What is more, they look super cute on the festive table. And it sure feels like we’re on vacation!

It’s only April but here I am dreaming of the beach.  I guess I’ll have to eat a Pudding Sand Cup instead…

What do you need to make this Pudding sand cups recipe?

In fact, these are so easy to make, you will need no more than 10 minutes tops. In addition to the ingredients in the recipe, you will need small cups and some more decorations such as cocktail umbrellas. You can find these in the party section of your grocery store or a party supplies store. 

Remember that you make these for the grandkids, so they don’t have to be in large cups. They will be a hit at your beach-themed party!

These pudding sand cups are:

• easy to make 
• tasty 
• don’t require any special skills
• summery snack
• creamy

Make a Pudding sand cups recipe for your beach-themed party

To begin with, planning and organizing a party for the little ones can be a difficult task. If it is possible, begin preparations the month before to be sure you won’t miss anything. 

Make a party plan, choose the theme, cake, decorations, and schedule the activities and games for the grandkids. Make a food menu, and organize it all in a folder on your tablet. It helps the party to be less stressful for you.  

Helpful tips:

• You can crush the biscuits in a food processor or a ziplock bag using a rolling pin.
• Feel free to use the candy you already have.
• Instead of gummy bears, you can use different types of summer-themed treats.

What do you need to make the perfect beach-themed party?

Save on time and stress by choosing the theme first. If you decide on a beach theme party, start with the cake and then plan the decorations for the room and the table. You should include the theme colors in the appetizers, desserts, and other tasty treats you serve.

For your party you will need:

• Party theme
• Invitations
• Cake
• Food menu
• Table and room decorations
• Fun games and activities for the grandkids

What is more, make sure you send out the invitations a few weeks in advance. For more excitement, grandkids can get involved in making the invitations and get crafty. They can make the invitations by using paper, pencils, stickers, and other craft supplies. 

Write a list of all the beach-themed items you want to include at your beach party:

• seashells
• starfish
• sand
• beach or pool
• umbrellas
• fish
• boats
• palm trees
• pineapples
• flamingos
• beach balls

Make super funny food names and put labels on the table

Would you like to try these pudding sand cups with bears? Or some beach party dip? How about a starfish sandwich? Come up with cute and amusing names for the tasty treats and label them.

Put the labels on the table. It will make the party a lot more fun! Even the picky-eaters will be enjoying this party food!

Try some of these ideas:

• Starfish sandwiches
• Swimming teddy bear dip
• Bikini beach bear cupcakes
• Beach party pops
• Surfing bear cupcakes

Plan the party outside

Grandkids need to be outside to get more Vitamin D. Also, to have more space for running and expressing their excitement. They need to play outdoors for at least 30 minutes a day. This party will give them lots of reasons to stay in the sun and have fun.

Easy-to-make party food snacks

Party food should be related to the topic. And it is great to have beach theme shapes and decorations, too. Get creative in the kitchen! Search the internet for some party food ideas and create them with the products you want to use. 

We have many recipes on our blog where your grandkids can help make the food item. This Pudding Sand Cups Recipe is no different. I’ve mentioned before that these are my favorite kind of treat to make because it keeps my little ones busy for a bit in the kitchen and then they always love to eat what they make. Just wait until they see this!

In addition to our Pudding Sand Cups recipe, here’s another “beach” type snack that I have made many times with my littles and they love it! It’s our Beach Theme Fruit Dip and it’s always a hit!

With summer quickly approaching, you may want to grab some of the ingredients for this recipe so that you have everything on hand. I know that my refrigerator is often sparse because there is just my husband and me at home. We don’t eat that much. 

Our little 6-year-old granddaughter was here the other day, and she opened our refrigerator, and then she said “Grammy, now I know why you and Pa come to our house for Sunday dinner because you don’t have a lot of food!”

I may not have a lot of food. But I do have lots of things to make recipes for with my grandkids. I guess I better go to the store and get some pudding! Using instant puddings makes this recipe an easy one. So let’s get started! 

Print

Pudding Sand Cups Recipe

Kids of all ages love to make this Pudding Sand Cups Recipe. Using instant puddings makes it so easy!

Course Snack

Keyword Pudding Sand Cups

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author WritersID2

Ingredients

• 1-2 pkg small box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 tub 8 oz whipped topping (thawed)
• Blue Food Coloring
• 6-8 Golden Oreos, crushed
• Gummy sea creatures, stars or shells
• Teddy Bear Grahams

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, add cold milk
• Sprinkle pudding over top and whisk until well combined
• Add food coloring and mix well
  
• Place in refrigerator about 10 minutes or until set
• Fold in whipped topping until well combined
  
• Add to glasses or cups
  
• Place in refrigerator 20 minutes to chill
• Crush cookies in food processor or resealable plastic bag until fine
• Sprinkle on top
• Add your gummy sea creatures and Teddy Bear Grahams
  

Notes

You can adapt this recipe to a "dirt cup" recipe by following the same recipe but using these ingredients:

 

1-2 small box (3.4 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed

10-12 regular Oreo cookies, crushed
Gummy worms

 

How to make table and room decorations for the beach-themed party?

It is no surprise that the general color is blue. You can combine it with white and other bright colors for accent. White table cloths will make your dishes and decorations more visible. 

For the perfect beach themed-party provide:

• decorative fishnet wall hanging
• fish and boat ornaments
• seashells centerpiece for the table
• white table cloth
• beach signs
• colorful balloons
• a small pool with inflatable fish and boats

For the table setting, you may use a blue scarf or organza fabric to drape in the center of the table. Put decorations on the top. For example, seashells, and boats. Stretch a fishing net across the table cloth or hang it on the wall. Use blue napkins and straws. You can even put an umbrella on each straw to make it more fun!

Fun party activities for the grandkids

Thirty minutes for each game is enough for the grandkids to have fun and then move on to the next activity. Plan some quiet games, too, such as puzzles or board games. This way grandchildren won’t be exhausted before the cake arrives.

You can give all the grandkids some beach-theme items like goggles, sunglasses, flippers. Make them participate in the beach-themed photo booth wearing them and take photos.

For instance, hide some beach-themed items somewhere in the garden and organize a scavenger hunt. Grandkids will be having a lot of fun while finding them. Leave clues in different places and watch them playing. 

Schedule different beach-themed party activities, such as:

• scavenger hunt
• decorating seashells
• craft with tropical items
• beach-themed photo booth
• make a beach-themed sensory bottle
• catching fish in the small pool with inflatable fish

Get some seashells, paint, glitter, and get crafty. The grandkids can make their painted seashells and take them home as a gift from the party. 

Besides, we have already shown you how to make a sensory bottle in some of our blog posts. You can use this idea as a great party activity. 

Provide bottles, cooking oil, paint, glitter, different seashells, and window stickers. Grandkids will have fun while making their ocean-filled bottles. Homemade toys are great for developing grandchildren’s skills. 

These activities will create meaningful conversations and lots of long-lasting memories. And most importantly, grandkids will be having fun!

Healthy party food

Create a well-balanced and healthy menu for the party. Include vital nutrients such as proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. Minimize using sugar as much as possible. Substitute it with fresh fruit. 

Here is what you can do to make your party food healthier:

• Why not go sugar-free? Grandkids won’t be able to tell if you use sweeteners instead of sugar. But it will make it much healthier. Try stevia or erythritol. You can use sugar-free chocolate, too. 
• Instead of artificial food coloring, put some blue spirulina. It will make the pudding the desirable blue color. 
• Make sure you have lots of colorful fresh fruit on the table. Bright colors will attract the grandkids, and they would want to have some.

In fact, cooking food at home is always a better option to make it organic or eliminating food coloring and artificial food enhancement agents. If you decide to buy prepackaged food, make sure it contains less sugar and no preservatives. 

Allergy-friendly Pudding sand cups recipe variation

When you gather more grandchildren together for a party, you have to consider whether some of them have food allergies or not. Make sure your food is allergy-free. Use dairy-free milk to make the recipe lactose-free and vegan. 

Why not make a homemade ”biscuit sand” for the Pudding sand cups? Use a gluten-free mix of flour and add sweetener to make it tasty.

For example, you can mix equal quantities of buckwheat flour and gluten-free oat flour with some erythritol to make it sweet. There are gluten-free crackers or biscuits you can use, too. 

The bottom line

How to throw the perfect beach theme party for your grandkids? We have you covered with tips and ideas to make your occasion memorable. Everyone will love these delicious and cute Pudding sand cups.

Not only are these easy to make but also look super cute on your party table. Your grandkids will be looking forward to the party! 

Moreover, get them involved in making the invitations and even the Pudding sand cups. They will be so excited to take part in the whole preparations! It is an affordable and money-saving idea for a sweet treat that will take your party to the next level! 

Are you already enjoying our pudding sand cups recipe? You have to check out these other posts, too:

• 23 ideas for a beach staycation
• 16 healthy kid snacks
• 31 easy pirate ideas
• 16 nautical DIY projects
• Quick and easy DIY seashell artwork

The post Pudding Sand Cups Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

With a wonderful nutty flavor sprinkled with powdered sugar these never last for long. Which is why it might be good to double the batch.   Here we go!

Snowball Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
Powdered sugar for coating

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat
In a large bowl, beat together butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined

Mix in salt and flour until well combined

Stir in nuts

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown
Remove from oven and cool slightly, about 2-3 minutes, on a wire rack
Add powdered sugar to medium bowl.

Roll cookies in powdered sugar and place on wire rack to cool completely

Store in airtight container.

Print

Snowball Cookies Recipe

It's not Christmas around our house until these cookies get baked. With a great nutty flavor sprinkled with powdered sugar, they will soon become a family favorite for you too.

Course Cookies, Holiday

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
• Powdered sugar for coating

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined
• Mix in salt and flour until well combined
• Stir in nuts
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown
• Remove from oven and cool slightly, about 2-3 minutes, on a wire rack
• Add powdered sugar to medium bowl
• Roll cookies in powdered sugar and place on wire rack to cool completely
• Store in airtight container

A wonderful addition to these cookies is eating them with some creamy hot chocolate.  It’s beginning to feel like Christmas already!

MORE great Christmas goodies!

English Toffee

Christmas Fudge

The post Snowball Cookies Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

With a chewy outside brownie for the cookie and a chocolate chip cookie dough as the filling, these cookies will be asked for over and over.

They are super simple to make but make a grand entrance once they are unveiled.   Let’s get to making these!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix plus the ingredients to make the batter (or you can also use your own made from scratch recipe)

1 1/2 cups (three sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 TBL milk

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag of mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Prepare the brownie batter per the package instructions.

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spoon drops of brownie batter leaving space for spreading

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the brownies start to crack.

Allow to cool on the cookie sheet.

While the brownies are cooling, beat the brown sugar and butter on high speed until creamy and fluffy.

Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Add in the flour and the salt.  Blend until well combined.

Add the milk and vanilla.  Mix well.

Fold in 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips.

Spread this mixture on half of your “brownie cookies” then top with another brownie cookie. 

For even more chocolatey goodness, you can press or roll some extra mini chocolate chips to the sides of the cookies. 

Print

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

With a chewy brownie on the outside and some yummy cookie dough for the filling inside, these Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies will be asked for over and over again!

Course Cookies, Desserts

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Brownie mix plus the ingredients to make the brownie batter per the package instructions
• 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 TBL milk
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 bag mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Prepare the brownie batter per the package instructions.
• On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spoon drops of brownie batter leaving space for spreading
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the brownies start to crack.
• Allow to cool on the cookie sheet.
• While the brownies are cooling, beat the brown sugar and butter on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
• Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
• Add in the flour and the salt.  Blend until well combined.
• Add the milk and vanilla.  Mix well.
• Fold in 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips.
• Spread this mixture on half of your "brownie cookies" then top with another brownie cookie.
• For even more chocolatey goodness, you can press or roll some extra mini chocolate chips to the sides of the cookies. 

Notes

There are no eggs used in the cookie dough filling,  so these can be eaten without the worry of getting salmonella. 

Recipe adapted by The Tidy Mom

I am watching my little 4 year old grandson in two days and I am really going to score some Grammy points because we are going to make these cookies when he’s here.  Grammy for the win!

More cookie goodness for the grandkids!

Bomb Pop Cookies

Loft House Sugar Cookies

The post Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I have to admit, it does make them look rather special.

Whether you make these for a cookie exchange or are making them for grandkids, this Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe will be a favorite. 

Ingredients:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar for coating

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl
Heat for 30 seconds, stir and continue heating for 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating until completely melted

Set aside to cool
In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and melted chocolate

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition

Add vanilla and beat well
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt

Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until well combined

Transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap

Place in refrigerator to chill several hours or overnight
Remove from refrigerator and set on counter about 20 minutes to warm up slightly
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat
Place powdered sugar in medium bowl
Roll dough into balls and coat with powdered sugar

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set
Remove from oven and let set on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes

Transfer to wire cooling rack and cool completely
Store in airtight container for up to 5 days

Print

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These festive Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a favorite for cookie exchanges or just to make for family. You might want to double the batch!

Course Cookie, Cookies

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Servings 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs large at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar for coating

Instructions

• Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl
• Heat for 30 seconds, stir and continue heating for 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating until completely melted
• Set aside to cool
• In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and melted chocolate
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
• Add vanilla and beat well
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt
• Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until well combined
• Transfer to bowl and cover with plastic wrap
• Place in refrigerator to chill several hours or overnight
• Remove from refrigerator and set on counter about 20 minutes to warm up slightly
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat
• Place powdered sugar in medium bowl
• Roll dough into balls and coat with powdered sugar
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set
• Remove from oven and let set on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes
• Transfer to wire cooling rack and cool completely
• Store in airtight container for up to 5 days

Watch for more Christmas Cookies to come!

Need more cookies for a Christmas Cookie Exchange?  Here you go!

Candy Cane Cookie Recipe

Melting Snowman Cookies

Old Fashioned Gingerbread Man Cookie Recipe

The post Chocolate Crinkle Cookies appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

What do you call these?  All my life I’ve called these Scotcharoos with an “A”.  Then I see recipes out there that are called Scotcheroos with an “E”.  What??!!

Either way, I don’t think there is a kid alive that doesn’t like these. (This Grammy loves them and can eat a quite a few.) And our Scotcharoos (with an A) is the best because of a small little tweak that makes our soft and not too hard. Plus no cutting is required. Hallelujah!

If you’ve ever cut a pan of these, you know that can be a chore.  But with our recipe below, your Scotcharoos will be a breeze. So let’s get started.

Ingredients:

5  to 5 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies (This is our little secret.  DO NOT use 6 cups that is called for in every other recipe.)

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of corn syrup

1 cup of creamy peanut butter

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of butterscotch chips

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, mix the sugar and corn syrup together to dissolve the sugar.

Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Stir in peanut butter.

Add 5 cups of Rice Krispies.  If the mix looks too liquidy you can add up to another 1/2 up but do not add any more than that or your Scotcharoos will be hard.  This is the key to making them soft instead of hard. I pretty much always use 5 cups.

Line a muffin pan with liners and then spray with a non-stick spray.  You can use regular size muffin pans or mini muffin pans. 

Evenly distribute the Rice Krispie mixture into the muffin liners and lightly press down.

In a smaller sauce pan on low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth.

Spoon melted mixture over each Scotcharoo and with a spoon distribute evenly. You can double the chocolate mixture if you prefer a thicker chocolate frosting.

Let cool and then you are ready to serve and eat.  NO CUTTING REQUIRED! 

Isn’t that the best news ever?

I will be serving these to my grandkids this Sunday.  Who wants to bet that there won’t be a single one leftover?

Print

Best Scotcharoos Recipe

With one little tweak, this Scotcharoo recipe makes the best Scotcharoos because they are soft and not hard. Plus no cutting required!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author Debbie

Ingredients

• 5 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions

• In a large sauce pan, mix the sugar and corn syrup together to dissolve the sugar.
• Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
• Stir in peanut butter.
• Add 5 cups of Rice Krispies.  If the mix looks too liquidy you can add up to another 1/2 up but do not add any more than that or your Scotcharoos will be hard.  This is the key to making them soft instead of hard. I pretty much always use 5 cups.
• Line a muffin pan with liners and then spray with a non-stick spray.  You can use regular size muffin pans or mini muffin pans.
• Evenly distribute the Rice Krispie mixture into the muffin liners and lightly press down.
• In a smaller sauce pan on low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth.
• Spoon melted mixture over each Scotcharoo and with a spoon distribute evenly. You can double the chocolate mixture if you prefer a thicker chocolate frosting.
• Let cool and then you are ready to serve and eat.  No cutting required!

Either way, with an “A” or an “E”, these are a fun treat to make and even more fun eating them!

Do you need more Rice Krispies goodness in your life?  

Take a look at this!

Roasted Rice Krispies Treats

The post Best Scotcharoos Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

It is great to have this on hand so that you’ll be ready to go for your fall apple pie dishes.

It only takes 5 minutes to make and you won’t have to hunt for what you need.

Apple Pie Spice Recipe

Ingredients:
¼ cup ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together

Store in an airtight container.  It yields 5 tablespoons which should be plenty for lots of baking!

Print

Apple Pie Spice Recipe

A great spice mix for all your fall apple dishes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 5 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ginger

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together.
• Store in an airtight container

MORE APPLE-Y GOODNESS!

Salted Caramel Apple Pies

Apple Pie Caramel Apple

The post Apple Pie Spice Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year- peach season! So sweet, juicy, and flavorful. The perfect fruit. Have you picked up a box of peaches yet? If you’re looking for new, exciting peach recipes to try, check out this list of 25 peach goodies that will rock your summer!

1. Fresh Peach Crumb Bars– Ok, I’m already drooling at these pics from Saving Room For Dessert!

2. Peach Caramel Blondie Cheesecake– Omg, I think I just died and went to heaven. Check this out at Life, Love and Sugar.

3. Peach Cookies– Aren’t these cookies from Party Pinching gorgeous?

4. Peach Jam– The perfect pair with a slice of toast, or even better, on a waffle! Find it at Crystal & Co.

5. Peaches & Cream Scones– A Family Feast‘s scones make me want to sit out in garden with my fancy hat, and enjoy a cup of tea.

6. Healthy Caramelized Skillet Peaches– If you’re looking for something a little healthier (but still totally delcious!), you’ll love 90/10 Nutrition‘s recipe!

7. Ginger Peach Lemonade– Talk about refreshing! Try this recipe at Thyme & Love.

8. Homemade Peach Ice Cream– This ice cream from Events to Celebrate looks heavenly!

9. Peach Pretzel Salad Dessert– The Creative Bite‘s dessert is a perfect combination of sweet and salty!

10. Homemade Fresh Peach Crisp– Mmmm! I can already taste this peach crisp from Hostess at Heart!

11. Peach Hand Pies– These little pies from Shugary Sweets are the perfect treat for an outdoor picnic!

12. Peach Snickerdoodles– As if snickerdoodles weren’t already scrumptious enough, Butter with a Side of Bread added peaches- a snickerdoodle upgrade!

13. Easy Baked Peaches with Cinnamon Sugar Topping– Oh my, these peaches from I Heart Naptime are absolutely dreamy!

14. Ripe Peach Popsicles– The View from Great Island‘s popsicles are a fantastic way to cool down on a hot summer’s day!

15. Two Two Easy Peach Cobbler– Need something quick and easy? Check out our peach cobbler, right here at This Grandma Is Fun!

16. No Bake Peach Cream Pie– What is it about peaches and cream that makes them the perfect combination? Find this easy recipe at A Latte Food.

17. Peach Sorbet– Nothing feels better in the middle of summer than a nice, cold treat, like this one from Chef Not Required.

18. Peach Bread– Is this even real?! Tastes of Lizzy T‘s peach bread sounds too good to be true!

19. Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone & Honey– This dessert from Erhardts Eat is so simple yet elegant.

20. Peach Butter– Imagine spreading this on a slice of bread and enjoying it on your back patio in the early morning hours. Ah, pure bliss! Find this recipe at The Redhead Baker.

21. Peaches & Cream Empanadas– The picture alone is making my mouth water over Taste Made‘s empanadas!

22. Peach Pie Bars– Forget about slicing up a pie, now you can have it in a convenient, more delicious bar with Life Made Simple‘s recipe!

23. Peach Slushies– Kids are sure to love this fun treat from Bite of Delight!

24. Peach Upside Down Cake– Isn’t this cake from An Italian in My Kitchen beautiful? What a presentation! And it’s absolutely delicious!

25. Ridiculously Easy Peach Dumplings– When you have little kids running around the house, sometimes you need something quick and easy, like these yummy dumplings from Home Is Where the Boat Is!

What do you think about these 25 peach goodies that will rock your summer? Let us know which you’ll try first!
 

The post 25 Peach Goodies that will Rock Your Summer appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

To get started with these cookies, you are going to want our Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie recipe found here.  I know that you have to make another click to get the recipe, but I am promising you right here and now, IT IS WORTH IT!  However, if you are in a hurry, you can always use premade sugar cookie dough. 

Here are the additional items you will need for the decorating: Red, green and white frosting, black and green gel icing, triangle cookie cutter, and tongue depressors.

Roll your cookie dough per the recipe or the premade dough.  Cut your triangles out.

Lay your tongue depressors on a cookie sheet leaving enough room to lay the triangle dough on top.

Bake as directed by our sugar cookie recipe or per the packaged dough. Start with the red frosting and frost the watermelon part of the cookie.

Next comes frosting the white part of the rind.

Take your green gel and make lines to look like the green watermelon rind.

And last but not least, with your black gel, create the black watermelon seeds.

Let the frosting dry a little and then watch these yummy treats disappear!

Recipes that kids can really help and get creative are my favorite kind of recipes.  I would say this one really fits that bill and that we will be making them again.  Hope you enjoy!

More Watermelon goodness with our…

Watermelon Whoopie Pies

Watermelon Cupcakes

Watermelon Flower Pots

The post Watermelon Cookies on a Stick appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Even though it has an old fashioned name, this Ice Box Cake does not have an old fashioned taste. The fruit that it is packed with makes this recipe fresh and flavorful.

Print

Ice Box Cake

Course Dessert

Author TGIF - This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups very cold heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Graham crackers
• 4 cups - fresh fruit - strawberries blueberries, red raspberries and blackberries, or any combination you like

Instructions

• Place mixing bowl in freezer about 30 min before using to chill
• While mixing bowl is chilling, prepare fruit by cleaning and slicing strawberries
• In a large mixing bowl, beat heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form
• Divide whipping cream mixture into fourths
• Spread a small spoonful of cream on bottom of pan evenly
• Add graham crackers, trim crackers to fit if necessary
• Spread ¼ of the whipping cream mixture on top of the graham crackers
• Add ⅓ of the fruit on top of the whipping cream
• Optional but helpful to level the crackers - Add a small amount of whip cream on top of the fruit to level it.
• Add another layer of graham crackers, pressing down gently into the cream
• Then repeat layers, finishing the cream on top
• Cover and refrigerate overnight
• Garnish with additional fruit if you like
• Serve chilled
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator

Notes

Any type of fruit can be used on this icebox cake. You can also add instant vanilla pudding in between the layers.

No matter if you put this dessert in your “icebox” or your “refrigerator”, I doubt it will stay for long.  Hope you enjoy!

Grilled Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich

Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake

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One of my worst fears as a parent is that some day, when my child finally goes off into the world as a young adult, he won’t know a thing about taking care of himself! What if he doesn’t know how to budget?! What if he doesn’t know how to clean up his apartment?! How will he get a job?! What will he eat?! Well, it’s never too early to start teaching your kids independence, and at our house, we’re starting with cooking (…. and cleaning. But that’s for a different post…). And, no surprises, our kids are having a blast! Get your oven mitts ready with these 29 recipes your kids will love to make! 

1. Breakfast Balls– Start your family off right with Kids Activities breakfast balls!

2. Hash Brown Egg Cups– There’s nothing like waking up to the smell of hash browns wafting through the house. Find this recipe at The Taylor House.

3. Pancake Muffins– Forget the griddle! Your kids will love customizing these pancake muffins from Twin Mom Refreshed!

4. Breakfast Sushi– Don’t worry! There’s no raw fish in this healthy banana treat from Raising Whasians!

5. Omelet Breakfast Bites– Forget the stove top! These omelets from A Worthey Life are baked right in your oven!

6. Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Balls– Add some flavor to the morning routine with Healthy Little Foodies breakfast balls.

7. Bread in a Bag– This recipe from Busy Toddler is sure to keep little hands occupied!

8. Fruit and Cracker Pizza– Sunshine and Hurricanes‘s recipe is quick and easy!

9. Frozen Yogurt Bites– We love making frozen yogurt bites at Grammy’s house with our recipe here at This Grandma is Fun!

10. Apple Nachos– Forget the cheese! The Simple Parent‘s nachos are a fun fruity spin on the classic appetizer!

11. Fruit Tacos– Speaking of fruity spins, have you tried Organized 31‘s fruit tacos? Yum!!!

12. Easy Soft Pretzel– Who knew soft pretzels were easy to make?! Find this recipe at Miss Information.

13. Pepperoni Cheese Bombs– It’s a well known fact that all kids love pizza, so it only makes sense that they should learn to make it in all its forms and variations, like these pepperoni cheese bombs from Sizzling Eats.

14. Meatloaf Cupcakes– With First Look Then Cook‘s recipe, cake becomes meat and frosting becomes mashed potatoes. So easy. So classic. So good.

15. Veggie Rice– An easy way to get your daily serving of vegetables in! Check out the recipe at The OT Toolbox .

16. Empanadas with Ham and Cheese– The picture is making my mouth water! Go to The Anthony Kitchen for the recipe!

17. Taco Pizza– Two delicious foods combined into one! Try it out at Life in the Lofthouse.

18. Mac and Cheese Bites– The Best Ideas for Kids‘s mac and cheese bites are easy, delicious, and totally kid-approved!

19. 4 Ingredient Mini Chicken Pot Pie– Hearty and filling, your kids will love making these cute pies from Charisse Yu!

20. Stir-fry– This recipe from My Life and Kids is a great introduction to using the stove (with plenty of adult supervision of course!)

21. Doritos Chicken Tenders– What is it about Doritos and kids? If there was one food my kids would eat every day for the rest of their lives, it would definitely be Doritos. So, of course, we’re going to try Dancing through the Rain‘s recipe here soon!

22. Mini Biscuit Pizza– Pizza comes in so many shapes and sizes, like these mini biscuits from Mommy Hood Life.

23. Cheesy Taco Sticks– Cheese? Tacos? Count me in! Find this recipe at I Wash, You Dry!

24. Easy Monte Cristo Sandwich– Favorite Family Recipes has found the secret to making this delicious sandwich a cinch to whip up!

25. Easy Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla– Little hands will love helping you make this tasty dish from Faith Filled Food for Moms!

26. Circus Animal Cookie Truffles– When I was a kid, I had an obsession with circus animal cookies. So, naturally, I need to pass on my love for them with The Three Snackateers yummy treat!

27. Cake Mix Donuts– These donuts from It’s Always Autumn are almost too pretty to eat! Almost….

28. Rainbow Popsicles– One Little Project‘s popsicles are the perfect treat to make for a hot summer’s day.

29. Yogurt Unicorn Bark– My girls would go crazy for this! Try it at Baby Foodie!

We hope you got some ideas from our list of recipes your kids will love to make! Which is the first one you’ll try with your family? Happy cooking!

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In my mind, they were the biggest popsicle and I though I was getting the most from the coins I had begged mom for.

With this Bomb Pop Cookies recipe you can relive your childhood anytime and share that memory with your grandkids while eating them.

They are such a different cookie with the stick in them and kids love making these!

Here’s the recipe.  I promise…It’s the “bomb”!

Print

Bomb Pop Cookies

Who remembers the Bomb Pop popsicle from the ice cream truck? With these cookies you don't have to wait to enjoy the Bomb Pop experience!

Course Dessert

Author TGIF - This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 & 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Red and blue paste food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon each cherry raspberry and lemon extract. You can also substitute strawberry extract for the raspberry.
• White chocolatem melts or some white frosting of your choice.
• Popsicles sticks

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and oil. Beat well
• In a separate bowl, mix together 2 and 3/4 cups flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• Add this dry mixture into the creamed mixture and beat well.
• If needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and beat until the dough forms into a ball.
• Divide dough into 3 equal balls of dough.
• Add red food coloring and cherry extract to the ball of dough.
• Add blue food coloring and raspberry extract to ball of dough.
• Add just the lemon extract to the last uncolored section.
• Roll each ball of dough into a 10-in.-long rectangle log.
• Place red, white and blue logs side by side.
• Very lightly, press all the logs together in red, white and blue order.
• Wrap in saran wrap and then chill until firm. I chilled mine for about 30 minutes.
• 
• Unwrap your dough and then cut it crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.
• 
• Place each slide about one inch apart on parchment paper on your baking sheets.
• At the end of a strip, lightly press cookies with a fork and then pull down the dough to the end.
• 
• 
• 
• Bake until set about 10-12 minutes.
• Let cool for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a rack.
• Using white chocolate candy melts, melt per package instructions. Spread on the inside of a cookie, insert a stick and place another cookie on the other side.
• 
• Let cool.
• Or use white vanilla frosting to do the same.
• 

Notes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

These Bomb Pop  Cookies are also great for our patriotic holidays.  If you are looking another patriotic treat, try these Firecracker Marshmallows.

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Whenever I have someone over and I make these, they are always so impressed.  I have been known to sigh, throw some flour on my face and describe how much time and effort it took me in the kitchen.  Luckily my friends know me well enough and we always end up laughing.

These eclairs have a perfect little crunch on the outside, a super creamy filling inside and who can complain about them being dripped in chocolate?

Print

Chocolate Eclairs

With this recipe, there's no need to be afraid to make these yummy Chocolate Eclairs.

Course Dessert

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Author TGIF - This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• Eclairs
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
  
• Filling
  
• 1 5.1 oz package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• Chocolate icing
  
• 2 squares 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
• 2 TBL butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 TBL hot water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Eclairs
  
• In a saucepan, combine the butter and water. Melt butter and bring to a rolling boil.
• Reduce heat and mix in flour and salt.
• Mix vigorously until the mixture leaves the side of the pan and forms a stiff ball.
• Remove from heat.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Spoon or pipe dough into 4 x 1/12 inch strips.
• Place on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 20 minutes longer or until golden brown.
• Let cool.
  
• Filling
  
• Combing pudding mix and milk and mix according to package instructions.
• In a separate bowl, whip the whipped cream until soft peaks form.
• Beat in sugar and vanilla.
• Fold into pudding mixture.
• Fill cooled shells. You may have some mixture leftover. I sometimes put this to mix into some fruit for a great fruit salad!
  
• Chocolate Icing
  
• Melt chocolate and butter in a sauce over low heat.
• Stir in sugar.
• Add hot water and stir until mixture is smooth and to desired consistency.
• Cool slightly.
• Pour over cooled eclairs.
• Chill until served.

With Easter fast approaching, these Chocolate Eclairs would be a great addition to a Sunday Brunch.  Just don’t forget to brush the flour from your face.

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If you’re like me, breakfast is the most unexciting part of the day. I pretty much eat the same old, same old: a bowl of cereal and a banana every day. That’s why Easter is an especially exciting day! The Resurrection, the Easter Bunny, and….. BRUNCH! If you’re as excited as I am for a break in boring old breakfast, check out these 21 scrumptious Easter brunch ideas! 

1. Stuffed Crescent Roll Carrots-The Easter Bunny is sure to love these crescent roll carrots from Pillsbury.

2. Savory Crepes with Cheese, Spinach, and a Fried Egg– The wonderful thing about crepes is that they can be either sweet or they can be savory, like this recipe from Amanda Fredrickson!

3. Easter Bunny Breakfast Bowls– Looking for something the kids will love? Check out our Bunny Breakfast Bowls!

4. Crescent Bacon Breakfast Ring– This recipe from Jo Cooks is exactly the type of recipe that gets me excited for brunch! Yum!

5. Peach & Honey Whipped Ricotta Crostini– Scrambled and Spiced‘s crostinis add such an elegant touch to brunch, don’t you think?

6. Spring Chick Egg Breakfast Sandwich– Forget the bunny! These little springtime chicks from Kids Activities are adorable!

7. Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Maple Syrup– Who says carrot cake is only dessert? Have it for breakfast with Imagelicous‘s recipe!

8. Parmesan Baked Hash Browns– It’s not brunch without hashbrowns and we found just the recipe for you at Delicious Table!

9. Blueberry Orange Beignets– A Latte Food

10. English Muffin Breakfast Pizza– Pizza- the Breakfast of Champions! Ok, but this one from Fox Valley Foodie is altered to include eggs, sausage, and its own special sauce, which makes it even tastier!

11. Oatmeal Cups with Yogurt and Fruit– Try this fresh take on yogurt parfaits from Domestically Speaking!

12. Easter Egg Pancakes– The Joys of Boys‘s recipe has inspired me to start hiding pancake eggs around the house instead of real ones. Great idea, right?!

13. Mini Quiche– For any quiche fans out there, Culinary Hill has four different ways to prepare it!

14. Easter Bunny Cream Tart– Make the cutest little bunny treat around with this cream tart from Ku’uipo Vea.

15. Mini Avocado Toasts– The food of a generation! Find this fun recipe at Pizzazzerie.

16. Breakfast Bagel Bunnies– Looking for something simple that the kids will love? Try Handmade Charlotte‘s bagel bunnies!

17. Prosciutto Asparagus Puff Pastries– There’s no rules about these pastries from Fox and Briar only being for brunch right? I’m pretty sure this is something I could eat every day, all day…

18. Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls– What better way to celebrate Easter than with these yummy cinnamon rolls from That’s What Che Said?!

19. Creme Brulee French Toast– French toast- good. Creme brulee- awesome. Put them together and you have AMAZING. Find this recipe at Mom’s On the Clock.

20. Lemon Poppyseed Scones– I really can’t think of a better fit for a spring time brunch than these lemon poppyseed scones from Salt and Baker.

21. Easter Egg Breakfast Popsicle– It’s like having dessert for breakfast! Check it out at Eats Amazing!

Which of these scrumptious Easter brunch ideas did you like the best? Let us know!

The post 21 Scrumptious Easter Brunch Ideas appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

When I first started making this cake I was a young married wife.  I very clearly remember when I had my parents over for dinner and I had made this cake especially for my dad.

When it came time for dessert, I told my dad that the name of this cake was the Better Than Sex cake.  But I wasn’t prepared for his response.

He took one bite and firmly exclaimed “No, it’s not!” 

My mom, husband and I immediately started laughing out loud!  My dad has since passed but this is actually one of my favorite memories of him. I miss his humor.

While you may not think it is better than s..(you know!), it is a dessert that your guests will love.

Print

Better Than Anything Cake

Course Dessert

Author This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar Mrs. Richardsons Caramel Topping or Butterscotch Caramel Topping
• 1 8 oz container of Cool Whip
• Toffee chips or crunched up SKOR or Heath Bar

Instructions

• Make cake as directed on package for a 9x13 cake
• Cool for 5 minutes
• With the back of a wooden spoon, poke cake every 1/2 inch or so
• Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake.
• Let stand until condensed milk has been absorbed into the cake.
• Spread caramel topping on top.
• Chill for 10-15 minutes
• Spread Cool Whip over top of cake and crumble toffee chips on top.
• Cover with saran wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve

I hope you decide to try this cake and while you are at it, go hug your Dad.

If you are looking for another poke cake idea, check this out!

Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

The post Better Than Anything Cake appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Something super easy but a little fancier than cookies.  My grandkids could definitely make this and the best part is – it only takes 15-20 minutes! They are going to be so proud of themselves!

With only four ingredients, plus the shell, it also will make for almost no mess.  That’s my kind of recipe to make with kids who can sometimes be mess in the kitchen!

And even if you don’t make this with any kids, it still is a great dessert to bring for family get togethers, potlucks or parties.  I remember making five of these one night for a friend’s party and it took me less than 2 hours.  She was so grateful and impressed!

If you don’t care for cherries, you can substitute them for canned blueberries, strawberries or blackberries.  Super yum!

Print

Easy Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 -8

Author This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 1 frozen 8" baked pie shell
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 medium sized cool whip
• 1 can cherry pie filling refrigerated or other pie filling of your choice - blueberry, strawberry etc.

Instructions

• Bake pie shell according to package instructions. Let cool
• While cooling, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and cool whip together.
• Fold into cooled pie shell
• Top with cherry filling.
• Chill

I can’t wait to try this with my grandkids and I hope you enjoy it too!

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I have never been a big breakfast fan. It is my least favorite meal of the day. Cereal? Blech! Oatmeal? No way! Toast? Big, fat nope. Do you know what I’m craving in the mornings? Something sweet and fluffy. That’s right. I’m talking about muffins! If you’re tired of the same old, bland breakfast, you’ll love these 23 mouth-watering muffin recipes!

1. Crème Brûlée Muffins– I found out I could have crème brûlée for breakfast. Life just seems better now. Try crème brûlée muffins at Chef in Training!

2. Raspberry Yogurt Muffins with Honey Lemon Butter– Yes To Yolks‘s muffin recipe is bursting with flavor!

3. Almond Cherry Muffins– There’s just something so elegant about cherries. Find this recipe at Pretty Simple Sweet.

4. Chocolate Chip Muffins– I am a huge fan of chocolate chips. They make everything better, including muffins like these from Love from the Oven!

5. Coffee Cake Crumble Muffins– Mmmmm! I can already smell these muffins from What Molly Made baking in the oven!

6. Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins– Oh My Goodness Chocolate Desserts‘s french toast muffins made my jaw drop. Look at that picture. Just look at it. Are you drooling yet?!

7. Dark Chocolate Chunk Raspberry Crumb Muffins– Baker By Nature‘s muffin recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and tart!

8. Toffee Muffins– The toffee in these muffins from How To Be Awesome on 20 Dollars a Day add a yummy crunch!

9. S’mores Muffins– You don’t need a campfire for these yummy muffins from Burlap and Blue!

10. Pumpkin Muffins– Here at This Grandma is Fun, we try to be humble, but we cannot lie when we say these are the BEST pumpkin muffins! And so easy too…

11. Lemon Poppy Muffins– What is it about lemon and poppy that makes them an amazing combination? Try Yammie’s Noshery‘s recipe for a delicious muffin!

12. Pecan Pie Muffins– Make it the Christmas season all year long with The Girl Who Ate Everything‘s pecan pie muffins!

13. Cinnamon Roll Muffins– As if cinnamon rolls already weren’t delicious enough, Your Home Based Mom went and turned them into muffins. Heaven. Pure heaven.

14. Banana Cream Cheese Muffins– You know it’s good if its got cream cheese! Find this recipe at The Novice Chef .

15. Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins– Are you a peanut butter addict? Then you’ll love Our Balanced Bowl‘s muffin recipes!

16. Nutella Filled Chocolate Muffins– Nothing fills my chocolate lover’s heart with joy more than finding a Nutella stuffed muffin. Thank you Honest Cooking!

17. Orange and Strawberry Muffins– These muffins from The Kitchn make the perfect pick-me-up in the morning!

18. Apple Biscoff Hazlenut Muffins– If you wanted something a little on the healthier side, try Baked Bree‘s recipe!

19. Lemon Curd Filled Muffins– Add some zest to your morning with Annie’s Noms lemon curd muffins!

20. Muffadoodles– Ever notice how the good things in this world end with “doodle?” Snickerdoodle, golden-doodle, muffadoodles…. Find muffadoodles at Gimme Some Oven.

21. Caramel Apple Muffins– These muffins from Together as Family will make for a tasty breakfast treat.

22. Peach Crumb Muffin– Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch‘s peach muffins make me want to out to the orchard and pick peaches right now.

23. Old Fashioned Donut Muffins– I believe any recipe that starts with “old-fashioned,” like this recipe from Saving Room for Dessert, is an automatic win!

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Hey there! Molly and Chelsea here! We’re the besties and food bloggers from Bests and Bites. We’ve been best friends for over 20 years (so like, 90% of our lives) and we love nothing more than food, health/fitness and pool days!

We’re so glad we could share this Halloween recipe with you and hope you love making it for your spooky soirees this fall!

How adorable are Halloween treats? There’s no less than 10000 spooky recipes on Pinterest and every single one has an adorable place in my heart. And this one has a very special place because it’s comes together in a snap and it the epitome of fall: pumpkin spice and mummy decorations.

The base of this recipe is exactly like you’d start rice crispy treats. Measure out the cereal (which will be cheerios here rather than crispies) and melt the butter. But this is where it changes! Add a little pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to the melted butter and mix well to combine. There isn’t a ton of pumpkin puree here but it’s just enough to tell it’s made for fall.

When you mix the marshmallows in just keep stirring so it won’t burn. It’s best to use a wooden to avoid sticking. Oh and DO NOT forget to grease your pan:) Nobody wants a bunch of cereal stuck to a pan.

Expert tip: spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray before you spread it in the pan. This way the marshmallow-y cereal won’t stick to your spoon and you can press it firmly to set.

My favorite part about this is obviously the googly eyes! The bars just look like a  cereal trip with chocolate until you add the eyes and they’re instantly transformed into the spooky Halloween treat!

Print

Mummy Cereal Bars

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups honey nut cheerios
• 12 ounces 1 bag of white chocolate melting morsels
• 18 candy googly eyes

Instructions

• Spray an 11x7 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once melted, add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until they're all melted and mixture is sticky, but smooth, about two minutes. Add the cereal and mix well, making sure everything is coated with the marshmallow mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and press firmly down with a rubber spatula spray with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Allow to set for 15 minutes.
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and place on high for 30 seconds, remove and stir and return to microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stirring between each one. Transfer melted chocolate to a pastry bag or plastic bag with 1/4 and inch of the tip cut off and pipe melted chocolate on top of cereal bars back and forth horizontally, saving a little extra to add the eyes. Place bars in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
• Cut bars in long rectangles and use left over melted chocolate to place eyes on the bars towards the top of the rectangles.

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I’ve heard of pudding cookies, of course, but I never thought much of them. That is, until I started this blog post and found all these delicious recipes on Pinterest. Not only are there endless options for pudding cookies, but they all look AMAZING!!

Here are 21 pudding cookie recipes to try right now!

1. Let’s start with a twist on a classic recipe. The chocolate chip pudding cookie. Who knew you could make a chocolate chip cookie even better?!

2. Let’s add a little more chocolate in there with the Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies.

3. Oreo Pudding Cookies. Oreos and pudding?  My wildest dreams have come true.

4. White Chocolate Funfetti Pudding Cookies. What kid doesn’t like funfetti?  These will be sure to be gobbled up in no time.

S’more Pudding Cookies  You had me at S’mores.

6.  Sometimes you just want to stick with the classic. For those times, there are Vanilla Pudding Cookies.

7. The sweet and salty are such a great pair in these Butterscotch Chip Pudding Cookies. Yum!

8. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies. A perfect treat for fall!

9. Sticking to the seasonal theme, next we have Peppermint White Chocolate Pudding Cookies.

10. Fruity Pebbles Pudding Cookies. Since there’s cereal in them these count as breakfast, right?

11. Crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside these Root Beer Float Pudding Cookies are full of  root beer flavor. Yummmm!

12. Strawberries N Cream Pudding Cookies. Now these sound amazing! I love strawberries and cream!

13. I’ve never met a lemon that I didn’t like so pass me these Lemon Pudding Cookies please!

14. Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies. With Reese’s Pieces these are cookies that E.T. will want to phone home about!

15. Vanilla Pudding Snickerdoodles. Just when I thought snickerdoodles couldn’t get any better!

16. Pistachio and White Chocolate Pudding Cookies. Perfect for Easter and St. Patrick’s Day! Or any time, for that matter. They look delicious!

17. Strawberry Pudding Cheesecake Cookies. Just look at the inside of these cookies. They look amazing!!

18. Staying on the cheesecake theme with Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pudding Cookies!

19. Lucky Charms Cookies. Another cookie that I’m counting as breakfast!

20. M & M Pudding Cookies! M & M’s make everything better, don’t they?

21.  There must be cinnamon and cheesecake in heaven because these Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Cookies are heavenly!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a lot of new cookie recipes to try. I have now been convinced of the deliciousness of pudding cookies! Happy baking!

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I happened to be looking through a Family Fun magazine the awhile back and they had this exact cake but it was in ombre form with 4 different shades of purple pretzels.  Very beautiful indeed, but I instantly thought that I would love to do it in red, white and blue.

I love our country’s patriotic colors but I’m not a big fireworks person.  It seems like every time our family gets around fireworks, something catches on fire.  Meaning something that’s not supposed to be on fire, catches on fire.

Last summer our family was having a family reunion in St. George, Utah and we let the little kids do sparklers.  One of our grandsons got too close to a palm tree and with all that netting stuff around those trees, it caught on fire within seconds.   We were able to get it out before anything else caught on fire but we conveniently neglected to tell the owners of the home we were renting that we had a little mishap.  No harm, no foul right?  The tree looked just fine. Phew!

So this year our 4th of July holiday will be much quieter and we will be enjoying it without fireworks but celebrating with food.  I mean, what are holidays without food? And I love to do themed food so we will be enjoying this 4th of July cake.  It’s much better than sparklers!

Print

4th of July Cake

Course Dessert

Author This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix plus ingredients to make the cake per instructions on box
• 1 bag of mini pretzel twists
• 5-6 large thin pretzel twists
• 1 bag each of red white and blue candy melts. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart.
• White Pareils
• 3 6 " cake pans
• 2 cans white frosting
• Non stick cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour your 6" baking pans.
• Prepare cake mix and bake according to instructions on package.
• Let your three cakes cool on a wire rack.
• Lay some parchment paper or some foil down and place a separate wire rack on top
• Spray the rack with non stick cooking spray
• Melt the blue candy melts according to instructions on package.
• Drop the mini pretzels into the chocolate. With a fork, remove the pretzel and tap off excess chocolate.
• Lay the pretzel on the sprayed wire rack.
• On the blue mini pretzels, you can also sprinkle some white pareils on them to represent some little white stars.
• Let pretzels cool.
• Repeat with the red and white candy melts.
• For this size of cake you will need 15 blue mini pretzels, and 30-35 red and white mini pretzels.
• Also dip the large pretzels twists with the color of chocolate you desire. I did just red and blue. These will be for the garnishment on the top of the cake.
• I had some melted chocolate left over, so I spooned the chocolate into a zip loc bag, make a small cut in the corner and squeezed some chocolate lines onto some parchment paper and made some tips and backs of arrows which I added as garnishment to the top of the cake.
• Using a serrated knife, cut off the domes on two of the layers of cake.
• Place one cake layer on your serving platter and top with frosting.
• Repeat with second and third layers of cake.
• Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides. Apply the frosting fairly thick on the sides to help the pretzels hold.
• Starting at the bottom, layer the pretzels around the sides of the cake. Gently press the pretzels into the frosting to adhere them to the cake.
• Add the large, dipped pretzels onto the top of the cake and any other garnishment you would like.
• As I said earlier, I made some arrow tips and backs and added those to the top.

Have a safe 4th of July!

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Hey there! We’re Molly and Chelsea and we’re the baking and cooking duo behind Bests and Bites! We’ve been besties for 23 years and loving connecting over a good piece of cheesecake, a cheesy dip or sipping on our favorite refreshments. Our fave things include, health and fitness, baking and pool days!

What’s better when the summer gets hot than an ice cream bar/cake?! And what’s better than cookie dough?! The answer to both of those questions is nothing. Absolutely nothing. Which is the exact reason we combined the two for this summer recipe! We have to thank Chelsea’s Messy Apron for the inspiration!

The bottom layer is….you guessed it! Edible cookie dough. We made a batch and a half of our regular cookie dough and saved a third of it for the next layer: homemade cookie dough ice cream!

This simple and easy homemade ice cream is 3 ingredients and doesn’t require any churning! You ball up pieces of the reserved edible cookie dough and set them aside. Then you whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form, fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla then mix in the cookie dough!

Freeze overnight and you’ve got the second layer!

Then you add cool whip and crush up baked chocolate chip cookies. I had frozen *real* cookie dough in the freezer so we baked the cookies to crumble on top. If you don’t have time, you can absolutely buy pre-made cookies to add to the top of the ice cream bars.

This cake is big!!! Make sure you’ve got a lot of hungry guests to serve this to. Cut it up, put it on a plate and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Love at first bite

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Layers of Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars

Servings 16

Ingredients

• Edible Cookie Dough Layer:
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 and 3/4 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
• For the Cookie Dough Ice Cream:
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream cold
• 1-16 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/3 of the edible cookie dough from above
• 1 large container of cool whip
• fresh baked chocolate chip cookies or store-bought chocolate chip cookies to top
• chocolate sauce optional

Instructions

• Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with plastic wrap letting the edges hang over sides of pan for easy removal. Set aside.
• To make the edible cookie dough layer, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about two minutes. Stir in flour until combined then add miniature chocolate chip and mix well.
• Remove 1/3 of the cookie dough and set aside. Press the other 2/3 of cookie dough evenly along the bottom of the pan. Place in the freezer.
• To make the cookie dough ice cream, form tiny balls of cookie-dough from the reserved 1/3 edible cookie dough. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat heavy cream with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk with the vanilla. Slowly fold in the condensed milk mixture until combined. Add the cookie dough bites and mix well. Pour into a 9x9 loaf pan and freeze overnight.
• Spoon large scoops of all the cookie dough ice cream over the edible cookie dough layer already made in the 9x13 pan. Smooth as best you can to create an even layer.
• With a rubber spatula, smooth the thawed whipped topping over the ice cream in an even layer.
• Crumble baked or bought cookies over the cool whip. Cover and place in freezer until all layers freeze.
• When ready to serve, remove from pan using plastic overhang and cut into bars. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, if desired.
• Store leftovers in freezer for up to one week.

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There are many different ways to deal with a stressful day. Some days I do better than others, and sometimes I raise my voice a little too loudly, even by my standards. Being a mama to a household of little ones, holding down a full-time job, and juggling the needs of my loving husband while also making sure the house is clean and meals are cooked can really wear a gal down. So, it’s no wonder I can sometimes get a little overwhelmed and that my stress level goes through the roof. Like I said, there are all kinds of ways to deal with it and I pride myself on dealing with it pretty well, most of the time anyway.

I learned in my younger years that it’s all about coping methods. If you have some solid coping methods in your arsenal, then stress doesn’t have to get the better of you. It’s only when you have no safety net or coping method that stress can quickly get out of hand. When stress really starts to get to me, I really enjoy putting on a good movie for the kids and plugging in a pair of headphones so I can listen to some calming music for about 20 minutes or so. This usually does wonders for my stress, as I’m a big music lover and I’ve always found it to be helpful when my emotions are high. Another thing I like to do when I’m stressed is bake.

There is nothing that combats stress better than being elbow deep in ingredients and filling your home with the scent of home baked goods. The past few weeks have been pretty stressful for me, so I went and did a little digging and came across an amazing recipe for Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownies from Green Valley Kitchen. I knew right away that recipe would be scrumptious, but it wasn’t until I’d mixed up the ingredients and popped them into the oven that I knew my suspicions were correct. They smelled heavenly and afterwards, when I piled on the icing and applied a generous layer of sprinkles, the mere sight of them was enough to make my stress melt away. 

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Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownies

Servings 24

Ingredients

• ¾ cup Hershey's cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅔ cup butter melted
• ½ cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips or dark if you prefer

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking pan
• In a large bowl, add cocoa and baking soda and mix well
• Melt ⅔ cups in the microwave and stir ½ of the melted butter into the cocoa and baking soda mixture
• Add ½ cup of boiling water to a medium bowl with cocoa and butter; stir until smooth
• Add sugar, eggs and the rest of the melted butter to the cocoa mixture and mix well
• Sift in 1⅓ cup of flour. Add vanilla and salt. Combine until smooth, adding chocolate chips.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through the middle comes out clean
• Allow to cool for 30 minutes, frost with your favorite frosting and top with sprinkles.

Once you’re done pouring it into the pan, lick away to your heart’s content. Sometimes that’s the best part of making brownies! 

Don’t forget a tall, cold glass of milk to accompany this yumminess!

If you liked these old fashioned chocolate brownies, then you’ll definitely want to check some of my other recipes over at The Essential Baker and Thrifty DIY Diva! I believe that eating well doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and you most certainly don’t have to go out to eat to satisfy your cravings. I love making copycat versions of my favorite restaurant recipes at home and creating new ones, too! Be sure to follow me over at Pinterest and Facebook!

Here are just a few of my favorite recipes on the site now:

Copycat McDonald’s Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

Paleo Vanilla Pound Cake

The post Old Fashioned Chocolate Brownies appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Hey guys—Margaret Anne from Natural Chow here, back with another healthy and delicious recipe for ya! With summer around the corner, cooling off is everyone’s number one priority. And these sweet, 100% natural peach strawberry popsicles are sure to do the trick!

Three ingredient recipes are among my favorite, mostly because of their simplicity. This is by far one of the easiest recipes to ever come out of my kitchen, and it’s just as delicious. All you need is canned or fresh sliced peaches, apple juice, and strawberries!

To make things easier, I prefer using canned peaches. Not only does this make for a smoother popsicle, but it also saves you from having to slice up some peaches (and removing the stubborn pits).

A 29 oz. can of sliced peaches is the perfect amount for this recipe!

I’m a little obsessed with no-mess/low-mess recipes at the moment, and these peach strawberry popsicles definitely fit into that category. Even with some little hands helping.

The amount of strawberries you add to the mix is totally up to you. I’ve found that 3-5 large strawberries makes for the perfect combination of sweet and tangy.

Depending on the size of your popsicle mold, this recipe should make roughly 6-8 popsicles. However, since not all molds are created equally, the amount you get out of this recipe may differ.

You can also add in some diced strawberries to the mix before pouring the fruit puree into the popsicle molds.

I picked up these colorful molds from the dollar store, but I think you might have more success with a non-plastic mold, as these were a little tricky to get out. But if you’re feeling extra spunky and want to take this cool summer treat to the next level, you could try using different shaped popsicle molds!

You guys are going to loooove these simple, healthy 3-ingredient peach strawberry popsicles!

Here’s the recipe:

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3-Ingredient Peach Strawberry Popsicles

Simple, easy peach strawberry popsicles made with just 3 ingredients!

Course Dessert

Servings 6 -8 popsicles

Author Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow

Ingredients

• 1 29 oz. can sliced peaches
• 1/2 - 1 cup apple juice
• 3 - 5 large strawberries rinsed

Instructions

• In your blender, combine all ingredients and blend until mixture is smooth.
• Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Notes

These will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe!

The post 3-Ingredient Peach Strawberry Popsicles appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I don’t know about you, but cinnamon sugar is a favorite flavor combination at our house. We even have a sugar shaker just for cinnamon sugar so we can use some whenever the mood strikes. Since we love it so much, I thought that I would share this easy churro chip recipe with you all.

When I was little, my parents would make these cinnamon sugar chips for us as a special treat. We loved it! We ate them just as fast as my parents could make them.

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Churro Chips

Light and crispy tortilla chips covered in cinnamon sugar.

Course Dessert

Author Amber Simmons

Ingredients

• Flour tortillas
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
• Oil for frying I used vegetable oil

Instructions

• Cut tortillas into chips. You can do wedges or strips. Whatever you like.
• Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a large bowl. You will be tossing the chips in the mixture so make sure there is room.
• In a deep pan heat your oil to 350-375. It can vary depending on your type of oil. It is best to have a thermometer so you know if your oil is getting too hot.
• Fry a few chips at a time until both sides are a dark, golden brown. Remove chips from oil and let excess oil drain for a minute.
• Put hot chips into cinnamon sugar and toss to completely coat.
• Enjoy.

One person can easily make these, but it is helpful to have a second set of hands just to man the cinnamon sugar. That’s the part the kids love to do anyway, so I am sure I will have no shortage of help. This time, I manned the sugar and my mom fried them. (Thanks, mom!)

For more fun ideas be sure to follow me.
Pinterest  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Google+  |  Instagram

Check out some of my other tasty snacks.

The BEST Caramel Corn Ever

Apricot Hand Pies

The post Churro Chips appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

DIY Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake Recipe

I love Angel Food Cake.  My son loves it too but, he likes it plain.  No frosting, no whipped cream, no sauces, no fruit.  Just plain ole’ angel food cake.  While I can eat a plain piece of this cake, I most certainly love mine with frosting or whipped cream.  If it is a cream cheese frosting, that’s even better.  Another reason why I love this cake.

This Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake was always a favorite when I was a kid. My mom would often make it for a Sunday dinner. Еspecially when she needed to bring a dessert that would impress the guests.

Starting with a light and fluffy angel food cake, you then scoop out the middle and fill it with strawberries and whipped cream. It may look and sound fancy, but it is oh-so-easy! Just keep reading and I’ll show you how. Once you start slicing this cake and serve it up, people will wonder how you made it. Oh, and did I mention the Cream Cheese Frosting? You either like cream cheese or you’re wrong. That’s all there is to it.

So from my mother’s recipe box to you, may I present my favorite Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake. Let’s get baking!

Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake Ingredients

Cake

• Granulated sugar/Powdered sugar
• Cake flour
• Salt
• Egg whites
• Cream of Tartar
• Vanilla extract
• Three cups quartered strawberries plus extra if you want to line the outside of your cake
• Two pints of whipped cream
• Angel food cubes after removing from the cake.

Frosting

• One 8 oz brick Philadelphia cream cheese
• One lb powdered sugar
• Two tablespoon vanilla
• Half cup butter (room temperature)
• Garnishment if desired. Sprinkle nonpareils, or chocolate curls. I found my red and white chocolate curls at a gourmet food store nearby.

Preparing The Angel Food Cake

Step 1: Preheat The  Oven

 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. The right oven temperature ensures a high rising cake.

Once the cake is in the oven, the sugar interacts with the flour. If the oven temperature is too cool, the sugar will absorb liquid from the whites, turn syrupy, and weep out of the batter, pulling down the air cells and decreasing the cake’s volume.

On the other hand, if the oven is too hot, the cake’s outer structure will set before the cake can fully expand and bake through, making it dense and short.

Step 2: Sift The Flour

Sift the flour to break up any lumps in it. Add fine sugar to the flour and sift together.  This makes it lighter and easier to mix with other ingredients.

Sifting the flour helps promote consistency in recipe results by removing the larger particles that could potentially result in the densely textured baked cake.

Set the sifted flour aside.

Step 3: Whip The Cream Of Tartar And Egg In a Bowl

Place the egg and cream of tartar in a bowl. Whip continuously until small bubbles or foams are formed. This forms what is known as meringue.

Step 4: To The Bowl, Add Sugar, Vanilla, And Mix Together In A Food Processor

Add your granulated or fine sugar to the cream of tartar/egg mixture. Turn ON the electric mixer and leave for 5-10 minutes. Time varies depending on the quantity. Do this continuously until the mixture is stiff and dry.

Step 5: Sift Flour/Sugar Mixture Over The Bowl

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift one-third of the flour/sugar mixture over the bowl. Add the vanilla and salt. Then, add the remaining flour/sugar mixture. Sift while adding to prevent lump formation. This mixture is the batter.

Step 6: Put The Batter In A Pan And Bake 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Baking time varies. Bake it until the top becomes golden brown.

Step 7: Let The Cake Cool 

When it turns golden brown, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool down completely. This cooling process usually takes up to 2 hours. 

If the cake does not cool down, the structure does not set, and as a result, it could collapse.

Allowing it to cool upside down ensures it does not collapse. Many angel food cake pans come with feet around the edges for this very purpose. However, inverting the center ring onto the neck of a bottle will also work.

Preparing The Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake 

Step 1: Cut The Top Off Of The Cake

Step 2: Cut A Hole Through The Cake

Step 6: Cut Your Strawberries

Step 7: Mix  The Cream To The Strawberries

Step 8: Add Removed Angel Cake To Above Mixture

Step 9: Put The Mixture In The Cake

Spoon the strawberry mixture into the inside of the angel food cake. Fill to the top and even mound the filling.

 

Step 10: Replace The Cake 

Best Angel Food Cake Fillings/Toppings

In addition to strawberry, you can also use other fillings for your angel food cake. Here are some of my top favorite angel food cake fillings.

• Blueberry 
• Lemon Pudding 
• Chocolate 
• Vanilla Berry
• Raspberry
• Pumpkin 
• Strawberry Basil 
• Lemon Berry 
• Almond Berry
• Strawberry Jello
• Pineapple Filled 
• Banana

There are other filling inspirations here that you can try out for yourself.

Tips To Makе The Perfect Angel Food Cake

When I made my first angel food cake, I made a few mistakes which resulted in my recipe failure. Here are some of the helpful tips I have collected over time. These would ensure you do not make these mistakes in your recipe.

1. Use An Ungreased Tube Pan

Ensure the pan used in baking the cake is ungreased. YES! that’s how t should be. The cake needs to stick to the sides of the pan as it rises, so greasing it would hurt the rise of your cake. 

If you have greased your pan, wash the grease off and clean it before use.

2. Use Cake Flour

If you wish to achieve a fine-crumbed, tender angel food cake, use cake flour. This is because it’s low in protein, there’s less gluten, which can toughen a cake.  You need a cake that can toughen easily.  And cake flour’s fine particles are especially easy to fold into the batter.

3. Sift The Flour/Sugar Mixture Several Times

The flour/sugar mixture should be sifted several times. This should not be done once or twice but several times from three to five times. This takes just a few minutes.

This ensures the flour is light and incorporates easily into whipped egg white.

4. Start Whipping With Low Speed 

When you add your egg white to a mixer bowl, whip them on a low speed until they start to get frothy. Increase the speed upon adding the vanilla extract and cream of tartar.

5. Turn Cake Upside Down

Once the cake is out of the oven, ensure it is placed in an upside-down position. This will allow the cake’s structure to be completely set until the cake has cooled. Left upright, it would quickly deflate and you won’t be able to cut a hole through.

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Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix
• 3 cups quartered strawberries plus extra if you want to line the outside of your cake
• 2 pints whipped cream
• 1 - 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Angel Food cubes after removing from cake

Frosting

• 1 8 oz brick Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter room temp
• Garnishment if desired. Sprinkles non-pareils, or chocolate curls. I found my red and white chocolate curls at a gourmet food store nearby.

Instructions

Cake

• Prepare and bake Angel Food Cake per the instructions on the box.
• When cool, cut the top off of the cake. Use a long, serrated knife and keep it as level as possible while cutting. Cut about 3/4 to 1 inch down from the top of the cake. Remove top of cake.
• 
• After the top has been removed, cut along the inside of the cake near the center hole. Use a shorter serrated knife and cut around the entire circle.
• Then cut around the outside edge of the cake. I usually cut about 1/2 - 3/4 inches away from the edge.
• Slightly remove the inside of the angel food making sure you leave some cake at the bottom. Reserve what you remove to add to the filling.
• 
• With a beater, whip your whipped cream and add the desired amount of powdered sugar to taste.
• Cut your strawberries into quarters (3 cups)
• Combine 1 to 2 cups of whipped cream to the strawberries and mix.
• Cut the angel food cake that you removed from the cake into cubes and add to the strawberries and whipped cream.
• Spoon the strawberry mixture into the inside of the angel food cake. Fill to the top and even mound the filling.
• 
• Replace the top of the cake.

Frosting

• Blend all ingredients until well incorporated and there are no lumps.
• With an offset spatula, frost the angel food cake.
• If the frosting is too stiff, you can add a little bit of whipped cream if you have any left over from the strawberry mixture.
• Garnish with cut strawberries at the base if desired.
• Garnish with a topping if desired. Sprinkles, non-pareils or chocolate curls. I found my red and white chocolate curls at a gourmet food store nearby.
• Keep refrigerated.
• When serving, use a long serrated knife to slice the cake.

Well, there ya have it. This is a favorite of mine and I hope that it becomes a favorite of yours too!

Are you looking for some more great dessert recipes? Check THESE out!

• Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
• Rockin’ Raspberry Bread Pudding
• Peppermint Mousse Parfait
• Monkey Butter Recipe
• Roasted Chickpeas Recipe

The post Strawberry Filled Angel Food Cake Recipe appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Honestly, I’m not one for summer heat. I’m a Kiwi girl at heart, and grew up in New Zealand, where a temperature over 25°C (~75°F) in the summer was deemed dangerously too hot. What I do love about summer though is the ready supply of fruits. SO. MANY. FRUITS.

And inevitably, we end up with having to find creative ways to use up all those fruits – and this caramelized peach and thyme tart is going to come in handy when those beautiful ripe peaches come into season soon.

So you live on the other side of the world, and summer is already behind you? No problem! What’s great about this recipe is that you can still make this fruit tart with frozen fruits too. Plus you could use any stone fruits that are available to you like plums, cherries, nectarines etc. instead of or in addition to peaches. This Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart is simple to make, it’s fresh, fruity, and delicious. Your family will love it!

For the crust, I used my homemade sweet shortcrust pastry recipe (recipe and video coming soon!), but you can also use ready-made shortcrust or  pie crust too. Whichever is convenient to you.

The one addition that I made to this fruit tart to make the flavours pop even more is to add some aged cheddar cheese to the base of the tart. It adds a delightfully creamy, salty, tangy flavour profile that contrasts really well with the sweet fruity filling!

To make this dessert even better, serve it with a dollop of ice cream on top. Or to kick it up a few more notches, serve it with some Lime Sherbet instead! Creamy, sweet, tangy lime sherbet is the perfect accompaniment to this sweet, fresh tart and you can find the recipe for this easy Salted Lime Sherbet right here on my blog.

Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart Recipe

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Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart

Servings 1 8 inch tart

Author Dini (The Flavor Bender)

Ingredients

Tart

• 1 lb of Shortcrust Pastry or Pie Crust or an 8 inch unbaked or blindbaked tart crust
• 16 oz peaches frozen is fine, but thaw them before use, OR about 3 - 4 fresh, ripe peaches
• ¼ cup brown sugar 55g
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• Pinch of salt

Custard (you may end up not using all of it)

• ¾ cup milk
• 1 yolk
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Tart

• Grease a tart pan and preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
• Prepare the pie crust (homemade or store-bought) and shape it into an 8 inch tart mold and blind-bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
• Add the thawed peaches, thyme leaves and brown sugar to a pan, and heat gently (on low to medium) and mix until the brown sugar melts. Then, turn the heat to medium high and cook the peaches until they are caramelized on one side.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Once the pie crust has been blind-baked, place thin shaves of cheddar cheese on the bottom. Layer the peaches on top of the cheese. Add berries to decorate if you like.
• Pour the custard to cover the fruits half way (do not fill right to the brim).
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. If the edges of the pie crust are burning, cover the tart with foil and keep baking.
• Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle some white sugar on top and return to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let the tart cool. You can chill the tart in the fridge at this point if you prefer.
• Serve at room temperature or chilled with Lime Sherbet or ice cream or some creme fraiche.

Did you love this Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart? Do you want more ideas on how to use up extra fruits??

Here are some from The Flavor Bender!

Salted Lime Sherbet

3 Ingredient Easy Fruit Sorbet – 4 flavours (and more!)

Spiced Banana Cupcakes

The post Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I love anything lemon.  My sweet mother who is in her late seventies loves anything lemon too.  I know that’s where I acquired my taste for lemon and it’s funny how we like the things that our mother likes.

The other day my daughter called me laughing because she had seen a See’s Candy store in the mall that she was at and was so excited to go in and get her favorite chocolate candy.

To her dismay when she got home, she realized that she had gotten MY favorite chocolate candy!  I love the Milk Chocolate Bordeaux and she loves those too, but likes the Brown Sugar chocolates just a little bit more.  So even though she might have been a little disappointed that she didn’t get a Brown Sugar, she still got a Bordeaux and was happy and called me to tell me that she was thinking about me.  Yes, the things our mothers like runs strong in us, doesn’t it?

I haven’t made these for my mother yet but I know that she would love them.  They are perfect little bite-sized bits of lemon heaven.  They really do feel like they are melting in your mouth and would be perfect for a brunch or a wedding shower.  So let’s get baking!

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Lemon Meltaways

Course Dessert

Servings 4 dozen

Author This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch yes you read that right
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 TBL lemon juice

Frosting

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 3 tsp grated lemon peel save 1 tsp for garnishing cookies
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

Cookies

• In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into an 8x1 inch roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut each half of dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until set. Cookies should not brown. Cool completely.

Frosting

• In small mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until fluffy. (1-2 minutes)
• Frost cooled cookies.
• If desired, garnish with extra grated lemon peel and sifted powdered sugar on top.

I’m thinking that I might make these again for my mom for Mother’s Day.  So now that you know what my mom likes, what does YOUR mom like?  I’d love to hear!

Happy Lemony Spring!

The post Lemon Meltaways appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

For as long as I can remember, my Mom has been making the most delicious carrot cake… I mean this cake is requested for just about every family function.  People rave about it, grab another piece, and continue to rave.

I did deviate a little from her recipe in that I made it into a two layer cake and to add some toasted coconut, mainly because I have a *slight* obsession with coconut lol.  I also swapped out a little of the oil for some applesauce to make it a touch healthier.

Now I do know that some people prefer some raisins in their carrot cake, or pineapple… so feel free to add a bit of whatever you love to your cake.  For me, I grew up on this carrot cake, so I keep to what I’m used to

I thought this would be a great recipe to share with you all, since it’s coming up on Spring and Easter here soon… but really, this cake is just perfect any time of year.  The rich moist cake combined with the lusciously creamy frosting… it’s definitely a year-round cake!

As far as the toppings on the cake, you could go with the toasted coconut like I did, or some crushed walnuts, or even leave it plain.

I really hope you all give this cake a go… I’m sure you’ll LOVE it!

Be sure to stop by my blog The Chunky Chef to check out some more great recipes

Here are a few of my most popular posts:

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Low Carb Baked Chicken Tenders

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Mom's Best Carrot Cake

This rich and decadent carrot cake will be an amazing addition to your parties! It's full of great flavors and slathered with the most amazing frosting!

Servings 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups finely grated carrots
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
  
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
• 2 sticks 1 cup, unsalted butter, softened
• 2 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5-6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

• MAKE THE CAKE:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottoms of 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper and spray sides lightly with baking spray. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, add the flour and baking soda and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer, add oil, sugar, salt, eggs, and spices and beat well.
• Add in flour mixture and beat to combine.
• Stir in the carrots and nuts.
• Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  
• MAKE THE FROSTING:
• Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy.
• Add vanilla and salt, beat to combine.
• Slowly add in powdered sugar, beating well.
  
• ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
• Spread out coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for several minutes, until very lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• Spread frosting over the top of one layer of the cake, then top it with the second layer of cake. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
• Sprinkle toasted coconut around the rim of the top and around the sides of the cake.
• Keep refrigerated until about 30 minutes before serving.

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We love gingersnaps at our house and love snacking on ’em. They’re great with a glass of milk or chai tea. Make a great crust for cheesecake or pumpkin bars. I especially love gingersnaps dipped in lemon curd or with a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. It’s that tart/sweet combination that’s so delicious. So back around Christmas time, I was developing a new recipe for Lime Sugared Cranberries. I love how they turned out, simultaneously tart and sweet, a mouthwatering and festive addition to a cheese board, drink or appetizer tray. So addictive. And I’ve had that lime sugar on the brain ever since.

So naturally it occurred to me that incorporating lime sugar into my gingersnap recipe might be a great idea. And I was right. If you love a good gingersnap, you’ll love these Lime Sugared Gingersnaps. Spicy and sweet, they’re an extra special treat for after school snacks on a wintry day.

Lime zest mixes in with the sugar, creating a unique cookie that pairs perfectly with a cup of afternoon tea.

The lime sugar mixes into the cookie dough and the dough balls are also rolled in it just before baking. The ginger and lime zest give a little zing, while the sugar keeps them sweet.

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Lime Sugared Gingersnaps

A tart, refreshing twist on the classic gingersnap. Lime sugar rolled. Crackly on the outside, chewy on the inside.

Course Cookies

Servings 2 1/2 dozen, 2" cookies

Author Allie

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 tablespoons lime zest zest from about 4 limes
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/8 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• In small bowl, mix lime zest together with sugar. Set aside.
• Separately, using hand mixer, beat butter in mixing bowl 'til creamy.
• Add 1 cup of lime sugar and beat together with the butter.
• (Remaining 1/2 cup lime sugar will be used to roll dough balls in before baking.)
• Add in egg and molasses and stir 'til smooth.
• Separately, sift together (or mix well with a fork): flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients.
• Form into 1 1/2 inch round dough balls.
• Roll dough balls in remaining lime sugar.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet or parchment paper.
• Bake 8 minutes @ 350 degrees or 'til tops are round and cracked. They may still be slightly puffy.
• Remove from oven and whack the pan hard on the counter or stovetop.
• (Yup.) The middle will fall and they'll be flat and crackly. Just like a good gingersnap ought to be.

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You may also like the following posts:

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

 Hot Feta Artichoke & Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Salted Caramel Pecan Turtles

The post Lime Sugared Gingersnaps appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Hey, y’all! The lovely folks here at MFP have graciously allowed me to share some of my yummy recipe creations with you, and I couldn’t be more excited. Just like I love baking for others, I love sharing fun recipe ideas with new people! I can be found over at my blog, Thrifty DIY Diva, where I love creating new recipes and sharing my faves from the web, too! Like these Pecan Red Velvet Cupcakes, inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction on my Amazing Recipes Pinterest Board!

You know what I love? Pecans. But I haven’t always loved them, until I had a slice (or two, or five) of some good ole’ Georgia Pecan Pie over the holidays. Where has this been all my life? Here I am, late thirties, and I’m just now tasting this stuff? Crazy, I know.

After that pie, I began wondering what else I’ve been missing that calls for pecans. Apparently, a lot. But since one of my favorite things to do is come up with new recipes, I thought I’d add some pecans to my traditional Red Velvet cupcakes that I make every February.

Would you just look at that frosting? I think I could use it to frost my cinnamon rolls, too. Seriously, it is that good. 

The pecans add the perfect crunchiness to these cupcakes, and are even better than the usual sprinkles.

I actually thought these tasted better than my usual chocolate cupcakes. I couldn’t believe it – better than chocolate?!

I know you are anxious to get these in your oven, so let’s get cooking!

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Pecan Red Velvet Cupcakes

Course Dessert

Author Michelle/Thrifty DIY Diva

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 cup sorghum flour like Bob's Red Mill - at natural grocers or online
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour like Bob's Red Mill - at natural grocers or online
• 1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum like Bob's Red Mill - at natural grocers or online
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
• 4 eggs
• 1 bottle Red Food Coloring
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 8 ounce cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 16 ounce confectioners’ powder sugar
• 2 cups pecans to decorate

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin cup tin with cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, stir together cocoa powder, cornstarch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and oil; blend on medium.
• Pour in the melted chocolate and stir.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• In a third bowl, mix the food coloring and vanilla into the buttermilk and stir well.
• Add all ingredients now to the flour mixture and blend on low (do not overbeat).
• Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 up.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool completely.

Frosting

• Blend the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy, gradually adding the powder sugar.
• Place the frosting in a piping bag and press a hole through the top of the cupcakes to fill the center and then frost how you wish.
• Sprinkle with pecans.

I just love cupcakes with a creamy center, so before I frosted them, I used a piping bag to poke a hole through the top to inject a little bit of frosting!

See how easy it is to make these Pecan Red Velvet Cupcakes? Give your sprinkles a much needed break and grab a bag of pecans next time you’re at the store

But, before you go, be sure to check some of my other recipes over at Thrifty DIY Diva! I believe that eating well doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and you most certainly don’t have to go out to eat to satisfy your cravings. I love making copycat versions of my favorite restaurants at home, and creating new ones, too! And don’t forget to follow me over at Pinterest and Facebook! Here are just a few of my favorite recipes on the site now:

Copycat Starbucks Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

Slowcooker Cabbage Roll Soup

Copycat Panera Bread Tomato Bisque Soup

The post Pecan Red Velvet Cupcakes appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.