Fall Munch Mix

Cause, you know, for kids!!  I found a similar recipe on Pinterest, but when I went shopping, I just became inspired by all of my choices.  Turns out you can really throw most anything in here and it'll probably taste okay.  I made two ginormous cauldrons of this mix, but here is the recipe for just one large cauldron...

Ingredients:
1/2 box of Kellogg's Krave cereal
1/2 box of Cinnamon Life cereal
1 large bag of caramel corn
1 large bag of kettle corn
1/2 bag pretzel sticks
1/2 bag mini pretzel twists
2 bags of 'autumn mix' candy pumpkins and candy corns
1 box of chocolate Teddy Grahams
2 king sized bags of M&Ms (plain)
2 king sized bags of Reese's Pieces (optional, dependent on allergies)

Directions: Mix together and serve!

Everyone (adults and kids) adored this mix.  It was the right combo of salty and sweet, and it saved me from serving other kid-friendly desserts and sweets (even though I did mini cupcake it up, per usual).

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

It's that pumpkin season that everyone so adores.  To celebrate?  Other than our favorite ermahgerd girl?? 

How about some pumpkin cheesecake bites?  Now, if you're like me, you might not be a huge cheesecake person, but give these a chance.  They are AMAZE BALLS.  F'realz.

Ingredients:
15 oz canned pumpking (not pie, just pumpkin)
3 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
2 T cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 lbs cream cheese (room temp)
Ingredients (crust):
2 sleeves of graham crackers (18 crackers)
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 C sugar
* whipped cream to top

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large bowl, crush the graham crackers (or process them to make it easier). Add sugar and melted butter and mix well.  Press into a parchment lined pan and bake for 5 minutes until toasty.
3. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees.
4. Mix together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla in a large bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ginger.  Beat until light and fluffy.
6. Slowly pour in pumpkin mixture.  Continue beating until smooth and no lumps remain.
7. Pour batter onto cooked crust and bake for 50 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from the side of the pan.
8. Cool completely before removing from pan, then cut into small squares and top with whipped cream.

S'moreful September: S'mores Cupcakes

I'm not going to lie, this is the recipe I was waiting for.  It was the whole reason that I decided to celebrate National S'mores Day, and the reason that I will probably continue to celebrate every year after this one.

I do love this recipe from start to finish, and (as you well know) any time that I can use a box mix while creating a full recipe, it's a good day.  There's something about saving those middle steps that really appeals to me, especially when I know I love that particular brand or flavor.
Ingredients (bottom/crust layer):
1 1/2 C finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 C sugar
5T unsalted butter
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
about 200 mini marshmallows (less than half a bag)


Directions (bottom/crust layer):
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Mix graham crumbs and sugar in a microwave safe bowl.  Top with butter and microwave until melted.  Stir well to mix the butter throughout.
3. Place about 1 T of crumb mixture into each muffin cup, and press down (I used the bottom of a cup).
4. Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove then top with a tsp (or so) of chocolate pieces and 4-7 mini marshmallows.

Ingredients (cupcake layer):
1 box of favorite chocolate cake mix
all related ingredients for cake mix (eggs, oil, water, etc.)

Directions (cupcake layer):
1. Mix all necessary ingredients for box mix.
2. Add to top of bottom crust layer in each paper muffin cup.
3. Bake according to box mix directions, but watch closely as it goes a little more quickly.  Remove and let cool.

The frosting was so heavy it broke our cheap hand mixer!

Ingredients (frosting layer):
1/4 C butter, softened
1 jar (7oz) marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz powdered sugar (or less)
1-2 T milk

Directions (frosting layer): ***
1. Hand/machine mix butter, marshmallow creme, and vanilla until well blended.
2. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended.
3. Add in 1 T of milk and blend.  Add more milk, if necessary, for desired consistency
4. Top your cooled cupcakes with the frosting.
5. Lightly brown in broiler or with kitchen torch.

So, as you see, the frosting and I didn't get along.  If you look here, the frosting was supposed to be pipe-able.  Yeah, that totally didn't work, and trying to lightly brown it made it even worse!  The cupcakes tasted amazing, but I blew out a hand mixer on the frosting and it went down hill from there.  Hand mixing the heavy marshmallow frosting was very difficult (as my hand mixer obviously doth protest too much) and it didn't firm up as needed.  In the end, sure, it looked like a melted slice of provolone, but it tasted amazing.  Next year, I'll have to play with it to see how it goes.

My assistant thought this was a good form of 'decorating'.

Sigh. Well, it was a great S'moreful beginning to this September, and I had a blast with National S'mores Day.  And?  The greatest part about Pinterest?  There are a ton more s'more recipes to be had for next year.

Score!

S'moreful September: S'mores Truffles

I was very dubious of this recipe.  In fact, I might still tweak it, if given the opportunity to make it again.  I'll let you be the judge, but I think that A) this recipe doesn't make enough truffles and B) there should be a way to put a large marshmallow in there, even if it's cut in half.  Marshmallows make the s'mores, in my opinion.

That being said, these do taste really great, and if you're up for rolling truffles, you should definitely give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 C heavy cream
2 C milk chocolate chips
24+ mini marshmallows
1 C finely crushed graham crackers




Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium sized pan over medium heat; whisk in cream and bring to a boil.
2. Remove pan from heat, and stir in chocolate chips until melted smooth.
3. Chill pan in fridge for at least 1 hour.  (My fridge wasn't a fan and it took nearly 2 hours.)
4. Roll 24 mini truffles, stuffing at least 1 mini marshmallow into the center of each.
5. Roll truffles in graham crumbs, then place back in the fridge to chill until serving.

S'moreful September: S'mores Rice Krispies, revisited

I know this is 20 days a bit late, but August contained one of the coolest "national" holidays ever: National S'mores Day!

Now, of course you ALL know how addicted I am to sweet things in general, but s'mores in particular.  There's something about the combination of flavors that makes me proud to be an American.  Especially the first time I made them with my husband, when he was in his mid-20's.  Being from South Africa, he never was able to experience the rich and gooey goodness known as s'mores.

It was almost like that scene from The Sandlot.  Which I also introduced to Thomas... in his 30's...  sigh.  There's so much to life that he missed out on!  I think if he's going to become an American citizen, it's not just about passing the Constitution test, it's about knowing the culture of why the people our age are the way we are, no?

So, before I go off too far on a tangent, this week I'll be presenting some of my favorite s'mores recipes (so far), including revisiting one that I've done in the past: the S'mores Rice Krispies Treat.

I've now done this recipe three or four more times, and I've made some tweaks, corrections, and improvements, so I'd like to clear the air before moving on to bigger and better (not possible?!) treats!

Ingredients (Krispies Layer):
3 T butter (chopped into smaller pieces)
40 large marshmallows (1 Jet Puffed bag)
5 C Rice Krispies
1 C Golden Grahams
1/2 bag mini chocolate Chips
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions (Krispies Layer):
1. Spray a 9"x13" pan
2. In a large, microwave safe, bowl place the marshmallows and butter pieces.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after 2, until butter and marshmallows are melted.  Stir gently.  In order to prevent the marshmallow from sticking to your spatula, just use some non-stick spray on the spatula.
3. Stir in Rice Krispies and Golden Grahams until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and immediate press into the prepped pan.  (My assistant likes to use a little parchment paper as a barrier between her hand and the sticky cereal.  This way she can keep pressing it down without making too big of a mess on her hands.)




Ingredients (Fudgy Layer):
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
about 20-24 graham cracker (square halves)

Directions (Fudgy Layer):
1. Combine both bags of chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave about 2 minutes, stirring every 45 seconds, until melted smooth.
2. Spread fudgy frosting over the Krispes layer.
The more the merrier!
3. Break/cut each full graham cracker into 8 smaller pieces (or each half cracker into 4 pieces).
4. Layout the graham crackers with just a little space in between until the fudgy layer has been completely covered with graham.
5. Chill in fridge until chocolate has set.

Ingredients (Top Layer):
1 bag (or less) of large marshmallows, cut (hamburger style) in half.
1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips
* You'll need one half of a marshmallow for every graham square on the fudgy layer. *

Directions (Top Layer):
1. Cut your treats into squares - you've already set up where to cut by pre-cutting your graham crackers.
2. Remove the treats, and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
3. Take your cut marshmallows, and place one (sticky/cut side down) on top of each treat.
4. Turn your oven broiler on high and place treats in the oven.
5. Broil until the desired darkness/crispness of your marshmallows
6. Melt the rest of your mini chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl (1-2 minutes, stirring at least twice).
7. Stir until smooth, then lightly drizzle over the tops of your treats.

I know, this still sounds like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy, and you'll learn little tricks that'll keep you sane in make the process simple.  It's really worth it, and I keep getting rave reviews every time.  It's got a little something summery for everyone!
 

S'mores Rice Krispies Treats!

 I don't know what's been up with me lately.  I think it's because summer is FINALLY here.  However, I have been craving s'mores.

Straight off the campfire s'mores.  The problem is that I'm not a fan of camping alone, and my hubs has been traveling a lot for work.  S'mores are few and far between.  So my Pinterest boards have been swelling with alternative recipes for s'mores.  Same great ingredients, just in slightly different formats.

 One recipe that I really wanted to try was from Glorious Treats.  It looked amazing, and I couldn't wait to give it a go.

S'mores Rice Krispies Treats
(bottom layer)

3 Tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 40 regular/large marshmallows - 1 Jef Puffed bag)
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup Golden Grahams cereal
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
(top layers)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
10 full sized graham crackers, broken in half (slightly more or less, depending on the pan you use)
40 large marshmallows (1 more bag)

 Directions
Lightly cover a  9"x13" pan with cooking spray.

In a large microwave safe bowl, place 3 tablespoons of butter (cut into a few pieces), and 1 bag of marshmallows. Microwave about 3 minutes (stirring after 2 minutes) watch the microwave, cooking times may vary. Cook in microwave until butter and marshmallows are melted. Stir gently.
Add rice krispies and golden grahams cereal and stir to combine. (try using a plastic or silicone spatula sprayed with a bit of cooking spray).

Add mini chocolate chips, stir quickly, and immediately pour mixture into prepared 9"x13" pan. Press into pan (with spatula).

Next, melt 12 oz of chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until fully melted.  Then, pour the chocolate on top of your rice krispies layer.  Taking a spatula, spread the chocolate out like frosting in an even layer, covering the entire bottom layer of krispies.  This chocolate layer will help hold the graham crackers in place, so work quickly to get into the next step.

While the chocolate is still warm, lay graham cracker squares on top, leaving a tiny bit of space between each cracker.  This space will help you as guidelines as to where to cut, so it only needs to be a knife blade's width.


Now, to help the warm chocolate to cool, helping to set the graham crackers into place, place the entire pan into the refrigerator.  Leave the pan there at least 10 minutes.


For the next step, you'll need a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or wax paper (whatever you have on hand).

While killing time, you can also cut your second bag of marshmallows in half.  You'll need four per graham cracker, so make sure to plan accordingly.

When the krispies have cooled, remove them from the fridge and cut between the graham crackers with a sharp knife.  Place the newly cut treats onto your prepared cookie sheet.




Now you'll place your cut marshmallows sticky (or cut) side down onto each graham cracker.

 Place the marshmallows close together, but if you buy the "regular" size of marshmallows, you won't have much of a choice.  They'll pretty much fill the entire graham cracker.

Next you have a choice: if you have a kitchen torch, you can use that to lightly crisp your marshmallows. I wanted more of an "even" crisp, and wasn't so patient, so I kicked my oven broiler on high and placed the pan of treats in there.

 It doesn't take long for your marshmallows to brown.  If you'd like them lighter, take them out sooner, or darker - leave them in longer.  It's your call.  I left them in for about five minutes, but I put the rack halfway down the oven so I could closely monitor them and get them at just a lightly golden color.

Your call, and your timing.

Finally, I didn't think they were really finished, so I melted another 2/3 cup of chocolate chips (more or less, your preference) to drizzle on top.

Fresh out of the oven, and oh so gooey!!

From there, I also cut the treats into fours, so each treat had one marshmallow.  I found them extremely rich, and more fun to pop in a smaller size, but it's your call.  Hopefully this will help your hankering for some s'mores.  I know it certainly helped me!  You can just put these in a zip lock bag, or other air tight container, and they'll still be good for at least two days.  If they had lasted longer, I would let you know, but I'm sure they'd be good for at least three or four days (if they last that long!!).

S'mores Cookie Bars

"More s'mores!"  You seemingly exclaim at me as I sit to write this post.

"Of course," I reply, calmly.  "It's summer, is it not?!"

There really is an entire conversation that I'm participating in that goes along these lines.

Unfortunately, I'm the only one talking.

On both sides of the conversation.

sometimes you run out of chocolate bars and make due with the chips from the cupboard...

 I can't help it.  I just love s'mores.  I have about 5 more recipes that are vaguely s'morish that I want to still try.  Maybe I'll space them out.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make another one.  There's no way to know for sure what I'm capable of.

Here's my original recipe from Crepes of Wrath, who, of course gets bonus credits for the reference.

The nice thing about this recipe is that there's really not much to it, other than the assembly.

 Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers - I just crushed mine in a zip lock bag)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 king-sized milk chocolate bars +
2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow Fluff (not melted marshmallows because they harden when cooled)

1. Preheat your oven to 350, and grease your container.  I used a disposable half pan (11.75"x9.5").

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. (Don’t worry if it seems thin; the baking powder will allow it to rise.)

4. Place chocolate bars in a single layer over dough, then spread the marshmallow Fluff over the chocolate bars. Finally, top the Fluff with the remaining dough by forming the dough into sheets with the palm of your hands and laying it down. When you get tired of just palming the dough into flat sheets, just spread the rest of the dough sprinkles over your gaps and press it down.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it'll rise and do it's own thing once you start baking it.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let it cool before cutting.  Or don't, it'll just be crumbly/flaky if it's still warm.

so melt in your mouth, buttery, and gooey...AMAZING!

A Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Pumpkin Dip

Super simple recipe - located here.

Three ingredients, mix together.  Serve with Nilla Wafers and graham crackers.  Easy peasy, and even if you're not a pumpkin person, you'll probably love this!

I'm not a huge fan of working with marshmallow, even if it's the "creme."  I always use a mixer so I don't get all sticky, but even still I seem to find it on my arm, in my hair, and in places I least expect it!  Doesn't matter, though, because I could eat this ALL DAY!

Mini S'more Cups!

Okay, what better way to celebrate summer than with S'mores, right?

Problem #1: The mess - although, yes, you can argue that's part of the fun.
Problem #2: The fire - unless you have a gas stove or a great lighter, it gets tiring to roast all of those marshmallows!
Problem #3: You might start to feel guilty once you've eaten 3, 4, or 8 depending on who you are.

All problems: solved with s'more cups!

First of all, I love that you start with the same basic ingredients.  The only things you're adding is a little powered sugar and some melted butter.  I do have to pause for an editorial note: see the marshmallows?  This new thing is that they're flat, and easier to stack.  I don't want flat marshmallows, and if I was actually roasting them on a stick, I'd like them even less!  However, the store was sold out of everything else (except the minis) over the Fourth of July weekend, so I was stuck with the stackers.  (yuck.)

It was super easy to ground up the graham crackers and mix in the powered sugar and butter.  I put about a half + teaspoon of the mixture in each of my mini muffin cups, and pressed them down with my mini tart shaper.  Then I toasted them to solidify/warm it up.  They didn't brown too much, but I wasn't really patient enough for them to brown, either, so it is what it is.  The nice thing about these warm cups, however, was it made the chocolate soft almost immediately when I added those squares to each cup.

Then, to make sure they were going to be gooey enough, when I placed the (halved) marshmallows on top, I pushed them down a bit, in order to make sure that chocolate goodness was spread around the entire cup!

Then you put them back in the oven, just a moment, to soften/puff up the marshmallows.  After two minutes, I tried to put on the boiler to crisp them a bit, but nothing really happened.  Maybe if they had been right underneath it they might have browned, but I didn't want to push it, or make it rubbery in my electric (double yuck) oven.  I'll take what I can get, especially if the food tastes great!

After these sat for about 10 minutes, I melted the rest of the chocolate and drizzled it on top.  You can put the chocolate on however you'd like, but I love drizzling chocolate whenever possible.  Two bars of chocolate is A LOT to drizzle, but I didn't want to skimp.  It's a little heavier than it decoratively should be, but when we're talking about chocolate, how could we go wrong?!

Let the chocolate set before serving, then enjoy.  The weather was too warm for the chocolate to set here (even after three hours), but darn was it good!!