Halloween Puppy Chow

Halloween is a fun time of year to try new treats. Our family loves the traditional puppy chow recipe, but I decided to try this one and mix things up. It was an instant hit and Olivia and her friends couldn't keep their hands out of the bowl!

Ingredients
White Puppy Chow
9 c Rice Chex cereal
1 c white chocolate chips
1//2 c peanut butter, creamy
1/4 c butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 bag candy corn candy

Chocolate Puppy Chow
9 c Chocolate Chex cereal
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bag Reese's Pieces


Line two large cookie sheets with either wax or parchment paper. To make the white puppy chow, place rice cereal in a large bowl. In a small microwave proof bowl, melt chocolate, butter and peanut butter. Heat in microwave until melted and you can stir it smooth. Stir in vanilla extract in and then pour over cereal. Stir to coat cereal. (I like to use the giant ziploc bags for this step, dump in the powdered sugar, melted chocolate mixture, candy, cereal and shake). Place coated cereal on cookie sheet to cool.

For chocolate puppy chow follow the above steps but add unsweetened cocoa powder in with the powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet to cool. Once both are cooled pour into ziploc bags and shake to mix both chocolate and white puppy chow mix. Makes 18 cups

                                                                                  Enjoy!




SourceYour Cup of Cake

Pumpkin Brownies

Fall is my favorite time of year, I just wish that Florida HAD a fall! So instead of bundling up in sweaters and breaking out the boots, we are still wearing flip flops and shorts. The one thing I can do is start cooking with pumpkin and that always helps me get into the spirit of my favorite season. I came up with this recipe this morning and couldn't wait to taste these yummy treats. They are the perfect blend of spicy pumpkin alongside sweet rich chocolate, a perfect combo!

Ingredients
1 pkg Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix,
prepared according to directions
1 box brownie mix (9x13 size),
prepared according to directions
1/2 c milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Mix up cookie dough and press into bottom of pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips. Next pour brownie batter over top of cookie dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Let cool, cut and enjoy!

Ingredients

Press cookie dough into pan

Sprinkle with chocolate chips

Pour brownie batter over top

Spread it out and bake

Enjoy!

Tailgate Cookies

It's football season again and what does that mean??? Tailgate time! These cookies are the perfect ones to bring along, there is something inside for everyone. Who doesn't love numerous kinds of chips and chocolate candies wedged into every corner of their dessert?!?!?! I found this recipe over on this fun blog and instantly had to make them, and my daughter's cheer team gave them two thumbs up. Now I'm making another DOUBLE batch for the fundraiser at school tomorrow! I decided that if I was going to make these I might as well really make them, so I doubled my recipe, but the one listed below is the single version.

Ingredients
1 c butter, softened
3/4 packed brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
1 (3.5 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 c milk chocolate chips
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 white chocolate chips
1/2 butterscotch chips
1/2 c M&M's
1/2 Reese's Pieces

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars together. Add pudding, eggs and vanilla and combine. Mix flour and baking soda then add to creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and candy.

Drop by TBSP onto a prepared cookie sheet ( I either line mine with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Slightly flatten balls of dough with hand and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Easy Cherry and Cream Cheese Danish

Cherry pie is my absolute favorite pie flavor...well if you don't count chocolate!! This is a fun and easy way to get your cherry fix in. These Danishes are quick and easy to make and boy do they taste good!

Ingredients

2 cans of crescent rolls
1 8oz package of cream cheese at room temp.
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sour cream
Cherry Pie filling (canned)

Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp softened butter

Preheat the oven to 350.

Open the crescent rolls carefully to avoid unrolling or tearing the dough. You'll need to leave it in it's cylindrical shape. Slice the dough into pieces about 1/4 inch thick (as though you're slicing cookie dough). Place the slices on a cookie sheet and with your fingers press the center in to make an indentation for the cream cheese filling.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream. Add a TBSP of pie filling, inside the indentation that you made to the dough, then add a TBSP of the mixture on top of the cherries.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

While the danish are baking, you can make a quick royal icing to drizzle over the tops. Mix together the confectioner's sugar, milk and butter in a small bowl.  Use a spoon to drizzle it over the tops of the danish. Take the danish out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.

Ingredients

Slice crescent roll dough into 1/4 inch slices

Make a well in center with finger

Fill with a small amount of pie filling

Next add a tbsp of cream cheese mixture

Ready for the oven

15 minutes later they are golden  and ready

Mix up frosting

Drizzle over cooled Danishes

Enjoy!!!

Candy Bar Cake

 I made this darling cake for my daughter's 16th birthday. She loves chocolate AND candy so a Candy Bar Cake was the perfect choice. It was incredibly easy and since I made it in the middle of the night last night you are not getting any how to pics...sorry!

Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix, made according to directions and baked in 9 in pans

1 1/2 tubs of chocolate frosting or homemade stuff 
8 or 9 packages Kit Kat candy bars
4 packages Reeces Peanut Butter Cups
1 large bag M&M's
Ribbon


Directions
Bake cake according to directions in 9 inch pans, cool. Place frosting on the top of one of the cakes and add unwrapped Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, add second layer of cake. Liberally frost sides and top of cake. Take Kit Kat bars and break into 2 pieces increments. Gently stick them onto side of cake. (make sure cake isn't taller than kit kats, if so trim top of cake) Pour one bag of M&M's onto top of cake. Wrap ribbon around cake and tie a bow. Place in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 12

Inside of cake

Birthday girl!

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

My baby girl turned 16 today and so I made her a special breakfast, cinnamon roll waffles. They were super easy to make and Olivia and her girlfriends gobbled them up. You've got to give these a try! They taste just like the cinnamon rolls but take under 2 minutes to cook. I don't think I'll ever bake store bought rolls again, this is just way too simple!

Ingredients
Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls
1 tsp Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp Water
Waffle Iron

Heat waffle iron, place 4 cinnamon rolls in waffle machine. Close and cook until done. While cooking take the packaged frosting and add karo syrup and water, mix. Drizzle frosting over the top of cooked waffles.

Ingredients

Spray waffle pan and place rolls on iron

Mix frosting, water and karo syrup for drizzling purposes

Ready to take out

So yummy!!

Enjoy! 

Triple Layer Apple Cake

My favorite cookbook in the entire world is A Pinch of Salt Lake, it was published by the Junior League back in the '80's. Every single recipe in it is delicious, I love it so much I tracked down used copies off of Amazon and bought a copy for each of my children (it's since gone out of print...what a shame... I was able to buy the almost new books for approximately a $1 apiece!!) 

One of my favorite recipes in the book is for this delicious Apple Cake, it is so incredibly moist and tasty. My father in law requests that I make it on special occasions and since yesterday was Father's Day, it was on the menu. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. 

Ingredients for Cake

3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups, finely chopped tart apples ( I use my food processor)

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1 tsp grated lemon peel

2 c sugar

1 1/2 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

Directions

Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In a small bowl combine chopped apple, nuts and lemon peel. In a standing mixer combine oil, sugar and eggs, beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients mixing until smooth. INcorporate apple mixture, stir until well combined. Spread evenly into prepared bans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until surface springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then cool thoroughly on wire rack

Ingredients for Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 c butter, softened

16 ounces powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c finely chopped walnuts

Prepare frosting by creaming together all ingredients except nuts. Frost between layers and do a thin coat on sides and top. Refrigerate until chilled, then using remaining frosting frost a thicker layer on cake. (this helps keeps the crumbs in the frosting to a minimum) Press nuts around sides and top of cake. Refrigerate until serving time. 

Ingredients for cake

Chopping the apples

Apples, nuts and lemon peel

Adding dry ingredients to sugar, oil and eggs

Thick consistency

Adding in the apples

Ready for the oven

Frosting ingredients

Triple layers baby!

So pretty

It tastes so delicious

Enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

One of my daughter's friends was turning 16 this week and I wanted to send a fun and unique treat into school for her; this recipe was a quick and easy way to make decadent looking treats. Of course you can make everything from scratch, or you can cheat like I did and used store bought ingredients. I will admit that it's best to use my homemade frosting recipe.

Ingredients

1 package store bought cookie dough

1 container vanilla frosting

Almond bark, melted

Directions 

Bake cookies according to directions and let cool. Once cooled turn half over and using either a spoon or piping bag pipe frosting onto center of cookie. Top with second cooke and slightly smoosh down. Next melt 3 pieces of almond bark inside small ziploc bag in microwave for 1 minute, kneed. Cut small hole in one side of bag and drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cookie sandwich. Let set and serve. This version makes 6 large cookies (since I bought the 'big delux' cookie dough)

 Place cooled cookies upside down

Put a big squirt of frosting on top of cookie

You can stop here if you want, but who wants that??

Almond bark ready for the microwave

Ready to drizzle

Enjoy!