Chocolate covered Pretzels

For Christmas this year we made and packaged a bunch of chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles to hand out. It is really simple, but it can be quite time consuming. Luckily I have an awesome pretzel bagging husband! 

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Tutorial

What you need:

• chocolate melts
• pretzels
• a microwave safe bowl
• a fork
• wax paper
• sprinkles

What you do:

1) Melt your chocolate melts according to the directions on the package in a microwave safe bowl.

2) Drop a pretzel in the bowl. Use a fork to make sure it get completely covered in chocolate.

3) Use the fork to lift pretzel out of the chocolate and gently tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.

4)Put pretzels on a sheet of wax paper.

5) Sprinkle with sprinkles and let it dry.

6) Eat the simplest combo of sweet and salty deliciousness.

Chocolate Covered Oreos (tutorial)

So this month I tried my hand at making these chocolate dipped Oreos. At first I had a hard time with it and than I realized it was just because I was over-complicating it (I blame it on being a perfectionist). Once I realized that, this project became very simple!

To make chocolate covered Oreos all you need is:

• Oreos
• Chocolate melts
• shortening
• fork
• wax paper/foil

Directions:

1) Melt your chocolate melts and about 2 tbs of shortening per bag (directions on bag)

2) put your Oreo into the melted chocolate, use your fork to make sure the entire cookie is covered (I usually need to scoop some extra chocolate to cover the top and sides)

3) Using your fork lift the cookie out of the chocolate and tap the fork gently on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. As you do this the chocolate will also naturally smooth itself out.

4) Place your covered cookie on some wax paper or foil to dry.

*if you wish to add sprinkles, add them before the chocolate dries

*if you want to drizzle a different color chocolate on your cookie to fancy it up wait until the chocolate dries before drizzling.

  

Simple right?! So you are probably wondering how I seemed to over complicate such a simple process. Well as you see in the photo above, the white chocolate on the top two cookies isn't very smooth, here's why. During my first attempt at making these cookies here are all the things I did wrong: dipping the cookies with my fingers, using a toothpick instead of a fork, shaking the dipped cookies instead of tapping, not tapping gently, dipping half of the cookie at a time, and using a knife to spread on the chocolate.

To make a long story short, none of those methods worked and I made a mess.

If you want to make these cute reindeer chocolate covered Oreos just add two Keebler Fudge Dipped Pretzels for antlers, a red M&M for a nose, and two dots of brown chocolate for eyes.

*Eyeball variations: roll tootsie rolls into balls or mini chocolate chips 

Semi-homemade Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is brought to you in part by the Red Velvet Cake Craving. To find out about the time I was craving red velvet cake check out the link that resulted in the creation of this recipe.

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 box Red Velvet cake mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 package chocolate fudge pudding (3.9oz)
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 eggs

Combine all the ingredients and bake at 350 degree oven. For cupcakes 20 minutes. For two round cake pans bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to let the cake completely cool before frosting. This cake is super moist, I love to refrigerate it for a little while before eating it and to let everything set.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 8oz. package cream cheese
• 3 sticks of butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 8oz. tub of cool whip

Cream everything together for a nice and creamy cream cheese frosting. When making a cake I like to half the frosting before adding the cool whip and add 3/4 of the container to the filling and the last 1/4 of the cool whip to the frosting to be used to cover the rest of the cake.

**Update: This Red Velvet recipe tastes even BETTER (can't believe it's even possible) with Flour Frosting** 

Tropical Banana Cream Cupcakes with Pineapple Buttercream

Semi-homemade Banana Cream Cupcakes topped with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting and garnished with some shredded salted pineapple. I think I'll pour myself a strawberry virgin margarita and enjoy my last few days of summer!

I felt like trying something a little different and fun after watching an episode of Cupcake Wars and decided to make these. The cupcake batter is very similar to my Chocolate Overload Cupcakes. There are just a few minor alterations. Instead of chocolate box cake mix I used a white cake mix and instead of the chocolate pudding mix, use a 3.9oz package of instant banana cream pudding. Lastly subtract the chocolate chips and there you have it, a beautiful light and airy banana cream cupcake!

For the frosting I made a basic buttercream (all butter, no shortening) added a Tbs. of pineapple juice, some finely chopped pineapple and a few pinches of salt.

I am from Hawaii, so I don't think that just because something has pineapples in it make it "Hawaiian," but I must say these cupcakes are a tropical delight! 

Simple Semi-homemade Peach Cobbler

Okay, this peach cobbler is sinfully delicious, but if you are going to eat dessert you might as well eat some really good dessert. This would not be something you'd want to eat if you were on a diet and decided to cheat. Even though there are peaches in this, that would be the only thing that would be considered even a little good for you. But if you really want to indulge, why not make yourself some of this amazing and simple, warm, gooey, melt in your mouth yumminess!
I enjoy mine with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream, and if I really want to take it to the next level, I'd add some caramel and whipped cream....and an early morning run the next day to top it all off!

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1  8 oz. package cream cheese
2 cans (15 oz) peaches
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Directions:
1) Blend together cake mix, cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar.
2) Spread about 1/3 of the cake mixture on the bottom of a cake pan
3) Drain one can of peaches and pour both cans of peaches over cake mixture.
4) Spoon drop all but about 3/4 cup of the cake mixture over the peaches.
5) Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour to remaining cake mixture. It should be crumbly.
6) Sprinkle crumble mixture onto the top.
7) Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Overload Cupcakes

These cupcakes are super moist and my go to chocolate cupcake/cake recipe. It is a doctored up box cake recipe that tastes great! I don't actually measure the chocolate chips, I just add as much as my mood desires☺

For standard sized cupcakes bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

The recipe makes exactly 30 cupcakes.