logo

THE SEMISWEET SISTERS

Two sisters who love to bake...

Beach Bar Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons Recipe

By 1 Comment

IMG_2759

This soup is AMAZING! If you don’t want to make the grilled cheese croutons, bake some tater tots and put them in the soup…….it is really good that way too.

Beach Bar Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
  • 1 can tomato soup (I like Campbell's homestyle Healthy Request Harvest Tomato with basil)
  • 1 bar cream cheese, soft
  • 1 can stewed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 6 slices of white bread
  • 3 slices of cheddar or american cheese
  • 3 tablespoons soft butter
Instructions
  1. in food processor add cream cheese and stewed tomatoes, puree
  2. in large pot on stove add cream cheese mixture, butter and tomato soup
  3. heat on medium-low for 20 min
  4. add half and half
  5. heat for 5 min on low
  6. butter bread and make the grilled cheese
  7. cut grilled cheese into 1 inch squares
  8. serve soup and top with grilled cheese croutons

 

Share

S’mores Pull Apart Hawaiian Bread

By Leave a Comment

We love our s’mores, so I am always looking for or trying anything s’mores. I had a loaf of hawaiian bread at home and my daughter had been nagging for s’mores, but the weather had not been cooperating so I put this together. She loved it! I think it would be good with a little caramel ice cream topping drizzled on top too. I will try that next time and let you know how it goes.

S'mores Pull Apart Hawaiian Bread

S'mores Pull Apart Hawaiian Bread
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf round hawaiian sweet bread
  • 1½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 2½ cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
  1. preheat oven to 350
  2. cut bread into 1 inch squared going about ¾ of the way down, but not to the bottom
  3. sprinkle half of the chocolate chips in the cuts
  4. put all the marshmallows in the cuts
  5. put the other half of the chocolate chips on top of the marshmallows
  6. cook for 8-10 min
  7. Serve warm

IMG_2887

Share

Bacon Blue Cheese Coleslaw

By Leave a Comment

This is my “Mom’s Coleslaw” recipe with a twist. It’s always a hit at Memorial Day and 4th of July parties, since it’s Red, White, and Blue. My husband and mother in law are not fans of coleslaw, but they both like this version.

Bacon & Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe

Bacon Blue Cheese Coleslaw
 
Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: side
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 2½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1½ tablespoons white vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion or 2 tablespoon fresh minced onion
  • 1 bag of shredded cabbage or shred about ½ head fresh.
  • ¼ cup shredded carrots (optional)
  • 8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • ¼ cup blue cheese
Instructions
  1. Combine mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and minced onion in large bowl. Mix until smooth.
  2. Add the cabbage,carrots and tomatoes then mix well.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
  4. Mix in bacon and blue cheese just before serving
  5. You can save a little blue cheese and bacon to sprinkle on the top

Bacon Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe

Share

Oven Baked Vanilla Cake Donuts

By 16 Comments

A light, moist cake donut baked in the oven, glazed, & topped with sprinkles.

Oven Baked Sour Cream Cake Donut Recipe

I’m obsessed with donut recipes right now thanks to my sister who bought me a Wilton Donut Pan for my birthday. I didn’t ask for one but I guess she knew I’d had my eye on one for awhile.  When it comes to donuts I think that cake donuts are one of the best. Yes, I’d have to say my top three favorites are cake donuts, sour cream donuts, & crullers.  I think I love this recipe so much because it’s a cake donut but it’s also got sour cream in it so it’s like eating 2 out of 3 of my favorite donuts in one bite. For my first batch I made 3 glazed & 3 coated with cinnamon and sugar. And after making those a few times I decided to venture out and make some with frosting & sprinkles because I love using sprinkles any chance I get.

Oven Baked Sour Cream Cake Donut Recipe

This recipe makes anywhere from 6-9 donuts depending on how high you fill the donut pan. I’ve made it a few times filling all 6 donut cavities to the top & it makes 6 big donuts but the hole in the middle kind of closes up so now I usually make 8-9 smaller donuts.  If you don’t own a donut pan you can make your own using a muffin pan instead if you roll up aluminum foil into balls and place them in the middle of each muffin hole. To create the hole just pour the batter around the aluminum foil balls.

baked cake donuts

I like to use a small spoon to scoop the batter into the donut pan but you can also use a piping bag or make your own using a ziploc bag & cutting a bottom corner to pour the batter into the pan.

baked cake donuts (wilton donut pan)

The tops will be a very light golden brown when they are done and they will be springy to the touch. If you have trouble removing them from the pan try using a rubber spatula.

oven baked cake donut recipe

The bottom side of the donuts will be a nice dark golden brown color.

Oven Baked Cake Donuts
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 6-9
Ingredients
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (I used soybean oil)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • For Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1-3 tablespoons milk
  • food coloring & sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease donut pan with oil or cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the sour cream, egg, vanilla, oil, & sugar in a bowl.
  3. Add flour, soda, salt, & nutmeg & stir together until well combined.
  4. Fill donut pan with batter & bake for 12-16 minutes or until the top is springy to the touch & the sides are turning golden brown. Remove from oven & let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
  5. For the Glaze: In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, melted butter, & stir in 1 tablespoon of milk, adding additional milk as needed to achieve the correct consistency. You want it thin enough to be spreadable but thick enough that it won't drip down the sides of the donuts. Add food coloring if desired. Dip one side of the donut into the glaze bowl to coat with glaze or use a knife to spread the glaze on top.

Source: adapted from Curly Girl Kitchen.

(This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. I included this link to help you find the specific product I used. If you purchase the item from the link we receive a small commission.)

Share

Vanilla Bundt Cake Recipe Made With Oil

By 42 Comments

A basic vanilla cake recipe made with vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening.

Vanilla Cake Recipe made with Oil

This was my first attempt at baking a vanilla cake using vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening.  I wanted to bake a cake for someone’s birthday that had severe food allergies.  They couldn’t have butter or shortening and the only two oils I could use were either soybean or sunflower oil.  I have to admit at first I didn’t know if it was possible to make a good cake with oil. But now that the birthday has passed and the cake has been eaten I can safely say it is possible!

I recommend using a high quality vanilla extract for this recipe, Nielsen-Massey makes one of my favorites.

Vanilla Bundt Cake (made with oil)

The cake reminded me of something that was in between a pound cake and a shortcake. I think it works great as a basic cake recipe that can be used for anything from birthday cakes to strawberry shortcake.  It would have tasted great with strawberries and whipped cream frosting on top but I had to keep the cake very basic. I used my Nordic Ware Bundt Pan for this recipe but you can also use a 9×13″ pan or two 9″ round cake pans. I chose to make mine in a bundt pan because a glaze doesn’t require any butter or shortening unlike frosting recipes.

Vanilla Bundt Cake Recipe Made With Oil
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the cake pans
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cups vegetable oil (or 1½ sticks of butter)
  • 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Oil or butter, for greasing two cake pans
  • Optional Glaze:
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 3-4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Add the flour, sugar, vegetable oil, baking powder, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. (If you don't have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer but the batter it pretty thick to mix, I used a hand mixer.) Mix on slow until the ingredients are blended together, then mix on medium for about a minute.
  3. With the mixer on, add 1 egg at a time & mix until each egg gets absorbed. Stop to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula when needed. After all the eggs have been added, continue to mix for an additional minute.
  4. With the mixer on, add the milk, ½ cup at a time, stop to scrape the sides. Continue to mix for another minute or until the mixture appears smooth. Grease two 9-inch cake pans or a bundt pan with oil or butter, and flour them.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans or pour into bundt pan.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for the 9" cake pans or 35-45 minutes for bundt pan or until the top is starting to turn golden brown and is springy to the touch.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. The cakes should be at room temperature before you remove them from the pan.
  8. Frost or glaze the cake as desired. If you want to make a glaze just mix a little over 1 cup of powder sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, & a couple tablespoons of milk together in a bowl until you have a thin glaze, using a spoon drizzle or pour over the top of cake.

Adapted from Buddy Valastro’s Vanilla Cake Recipe.

(This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. I included this link to help you find the specific product I used. If you purchase the item from the link we receive a small commission.)

Share

Strawberry Mice Kids Snack

By Leave a Comment

Strawberry Mice Kids Snack

These are so cute and easy for kids to make. My daughter wants to make them all the time.

Strawberry Mice Kids Snack
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: snack
Ingredients
  • 1 lb of strawberries, washed
  • 1 small bag of sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips
  • 1 pull n peel twizzler
  • cheddar cheese block
Instructions
  1. cut the stems off the strawberries
  2. poke a hole where the stem was
  3. insert a 4" piece of twizzler
  4. insert mini chocolate chips for eyes and nose
  5. insert almond slices for ears
  6. cut cheese into triangles
  7. serve or refrigerate

 

Share

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread Recipe

By 14 Comments

Crusty Artisan Bread made with only 4 simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, & yeast. A beautiful crusty artisan bread, it has a wonderful crispy crust on the outside & the inside is soft & dense.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread

This is the simplest bread recipe I have ever made! This recipe only has 4 ingredients in it & chances are you probably already have at least 3 out of the 4 ingredients on hand: water, flour, salt, & yeast.  If you have never made bread before then this recipe is a great place to start! I love that this recipe doesn’t require the use of a bread machine or for you to spend any time kneading dough. You just mix it up in a bowl & let it rise. The only thing hard about this recipe is having the patience to wait for the dough to rise. From start to finish it takes about 3 hours but the majority of that time is spent just waiting for the dough to rise & then bake in the oven.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread

Everyone in my family loves this bread so much that I try to make it once a week. I love to make this bread to go with dinner, it tastes so good served warm from the oven with butter. It stays fresh & great tasting for a few days after you make it too.  I love to use the leftovers to slice up & eat it with butter on top or to make sandwiches.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread

The recipe below is half of the original recipe because I didn’t want to make a huge batch of bread. With this recipe I like to make 2 smaller sized loaves instead of one big one but you can make it however you like. I also chose to bake mine on a cookie sheet instead of a baking stone because it was easier.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread

Source: This recipe is from the amazing book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (amazon affiliate) by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. The authors also have a great video on YouTube that is very helpful: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. For more information on this bread you can also visit the website they have:  Artisan Bread in Five.

Easy 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread
 
Print
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 1½ Cups warm water
  • ½ Tablespoons + ¼ Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ Tablespoon Yeast (I used Red Star Quick-Rise Yeast)
  • 3¼ Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. Add yeast to large mixing bowl, next add warm water to activate the yeast.
  2. Add flour & salt to the large mixing bowl & stir all the ingredients together.
  3. The bread should be just a little sticky but not too much, if it's really sticky & wet add a little extra flour, if the dough is super dry then add a little more water (sometimes I have to add a little extra water to mine).
  4. Cover the bowl but not airtight (I placed a clean kitchen towel over the top of the bowl) & let it rise for 2 hours.
  5. After 2 hours place the dough onto a well floured surface. If you want to make 2 smaller sized loafs of bread then divide the dough in half.
  6. Shape the dough by picking it up & using your hands to fold the edge of the dough under until you have a round loaf shape with smooth edges. Place onto a greased cookie sheet.
  7. Using a serrated knife cut the loaf (about a ¼ inch) into the center & then also make one about 1 inch to the left of center & one to the right so the top doesn't crack while its baking (See picture above).
  8. Let it rise for 40 more minutes.
  9. After the 40 minutes, preheat oven to 450 degrees BUT first place a metal 9x13 inch pan onto the bottom rack of your oven (*WARNING*: Do Not use glass, it can explode or shatter!)
  10. When the oven is preheated place cookie sheet with bread onto the middle rack of your oven then quickly add 1 cup of water to the bottom 9x13 pan you have on the bottom rack. This pan is used to create a steam in the oven while the bread bakes, in the end it will make your bread have a nice hard crusty texture on the outside but still be soft inside.
  11. Bake for 18-30 minutes or until the top & bottom are a nice golden brown color. If your making 2 small loaves it will probably be done in 18-20 minutes but if your making one large loaf it will take longer.
  12. Remove from oven & let it cool for awhile so it will slice easier, then enjoy!

 

 

Share

Cinco de Mayo Avocado Dip

By 1 Comment

Cinco de Mayo Avocado Dip

 

This is such a yummy recipe and so easy too.

I use a handful of cilantro and about 3 green onions.

IMG_1342

After you have put the ingredients in the food processor it should look something like this:

IMG_1345

 

Cinco de Mayo Avocado Dip
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: appetizer
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 green onions
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 handful of cilantro
  • 12 oz bag of frozen corn, cooked (or a can or corn)
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed
  • 1½ cups of quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 2 avocados diced
Instructions
  1. In food processor add garlic, oil, onions, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Mix until well blended
  2. In large bowl add corn, beans, tomatoes, and avocados.
  3. Add cilantro mix into the large bowl and stir until well blended
  4. Best if chilled in refrigerator for an hour.
  5. Serve same day or don't add avocados until day you are serving. They will turn brown in a day or so.
  6. Serve with tortilla chips

 

Share

Copycat Rumchata

By 28 Comments

So my friend Heather is a rumchata drinker, but complained that it was so expensive. I came up with my own recipe for her and she loved it. Super easy too, you should have most things on hand already. As for the milk I think that 2 percent or whole would taste better or you could add a little half and half to some skim milk.

IMG_1349

So basically your making the non alcoholic base for the drink then adding in vanilla rum and ice to taste. This makes a small pitcher of rumchata then add 1/2 cup rum and some ice. If you want to make just the base and pour singe drinks, then add a shot (or a half shot)  of rum and half a glass of ice to a glass, the pour base over that until full.

Copycat Rumchata
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
  • Base:
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup simple syrup ( ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • a pinch of nutmag (a little goes a long way)
  • Add to your liking:
  • ice
  • vanilla rum
Instructions
  1. first make the simple syrup in a small pan on the stove top with sugar and water a heat on medium heat until sugar is dissolved
  2. let simple syrup cool
  3. in pitcher add milk, syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.
  4. mix well
  5. add ice and rum to taste (I started with about ½ cup of rum)
  6. serve immediately

 

Share

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

By

A sour cream coffee cake recipe that is super moist with a layer of cinnamon & sugar in the middle & topped with cinnamon & sugar.

Sour cream Coffee cake Recipe

Sour cream is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to add to baked goods. So many of my favorite recipes have sour cream in them. For example: this coffee cake recipe, banana bread, pancakes, cupcakes, biscuits, sugar cookies, & I’m sure there are more but I can’t think of them at the moment.  This is the recipe that started my love for sour cream in baked goods. I’ve been making this coffee cake now for over 10 years & it is still one of my favorite coffee cake recipes.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe

The recipe listed below makes a 9×13 inch pan so I usually only make half a recipe & use an 8×8 inch pan since I am not baking for very many people. This recipe can be made the night before & stored in the refrigerator over night so you can just pop it in the oven in the morning. Another nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it in a bundt pan instead of a 9×13 pan if you want to.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
 
Print
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 8-oz. (1 cup) carton sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • Topping:
  • 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan & set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer cream together the butter & sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, & vanilla, beat for 30 seconds.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, & baking soda together. Add flour mixture to the large bowl with the liquid ingredients. Beat with mixer for 2 minutes or until well combined.
  4. Topping: In a small bowl stir the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, & nuts (optional) together.
  5. Pour half the batter into the greased baking pan (I use the back of a spoon to spread it out so it's all laying evenly). Using a spoon sprinkle half the topping over the batter in the pan. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, using a spoon to spread it out gently over the topping. Sprinkle remaining topping over it.
  6. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the center. Cool a few minutes before serving.

 

Share

Connect With Us