Chocolate Bird Nests (aka Easter Haystacks)

I've always loved the crunchy, chewy, chocolate taste of haystacks.  Here is my own version I adapted for the Easter holiday.  Makes 25-30 haystacks.

Ingredients:
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups dry chow mein noodles
3/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup marshmallows
1 bag peanut M&Ms (I got the pastel version for Easter)

Directions:
1.  Microwave the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl for 30 seconds at a time until melted- mine took about 90 seconds.
2.  Stir in the noodles, peanuts and marshmallows until everything is evenly coated in chocolate.
3.  Use a tablespoon to drop mounds of the mixture onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
4.  Take a couple of M&M candies and press them into each mound so they resemble bird nests.
5.  Refrigerate for an hour, or until ready to serve.

Strawberry Moscato Cupcakes

It's another boozy dessert recipe! You can use any sweet/dessert wine, but I think Moscato or White Zinfandel would work best. Makes about 20 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup Moscato wine (I used Barefoot Pink Moscato)
1 package cream cheese frosting
Conversation hearts (optional)

Directions:
1. Add cake mix, eggs, oil and wine to a large bowl, then mix until smooth.
2. Line some cupcake pans with liners and pour in the cupcake batter. The cups should be about two thirds of the way full.
3. Bake the cupcakes according to the cake mix box instructions. I did mine at 325 degrees for 17 minutes. Let them cool completely before frosting.
4. Decorate with conversation hearts if desired. (You could also use fresh strawberries.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Spiced Apple Beer Cupcakes

I've been seeing lots of recipes for Blue Moon beer cupcakes on Pinterest lately.  Blue Moon isn't my favorite beer, so I went with Shock Top's new Honeycrisp Apple Wheat instead.  Add some apple pie filling to kick up the delicious apple cinnamon flavor!  Makes about 20 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix
1 cup Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat beer (room temperature)
1/2 cup apple pie filling
3 eggs
1 tub cream cheese flavored cake frosting

Directions:
1. Place cake mix in a large mixing bowl.
2. Chop up the apples from the pie filling into bite-sized pieces so they will distribute evenly. 
3.  Add beer, apple pie filling and eggs to the cake mix.  Stir until well combined. You don't need the other ingredients listed on the cake mix box(water, oil, etc.).
4.  Place cupcake liners in your cupcake pans and pour in cake batter.  Cups should be about two thirds full.
5.  Bake according to cake mix directions, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

Note:  You can try other flavor combinations as well!  Orange or raspberry wheat beers would do well in yellow or lemon cakes.  Dark beers like Guinness would do well in chocolate cakes. 

Lemon Lime Jello Cupcakes

When I was a kid, my mom was famous for her "jello poke cake" recipe.  It was frequently requested for birthday parties.  The beauty of jello cakes and cupcakes is the variety of cake/jello flavor combinations.  Most people do white cake with strawberry jello, but you can also try this lemon cake/lime jello combo, or chocolate cake with cherry jello, etc.

WARNING:  Other recipe bloggers may not mention the fact that liquid jello is sticky and can make a mess.  Have a few napkins or wipes on hand to deal with spills or splatters, or sticky fingers, which are the worst.

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix (plus required mix-ins, like eggs and oil)
1 cup water
1 box (3 oz) lime jello
1 package cake frosting (I used cream cheese flavor)

Directions:
1.  Bake cupcakes as directed on the box, then let cool completely.  Use a fork to poke holes in each cupcake.  The more holes, the more jello will seep through the cupcake.
2.  Boil the water in a pot.  Remove pot from heat and add in jello, stirring for at least 2 minutes.
3.  Carefully spoon jello over the cupcakes, letting the liquid seep into the holes.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4.  Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.  Since I made these for Easter, I used some jelly beans to make flower designs.

Rice Christmas Treats

Here's a good holiday spin on a classic recipe- rice krispie treats!  Makes about two dozen treats.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
6 cups mini marshmallows
green food coloring
6 cups rice krispies cereal
1 cup red and green plain M&M's candy

Kitchen gear: 
13 by 9 inch pan
Non-stick cooking spray
Wax paper

Directions:
1.  Place the butter in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows and stir until they are coated evenly with butter.  Microwave for 45 seconds.
2.  Stir in 6-10 drops of food coloring.  Heat another 45 seconds in the microwave.
3.  Add rice krispies cereal, stir until well mixed.  Spray the inside of the 13 by 9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray, then scrape the rice krispie mix into the pan.
4.  Tear off a sheet of wax paper large enough to cover the pan.  Spray lightly with the cooking spray and use this to press the rice krispie mix into an even layer in the pan. 
5.  Remove the wax paper and sprinkle M&M's over the top of the rice krispie mix.  Use the wax paper sheet to press M&M's into the rice krispie mix.
6.  Let the mix stand for a couple hours.  Use a large knife to cut the mix into bars or triangles.  Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

These bite-sized treats are decadent and delicious!  The preparation is a bit messy, so I would suggest working with a partner.  Makes three to four dozen balls.

Ingredients:
1 small jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter
1 package (16 oz) powdered sugar
1 box rice krispies cereal
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Scoop out all of the peanut butter and place in a large saucepan with the stick of butter.  Heat on low, stirring occasionally until completely melted.
2.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in about half the box of powdered sugar. You need to get the consistency of a stiff cookie dough, otherwise they will be too runny.  Add more powdered sugar until you get this consistency.
3.  Add 1 1/2 cups of rice krispies, more if desired.  Stir until well mixed.
4.  Take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll them into balls with your hands.  Your hands will get messy after a few, so wash and dry your hands and then get back to it. 
5.  Pour chocolate chips into a pot and heat using the "double boiler" method.  Basically, have a separate pot with simmering water and place the pot with chocolate on top of it, so the steam indirectly heats it up.  Heat chocolate until completely melted, then remove from heat.
6.  Roll peanut butter balls in melted chocolate, place on a plate covered in wax paper.  Refrigerate the balls for a few hours until the chocolate shell has hardened.

***Note:  To save time and mess, grab a partner for the last three steps.  One person handles the peanut butter mix and rolls out the balls while the other person handles the chocolate coating.  Easy!

Bacon Brownies

You know you've always wanted to try them... the logic commonly used is, "if I like items A and B, why wouldn't I like A and B combined?" So here is an amazingly easy recipe to wow your friends and family- just add bacon!

Ingredients:
5 strips bacon (more if desired, but it's a good start)
1 box brownie mix
Required brownie mix-ins (such as eggs, water, etc.)

Directions:
1.  Cook bacon strips in a pan until just crispy.  You want to be able to cut them easily with a knife, but not rock-hard.  Place bacon on a paper towel to cool.  Reserve bacon grease.
2.  Assemble brownie ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Instead of using plain vegetable oil, use the bacon grease.  If there isn't enough, add vegetable oil until you get the required ammount.  Stir until just combined.
3.  Chop up bacon strips into bite-sized pieces.  Fold into the brownie mix.
4.  Pour the mix into a greased pan and bake according to brownie package directions.  Let cool before eating- the brownies will cut easier and you won't burn your mouth :-)

Mint Chocolate Cookies

Got this recipe from one of Rachel Ray's shows. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, or whenever you feel like green cookies.

Ingredients:
1 package dry chocolate chip cookie mix (plus the required mix-ins like egg and butter)
1 teaspoon mint extract
A few drops green food coloring

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven according to cookie mix directions.  Pour the cookie mix into a mixing bowl, add the required mix-ins.
2.  Add mint extract and food coloring, stir well until color is uniform.
3.  Scoop heaping spoonfulls of dough onto baking sheets and bake according to package directions.  Cookies will expand and flatten as they bake.

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Skip the candy store this Valentine's Day- try giving your loved ones homemade chocolate truffles!  I got this recipe from the Hershey's website. You can always play with variations, like replacing half the vanilla with your favorite liqueur.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter- no substitutions!
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cocoa/chopped nuts for topping

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pan on low heat.  Add cocoa powder, stir until smooth. 
2. Add condensed milk and increase heat to medium.  Cook, stirring constantly, about four minutes, until smooth and glossy.
3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours, until firm.
4. Scoop out teaspoons of chocolate and roll into small balls.  Roll the balls in cocoa powder or chopped nuts.  Refrigerate 1-2 hours, until firm.  Store in refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes: Makes about 3 dozen truffles. I got the mini foil cups at Michael's craft store.

Chocolate Almond Bark

This is an easy microwave recipe that makes a great dessert or snack.  It's best to keep these chilled in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole almonds
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 pound chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Place the almonds and butter in an 8 inch glass pan.  Cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring at least twice, until almonds are toasted. Set the glass pan aside.

2. Place chocolate chips in a large microwave safe bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened.  Stir in the almonds and pour onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

3. Use a spatula to spread the mixture to the desired thickness.  You can also try placing another sheet of wax paper on top and using a rolling pin to level out the mixture.  Refrigerate a few hours or overnight, until hardened.  Chop up the bark into small pieces.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Are you starting to sense a theme here?  We have a large bowl of fresh pumpkin puree at home, so we're trying as many pumpkin recipes as possible so it doesn't go to waste.  This recipe makes two pies- give one to a friend, or not, I don't judge.

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin (or one pound fresh pumpkin puree)
2 store-bought pie crust shells

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Blend cream cheese, sugar and eggs with a hand mixer until smooth. Spoon ½ cup of the mixture into a small bowl and reserve for topping.
2. Add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin to the remaining cheese mixture, mix well.
3. Pour half of the mixture into each of the pie crusts. Carefully spread topping over each pie, or try a piping technique using a ziplock bag with one corner cut off. I tried doing this in a spiral pattern- whatever works as long as it’s evenly spread across the pies.
4. Place the pies on a large cookie sheet (for stability) and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when pies are gently shaken. Let cool, then refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

Just in time for the holidays, these cookies are crowd favorites because they contain pumpkin, chocolate, and walnuts.  You can also make an icing for the cookies, which is included in the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
15 ounces pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Vanilla icing (optional):
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside.
2. Add softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Gradually add flour mixture to the wet mixture, beat until well combined. The cookie dough will be similar in consistency to cake batter. If you think it’s too thin, add a little more flour. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts using a large spoon or spatula.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet (or two- it makes a few dozen). Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets. Don’t flatten them on the cookie sheet- leave them as little mounds so they can expand.
5. Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cool before removing to a plate or rack. Add icing if desired.

Icing directions: combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Add more sugar or milk to get desired thickness, then drizzle over cookies.

Pumpkin Nut Bread!

Tis the season for yummy, spiced baked goods.  This pumpkin bread is good for any gathering, or even as a gift.  Recipe makes two loaves.  Note: if you only have one loaf pan, bake half the mixture; once the first loaf is done and the pan is cleaned, bake the second one.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups pumpkin, canned or fresh puree
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine pumpkin, eggs, oil and nuts in a separate bowl.
4. Combine both mixtures, stir well.  Divide the mixture between the two pans.  Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Root Booze Float

I came home from a long day of work (and shopping), and I wanted something sweet with booze in it.  This is an adult version of the classic Root Beer Float, just as sweet but with that extra kick of rum and schnapps.  Oh, and I should mention here that this drink is for adults only.  :-)

Ingredients:
4 ice cubes
1/2 shot butterscotch schnapps
1/2 shot root beer schnapps
1 shot spiced rum (Captain Morgan is my buddy)
Coca Cola soda
2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1.  Fill a glass with ice cubes.
2.  Add butterscotch schnapps, root beer schnapps, and spiced rum.
3.  Fill with Coca Cola and stir.
4.  Add spoonfulls of ice cream, and enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Crockpots aren't just for pork roasts anymore.  Dust off your slow cooker, it's apple crisp time!

Ingredients:
6 cups apples, cored and sliced thin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon for juice and zest

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, combine apple slices, lemon juice and zest.  Add white sugar, flour and cinnamon, stir until well coated.
2.  In another bowl, combine brown sugar and bread crumbs.  Add melted butter and stir until well combined.
3.  Cover bottom of the crockpot with some of the bread crumb mixture (about a fourth of the mixture).  Add a layer of apples (about a third of the mixture).  Continue layering bread crumbs and apples, and finish off with a layer of the bread crumbs. 
4.  Cook on High for 3 hours or until bubbly.

Want to make it even more awesome?  Serve with ice cream.  Or, instead of just apples, use 3 cups apples and 3 cups sliced peaches.  Enjoy!