Tasty Tuesday -- Pinata Cake

I'm not sure about you but I am FREEZING!! We certainly didn't ease into winter here in Illinois. However, with the cold also brought snow. It was a beautiful sight to see, but man, I hate the cold.

Remember the post on my son's Bowling Birthday Party? Click here to find out all about it.

Well, I attempted my first Pinata Cake because thought it would resemble a bowling ball. So, today on Tasty Tuesday, I will show you how easy it is to make one of these! And...how fun it is to eat!

 Even though it looks a bit complicated, 

it really easy fairly simple.

Grab two boxes of cake mix--your choice of flavor. Prepare as directed and place batter into glass bowls. Bake as directed on the box or until golden and set in the middle. Mine took about 10 minutes longer than the box suggested.

 

Allow cakes to cool slightly. Carefully turn cakes over to release from bowl. Allow to cool completely.

Next scoop out some of the center of the cake. About a 1/2-1 inch border around the perimeter of the cake and down into the center of the cake.

 

Next, fill with candy. We used Sour Patch Worms, M-n-M's, candy corn, Skittles and Gummy Bears. Next frost the edge of the cake. Not too much frosting, this is used like the glue for the top and bottom of the cakes.

Now carefully place the top onto the base of the cake.

Frost as you would like. For us, I wanted it to look like a bowling ball, unfortunately, it looked more like a ghost. I didn't want to frost it all black because I didn't want to send all the kids home with black-died lips, tongue and mouth!

I still love how it turned out and I loved the reaction from the kids! This is definitely worth trying for an upcoming celebration!

Have a fabulous day! 

If you liked what you saw, please share it!

Tasty Tuesday -- Skinny Copycat Starbucks Chocolate Chip Frappuccino

It's the first day of October!!! I'm so excited. This means my No-Soda September is over. I tried. I really was hoping to kick the soda habit for good. But, I can't. I've been craving it for the last week of September. But, I do promise that I won't drink as much of it anymore. Whew...thank goodness! Oh, and this is my birthday month, so keep your eye open for a fun giveaway!

Do you love Starbucks? Well, I'm not a coffee drinker, so it's not my first choice, but my daughter is obsessed with that place. One of her favorite drinks to get at Starbucks is the Double Chocolate Chip Blended Frappuccino Creme. I've tried it. It's good and doesn't have an over-powering coffee taste. I could actually handle one of those. BUT...did you know a 12 oz. size is over 400 calories and has 17 g of fat? Now, I can't have one of those.
But, I found a skinny version that has been taste-tasted by my daughter, her friend and myself and we all think it is a good "skinny" version of the real thing. I've tweaked the recipe a bit because we thought the original one was too sweet.

Skinny Chocolate Chip Frappuccino
Adapted from Hungry Girl

Ingredients
1 pkt diet hot chocolate mix
4 oz warm water
1 Tbls sugar free chocolate syrup
2 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 Truvia Sugar Packets (or other sweetener)
1 Tbls Mini Chocolate Chips
8-10 ice cubes
Fat Free Whip Cream

Directions
Mix the hot chocolate and water together until completely dissolved. Pour hot chocolate, chocolate syrup, Truvia, chocolate chips and almond milk in blender. Blend on high for 45 seconds. Pour into a fun cup and top off with some whip cream! Sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips on top to make super cute!!

Yum! Enjoy this lighter calorie version. According to Hungry Girl, it comes is at 135 calories, 4.5 g of fat! Now, this is something I can have!!

Tasty Tuesday--Old Fashion Caramel Corn

Remember awhile back when I made S'more Popcorn? The base of the recipe called for caramel corn. Well, I made the caramel corn but failed to take pictures of the process. BAD BLOGGER!! Anyways, over the weekend, I finally made a batch. YUM. Enjoy!

Old Fashion Caramel Corn
From my mom's kitchen

Ingredients
5-6 Quarts of Popcorn
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. oleo (aka butter)
1/2 c. ligh t corn syrup
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions
Bring all ingredients, except for popcorn AND Baking Soda, to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add baking soda and stir. Remove from heat. Pour over popcorn in a large roasting pan. Stir to cover all popcorn completely. Bake at 250 degrees for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Stays fresh in air-tight container for about 5 days...if it lasts that long! For a printable recipe, click HERE.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday -- PMS Cups (must try!!)

First off, let me say that these are amazing. They are perfect for someone that has a sweet tooth and can't be satisfied with a whimpy treat. I named these PMS Cups because, well, I think they are perfect for those ladies during that "time of the month" where you need a not-so-good for you treat! Be prepared, these are rich. But, topping it off with a scoop of ice cream could easily solve that issue!

I'm sure you've seen this concocation all over the internet and Pinterest. And it's worth sharing here, too. I used a variation of this recipe I pinned from Baby Gizmo and decided on my own little twist! Maybe this exists out there, but this was something new that I created in my kitchen.

PMS Cups
Makes 24

1 Roll of Prepared Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 Bag Full Size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 Box of Brownie Mix (prepared)

Spray muffin tins lightly with cooking spray. Add a small scoop (1 TBLS) (Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 1 Tablespoon, 35mm) of cookie dough and press into the bottom of each muffin tin hole. Place one Reese's PB Cup (upside down) ontop of the cookie dough. Spoon prepare brownie mix over the PB Cup, making sure to cover it completly but not filling the hole to the top.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree over for 13-15 minutes, checking to make sure they are evenly cooked. Remove and allow to cool about 3 minutes. Carefully, use a plastic knife and gently go around each muffin tin hole, releasing the cup. Allow to cool another 5-10 minutes before taking out of pan.

TIPS:

• I do not recommend skipping the plastic knife step. It makes the removal process easily. I use this trick when I make the brownie covered Oreo's, too.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
• Don't try in a mini-muffin tin. They aren't pretty. They are still good, but they are very difficult to remove from the pan and once they are out--they look horrible. I'd still eat them because I know how yummy they are, but if you take them to a gathering, I'm sure they won't be chosen unless you pass them out yourself and swear they are tasty!!

To get a Printable version of this recipe, click HERE.

So, do you think you could handle that yummy dessert? Let me know what you "favor" during that wonderful time of the month!!

Tasty Tuesday--Skinny Pop Cupcakes

Happy Tuesday! Did you enjoy your Memorial Day celebration? Our weather didn't cooperate, but we still had a nice time grilling out with our neighbors! 

I shared this simple and guilt-free dessert over at Hungry Little Girl awhile back. In case you missed it, I thought I'd share it on today's Tasty Tuesday! This tasty treat only uses 3 ingredients! I originally got this idea from Hungry Girl—she uses diet pop in cake mixes to create a low-fat version of the real thing. We’ve had these yummy cupcakes several times; I’ve even made these treats for a friend with child that had an egg allergy. You can vary the taste/color by the type of diet pop you use. One of our favorites is the Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry mixed with Confetti Cake Mix. The cake couldn’t be easier to put together..so let's get started.

Skinny Pop Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)

 

Ingredients
1 Box Cake Mix
1 Can Diet Pop, suggest Diet Cranberry Sierra Mist or regular Diet Sierra Mist
1 Tub Low-Fat Cool-Whip
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions

Place the dry cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour the diet pop over the cake mix and stir until well combined. Fill cupcake cups evenly, 2/3 full. Follow instructions on the back of the cake mix for oven temperature and increase the time by 3-5 minutes (watch closely). When cupcakes are cooked (gentle thumb print should disappear), cool on rack. Once cool, pipe or dollop with low-fat or fat free Cool-Whip. Adorn with sprinkles if you’d like. Keep in frig until ready to eat or serve.

So, what do you think? All I can think of is...YUM!

Recipe Swap featuring Candy Girl

Hello there!  I'm Candy from Candy Girl.

I'm thrilled to be participating in the Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap with Cindy here at Crazylou!

Caramel-Pecan Sheet Cake wasn't the recipe I planned on sharing here but after tasting it I knew it was too good to keep to myself.  

My husband's favorite dessert is his mother's yellow cake with caramel icing.  For years I heard him go on and on about how good it is. My mother-in-law only seemed to make when I wasn't around but that didn't stop me from trying to replicate it several times.  Each attempt tasted good to me but was always met with "It's good, but it's not the same as Mom's." from my husband.  Desperate to get this right I called her for the recipe and found out it was simply a boxed cake mix and a simple caramel sauce.  My mother-in-law is old school and doesn't cook with recipes or a cookbook so the directions I received were vague and I ended up with another fail on my table.

About a year ago I finally got to taste a slice of the infamous caramel cake.  I love my mother-in-law and she is a great cook, but I didn't see, or taste, what all the fuss was about.  My two sister-in-laws were there and told me that they had tried to make the cake too but it was never right.  I'm not accusing my mother-in-law of leaving an ingredient out or purposely not relaying the recipe correctly, but something was missing.  Let's just say it was mother's love.

This Caramel-Pecan Sheet Cake is the closest I've come to taking the Best Caramel Cake award from my mother-in-law.  I knew it was a contender at first bite.  Incredibly moist, the cake is flavorful from on its own the layer of caramel frosting takes it over the top.  

Cut the pieces bigger than you think you need to.  Trust me.

Please visit one of these lovely ladies to see the rest of the blog swaps - Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} or Rachel {i love my disorganized life}.

Caramel-Pecan Sheet Cake
Taste of the South, May/June 2013

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 325° F.  Spray a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan with nonstick baking spray with flour or butter pan well.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring butter and 1 cup water to a boil.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.  Add hot butter mixture to flour mixture, beat at low speed with an electric mixer just until moistened.  Add sour cream, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Baked until cake is lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted at the center of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Pour hot Caramel Frosting over warm cake, spreading to edges.  Sprinkle with pecans.  Let cool completely on wire rack.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; slowly stir in sour cream.

Bring mixture just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Sift confectioners' sugar.  Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beating at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.  Use immediately.  

 

Tasty Tuesday--Baseball Rice Krispie Treats

Baseball season is beginning! I made these last year for Carson's team--HUGE HIT! And they are super simple to do!

Grab your favorite Rice Krispie treat recipe and instead of putting it into a 9x13 pan, put them into muffin tins (be certain to spray with cooking spray or rub with butter!). Let them set to cool. While they are cooling, melt white chocolate in a double boiler (or your preferred method). Remove Rice Krispie "Balls" from the muffin tin and dip the top into the white chocolate. Let them set on a cooling rack to harden. (You can choose to double dip them in the white chocolate for a thicker, frosted look!) When they are set, take a red frosting decorator pouch (or use your own homemade frosting and pipe it) and draw the baseball stitching on the Rice Krispie! Tada! Super easy, tasty and KID APPROVED!

 
I have a fun idea for this years team--but you'll have to wait to see those! Be a pal and share this via Facebook, Twitter, G+ or Pinterest! Have a great day!

Tasty Tuesday--Over the Rainbow

Ugh. I'm so ready for Spring. Warm weather. And most of all, no snow. We are expected to get another snow storm today. We've gone most of the winter without snow and then BAM--the month of February shows up and it decides we need that white stuff. I'm ready to wear flip flops and take a run outside! 

Well, maybe my treat I'm sharing today will bring a little sunshine into your life! Today I'm sharing a cake my daughter and I created awhile back for a school event. What a fun thing to do for the upcoming St. Patty's Day celebration!

We baked a box mix, added some food coloring in a frosting tub (I know, I know...its not homemade!) and frosted the cake. Next, we bought rainbow colored Jelly Belly jelly beans. We made a rainbow shape in the rainbow colors, using two rows for each color. Then we added a piled up some marshmallows at each end for the clouds. FUN, CHEERY and BRIGHT!

Do you do something fun with your food/desserts for St. Patty's day? If so, please share!

Cindy

Rainbow Cupcakes

St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching! I'm not Irish, but it's fun to do all things RAINBOW and green for a day, right? Last year (before I was blogging!), I made these cute cupcakes for a fun treat for the kids and their friends. They were super fun so I thought I'd share them with you! It took some time, but loved the result! And it all starts with white cake mix and bright food coloring. Here is the quick how-to, just in time for you to do this for your family:

 
What you need:
White cake mix, and the ingredients to prepare
Neon, bright food coloring
Cupcake liners
Cool Whip
Mini-Rainbow Twizzlers

How you do it:
Mix together the white cake according to the package directions. Get six small bowls and equally distribute the white cake mix into those bowls. (if you don't want to use all six colors, use how many you want to use) Drop a few drops of the food coloring (one color per bowl) into each of the bowls and mix until the color is bright. Taking a teaspoon, carefully layer each color into the cupcake liner into a rainbow pattern. Bake as directed on the cake mix package. Allow to cool.

For frosting I used Lite Coolwhip. To make it look like fluffy clouds, I added a few drops of blue food coloring and carefully folded it into the cool whip. Spoon onto cooled cupcakes. Using the back of the spoon, make small peaks. Add your rainbow Twizzler by pressing it into the cupcake. Store in frig.

So, do you do fun things for St. Patrick's Day, even if you aren't Irish? Thanks for stopping over today!

Cindy

Tasty Tuesday--Christmas Goodies

Well, it's only a week until Christmas! Seriously, where does the time go? This weekend, the kids and I put together our annual Christmas goodies for our neighbors. This is a tradition that was passed on to me from my mom. We would spend days making homemade cookies and then share them with those close to us. What a great gesture. Plus, it gives you extra bonding time with the kiddos!
This year I went for simple. I had foot surgery last week and I'm being forced to sit with my leg elevated most of the day. For those that know me personally, this is extremely tough to do! I managed to prepare most of these goodies in advance, only preparing two of them over the weekend.
Here is what we included this year:
1. Thin Mint Bark
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark
3. Chicago Style Chex Mix
4. Brownie covered Peppermint Oreo's
5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
6. Nutella Rice Krispy Treats

To find the recipes, just click on the name above and it will direct you to the sites where I found the recipes. In the Thin Mint Bark recipe, I used the Andes Mint Baking Bits instead of the Mint Chocolate Chips suggested. The only one I created myself was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark. This actually came from a fan suggestion on my Facebook page--and I'm glad she made it! It's so simple to put together and takes no time to prepare. For the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark I took the rest of the package of chocolate graham crackers I used for the Thin Mint Bark. You put these on a tin foil lined jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Next, sprinkle half a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips and half a bag of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips evenly over the graham crackers. Put in a 325 degree oven for 3-4 minutes. Take out of the oven and use the tip of a knife to cut through it, spreading it over the graham crackers. Place in freezer for up to an hour and break into pieces.

We packaged them up in kraft boxes I got in the Dollar Section at Target or round plastic containers I got during the after Christmas sale at Walmart last year. I included a little tag to let them know the contents, tied a ribbon and then the kids delivered!

Here are some pictures of my creations. 

If you love Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, you will really enjoy this easy treat!

 So easy and tasty! This is for those chocolate and peanut butter fans!

I've made this recipe many times and it is always a crowd pleaser! Try this soon!

I've made these several times with great success! Don't over bake AND make sure you run a plastic knife around them as soon as they come out of the oven!

These come together so quickly and are great for those that love to eat raw cookie dough! Except these don't have eggs in them so no need to worry about getting sick! These are best kept in the freezer!

I finally got around to making these and I'm so glad I did. Any Nutella fans will really enjoy this twist on your typical Rice Krispy Treats!

So, do you bake treats and deliver to your friends and neighbors? What are your favorites? You can find more of my favorites on my Pinterest board.
Come on over and join me! http://pinterest.com/crowe/ 

Thanks for visiting Tasty Tuesday!

Cindy

Tasty Tuesday--Awesome Cinnamon Pretzels

These have got to be one of the easiest and tastiest snack-slash-dessert you will ever try. And they are perfect for holiday giving (packaged up real cute!) or for snacking at your holiday party or for after school snacking or just because they are amazingly awesome! 
If you have 30 minutes, pretzels, oil, cinnamon, sugar and an oven,  YOU CAN MAKE THESE!

 Here is the simple recipe:

Cinnamon Pretzels

16 oz bag pretzels
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine everything but the pretzels in a large bowl. Add pretzels and carefully stir. Pour onto a baking sheet. Put into a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Stir twice. Allow to cool (if you can wait), package up for gifting or dig in! Store in sealed container, if they last long enough for you to store!

I packaged up these for my friends that visited over the weekend! I got the small plastic paint cans at the Dollar Section at Target. I made a cute little tag to attach!

Hope you have a great Tuesday! Visit me over on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Stop back again soon!

Cindy 

Halloween Treat! Blood Shot Eyes!

I love Halloween ( well, it is my birthday!)! But seriously, I love the creepy things and the fun creative ideas out there! And who doesn't love the costumes?!? I found this idea a few years ago in a Halloween cookbook, but tore the recipe out so I'm not sure of the exact resource. It's easy to put together and fun to eat! I bagged up a few, added a cute little tag and gave to some friends when we went to a pumpkin picking bonfire on Sunday. Try them out this Halloween!

What you need:
1 package of plain donut holes
1 tub of vanilla frosting
1 tube of mini m-n-m's
1 tube of red writing gel

Prepare a baking sheet or working surface with wax paper. Put about 1/2 of the vanilla frosting in a bowl and microwave it for 15-25 seconds until it is smooth and thin. Dip the donut hole in the frosting (I used a toothpick to do this step), and place on the wax paper.

I dipped about 3 donut holes, stopped and put 1 m-n-m eye in the center of the donut hole before the frosting had time to set. Continue until all donuts have been dipped and eyes have been placed.
Next, put in the frig or freezer for about 10 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up. Then snip off the end of the red gel (I cut mine too far done and it was a thicker line than I wanted, but oh well!) and drizzle on the blood shot eye look.

Package them up to give to your neighbors or friends!

Happy Haunting!

Cindy

Tasty Tuesday--Caramel Drizzled Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I mentioned awhile ago (here) that I wanted to recreate a cookie I ate at Mary's Market. It was their "cookie of the month." Well, the day I tackled this recreation it was a chilly outside which is perfect for baking!
First, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar.

 

Then combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl.  Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on parchment paper lined sheets and bake 8-12 mintues. Allow to cool before you drizzle with caramel.

Don't let look heavenly? Oh, they were so good! Soft, chewy and yummy! Click here for the printable recipe. 
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle
by crazyloucreations.blogspot.com

Yield: About 30 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 ¾ cup quick cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips
caramel bits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3 minutes. (I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer, but you could use an electric mixer)
2. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Use a medium scoop (1 ½ Tbls) and drop on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake 8-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool about 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack (or waxed paper) to cool completely.
5. Follow instructions to melt caramel bits. I use about ½ cup. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let set before storing.

Have a great Tuesday!

Cindy