Fruit Smoothie Bark

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Now, before anyone says, “What the…Christmas candy?” give me a chance to explain. This is not Peppermint Bark. In fact, this is a new tradition we are establishing for…Spring. Introducing Fruit Smoothie Bark.

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Made with tender, loving care and only two ingredients. Two bags of Guittard Choc-Au-Lait chips and one box of Jolly Rancher Fruit Smoothie candy canes. You could use any kind of candy canes that you like–Sweet Tart, Spree, Skittles–any of those odd flavored ones that you can never figure out what to do with because they severely have no business hanging out at Christmas time. Honestly.

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We chose the Fruit Smoothie kind because the flavors sound divine–and yes you can still get them from Amazon. We just happened to already have these in the cupboard and figured we’d better get creative.

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I mean, there’s just something wrong with throwing out pretty little candy canes just because they can’t find the right season to live in.

Here’s what you do~

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Melt the white chocolate slowly in a double-boiler.

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Crush up the candy canes to pieces the size of peas.

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Stir them into the melted chocolate…

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and mix well.

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Spread on waxed paper…

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to about 1/2 inch thick. If you put the wax paper on a cookie sheet you can move it to cool in the fridge. You can let it cool on the counter if you’d rather, but I think it set up harder and shinier in the cold.

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When it’s set–in about and hour or so, break into bite sized pieces and serve in a pretty, little serving dish then listen to people rave. A portable, bite sized fruit smoothie that you can carry in your pocket. Well, after you put it in a zip-loc bag, that is.

Seriously, it’s fabulous.

:}

5.0 from 1 reviews
Fruit Smoothie Bark
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Bags Guittard Choc-au-lait chips
  • 1 box (12) fruit flavored candy canes
Instructions
  1. Melt the white chocolate slowly in a double-boiler.
  2. Crush up the candy canes to pieces the size of peas.
  3. Stir them into the melted chocolate...and mix well.
  4. Spread on waxed paper...to about ½ inch thick.
  5. When it's set--in about and hour or so, break into bite sized pieces and serve in a pretty, little serving dish

Neapolitan Fudge

I found this sweet little recipe in a magazine and I’ll tell you, it was love at first sight. I ran around collecting the ingredients because I could hardly wait to see if mine turned out as cute as theirs did. Odd, I know, calling any kind of fudge…cute. But there it is and you can decide for yourself. I personally think it’s adorable.  And oh, my goodness–was it fun to make!

Read through the recipe and you’ll see what I mean–nothing to it really. The only ingredient I had to go on a search for was Strawberry flavoring–which I found at WinCo.  So here you have a smooth, cold, cream cheese fudge that tastes like a spoonful of ice cream! Mmmmmm…  :}

You’ll want to cut it in itty bitty squares because it’s quite tall…for fudge and a little goes a long way. A long, lovely way.

Chocolate Layer:

1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
16 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled

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Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the melted milk chocolate. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Vanilla Layer:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
16 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For vanilla layer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in melted white chocolate and vanilla. Spread over chocolate layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Layer:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
16 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon strawberry extract
8 to 10 drops food coloring, optional

For strawberry layer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in melted white chocolate and strawberry extract. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Spread over top.

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Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Or serve to every person you know…on the face of the earth.

They’re going to love you.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Neapolitan Fudge
 
Ingredients
  • Chocolate Layer:
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 16 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
  • Vanilla Layer:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 16 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Strawberry Layer:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 16 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry extract
  • 8 to 10 drops food coloring, optional
Instructions
  1. Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
  2. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar.
  3. Beat in the melted milk chocolate.
  4. Spread into prepared pan.
  5. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  6. For vanilla layer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.
  7. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar.
  8. Beat in melted white chocolate and vanilla.
  9. Spread over chocolate layer.
  10. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  11. For strawberry layer, in a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.
  12. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar.
  13. Beat in melted white chocolate and Strawberry extract.
  14. Tint with food coloring if desired.
  15. Spread over top.
  16. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  17. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan.
  18. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares.
  19. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Original recipe found in Taste of Home Magazine

Andes Candy Cane Cookies

As you may know we’re pretty wild about Peppermint around here. So to bump into a cookie recipe that’s just chewy enough on the inside and crispy enough around the edges AND satisfies that Peppermint “thing” we have going on too…

well…let me just say, they didn’t last long!

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1-1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour–I used whole wheat

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup Andes Creme de Menthe Chips

5 candy canes coarsely crushed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next you’ll want to crush the candy canes. We used the Pampered Chef Chopper to make it easier.

In bowl of mixer add butter and sugars and beat until fluffy–about 3 minutes scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs and blend on low until well mixed. In a separate bowl add flour, spice, baking powder and soda. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until well blended. Add mint chips.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough in tablespoon sized balls. Dip the top in crushed candy canes…

and place candy-side-up on cookie sheet.

Bake about 13 minutes. Slide cookies and parchment off pan and allow to cool before removing from paper.


Isn’t the Pumpkin Pie Spice an interesting surprise? I thought so, but it gave this yummy thing just the right…something. Let me warn you though–two different fellows walked out of here with a stack of these this evening, because one was just not enough–that’s how good they are.

I hope you love them too.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Andes Candy Cane Cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1-1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups flour--I used whole wheat
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ⅔ cup Andes Mint Chips
  • 5 candy canes coarsely crushed
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In bowl of mixer add butter and sugars and beat until fluffy--about 3 minutes scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs and blend on low until well mixed.
  3. In a separate bowl add flour, spice, baking powder and soda.
  4. Stir to combine.
  5. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until well blended.
  6. Add mint chips.
  7. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Roll dough in tablespoon sized balls.
  9. Dip the top in crushed candy canes and place candy-side-up on cookie sheet.
  10. Bake about 13 minutes.
  11. Slide cookies and parchment off pan and allow to cool before removing from paper.

Parmesan Potatoes

Remember a few weeks ago when we decided that I needed to try alllll the recipes I was craving–rather than just picking one? Well, we did the first recipe last week, so it’s only fair that we make the next one–Parmesan Potatoes this very day. My oh my–they were good! Cheesy, buttery, crunchy on the edges and soft and lovely on the inside. Beat that if you can.

 

I started with pretty little red potatoes because from what I’ve read–they are much, MUCH better for you than the other kind. Plus, they are smoother textured and faster cooking as well.

Wash and dry your potatoes, then slice them in half.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Now melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large baking dish. Next, you’ll sprinkle in your favorite seasoning–like garlic salt, seasoning salt, or even just salt and pepper. It’s up to you. I love lots of flavor so I used this Organic No-Salt Seasoning mix–from Costco. Just shake it generously over the melted butter.

Next, you’ll shake Parmesan Cheese VERY generously over the butter seasoning mixture. When we make these again, I will use twice as much Parmesan as you see here. It look like plenty of cheese, but once it cooked–I wanted more. Next time…next time…

Place the potatoes face down in the cheesey butter…

   

and bake for about 40 minutes. Allow the potatoes to cool for about 10 or 15 minutes.

When you flip them over, they will be all buttery and cheesey and you’ll have to fight your wolf-like instincts to just gobble them all up.

Do wait long enough to serve with seasoned sour cream, Ranch dressing, Barbecue sauce or Fry Sauce.

Of course, you could go wild and eat them plain.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Parmesan Potatoes
 
Ingredients
  • 10-15 red potatoes--washed
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1-2 Tbsps Seasoning Salt
  • ½ to ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Slice potatoes.
  2. Melt butter in baking pan.
  3. Sprinkle seasoning and cheese over butter.
  4. Place potatoes face down in butter mixture.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  7. Serve with sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce.

Two Ingredient Lemon Angel Cake

Since quite a few people voted that I make all three recipes in the poll–and since I secretly wanted to make them all ANYway, I started with the Two Ingredient Lemon Angel Cake.

Now, you may recall that when I found this yummy thing on Pinterest, the recipe was actually called Two Ingredient Lemon Bars– from Practically Living, but I saw fit to…change the name a bit. I’ll explain in a minute.

The instructions are sweet and simple. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Open a 15 oz. can of Lemon Pie Filling and stir it together with an Angel Food Cake mix. Just whisk together until the cake mix is completely incorporated into the pie filling.

Spread gently into an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes–edges will be slightly browned.

Cool completely and slice. This was a lovely light and fluffy dessert, very, very much like lemon angel food cake. In fact, it was sturdy and spongy enough that we could eat it with our fingers.

That’s why I didn’t call it a Lemon Bar–because it didn’t behave like one. Still very good and so dang simple to make. It could be one of those panicky little recipes that you throw together when you find out a half hour before you have to be somewhere that you were suppose to bring a dessert. 

On a side note, since the cake was very delicate in flavor, and I’m a bit of an extremist–I made the Lemon Bread Glaze and drizzled it over the top of some of the bars for an extra zing.

Then, I promptly ate them all.

No.

Really.


4.0 from 4 reviews
Two Ingredient Lemon Angel Cake
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Boxed Angel Food Cake mix
  • 1 -15 oz can Lemon Pie Filling
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Open a 15 oz can of Lemon Pie Filling and stir it together with an Angel Food Cake mix.
  3. Just mix together until the cake mix is completely incorporated into the pie filling.
  4. Spread gently into an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes--edges will be slightly browned.
  6. Cool completely, slice and serve.