Mighty Delighty

Baby Bird Nest Cookies

I can’t wait until the spring arrives! I am SO over being stuck in the house with three kiddos. I know I am creative and all, but there are only so many indoor activities that can be done, before one just starts seriously craving fresh air and sunshine, like junkie craving their next fix.

Okay maybe I’m not that desperate, although I can attest to those type of cravings and the need for spring to shimmer its perfume scented sunshine all over me is pretty darn close.

In the hopes of making spring arrive sooner I though I would “pretend” it’s spring and make something to reflect that and I’m pretty convinced that thing these darling little bird nest cookies do it just fine. Do you see those little birdies, just relaxing together waiting to be eaten!! They are Cadbury eggs so the chance of their survival is really like zero percent.

I have seen many versions of little bird eggs in a nest, but never have seen actual birdies in the nest, so I though they were a nice fun addition. Super easy to make, like stupid easy and yummy to eat.

Read along, grab the recipe and full how to make as I share all of this bite sized fun with my latest guest post over at Bake it Up a Notch !

Enjoy it!!

Da’ Bomb or Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bombs

I NEED to share these with you now as it’s important….really important.

Chocolate brownie peanut butter BOMBS….

Now before you roll your eyes in that “Oh, just another cake ball recipe” way. Let me explain to you that cake balls these are NOT.

These are awesome deliciousness dipped in chocolate…like a sweet nectar of yum from the Gods of dessert. Several years back, when I worked in a bagel bakery cafe in five towns there was a baker who used to come up with the best desserts. He did all the normal run of the mill stuff, but every once in a while he would bring something up front that we would all run and grab as we knocked customers to the side…seriously.

First come, first serve right!!!

His brownie bites were one of those treats! Now mind you this was years before the cake pop craze had hit, so his little bite of brownies mixed to perfection with frosting and dipped in chocolate was a new taste experience for most of us. It wasn’t til’ I had a cake pop years later that I realized he had been making the “brownie” version of them.

I have been wanting to recreate something like it for some time now, but haven’t had the opportunity until recently. You see I had about half a batch of my incredible creamy dreamy peanut butter frosting left over from my daughter’s birthday and it seemed almost fate that it should pair itself with a lovely chocolate brownie.

It was destiny I tell you…. destiny.

Hence these brownie bombs were born. They look similar to cake balls and if you want to call them that I won’t be mad or anything, but I am pretty positive if you make them, THEN eat one, you will be forced by some inner version of yourself to proclaim that these are not mere cake ball, but cake BOMBS.

Because they are seriously Da Bomb!

This is what you will need to make them…….

A pan of prepared brownies, box mix is fine (I’ll explain a little more on this later)
3-4 Tbsp Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Candy melts
Peanut Butter (creamy)
Apple Sauce
Plastic baggie with the corner snipped.

I used a good old box of Pillsbury Brownie mix to make these. Please don’t shudder in disgust if your a puritan and only bake from scratch, for me box mixes have the ability to make this busy Mom’s life easier.

I’m a huge fan of Pillsbury mixes of all sorts, so that is my go to for box mixes of any kind. Prepare the brownies according to the instructions, BUT instead of using the amount of oil it calls for cut it in half and make up the difference in apple sauce. (So 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil.) The reasoning behind this is that if you only use oil after it’s all mixed up and you dip them they will ooze. This happens a lot with cake pops (to me anyway) if I use only oil. It doesn’t affect the flavor at all when using applesauce.

Let the brownie cool completely before you crumble them up in to a big bowl. Add in 2-3 tbsp of creamy dreamy peanut butter frosting and mix with a big spoon. Start with a small amount and add if you need more. You want the mixture to be soft and pliable to the touch after mixed and not a big bowl of mush.

The recipe I have for creamy dreamy peanut butter frosting can be found {{HERE}} I suggest that you use the half recipe, you will not use the full amount of frosting you make, so save the remainder in the freezer, use it for something else or just eat it straight from the bowl with a pink spatula…I won’t judge…promise!

After you mixed the brownies and the frosting you can roll them out immediately. I use a Tbsp. measurement and scoop out all the mixture then roll them up.

They don’t have to be perfect little rounds, unless you want them to be. 🙂 I think a little blobby and imperfect give them character and make them more like bombs anyway!

You do not have, let me repeat that, you do not have to refrigerate these, you can begin dipping them in your candy melts immediately. Melt your candy melts in the microwave in 30 second bursts until the it begin to melt and mix, mix, mix.

Do not overheat the candy melts or they will never thin properly, they will be done before you think they are. If you need to you can add in a tsp. or two of oil to thin it out, but if you melt it slow enough and mix it enough you shouldn’t have to even add anything.

I had a handy dandy little candy dipper thing a ma bob, which was cheap and made cheap. Trust when I tell you a fork works just as well. Now bombs away into the candy melts…..let the excess drip away, you can shimmy the fork or candy dipper so all the extra melted chocolate falls away.

Place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to set.

Hold on, hold, on your not done yet. Although if you wanted to be you could be. But chances are that you have extra candy melts just sitting there begging to be utilized, well here is you chance to let them shine. Add in a tbsp. of creamy peanut butter to your leftover candy melts and stir to incorporate it into the melted chocolate.

Now you have peanut butter flavored chocolate to drizzle on top. Pour this into a plastic baggie and snip a small piece of the corner off and go back and forth over each little bomb to give it a little something extra.

Let them set…and then arrange them all sort of cute and take pictures of them to entice people or you could just share them instead.

Whatever you choose it’s entirely up to you!!

Full recipe/instructions can be printed from {{HERE}}

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!

“Swoon” Worthy Strawberry White Chocolate Frosting

I love cupcakes and for me cupcakes are synonymous with frosting. Those two very elements are the entire reason I started this whole baking journey of mine a few years ago.

While there are some people that prefer one over the other, I like them both together. I also prefer butter based frostings that are creamy, not overly sweet, and smooth on the palette. And while I do love my share of sweets, truth be told all in all flavor wise I am pretty boring. I like what I like and don’t often swerve from that standard, which would be a simple chocolate cupcake and vanilla frosting.

But something happened during one of my ventures into the produce section of the grocery store. It must have been the display of giant, red, ripe strawberries that seemed to be everywhere. Because since then I have had nothing but strawberries on my mind, strawberry butter cream to be more precise and to be even more exact then that, white chocolate strawberry butter cream.

That description in itself is swoonworthy wouldn’t you agree???

Also I just can’t leave well enough alone and I LOVE white chocolate , even though technically it’s not even chocolate. Sweet, creamy strawberry flavor with that butter flavor that only white chocolate imparts. (Or it might just be me that thinks white chocolate has a buttery flavor???)

Any how this is easy to make, tastes delicious and is a nice distraction from my normal “All I like is vanilla“ frosting mentality, it may swerve you off course as well, so try it and pass along your thoughts to me.

Now keep in mind, I didn’t have the actual strawberries on hand when I was making the frosting, so I used strawberry preserves. Don’t cheap out on this, purchase a good preserve made with natural ingredients. It will taste better. If you want to use fresh strawberries and reduce them and all that to make a puree and use that…go for it. I myself found that the preserves worked so well, that I didn’t even have to try that way.

On another note for an extra doubly treat what you can do it make some Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Frosting and fill your cupcakes with them, then top the cupcake with the this strawberry frosting and you will get a Peanut Butter and Jelly frosting experience!! Just cut a piece from the top.

Fill with Peanut butter frosting.

Top with Strawberry Butter cream frosting.

Eat and enjoy!!!

[yumprint-recipe id=’1′]

Enjoy!!

Create a little LOVE this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is upon us yet again! This is a holiday that celebrates the most wonderful thing that we are able to show in so many ways. Although I love to jump on the bandwagon and make fun treats and such for all holidays, there are meanings behind all that I do, that sprout first from love. These cookie I made seemed to express in cookie form what I truly feel about love.

That love is so much bigger and more colorful than anything else I have ever experience in my life and is so powerful in it’s vibrancy!

What I thought love was in my younger years has definitely transformed into a bigger understanding of how powerful of a force it can really be.

Love is a seed planted in our hearts….and it grows…and grows…and grows….expressing itself onto the canvas we called life, in a spectacular display of colorful moments we simple call life.

Love is a miracle shared by us all.

Hope you enjoyed this post and Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you!!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Filling

Sometimes I feel obnoxious and let that part of my character shine its not so sunny disposition onto the world around me. I am human so I assume that we all have our days of not so “wonderful”?

Well I had one of those day recently and guess what happened???

I decided to make ridiculously obnoxious cookies to mirror my mood. I couldn’t help myself really, it all sort of happened after I started playing around with white chocolate earlier in the week. All sorts of ideas started rolling around in all that space inside my head. And eventually those ideas shimmied themselves towards a little thought about macadamia nuts stuck somewhere in-between here and there and I realized I was in trouble..

And I had to make these…I just had to!

I mean how could I not! Delicious chewy, soft with a hint of crispy, sweet, buttery, white chocolate, macadamia cookies filled with white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough frosting/filling. Yeah, so it’s a bit much, but whatev’s because they are awesome and even better washed down with a tall cool glass of milk.

I felt compelled to share these because as much as I love chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough frosting, my real love of anything cookies are the white chocolate version. Add in some macadamia nuts and make some flavored frosting to schmear all over them. Cookie heaven about sums it up.

The original recipe for the cookie is a Ghirardelli recipe, but over time I have tweaked a few things to make it more the way I like cookies., which are chewy and soft not overly crisp.

To make them this is what you will need:

For the cookies:

1 cup Butter (softened to room temperature)
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 (3.9 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips
1 cup Macadamia nuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl add in butter, sugar and brown sugar and mix well.

Add in eggs, one at a time, vanilla extract and add to mix. Add in package of instant pudding, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine all ingredients well. Finally add in white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts, mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated. The pudding helps keep them soft and chewy.

I used a tbsp measurement to scoop out the cookie dough and placed them about an inch apart on a cookie sheet.

Although I don’t show it, be sure to flatten the cookies a little before placing them in the oven so they are not super poofy after they bake. Bake then for 10-11 minutes or until the edges start to crisp and begin to brown. Don’t over bake them as then they will be too crispy (for my liking anyway) These work best with the filling it the cookies are soft.

While the cookies completely cool, you can make your filling/frosting.

This is what you will need:

2 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
1/4 cup of butter softened
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of flour
1/4 white chocolate chips finely chopped
1/4 macadamia nuts finely chopped
2 tbsp heavy cream/milk/half and half

In a bowl combine the butter and cream cheese.

Add the vanilla extract.

Add the brown sugar, mix well.

Add in the flour a bit at a time.

Add in white chocolate and nuts, mix well

If the frosting look/feels too dry add in the heavy cream I tbsp at at time until you reach your desired consistency.

****Make sure you really chop your chips and nuts super fine, stick them in a blender if needed, because they all but dissipate in the frosting, which flavor it wonderfully!Now all that is left to do is spread in-between cookie, squish and eat..

Repeat as needed until the desire to eat more has been fully quelled.

Hope you enjoy this post!!

Peas Be Mine Valentine’s Day Printable

I happen to be slightly “crunchy” when it comes to what my kids eat, although certain contents of this blog may suggest otherwise. Some of you may not know but I was/am one of those breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, make my own organic baby food types of Mama’s.

Even now as they are older I try to avoid processed sweets/foods on a daily and serve them organic fruit and veggies as snack. I’m not saying this is the way to do with your kiddo’s, it’s just what I do with mine. I make them every meal and rarely give them processed foods and none of that makes me better or worse than anyone that also does or does not do this.

With that said, holidays tend to be the exception to the rule in regards to sweets and I often make them all sorts of fun super sugar (non-organic at that!) laden treats for school parties, but decided that this Valentine’s Day I would do things a little different and try my best to parlay some healthier choices for all the kids.

I figured their parents would totally appreciate me and sing my praises for making the decision to finally bring some healthy alternative to a holiday that is synonymous with chocolate and sugary sweets and the kids would as be super excited to get a bag full of peas with this cute printable on top!

Too far?? Just for the record as much as I would love to torture my children and justify this as a form of early karma as I send them skipping into school with fists full of these and have them sprinkle a bit of cray cray on their school party, I am not the craziest Mom on the block.

But a part of me finds great humor in the reactions of the kids after receiving a bag of these crunchy, healthy treats. This is the face my daughter made when I told her this would be the Valentine’s for her class, as peas happen to be a not so favorite of hers.

Could you imagine the looks on the face of the kids as packages of these were handed out. I have visions of “Ewwww gross” and “I don’t wan’t THIS” echoing throughout my brain and it make me all sorts of giggly to think of the faces.

But in all seriousness although I may be slightly crunchy, I do allow sweets in moderation and these free printables are so much more appealing with CANDY!!!

They can be printed out on a standard sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and come four per sheet.

peas be mine valentines day printable free

But listen, I am not Judy Judgermister, so if ya wanna use them with peas go on with your crunchy self and do your thing!

And “peas” enjoy these whichever way you decide to use them!!

You can print out the toppers from {{HERE}}

Will You Peas Be My Valentine????

Need a fun easy Valentine or just feel like you may want to torture you children with embarrassment??? Then send them to their Valentine’s day parties with fistful’s of these!

I’m sure the other parents will think your wonderful thinking about the health of their children and the think of how excited the kids will be to get a bag full of snow peas!!!

Okay, I hope you know I am totally kidding. If I sent these to school with my kids they would be met with lots and lots of “I don’t want them!” or better yet “Ewwwwwww…gross” So I figured to keep my kids for needing any type of future therapy from being the victims of my twisted sense of humor. I will spare them and just make these with CANDY!!!

They are much more fun that way! I used lime green Sixlet candies, which you can purchase at most craft stores, but any type of round green candy could be used. They can be printed out on a standard sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper and come four per sheet. I filled little cello bags that measured 6 x 3.75 inches. But you can use whatever you have handy to put them in and just fold them to fit the printable topper.

Unless you want to make them with real peas…no matter the choice is entirely up to you! Either way “Peas” enjoy the free printable!

You can print them from here!!!

Enjoy Sweet Peeps!!

Chocolate Banana Bear Bites

I have been stuck inside the house for a few days with the kids. Lots of snow and overall “not fun” slushy cold, wet weather has been happening quite a bit lately so I am hesitant to drag three kids out of the house. With that said the kids and I have becoming more than a little stir crazy over the past few days.

I mean how many princess dress up parties, hide and seek, let’s pretend, face painting, stories and play doh can be utilized before things get….a little played out, for me anyway?

When I get in one of those it’s winter and I’m stuck in the house going crazy ruts, my mind longs to find was to express itself. Today was no exception as I was slicing bananas and getting cereal ready for the kids, my brain started piecing together the ingredients into this cutsey of a bite sized treat. I never claimed to be Georgia O’Keefe as my creativity expresses itself in “other” ways

They were ridiculous easy to make as you can probably see only use a few things to make them. I’m sure if I wanted to I could make them even more elaborate and silly for the kids, but I have found simple and silly get the same surprised and thrilled reaction just to see funny little tidbits like theses whenever I included them at meal times.

This is what you will need.

Bananas
Chocolate Chips
Miniature Chocolate Chips or large round sprinkles
Cheerios or some other version of ring type of cereal.

Slice your bananas and add two cheerios to either side of the sliced banana. Add a large chocolate chip in the middle and place two miniature chocolate chips (or sprinkles) as eyes.

So easy and so silly, especially when you stick them on top of a stack of miniature pancakes and your kids are squealing that they have “bears” on their food 🙂 My oldest wanted to know specifically if it was “Little Bear” I told her yes, because if I didn’t it would be an hour long conversation of what bear it was, where did he live, did he have any sisters, what is his favorite color…on and on.

So I lied and told her yes!

Easy is the best way right and breakfast gets eaten in a normal frame of time.

Hope you enjoy 🙂

Heirloom Cookie Sheet Giveaway

I’ve been a bit more distracted from blogging/baking/playing around mindlessly on facebook as of late than normal, reason being that I met with a nutritionist about a month ago who suggested I try a lower calorie diet to battle my after kid bulge that despite my best efforts will not go away.

I have made huge dietary changes in the past few years trying everything from low-carb, no carb, paleo, grain free, all organic…and the list goes on. With not much success regardless of sticking to whatever plan I was implementing in my life at the time.

But after I was told I would develop diabetes sooner than later if I didn’t get rid of the weight, I decided to forgo my internet research/education and go see an endocrinologist and nutritionist to see if I could regain my former self (or better self) with a bit of conventional medicine and nutritional advise.

I was put on a medication to help me balance my fasting blood levels and it was suggested by the nutritionist to count calories.

And I was all like count what???

I have been counting everything but that for the past few years, so the idea of reverting back to that type of “dieting” was nothing I had thought of. I had just cut calories after my first and dropped all the baby weight, but that did not happen after the second or third. In fact I gained more and more with each pregnancy, which if you don’t know was three in less than four years.

So I’m giving it a try. I won’t be the once thin, now fat chick lamenting about her weight loss/dieting woes, but I did want to just tell a little background in case you may see some “healthier” lower calories recipes (shudder) on the blog.

So far I have lost a bit of weight, so it seems promising but counting, weighing and measuring ever bite of food that goes in m mouth is beyond exhausting. So much work for so little loss each week, just doesn’t seem right. So many hours in a day are spend planning meals and exercise, that not a lot of time has been allowed for things such as this blog, which by the way has a lot of items that do not fit in my calorie budget.

I remember in my twenties I would just snort a lot of questionable things up my nose and dance for days. Never had weight issues then! But that type of behavior isn’t even an option anymore!!!

****Sigh***** being a grown up with self respect, morals and self worth is really hard sometimes

Whatever…it is what it is and I will go along with it if only to avoid future complications with my health later on.

Just wanted to get that ALL out before I get to the fun part of this post which is a giveaway! I was contacted a few months back by Heirloom Cookie Sheets to be part of their new cook book. I was given a cookie sheet to bake my cookie on them and was pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was.

Typically I use a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper when I bake cookies, but I did not need either of these using the Heirloom Baking sheet and what I got was perfect, evenly baked cookies that came right off the baking sheet.

Every. Single. Time. Awesomeness!

So because they are so fabulous and so generous they agreed to give away one Heirloom cookie sheet and one copy of the recipe book.( Which I’m in…just saying )

So please enter and see if you are a winner.

Giveaway will run through February 10, 2014 12:00 am est. One winner will be chosen at random. Winner will be announced via rafflecopter and emailed..

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway