Saturday, March 31, 2012

Sweets for a Saturday #63

Need ideas for a yummy Easter treat? Look no further because here are your Top 5 from last week:

1. Peeptinis - Home is Where the Boat Is



2. Dark Chocolate Orange Almond Truffles - The Sweet Spot



3. Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies - Hugs & Cookies XOXO



4. Lemon Crinkle Cookies - The Boys Made Me Do It



5. Choc Fudge Oatmeal M&M Cookies - Dreaming of White Chocolate


The Rules:
  1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
  2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
  3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
  4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
  5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.

SweetasSugarCookies










Friday, March 23, 2012

Sweets for a Saturday #62

I've had one great week. Apparently, not having the use of an oven has been extremely conducive to creativity. I was able to come up with this No-Bake (frozen) Apple Chai Cream Cheese Pie topped with a spiced oat streusel. It was like eating an apple pie sundae in pie form. Seriously good stuff.



And, speaking of good stuff, here's your Top 5 from last week.

1. The Royal Cook - Famous Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies

Melt in your mouth deliciousness.


2. Catalina Bakes - Poppy Seed Cherry Muffins with Eggnog

These muffins are bursting with goodness.


3. Munchkin Munchies - Caramel Brownie Pie

What's better than chocolate? Caramel and chocolate.


4. New Fangled Housewife - Healthier Oatmeal Cookies

Healthy means you can eat more of them.


5. Nancy Creative - Sunken Apple Pie

All I can say is, I gotta make this!


The Rules:
  1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
  2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
  3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
  4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
  5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.



SweetasSugarCookies










Thursday, March 22, 2012

Apple Chai Cream Cheese Pie


When I was younger, my mom had this recipe for blueberry cream cheese pie that I absolutely loved. It was my all-time favorite. It was a no-bake pie so the filling was one deliciously creamy bite after another. Well, I decided to take that pie and completely revamp it into something totally new. So, here's what I did.

First you all know how much I love the flavor of chai spice. So, I decided to incorporate those spices into my cream cheese filling and then use those flavors to lead the rest of the recipe. As a result, I also cut the amount of vanilla in half to let the spices shine through. Then, there was the matter of the crust. The original recipe also called for a regular pie crust. But, I didn't feel that it would really match with the chai spices. So, I used a graham cracker pie crust instead (although I think a gingersnap crust would be even better). Now for the topping. Blueberry is nice, but again not quite the pairing I'm looking for this time around. Apple pie filling, on the other hand, well, that's a different story. It goes hand in hand with warm spices. Perfect.


But wait, I'm not done yet. There's always room for a little something special. How about a spiced oat streusel to finish things off? This was really shaping up nicely (in my mind's eye, that is).

Putting it into practice, on the other hand, was a different story. I ran into a little "mishap" along the way. You see, I decided to substitute evaporated milk for the heavy cream that the original recipe called for. I also didn't bother to whip the milk before adding it. That said, I was still rather perplexed when I mixed it all up and found that it was quite liquidy. Funny, I thought, I don't remember it ever looking like this before. I could have sworn that I had made this pie once before with evaporated milk, but well, that was so many years ago that it's possible my memory is not what it once was (I later checked with my mom and turns out I was thinking of a completely different recipe than this one).


I crossed my fingers and put it in the fridge, hoping against hope that it would magically set. It didn't. So, onto Plan B. I stuck it in the freezer. That turned out to be the best idea ever! The filling became almost like a spiced cheesecake ice cream, and you know that's good stuff. Before serving, I topped it off with the apple pie filling, sprinkled on the streusel, and tada! I had myself a frozen Apple Chai Cream Cheese Pie (doesn't that have a nice ring to it). AMAAAZING!!!


This pie is good to the very last bite. You get the cold creaminess of the cheesecake, the soft sweetness of the apple pie filling, and the slight chewy toothsomeness of the streusel and crust to add a little variety in texture. I was so pleased at how it all came out and the others who ate it loved it too. This pie's the apple of my eye!


Frozen Apple Chai Cream Cheese Pie (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

graham cracker pie crust (or a gingersnap pie crust)
8 oz. cream cheese (can use 1/3 less fat)
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. chai spice (recipe below)
1 c. evaporated milk
1 can apple pie filling, chilled

1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. rolled oats
3 Tbsp. butter, chilled
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or more according to taste (or you could use the extra 1/2 tsp. chai spice)

Lisa's Chai Spice Blend (makes 2 tsp.):

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. allspice

Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and chai spice. Mix in the evaporated milk. Pour into the pie crust. Put in the freezer and let freeze.

For the streusel: Combine the flour with the brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon (or chai spice if using). Cut in the chilled butter until you have pea-sized bits.

Just before serving, top with the chilled apple pie filling. Sprinkle the streusel onto the pie filling. You can let the pie thaw a little before serving if you prefer.

Note: If you really feel extravagant, you could probably even drizzle this with some caramel ice cream topping.

Linked up to:

Bake with Bizzy
A Little Birdie Told Me
Full Plate Thursday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Monday, March 19, 2012

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels




Treats just don't get any easier than this. All you need are pretzel rods and almond bark. Of course, a little extra chocolate and sprinkles don't hurt, you know, if you like things even prettier. Then melt it up, dip 'em up, and in no time at all you have a salty-sweet snack that's good enough to give as gifts (if you're willing to part with them) or just eat it all up yourself. Either way, these pretzels will make your day!


Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

24 pretzel rods
1 lb. vanilla flavored almond bark
melted chocolate and sprinkles (for decorating)

Melt the almond bark in the microwave or in a double boiler. Pour the melted almond bark into a cup for easy dipping and dip the pretzels one by one. Shake off the excess chocolate and lay out on a sheet of wax paper to let the chocolate set. If you want to decorate it with sprinkles, put them on while the chocolate is still setting. If using melted dark chocolate for decorating, wait until the chocolate coating has hardened and then drizzle on the melted dark chocolate.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Sweets for a Saturday #61

It seems like my mind has just been spinning with new ideas for treats lately. And by the looks of it, so have yours. Here are your Top 5 from last week:

1. Beer Battered Fried Oreos - Piece Love & Cooking

The most decadent Oreos ever!


2. Bacon Peanut Brittle - Piece Love & Cooking

Peanut brittle just got better - a LOT better.


3. Caramel Cake - A Well Seasoned Life

What a luscious sounding cake!


4. Rainbow Ruffle Cookies - Lizy B

The beauty of these cookies defies all description.


5. Cornbread Pancakes w/ Honey Butter - The Royal Cook

Say hello to a new cornbread!


The Rules:
  1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
  2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
  3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
  4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
  5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.



SweetasSugarCookies










Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Biscoff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats


Remember when I made those Biscoff White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cups? Well, it made me realize just how well Biscoff and Cinnamon Toast Crunch go together. The sweet spiciness from both complements each other very nicely. So, that got me thinking. It's time to combine them once again. This time, taking a twist on the old Rice Krispie Treat to make Biscoff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats.


One thing to note is that the Biscoff is on the thick side, so when you add it to the marshmallow mixture, it won't melt right away. But, put a little muscle into it and keep stirring and soon enough it'll incorporate itself in.


The other thing I found was that the taste wasn't as strong as I would have liked, initially. So, to fix that, I decided to sprinkle the treats with some spiced sugar. I used a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to go with the flavor of the Biscoff. This perked things up right away.

Finally, the white chocolate on top is an absolute must. Yes, it does make the treats look prettier, but that's not the main reason for adding it. The white chocolate adds another dimension of flavor to these bars, one that helps to tie everything together. Believe me, the bars are nowhere near as good without it.


I took these to my church again and shared them with the girls I teach. Once again, it was a success! There was nothing but compliments and requests for more. Enjoy!

Biscoff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
4 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 c. Biscoff spread
5 1/2 c. cinnamon toast crunch cereal

For sprinkling:
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch cloves

melted white chocolate (for drizzling)

Grease a 9x13 pan. Melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and keep stirring until they're all melted. Add the Biscoff spread (it will seem tough at first, but keep stirring and it'll all soften up). Once everything is combined, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the cereal. Spread the cereal mixture evenly in the greased pan (it works great if you butter your hands). Sprinkle with the spiced sugar. Let cool for 1-2 hours. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate. It tastes even better the day after you make it.

This post is linked to:
Meatless Mondays
A Little Birdie Told Me
Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Sunday, March 11, 2012

White Chocolate Biscoff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cups


I saw this recipe for Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups on the blog, Iowa Girl Eats. Total swoon! But, I was in the mood to experiment again, so I decided to change things up a little. Okay, I decided to change things up a lot.

First of all, it was time to do the Biscoff-peanut butter switch. Then, I thought, Biscoff really matches better with white chocolate than dark, so I went with that. Finally, going with the whole sweet-spicy nature of the Biscoff spread, I decided to use cinnamon toast crunch cereal instead of rice krispies. As you can probably imagine, these were shaping up quite well and that was only in my imagination so far.


Turns out that they were everything I could ever have imagined and more. One taste and the flavors just melted together perfectly. I loved them! I shared them with some other people at my church and they were raving about them and begging for more. Too bad I only made six of them for starters. I'll definitely have to make more of these next time, a LOT more.

White Chocolate Biscoff Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cups (heavily adapted from Iowa Girl Eats and created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1 1/4 c. Biscoff spread
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. cinnamon toast crunch cereal, slightly crushed
1 3/4 c. white chocolate chips

Slightly crush the cereal so that it is in smaller bits, but not crumbs. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Grease mini muffin cups with non-stick spray and add about half a tablespoon of melted white chocolate to each cup. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the Biscoff and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, then mix until combined. Pour in the cereal and mix again until combined.

Roll the Biscoff-cereal mixture into small 1-inch balls. Press a ball onto the white chocolate in each cup and use your fingers to spread it out so that it fills the cup. Chill before eating.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Sweets for a Saturday #60

It's time once again for Sweets for a Saturday. And here are your delicious Top 5 from last week:


1. French Toast Cupcake - Life's Simple Measures

Cupcake heaven!


2. The Best Chocolate Cake - Country Momma Cooks

"Best" certainly describes this cake.


3. Mint Brownie Bites - Just Call Me Maria

Perfect for St. Patrick's Day!


4. Fantastic Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches - The Royal Cook

Icing makes cookies twice as scrumptious.


5. Caramel Glazed Baked French Toast - Joyful Homemaking

Fire up those ovens!


Two treats in one!

The Rules:
  1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your treat.
  2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
  3. Share your delicious sweets from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
  4. Leave me a comment telling me that you've linked up.
  5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their wonderful additions to this party.



SweetasSugarCookies










Thursday, March 8, 2012

Muddy Buddy Teddy Grahams


Whoo-hoo! I hope you're enjoying my Muddy Buddy madness. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the other Muddy Buddy goodness I've posted this past week:

And now, I've got another one for you. This time, I decided to try Muddy Budd-ifying some Teddy Grahams. I used the plain Teddy Grahams but I'm sure that chocolate ones would be just as delicious, maybe even moreso.


Dunk those little guys in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture and let them go for a swim. Finish off with some powdered sugar and in no time at all you've got a munchy crunchy oh so yummy snack that will leave you wanting for more. You could probably even add some mini marshmallow bits and have yourself some s'mores fun. Enjoy!


By the way, this Muddy Buddy madness is by no means over for good. I've still got a couple of ideas (or more) up my sleeve that I'm dying to try in the future.

Muddy Buddy Teddy Grahams (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
powdered sugar (to coat)
1-2 canisters mini Teddy Grahams

Put the powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside. Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter in the microwave. Toss the Teddy Grahams into the mixture and coat them completely. Toss them into the powdered sugar and coat. Lay out onto a piece of waxed paper to let the chocolate set up a little.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Muddy Buddy Nutter Butters


Okay, remember the Muddy Buddy Oreos that I just made? Well, like I said before, making the Muddy Buddy popcorn got me onto this Muddy Buddy kick to see just what else I could Muddy Budd-ify (yeah, that's my new phrase - like it?).


Since the Oreos were such a delicious hit, I decided to try and do the same thing with mini Nutter Butter cookies. Double peanut butter flavor? Always a good thing. What have you got? Muddy Buddy Nutter Butters. Try saying that three times fast (I had a fun time doing it).


These were totally awesome as well. With the Oreos you get 2x chocolate + peanut butter. With these, you get 2x peanut butter + chocolate. Loving it!

Muddy Buddy Nutter Butters (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
powdered sugar (to coat)
1-2 canisters mini Nutter Butter cookies

Put some powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside. Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter, together in the microwave or over the stove in a double boiler. Coat the Nutter Butter cookies in the mixture and throw them into the bowl of powdered sugar. Make sure the cookies get nicely coated with the powdered sugar. Lay out on a cookie sheet or some waxed paper to let the chocolate set up.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Muddy Buddy Oreos


Did you ever see the movie "The Parent Trap?" I'm talking about the newer Disney remake with Lindsay Lohan, while she was still young and innocent. Anyway, there was a part in the movie where the twins are sitting in a cabin together and they find out that they both enjoy eating Oreos with peanut butter on them. Apparently, other people thought that was kind of weird.

Well, I'm not one of those people. After watching the movie, I tried it for myself and boy was it ever good. Alright, so you're wondering where I'm going with this. Here's the thing. I recently made Poppy Chow which is like Muddy Buddies, only you use popcorn instead of Chex cereal and cover it in a mixture of chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Yeah, real good stuff. And, that got me thinking. Just what else could I cover with this glorious mixture?

First, I thought of peanuts, but then saw that someone else already did that. I thought of pretzels, but someone beat me to that as well. I didn't want to copy someone else. Rather, I wanted to go where no sweet maker had gone before. So, I thought some more. And then it hit me.

Back to the whole Oreos + peanut butter thing. I figured you've got your chocolate covered Oreos and then you've got Oreos with peanut butter filling. Why not have the best of both worlds - Oreos + chocolate + peanut butter? Mmmmm. And, like that's not enough already, go ahead and coat the whole thing with some powdered sugar. Voila! Muddy Buddy Oreos were born.


Instead of using the normal chocolate - peanut butter- butter mixture, I changed things up a little. See, for whatever reason, my chocolate-peanut butter mixture totally seized once I added the last ingredient (could be because I was using margarine instead of butter). Anyway, since that wasn't working, I decided to just leave it out. But, since I wanted the mixture a little thinner, I upped the fat by using more peanut butter (I figure more peanut butter flavor certainly can't hurt). This will make the mixture thicker, but again not a bad thing.

I used the mini size Oreos instead of the regular sized. Like I've said before, I have this thing for miniature treats. They're just so much cuter and perfect for popping into your mouth. Besides, I wasn't totally sure this would work, so I wanted to try things out on a smaller scale first.

Oh it definitely worked! Imagine biting into a soft, fluffy, sugary, chocolatey, peanut buttery, creamy, crunchy piece of heaven. Sound good? You better believe it! You're gonna be over the moon when you taste these. Sweet success!

By the way, someone just told me that today is the 100th birthday of the Oreo cookie. So these would be a perfect way to celebrate!

Stay tuned because the Muddy Buddy madness is going to be continuing on this whole week. I've got more to share with you and you're not gonna want to miss it.

Muddy Buddy Oreos (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1 c. chocolate chips
2/3 c. peanut butter
powdered sugar (to coat)
mini Oreos (at least 3 of the mini canisters)

Put some powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave. Drop the mini Oreos in and use your fingers to help coat them. (It'll get messy, but I give you permission to lick the chocolatey goodness off your fingers when you're done. I won't tell anyone.) Drop the coated Oreos into the powdered sugar and coat them with the sugar. You can shake the cookies in your hand to get off the excess. Let sit on some waxed paper so the chocolate can set up a little.