Dessert Archives - The Tasty Fork

Family Recipe Friday: Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 24, 2013 by admin · 1 Comment

If you’re here today in hopes I have the most original chocolate chip cookie recipe on the internet, well sorry. You aren’t going to find that here.

After having summer weather for over a week, Thursday morning was a cold and harsh surprise. I took out the dog and ran back inside. It was 45 degrees. What the **** Mother Nature??!! It’s Memorial Day Weekend. These chilly days should be long behind us.

When Mother Nature gives you crappy weather, make cookies. (That’s my new motto.)

Every family has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. When I was a kid and I’d ask my Mom for chocolate chip cookies, she’s head over to the baking pantry and bring out a bag of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips. We’d follow the recipe right on the bag. When I was old enough to cook on my own, I’d throw all of the ingredients in the bowl at once and just mix it. My Mom would wince, but she never corrected me. I think she was happy I wanted to be in the kitchen with her.

Now that I’m older, when I get a craving for chocolate chip cookies, I still use the classic Nestle Toll House Recipe on the bag of chocolate chips. All that’s changed is I now mix the ingredients correctly….and sometimes I’ll do a combination of semi-sweet & milk chocolate chips. These chocolate chip cookies are absolutely perfect.

Why mess with perfection??

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (or a combo of semi-sweet and milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and mix. Set aside. In a large bow, mix butter, both sugars and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer until the consistency is creamy. Continue to mix and add one egg at a time.
Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time. Be sure the dry ingredients are well combined before adding more. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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This recipe can be found on the back of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip packages or right here on the internet.

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cookie, cookie recipe, cookies, easy cookie recipe, family recipe friday, Nestle Toll House

Easy Dessert: Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler

May 22, 2013 by admin · 13 Comments

Memorial Day is the official kick off to summer. Kids are getting out of school. Vacation plans are becoming realities. Every weekend is booked with get togethers with your friends and family. If you’re like me, I need a good variety of of amazing recipes. I’m the type of girl who could never show up to a party with a recipe I’ve already shared in the past. I came up with an easy dessert which would be a hit anytime of the year…but I love it since it’s a summer cobbler and no oven is required. This easy treat can me made in the crock pot.

I try not use my oven once the weather is in summer mode. I hate how hot it makes our place and even standing in the kitchen makes me sweat. YUCK! Being able to make a cobbler in a slow cooker is a godsend on a hot summer day! And this Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler would be an easy option for picnic or cook out. It’s easy to assemble, loaded with fruit and can be cooked in just 2 hours with no effort. It even has a crispy cobbler topping. (that’s the best part about a cobbler, right??!!)

So what makes this cobbler so patriotic?? Red berries like cherries and raspberries. White from gala and granny smith apples. Blue is for blueberries. Topping with a scoop of ice cream makes this easy dessert creamy and disappear from serving bowls.

I love the tartness of the berries, crispy cobbler topping and how the ice cream melts into the warm cobbler. By cooking it in the crock pot, this easy dessert is the perfect summer treat! Give it a try at your next cook out, Memorial Day or 4th of July!

Easy Dessert: Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler

Ingredients

For the topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped pecans

For the cobbler:

1/3 cup white sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (I used 2 Gala and 2 Granny Smith)
2 cups of frozen mixed berries (I used cherries and blueberries)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Garnish with ice cream or frozen yogurt

Instructions

For the topping - Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Combine butter with the flour mixture using fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pecans and set aside.
Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the apples in a slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle the pecan crumb topping on top. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours, until apples are tender. Partially uncover the slow cooker to allow the topping to harden, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

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Filed Under: Crock Pot, Dessert, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: 4th of July recipe, apple and berry cobbler, crock pot, crock pot cobbler, Easy Dessert, Memorial Day Recipe, Patriotic recipe, recipe, slow cooker, slow cooker cobbler. dessert

Easy Dessert – Healthy Vanilla Custard Brulee

May 13, 2013 by admin · 7 Comments

Can you believe May is almost half over??!! Memorial Day will be here soon and that’s the official kick off to summer. Being the food centered person I am, summertime is all about picnics, backyard BBQs and parties. When planning a summer party, don’t forget about an easy dessert!

This Vanilla Custard Brulee sounds extravagant but it can be made in less than 10 minutes. It’s a healthy recipe you can feel good serving to your guests and kids. The ingredients are all kitchen staples – eggs, fat free milk, cornstarch, sugar, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract. To dress up the Vanilla Custard, serve with fresh berries. Make it extra fancy by drizzling caramelized sugar on top. It’s a low calorie dessert perfect for a hot summer day!

What are your favorite summer desserts??

Easy Dessert – Healthy Vanilla Custard Brulee

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fat free milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch of salt
3 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or halved strawberries

Instructions

For custard, in a small saucepan thoroughly combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar & cornstarch; add the milk and egg. Cook and stirring quickly with a whisk over medium heat just until the mixture begins to bubble. (Do not overcook.) Immediately pour the custard into a small bowl; let mixture cool about 5 minutes.
Whisk Greek yogurt, vanilla & salt into custard. Cover and chill for up to 4 hours.
To serve, divide berries evenly among four goblets or dessert dishes. Spoon chilled custard over berries.
For caramelized sugar, in a heavy small skillet or saucepan heat remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt shaking skillet occasionally to heat evenly (do not stir). Reduce heat to low; cook sugar until melted and golden, stirring as necessary with a wooden spoon. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over each custard. Serve immediately.

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Double Chocolate & Toffee Blondies

Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch & Chocolate Bars

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes ·

Surprise Recipe Swap – Frozen Toblerone Mousse Squares

April 20, 2013 by admin · 11 Comments

I know I don’t usually posts on Saturdays, but I have a special treat to share with you. I’m once again taking part in Surprise Recipe Swap. It’s a group for bloggers and we’re all assigned a blog to pick a recipe from and write about it on our own blog. It’s a lot fun if you’re interested in trying new recipes and growing your bloggy network. If you’d like to join the group for May, click on the image at the bottom of the post and sign up.

For April, I was assigned to No Reason Needed. I went through a lot of recipes but I selected Frozen Tolberone Mousse Squares. Toblerone is one of my FAVORITE candy bars. I always buy one every time I’m at Trader Joe’s. I was thrilled to have a recipe which made my Toblerone obsession the star.

This recipe is pretty easy! It has an Oreo crust which is just delicious! The mousse filling is very rich. I found myself only being able to eat half of a square since it was so dense. I love it’s a frozen treat, so you can make it in advance. It would a great treat for a summer get together. It’s a very dense square; almost like ice cream.

I’ve made changes to this recipe to reflect my taste. The original recipe can be found here.

Surprise Recipe Swap – Frozen Toblerone Mouse Squares

Ingredients

1 cup Oreo Cookie Crumbles
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 Toblerone Swiss Milk Chocolate Bars
1 (8 ounce) package of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Cool Whip

Instructions

Mix Oreo crumbles with butter. Line a 8x8 baking dish with wax paper. Press cookie mixture into baking dish to form a crust.
Microwave both Toblerone bars in a bowl on 1 minute increments until chocolate is melted. In a another bowl, whip cream cheese until it's fluffy. Stream in sweetened condensed milk. Add melted chocolate and blend. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mouse over Oreo crust.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight. Remove from the baking dish by lifting the wax paper. Cut into squares. Keep in freezer in an airtight container. Before serving, top bars with Oreo crumbs.

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Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: dessert recipe, SRS, Surprise Recipe Swap

Family Recipe Friday – Katie’s Peanut Butter Pie

April 5, 2013 by admin · 17 Comments

Happy Friday! I’m really excited to be sharing with you my new Friday Feature Post – Family Recipes. This idea came from a brain storming session I had with my husband after the Hoosiers lost in the Sweet Sixteen. (I know, I’ll get over it and promise not to bring it up again.) We were back at his family’s home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Towards the end of the game, I just had to leave the room so I could get away from some of the crappiest basketball I’ve ever watched. I went into the pantry and found my Mother in-law’s cookbooks. She has TONS. And the just the few I flipped through made me smile. She made little notes like, “Very Good,” or “Great for company.” Also, there were print outs or hand written recipes in between the pages. Then I found the Mother Load; a recipe box (organized by category!) with the recipes from her family & friends.

Before my Mother in-law passed away, she would always ask me to take some of her cookbooks. I never did. I was holding on to some kind of hope she might use them again. I’m glad I waited to dive in because I don’t think the RuthAnn comments would’ve brought as many as smiles as they did in that moment. I called my husband into the pantry and we started going through the recipes he grew up eating. He had his favorites which I can’t wait to share with all of you!

But today’s recipe comes from a reader. Lisa sent me her Mom’s famous Peanut Butter Pie recipe around Pi Day last month. (I wish there was a Pie day EVERY month!) Her Mom, Katie, was best friends with my Mother in-law. This pie is kinda famous among Katie’s group of friends. I told my husband Lisa had sent me the recipe and the first thing he asked me, “When are you making it?” I knew it had to be good.

After going through family recipes and getting the email for Lisa, I decided it would be such a fun idea to share family recipes. The tried and true greats! I’m looking to post a little bit of everything – recipes from my family, my husbands and hopefully lots from my readers! I’d love to know what’s a home run in your family. If you have a recipe, please email me at mkearly614(at)gmail(dot)com.

Ok, so on to Katie’s Peanut Butter Pie. Seriously, I can’t decide what’s the better selling point. How flipping easy/fool proof it is or how tasty delicious this pie is..?? I’ll let you be the judge.

I’ve made it no secret how much I love peanut butter. Usually I like my peanut butter with a little chocolate, but this pie stands on its own. It’s no bake, too. So awesome, right??!! The filling is vanilla pudding and when you layer the warm pudding over the peanut butter, the peanut butter melts into the crust and the pudding. Holy Cow. It’s pretty darn good.

This would be the perfect pie to make for any occasion. It’s just so easy — from the store bought crust, vanilla pudding, no baking involved. Can it get any easier for a pie dessert??!! If you’re a peanut butter lover, this pie is for you!

Katie’s Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

½ cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 9 inch store bought pie crust (I picked a graham cracker crust)
1 large package cook & serve vanilla Jell-O pudding (4.6 oz.)
2 ¼ cup milk (skim works fine)
1 tub Cool Whip (you won't use all of it)

Instructions

Using a pastry blender, combine the powdered sugar and peanut butter. Mix until crumbles form. Put half of the crumbles on the bottom of the pie crust.
Cook pudding according to package directions, however, only use 2 1/4 cup of milk. I know the directions state to use more, but don't. Once the pudding has slightly cooled, pour over the pie crust. Cover and put in the fridge until cool.
Once the pie has cooled, top with cool whip and the remaining peanut butter crumbles. Store in the fridge.

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A special Thank You to Lisa and Katie for this wonderful recipe!! I’ll be making this often!

If you’re interested in sharing a family recipe and having me share it, you can email me! mkearly614(at)gmail(dot)com

Filed Under: Dessert, Family Recipes, Recipes · Tagged With: dessert recipe, Easy Dessert Recipe, Family Recipe, No Bake Dessert, No Bake Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, pie, Pie Recipe

Surprise Recipe Swap – Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs

March 20, 2013 by admin · 47 Comments

So have I told you about this super fun blogging group I’m in?? It’s called the Surprise Recipe Swap! Each month, I’m assigned to a blog and I get to pick a recipe to make & write about it. Someone in return is assigned to my blog. The 20th of each month is always the big reveal. If you’re interested in joining our blogging group, click on image above and you’ll be directed to sign up form. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers and find some great recipes!

This month, I had the pleasure of poking around Spatulas on Parade. Dawn is a mom, grandma, country gal & an animal lover. On her blog, she shares the recipes she makes for her family. Dawn loves to cook and bake, so she has something for everyone.

I’ve noticed when it comes to Surprise Recipe Swap, I always check out dessert recipes first. It’s a good excuse for me to make sweet treats. As soon as I saw Dawn’s recipe for Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs, I knew I found the prefect recipe to feature. It’s the perfect treat to share for Easter….and I’m totally obsessed with peanut butter & chocolate desserts. These little eggs taste just like (if not better!!) what you can buy in the Easter isle at the store. I take that back — these peanut butter eggs are better — they have sprinkles.

The best part of this recipe — marshmallow fluff! I’ve had a jar of marshmallow fluff just sitting in my pantry, waiting to be used. Well thanks Dawn, you’ve unleashed a Marshmallow Fluff Monster. I love the consistency and sweetness it gives these little peanut butter eggs! And since I only used half of the jar, I’m searching for recipes on Pinterest to find more ways to use it.

Easter is just over a week away — make these cute little Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs for the perfect Easter treat!

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs

Ingredients

12 tbsp butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
14 oz peanut butter
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 tsp vanilla
dark chocolate chips or candy bark for coating
Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

Put the butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer. Mix for about 2 minutes or until the consistency is light and fluffy.
Add peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until the candy is a workable texture; not too sticky and easy to handle. You might need to add a little more powdered sugar to get a more workable consistency.
Using a large spoon, scoop the candy onto the spoon and press into the spoon. It should shape like an egg. Peel off of spoon. Put it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and continue until mix is gone. About 3 dozen.
Put the eggs in the fridge to firm up, about an hour. (I let mine sit over night, so they were really firm.) Once firm, melt chocolate and coat the eggs. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles if you want.
Return to the fridge and allow to firm. Store in fridge up to 2 weeks in a air tight container. When ready to eat, allow to come to room temperature first for best taste.

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I made a few changes but the original recipe for Marshmallow Peanut Butter Eggs can be found here!

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: Dessert, Easter, Easter Dessert, Easy Dessert, Peanut Butter Eggs, SRS, Surprise Recipe Swap

Irish Surprise Cupcakes

March 13, 2013 by admin · 13 Comments

A little secret about me – My baking skill could use improvement. Everyone assumes food bloggers can do it all. Well guess what, I can’t. I have fails in the kitchen just like everyone else. A majority of my fails occur when I’m baking. I’ve learned when I’m trying a “from scratch” recipe for the first time, I’ll buy double the ingredients just in case my first attempt flops. This trick has come in handy multiple times.

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather the past few days, so I didn’t want to mess around in the kitchen. I tossed out the idea of making white cupcakes from scratch and bought a cake mix from Pillsbury. There is a reason why people buy cake mixes — Pillsbury’s are the best! It’s impossible to screw up since all you need to do is add 3 ingredients and stir. It’s guaranteed to be moist since there is pudding in the dry mix. The best part – it ALWAYS tastes good.

I got the idea for Irish Surprise Cupcakes from Pinterest. It seems that Poke cakes are all the rage right now. I thought I’d try my version of a Poke cake but use lime jello instead of evaporated milk. I poked several holes in each cupcake, poured lime jello over the cupcakes and let them sit in the fridge for a few hours. I prayed it would work…. I cut into the little cake and all I saw was green!

And the frosting is whipped perfection. It’s just three ingredients – milk, instant vanilla pudding mix and cool whip. I could’ve eaten just the frosting and been happy.

I thought these would be the perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend!! I love the green color and the jello sucked right into the density of the cupcake. The color of jello could be switched for any occasion or holiday.

Do you have plans for St. Patrick’s Day Weekend??

Irish Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

1 Package of Pillsbury White Cake Mix
2 Packages (3 oz each) Lime JELL-O
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Cold Water

For the Icing:

1 Package (3.4 oz) JELL-O Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 cup Cold Milk
1 (8 oz) Carton Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed (like Cool Whip)

For Decoration:

Green Sprinkles

Instructions

Prepare and bake cupcakes according to package directions. Let cupcakes cool for 30-60 minutes.
When the cupcakes are cool to the touch, make jello. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water. Using a straw, make multiple holes in each cupcake. With a baster, insert liquid jello into the cupcake holes. When you're done, place cupcakes in the fridge. Let them sit for 60 minutes.
To make frosting - combine pudding mix and milk. Blend for 2 minutes with a handheld mixer. (You'll have a thick consistency.) Fold in whipped topping. Spread over each cupcake and decorate with green sprinkles. Store cupcakes in the fridge.

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Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: Cupcakes, Dessert, Easy Dessert Recipe, JELL-O, Pillsbury recipe, St. Patricks Day

Double Chocolate & Toffee Blondie Bars

March 6, 2013 by admin · 26 Comments

I have something I must admit. Until a week ago, I’d never eaten a blondie before.

Sure they have a cute name… but if I’m going to put the time and effort of making a dessert from scratch, there are plenty of other things I’d love to eat. Brownies. Cookies. Pie. I didn’t want to waste time (or the calories) making something I wasn’t sure I’d be completely obsessed with and telling everyone about.

Well, I tried a blondie at a Chicago Blackhawks game…. and I fell in love at first bite. Let me be clear, this blondie had a ton of competition. I was sitting in the luxury box section at the United Center and we had every kind of dessert available to us. Cheesecake. Turtle Brownies. Ice cream sundaes.

Keep in mind I already stuffed myself at dinner because I had to try a little of everything. I asked the Chef what was his favorite dessert of them all… He replied, “The Blondie…but the Turtle Brownie is a close second.” So of course I tried both… Ok fine, I took 2 of both and a lemon bar.

I tried the blondie first, just to get it out of the way. I took a bite and was totally blown away! It tasted like a cookie and then it had toffee bits and white chocolate. I ate both blondies in like 10 seconds. I didn’t even want the brownies or lemon bar. All I kept thinking was, “GIVE ME MORE BLONDIES!!”

Needless to say, a week has gone by and I’m still thinking about those darn blondies. I emailed one of my favorite sweet queens, Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction, asking if she has a go to blondie recipe I could try and play with. Sally gave me her signature recipe , which I doubled since I was looking for a dense cookie bar.

I added my favorite elements from the Blackhawks blondie to Sally’s blondie recipe. Semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and Heath (toffee) pieces. I tried the batter while mixing and I could’ve eaten all of it right then and there… but I put my inner glutton aside and got the bars into the oven. I tried my best to wait the whole hour to let them rest like Sally recommends. I did everything I could to kill 60 minutes. I put my laundry away, painted my toe nails, watched the Vanderpump Rules Reunion.

You guys, I know I haven’t tried my fair share of blondies, but these Double Chocolate & Toffee Blondies are beyond amazing. I got toffee chunks in every bite along with both kinds of chocolate. Does it get any better than that??!!

If you love blondies, you must try this recipe! If you’re like the old me and don’t think blondies are that big of a deal, eat your words and try this blondie! I love how it has all of the elements of a cookie but it’s rich& chewy like a brownie. Enjoy!!

Double Chocolate & Toffee Blondie Bars

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup Heath toffee bits

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add butter to make brown butter. I find the butter melts pretty easily if the butter is cut into cubes. Stir and let the butter come to a boil. Continue to stir until you see brown bits starting to form on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and pour butter into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and stir. Set aside and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Stir in eggs and vanilla to the bowl. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined. Add both kinds of chocolate chips and toffee bits. You can use you hands to evenly distribute chips and toffee into the batter.
4. In a medium sized baking dish (I used 10x7x2), coat with cooking spray or parchment paper. Press batter into the baking dish evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the the top is nicely browned. Take out of the oven and let the bars cool for 60 minutes. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

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Special thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction for letting me use her Brown Butter Blondie Recipe!

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: blondie recipe, brown butter recipe, dessert recipe, easy cookie bar, easy recipe

Surprise Recipe Swap – Easy Apple and Goat Cheese Turnovers

February 20, 2013 by admin · 25 Comments

One thing I love to do is find new blogs. Some of you might know that from my #FollowFriday feature which I highlight a blog I’m crushing on and share 5 of their posts. I’m excited to be taking part of the Surprise Recipe Swap for February. Each month, a blogger is assigned to another participating blogger and pick a recipe of theirs to make & post about. If this is something you’d like to join, click on the Surprise Recipe Swap image to sign up!

For February, my assigned blog was Red, White & Blueberries. Melissa’s recipes are All American with a Texas twist. Cooking for family is something Melissa grew accustomed to. Her Mother & Grandmother would spend their weekends and vacations cooking for everyone. These days, Melissa is making meals for her husband and his large Greek family. We’re talking 30+ people. (wowza!)

The recipe I selected from Red, White & Blueberries was Melissa’s easy apple turnovers. Turnovers are great because they can be eaten anytime of day. I like turnovers for a sweet breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up snack or as a dessert.

I really liked Melissa’s recipe because she took a little shortcut to get these turnovers on the table. For the dough, she used Pillsbury crescent rolls. This makes this dish super easy!

I did make a few changes to the recipe — for the apples, I mixed two different kinds. I like a tart apple (like Granny Smith) and then a sweet apple (like Gala). I always do this trick with any apple recipe — pie or cobbler — because mixing two kinds of apples provide a balance of flavor. It won’t be too sweet or tart. I also added goat cheese. I like the creamy texture and savoriness goat cheese gives this sweet turnover. It’s definitely something different, but I think you’ll like addition!

Red, White & Blueberries Easy Apple Turnover Recipe is a new favorite! I’m sure I’ll be making it again when I’m short on time in the morning for breakfast, looking for an afternoon treat or we’re having guests for dinner and I need a quick dessert.

Easy Apple & Goat Cheese Turnovers

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled and cubed. (I used 1 Granny Smith & 1 Gala Apple.)
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter
1 dash of salt
2 cups of water
1 can of Pillsbury crescent rolls
2-3 tbsp goat cheese crumbles
2 – 4 tbsp. water
½ cup of confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium sauce pan, add apples and the next 5 ingredients. Cook until almost all of the liquid evaporates. (the liquid should be thick like a syrup.) This step will take about 15 minutes.
Roll out each crescent into a square shape. Take a spoonful of the apple turnover filling and place it in the center of crescent. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Fold up the sides and pinch the dough to seal everything inside. Place turnovers on a grease cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until brown.
To make glaze - combine water, sugar and vanilla. Stir until well combined and no clumps are visible. Drizzle over turnover and serve.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: apple and goat cheese turnover, apple turnover recipe, easy recipe, quick dessert, SRS, Surprise Recipe Swap

Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch & Chocolate Bars

February 11, 2013 by admin · 35 Comments

I have a serious addiction…and my first step to recovery is admitting it, right? My inner demon has been with me since I was little and my need for it happens everyday. I don’t even care if I can’t kick the habit.

This addiction I’m writing about is chocolate and peanut butter. I’m not ashamed I have peanut butter cups hidden around the house, chocolate and peanut butter ice cream in the freezer or pin just about everything with chocolate & peanut butter in the recipe title. (I really do need a pin board JUST for peanut butter and chocolate recipes!)

When I was a kid, my favorite cereal was Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch. We always had it in the pantry and my Mom would spoil me by adding a little cream to milk in my bowl. It was so rich and fantastic. Almost like getting a treat for breakfast.

I probably haven’t had Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal for 15 years. But as soon as I opened the box and took a bite, it reminded me of being a kid. I won’t wait another 15 years to get another box, that’s for sure!

I went over to the Cap’n Crunch website the other days to see if they had any recipes. I was so excited to see a cereal bar recipe and I couldn’t wait to make it. Guess what it combined — Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch cereal and chocolate. I couldn’t wait to eat it!

This bar is a lot like a rice crispy treat. The same method is used to make these Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars. (melt butter & marshmallows and then combining it with the cereal.) It’s super easy and will take you 5 minutes.

If there ever is a time when I don’t have a chocolate & peanut butter treat in the house to eat, I know I can get my fix with these Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch & Chocolate Bars.

Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch & Chocolate Bars

Ingredients

5 cups Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal
1/2 cup Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tbsp sprinkles (optional)
3 tbsp Butter
1 bag (10 oz) Marshmallows
1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Instructions

In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, line with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine cereal, chocolate and sprinkles in a bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, microwave butter for 45 seconds. Repeat until butter is melted.
Add marshmallows and peanut butter to the melted butter. Stir and microwave for 45 seconds. Continue to microwave until marshmallows are melted.
This step must be done quickly - Add cereal to marshmallow mixture. Stir to combine. Press firmly into the casserole dish. Let it cool before cutting into squares. Decorate with extra sprinkles. (optional.)

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http://thetastyfork.com/2013/02/11/capn-crunch-peanut-butter-chocolate-bars/

Recipe from Cap’n Crunch