A Sweet End To 2017

It’s gonna be hard come Tuesday when the holiday season is officially over. We’re especially going to miss our nightly ritual of vegging out with our fams to our favorite Christmas movies. We still have a few must sees, including, Rudolph’s Shiny New Year – just in time to ring in 2018. We whipped up Rudolph inspired cookies that go perfectly with popcorn and snuggles. Happy New Year!

Instructions

Bake up a batch of our favorite cookie dough. Put two pretzels for antlers, 2 candy eyes, and 1 red M&M for the nose immediately on each cookie after removing from the oven. Enjoy with your family while watching Rudolph’s Shiny New Year.

Sister Sweetly’s Favorite Cookie Dough Recipe

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Five Times The Sweetness

Cinco de Mayo is here! Bring on the fiestas! It should be no surprise that our main focus for all celebrations are the sweet treats. And because it’s a holiday we have given ourselves permission to cheat. Sure, we’ll have tacos topped with guacamole and salsa, but dessert first! We are adding a new treat to our list of favorites to enjoy this May 5th, Dolce de Leche Oatmeal Bars. They will be the perfect beginning and ending to our feast. Ole!

Dolche de Leche Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter 

2 large eggs

⅓ cup  almond milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 & ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats

2 {14 oz.} cans Dulce de Leche

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup Heath Bits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Scrape down sides as needed.

Mix in almond milk and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine salt, baking soda, flour, and oats.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, ½ cup at a time.

Press ⅔ of the cookie dough into the prepared pan.

Transfer the Dulce de Leche to a medium, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds.

Spread the Dulce de Leche over the cookie dough in the pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and Heath on top of the Dulche de Leche. Top with spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough. 

Bake for 25 minutes, checking at about the 20 minute mark. If it’s getting to browned by then, place some aluminum foil over the top of it.

Let cool completely before serving. 

*recipe inspired by High Heels and Grills

Holiday Sweet Holiday

You know you’re blessed when your challenges this time of year include what to bake for a holiday bake sale or cookie exchange, what gift to give the person who has everything, and what dessert to bring to a Christmas party tonight? We have the answer to all of these questions! Brownie Crinkles are ridiculously easy, delicious, and won’t disappoint. Definitely Chris Kringle worthy! 

  

Brownie Crinkles

Ingredients:

Nonstick spray

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips 

3 large egg whites, room temperature

 2 cups powdered sugar, divided (plus 1/2 cup for cookie coating)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Then, on a low speed, add these dry ingredients into the marshmallow cream mixture.

Next, add remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips to lukewarm chocolate mixture (dough will become very stiff).

Add chocolate mixture to cream mixture and blend well.

Place remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes.

Transfer to rack, cool.

*recipe adapted from Picklee

Sweet Lucky Charm

In our opinion, the best part of celebrating any holiday is making the festive treats. St. Patrick’s Day is no exception! This week we made Shamrock Pretzel Bites. Aren’t they sweet? Wanna make your little leprechauns green with envy?  Whip up a batch and you are sure to be their lucky charm! We hope you had a fun St. Patrick’s Day! 

Shamrock Pretzel Bites

You Will Need:
1 bag Mini Pretzels
1 bag Plain M&Ms (sorted, get only the green ones)
1 bag Rolo candy
Parchment Paper

Step 1: Assemble all your supplies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Arrange 3 mini pretzels into the shape of a shamrock, with the bottoms grouped together. Repeat this step until your cookie sheet is full of pretzel shamrocks.

Step 3: Place an unwrapped Rolo candy into the center of each pretzel shamrock so that the Rolo is touching all three pretzels.

Step 4: Carefully place cookie sheet in oven and bake for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees until the caramel gets soft. Remove from oven.

Step 5: Immediately after you remove from oven place an M&M on the top of the Rolo. Press gently down on the Rolo candy, adjusting the pretzels so that they are still grouped close.

Step 6: Let cool completely. You can stick them in the freezer for a few minutes to speed this process up.

Step 7: Share and enjoy!

*recipe adapted from Jessica Weible Blogs



Stingy Sweet

We know it’s nice to share. Heck we probably reinforce this idea several times a day with our children. However, this Saturday we are making a single serving double chocolate chip cookie. (It is the Sister Sweetly serving size, mind you. We have been known to double it! :)) This is the perfect recipe to make just a small goodie and still have room to dive head first into your kids’ leftover Halloween candy. This is where that sharing lessons applies!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter flavored Crisco
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown)
• 2 Tablespoons Egg Beaters
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix Crisco and sugars together with a spoon or fork until creamed. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
4. Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet and mold into a tall ball using a spoon. Dot the top of the cookie with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or up to 16 minutes. The cookie will appear very soft, but will firm up as it cools. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

*recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Borrowed Sweets

Ever heard the phrase, “Too much of a good thing is not a good thing at all,”? Well take applies to our sweet cheat this Saturday….sort of. After trick or treating last night we have mounds and mounds of candy. If your kids are like ours’ they prefer the super sweet fruity types of candy. We, on the other hand, LOVE the chocolate. Good thing they won’t notice us “borrowing” their chocolatey goodies to make Candy Bar Brownies. Brownies mix+ candy bars + Saturday + sisters = the best post Halloween treat ever!

Candy Bar Brownies

Ingredients

• 1  box of brownie mix plus ingredients on the back of the box
• Halloween candy

Directions

Make brownies according to directions on the back of the box. Once cooled put your “borrowed” Halloween candy on top of the brownies and enjoy with your little ghosts and goblins!

Birthday Sweets

Wow, time flies! How can my sweet baby boy be 5 years old? People told me it would go by fast and he wouldn’t be little for long. And not, that I didn’t believe them. I’ve already been through this with my daughter. I just didn’t think it would really happen this fast this time around. It seems like yesterday that I was cuddling my new bundle of joy. Now I can barely keep up with him. For his birthday treat today, I tried to incorporate 3 of the sweet things he loves: brownies topped with Oreos and whip cream. Simply simple, yet perfectly perfect for my simply perfect 5 year old! Happy Birthday to my big boy!

Birthday Brownies

Birthday Brownies Recipe:
•Two boxes of your favorite brownie mix
•One package of Oreos (birthday ones are perfect for Birthday Brownies!)
•One can of whip cream

1. Make the brownies according to the recipe on the box.
2. When cool, cut brownies into squares.
3. Top each brownie with whip cream.
4. Place an Oreo on top of the whip cream.
5. Sing happy birthday.
6. Blow out candles and make a wish.
7. Enjoy!

A Sweet Escape

We’ve been quoted a time or two saying, “Everyone deserves a break from their job”.  Ask the hubs!  We rarely consider Saturday baking  work, but we’re taking a breather anyway and leaving the indulgences up to our mom as we celebrate our niece’s first birthday. Oh there will be sweet treats galore and we will not hesitate to try them all! Enjoy your day and take a hint from us and leave the work for someone else!

P.S. Be sure to check back next week for a delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Frosted Caramel Toffee Bars.

Dulce Tratar (Spanish for sweet treat)

This Saturday we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo a few days early. We’ve come up with a menu so that everyone gets to enjoy their favorite Mexican style foods: tacos, guacamole, homemade chunky salsa, and queso dip. You know we had to throw in a special dessert to finish off a fabulous meal. Enter…congo bars! Sugary, sweet, warm goodness. What’s better than that? No mucho (not much), we say!

Congo Bars (The Sister Sweetly Way)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease a 9″x13″ baking pan.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 t. vanilla

1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs, large

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Heath bits

1 cup dark chocolate M&Ms

Directions:

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Combine the melted butter and brown sugar in a mixer bowl and mix well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing well after each egg.

Add the vanilla.

Mix in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix.

Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips, Heath bits, and M&Ms until incorporated. Spread in pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes – touch the top of the congo bars gently – they should be golden and firm to the touch in the middle.

Let cool on a baking rack before cutting into squares.

*Recipe adapted from She’s in the Kitchen

Love Me Sweetly

Wait a minute! It’s not Saturday! It’s not our cheat day! BUT what would Valentine’s Day be without a decadent dessert to share with the ones we love the most? Naturally, the best way to the heart is through the stomach, so we decided to combine a few recipes to make the ultimate Cupid worthy treat. Gooey Butter Red Velvet Poke Cake Brownies will make your taste buds dazzle and your heart smile. We hope you have the sweetest Valentine’s Day!

Gooey Butter Red Velvet Poke Cake Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 package Jell-O instant white chocolate pudding
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Box Fudge brownie mix(plus ingredients on the box- egg, oil, water)
• 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar (11.75)  hot fudge ice cream topping
• 1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip
• 1 bag of Heath Bits

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine cake mix, melted butter, eggs, pudding mix, and vegetable oil and mix well until thoroughly combined (2-3 minutes on medium of electric mixer).

Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Then spread the red velvet cake layer into the pan. It will be VERY thick, so use the back of a spoon (or clean hands) to help spread it into all edges of the pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine brownie mix with ingredients listed on the box. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Pour brownie batter over top of red velvet batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool for at least 15 minutes.

When the cake and brownies are baking combine can of sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 jar of hot fudge in a non-stick pot and melt on low on the stove top until well mixed.

While the cake is still warm, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and pok.e holes all over the top of your cake.

Pour can of sweetened condensed milk/hot fudge mixture over the top of the brownie cake. Sprinkle 1 cup Heath bits on top. Allow it to absorb in the cake until cake is completely cooled.

When cooled spread Cool Whip on top of the brownie cake. Heat the remaining 1/2 jar of hot fudge in the microwave and swirl on top of the Cool Whip. Finish by sprinkling remaining Heath bits. Pure Indulgence!

*recipes adapted and combined from The Stir, Beyond Frosting, What’s Cooking Love