. It’s the perfect and classic ending to an Easter brunch!

Rodelle Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberries and Vanilla Bean Whip

We have also created a virgin style of our cocktail for your kiddos. This can be a great way to celebrate with your friends and family that makes it a versatile drink for everyone. The best part of this drink? It only takes ten minutes to create! In just three simple steps you’ll have the perfect recipe for to celebrate with this Sunday.

We’ve combined our vanilla beans and vanilla extract with ice cream and dark chocolate to take this milk shake to a gourmet level, ENJOY!

Rodelle Saint Patrick’s Shamrock Shakes

Other great St. Patty’s Day recipes:

St. Pats Cupcake with Buttercream Frosting Recipe, Rodelle Dark Chocolate Cake with Baileys Whipped Cream, and Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Happy almost St. Patrick’s Day Rodelle Fans- this year it falls on Sunday March 17th! We absolutely love this holiday- it is such a fun and festive time full of food, festivities, and green beer! Not to mention another excuse to create a delicious recipe to celebrate with!

This year, we’ve chosen to create a Dark Chocolate Cake using our Gourmet Baking Cocoa and Gourmet Vanilla Extract. The two flavors combine effortlessly to give this cake a rich and robust flavor. The sweet vanilla pairs perfectly with the bitter dark chocolate and coffee to create a gourmet masterpiece that everyone will love.

This wonderful cake takes only 45 minutes to make. After it’s completed you’ll add the festive St. Patty’s Day piece! We’ve created the perfect festive whipped cream made with Baileys Irish Cream Liquor that we’ve combined with our Rodelle Madagascar Vanilla Beans. We are obsessed with this moist, coffee and cocoa flavored cake. The amazing Bailey’s Whipped Cream Topping harmonizes perfectly and enhances the richness of this incredible St. Patrick’s Day confection.

Enjoy our Rodelle Dark Chocolate Cake with Baileys Whipped Cream! Cheers to leprechaun foodies everywhere!