Fudgey Cocoa No-Bake Treats with M&M's

Apparently, I have been into baking with oatmeal lately! This is the third recipe in a row that I have baked where oatmeal has been the main ingredient. Maybe because oatmeal is healthy!...and if there is oatmeal in your dessert then you can eat more, since oatmeal is good for you :) Here's the line-up of the other two recipes that I made; these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are perfectly delicious, chewy, and are now my go to recipe for any type of oatmeal cookie. The add-ins are endless! And, this Vanilla Scented Granola is crunchy and sweet and perfect for breakfast or as a quick snack on the go.

These Fudgey Cocoa No-Bake Treats are slightly adapted from my HERSHEY'S Best-Loved Recipes cook book. I love this cook book! I am a chocolate lover and none of their recipes ever disappoint! These  are a quick and easy sweet treat that are made in a matter of minutes with simple ingredients that you probably have on hand. Sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa are cooked together until boiling on the stove top and then  peanut butter, oats, and vanilla are mixed in.  This is a perfect drop cookie resulting in a sugary little mound of fudgey, chocolatey, peanut buttery, and hearty goodness. I added M&M's for a little color and believe me these babies are addictive!  

Fudgey Cocoa No-Bake Treats with M&M's:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup Cocoa
• 2/3 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• handful of M&M's

1. Place a piece of wax paper or foil on a cookie sheet. Combine sugar, butter, milk and cocoa in medium sauepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil for 90 seconds.

3. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, oats, peanuts, if desired, and vanilla; stir to mix well. Quickly drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper or foil and top each with M&M's. Cool completely. Store in cool, dry place.

Homemade Vanilla Scented Granola

This is a perfect granola base for creating your own customized granola blend by exchanging nuts, adding dried fruits, and different flavored chips. The aroma of the toasted oats and nuts will make you fall in love with this granola; the smell takes over the whole house and is amazing! This granola is a great treat for snacking on its own, adding to yogurt for crunch, and for layering in yogurt and fresh fruit parfaits.  

Vanilla-Scented Granola: (slightly adapted from epicurious)

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts (whatever you prefer, I used walnuts because that is what I had on hand)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine oil, honey, and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Gather up some of the mixture in each hand, and make a fist. Repeat until all the oats are coated.

Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to a rack; cool completely. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies & Two of My Favorite Blogs

Here's another awesome recipe borrowed from Jessica over at How Sweet It Is. I seriously am in love with her blog; mouth watering  photographs, her writing and humor, and of course all of her fabulous and creative recipes! I want to try everything she posts!

Oh, and check out what I am going to bake up tomorrow. Don't these just look dangerous? Sinfully delicious in the best way possible. Yeah, I can't wait to try one of those babies, created by Jenny from Picky Palate, my other favorite blog :) 

But for now, I am going to enjoy these very chewy oatmeal cookies which are full of chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon. And I am thinking I might just sandwich some cool and creamy ice cream between a couple of them! I followed the recipe almost exactly so click here for the recipe (the only change I made to the recipe was adding a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda along with the dry ingredients and I didn't need to add any milk). Enjoy!

Roasted Cherry Brownies

Fresh cherries just scream summer to me and they are one of my favorite fruits to snack on through the warm months. Brownies are also a favorite of mine so when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try them, and it had to be soon since cherries are only in season for a short time! Chocolate and cherries are a perfect combination and these brownies were no exception! These were everything a brownie should be, rich and moist, very chocolately and the roasted sweet cherries just pop making these extra special!

Roasted Cherry Brownies: (slightly adapted from The Pastry Affair)

• 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quarted
• 2 1/2 cups (1 lb.) semi-sweet chocolate chips 
•  1/2 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

                                                           Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small roasting pan, combine the fresh cherries and 1 tablespoon sugar. Roast for 10 minutes or until cherries start releasing their juices. Remove cherries from pan, strain the juices, and place in the refrigerator to cool down.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan, set aside.

In a double boiler, melt together the semi-sweet chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add the melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cooled, roasted cherries. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-30 minutes (mine took closer to 30 minutes), or until brownies do not jiggle in the center when the pan is shaken.

*Note: It states that even when baked completely, a toothpick may not come out clean. Don't overbake! They are best when slightly under-baked.* 

Buttermilk Banana & Strawberry Bread

I am currently obsessed with using buttermilk in baking. If a recipe ever called for buttermilk I would usually just substitute it by adding lemon juice to milk, but never again! This fantastic and extremely moist Cornmeal Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting (and just to inform you, this is seriously the BEST chocolate frosting I have ever tasted) from Evil Shenanigans definitely changed my mind.

Buttermilk just makes everything so moist and adds a unique and subtle flavor to whatever it is baked into. Since making that cake, I have made my family and I's favorite chocolate cake, (which I use as the base for any recipe that I make which involves chocolate cake) into like the best cake EVER (according to my family and I)! I just substituted buttermilk for regular milk and frosted it with the chocolate buttermilk frosting. I have also made these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes, which then leads me to this Buttermilk Banana Strawberry Bread. It is a fabulous quick bread recipe that is very moist, buttery, rich, and so delicious! It is perfect to eat plain, or you can smear it with butter, toast it and spread on jam, or eat it warm with some nutella or drizzled with honey.

Needless to say, I am in love with buttermilk and will be using buttermilk in my baking more and more!

Buttermilk Banana Strawberry Bread: (adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium sized bananas)
• 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup diced strawberries, plus 2 whole srawberries thinly sliced for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan or 4 small loaf pans (I used 4 small loaf pans). You can also make banana muffins with this recipe, as well. Set pans aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla until the batter is well mixed.

Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix until well combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries. Divide batter into greased and floured pans and top with thinly sliced strawberries. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the bread with a knife and carefully remove from pan. Cool completely on rack. Slice and serve once cooled.

Strawberry & Nutella Shortcake Shooters

These Strawberry & Nutella Shortcake Shooters are the perfect little bite-sized desserts and are a fun and easy take on a classic summer favorite treat! Cake, strawberries, nutella, and whipped topping are all layered into little glasses and ready to enjoy. It is strawberry season and these shooters are a great way to enjoy fresh, perfectly sweet, and juicy summer strawberries!

Strawberry & Nutella Shortcake Shooters: (adapted from Cheeky Kitchen)

• 1 box Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, prepared and baked according to package directions
• 1-1/2 cups strawberries, finely diced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 10 teaspoons Nutella
• 1 (8-oz.) tub cool whip
• 10 small, whole strawberries

 Cut cake in half, wrap one half very well and store in freezer for later use.

With the second half of cake, crumble it into small pieces. Press a small amount of cake into the bottom of 10 small shot glasses.

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Spoon a bit of strawberries over the cake layer in the shot glasses.

Spoon a teaspoon of Nutella over the strawberries.

Place a second layer of cake over the Nutella layer. Top with a spoonful of cool whip. Garnish with a single strawberry atop each shot glass. Serve immediately, or store chill until ready to serve, for up to an hour.

Moist Cupcakes Everytime

I was searching for an easy and moist yellow cupcake recipe when I happend to stumble upon a recipe called THE BEST Chocolate Cake. I'm not quite sure how moist yellow cake landed me on THE BEST Chocolate Cake, but, I am glad it did! Not only did I find a great recipe for dressing up just about any boxed cake mix, I also found another great blog to follow called Kevin & Amanda. They have tons of delicious recipes including these Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas which my whole family absolutely loved!

This recipe is so versatile and you can use it to make cupcakes, a sheet cake, a bundt cake, or in two 9-inch round cakes. All you do is take a box of your favorite cake mix and dress it up with sour cream, instant pudding, oil, eggs, and vanilla and you place all the ingredients in one large bowl and mix them up. Just match any cake mix with instant pudding; some ideas are chocolate cake mix with chocolate pudding; white, yellow,  french vanilla, or strawberry cake mix with vanilla pudding, or banana cake with banana pudding. The possibilities really are endless and will result in super moist, super rich, and oh so flavorful cupcakes or cake every single time. No one will ever know they came from a box! Give these a try and you won't be disappointed, I promise :)

Moist Yellow Cupcakes: (adapted from Kevin & Amanda)

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small package Jello instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla exract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins with cupcake liners (this makes between 18-24 cupcakes); set aside.

Place all ingredients in a very large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat ingredients at low speed for 30 seconds and then at medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be thick. Divide batter evenly between prepared cupcake liners (about 2/3 full). Bake for 18-23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired.

Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

This salsa is so good and it tastes just like the salsa that you get at authentic Mexican restaurants served with tortilla chips. It is full of fresh flavors; it consists of  canned whole tomatoes, rotel (tomatoes and chiles), fresh onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro, fresh lime juice, salt, pepper, and cumin. It also couldn't be easier to make! All you do is throw everything into a food processor and pulse until your desired consistency; you can make it as chunky or as smooth as you like. Enjoy.

Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa: (Brown Eyed Baker)

Yield: About 6 cups

• 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (peeled) with juice
• 2 10-ounce cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion 
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• Juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least one hour, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

*Notes*: This makes a large quantity so use at least an 11-cup food processor, or work in batches. If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno before adding it to the food processor.

A Summer Treat

I don't know if there is an acual name for these delighful sweet treats, but, I am going to call them graham cracker sandwich cookies (I know, it's a pretty lame name, but I coudn't think of anything else)! And, I am sure that you have had one before because of their simplicity and tastiness. And if you have never had one, let me just tell you that graham crackers and frosting pair so well together, especially with a glass of cold milk!

These sweet treats remind me of hot summer days when I was little. My mom would make them for us to the take to the beach or on a picnic, we would eat them on vacation, and I remember always eating them while watching fireworks on the 4th of July, with blue frosting of course! I absolutely loved, loved, loved them and I still do. I really like when the graham cracker gets slighly soft from sandwiching the frosting :) These are great to make with any leftover frosting that you have, which is what I did with these. They are also a simple and fun sweet snack to whip up and kids will gobble them up, enjoy!

Graham Cracker Sandwich Cookies:

All you need is:

• Graham Crackers
• Your Favorite Frosting
• Sprinkles

Break gramham cracker sheet into two halves. Frost one half with desired amount of frosting. Place the other half of the graham cracker on top to form a sandwich. Dip edges in sprinkles. Store in an airtight container (these are best eaten the day they are made).

S'more Cookie Bars

Happy Memorial Day! I have the perfect treat to kick off the start of summer, S'more Cookie Bars! I love campfire s'mores, but these bars sure step those up a bit! You have HERSHEY'S chocolate bars and marshmallow creme sandwiched between a blondie-like graham cracker cookie bar! You have to let them cool before cutting, but, I think they taste best warmed in the microwave to get the sticky, gooey, and metly effect of a s'more.     

S'more Cookie Bars: (Hershey's)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 (1.55 oz. each) or 2 King Size HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars
• 1 cup marshmallow creme (I used closer to 1-1/2 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of the dough into prepared pan.

Arrange chocolate bars over dough. Spread evenly with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.  

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a classic childhood favorite, packed in many lunch boxes over the years. I still love to eat PB&J's now! And what's not to love about a classic PB&J?  They are the perfect combination of creamy and salty peanut butter and sweet jelly sandwiched between two slices of soft bread. This cookie is the perfect treat for any PB&J lover. These jumbo-sized peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy and filled with a center of your favorite sweet jelly. Enjoy!   

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies: (peanut butter cookies adapted from Elle's New England Kitchen & idea from Giada)

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• peanut butter mixture, see below
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• about 1/2 cup of your favorite jam/jelly

Peanut Butter Mixture

• 8 oz. peanut butter
• 2 oz. (1/2 stick butter), softened
• 2 oz. honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Make the peanut butter mixture by combining all of the ingredients. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In a standing mixer or large bowl, cream the 3/4 butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture by the cupful and beat at low speed until fully mixed. Stir in the peanut butter chips.

Put the remaining 1/4 of sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into 1/4 cup-size balls and roll in sugar. Arrange 5 balls of dough, evenly apart, on prepared baking sheets. Using a round 1/4 teaspoon measure, or the thin end of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch deep. Spoon about 1 teaspoon jam into each hole. Bake for 11-14 minutes until the dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container. 

Homemade White Chocolate Peanut Butter

Woo hoo!!! School is finally out for the summer and I am soooo ready for a break! 

Summer is my favorite season ever! I sometimes wish that I lived somewhere where it was warm year-round, like Hawaii, oh how I would love living in a tropical place! Although, I must admit, I would miss the snow on Christmas. But anywho, what do I love about summer? I love the heat, the beautiful sunshine, sleeping with my window open and falling asleep to the sound of crickets, the fresh and delicious fruit, shorts, flip flops, summer dresses, going barefoot, summer vacations, and cookouts, and basically everything else about summer! Best of all, it means that I will have more time for baking and blogging and sharing yummy recipes with you!

I never knew that making homemade peanut butter was so easy. All you need is a few simple ingredients and a couple of minutes and you will have whipped yourself up some gourmet peanut butter with endless possibilities! You can basically add anything you want into the peanut butter mixture to create your own peanut butter concoction. You could add honey, melted milk chocolate, melted butterscotch chips, caramel, or may I suggest trying this fabulous looking Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter, from Picky Palate that I want to just dive right into! Doesn't that look delicious?!

This peanut butter is great for dipping apples and pretzals into or slathering on toast and bagels. Try it out and let me know what flavors you come up with!

Homemade White Chocolate Peanut Butter: (How Sweet It Is)

makes about 3/4 cup

• 1 1/2 cups dry, roasted peanuts (I used salted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup white chocolate, melted

 Add peanuts to a food processor and blend until a thick nut butter forms. Stream in oil and vanilla with the processor on, continuing to run it until te mixture is smooth-about 3-5 minutes. Turn off processor, add melted chocolate, and turn processor back on. Blend until smooth.

You can keep at room temperature for about a week, but refrigerate if you want to keep it for a few weeks.

Easter Coconut Cupcakes

With Easter just a couple of days away, I wanted to make an Easter inspired Cupcake to share with you! I whipped up these adorable little bird's nest Coconut Cupcakes that are super simple and yummy! All you do is dress up a white cake mix with a little coconut milk and top the cupcakes off with a sweet, creamy, white coconut frosting. Then you roll the edges in toasted coconut for the nest and top them with jelly beans for the eggs! Aren't they just adorable? They are perfect for any Easter festivities you have going on this weekend! Enjoy :) 

Coconut Cupcakes: (adapted from Paula Deen)

1 (18.25-ounce) box classic white cake mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

Coconut Frosting (recipe follows)

1 1/2 cups toasted coconut

-jelly beans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12 cup) muffin pans with paper liners (I got 18 cupcakes).

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, milk, oil, and eggs. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Bake 18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire rack.

3. Spread Coconut Frosting evenly over each cupcake. Roll edges in toasted coconut and place 3 jelly beans on each cupcake.

Coconut Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup coconut milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

additional milk, if needed

In a large bowl, beat butter and milk at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until smooth-if frosting is too stiff add a little milk. Stir in coconut extract.

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

I am back with an incredibly easy, tasty, and addictive little Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie recipe that I think you will love! I got this great idea from Picky Palate, and if you love cinnamon rolls, then you will absolutely adore these! The ingredient list is short and sweet-all you need for these is a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough, a little butter, cinnamon, sugar, and then you make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and milk! How easy, right? Give these babies a try!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies:

For the cookies:

-1 roll, (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened to room temperature

-2 tablespoons butter, melted

-1 tablespoon cinnamon

-1/2 cup brown sugar

For the glaze:

-powdered sugar

-milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out cookie dough into about a 12x5-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Pour and spread melted butter all over the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then sugar. Roll the dough into a log. Cut into 20 equal pieces. 

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges. 

Remove from oven and let cool slightly. 

Meanwhile make the glaze: mix together powdered sugar and milk to desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies and enjoy! 

Tropical Island Fruit Pizza

Oh, how I wish that I was vacationing on a tropical island.....

basking in the bright sun with my toes in the sand, a pina colada in hand, listening to the waves crash onto the beach, with a beautiful view of the ocean and palm trees. Oh, how I wish....wouldn't that be wonderful?

Unfortunately, a tropical island get away is not possible for me, so, instead I made this tasty fruit pizza that tastes like a tropical island! Well, okay I don't know what a tropical island tastes like! But if I did, the flavors in this fruit pizza would be it! Give this a try if you are in need of a vacation!

You can imagine that you are somewhere warm and sunny with every bite of this pizza!

Tropical Island Fruit Pizza:

For the pizza dough:

-1 roll (16.5 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough

For the toppings:

-1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

-1/2 cup powdered sugar

-1 teaspoon coconut extract

-2 kiwis, sliced

-1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

-1/2 cup pineapple, sliced

-1/2 cup toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Press cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and firm to touch. Cool completely.

2. In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and coconut extract. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto the baked cookie. Decorate with sliced fruit and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

*To toast coconut- preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Layer desired amount of coconut evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Be sure to watch carefully!*

S'mores Pie

This pie had  me dreaming of and longing for my family summer vacations in the U.P. that we go on every year. I have fond memories of staying out late by the campfire, sitting under what seemed to be billions and billions of bright, shiny, twinkling stars, hoping to see a shooting star fly by, all the while eating delicious and classic s'mores! S'mores are one of my favorite parts of summer! Roasty, toasty, and oh so gooey golden brown marshmallows and creamy Hershey's milk chocolate bars that get all nice and melty are sandwiched between sweet and crunchy graham crackers! Sticky and messy  but so finger-licking yummy!

Oh, how I wish it was summer, do you? But, since its not summer, I suggest making this pie! It will remind you of summer. With it's sweet graham cracker crust, smooth milk chocolate filling, and perfectly toasted marshmallows on top, you will feel all happy and warm inside, even if it is just for a few minutes. Enjoy!

S'mores Pie: (adapted from How Sweet It Is & from here)

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

-8 tablespoons butter, melted

-7 ounces milk chocolate, broken into chunks

-1 cup heavy cream

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-pinch of salt

-3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the butter is fully incorporated and crumbs are moistened. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray  and firmly press the graham cracker crumbs up the sides and on the bottom of the pie pan (I used the bottom of a measuring cup). Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

2. While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the filling. Put the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat the cream until scalded-do not boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 1 minute. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until glossy and smooth. Add the vanilla, pinch of salt, and egg into the chocolate mixture and whisk to fully incorporate. Pour into chilled crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven and top with mini marshmallows. Turn your broiler to low and put pie back in the oven to toast the marshmallows for about 2-3 minutes (watch very closely so the marshmallows don't burn)! Remove and cool completely before serving.

*To make slicing easier, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray so the marshmallows don't stick!*