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I have a last minute, mid week, Halloween treat to share with you today. I'm posting these super last minute, because they were totally unplanned! I saw the idea, and had to make them right away because Halloween is tomorrow!!!! My Hungry Puppies loved this little kitchen craft, and it was fast and easy! A perfect craft for some last minute Halloween fun!
Spooky Owl Pretzels (Angry Birds)
8 Giant Pretzels (I used Snyder of Hanover Sourdough Hard Pretzels)
12 ounces (1/2 package) vanilla almond bark
8 Oreo Cookies, split in half
Chocolate licorice
16 white M&Ms
16 chocolate chips
8 black jelly beans
Cut the chocolate licorice into 2 1/2 to 3 inch lengths with one end cut diagonally. With another piece of licorice, cut thin slices to use for the owl's toes.
Carefully melt the vanilla almond bark in a bowl in the microwave, heating in 30 second intervals and stirring after each until smooth. Dip the pretzels in the white chocolate, coating them evenly. Press 2 Oreo halves onto the top of the pretzel. Using the white chocolate as glue, attach the white M&Ms to the Oreos, and the chocolate chips on top of the M&Ms. "Glue" (with white chocolate) the licorice pieces at the top of the Oreos. Press a black jelly bean in the middle between the Oreo eyes to make the nose. Arrange the thinly sliced licorice at the base of the pretzel owl to form its toes. Makes 8 spooky owls.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I am a lover of all things S'mores. We've had a lot of S'mores items in the past, like cookies, granola bars, cereal bars, whoopie pies, ice cream pie, white chocolate coconut s'mores, and hand pies, just to name a few. I'm adding these cinnamon rolls to the list. I used my favorite cinnamon roll recipe and just made a few changes. I am so in love with the frosting recipe. I found it on King Arthur Flour, and I love it because it is so simple! It does take some chilling time, so be sure to plan ahead.
S'Mores Cinnamon Rolls
Dough:
3 - 4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 whole graham crackers, coarsely crushed (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallow bits
Marshmallow Frosting:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 ounces mini marshmallows (1/2 of a 10 ounce bag)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (or use regular, but the frosting won't be pure white)
For the marshmallow frosting, in a medium sized microwave safe bowl, combine the whipping cream marshmallows, powdered sugar, and salt. Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the marshmallows are melted. Stir until smooth, then stir in the vanilla extract. Refrigerate the mixture for several hours or overnight until chilled.
Combine all dough ingredients in the pan of a bread machine an select the dough cycle. If mixing by hand, combine all ingredients but flour, then stir in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise until double in size.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. After the dough has risen, remove from the bread machine and roll into a large rectangle. Spread the butter over the rolled dough, and spread evenly over the surface of the dough (the best tool to use for this is your hands...messy, but the most effective). Sprinkle the sugar, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, and marshmallow bits over the buttered dough. Roll up the dough, jelly roll style, starting at the widest edge. Pinch the seam to seal the dough.
For perfectly round cinnamon rolls, take a long piece of unflavored dental floss and slide underneath the log of dough. Bring the ends of the floss up and over the rolls, then cross them and pull tight, slicing off a piece of dough. Or, using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 slices. Place the cinnamon rolls in the prepared pan, and press down on the tops just lightly. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 25 to 30 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and done in the center. Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven and let cool slightly.
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, remove the frosting mixture from the refrigerator and beat with a hand mixer for several minutes until the mixture is smooth. Spread on the cinnamon rolls. Makes 12 generous cinnamon rolls.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I desperately needed a quick and easy dessert to make last minute for some guests. Why quick, easy, and last minute? Because I somehow forgot to plan a dessert...and seriously miscalculated how much time it would take to cook the roast. It was that kind of day. So. Candy corn oreos (which I love, by the way, and may have put in the brownies to stop me from eating them all. Won't I just now eat all the brownies? you might ask. It's different. Go figure), deliciously chocolate brownies, topped with vanilla frosting and more oreos. I watched these disappear.
Candy Corn Oreo Brownies
Brownies:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped candy corn Oreos (about 8 or 9)
Vanilla Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 to 2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped candy corn Oreos (about 8 or 9)
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat until incorporated. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined. Fold in the chopped Oreos. Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Remove brownies from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the vanilla frosting, beat together the powdered sugar and butter. Add 1 Tablespoon of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in additional milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Remove the brownies from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Spread the vanilla frosting over the brownies, then sprinkle the chopped Oreos evenly over the frosting. Makes 16 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I found this amazing cake recipe the other day and absolutely had to make it. Having decided that, I had to mess with the recipe. Quite a lot. In fact, I had to make this cake twice. In two days. I was having guests over for dinner on Thursday, so I made the first cake on Wednesday. Good thing too, because the frosting was a totally broken separated molten gooey fail. It was awful and disastrous and I knew I needed a do-over. However, how do you justify making another 2 layer cake when one is sitting in the fridge already? So I took it to our church on activity night (which luckily was that very night) and left it in the kitchen with a note that said "Free Cake! Help Yourself!" The cake was made short work of and I brought home an empty plate.
Cake take two was also a bit vexing. This time, the cake came out of the pan in two separate pieces. My youngest Hungry Puppy dubbed it the "bummer cake" because it was totally a bummer. So we went shopping to decompress while the cake cooled. This story ends on a positive note, as the cake totally came together, was delicious, and I bought a fabulous new pair of shoes! The cake is moist and spiced and delicious, and the frosting is a perfect pairing. The caramel drizzle is just icing on the cake.
Apple Date Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream and Caramel Drizzle
Apple Date Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup sour cream
2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
8 ounces chopped dates
Caramel Drizzle:
7 ounces caramels, unwrapped (I used 1/2 of a 14 ounce bag)
1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
Mascarpone Buttercream:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or substitute vanilla extract)
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of 2 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper (don't skip this step!). Set aside.
For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, and nutmeg, and beat on low until the dry ingredients begin to incorporate. Stop the mixer and add the sour cream, shredded apples, and dates. Beat the mixture until incorporated.
Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Place the cakes in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, and turn the cakes out of the pans. Peel off the parchment paper from the bottom of the cakes and let the cakes cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
For the caramel drizzle, place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave safe bowl. Add the cream and butter, and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the caramels are melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
To make the mascarpone buttercream, beat the butter until smooth. Add the cream, vanilla bean paste, and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and beat on low speed just until barely incorporated (if you overbeat the mascarpone, the frosting will break and separate).
To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with a layer of frosting. Drizzle half of the caramel over the frosting. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Drizzle he remaining caramel on top of the cake. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I decided to continue on with the coconut oil track (since I still have some left) with these coconut oil chocolate orange date cookies. I made these coconut oil chocolate chip cookies and absolutely loved them, so I thought I would try them in chocolate form. They turned out amazing. They have a fabulous chocolate orange flavor to them, and the dates and mini chocolate chips are perfect! I was a little bit worried that the dates would overpower the other flavors in the cookie, but they complemented the other flavors very nicely. I like my cookies to be a little thicker than these turned out, so I might try adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra flour next time. Also, one quick note: If you don't have or don't care to use coconut oil for these cookies or the regular coconut oil chocolate chip cookies, just substitute the same quantity of butter for the coconut oil. So 1/2 cup of coconut oil would equal 1/2 cup of butter. The texture will be a bit different, and the cookies won't spread as much, but they will still be delicious.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Orange Date Cookies
1 cup coconut oil (or substitute 1 cup butter)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chopped dates
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time (Yes Shauna, I did actually do this!), followed by the vanilla extract until incorporated. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until just combined. Stir in the dates and mini chocolate chips.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls. (At this point, you can freeze the cookie dough balls if you want. When ready to bake, just place the frozen dough on the baking sheet and bake as normal. You may need to add 2 or 3 minutes to the bake time. The frozen cookie dough will not spread as much, making a slightly thicker cookie, which I prefer). Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart (these will spread). Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set in the center. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 40 cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I got a call a couple of weeks ago from a mother in the PTA. Whoa. Let's stop right there. I fly very far under the radar. Very far. My phone never rings because no one knows my number and if they do, I'm so far under the radar that they never need to call. So. The a PTA mom is on the phone with me (I'm actually a member of the PTA, but...my husband goes to the meetings). And the next thing I know, I am the Art Mom for my oldest Hungry Puppy's 2nd grade class. Apparently, my name was suggested (I was ratted out) by a mom that I know from Children's Music Academy (which is a totally amazing program, by the way, and if there is a studio where you live you should definitely check it out for your young children!!!). Apparently, there is no honor among mothers. Actually, I'm totally okay with being the Art Mom (minus the art part...I am so no artsy. Like not at all, those poor kids). Since I'm the non-artsy Art Mom who can bake, I'm bringing cookies for all of the kids for a special snack. To redeem myself. And to not leave my precious Hungry Puppy deeply embarrassed by her can't-draw-a-stick-figure-Art-Mom. These cookies totally remind me of bakery cookies, which I totally love. This recipe will definitely be making my favorite recipes list!
Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
2/3 cup (10 2/3 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (10 2/3 Tablespoons) shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini M&Ms
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Cream together the butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and M&Ms and beat on low until evenly distributed.
Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and just set in the center. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I ran into these cookies on Martha Stewart's website. I'm not really a fan of Martha Stewart, but occasionally I find a fabulous cookie or cake idea on her website. Like this one. I love the white chocolate and golden raisins with just a bit of coconut. These cookies are amazing, and have become a fast favorite in my house.
White Chocolate and Golden Raisin Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla butternut flavoring, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups white chocolate chips
2 cups golden raisins
1 cup shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and flavoring. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and beat until just combined. Stir in the oats, white chocolate chips, raisins, and coconut until evenly distributed.
Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough balls slightly with your palm. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown around the edges. Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 48 cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
It's birthday time again! My oldest Hungry Puppy turned 8 yesterday! Choosing this year's birthday cake was the easiest it has ever been. Usually, we have to look at no less than 20 options, and whittle it down from there. This year, she was looking over my shoulder while I was on the computer when this cake popped up. "That's my cake Mom!!!". Just like that. Finding the orange and lemon slices was a bit more difficult. Like 9 stores later difficult, but we made it, and it was fabulous, and she loved it! Happy Birthday! Original recipe found here.
Sunflower Birthday Cake
2 9-inch round cake layers (any flavor)
Vanilla frosting (store bought or home made. I used my favorite Vanilla Frosting recipe)
Chocolate Chips
Lemon Drops
Orange candy slices (about 20)
Lemon candy slices (about 20)
Green string licorice
Green fruit leather
Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting, then place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the vanilla frosting.
Arrange the chocolate chips in a filled in circle in the middle of the cake. Place a single ring of lemon drops around the circle of chocolate chips. Cut the orange and lemon candy slices horizontally in half lengthwise. Arrange the orange and lemon slices around the lemon drops, and on the sides of the cake to look like petals. Place the green string licorice around the cake to look like vines. Cut the fruit leather into leaf shapes and arrange on the licorice. Makes 16 servings.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
I little while ago, I made these No Bake Cookies Bars with Coconut Oil and Honey. I bought the coconut oil specifically so I could make those bars, but I didn't know what else to use it for. I settled on chocolate chip cookies, and they are super delicious. They have a slightly different texture and flavor than regular chocolate chip cookies with butter and/or shortening, and I love it!!! The texture is soft and chewy, yet still crispy on the outside. And they retain that crisp outer texture even after the first day.
Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup semi sweet and 3/4 cup milk chocolate)
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough with a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop and place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the pan. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy! -Cardamommy
