Homemade fruit snacks

When I was a kid, there were two fruity snacks that used to fight for space in my lunch bag.  Actually, I would've gladly taken them both to school for dessert, but my mother probably wouldn't have allowed that...so the battle ensued.  It was the fruit roll-up versus the now-extinct fun fruits.  Do you remember those?  They were these half jelly bean shaped fruit chews that came in a foil-lined pouch.  Not sure why either of them was allowed to be part of my childhood school lunches, but we loved them!

While I was searching Pinterest the other day - have you used Pinterest yet?  It's my newest form of procrastination/recipe searching - I came across a recipe for homemade fruit snacks.  They sounded fun and cute, so I put them onto my "Things I Want To Bake" board (even though they don't involve baking....I know, I need another board for non-baked treats) and thought to myself that eventually I'd get to making them, once I got a mold for them.

Well today was an exciting day for me.  And by exciting, I'm being totally sarcastic...I worked, ran errands, got a snack, came home, cleaned, did school work, had dinner, and ran more errands.  I ended up at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and was roaming the aisles picking up tons of random useless things that I didn't need (two samplers of new Keurig coffee flavors, pouring spoons for cupcakes, bathroom cleaner...ok, so I needed the bathroom cleaner), and came across little ice cube trays for "cubettes" and had an epiphany -- "these will be perfect for those fruit snacks!"  On my way home I bought a box of jello to make them.  The store was closing in 4 minutes and I grabbed a box....of new Mango Jello.

The "cubette" tray makes 90 mini ice cubes.  I got 62 mini fruit snacks from this recipe - not including some partially filled cavities of the tray.  When I made these again, I'd definitel double or triple the recipe in order to get enough fruit snacks.  Although they are easy enough to just make another batch, although cleaning the pot is the hardest part of the whole process.  That and removing the fruit snacks from the tray.  A toothpick seemed to aid in the process.

The amazing thing about these fruit snacks is that they're actually good!  I can't wait to try them in different flavors.  And the size of the fruit snacks that this tray makes is perfect for, well, snacking!

Homemade Jello Fruit Snacks

Ingredients:

1 3 oz box Jello, any flavor
2 x 0.25 oz boxes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water

Directions:

Sprinkle the gelatins over the water in a small saucepan.
Heat over medium heat and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Pour into molds and allow to set at least 20 minutes.

Voila!  Homemade fruit snacks!

Cheesecake truffles

Turtle flavored desserts have been all the rage lately.  I, however, don't love pecans.  Or nuts in my desserts, in general.  So I took a recipe that I found for turtle cheesecake balls, altered it a little, and renamed them cheesecake truffles.  Because truffles just sound tastier.  And fancier.  This is another great no-bake summer treat, however I don't know that it's good to serve in the summer.....unless there is some air conditioning on!  I think they'd just melt into a blob.  And blobs don't sound all that tasty.  Or fancy.

The original recipe called for coating the cream cheese-graham cracker mixture in chocolate, sprinkling with chopped pecans, and drizzling them with caramel sauce.  But as I mentioned earlier, I don't like pecans.  And the caramel sauce just sounded messy.  So I made half of the recipe with the cream cheese and graham crackers, and then added a tablespoon of caramel sauce to the mixture.  Way less messy!

I froze them overnight without the chocolate coating, but then got worried that the chocolate would crack if I dipped them straight from the freezer, so I let them "warm up" in the fridge for a little while before dipping them.



Plain on the left, caramel on the right                                                        

Now, being that I'm not a huge cheesecake fan, these truffles are great because they have a bite-sized cheesecake punch with a chocolatey coating.  Not that huge slice-of-cheesecake heaviness, just a little taste.  And the fact that the cream cheese is mixed with the graham cracker crumbs also cuts the heaviness a little more.

Cheesecake Truffles
(adapted from these Turtle Cheesecake Balls)

Ingredients:

 

8oz cream cheese

1/2 - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I ended up using 1/2 cup plus about 2 Tbsp)

8 oz bittersweet chocolate cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used chocolate chips)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Optional:

 

1/4 cup caramel sauce (or melted caramel squares) - I added 1 Tbsp caramel sauce to half of the cream cheese and graham cracker crumb mixture instead of drizzling them

3 tbsp chopped pecans, finely chopped (I left this out completely)

Instructions:

Combine the cream cheese with 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs. Taste and add more graham cracker crumbs as desired.  (Keep in mind that the chocolate and caramel add plenty of sweetness, so you want the cream cheese mixture to still have some tang.)

Use a melon baller to scoop up 1 1/4" sized balls to a wax-paper lined baking sheet (I used my mini scooper, so mine were smaller than 1 1/4 inches).  You should have about 15 balls (but I got a lot more).

Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

While the cheesecake balls are being chilled, melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the vegetable oil, stirring until smooth.

Using 1 or 2 forks, dip each cheesecake ball into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip away between the tines. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the wax paper on the baking sheet. Repeat for all cheesecake balls.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Best if served within 24 hours.

If using the pecans and caramel drizzle, Top each truffle with pecans. Drizzle caramel over each truffle before refrigerating.

No bake Oreo bars

It's hot in New York City.  I had a bunch of things I wanted to make, but these no-bake Oreo bars were the first thing I ticked off my agenda.  Partly because the words no and bake are in the title, but also because they require three ingredients.  Yes, three.  ingredients.

I do have to apologize, though - this is my second Oreo-related post in a row.  Crazy, no?  And - are you sitting down? - there will be another one soon.  But I digress.  Think of these bars as the Oreo equivalent of rice krispie treats.  They almost don't even need a "recipe" - but I've included it below.

No Bake Oreo Bars
Ingredients:

1 16 oz package of Oreos (mine says 15.5 oz - I guess they rounded up)
5 cups of large marshmallows
4 Tbsp butter (I used unsalted)

Directions:
Butter an 8x8 inch pan (I used a smaller pan, since I have an 9x9 but not an 8x8 and I didn't want them to come out too thin...oh, and I used Pam).
Line with parchment paper and let the edges hang over (I used wax paper). 
Butter the lined pan (I used Pam again).
Grind the Oreos in a food processor.
Put the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave until puffed, about 1.5-2 minutes (mine took 2 1/2 minutes). 
Stir in the ground Oreos until combined (I recommend spraying your spatula with Pam before doing so).
Transfer to the prepared pain
Using a piece of wax paper (Spray it with Pam before doing so - otherwise it'll all get stuck onthe wax paper....trust me, I learned the hard way!), press the mixture evenly in the pan.
Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Cut into bars and serve. Oh, and they're super rich.  The ones I cut above are about 1" x 1".  Mine are a bit thicker than yours will be if you use the recommended 8x8" pan.

"Death by Oreo" mini cupcakes

"Death by Oreo"....not a bad way to go, if you ask me!

When I found this recipe, it called for <<gulp!>> cake mix.  But you know me, the only place for cake mix in my kitchen is for cake pops/cake balls.  So I used that one bowl chocolate cake recipe from those mini chocolate cupcakes with nutella frosting, but then followed the directions from the recipe: lay an Oreo on the bottom of the cupcake liner and add chopped Oreos to the cupcake batter.  Oh, and if that isn't enough Oreo to kill you, there are also Oreos in the icing (and for garnish, but that's optional)!  Since I made mini cupcakes, I used a snack sized Oreo in the bottom (but I did made a few full-sized ones just to make sure it worked well in a regular cupcake).

Now I have to admit, I gushed about that nutella frosting, and rightfully so.  But this Oreo frosting.....(also) amazing!  I don't know if I've said it before or not, but I'm really not a huge fan of icing.  To find two amazing icings in the span of a few days, especially for this non-icing lover, is quite impressive!  But take note: file these away forever!  I already have a request for yellow cake cupcakes with this Oreo icing.

Death by Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box) - you can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe if you want to make them from scratch.  I used the chocolate cake here.  I wonder if yellow cake would work...
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make chocolate cake: Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake) or prepare your cake from scratch.
Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner.
Take 1/2 of remaining Oreos and chop them coarsely.
Add chopped Oreos to cake mix.
Fill the cupcake tins.
Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions).

Make the icing:
Cream together butter and cream cheese.
Add vanilla.
Add powdered sugar slowly until blended well.
Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine (I pulverized mine in the food processor until they are very fine....but make sure they are ALL fine - I had a bigger piece and it got stuck in my piping tip when I was icing the cupcakes).
Add to frosting.

Allow cupcakes to cool and then frost.  Garnish with a mini Oreo if you so choose.

Mini chocolate cupcakes with Nutella frosting

It's hard to believe that my last class of my doctorate is this week!  It didn't seem like it at the time, but it really flew by!  After that, all that will separate me from graduation is a portfolio, a published article, and a residency.

Despite the work I that I have left for this week, I figured I should bake something to celebrate this momentous occasion with my classmates.  After this Wednesday, the next time that I see some of them will be at graduation in May 2013!

I have been wanting to make this recipe frosting for so long.  I have a homemade chocolate cake/cupcake recipe that I use all the time, but when I was looking for this frosting recipe again (on my "Things I want to bake" board on Pinterest), something caught my eye.  One-bowl.  Yes, this recipe is a one bowl cupcake recipe.  The recipe said it made 12 standard sized cupcakes.  I got 24 mini ones (I made them in small paper cups, which are bigger than mini cupcake liners, so if you used those you'd probably get more than 24).  Also, I made a little switch - I thought that I had bittersweet chocolate in the kitchen but in actuality it was semisweet chocolate....good thing they're interchangable!

One-bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Cloud Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark....I wonder if Dutch Press would've worked, too)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brewed coffee or espresso, hot (Starbucks Via works perfectly - and quickly!)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift all dry ingredients.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed and pour into prepared cupcake pan until 2/3 full (or just less).  The batter is liquidy, and it will rise
Bake for 15-17 minutes (my minis took about 12 minutes), or until toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs. Try not to overbake.
Carefully remove cupcakes from the pan immediately (they're hot!), and place them on a wire rack until completely cool

Nutella Cloud Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, but cool
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (4 ounces) premium bittersweet chocolate chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/3 cup Nutella
1 tablespoon milk
pinch of salt

Directions:

In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the confectioners' sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute.
Add vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Add the chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the Nutella, milk, and salt, and beat on med-high speed for another minute.
Frost cupcakes immediately.

*Can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.  That weirded me out a little, so I put them in the fridge.  If the icing doesn't do well in the fridge, I'll let you know*

Father's Day golf ball cake pops and cake balls

The second installment of Father's Day golf-themed treats are golf ball cake balls and cake pops!  I had an idea for these a while ago, but couldn't come up with a way to make the cake balls and pops to look like gold balls.  Simply coating them in white chocolate or vanilla CandiQuik wouldn't give them the textured look of golf balls, and sitting there and indenting them with the end of a lollipop stick did not seem like the way I wanted to spend hours of my weekend.  Then, I came across this idea: use a golf ball lollipop mold, and fill them with cake balls.  Genious!  So I naturally went out and bought two molds (they're also available online).

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Father's Day cupcakes

My dad is a (recreational) golfer.  When we were kids, he used to play every weekend, but he plays less often now.  Regardless, when it came time to making treats for Father's Day, I thought a golf theme would be great!  I have a two golf-themed desserts for Father's Day, but the others will be featured in another blog post shortly.

Since I am not going to be home for Father's Day, I made these cupcakes a few days early and delivered them to my parents when I went home on Friday night to take my dad to an early Father's Day dinner.  Since the other treat involved cake pops (which I made from cake mix), the cupcakes and icing are not from scratch - but these would be even better if made with homemade cupcakes and icing!

Check out these adorable labels I made - golfcarts!

The greens and sand and water traps are made out of white fondant that I dyed with gel food coloring.  I cut the "holes" in the greens with a straw.  And the golf balls are large white sprinkles.  The golf club and the flaps on the flags are made from chocolate putty (which I bought months ago and was about to reach it's expiration date).

I think (despite the cake mix and store-bought icing) these came out pretty cute!