Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

I brought these to a Potluck dinner and everyone oooohed and aaaahed.  I think they look more amazing in the picture than they taste.  Eye Candy!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookie
recipe slightly adapted from The Cooking Photographer

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)

When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a Tablespoon.)

Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (MOIST)

I live in a country where there are bakeries around every corner!  Very tempting when I jog around the neighborhood and I see HOT signs all over their windows.  They have bread down to a T but cakes, breads, muffins.... not so much.  No matter how fancy the bakery looks and how amazing the cake has been decorated each time I am fooled into thinking that maybe this time I will bite into something that is not DRY.  Alas, my last resort bake my own cakes, sweet breads, muffins etc....

This Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread will not disappoint in flavor or texture, its SUPER MOIST!



Ingredients:
1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 large ripened bananas mashed ( or 2.5 small bananas)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbl. cocoa powder
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of mini chocolate chips (regular chocolate chips work too)
*optional 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan, or 2 mini pans with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
Stir in egg, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended.
Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Mix everything until well incorporated (about 3 minutes in a Kitchenaid mixer).
Add chocolate chips and nuts (if applicable).
Pour batter into loaf pan(s) and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hr. Insert a tooth pick into the center of the loaf and check to see if it comes out clean when you pull it out.


Picture and recipe from Savory Sweet Life

Cracker Barrel Peach and Rasberry Cobbler w/ Almond Crumble Topping

Is it Cobbler or is it Crumble?

I feel like there is a difference and since I really don't care for Crumble I like to make the distinction.  Crumble is pretty much it's name the batter is crumbly before you pour it over the peach mixture and a cobbler has more of a liquid consistency a biscuit type dough.

To Cobble means to make or put together roughly or hastily and this dessert is easy peasy preparation. It takes about 15min to make and an hour to cook.

Cracker Barrel Peach and Rasberry Cobbler with Almond Crumble topping
Batter
1 cup cracker barrel pancake mix (can substitute)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
2 (15 ounce) cans peach slices in heavy syrup 
1cp of fresh or frozen rasberries
1/4 cup sugar
Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon softened butter
sliced almonds

Directions:
1. Mix all batter ingredients in a bowl with whisk. Pour into non greased 8 x 8 baking pan.
2. Drain peaches of syrup except for about a tablespoon of juice in each can, and mix with sugar until it has dissolved. Pour over batter but do not mix -- batter will rise over peaches and juices on it's own.
3. Mix all topping ingredients with hands slightly breaking up almonds as you incorperate. Do not place on cobbler yet as the almonds will burn! That step will come later.
4. Place into 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Then, while leaving cobbler in oven, place crumble topping over cobbler and bake another 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully so that nuts don't burn.
5. Serve while still a little warm with some cinnamon ice cream and enjoy!

Recipe and picture is adapted from Food.com

Banana Chocolate Chip Monkey Bread w/ Peanut Butter Glaze

Oh be still my heart!
Ingredients
1/4 cup water, warm
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup milk, warm
1 riped banana mashed
3.5- 4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup butter, melted

1. In a bowl mix yeast and water. Let it sit still for 2min.
2. Then add, egg, sugar, milk, butter, salt and banana
3. Slowly add in the flour. Let it sit for about 20min
4. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice in a plastic ziploc bag.
5. Put melted butter in another ziploc bag
6. Start making small balls from the dough and put a  couple of chocolate chips in each ball.
7. Dunk them in the butter. I did 6 at a time. Once they are all in there close bag and shake.
8. Next dunk those buttered balls in the cinnamon mix and close bag and shake. Repeat until they are all dunked.
9. Place them in a baking dish. I don't have a bundt pan so I just used a casserole dish.
10. Bake at 350 for 30min.
11. Pour Peanut butter glaze over the mix.

Peanut Butter Glaze
1/3 cp of Sweet Condensed Milk
4tbls of Peanut Butter
2 tbls of milk

Mix all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and pour warm over bread. 

If you want it more runny add more milk or more PB for a more PButter taste.

Easy and Yummy Candied Popcorn

Ingredients
12 cups popped popcorn
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 (3 oz.) package cherry or other flavored gelatin

Instructions
HEAT oven to 300ºF. Line large shallow roasting pan with heavy foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.
REMOVE from oven and take out all unpopped kernels. Pour popcorn into prepared pan. Keep warm in oven.
COMBINE sweetened condensed milk and dry gelatin in medium saucepan. Heat and stir over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. (for easy clean up soak in hot water immediately)
POUR mixture over popcorn. Stir gently to coat using a long-handled wooden spoon. Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Carefully turn out onto large piece of lightly buttered foil. Cool. Break into pieces or clusters.

Please note that this is not my own creation. I found this recipe on Eagle Brand website. We have used this recipe lots of time and they have all been successful though some people have shared they had trouble.  I will try to be helpful if you have any questions but I really haven't diverted at all from the instruction above.

I found this at the Eagle Brand website! Photo by Heather Weaver
.

No Bake Chalkboard Cookies

  
The Cookie:

Now for the EASIEST how to:

Graham crackers

Chocolate or black fondant

powdered sugar or white icing writers

skittle for the apples

green sprinkles for the stem

1. Melt the chocolate in a pan add 1tbl of shortening.

2. spread hot chocolate over the graham cracker in the middle making sure to leave the edge w/o chocolate this will be the board.

3. Let chocolate cool and with a toothpick write your message into the chocolate. 

Just to clarify the bottom one says "I love the Math Teacher" my hubbie teaches math :)

4. Press into the chocolate the red skittle and green sprinkle to make the apple.  And a white sprinkle at the bottom for the chalk.

5. Once chocolate is completely hardened sprinkle powdered sugar over the chocolate and let it fill into the creases of the writing.  Then use a slightly damp cloth and carefull remove the access powdered sugar.  After doing one this way I decided it was easier to use the white icing writer.

Boston Cream Pie Cake

I know what your asking"Why is it called a pie?" To answer this question of why "pie" instead of "cake", it is probably because colonists baked their cakes in pie tins as they did not own cake pans.
I used the recipe on Mennonite Girls Can Cook but there were some gaps in that recipe so I had to look at other recipes when I was in the middle of my cooking thinking "what do I do now". When I googled this recipe these were some that I perused to fill in those gaps: Joy of Baking, Epicurious.

Overall it was time consuming making it from scratch, it was good but amazingly enough not too sweet (which I like).

Strawberry CheeseCake Parfaits

So I have tried making many variations of Cheese cake recipes like parfaits, pancakes, icecream but have NEVER made a Cheesecake.  I usually can't finish a slice of cheesecake so I haven't been motivated to attempt a whole cheesecake so instead I make variations of them.

I found this variation at the Italian Dish. You should check out her website she is Itailan and she can cook!
Strawberry Cheese Cake Parfaits
from the Italian Dish

1 pound of strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
12 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons Amaretto
1 cup heavy cream
mint springs, for garnish

Directions:
Slice the strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar. Toss and set aside.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and one tablespoon of sugar.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and Amaretto and beat until combined.

In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Assemble Parfaits:
Place about a tablespoon of the graham cracker "crust" in the bottom of your glasses. Layer some of the cheesecake filling in the glasses, then some of the strawberry topping and sprinkle some more of the graham cracker on top. (Amounts will vary according to how many parfaits you are making, so just adjust accordingly). Repeat layers and top with mint.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

watermelon yogurt pops

 
The only reason I really, really wanted to make these was because they are adorable.  Sure they tasted good and not to mention healthy but the picture screams for summer, picnic blankets, ants, summer pasta salads, mosquitoes, water fights........
If you don't want to use yogurt Kraft has a recipe on how to make it with Jello. In my opinion using yogurt was easier and healthier.

You will need:

• Vanilla Yogurt
• Strawberry Yogurt
• Lime Yogurt
• Blueberries or chocolate chips for a naughty alternative
• green food coloring
• popsicle sticks
• plastic disposable cups

1. I filled 20 plastic disposable cups with Lime Yogurt (this is the rind of the watermelon) if you want the really green look add green food coloring. Or if you run out the lime yogurt like I did add green food coloring to the vanilla yogurt.
2. Stick it in the freezer for about 30-45 min.(maybe less time). Then add your next layer the white part of the rind. Add vanilla yogurt to cups and freeze again for about 30- 45 min. 
3. Add your sticks in the middle.
4. Add the last layer the strawberry yogurt and drop in blueberries so they look like seeds.

Note: When adding layers I didn't need for the yogurt to be completely solid in order to add the next layer but some what solid to avoid it from dripping down and mixing in with the other flavors.


Freeze until completely solid

Strawberry Pretzel Pie

Judy Tarner from Clinton, Tennessee won the State Fair Pie competition with this one.



Our family enjoyed this mildly sweet but packed with fat dessert :).
Ingredients:

1

box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

1

egg white

1

cup crushed pretzels

1/4

cup sugar

6

tablespoons butter, melted

2

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2

cups sugar

1

container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1

bag (16 oz) frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed, sliced

1

cup boiling water

1

box (8-serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin

 

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Unroll 1 crust in 10-inch glass pie plate or 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim outside edges. Prick bottom and side with fork. Use second pie crust to put a braid on outside rim of crust. Cut crust into 1/4-inch strips, and braid three strips at a time. Brush egg white on crust edge and place braid on, pushing in slightly.

2. Combine crushed pretzels, 1/4 cup sugar and the melted butter. Press into bottom pie crust. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool.

3. Stir together cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar until sugar is dissolved. Carefully fold in whipped topping. Spread in cooled crust, reserving 2 cups filling to decorate pie. Place a flat layer of strawberry slices on top of filling. Mix boiling water and gelatin (with a few ice cubes) to make about 1 2/3 cups gelatin. Thicken slightly and pour over strawberries on pie. Refrigerate pie 8 hours or overnight.

4. Decorate outside edge of pie with 2 cups reserved cream cheese mixture.

If you are short on time, this pie can be made without the decorative crust edge.

Picture and recipe is from Pilsbury website.

Milk and Cookies

Who said milk and cookies can't make everything better?

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 (4-ounce) 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate bar (recommended: Ghirardelli), chopped into 1/4-inch chunks (semi-sweet chocolate chips are an acceptable substitute)

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
•  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats, cranberries and chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips). Mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff).
• If you would like to make a dozen large (Starbucks-size) cookies, use a 4-oz cookie scoop which holds about 1/2 cup of dough. If you want more cookies, use a smaller scoop. Using a cookie scoop, scoop slightly rounded mounds of the dough into balls. Arrange balls of dough, spaced 2-inches apart, on each baking sheet. Flatten the tops of the cookies with a damp hand and bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.

 The recipes says it makes 30 cookies I have no idea how she got 30 cookies.

I used white chocolate chips, mmmmm!

Going Old School with Hostess Cupcakes

Hostess Cupcakes, these words take you back to your childhood when you could enjoy more than one cupcake and not worry one bit about your waistline.  My husbands 6th grade class was planning a surprise party for him and I brought these along.  They loved them! One little kid asked me for the recipe, LOL.

Hostess chocolate cupcake has been around since 1919, it wasn’t until 1950 that they added the cream filling and signature squiggle. I forgot to make the signature squiggle on mine, notice below.

You will need:
Box of Chocolate Cake mix
1cp of sour cream

For Chocolate Ganache frosting
-4 oz of chocolate chopped
- 1/4 cp of heavy cream

Filling:
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff (see below for instructions if you live in a part of the world where you can't find this)
1 1/2 -2Tbsp. heavy cream


1. Follow all the cake directions on box and add 1 cup of sour cream for extra moist cupcakes and bake.
2. In a bowl mix all of the filling ingredients, start with 1.5 tbsp of cream. If the consistency of the filling is not smooth enough add all of the 2tbsp of heavy cream.
For those who can't buy this in a jar Marshmallow Fluff: Grease a microwave safe bowl with shortening. Pour 1 cup marshmallows in bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon extract over marshmallows. Heat in microwave until marshmallows puff a bit, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well until fully melted and smooth and runny. The extract is OPTIONAL.

3. Start piping in your filling into each cupcake. My piping was a disaster because my bag busted in the middle of it all.  So I tried making one using a ziploc bag and it was super messy. I don't think its supposed to be this complicated.           

4. Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow the cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes.  Whisk it until its smooth like a glaze. 

5. Smooth the Chocolate Ganache over the cupcakes and let them cool and then add the squiggly lines, 7 to be exact as shown on the first picture. Use the filling for the squiggly lines or white writing icing.

 TIP: My cupcakes were pretty puffy on top so I cut the tops off and I will use it for cake pops later.  I will also add to that mix frosting, freeze them for 5min and then shape them into balls and pop them back into the freezer until you need them. Once your ready to use them dip them in chocolate. 

 

Strawberry White Chocolate Frosting Rosettes Lemon Cake

I have mentioned this before but working with chocolate as a base for frosting is absolutely fabulous especially if you want something moldable. It far surpasses fondant in flavor.

Strawberry White Chocolate Frosting:
5 strawberries w/o stems
1 tbspns of water
12oz of white baking chocolate
2-3 cps of powdered sugar
1/2 cp of soft butter

Puree strawberries w/ water in a blender. Set aside.
In a saucepan melt chocolate. Keep stirring until its melted over low heat. Set aside for it to cool.
In a large mixing bowl whisk butter until its smooth. Add cooled but still melted chocolate in with butter slowly add  powdered sugar and then add 3tbspns of pureed strawberries.  Keep adding powdered sugar until its the thickness you want. 

Making Rossettes:
It will be a little sticky so be prepared to lick your fingers when your done.  Cover cake smoothing out frosting out until its flat and smooth. Then grab a small amount and shape into balls and place over cake.  Once the cake is covered in balls then use a toothpick to swirl the top of each ball to give it a rossette look. 

Working with White Baking Chocolate for frosting:
This type of frosting is absolutely delicious!  It's pliable and I would rather work with this than fondant though you would use Chocolate clay for more of a fondant feel than Chocolate frosting. It hardens so you can't wait too long to mold it or spread it otherwise you will need to add milk to get it back to the right consistency.

Lemon cake
Lemon boxed cake
1  cp of sour cream
1 box of vanilla or lemon pudding
lemon zest

Follow directions on cake box and then add sour cream, lemon zest and pudding to the mix. Bake as directed on box. Pour into 2 round cake pans and bake.  Let them cool and then put lemon curd filling in between.

Lemon Curd filling
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
In a saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely.

Lemon Cheesecake BARS using cake mix/ Melamine dishes turned Cake Pedestal

I love lemon bars but I hate the eggy taste that comes with it.  So when I found this recipe that uses a cake mix and cream cheese I knew I had to try it. 

1 bowl + 1 dinner plate + 1 cup + 1 dessert plate = Easy Cake Pedestal 

I also made the cake pedestal that is in the picture above.  You can use sticky tack or clear packing tape to keep it from tumbling and there you have an easy and cute presentation.

 Recipe from Betty Crocker or here it is:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon or yellow cake mix

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In large bowl, beat dry cake mix, butter and 1 of the eggs with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan.


2 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup; refrigerate. Beat remaining 2 eggs into remaining cream cheese mixture on medium speed until blended. Spread over cake mixture.

3 Bake bars 23 to 28 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Spread with reserved cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until firm. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.


I linked to these linky parties:
craftomaniac
more the merrier

Blueberry Lemon Cinnamon Rolls

Celebrating Spring with this zesty yumminess!  I couldn't find a blueberry lemon cinnamon roll recipe so I decided to create my own.  I told my husband prior to taking this on that I was committing Cooking Suicide by doing this. I have only made cinnamon rolls two times in the past 6 months so I didn't feel qualified to take on this project but of course my mind was telling me "do it, what do you have to lose" and so I did it.

rolled out dough sprinkled with butter, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and blueberries

My hands were covered in sticky sugary mess so I couldn't get a picture of the rolled up dough ready to be cut.  I learned this cool trick: use thread to cut your cinnamon rolls. It works!I thought they were AHHHmazing

Icing them before wrapping and sending them with my son  "Spring is here, school is almost over" gifts for his teacher and long overdue thank you to some friends.

I must say they were finger lickin good!!!


2 tbspn dry yeast
1/2 cp warm water
3 eggs
1 tspn salt
1 cp warm milk
1/2 cp sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1cp shortening
1tspn lemon extract
1/3 cp of instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 cp of instant lemon pudding mix
7-8 cps of flour
filling:
1/2 cp of butter
2/3cps brown sugar
2tsp cinnamon
lemon zest
3/4 cps of blueberries
2 tspn of lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast and water, let it sit for 10min or until bubbly. Add eggs, salt, milk, sugar, shortening, both puddings, lemon extract and 4cps of flour.  Slowly add the rest of the flour.  The dough will be sticky.
Put on a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Place blueberries in lemon juice in a seperate bowl. Then add lemon zest to all of the dough and place blueberries on top.

Lemon Glaze
2cps of powdered sugar
2tsp  lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cp milk

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices.
Place cut side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Spread over buns. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Cocoa Puffs Peanut Butter Chocolate Yumminess!

Can something so sweet and not nutritous be called a cereal bar? It is made with cereal :)

4cps of cocoa puffs
1/2 a pk of 10 oz marshmallows
2 tbsp of butter
3 tbsp of creamy peanut butter
1cp of chocolate chips
1/2 cp of peanut butter morsels

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted then add creamy peanut butter. Remove from heat.
2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated
3. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.
4. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter morsels and and evenly pour over top.
5. Let cool until chocolate is hardened and then cut.

Love Bug White Chocolate Cake

Delish and Cuteness! White Chocolate Cake with strawberry sauce in the middle! The lady bugs are made from chocolate clay.  For the body I used White chocolate clay and dyed it red with food coloring and the head was chocolate clay.  Chocolate clay is my new discovery and it taste so much better than fondant and just as moldable.  My  hubbie says it taste like a tootsie roll.  I also love how I can smooth out the white chocolate frosting also almost like fondant but it taste SOOOOOO  much better.

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes with White Chocolate frosting- Conversation Heart Style

This cake recipe is a bit healthier than the back of the box directions. The yogurt addition makes it very moist!

350 F, generously greased pan for 25-30 min

1 box of lemon cake mix

3/4 c water

1/3 cp veg. oil

3 egg whites

6oz of strawberry yogurt

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour into pan.

White Chocolate Frosting:

12 oz of white baking chocolate, chopped
1 c butter, soft
2 tsp vanilla
2 cps powdered sugar

In a saucepan, cook and stir the chocolate over low heat until melted. Cool. In a large bowl , beat the butter until fluffy on med. speed, beat in chocolate and vanilla and gradually add the powdered sugar.
*Frosting will harden b/c of the white chocolate in it so if it hardens before your ready for it to then just add a couple of drops of milk in it and put frosting in a small bowl then place it inside a large bowl of hot water.  The hot water will soften it up again and the drops of milk will help give it a smoother spreading texture.

For Conversation Heart Style:
Put cake batter in heart shaped muffin pan bake for 15-20min
Let cool completely
divide them through the middle and add strawberry jelly and strawberries
assemble back in place and spread the frosting all over it.

Buy or make fondant and use mini alphabet cookie cutters for the lettering. assemble on top before the frosting cools. 

Store in a cool area.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls to die for

Our new New Years tradition is to make a different kind of cinnamon roll to enjoy on the 1st.  Nothing like starting you new year right with lots of sugar!!! 
This recipe is AMAZING! I couldnt stop nibbling. I found it on http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/11/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html

Brownie covered Oreos dipped in chocolate

-Use a muffin pan and spray ALOT of cooking spray in it.  I tried both metal &silicone pans and the latter worked better for me.  None of the other websites complained about the metal pan but I couldn't make it work.
-Follow the directions from your brownie mix.
-Dip your oreos in the batter and cover both sides and place each seperately in the muffin pan.
- Stick in oven using the temp. brownie mix called for.
- Shouldn't take more than 10-12 min.
-Getting them out can be really tricky.  Make sure you run a butter knife around the edges to unstick and then let it cool and then pop them out.
- Let them sit for 5 min to ensure that they are totally cool and then dip them in melted chocolate.
- set on wax paper to harden.

Need more chocolate sprinkle crushed: receese pb cups, snickers, milk chocolate bar, butterfinger etc... before the melted chocolate hardens