Jan D'Atri

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vanilla extract

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

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I’ve had the recipe for the famous St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake in my “must bake” folder for several years now. I didn’t really know anything about it. I just knew if it had gooey and butter in the title, it was destined for my oven. Then I forgot about it, until one of my cooking pals, Janne Mahan, moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, she established a book club, and then the pandemic put a halt to group gatherings. Her book club then began to via Zoom video conferencing. Since the members of Janne’s book club were also foodies, I thought it might be fun to have her poll the group and let me know what their very favorite St. Louis foods are. As it turns out, top of the list was the St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. It was the perfect excuse to pull out my folder, dig for the recipe and get to work. Holy Cow. No wonder it’s a favorite! This cake is one sweet St. Louis treat! It’s dense and rich and acts a bit like a brownie with a dusting of powdered sugar baked into the top. It has two distinct layers; the bottom one is the pound cake and the top is a blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar and eggs which provides the gooeyness. It’s perfect as a coffee or snack cake and is a great make-ahead treat to transport to a picnic or party. Not only is St. Louis the home of the world’s tallest arch known as the Gateway to the West, but also the city rich with ooey gooey goodness!

Watch my How To Video for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake here!

Grown Up Smore’s and Graham Cracker Cake Pops

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Looking for just one more item for your New Year’s Eve bash? This idea will create a S’more-gasboard of treats! For fun and easy Grown Up S’mores Marshmallow Pops, I had to look no further than the back of a Honey Maid Graham Cracker Box. If you find the old fashioned Smore’s to be a little messy to eat, you’re going to love the modern day “cake pop” version. I found the perfect size (3 inch) pretzels at Cost Plus World Market. (UTZ All-Natural Butter Sticks.) Then, for New Year’s Day, if you have leftover graham crackers, try moist and flavorful Graham Cracker Cake. I found the recipe in the 1931 Searchlight Cookbook. It’s an 82 year old dessert that I’m guessing few people have tried, even though Graham Crackers continue to be one of America’s favorite snacks. For this recipe, the graham cracker crumbs replace the flour, and the folded-in egg whites make this cake light and fluffy. You can serve it with whipped cream, but I’ve also shared my favorite glaze that’s perfect for desserts like the Graham Cracker Cake. I hope you’ll enjoy both treats. May they add Smore to your life this New Year’s Eve and for 2020!

Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies

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Simply irresistible. That’s about the only way to describe this cookie. It’s kind of like the favorite cousin to the cinnamon roll. In fact, these soft cinnamon roll cookies have all of the same flavors, but a lot less dough. Try them with either the simple glaze or cream cheese frosting!

Watch my How To Video For Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies here!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

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Would you pass a Waffle House to get to an International House of Pancakes or vice versa? The Washington Post took a survey and it revealed that 59% of Americans preferred waffles to the 41% who love flapjacks. Well, this recipe for may change all of that. That’s because this pancake gets its awesome flavor and look from another one of American’s breakfast favorites, the cinnamon roll! (Waffles, you may be in serious trouble here.) These pancakes are so delicious with the built in (or swirled on) goodness of a cinnamon roll with that yummy cream cheese glazed icing over top! There are a couple of additional steps to making the pancakes and some tricks to making Cinnamon Roll Pancakes perfect! First, make sure the cinnamon swirl is not too runny. If so, place it in the frig for just a few minutes. Runny cinnamon swirl won’t give you the pinwheel look. Second, give yourself a pancake or two to get the technique down pat. Before you know it, you’ll be on a (cinnamon) roll! Personally, I love these!