Egg Hunt Snack Cakes

Our parish has a fish fry every Friday during Lent.

They are not only a lot of fun, they generate a good source of income for our church via the Men's Club who does all of the "heavy lifting."

Now, I do my part and stand in line with  a beer and consume yummy fried fish, coleslaw and french fries, shell out money for the kids to get heir faces painted and for raffle tickets, but aside from that my "job" is pretty easy.

The church asks that families donate desserts.

There is one week, based on the first letter of your last name, that you are asked to do so.

I don't abide by that, and usually bring a couple of different things every week.

(I sometimes lose my inhibitions for dessert after consuming keg beer in line for an hour+, and I, for one, wouldn't want dessert lovers to go without a choice.)

So, I whipped up a batch of chocolate mint brownies, and the kids helped me with these little cakes.

If you have never visited partypinching.com you are seriously missing out.

She does the MOST ADORABLE things for parties, and just for plain fun.

My 11 year old daughter LOVES the sight, too, and if forever saying "we should make this!"

Best part is, your kids will have fun helping you do it.

So when I saw these on her page, I fell in love.

My kids love when I have those Little Debbie cakes around anyway... and I thought, how fun they would be to make for the fish fry!

Link to PARTY PINCHING EASTER BASKET SNACK CAKES

I literally didn't do anything!

My 11 year old twins made these.  Our only problem was we couldn't find the Sour Punch candy, and bought licorice (the colored flavored kind) and it was too limp, it kept falling over.

So, my son unwrapped the packages of snack cakes while my daughter squirted on green frosting from the can, then he added the jelly beans.

I plated them on an aluminum pan and off the to the fish fry they went!

Follow the link to Party Pinching's original idea, to make the cute baskets.

Egg Hunt Snack Cakes

Little Debbie Easter Basket Snack Cakes

Jelly Beans 

Can of "squirtable" green frosting

Squirt on green frosting and top with jelly beans.

done.

easy peasy!

11 Valentine Sweets for your Sweets

Valentine's Day is hands down my MOST favorite holiday of the WHOLE year.

I know, I know... people think it's a nonsense, it's a "Hallmark Holiday..."

I love love love it!

When I was a kid, making that Valentine's box and addressing all of those Valentines for my classmates, 

LOVE!!

As I got older, picking out Valentine's for (boy)friends ...ha ha BRUT cologne?

Later helping my kids do all of the same things, and baking sweet desserts for them and for my friends at my Valentine luncheon.

Over the last couple of years I have made some really yummy treats, and I compiled a few, 

(11 to be exact,)

of Valentine Worthy sweets for your sweets, whomever they may be!

Cherry Torte Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

Cupcake Cream Filling

Pink Angel Food Cake Trifle

Better Than Sex Chex

White Chocolate Truffle Center Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Neopolitan Cupcakes

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

Heart Shaped Spiced Peach Pie Pockets

Chocolate Bliss Cake with Raspberry Sauce and Devonshire Cream

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Wishing you lots of love and CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate Mint Candy Cookies

These are my contribution to my cookie exchange this year.
I made a "test batch" about 2 weeks ago, and they lasted all of 10 minutes, I swear!!

My sister-in-law, Karen, used to make these every year.
They are my niece, Leah's favorite cookie.

You don't have to sprinkle the candy canes on them, but I thought it made them more festive!

St. Patty's Day Version

Chocolate Mint Candy Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 Tablespoons water

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 packages Andes Mints

Crushed Peppermints or candy canes (optional)

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

In your mixer, pour the chocolate batter.  Add and beat each egg one at a time.  Stir in flour, baking sod and salt.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place two inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

DO NOT OVER BAKE.

Place one Andes Mint on top of each cookie, let sit for about a minute to let it get all melty.

Swirl with the back of a spoon.

Top with crushed peppermint if you desire.

Pecan Pie

Honestly?
I have never really cared for pecan pie.
Many may gasp, but I didn't grow up with it, and pecans were never my favorite.
Gimme peanuts and chocolate or ooooo...cashews...but pecans?
Not so much.

So when I took pie orders for Thanksgiving, I had to do a little research, and asked for Pecan Pie loving
TASTE TESTERS.
I had quite a few takers.

This pie got RAVE reviews.  I found it at a blog that I have always had wonderful luck with recipes
 "Gimme Some Oven" --  first off, what a clever name!  and when I read her post on this pie, it made my heart happy.  It was all about her grandma, this is her grandma's pie recipe.

I hope you enjoy it as much as the pecan pie lovers in my life did!

Pecan Pie

Gimme Some Oven

1 pie crust PRE-BAKED < --find how to here

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs beaten

1 stick of salted butter

2 cups pecans

Pre-bake your crust (click here for instructions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for pie.

In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.  Add eggs and whisk until smooth.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and heat for about 4-5 minutes, until butter becomes brown and fragrant.  Stir often.  Pour butter into the sugar mixture and whisk to combine.  Stir in pecan and pour into prepared crust.

Bake for 50-60 minute or until center is set.  If your crust edges begin to get too brown, you can remove pie and cover crust with foil.  I didn't have that problem with mine at all.

Cool pie on rack for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving.

Eggnog Fudge

One of the first bloggers I ever "met" was Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate.
Her blog is full of amazing sweet, most times chocolaty, goodness.
This recipe for eggnog fudge she posted last year is no exception.
 I wanted to make it then, but found I ran out of time!

It was on my holiday MUST BAKE list, and we are all happy that I did! :)
Make sure you pop over and see what Joan has baking in her kitchen, you will always be glad you did!

Eggnog Fudge

Chocolate, Chocolate and More

1/2 cup butter

2 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup eggnog minus 2 Tablespoons

2 cups sugar

1 - 10 ounce bag white chocolate chips

1 - 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Line a 9x9 baking dish with foil and butter well.

In a medium saucepan combine butter, eggnog, cream and sugar.  Bring to boil over medium heat stirring occasionally.  When it boils, reduce the heat and continue cooking until candy thermometer registers 234 degrees. (soft ball stage)  Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate chips.  Stir until combined, add marshmallow, nutmeg and vanilla, stir until smooth.

Spread into prepared pan, garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

Let cool at room temperature and then place in refrigerator.

Store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

My kids love puppy chow, but my husband hates it!
He hates peanut butter... (I KNOW RIGHT?!? --- gasp!)
So this fall I made some Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies and they were a hit!  I started thinking about other ways to make puppy chow for the holidays.  Then I saw the White Chocolate Peppermint Kisses and M&Ms and the idea came to me.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

2 cups white chocolate peppermint kisses, melted

1 - 14 ounce box of chocolate chex cereal

2 cups powdered sugar

1 package white chocolate peppermint M&M's

Melt kisses in the microwave in 30 second intervals until you can stir them smooth.

They are so pink and pretty! :)

Pour over cereal in a big bowl and stir to cover completely.

Top with powdered sugar and stir to coat.

Add the bag of Peppermint M&Ms!

Nutter Butter Acorns

We made these the last couple of years, I don't know why I never took pictures of them?

I think they are ADORABLE.

And 

so.darn.tempting.

They are so little you can just pop 'em in your mouth!

Perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate.

I think you should make some of these up for the kids at Thanksgiving...

or anytime really?

NUTTER BUTTER Acorns

Taste of Home

1/2 cup chocolate chips, + 48 pieces

48 Mini Nutter Butter Cookies

48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.

Dip the flat end of the kiss in the melted chocolate and stick to one side of the Nutter Butter and place on the cookie sheet.

Place in refrigerator until set.

Do the same thing with the chocolate chips to make the "stem."

Put back in refrigerator to set completely.

Pop one in your mouth and say thanks!!

Sometimes it's ok to talk with your mouth full!

How To: Hosting a Holiday Cookie Exchange

I have hosted a Cookie Exchange for the last 16 years.

It's been a lot of fun and has totally evolved throughout the years.

When I started, we all had little kids and I had it with my stay-at-home-mom friends.

Everyone would come to my house, and I would have breakfast food, the kids would play and the moms would have coffee and chat.

As the kids got older, I would still have it in the morning, some would be in pre-school/grade school and some were home.  People that came could make with at some point, with or without their kids.

Now, many of my friends have gone back to work, we all have school aged kids or our kids are out of school and we just want to go OUT.

So, for the last few years I have had my Cookie Exchange at my Sister-in-Law (to be)'s Wine Store.

Yes. Wine + Cookies= HAPPY WOMEN

Every year I have good intentions of taking photos of the event, and every year, I start having fun and completely forget.

I did manage to find a couple of photos from last year, and incorporated some cute ways to package cookies for gifts or an exchange.

Links to the yumminess, too!!

So, I will type up here on this post what I do to organize the event, so maybe you and your friends can have one, too!

Hosting your own Holiday Cookie Exchange

The month of December always fills up fast for everyone.  I always try to get my date on the calendar by mid-November.

Since the invention of facebook, I typically do a facebook event, almost all of my friends have facebook, and the one that doesn't, well it just gives me an excuse to chat with her on the phone! *smile*

I always try to select my date as close to Christmas as possible, my exchange typically falls somewhere between the 18th and the 21st.  That way guests have goodies for their family and friends during the holidays.

Each guest RSVP's with what cookie/candy they plan to bring.  I try REALLY hard to not get duplicates, or "all chocolate" or too much mint, or too many things with nuts.

Many of the people that come only bake for this, and when they return home with all of their goodies, I don't want their platter of treats to be all brown because everything is chocolate. *wink*

I want there to be a nice assortment of flavors and colors for everyone's cookie platters.

So, it's a first come first serve thing.  If you planned on making peanut butter kisses, and someone else signs up first, you go back to the drawing board and find something else.

The number of people changes every year.  Some years I have had as many as 15 people, other years there are only 8.  Whatever number of people in attendance there are, that's how many dozen cookies you will bring of your cookie.

Caramel, Toffee and Pecan Fudge boxed with a bow

For example, there are 10 of us coming, myself included, and  I am making sugar cookies, I bring 9 dozen of my cookie to the party.  Friend A brings peanut butter kisses, 9 dozen, friend B is bringing fudge,  9 dozen pieces, and so on.

Great Aunt Vern's Sugar Cookies in a tin

Everyone brings their candy/cookie wrapped/boxed with one dozen per package.  Some place theirs in bags, some boxes, some on plates and some in tins.  Whatever they decide.  On their packages, they attach their recipe for their baked good inside.

gift or bring candies like Peanut Brittle in mason jars with ribbon attached

Up-Cycled Pringles cans I made with recipe attached for my exchange last year

Turtle Bark in a tin

Everyone brings their own baked good (all 9 dozen) in a big box or basket.  I line them up, and at the end of the evening everyone takes one package from each guest (except themselves) and then leaves with 9 dozen different kinds of cookies, and all they did was make one kind.

See?

Everyone is welcome to bring an appetizer to share, and we sip wine and relax.  

Who doesn't need to relax a little by the middle of December??!!

One other fun thing we added a few years back, is we do a gift exchange.

Everyone brings a wrapped gift (dollar amount is about $15) and we place them on a table.  

We draw numbers and start at 1 and that person opens a gift.

Person number 2 can either steal the gift from the person who opened it, or open their own.

If there are 10 people, we play from 1 up to 10 and back down to 1 so everyone gets a chance to steal.

But the gift can only be stolen twice.

It's a lot of laughs!

Toni got a great HUSKER bag...too bad she's a huge Iowa State fan! Ha!

It's a fun activity, and there always seems to be something new and creative!

Fun to shop for , too!! 

So in a nutshell that is how I do my cookie exchange.

I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoy hosting it!

girlfriends cookie exchange 2012

Regency Ginger Crisps

I've talked about my friend, Gerry, before in other posts.

She has introduced me to many authors that I love!

I have only read the first in this series, from Joanne Fluke, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.

All of the books in this series are named after baked goods and are based on a girl named Hannah Swensen, who owns a bakery in Minnesota.

Gerry knew I'd love these books, not only because they are clever and funny, but because after she talks about making something in the book, it shares her recipe for it.

This past weekend, I had a taste for ginger cookies.

I was going to see Gerry that night, so early that morning, I mixed up a batch of these Regency Ginger Crisps from the book to bake that afternoon and take to her that night.

They were REALLY yummy!

Joanne Fluke - Hannah Swensen Mysteries

The recipe says to flatten the cookie down with your spatula before baking, I sort of missed that part.

Maybe next time I will try that on one pan and see how they turn out?

I loved that they were crunchy on the outside , and yet soft on the inside.

Regency Ginger Crisps

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder - Joanne Fluke

1 1/2 sticks melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar, for coating

Melt butter and mix in brown sugar.  Let mixture cool, and then add egg.  Add soda, molasses, salt and ginger. Stir it thoroughly. Add flour and mix in. Chill the dough for 4 hours or even overnight.

Preheat  oven to 375 degrees.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls with your hands and roll them in sugar. 

Place on greased cookie sheet.

(original recipe says to flatten with a spatula, I did not.  mine were more puffy)

Bake for 10 minutes or until nicely browned.

Cool on cookie sheets for no longer than one minute, or they will stick.

Sugar Cookie Bars with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Easter from my family to yours!!

Everybody loves a sugar cookie right?

Well I took this recipe that has been made time and time again, and changed it up once I spotted those White Chocolate M & M's on the shelf!!

I am just going to post the links for you to both recipes found here on my blog.

Just make the cookie bars according to recipe. (I used the vanilla version)

Top them with White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting and M&Ms!!

The kids (and grownups) will love them!!

Happy Easter!!

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

I am on the Food Committee at Church.

(I know, you're surprised, right?)

We belong to St. Patrick's Parish, so every year St. Patrick's Day is a big deal.

They host a dinner at church, and this year they were looking for people to make Irish Soda bread.

I am not much of a bread baker, but I figured I would give it a whirl.

Turns out, I'm either better at it than I thought, or this recipe was just top notch.

(probably the latter...)

 cooling fresh from the oven

When I wasn't sure which recipe to use, I went to Pinterest to see variations of this traditional bread.

I found the recipe that I used at Green Eggs & Spam

I liked that it had a little bit of sugar to add to the sweetness of it, plus raisins.  

I LOVE Raisins!!

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups sifted cake flour

3 Tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins

1 1/3 cup of **buttermilk

(**I didn't have buttermilk so I made my own using the combination of 1 Tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, use after it sits for 5 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.  

Add raisins and buttermilk, and combine. Dough is STICKY.

Turn onto a floured board and knead about 10 times. Don't over knead.

Place dough in lined pan, and score an "X" with a knife in the top.

Bake 60-65 minutes.

Cool and slice.

Eat bread in 1-2 days.  

Bread WILL NOT KEEP.

Peanut Clusters

Every year my God-Mother, my Aunt Janette, makes these for me for Christmas.

I bake and bake and bake all season long, and mostly,

once I look at stuff for so long it's not even appealing to me!

But NOT THESE!!

I can't leave them alone, and the only thing that makes them better is to eat them out of the freezer!!

I made my own this year to share with friends and family, 

and thought I would share them with YOU!!

Peanut Clusters

8 squares chocolate almond bark

1 - 12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 - 10 ounce packages of salted blanched peanuts

Melt almond bark and chocolate chips in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes.  Stir.  It may take a few seconds longer to get them completely melted, depending on your microwave.

Add peanuts to mix and combine well with the melted chocolate.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Refrigerate until set.

Makes about 5 dozen small clusters.

Peanut Brittle

If you would have told me that I would ever be posting a recipe for peanut brittle, 

I would have told you that you were NUTS!!

(don't mind the pun...)

For whatever reason, I have always been told how difficult it is to make and therefore I have always been a little chicken to try it.

Well, I am here to tell you the one thing you need....

a good candy thermometer!!

peanut brittle

Follow these directions and you will have peanut brittle success just like I did!!

put in a jar for a great gift!!

Peanut Brittle

from Taste of Home Magazine

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

3/4 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups salted Spanish peanuts

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large heavy duty pan, combine sugar, water and corn syrups.  Bring to a boil stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.  When mixture reaches a full boil, continue boiling without stirring over medium heat until candy thermometer reaches 260 degrees or the "hard ball stage."  Stir in the peanuts and the butter, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches the "hard crack stage" or 300 degrees.

Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda and the vanilla, mixture will become foamy.  Pour onto lined baking sheets and spread out as thin as possible.  

Cool completely and break into pieces.