Smores Rice Krispies Treats

My yearbook students have met their FINAL deadline!!! It seems like just yesterday we were in Athens planning out the book, discovering a theme, and creating layouts. This year has definitely flown by and I can't believe we have successfully created another ahhhh-mazing yearbook!

I made these for our celebration party and let me tell you, my students devoured them in minutes! So that means you have to make them. I love the combination of all of the traditional flavors...marshmallowy goodness paired with graham crackers, chocolate, and rice krispies.

You'll have a hard time eating just one, I promise.

S’mores Rice Krispies Treats

Recipe by Glorious Treats

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons butter

4 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup Golden Grahams cereal

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup chocolate chips

10 full sized graham crackers, broken in half

40 large marshmallows

Directions:

• Lightly spray with cooking spray a 9″x13″ pan.
• In a large pot over medium heat, place 3 tablespoons of butter and 4 cups of marshmallows.  Cook until butter and marshmallows are melted, stirring gently.
• Add rice krispies and golden grahams cereal and stir to combine. 
• Add mini chocolate chips, stir quickly, and immediately pour mixture into prepared pan.  Press into pan with spatula.
• Melt chocolate chips in a microwave (at 50% power), in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals.  Heat until just melted.  Spread chocolate on top of rice krispies treats in pan.
• While the chocolate is still warm, lay graham cracker squares on top, leaving a tiny bit of space between each cracker, so you know where to cut them.
• Cool the entire pan until the chocolate has set, Cut into squares with a sharp knife, using the lines between the graham crackers as a guide.  Place treats on a large baking sheet, separated slightly.
• Cut large marshmallows in half, and place cut side down onto graham crackers.
• When all the graham crackers are topped with marshmallows toast the marshmallows in the oven.  Preheat your oven to broil.  Place baking sheet of treats in the oven, leaving the oven door slightly ajar.  Broil about 30 seconds, watch them, they can burn quickly!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day last week, some festive cupcakes were definitely in order. They are chocolaty and rich…and are incredibly moist with a slight hint of Guinness.

They seriously might just be the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.

I used my trusty go-to cream cheese frosting and it’s a perfect complement for these cupcakes. It’s not as sweet as a traditional buttercream frosting, which I really like.  

All in all, I think they turned out great! CHEERS! :)

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
for the cupcakes
1 cup Guinness

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs
2/3 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

for the frosting

4 cups confections sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:

to make the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake cups with liners. In a sauce pan, combine butter and Guinness over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and Greek yogurt together.
• Add the Guinness mixture to the eggs/sour cream and beat to combine.
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just to combine.
• Fold the batter, using a rubber spatula, until completely combined.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way.
• Bake for about 18 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

to make the frosting

• In a large bowl, using a stand or electric mixer, whip the butter and cream cheese until very light and fluffy.
• Slowly add the confectioners sugar, mixing as you add the sugar. Continue adding sugar until the mixture becomes stiff.
• Add the heavy cream and whip until combined.

Strawberry Tart

I don't usually buy strawberries this early in the year but Publix was having an awesome deal the other day, so I couldn't resist...3 for $5 is a steal!

I've been wanting to use my new tart pan so when these beautiful strawberries came along it wasn't difficult to decide what to make! Ever since I saw this strawberry cream cheese tart on Pinterest I knew I had to try it out.

This tart is sweet, fresh and satisfying. It's the perfect blend of berries, smooth cream cheese and a hint of chocolate. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner... and maybe for a snack too!

If you're a fan of strawberries like me, you might also want to check out my Strawberry Cupcakes, Strawberry Basil Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, or Strawberries and Cream Bars.

ENJOY! :)

Strawberry Tart

Ingeredients:
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, quartered

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell using 9-inch tart pan. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and butter. Melt for 10 second intervals and stir until smooth. Spread chocolate in bottom of cooled baked shell. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• In small bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add in vanilla and lemon zest and combine. Carefully spread over chocolate layer in shell.
• Place strawberries evenly over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

There's just something about whoopie pies...they are the perfect little snack! 

These little sandwiches are very light and fluffy, with orange specks from the carrots.  I made my classic cream cheese frosting and sandwiched it between the cookies. 

Carrot cake + cream cheese frosting = best dessert EVER.  

The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger was amazingly delicious! This is the perfect option if you're looking for a dessert to make for Easter.  

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventure

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined.  Finally, add the grated carrots.

Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Using a small cookie scoop, place cookies on a prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups confectioner sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Directions:

In a mixer, beat softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add confectioner sugar until just incorporated.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.

Thin Mint Brownies

Since St. Patty’s Day is just around the corner and I had a box of thin mints recently delivered to our house, I thought I’d make one of my all time favorite desserts. 

These rich and fudgy brownies have bits and pieces of thin mint cookies throughout, topped with a perfect mint colored frosting, and then topped with more cookies! 

This is the perfect dessert to take to a party because the recipe makes so many - and plus I would devour the whole pan if they were lying around my house! 

These are seriously good. You have to make them!!

Thin Mint Brownies
Ingredients:
1 package brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 water

2 eggs  

1 box thin mint cookies, chopped
1/2 stick of butter softened
2 TB milk
2 cups powdered sugar 

few drops green food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl combine brownie mix, vegetable oil, water, and eggs. Fold in 1/2 of the thin mints and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool for about an hour. 
• In a medium sized bowl mix butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and green food coloring until fluffy. Spread frosting over brownies. Top with the rest of the crushed thin mint cookies. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into squares.

Spicy Black Bean Sliders

Last night's menu consisted of these cute lil’ sliders. Not only are the a piece of cake to put together, but they are seriously healthy and good for you!

I really like sliders like this because they’re super simple to prepare and so much fun to eat! You can pile them high with whatever condiments you have on hand and dig in.

I topped my burgers with avocado, Swiss cheese, and a mixture of Sriracha and Greek yogurt. The best part of this entire recipe is the fact that my husband LOVED them! They were spicy and satisfying, so he didn't even miss the meat.

Spicy Black Bean Sliders

Recipe adapted from Eat Live Run

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno

2 cloves garlic

2 T tomato sauce

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp cumin

1 1/4 tsp salt

avocado for topping

Swiss cheese, sliced

1 T Sriracha (adjust according to how much heat you can handle!)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

olive oil (or canola oil) for frying burgers

slider buns (I used Hawaiian Sweet Rolls)

Directions:

Seed and roughly chop jalapeno. Add it and the garlic cloves to a food processor and mince finely.

Add one can of beans to the jalapeno/garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.

Transfer the mixture in the food processor to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and tomato sauce. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining black beans.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.

In a small mixing bowl combine Greek yogurt and Sriracha.

Serve burgers with avocado slices, Swiss cheese, and sriracha/yogurt.

*I toasted the buns in the oven prior to serving. 

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

This is was my first attempt at brown butter. And let me tell you, it was super easy. The brown butter definitely plays a major role in this recipe. It gives them a rich flavor that is so good! 

The texture of these blondies is pretty amazing. They are chewy in the center and slightly crunchy on the outside. 

The chai spices in these little squares really packs a punch. Think of biting into one of these cakey squares and tasting the brown butter, coconut, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger...yummm!

These are perfect for cool winter day - spicy and yummy and delicious with a hot cup of coffee - you have to make them!

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

Recipe adapted from Naive Cooks

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup coconut, shredded
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. 
• In a skillet over medium-low heat toast the coconut until it is golden brown. Place it on a plate to cool. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Keep cooking until the foam dies and you see it turning into dark brown color and small fragments start appearing. Let it cool for a minute or two. 
• In a bowl, mix the brown butter with sugar and mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the toasted coconut and chocolate chips to combine. Pour in the lined baking pan and make sure it covers all corners. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool and transfer to a baking rack. Cut into squares. Store them in an airtight container.