Conversation Heart Rice Krispie Treats

I used to pride myself on being the mom who always made something homemade, adorable, festive, and time-consuming for my children's various daycare/preschool celebrations. But now? While I still try for adorable and festive, the time-consuming part (and sometimes the homemade part, too) has gone somewhat out the window. Now I'm mostly the mom who scrambles to make something at the last minute. With Andrew in kindergarten now, there is always something to do/make/buy/remember. I know all you other mamas understand where I'm coming from.

So, when it comes to Valentine's Day this year, I'm buying a box of SpongeBob or Angry Birds or Mario Brothers cards. And when it comes to Valentine's Day snacks, I'm standing behind these Rice Krispie treats 100%. 

Who doesn't love a Rice Krispie treat? And this version is adorable and festive, and semi-homemade too! Last Minute Mamas of the world unite!

Conversation Heart Rice Krispie Treats
from Frugal Coupon Living

4 tablespoons butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
10 ounces marshmallows
Red food coloring
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup conversation hearts

1. In a medium to large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the large marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in enough food coloring to make the marshmallows pink. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal and mini marshmallows. Stir until cereal is well combined.

3. Prepare a cookie sheet with sides by spraying with cooking spray or coating with butter. Butter a spoon or your hands or use wax paper to press the mixture into the pan evenly.

4. Press conversation hearts evenly around the mixture. Cool completely and cut into squares or heart shapes.

Five-Ingredient Caramel Tassies

I posit that there are no cookies cuter than tassies. What could possibly be more adorable than a little cookie cup filled with sweet ingredients? I mean, even the name is too precious for words.

Not only are these cookies adorable and delicious; they're also incredibly simple. Those sweet cookies, in that picture up there? They're made with only five ingredients. Butter, cream cheese, flour, caramel sauce, and mini chocolate chips -- that's it. This fact alone makes them worth adding to your Christmas cookie trays. When you make as many types of cookies as I do (and believe me, I make a lot, as you'll see over the course of the next month or so), you really start to appreciate the super-simple-but-still-yummy-and-impressive-looking cookies. That's exactly what these caramel tassies are. They're just the best.

Five-Ingredient Caramel Tassies
adapted from Taste of Home

1 cup butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups flour
Prepared caramel sauce
Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; press onto the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Prick bottoms with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

3. Fill each cup with caramel sauce and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 4 dozen tassies.

Rugelach

I'm breaking my self-imposed no-Christmas-talk-before-Thanksgiving rule to bring you some Christmas treats. Over the coming weeks, I'll be sharing some goodies that I made for last year's Christmas trays. I go kind of insane with my Christmas cookie trays every year; I just can't help myself, so I have lots of delicious things to share.

I thought I'd start off the Christmas cookie talk with my number one, very favorite Christmas cookie of all time: rugelach. Rugelach is a flaky pastry filled with walnuts and cinnamon sugar, and if you've never had it, you are really missing out. The nuttiness of the walnuts, the sweet spiciness of the cinnamon sugar, and the buttery pastry are such a delicious combination. These cookies keep for a long time stored in an airtight container at room temperature, and both the raw dough and the baked cookies freeze very well, making them ideal for preparing ahead of the Christmas baking rush. 

Some versions of rugelach call for raisins, chocolate, or raspberry or apricot preserves. I prefer a simple version with just nuts and cinnamon sugar. If you're not a fan of walnuts or you just want something different, try using almonds, pecans, or cashews instead; I think those would be delicious substitutions.

Rugelach
slightly adapted from Allrecipes 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Cut cold butter and cream cheese into bits. In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, butter and cream cheese, and sour cream until crumbly.

2. Shape crumbly mixture into 4 equal-sized discs. Wrap each disc and chill for 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

3. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in a bowl.

4. Roll each disc into a 9-inch round, keeping the other discs chilled until ready to use. Sprinkle the rolled disc with the walnut mixture, pressing lightly into the dough. 

5. Using a chef's knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, ending with a point. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes before baking.

6. After chilling, bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 4 dozen rugelach

Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes

If you search for "turkey cupcakes" on Google Images or Pinterest, believe me: You will get a lot of results. You will get lots and lots of results. When faced with the prospect of making a dessert for Andrew's Thanksgiving feast at preschool, I knew I wanted to make cupcakes that looked like turkeys, so I turned to Pinterest and found, unsurprisingly, tons of options. First I thought I'd make turkey dinner cupcakes, using chewy caramels shaped like turkeys, but I could see that getting tedious very quickly. I'm not the most patient or artistic person, so I could just imagine how my turkeys would look.

I ultimately drew my inspiration from lots of the pins I saw and made my own version, and I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out. They were so cute, and the kids just loved them. By all accounts, they were a huge hit and quite delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope you have wonderful, peaceful days with your families and friends.

Turkey Cupcakes

cupcakes inspired by various pins on Pinterest; frosting from Savory Sweet Life

For the cupcakes:

1 box chocolate or devil's food cake mix

Water, oil, and eggs called for on the box

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons heavy cream

For the decorations:

Yellow and red colored sugar

Chow mein noodles

Vanilla wafers

White decorating frosting

Miniature chocolate chips

Orange and yellow Dots candies

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven as directed on box and line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners. Combine cake mix with water, oil, eggs, and vanilla and stir until completely combined. Bake according to the directions on the box, usually about 18 to 20 minutes.

2. To make the frosting, cream the butter for a couple of minutes until smooth. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

3. Place a dollop of the chocolate frosting on the front of each cupcake (this is where the "head" of the turkey will rest). Combine red and yellow sugars and sprinkle over the cupcakes. Stick chow mein noodles in the back of each cupcake for the feathers.

4. To make the faces, add dots of white frosting on the vanilla wafers to make the eyes. Use a miniature chocolate chip for each pupil. Using a rolling pin, roll Dots out into relatively thin layers and use a paring knife to cut them into beak shapes. Secure the beaks with a dot of white frosting. Place the heads on the cupcakes and gently press down to ensure that they're secure.

Quinoa Stuffing

My cooking club met for our November get-together over the weekend, and it was such a wonderful time, as usual. The wine and the laughter flowed, and we enjoyed a truly delicious meal. This month's theme was Thanksgiving, but not just any Thanksgiving dish; we had to make a new twist on a classic. We had harissa green beans, loaded mashed potato casserole, and salted caramel mascarpone pumpkin cheesecake (OMG), among other delicious dishes. My contribution was this quinoa stuffing, which was universally enjoyed.

I'm a huge fan of stuffing; in fact, I think it's probably my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. And I have to be honest: This particular stuffing would never replace the traditional, all-bread version of stuffing on my Thanksgiving table. But that doesn't mean it wasn't absolutely delicious. It's prepared just like you'd make a traditional stuffing, but quinoa is added to it before baking. The recipe can easily be adapted to make it vegetarian or even completely vegan. The quinoa gives the stuffing a great texture and a nutritional boost that means you can feel good about eating it. And on a holiday when practically everyone overeats on all kinds of fattening yumminess, feeling good about eating even one aspect of the meal is no small thing!

Quinoa Stuffing

adapted from About.com

1 cup quinoa

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

4 ounces sliced button mushrooms

1 rib of celery, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 slices dried (or lightly toasted) bread, cubed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1. In a medium saucepan, simmer quinoa in 2 1/4 cups chicken stock with bay leaves until done, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard, and set the quinoa aside.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs, sage, and salt and pepper. Add white wine and simmer until reduced. Discard thyme sprigs.

4. Reduce heat to low and add cubed bread and nuts, stirring to combine well. Add chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until bread is well moistened. Add reserved quinoa and gently toss to combine well.

5. Transfer to prepared casserole dish and bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

I first tried these scalloped sweet potato stacks at my cooking club's monthly meet-up in August. Our theme was Southern food, and one of my friends brought these since sweet potatoes are so synonymous with the South. They were so delicious that I proceeded to eat more of them than I care to admit, and I couldn't get them out of my head after that. I finally had to ask her for the recipe so I could make them myself.

Sweet potatoes are often paired with sweet ingredients, which is undoubtedly a delicious way to eat them, but I really love them when they're savory as well. In this recipe, sliced sweet potatoes are paired with cheese, garlic, thyme and cream and baked in individual portions in a muffin tin for a simple yet sophisticated side dish. They're endlessly adaptable with whatever cheeses and herbs you like (I used mozzarella for some, and cheddar for some), and they just taste fantastic. They'd be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table -- or just to your dinner table on any day of the year.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

adapted from A Bountiful Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided 

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, divided
2/3 cup heavy cream 

1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt. Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes should come slightly above the rim of each cup.)

2. Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme for 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon per cup).

3. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

4. Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter.

Lovely Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello, my name is Cassie, and I have a Seasonal Sprinkles Addiction.

It all started with these sugar cookie bars, the first time I made them for Christmas. I just had to buy festive sprinkles to adorn them. When I made them again for Valentine’s Day, they were just begging for a sweet topping of tiny hearts, colored sugar, and festive nonpareils. By the time the Easter goodies hit the shelves, I was completely addicted to sprinkles. I bought a giant multi-pack of Easter-themed sprinkles at the grocery store, and when I saw some different ones a few weeks later at another store, I bought another one. The question then became: What am I going to do with all these Easter sprinkles? A secondary question was: Is there some sort of Sprinkle-holics Anonymous meeting I can attend?

I’ve been craving lemon baked goods for I don’t know how long now, and when my stepmom hosted a family dinner recently and asked me to bring dessert, these cupcakes seemed like the perfect thing to make. In addition to fulfilling my craving (and making my family happy, too, since they’re lemon-loving people), it would also be a great way to use up my surplus of sprinkles.

These cupcakes are delicious. Yes, they start with a boxed mix, but the additions of sour cream and the zest and juice of a lemon make them taste homemade. They’re moist and fluffy, with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy elements. The frosting is a lemon cream cheese frosting that I wanted to (and did, actually) eat with a spoon. It was creamy and sweet and just perfect to go on top of the cupcakes. And not only did my extended family love them, my sons did, too. This thrilled me, since their father is not a lemon fan. I’m happy to report that the boys seem to have inherited my lemon love.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Lovely Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
cupcakes adapted from Sugar Plum; frosting is my recipe

For the cupcakes:

3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 box lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 box lemon cake mix

For the frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
5 cups powdered sugar
Splashes of heavy cream
Yellow food coloring, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together the eggs, sour cream, pudding mix, oil and milk until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in lemon juice, lemon zest and cake mix until moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat an additional 1 minute.

3. Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until well risen, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached (mine definitely took the full 20 minutes). Cool 5 minutes in pans before transferring to wire racks to cool.

4. To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest, and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Use heavy cream to thin out the frosting, if needed. Tint the frosting yellow with food coloring, if desired. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

Easter Bunny Snack Mix

I was lucky enough to get assigned the very last snack day before Easter for Andrew’s preschool class, and I just know that his teacher did it on purpose. I always make fun things for his class when I’m assigned a snack day around a major holiday, and this one could be no exception. Talk about pressure! Except, honestly, there really wasn’t any pressure at all, because it’s something I love to do, and I knew exactly what I was going to make this time around.

Enter this Easter Bunny snack mix. It’s simple and delicious, with a nice mix of salty and sweet elements. The multi-colored chocolate drizzle and generous amount of Easter sprinkles make it so festive. Even though the Easter Bunny himself sorta creeps me out (anyone else feel this way?), I think he’d appreciate having this delicious snack mix named in his honor!

Easter Bunny Snack Mix

8 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels, or 2 bags of natural microwave popcorn)
3 cups waffle pretzels
1 bag Easter M & Ms (I used dark chocolate)
1 bag Reese’s Pieces eggs (you could also use robin’s eggs or Whopper eggs)
12 ounces white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sprinkles
Assorted food colors (I used purple, blue, pink, and green)

1. Combine popped popcorn, pretzels, M & Ms and eggs in a very large bowl.

2. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Reserve the remaining chips in a small bowl to melt later.

3. Pour the melted white chocolate over the popcorn mix. Add the sprinkles and immediately stir to coat the entire mixture. It’s a little messy, but your hands really are the best tool to accomplish this! Lay the wet mixture out on wax paper to dry.

4. Melt the reserved half cup of chocolate chips in the microwave, then divide the melted chips evenly among four small bowls. Add a drop of purple, blue, pink or green (or whatever color you want) food coloring to each bowl and use a toothpick to stir until it reaches the desired color. Using a fork, drizzle each color over the popcorn mixture. Leave on wax paper to set up, then store it in a covered container until you’re ready to snack.

Sweet Valentine's Day Treats: Puppy {Love} Chow, Red Velvet Popcorn, and Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Milkshakes

There’s a Valentine’s Day commercial currently playing in my part of the country that talks about how guys have it easy on Valentine’s Day. They only have to buy a gift for their wives. Women, however? They get gifts for their husbands, their kids, their kids’ teachers, their kids’ classmates, etc. I can’t remember exactly how the commercial phrases it, but it calls women Valentine’s Day super heroes, or something like that.

After all the work I did yesterday to prepare for the boys’ Valentine’s Day parties at daycare, I definitely felt like something akin to a super hero. I filled out Valentine’s Day cards (which were store-bought, lest you believe I went to another level of effort), made another batch of sugar cookie bars, made fruit salsa and cinnamon chips, and put together a couple of different types of sweet snacks. After all that, I rewarded myself with the most decadent milkshake in the entire world. I felt like I totally deserved it.

The first thing I made and packaged for the boys’ daycare friends was a sweet treat I’m calling puppy {love} chow. It’s a Valentine’s Day take on the puppy chow/muddy buddies snack we all know and love. I added pretzels to cut all the sweetness, and I think this is even more addictive than its more traditional counterpart. The amount in the picture is what I had left after portioning it into treat bags, and I must admit that it was completely gone by the end of the day.

Here’s the recipe:

Puppy {Love} Chow
adapted from Betty Crocker

5 cups rice Chex cereal
2 cups pretzels
1 cup white chocolate baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup Valentine M&Ms
1/4 cup Valentine sprinkles

1. Place cereal and pretzels in medium bowl.

2. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on high 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and pretzels, stirring until evenly coated.

3. Place mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar and M&Ms. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.

4. Return to a serving bowl and stir in sprinkles. Store covered.

As soon as I saw this red velvet popcorn, I knew I’d be making it. What a clever idea – to sprinkle popcorn that’s been coated in white chocolate with cake crumbs. I added some milk chocolate drizzle, just to make this snack even more decadent. I’d love to experiment with red velvet cake mix, pre-baking; I’m sure it would work just as well coated on the popcorn. Although this snack is supposed to be for the daycare kids, it’s going to be really difficult for me to part with it, because it is so incredibly delicious and addictive.

Red Velvet Popcorn
adapted from Cookies and Cups

8 cups popped popcorn, 1/2 cup unpopped kernels (or 2 bags of “natural” microwave popcorn)
3 cups red velvet cake crumbs
12 ounces white chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler.

2. Pour the melted chocolate over the popcorn and stir to coat completely.

3. Pour the popcorn onto a waxed paper lined counter and sprinkle with red velvet crumbs.

4. Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler. Using a fork, drizzle over the popcorn.

5. Let the popcorn set completely before eating.

After making the popcorn, I was left with quite a bit of red velvet cake that I had no immediate use for. In a stroke of brilliance, I recalled the cookies and cream ice cream in the freezer…and I decided to make myself and the boys a little afternoon treat.

I mixed some red velvet cake directly into the ice cream and milk mixture, and it blended in perfectly and added that distinctive red velvet flavor to every drink of the shake. This would be such a delicious, fun dessert for a Valentine’s Day feast!

Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Milkshakes

Cookies and cream ice cream
Red velvet cake
Milk
Whipped cream
Crushed Oreo cookies and red velvet cake crumbs for garnish, if desired

Combine desired amounts of ice cream, cake, and milk to desired consistency. Top with whipped cream and garnish with Oreo cookies and cake crumbs, if desired.

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars

I first posted about these sugar cookie bars when I wrote my 2011 Christmas cookie wrap-up. But since they were pretty much everyone’s favorite thing that I made (including mine), I knew they deserved a post all their own.

These cookie bars are a revelation. They taste exactly like the ever-so-popular Lofthouse sugar cookies, but they are so incredibly simple to make. You just mix the ingredients, spread the batter in a pan, and bake. No rolling dough, no scooping out cookies. And this recipe makes a ton of sugar cookie bars – at least 6 dozen – so they’re perfect for sharing. In fact, don’t make these unless you have someone to share them with...because they’re addictive, and you’ll eat way too many of them all by yourself. Trust me, I know this from experience.

The frosting is a little bit more special than your average buttercream, since it has heavy cream in it. It makes the frosting taste like ice cream, which could never be a bad thing. The soft, sweet bars, the silky frosting, and the crunch of festive sprinkles combine to make a treat that is nothing short of heavenly. Absolutely heavenly.

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars
bars from Cookies and Cups; frosting from Brown-Eyed Baker

For the bars:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

3. With mixer on low, add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until just combined.

4. Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. The dough will be sticky.

5. Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden. Cool completely before frosting.

6. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and the pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined (I used neon pink).

Valentine's Day Snack Mix

I know I’ve mentioned before how much I love making snacks for the boys’ daycare classmates. It’s just something that’s really fun for me to do, and I know the kids love it – and my boys love it too, since they think it’s pretty cool that their mom made a special treat for their friends. I know that soon enough their smiles of pride at my homemade snacks will be replaced with plenty of eye-rolls, so I’m taking advantage of this while it lasts!

I’ve been holding onto this snack mix recipe for a year now, ever since last Valentine’s Day. I made this particular mixture for Andrew’s classmates as part of the valentines he delivered to his classmates last year, and it went over incredibly well. I love this mixture for its balance of textures and flavors – salty and sweet, chewy and crunchy. You can use whatever combination of ingredients you want, of course. My favorite part was the Teddy Grahams. How cute are they in a Valentine’s Day snack mix?!

I have something even cuter planned for the boys’ classmates this year, which I’ll be sharing early next week!

Valentine’s Day Snack Mix

Waffle pretzels
Caramel corn
Valentines M&Ms
Chocolate-covered peanuts
Yogurt-covered cranberries
Life Savers berry-flavored gummies
Teddy Grahams

Combine desired amounts of all ingredients. Store covered.

2011 Christmas Cookies Recap

As you know, I recently got done sharing all of the Christmas treats I made for last year’s cookie trays. Last weekend, I spent an entire day baking cookies for our family, neighbors, and friends. It was exhausting and stressful, but it was also incredibly rewarding when Andrew, Will and I delivered overflowing trays of goodies to everyone earlier this week.

Rather than saving the cookie recipes to share with you next year, I thought I’d go ahead and write about them now. I’m doing this for a couple of reasons: 1. Because I’ve talked to some people who aren’t doing their holiday baking until tomorrow (Christmas Eve), and this may give those people a few yummy last minute ideas; and 2. Because I didn’t have the time to take a picture of each cookie individually. Frankly, while I was baking these cookies, I didn’t even have time to stop and eat. (Well, aside from the baked goods and cookie dough I was sampling all day long.)

Before I started baking last Sunday morning, I wrote out my agenda on my trusty chalkboard door:

By the end of the day, all of these items except for two were crossed off – and one additional item was added (but I’ll get to that in a minute). My failures were the peppermint fudge, which never sat up for me properly, and the soft sugar cookies. I tried baking three different batches of them, but they came out incredibly dry and sort of flavorless each time.

The rest, though, were absolutely delicious, and so far I’ve gotten tons of positive feedback on all of these things. I already told you about the hot cocoa mix and dipping spoons and the hot chocolate popcorn. Here’s the rest of what I made:

Buckeyes and pretzel turtles: These are yearly staples for me, and they always go over well with everyone. This year my sister dipped the Buckeyes for me, and she did a much better job than I ever do, so that’s totally her job from now on.

Mint chocolate chip cookie dough truffles: Everyone has loved these so far. More than one person has told me that it’s so fun to bite into a truffle and see something that looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream on the inside. They’re pretty tasty, but they don’t have quite enough mint flavor for me. Next time, I’d add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract.

Nutter Butter snowmen: Are these little guys cute or what?! I usually make Santas, but thought these snowmen would be a fun change. They’re basically candy, coated with candy, and decorated with more candy. Needless to say, they’ve been a huge hit, and well worth the time it took to make them (nearly two hours for one package of Nutter Butters)!

Rugelach: This was the first time I’ve ever made rugelach, so I picked a popular recipe that was pretty highly rated and sounded simple enough for me to make. Well, I must have good recipe-picking skills, because these were perfect. The dough is so lovely and flaky and not too sweet, and the filling of walnuts, chocolate chips, and cinnamon sugar is just absolutely scrumptious. Everyone loves these, and I’ve had multiple requests for the recipe.

Chocolate caramel cookies: These are similar to the Snickers cookies I’ve made before, except the cookie base is chocolate and they’re stuffed with a Rolo instead of a mini Snickers bar. These cookies are rich and sweet, with a nice caramel surprise in the middle.

Lofthouse sugar cookie bars with easy buttercream frosting: When the soft sugar cookies failed me thrice, I did a quick online search for something sugar cookie-ish that didn’t involve a dough that I could make quickly. Thankfully, I had everything on hand to make these. And although they were a last-minute addition to the cookie trays, they’re actually my favorite thing I made this year. They taste exactly like a Lofthouse cookie, with a sweet, silky frosting and the soft crunch of holiday sprinkles. LOVE.

Oatmeal butterscotch coconut cookies: Annie said these are the best oatmeal scotchies she’s ever tried, and I agree. They’re definitely the best ones I’ve ever had. The shredded coconut and toffee bits just take them to a completely new level. I only had quick-cooking oats on hand, so that’s what I used for the cookies, and they turned out just fine. This is one loaded, delicious cookie.

Red velvet crinkles: These cookies start with cake mix, so immediately I love them, because I love easy things like cake mixes when I’m baking cookies for AN ENTIRE DAY. I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the mix and left out the lemon zest, but otherwise made the cookies as indicated. They came together in minutes, and they’re so festive and pretty, with that familiar red velvet flavor everyone loves.

Hot chocolate triple chip cookies: Joe had his eye on these cookies before they’d even been baked, when they were still just raw balls of cookie dough sitting on baking trays. They were the first thing he tried when presented with all of my day’s efforts, and were definitely his favorite of all of this year’s offerings. These cookies are gigantic and rich. You can really taste the hot chocolate flavor in them. I loved them, too, but because I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate chips in cookies, I’ll probably replace those with another cup of milk chocolate chips when I make these again (and I will, because they’re almost gone, and Joe will soon be clamoring for another batch, I have no doubt).

Chocolate cherry blossoms: This is a change-up of the traditional peanut butter blossom. It’s a cherry cookie instead, with both cherry juice and chopped maraschino cherries in the base. I really liked these cookies. The texture is really soft, and the cherry flavor is definitely there, and strong enough that the Hershey’s Kiss doesn’t overpower it. I thought these were definitely the prettiest cookies of all the types I made.

Are you exhausted, just reading about all of this? I was definitely exhausted by the time I finished baking all of it on Sunday evening! It was so worth it, though, to be able to give plates of delicious baked goods to the people I care about. And even while I’m recovering from all that baking, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to make next year…

I want to wish all of you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope your holiday is merry, bright, peaceful, and spent as every holiday should be: with the people you love the most in the world.

Eggnog Pancakes

I can’t think of a beverage that signifies the holidays more than eggnog. It’s definitely one of Joe’s favorite things about the holiday season. As soon as eggnog starts appearing in the refrigerated dairy case at the grocery store, you can bet that there are at least two different kinds in our fridge. (Side note: This year we’re enjoying the heck out of this sugar cookie eggnog. Eggnog is typically too rich for me to drink from a glass, but I can definitely pound this version. If you see it at your grocery store, get it!)

In an attempt to get on Joe’s “nice list” (there are a few things I really want for Christmas this year!), I decided to make him some eggnog pancakes. And let me tell you, these pancakes got me on my own nice list. I want to buy myself lots of pretty things to reward myself for making them. They’re that good.

They’re soft and pillowy in texture on the inside, but they’re just shy of crisp on the outside, which is exactly the way I like my pancakes. The recipe contains no sugar, but the eggnog provides plenty of that sweet, custardy flavor. These pancakes really are perfection, and would be amazing for breakfast on Christmas Day!

Eggnog Pancakes
adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 cups eggnog
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, beat eggs, eggnog and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

2. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

Last Minute Homemade Gift Ideas...Involving Hot Chocolate!

During the holidays, I like to make homemade gifts for people as often as I can – usually edible homemade gifts. And although I’m sure people would be just as happy with (or maybe even prefer!) a gift card, I definitely enjoy the entire process – the baking, the assembling, the packaging...all of it.

I thought I’d share a couple of the gifts I made this year for the boys’ daycare teachers and classmates. They both happen to involve hot chocolate, and they are both absolutely delicious. I delivered them this morning to some very happy recipients!

For the boys’ teachers, I decided to make homemade hot cocoa mix. I bagged it up and placed it in festive coffee cups (that I found at the Dollar Store marked down to $.75 each, wooo!). Rather than packaging it with marshmallows or candy canes, I made dipping spoons to go along with the mix. Each teacher got six servings of cocoa, so each teacher got six spoons.

Here’s what I used for the spoons:

Melted peanut butter chips sprinkled with miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Melted semi-sweet chocolate chips with toffee bits
Melted semi-sweet chocolate chips with Christmas sprinkles
Melted milk chocolate chips with marshmallows
Melted milk chocolate chips with finely crushed candy canes
Melted milk chocolate chips with shredded sweetened coconut

The combinations are endless. You could use caramels, too, or even something like strawberry or cherry hard candies.

I of course had to have a cup of the hot cocoa myself (you know, just to make sure it was edible), and it was just as good, if not better, than the prepackaged mixes. It’s so dark and rich and creamy, and really coats your mouth with that yummy chocolate flavor. I didn’t try it with one of the dipping spoons, but I imagine they’ll take it to a completely different level!

As for the boys’ classmates, I wanted something that I could package pretty simply and that would, obviously, be kid-friendly. It didn’t take me long to decide on this hot chocolate popcorn. What took me much longer to do was actually convince myself to give it away once I tried it, because you guys, this stuff is amazing! Kettle corn is mixed with marshmallows, coated with melted white chocolate, sprinkled with hot chocolate mix, and drizzled with milk chocolate. I KNOW.

I bought these cute little bags at the supermarket, which were the perfect size for the popcorn.

The hot cocoa mix, dipping spoons, and popcorn are all very quick and simple to make, so if you’re still looking for a gift idea for someone in your life, these are both great options. I think there are going to be some very happy kids and teachers at the daycare today!

Hot Cocoa Mix with Dipping Spoons
mix from Brown-Eyed Baker

For the mix:
(I doubled this recipe)

3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the spoons:

Plastic spoons
Melted chocolate, peanut butter, and/or white chocolate chips
Marshmallows, coconut, crushed candy canes, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, etc., for sprinkling

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

2. Dip each spoon in melted chocolate. Make sure the well of the spoon is full of chocolate. Place on wax paper and sprinkle with toppings while chocolate is still wet. Let harden before packaging.

3. To make hot cocoa, put 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk. Use a spoon for stirring.

Hot Chocolate Popcorn
adapted from Cookies and Cups

3 packages un-popped kettle corn
1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup powdered hot chocolate mix (2 packages)
4 ounces milk chocolate

1. Pop the popcorn.

2. In a large bowl, combine the popcorn and marshmallows.

3. Melt the white chocolate chips and drizzle on top of popcorn/marshmallow mix. Stir to coat evenly.

4. Spread the popcorn on a wax paper lined counter. Immediately sprinkle the hot chocolate mix on top of the wet popcorn.

5. Melt the milk chocolate and drizzle on top of popcorn. Let chocolate set.

6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 12: Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bites

Well, we’ve come to the end of the Two Weeks of Christmas Treats. I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipes I’ve shared, and maybe even got some inspiration for your holiday baking! Baking cookies and treats to share with my friends and family is absolutely one of my favorite things about the holidays. It’s been fun sharing some recipes with all of my virtual friends! :)

I’m ending the treat bonanza with a real winner: gingerbread cookie cheesecake bites. They start from refrigerated gingerbread cookie mix, so they couldn’t be easier to make. Andrew actually helped me make these, and he loved rolling the dough into balls and then making indentations in the cookies for the cheesecake filling. He also loved eating them, as did everyone else who tried them! The lemony cream cheese filling is such a perfect complement to the spicy gingerbread cookie. And the smell while these are baking – it’s out of this world.

I’m already imagining making these again with lots of different kinds of cookie dough. Mmmm. I’ll be sure to report on my experimentation in this area!

Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bites
adapted from Created By Diane

1 30-ounce package refrigerated Pillsbury gingerbread cookie dough
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Roll two teaspoons of cookie dough into a ball for each cookie. Place balls of dough into paper lined mini cupcake/muffin pans. Make a well/indentation into each ball of dough with the back of a measurement teaspoon.

2. Beat room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest to taste. Place filling into a piping bag, cut off edge of bag. Place one teaspoon or so of filling into each area of cookie dough. Don’t over fill the cookies with filling as they will rise when baked.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until cookie tested with tooth pick comes out almost clean. Let cool before removing from cupcake pan. Makes 4 dozen.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 11: Oreo Truffles

I am certainly not the first person to post these Oreo truffles, right? They’ve definitely made their rounds throughout the food blogging community. They deserve all the attention, too; they’re incredibly delicious.

It took me awhile to get the hang of forming the balls. The mixture is incredibly wet and sticky, so after struggling for a few minutes, I chilled the mixture, then rolled the balls. That made a huge difference. They were easier to handle and easier to dip in the chocolate. Even after chilling them, the center still really had that rich chocolate flavor and texture you’d expect from a truffle. These are a bit time-consuming, but they’re such a crowd-pleaser that you’ll be a rock star if you make them.

Oreo Truffles
from Allrecipes

1 16-ounce package Oreo cookies
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
Red and green sugar for sprinkling, if desired

1. Crush cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Chill for 15 minutes or so, just until the mixture firms up slightly. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.

2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugars, if using.

3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 10: Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

It seems to me that red velvet is just one of those flavors that everyone loves – in cake form, of course, but also in so many more applications. I, for one, am pretty much obsessed with this red velvet cheesecake (which would, incidentally, be a dramatic and absolutely delicious addition to your Christmas dessert table). But when I want a red velvet fix more quickly, these red velvet chocolate chip sandwich cookies are just the thing.

The cookies start with a red velvet cake mix. With a few simple additions (including chocolate chips), they become a delicious cookie that is perfect for sandwiching with a luxuriously smooth cream cheese frosting. These cookies, as you may imagine, are impossibly rich – one goes a long way, but you’ll still want to eat another, because they’re just so delicious.

These cookies are perfect for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and every single day of the year.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies
adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Half a batch of cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In an electric mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Roll into 24 balls and bake for 8 minutes.

4. Spread the bottom half of a cookie with cream cheese frosting. Top with another cookie. You’ll have a total of 12 cookie sandwiches.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 9: Peppermint Bark Shortbread Cookies

Peppermint bark is, hands-down, one of my favorite holiday treats. I’ll confess that there is one particular store-bought version I prefer above even homemade versions, but when I saw these cookies, I just couldn’t resist trying them.

The base of the cookies is a buttery, crumbly, shortbread. It’s topped with peppermint bark: a layer of melted chocolate, crushed candy canes, and drizzled white chocolate. It’s a great combination of textures, and the shortbread layer really complements the flavor of the peppermint bark itself. And look how pretty they are! They're sort of a show-stopper – both in looks, and in taste.

Peppermint Bark Shortbread Cookies
from Epicurious

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (I used the spearmint tri-color candy canes)
2 ounces white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan.

2. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

4. Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle semisweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

5. Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

6. Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.