Sweet with a Hint of Spice

We’ve been told, mostly by our husbands, that we’re mostly sweet with a hint of spice. I guess we can be a bit sassy from time to time. But isn’t sugar and spice what girls are made of??? So with Cinco de Mayo just around the corner we’ve decided to add a little bit of spice to our Saturday sweet treat. Our half adult/half kid friendly version of Mexican Magic Bars have a hint of cinnamon which gives them just enough of a kick to remind you that sweet and spicy are a perfect combination. We think our husbands will agree. That’s if they know what’s good for them😉!

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

In 9×13-inch baking dish, mix crackers, cinnamon, and melted butter; press onto bottom. Layer with chocolate chips. Sprinkle half the pan with pecans (adult side) and the other half with coconut (kid side). Pour condensed milk over the top. Bake at 375 degrees until browned, 25 minutes.

*recipe inspired by Rachael Ray Every Day

Advertisement

Hop To It Sweetie

We hope you’re Saturday is off to a great start. We know ours is when our sweet treat is ready even before the sun rises. This make-ahead goodie is a must make dessert when you need to travel or need one ready first thing! Plus they’re perfect for Easter (or really anytime!). Everyone will jumping with glee over our Carrot Cake Oreo Magic Bars. So hop to it and do it. Don’t even think twice. No thanks necessary! Hoppy Easter!

Ingredients

• 1 package Carrot Cake Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup Heath bits
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Place Oreo cookies in food processor and pulse until fine crumbs (it should make about 3 cups). Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl. 

2. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Press mixture firmly into a 9×13” baking pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

4. Remove pan from the fridge. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the crust and smooth evenly with the back of a spoon. 

5. Sprinkle butterscotch, white chocolate and Heath evenly over the top. 

6. Top with pecans.

7. Bake for about 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely. 

8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Take Me Along Sweetie # tbt

Chances are you’ve got a fiesta, soirée, or picnic to attend this summer. Call it what you want, but, a party isn’t truly a party without dessert! Problem is that often the goodies don’t travel well. Fortunately for you we’ve got a sweet that will survive almost any weather or terrain. Save time and worry with our Berry Crisp in a Jar. It’s the perfect take-along treat for your next get-together!

Ingredients

2 bags frozen mixed berries

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread out frozen berries in the bottom of the dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix (DO NOT prepare), melted butter, oats, and walnuts. Stir together until thick crumbles form.

Sprinkle evenly over the frozen berries.

Cook for 50-55 minutes. Crisp topping will be a golden brown and the berries will be bubbling.

Scoop crisp into jars. Layer with ice cream and whipped cream. Top with pecans.

Somebunny Say Sweets! #tbt

On the hunt for the most eggcellent treat to fill your Easter baskets? Bunny Tracks Brownies will have all of your colony hippity-hopping for joy! Hoppy Easter!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box of brownie mix, plus ingredients on the back of the box

• Easter M&Ms, peanut and plain
• Pecan pieces
• Butterscotch chips

Directions:

Make brownies according to the directions on the back if the box. Top cooled brownies with Easter M&Ms, pecans,and butterscotch chips.

Slowly But Sweet

Slowly but surely spring is here! Is it just us or did it feel like it took a turtle’s pace to see the sunshine and feel warmer temps? To honor the first spring Saturday of the year we are making Turtle Lava Cakes – scrumptious chocolate cake drenched in chocolate sauce, caramel, pecans, and whipped cream! However, with a treat this yummy there’s absolutely no need to indulge at a turtle’s rate! Go for it!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of lava cake mix, plus ingredients on the back of the box
• Pecans
• Caramel sauce
• Whipped cream

Directions:

Make the lava cakes according to the directions on the back of the box. Once baked remove from the muffin pan and top with caramel sauce, pecans, and whipped cream! Oh yum!😋

Whoopie! It’s Sweet Pumpkin Time!

Whoopie! It’s that glorious time of year again. Fall has officially arrived. Time to put our pumpkin spice to work! Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting are just the start to a season of yumminess!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

• 1 cup butter-flavored Crisco

• 2 cups packed brown sugar

• 2 egg whites

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

Filling

• Cream Cheese Frosting recipe -see below

• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• Chopped pecans

•. Heath bits

Directions

1 Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

2 In a large bowl, cream together Crisco and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

3 Mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the pumpkin.

4 Drop rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Bake 10-11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5 In the meantime, prepare batch of Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. Once prepared, beat in 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce and an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat until incorporated.

6 Once the cookies are cooled, spread the frosting onto the bottom of half of the cookies, then top with remaining cookies. Roll some of the frosted edges of the cookies in chopped pecans, some in Heath bits, and some in butterscotch chips

7 Store whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and salt until light and smooth. This will take about five minutes.

Blend in the vanilla and almond extract. Beat to combine.

Add the confectioner’s sugar slowly, about one cup at a time, and mix until smooth.

*recipe inspired by Inspired By Charm

Hello Sweetheart

There are a whole bunch of reasons why this Saturday’s treat will win your Sweetie’s heart! It makes no difference whether you call them Hello Dollies, Magic Bars, or 7 Layer Bars. What matters is how incredibly yummy they are! These easy to make goodies are everything plus a little bit more guaranteed to make your Sweetheart’s day!

Ingredients:

½ cup butter (melted)

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup red M&Ms

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup Heath Bits

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the oven is preheating, melt the butter in a 9×13 baking pan.

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter in the bottom of the pan, press lightly into the butter.

Evenly cover the crust with the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Watch it closely until the edges are golden brown. You want to be careful not to burn the coconut and it can happen very quickly.

Let cool about 5 minutes and run a knife around the edges of the pan to prevent sticking.

Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.

Going Apples (Bananas) For Sweets

This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, but we started Fall a little early and took our troops apple picking.  Our rascals swung from tree to tree looking for the sweetest, juiciest ingredient for this Saturday’s Caramel Apple Monkey Bread. We had more fun than a barrel of monkeys and ended up with a treat worthy of going Apple! Happy Labor Day weekend! 

Caramel Apple Monkey Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 (16.3-oz.) cans refrigerated biscuits

1 1/2 cups small diced apples

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup Heath Butter Brickle

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Separate the dough into 16 biscuits then cut each biscuit into quarters. Add each piece of dough to the bowl with the cinnamon and sugar, tossing it to coat it on all sides. Layer the coated dough pieces with the diced apples in the prepared bundt pan.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the brown sugar, melted butter, Heath, and pecans. Pour the mixture evenly on top of the dough. Bake the monkey bread for 28 to 32 minutes until it is no longer doughy in the center. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before placing a serving plate on top of the pan and flipping it upside down. Serve the bread immediately.
*recipe inspired by Just A Taste