Monster Munch

WARNING: This Halloween treat is highly addictive! This yummy monster munch is the perfect sweet and salty combination. It is filled with sweet, melt-in-your-mouth home made caramel corn, crunchy and chocolately peanut m&m's, cheesy and salty CHEEZ-IT crackers, and my favorite, candy corn! Which I absolutely love because they are just so darn cute and tasty and the perfect Halloween candy! Next time, I want to add pretzals into the mix as well! This is one of those treats that you can make your own and put all of your favorite things in, or a great way to clean out your pantry! I think it would also be perfect to put in cute little Halloween baggies and hand out to all your trick-or-treaters! And remember, I warned you!!!!

Monster Munch:

-1 recipe for caramel corn (recipe below)

-1 (9-ounce) box CHEEZ-IT crackers

-1 (11-ounce) package Autumn Mix Candy Corn

-1 medium bag (12.60-ounce) peanut m&m's

In a large bowl, carefully combine the caramel corn, CHEEZ-IT crackers, candy corn, and peanut m&m's. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Caramel Corn: (adapted from Sugar Cooking)

-3.5 quarts (one large bowl) plain popped popcorn

-1 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup light corn syrup

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 cup butter

-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

2.Make popcorn and place in a larg bowl.

3. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat, and stir in baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the bowl. Stir to coat.

5. Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them a good stir every 15 minutes. After it has baked, seperate into pieces if needed. Allow to cool completely and then store in airtight containers or ziploc baggies. 

Halloween Oreo Truffles

These Oreo Truffles are super simple to make, super tasty, and only call for a few ingredients!

Halloween Oreo Truffles: (Kraft foods)

What You Need:

-1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

-1 package (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO cookies, finely crushed, (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

-2 packages (8 squares each) BAKER'S semi-sweet chocolate, melted (I used milk chocolate chips)

Make It:

Mix cream cheese and 3 cups of the cookie crumbs until well combined. Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip into the melted chocolate (I used a double boiler and 2 spoons to dip them in). Place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs or Halloween sprinkles. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

CReePy BUck EyE baLLs!

It's almost Halloween so for the next few days I will be posting some festive, maybe spooky, yet oh so sweet holiday tricks and treats! I hope you enjoy them! To start you off, I have creepy peanut butter buck eye balls which are always a popular Christmas staple in my house! For Halloween, I decided to coat these creamy and rich peanut butter centers with white chocolate and place a brown M&M on top and then decorate them with red veins. Enjoy!

CrEEpy BuCk EyE bAllS:

-1 1/2 cups peanut butter

-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-1/2 cup butter, softened

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 (12 oz.) bag white chcocolate chips

-2 tablespoons shortening

-24 brown M&M's

-red frosting

Mix peanut butter, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, blending with the mixer until all the sugar is fully incorporated.

Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Heat a double boiler to the lowest heat and combine white chocolate chips and shortening in the double boiler.

When the chips are melted, dip one peanut butter ball in the melted chocolate until it is well coated (I used 2 spoons and found that is the easiest for method for me), place on the prepared baking sheet, and immediately press one M&M on top. Repeat until all the peanut butter balls are coated and topped with the candy.

Let the chocolate harden and then make decorate the balls with red veins using your favorite frosting.

 

Chicken Pot Pie

If you are looking for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, and comforting one pot meal to warm your whole body up this fall and winter, then this delicious Chicken Pot Pie is the perfect one for you! This pot pie gets filled to the brim with chicken, tons of colorful mixed veggies, mushrooms, onion, potatoes, and fresh parsley and thyme which gives this pot pie a wonderful fresh flavor. It then gets topped off with buttery and flaky cresent dough which lends a nice small hint of sweetness to complement the hearty, rich, and savory flavor of the pot pie. I used a Martha Stewart recipe that I found here and adapted it slightly to make it a little more simple and more convenient for me.  

Chicken Pot Pie: (Martha Stewart, adapted by me)

Ingredients:

-1 roll (8 ounces) pillsbury cresent dough

-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-5 tablespoons unsalted butter

-1 large onion, chopped

-3 medium potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

-1 bag (12 ounces) frozen carrots

-12 ounces small cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed

-2 cups chicken stock, from a can

-1 cup milk

-1 rotisserie chicken (about 5 cups, chopped or shredded)

-1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

-2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

-2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, cooking until heated through. Add 1/3 cup of the chicken stock and flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the rest of the chicken stock and the milk. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, mixed vegetables, parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. Make egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Unroll cresent dough and place it directly over the casserole, pressing to seal overhanging dough to the side of the dish. Brush top surface of dough with wash. Cut a small circle in the center of dough, to allow the steam to vent.

3. Transfer casserole to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; cover just the edges loosely with aluminum foil to prevent crust from burning, and continue baking for 25 minutes more.

Disappearing Marshmallow Blondies

These blondies are super sweet, extra chewy and slightly gooey from the marshmallows, and they have a  rich caramel and butterscotch flavor. These are a little different then your average blondies because buttersotch chips get melted and then mixed into the batter giving these blondies a slightly different flavor and color.These turn out with a perfectly shiny crackly top and a moist interior.

Disappearing Marshmallow Blondies: (allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup butter

-1 cup butterscotch chips

-2/3 cup packed brown sugar

-2 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-2 cups miniature marshmallows

-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan.

2. Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butterscotch chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring constantly until smooth. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butterscotch chips and butter, then the flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips last. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Spooktacular Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes

I can't believe that it is already almost Halloween, can you?! Where has October gone? But, what I do know and have for you is a delicious Cookie's n' Cream Cupcake recipe using Halloween Oreo's with a fun and vibrant orange creme filling. Each cupcake starts with one whole Oreo as the base and then you fill it up with Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake batter, which is my go to chocolate cake recipe, it is the best chocolate cake I have made and so simple to make, you basically just combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until combined, just as simple as a boxed cake mix, but, wwwaaayyy better! It always comes out perfectly moist, perfectly fluffy, perfectly chocolately, and perfectly delicious! If you haven't tried it, please do, you will not be disappointed! Then you top the cupcake off with a basic vanilla buttercream frosting that gets mixed with chopped up Oreo's, it tastes just like the creme filling inside an Oreo. Happy baking!

Spooktacular Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes:

For the Cupcakes:

-1 recipe for Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake, found here

-24 Oreo's

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners. Place one Oreo in each of the 24 cupcake liners. Prepare Hershey's "Perefectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake according to the directions. Fill each cupcake cup almost full with batter.

Bake about 18-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool completely.

Cookies n' Cream Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

-10 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

-6 cups powdered sugar

-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

-1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

-8 Oreo's

-orange food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and some of the milk. Beat until well incorporated. Add more milk to desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired. Fold in the chopped Oreo's. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Beer Bread

                         
        

All you need to whip up a tasty loaf of bread is about 5 minutes, a bowl and a spoon, and these 4 simple ingredients, self-rising flour, sugar, a can of your favorite beer, and some melted butter. The result is a yummy Beer Bread that has a nice subtle flavor of beer and aroma, you can tell the beer is in there, but it does not overpower or overwhelm the bread at all.  You get an ever so slightly sweet, hearty and dense, and oh so soft and moist bread. Even if you don't enjoy beer, you will most likely love this bread! It is the perfect pairing to a hot bowl of chili or your favorite soup, slathered with butter, drizzled with honey, toasted and topped with jam, dipped in your favorite cheesy dip, and I bet it would even make a great sandwhich. I also want to try  mixing in some sharp cheddar cheese, bacon or ham, jalapeno's or chiles, olives, or a combination of a few of those ingredients the next time. 

Beer Bread: (FoodNetwork.com)

-3 cups self-rising flour

-1/2 cup sugar

-12 ounces beer

-4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter or spray a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and beer and mix well. The mixture should be sticky. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. At the last 3 minutes of baking, remove from the oven, brush the top of the loaf with butter and return to oven.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

This pumpkin gooey butter cake recipe from Paula Deen is perfect for an autumn dessert, it tastes like a mix between pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. The pumpkin filling is creamy and light and slightly gooey and it gets flavored with two of my favorite fall spices, cinnaomon and nutmeg. The crust is a yellow cake mix that gets mixed with melted butter and an egg and it is very soft, sweet and buttery. So, if you want something a little different from your average pumpkin pie, give this a try! Paula Deen also has so many other variations of gooey butter cakes, if you like this pumkin gooey butter cake, you may also like this Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake: (Paula Deen)

Cake:

-1 (18 1/4-ounce) pacakge yellow cake mix

-1 egg

-8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

-1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

-1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

-3 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-8 tablespoons butter, melted

-1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Candy Corn Kiss Sugar Cookie Blossoms

 

Candy corn is one of my most favorite fall candies, I don't know what it is about them but I just adore them! I think it must be there tiny size, cute shape, bright yellow and orange color, and they are just so sweet and melt in my mouth. I love em', what about you? So, when I first heard that Hershey's made Candy Corn Kisses a couple of years ago I knew I had to hurry and snatch up a bag of them. I think people have mixed feelings about them, some people hate them and some people love them. I am somewhere in the middle and when I saw them at the beginning of the fall season I just couldn't resist picking up a bag, I figured I could make something yummy with them. I decided on these adorable Candy Corn Kiss Sugar Cookie Blossoms, I couldn't stop taking pictures of them! I used a drop sugar cookie recipe from allrecipes, which is a pretty basic sugar cookie recipe except that it uses 3 egg yolks, which makes these cookies ultra chewy, and then I rolled them in orange sanding sugar, and after they baked I placed a Kiss in the middle. These turned out to be fantastic, the perfect sugar cookie in my opinion and everyone else who rated this on allrecipes. They have just the right amount of sweetness, they are super chewy and moist, have a great thickness, and they have an overall wonderful flavor. The sugar gives them a little extra texture and crunch and the Candy Corn Kiss makes them adorable, so be sure to give these a try this fall!  These would also be great just rolled in granulated sugar, frosted, or with any kind of Hershey's Kiss. I will for sure be making these cookies again and again!

Candy Corn Kiss Sugar Cookie Blossoms:

-1 1/4 cups white sugar

-1 cup butter

-3 egg yolks

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

-orange sanding sugar, for rolling

-24 Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir just until combined.

4. Form dough into walnut size balls then roll into orange sanding sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Don't flatten. Bake about 8-10 minutes, until tops are cracked and just turning color. Immediately place a Candy Corn Kiss in the middle of each cookie and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

These sugar cookie bars give you all the tastes and textures that you want and expect in a sugar cookie, yet, they are so much simpler to prepare! The cookie is super thick, very moist and buttery, has a slightly tender crumb and sweetness, which pairs so wonderfully with the rich and sweet vanilla buttercream frosting. I halved the recipe and baked it in a 9x9-inch pan; the original recipe calls for a 13x18-inch pan. I can't remember where I found this recipe, but, it is very popular all over! Give them a try, they are perfect for any holiday or occasion.

                                                
                                                    Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars:
                                            
                                                -1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
                                                             -1 cup sugar
                                                                -2 eggs
                                                             -1 tsp. vanilla
                                                           -2 1/2 cups flour
                                                              -1/2 tsp. salt
                                                         -1/4 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda with a whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Spread into prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

                                                Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

                                                      -1/4 cup butter, melted
                                                     -2 cups powdered sugar
                                                         -1/8 -1/4 cup milk
                                                         -1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cooled cookie and decorate as desired.

Cupcake Adventure Part 1

Over the weekend, my best friend and I went to Ann Arbor to visit our friend/ my cousin! We had such a great time just catching up and talking and just being with each other! It's not very often that we are all together at the same time. I already knew that I wanted to stop at Cake Nouveau and try a cupcake. Courtney, the young woman who owns Cake Nouveau has been on and has won a lot of the Food Network Cake Challenges and has made some pretty amazing cakes! I have been anxious to go to her shop ever since I found out that it was so close! So, I finally made it there....finally!

It was such a cute and tiny little bakery painted and decorated with shades of purples, pinks and greens. It was very whimsical and fairytale like and it reminded me of a little princess bakery.

They had a few varieties of beautiful little cake truffles to pick from. I tried the chocolate cake truffle, which had a very moist chocolate cake center mixed with chocolate frosting and dipped in milk chocolate with colorful sprinkles. It was a yummy little two bite dessert  it reminded me of bakerella's cake pops or cake balls. Some of the other flavors they had were birthday cake, snickers, and strawberry.

And for the cupcakes, each week they have a variety of 4 different cupcake flavors to pick from. They had vanilla beany, chocolate truffle, which is the one I chose, a mint one, and a mocha one. I really liked how the cupcakes were decorated, pure simplicity with a special little touch on each one. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the cupcake as much as I had hoped....it was a little dry and the frosting tasted more like the whipped cream frosting where I prefer a super sweet buttercream....but those are just my tastebuds! Overall, I am glad I made it there. It was a fun experience with an adorable atmosphere and I got to eat my favorite meal of the day, dessert!

Next up, Cupcake Adventure 2: Cupcake Station, Ann Arbor, Michigan. I will fill you in about the sweet cupcakes there soon!