Holiday Peppermint Bark

Holiday Peppermint Bark is festive and can be a great gift if you wrap the bars in their own little bag or holiday tin. It's easy to make if you follow a few simple steps.

• 1 Package Dark Chocolate Chips (11.5- 12 oz.)
• 1 Package White Chocolate Chips (11.5- 12 oz.)
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup- 1 Cup Crushed Peppermint 

German Chocolate Cupcakes

This frosting is fantastic! I got tired of corn syrup being in frosting recipes or too much sugar in the pre-made stuff. So, I created my own recipe using evaporated milk. I must warn you, it's delicious and you'll probably want to just eat it. This recipe is a big crowd pleaser amongst kids and adults.

4th of July Cheesecake

 

 

I love making this 4th of July Dessert, it's super easy and always a crowd pleaser. 

Patriotic Cake Balls

 

4th of July is around the corner, and of course I had to come up with a clever dessert to take to the office. Cake balls are always popular and delicious. So I thought, red white and blue cake batter and turn it into an American flag by coloring the chocolate. I also decided that I would go light on the food coloring for the red and blue cake by doing blueberries and strawberries. Now you do not have to do this, but I thought it was a fun idea. The recipe will work just fine with white cake mix divided into three amounts so food coloring can be added to two of the pans. I've also done homemade cake mix and icing, but it's time consuming and not exactly necessary for cake balls.

You will need:

3 cake pans greased (round or square)

3 Bowls for separating the cake/frosting

1 box (16.25oz) White Cake Mix

1 container (14oz) of Cream Cheese Frosting

Food Coloring

1 package of any white chocolate of your choice (I use the melting bark blocks)

*1/2 pint of Blueberries (too many blueberries will make it turn more of a purple)

*1/2lb of Strawberries (make sure they are ripe)

Sprinkles (preferably some with stars or at least patriotic colors)

Toothpicks or bamboo skewers for dipping

I also used a box lid and an empty egg carton for drying the cake balls.

*I did not make these into cake pops, but you can easily do so by buying some lollipop sticks at a craft store, dipping the tip in some of the melted chocolate and then pushing that into the cake ball before freezing so they stay in place.

*Optional

 

Dark Chocolate Pie

You'll need: 

2/3 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Cornstarch

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

6 Egg Yolks

2 Cups Fat Free Milk

1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk

6oz Extra Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract 

2 Tablespoons Sugar

8oz Heavy Cream

Easy Caramel Sauce

• 1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 14oz can of Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 2 Tspns Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup 2% Milk (don't use fat free it will be too runny) 
• 1 Tspn Sea Salt

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

I was in Keystone, CO recently and the resort gave out cookies when you checked in. One had cranberries and white chocolate. It was so good, I knew I had to go home and make my own recipe for it. I added macadamia nuts to mine, but the recipe would be okay without them if you're allergic, don't like them, or don't have any around.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour

1 Tspn. Baking Soda

1 Tspn. Corn Starch (*key ingredient to a great cookie)

1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries

1/2 Cup chopped macadamia nuts

3/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips or chunks

Easy Apple Turnovers

I've always heard of people doing crazy things with the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. So I figured, what the heck? I'll give it a go. After this attempt I will definitely experiment with the crescent rolls more often. This recipe can honestly go for Breakfast or Dessert. They are melt in your mouth delicious. Apple Turnovers made simple.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe was originally from Emeril Lagasse in 2003. I've been making it ever since he aired it on TV. They are the best Christmas cookies. 

**Makes about 2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau (Orange Liquor)
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grandma Lena's Amish Cookies

This Recipe was my grandmother's cookie recipe, to me it's a cross between shortbread and a sugar cookie. You can add sprinkles of some sort on top to make them fit a certain holiday (Example: Green for St. Patrick's Day, Pink for Valentines, Red for Christmas, etc...).

Festive Pumpkin Pie

This is a great, flavorful and fluffy Pumpkin Pie Recipe. I've experimented a lot through the years and this seems to be the one I stick with. This pumpkin pie almost tastes like a pumpkin cheesecake because it's so moist and flavorful. 
For the crust you can view my Easy Pie Crust Tutorial which also has the directions for the decorative pie crust leaves on this pie. 

Easy Pie Crust

Makes 1 Pie Crust (If you want pie crust decor, see the bottom for instructions)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 Cup Sifted Flour
• 1/4 Cup or 4 Tbsp Butter
• 1/4 Cup Shortening
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Ice Cold Water

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

I came up with the peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies because I bought a bag of these:

Kraft has it all, even Peppermint Mallows. I bought these and thought to myself how wonderful they would be in a chocolate cookie. 

These cookies are melt in your mouth, chewy, with a little crunch. More chocolate than peppermint, but just enough peppermint to give you that refreshing flavor. The cookie itself almost resembles the taste of a brownie. The cookie is filled with peppermint marshmallows (Hence the "Hot Cocoa" name) and topped with just a little crushed peppermint. 

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies

Yes you heard me...Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispy Treats! The easiest, tasty, Fall dessert. I found the Pumpkin Spice Mallows and thought they would make great rice krispy treats...and they did!