Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

There are certain times when you should go all out when making a dessert and then there are times when cutting corners is a very good thing. I always think that if you can save time and still come up with an amazing dessert you should go for it. This Chocolate Peppermint Trifle is the perfect example of using mixes instead of made from scratch in order to save time....and who doesn't like to save time during the holidays? I'm bringing this to a PTSA holiday party and I can't wait to see the ladies dig into this yummy dessert.

Ingredients
1 Chocolate Cake Mix plus 1 tsp Peppermint Extract
1 Large Tub Cool Whip
1 Large Boxes Jell-O Chocolate Pudding
6 c Milk
Crushed Candy Canes
Andes Mints, finely chopped
1 Chocolate Candy Bar

Mix cake mix according to box with the addition of peppermint extract. Follow all box directions and bake in a 9x13 pan. Let cool and then cut into small squares. Crush candy canes in a food processor or place in a large Ziploc and take a hammer to the bag, add crushed candy to Cool Whip. Make pudding according to box directions and chill in fridge until ready.

Assembly
To assemble the trifle, take a trifle bowl or other pretty glass bowl and place a small amount of pudding on the bottom, next add a layer of cut up chocolate cake. Sprinkle cake layer with chopped Andes mints; next add candy cane Cool Whip. Repeat 3 times or until you are out of ingredients or your trifle bowl is full. I always finish with a layer of Cool Whip. Take the chocolate candy bar and make small curls using a vegetable peeler; I do this over the top of the finished dessert and it makes it look amazing!
Served immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Ingredients

Crush the candy in a food processor

Mix into Cool Whip

Start with a small amount of pudding

Add cake

Chopped Andes mints

Pudding

Candy Cane Cool Whip..repeat

Enjoy!

TIme to make the RUM BALLS!

Today I'm making one of my favorite holiday treats, Rum Balls. I've been making these and giving them out to friends and neighbors for years and they are always heavily requested. I posted about them last year but thought you'd like another chance to see how they are made. You can also roll them in powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for a different look. 

Remember, these are for adults only!!

Rum Balls 

Enjoy!

Let The Christmas Baking Begin!

Christmas means baking season and I'd like to highlight a few of my favorite cookie recipes.
 I make all these every year and they never disappoint.  They are super simple and freeze nicely.

Orange Chocolate Log Cookies

Another great recipe is the Perfect Florida Christmas Cookie, these are so yummy you'll gobble them up, so make a double batch! 

Perfect Florida Christmas Cookie

Last but not least is my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe. These cookies are so popular every year my girlfriend makes them with me and then takes them to Alabama for the holidays. You can never have too many "good" sugar cookie recipes. 

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

Christmas Treats

I can't believe it's been a year since I started this fun food blog journey! I've made so many new friends, who would have thought that would happen? Thanks so much for everyone's support, it's meant so much to me!!


 Here is one of my favorite and easy treats to make during the holidays!!

Follow this link and make some for you and your friends!!

Enjoy! 

Red Velvet Cake

I made this cake for Christmas Day dessert and absolutely loved how it turned out. It was fun to make and so incredibly impressive. I also used some darling wafer paper that I found at Fancy Flours to adorn the sides of the cake. 

Ingredients 

2 1/4 C. sugar

3/4 C. vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 1/2 T. white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 T. cocoa

3 oz. red food coloring ( I used 2 oz)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. buttermilk

3 3/4 C. flour

1 1 /2 tsp. vanilla

     Cream sugar and oil, then mix in eggs one at a time, beating

 after each one. 

     Mix vinegar and soda and set aside.

     Add cocoa and food coloring to egg mix (you can cut it to

2 oz, but it won't be as vibrant of a red.)

   Beat in the flour alternating with the buttermilk.  Add soda

mix and vanilla. 

     Line bottoms of 3- 8 inch pans with parchment paper.  Do

 not grease the pans.  Pour batter evenly into the pans.  Bake

at 350 for 30 minutes or until springs back.

(Makes 3 - 8 or 9 inch layers)

Directions for Frosting

Cream together 2 1/4 C. soft butter and  24 oz. marshmallow creme 

 Add 1 1/2 tsp clear vanilla and 3/4 C. powdered sugar

I chilled my cakes before frosting them and also did a crumb coat (A crumb coat is a baker’s trick for sealing in the moisture of a cake, and for making frosting the cake much easier. It seals in any crumbs so these later don’t show up when you frost your cake. It is a thinned layer of frosting applied to the cake, as it is almost cool, or just cooled. This layer is allowed to set for one to two hours before the cake is frosted and decorated). 

Directions for Chocolate Trees

To make the white chocolate trees I simply melted some white chocolate in a small ziploc bag and snipped off a small hole in one corner. I made zig zag designs on parchment paper, sprinkled on some small circular jimmies and placed in fridge to set.  I used a little extra frosting to help hold up the trees.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Enjoy!

Source: Purple Chocolate Home

Super Easy Christmas Turtles

This recipe has 4 ingredients and if that isn't simple enough it only takes about 15 minutes to make!

Christmas Turtles

1 bag pretzels (the small tie ones)
1 pkg Rolo candies
M&M's
Mixed Nuts

Place pretzels on a parchment covered baking sheet, unwrap Rolos and place on top of pretzels. Bake in 350 oven for 4 minutes, or until caramel starts to soften. Take out of oven and immediately place either a nut or M&M in the center and push down slightly. Cool and store covered. One bag of Rolos makes about 45 turtles.

Enjoy!