Hedgehog Donut Holes

I made these for Warren's snack day at school. They are so cute! Fairly easy to make just a little time consuming. Recipe via The Pharma Blog.

Ingredients:
Donut Holes
Chocolate/Almond Bark
Chocolate Sprinkles
Small Cupcake Wrappers, optional

Take a donut hole and dip a good portion of the back side in chocolate. I placed mine on small cupcake wrappers since I was sending them for a school snack. Then immediately sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Once set, I placed three sprinkles in for a nose and two eyes. It helps to prime a hole with a toothpick before inserting the sprinkle.

Summer Ice Cream Delight

Oh my goodness. This is the most amazing ice cream dessert. EVER! So super yummy and easy to make!

Ice Cream Delight:

24 ice cream sandwiches
12 oz – whipped topping
fudge topping
caramel topping
1 pkg Oreos

4 Skor bars, or Heath Bar Bits (in the baking aisle)

*You can use anything else in place of the oreos and skor bars*

Take a 9x13 pan and line the bottom with ice cream sandwiches. I used about 12. Spread half of the container of whipped topping over the sandwiches. Crumble Oreos and drizzle caramel and chocolate over the whipped topping. Then repeat with ice cream sandwiches, oreos, caramel, and chocolate and then Heath Bits. I stored mine in the freezer until we were ready to eat it.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I took this recipe to our craft night. I wanted something fall-ish and apple and caramel seemed to do the trick. They were super yummy! I really does seem like a lot of steps, but they do come together fairly quickly. Recipe via The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 Tbs sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with 2 forks until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15+ minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the Streusel topping until well mixed. Sprinkle apples evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Peeps Rice Krispies Treats

I found this recipe via Love from the Oven and fell in love with all her wonderful ideas of treats with Peeps!

Here's how mine came out:

Sidenote: I did not half the peeps- probably should have. I also made my Rice Krispies Treat; I can see where the store bought ones would have worked better- they would have been harder. And I also used Nestle's new Mini Toppers as my "sprinkles."

Mocha Punch

• I recently made this for a party I was having. Okay, and YUM! This is a delicious, cold, and very sweet punch that could be made for different events. My event was in the morning, and I wanted something to do with coffee so I thought it would be perfect. 

  
  
  
  

  Ingredients
• 6 cups water 
• 1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix (Nesquick, or Hot Chocolate mix)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup instant coffee granules
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add drink mix, sugar and coffee; stir until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• About 30 minutes before serving, pour mixture into a large punch bowl. Add ice cream by scoopfuls; stir until partially melted.
• Garnish with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Yield: 20-25 servings (about 5 quarts).

*I did not top with Whipped Cream or Chocolate Curls and it was just fine. I also halved the recipe and the proportions worked out well.*

Recipe from Taste of Home and my recipe box too.

Rainbow Cupcakes

These are really quite easy to make, just a little time consuming.

First you start with a yellow or white cake mix. Any old box cake mix will do! Mix according to instructions.

Then separate the batter in different containers. I used 6 colors, so I had 6 bowls. To each bowl, I added enough food coloring to get the desired shade. I lined my muffin tin, sprayed each cup, and then proceeded to fill each cup. I put one spoonful of cake batter into each liner. One tip I read said to have a bowl of water and use a finger dipped into the water to help you spread the batter out to the edges (the batter definitely doesn't spread well). Then bake according to the directions.

Most people top with a whipped topping or icing, but really, with all these bright colors who needs icing (or more sugar).

Irish Cream-Coffee Bars

Happy St Patrick's Day!


What better way to celebrate than with yummy Irish Cream-Coffee Bars!

Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or crystals

Topping

1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
25 cinnamon sticks (2 inch)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, place cookie mix and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. With fork, stir in egg. Press half of cookie mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Reserve remaining cookie mixture.

2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir milk, 2 tablespoons liqueur and the coffee granules until well blended. Pour evenly over warm crust. Sprinkle reserved cookie mixture over top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate 1 hour to cool completely. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into bars (5 rows by 5 rows). Store bars covered at room temperature.

3. Just before serving, in small bowl, beat whipping cream, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon liqueur and the vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Top each bar with dollop of whipped cream; sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Insert cinnamon stick into each dollop of whipped cream.

I found this recipe on Flickr, but I am pretty sure they got it from Betty Crocker.com. Where ever it came from it's delicious!

Oreo Truffles

• 1 16.6 oz package of Oreo (not double stuffed)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 package of candy coating

In a food processor, pulse Oreo cookies until no large chunks remain. Add in cream cheese cut into small chunks (and extract of your choice, if you wish). Pulse until combined. Using a small scoop, scoop Oreo mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes. 

Melt chocolate or white melts in a double boiler until smooth and no lumps remain (or if you buy Kroger brand in the microwave disposable tray, just use that in the microwave). Remove from heat. Dip frozen Oreo balls into the chocolate and place on parchment. Sprinkle with desired garnish. Freeze or refrigerate to help harden faster when all balls have been dipped. Store at room temperature or in the fridge until ready to serve.


Oh my goodness, these are to die for! Warning, don't make them if you are the only one eating them. You just might eat them all!

Makes 30-40 truffles.