Christmas Treat Trays

by penji1

I’ve hosted a couple of Christmas gathering this year – one for my Bunco group and the other for my Book Group and I wanted to do something fun for the dessert. Last year I did Chacuterie dessert boards which was fun but also a lot so this year I decided to make little individual treat trays.

I found these cute trays at the Dollar Store, score! They were the perfect size for my idea.

Then I hit up Trader Joe’s and I was on my way! I’ll give you a list below of some of the things that were in the trays.

Trader Joes Candy Cane Joe Joes Sandwich Cookies

Trader Joe’s Baton Lover’s Quartet Rolled Wafter Cookies

Mini Stroop Waffles (I dipped these in chocolate and topped them with sprinkles)

Trader Joe’s Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars

Trader Joe’s Sweet and Salty Snack Mix (which I put in a Christmas cupcake liner in the middle of the trays)

Pepperidge Farm Milano Slices Peppermint Cookies

Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps Peppermint Chocolate White chocolate

Oreo Thins dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint

I’m probably forgetting some things but you get the idea! Everyone really liked this treat and I think I’ll do it again and mix up the things in the tray.

Pretzel Christmas Wreaths

by penji1

Here’s a cute and easy Christmas treat you could do with the kids, little older kids maybe.

1 bag Wilton green candy melts

1 bag tiny twist pretzels

Christmas sprinkles

1 Melt candy melts according to package directions.

2 Lay out a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper on a work surface. Using a medium size biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter as a guide, draw a circle on the paper.

3 Dip bottom of pretzel in melted candy melts and lay along circular guide. Repeat until you have a full wreath shape. Now repeat with another layer on top of the first, the pretzels do not have to line up.

4 Now cover with desired Christmas sprinkles and jimmies. Let candy melts set before removing from paper.

idea from “Young Wild Me Family” on Instagram

Cranberry Bundt Cake

by penji1

Isn’t that a beautiful cake? It was pretty tasty too. It took a little time to make but wasn’t difficult.

CAKE

3 cups flour

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

zest of 2 oranges

1 tablespoon orange juice

3/4 cup milk

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 For the cake, heat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with cooking spray for baking.

2 Pour 3 cups flour into a bowl. Place cranberries in another bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of flour into cranberry bowl and toss gently to coat berries.

3 Beat together butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Mix in baking powder and salt, just until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of flour after each egg, beating after each addition. Add vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until combined.

4 Add 1/3 of remaining flour then half the milk beating after each addition, then repeat ending with last of flour. Fold in cranberries.

5 Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove to rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

6 For the sugared cranberries, while the cake is baking, put cranberries and water into saucepan and bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and pour cranberries into pot, stirring gently to coat cranberries with sugar mixture. When coated, pour onto a cooling rack with parchment underneath (to catch the drips) in a single layer and let sit for about 45 minutes to an hour. Pour remaining sugar into a bowl and add cranberries, tossing gently to coat with sugar. Decorate cake with sugared cranberries.

recipe for cake from Beyond the Chicken Coop

recipe for sugared cranberries from Bunsen Burner Bakery

Eggnog Bundt Cake with Biscoff Crumble Topping

by penji1

Hello Blog Friends! I’ve been MIA for awhile as I was working on a scary movie called “Blessed” but now I am back for a bit before I start the next project which is top secret and so I can’t tell you what it is yet! But the holiday baking has begun so here is entry #1 for this season. My friend Larobyn had a white elephant Christmas party and I volunteered to make some Bundt cakes for the dessert. I made a Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake (recipe here) and this Eggnog Bundt Cake with Biscoff Crumble Topping and also a Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake (recipe coming soon). They were all yummy!

CAKE

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup eggnog

GLAZE

1 – 2 cups powdered sugar

2 – 4 tablespoons eggnog

TOPPING

5 – 7 Biscoff Cookies

1 For the cake, preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt cake pan with cooking spray for baking.

2 In the bowl of your mixer, add the cake mix and pudding mix and turn mixer on to low and beat just until combined. Turn off mixer and add the eggs, oil, and eggnog. Beat on low until well combined and thick, about 2 – 4 minutes.

3 Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes.

4 Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing cake from pan. Let cool completely before topping with glaze.

5 For the glaze, combine powdered sugar and eggnog with a whisk until you have a nice thick glaze. Pour over cake, letting it run down sides and into the middle.

6 For the topping, crush 5 – 7 Biscoff cookies in food processor or with a food chopper and sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Halloween Chocolate Pops

by penji1

These were really easy to put together and they’re so cute!

1 bag Wilton candy melts, any Halloween color

Popsicle or lolly pop sticks or paper straws cut in half, about 12

candy eyeballs

Halloween sprinkles

1 Melt candy melts according to package directions.

2 Spread a large piece of parchment paper out on a work surface. With a spoon, spread a spoonful of melted candy melts on the parchment in the shape of a circle, you might need a half teaspoonful more of chocolate.

3 Take your stick or straw and place it at the bottom of your circle of chocolate and slowly roll it in the chocolate to cover the straw.

4 Place 2 candy eyes towards the top and then decorate the rest of your pop as desired.

Yield: I got 12 pops from 1 bag of candy melts

recipe inspiration from Wilton

Rice Krispie Treat Frankensteins

by penji1

Halloween is coming! Time to get going on those spooky treats! These were time consuming but not difficult and they are so cute.

1 bag Wilton brown candy melts

1 box Rice Krispie Treats or 1 batch homemade Rice Krispie treats (I like to use the store bought ones because they are firmer than the homemade)

1 container brown jimmies

1 bag Wilton green candy melts

1 bag Rolos, unwrapped

1 package medium size candy eyeballs

1 box chocolate covered Pocky, broken into pieces (for unibrow)

1 tube black icing

1 Melt brown candy melts according to package directions and then dip half of each Rice Krispie treat into melted chocolate. Place on parchment paper and sprinkle with brown jimmies. Let chocolate set before proceeding to next step.

2 Melt green candy melts according to package directions then carefully dip other half of Rice Krispie treats into melted chocolate. Set on parchment and press 2 Rolos on either side of the green portion for his neck bolts, 2 candy eye balls, and a broken piece of Pocky for his unibrow.

3 Let set before applying a mouth with the black icing.

inspiration from Your Cup of Cake

No Bake Biscoff Cookies

by penji1

These were so easy and so yummy and were gone in a flash which is always a sign of something delicious around here.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup Biscoff (or cookie butter) spread

2 1/2 cups dry rolled oats

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 In a large saucepan melt butter, milk, and sugar, stirring until it reaches a rolling boil. Let boil for 1 minute.

2 Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

3 Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper and lightly spread out. Let set before devouring!

recipe from Chef in Training

Cake Mix Donuts

by penji1

These were yummy, a quick and easy way to make donuts.

DONUTS

1 box cake mix

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

GLAZE

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 For the donuts, heat oven to 350. Spray donut pan with cooking spray.

2 Whisk together donut ingredients until combined. Pour batter into a large ziploc bag. Snip a corner off the bag and pipe donuts into pan. (You only need to fill the pan about 1/2 full so go easy on the batter.)

3 Bake 12 – 14 minutes. Let donuts cool in pan 5 – 10 minutes before removing then cool completely before glazing.

4 For the glaze, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth. Dip donuts into glaze about halfway then let excess drip off. Top with sprinkles.

Yield: 2 dozen donuts

recipe from Jennifer Meyering

Easy Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake

by penji1

Just look at those two beauties! Nothing says summer like lemon desserts. I can’t tell you how it tasted because I gave them to my neighbor for her birthday which means that I’ll just have to make them again!

CAKE

1 box lemon cake mix

1 small box lemon instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

6 tablespoons lemon juice

GLAZE

3 cups powdered sugar

4 – 6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 For the cake, heat oven to 350. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray for baking.

2 Beat all cake ingredients on low until well combined. Pout into prepared pans.

3 Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and loaves are golden.

4 Let cool 10 – 15 minutes in pans before removing to cool completely before glazing.

5 For the glaze, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth then drizzle over loaves.

recipe from Food Talk Daily

Birthday Breakfast Muffins

by penji1

These were so easy and so yummy! You could replace the sprinkles with chocolate chips for a grown up version.

1 box cake mix

1 cup mashed bananas

1 cup applesauce

1 cup sprinkles plus more for topping

1 Heat oven to 350. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

2 In a large bowl, stir together dry cake mix, mashed bananas, and applesauce. Fold in sprinkles.

3 Scoop into prepared pans and top with additional sprinkles. Bake 16 – 18 minutes or until muffins have risen and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

recipe from The Baker Mama