Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

almond joy bars plated

Years ago, my mom used to make this wonderful coconut candy dipped in chocolate. It took a lot of work and the chocolate contained paraffin wax. Needless to say, the few times I attempted to make the candy, I left out the wax and found the whole process to be both traumatic and awful.

I did keep the recipe for the filling though.

After seeing various recipes for Almond Joy Bars on Pinterest, I decided to make up my own, using the filling from the dipped candy.

These bars were relatively simple to put together. You do need to either keep them in the fridge or the freezer, though. The centers are sticky and need to be kept chilled.

If you like coconut, almonds and chocolate, you will definitely love these!

almond joy bar ingredients

Ingredients

Combine filling ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

Combine filling ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

Mix crust ingredients until crumbly. Press into greased (or foil-lined pan) and bake until set.

Cool crust completely before adding filling.
Cool crust completely before adding filling.
When crust is cool, spoon on filling. It will be sticky, so work fast while it is cold. Spread out evenly over crust.

When crust is cool, spoon on filling. It will be sticky, so work fast while it is cold. Spread out evenly over crust.

Nuke chips, butter and cream in 20-30 second bursts until chips are melted. Mix well.

Nuke chips, butter and cream in 20-30 second bursts until chips are melted. Mix well.

Spoon over filling and spread out evenly.

Spoon over filling and spread out evenly.

Top with more sliced almonds then freeze until firm. Cut into bars and indulge!

Top with more sliced almonds then freeze until firm. Cut into bars and indulge!

Almond Joy Bars

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 tbsp. sugar

6 tbsp. butter

Filling:

1 can condensed milk

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 sticks of butter

3 cups powdered sugar

Topping:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crust – Beat softened butter then add in flour, sugar and coconut. Mixture will be crumbly.  Press into greased baking dish (if you are lazy like me, line it with foil then spray with non-stick spray. It makes it easy to lift out and cut bars when finished). Bake for about 6-8 minutes, until just set. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Filling – Mix condensed milk, almonds, coconut, butter and sugar until well mixed. Freeze until firm. When crust is cool, spoon filling over the top and spread out to smooth.

Topping – In a microwave safe bowl, mix chips, butter and cream. In 20-30 second intervals, cook until chocolate melts and cream and butter are fully combined. Spread over the top of the filling and sprinkle with nuts. Put in the freezer until firm then take out and cut into bars.

Keep refrigerated or in the freezer until ready to serve (if you feel like sharing!).

These are rich, but oh, so good!

She Who Loves Chocolate and Coconut

25 days 2011

Read Full Post »

peppermint cookie finished

A box of candy cane pudding has been begging me to do something fun and creative with it, so I got the idea to make cake mix cookies.

From start to finish, these cookies took me less than half an hour and tasted so good.

The other perk is that the house had the most wonderful peppermint smell while these were baking. I nearly melted in a puddle on the kitchen floor.

Whip up a batch (if you love peppermint) and see what kind of words of undying gratitude come your way – if you decide to share the cookies!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Mix everything together until well blended.

Mix everything except chips together until well blended.

Stir in chips.

Stir in chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about eight minutes.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about six to eight minutes or until just set.

Remove from oven before they start to brown and let cool completely.

Remove from oven before they start to brown and let cool completely. I lined my baking sheet with parchment mostly because I’m lazy and don’t want to scrub the pan.

peppermint cookie finished

Peppermint Cookies

1 vanilla cake mix

1 small box instant candy cane pudding

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup peppermint crunch baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, and butter until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake about six to eight minutes, until cookies are just set (if you poke them, they still give a little but aren’t smooshy).

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes. I slid the entire sheet of parchment out of the pan and onto the counter to let them finish cooling.

Your house, at this point, will have the most delicious peppermint aroma.

If you want to get all fancy, you could drizzle the tops with vanilla frosting and sprinkle crushed peppermint on top, but these are plenty sweet without any extra help. You could also throw in a handful of chocolate chips if you like the chocolate peppermint combo (which I do, but somehow managed not to add chocolate to this batch.)

Yield: About three dozen.

Enjoy!

She Who Really Liked These

25 days 2011

Read Full Post »

With a craving for pumpkin pie the other day, I decided to make some pumpkin pie bites.

The madness behind this plan was that I could freeze them and take out a bite whenever I need a pumpkin fix.

Great plan!

These are easy to make, quick to bake and just as yummy as traditional pumpkin pie. Especially piled high with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cream together butter, cream cheese and flour.

Work into a soft dough then chill for an hour.

Shape dough into a ball about the size of a walnut.

Drop into greased muffin cup.

Tamp down dough (use a tart tamper that is generously floured, a spoon or a shot glass).

You want the dough to cover the bottom and sides of the cup.

Dough-lined cups… uniformity is not my forte.

Mix the pumpkin filling.

Pour into cups, filling almost to full.

Bake, cool, enjoy! Num, num, yum.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Crust:

1./2 cup butter

3-4 ounce of cream cheese (3 oz. if you have a small pack or cut a large pack in half)

1 cup flour

Soften butter and cream cheese, blend together with flour until a soft dough forms. It will be sticky. Cover and chill for one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a greased mini-muffin tin, roll dough into walnut-sized balls and drop one in the tin. Use a tart tamper (or the back of spoon – or a shot glass if you have one) to smoosh the dough into the bottum and up the sides of the muffin cup.

Fill with pumpkin filling and bake for about 15-20 minutes until pumpkin is set and dough is starting to brown. Remove from oven, let cool, devour.

Pumpkin Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

3/4 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Beat egg, blend in pumpkin and milk then stir in dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into crust-lined muffin cups and bake.

Garnish with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

She Who Could Not Eat Just One

Read Full Post »

If you are looking for some super-yummy pumpkin recipes, I’d like to direct your attention to the Sew-licious Pumpkin Recipe Hop.

Marti has gathered some of the best of the best pumpkin recipes and posted them there.

Check it out! You’ll be drooling over your keyboard!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »