Chocolatey Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

April 29, 2013 By

Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

The weather today is beautiful where I live.  I don’t know if it was 80 degrees and sunny where you live, but baking probably isn’t on the top of your priority list if it is.

However, these chocolatey marshmallow peanut butte might change your mind.  I love baking with marshmallows because they disappear when you bake them and I’m a kid at heart and magic still impresses me.  (It’s magic, not science, okay?)

Chocolate and peanut butter also still impress me, so this recipe is perfect for all you kids-at-heart out there.  I also thought I’d stick with the kid theme by using a word in my title that is not actually a word.  It happens.

These bars are ooey and gooey and the flavors are seriously perfect. (If you’re wondering why there’s a red spot in one of my pictures, I used red velvet chocolate instead of chocolate chips…I suggest it if you can find red velvet chocolate!)

What’s your favorite ingredient to bake with?

Chocolatey Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

disappearing marshmallow brownies

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Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Bottom Layer:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
  • 4 tablespoons chocolate chips
  • 1½ cups marshmallows
  • Top Layer:
  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter
  • ⅔ cup cornflakes, crushed

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa; add to creamed mixture.
  4. Spread in a greased 9×13 inch pan.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
  6. For top layer, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well combined.
  7. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars immediately. Store in an airtight container.

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disappearing marshmallow peanut butter brownies

Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Drizzle, Chocolate Frosting, Peanut Butter Tagged With: , , , , , ,



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Hot Chocolate Filled Cake with Hot Chocolate Frosting

December 31, 2012 By

white fluffy cake with hot chocolate frosting

Sometimes I have these really great ideas for baked goods and I dream about them and they sound so great in my head and I make them and they suck.

That’s what happened with this cake.  The actual cake turned out horribly dry and dense, but the frosting and filling are great and the photos turned out well so I decided to post it anyway.  However, I’m not going to post the cake recipe…just use your favorite fluffy white cake recipe or a box mix.

Do you have a good white cake recipe?  Because I clearly need a little help.

hot chocolate filled cake with hot chocolate frosting

marshmallow covered hot chocolate cake

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Hot Chocolate Filled Cake with Hot Chocolate Frosting
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Cake:
  • Use your favorite white cake recipe or white box mix cake mix (You will probably need two boxes of cake mix).
  • Filling:
  • 1 cup hot chocolate mix, light or dark
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • ⅛ cup butter, cold
  • Frosting:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
  • 3½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup hot chocolate mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions
  1. Prepare the cake batter.
  2. Pour half the batter into the prepared pans, spreading all the way to the edges. (About 1⅓ cups cake batter)
  3. Make the filling by using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands to mix together the butter and the hot chocolate mix until crumbly.
  4. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter.
  5. Spread the remaining batter over the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake.
  6. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. While cooling, make the frosting. Beat the butter and hot chocolate mix until fluffy, about two minutes. Add in the vanilla and salt.
  8. Slowly start adding the powdered sugar in until completely fluffy. Now beat in the cream until combined.
  9. Once the cake is cool, frost it.

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hot chocolate filled cake with hot chocolate frosting and marshmallows

Filed Under: Butter, Buttercream, Cake, Cake Batter, Cake Mix, Chocolate, Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate Frosting, Frosting, Marshmallows Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



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Chocolate Almond Brownie Balls

May 8, 2012 By

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Hang in there guys, finals week is over on Thursday for me, then I’ll be posting all the time.
Until then, enjoy some yummy brownie balls… they won’t disappoint you.

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Chocolate Almond Brownie Balls
Brownies:
  • 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Frosting:

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened (you can use margarine but the flavor will not be the same)
  • 1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar , sifted
  • 1/8 cup half-and-half cream (can use unwhipped whipping cream in place of half and half) or 1/3 cup milk (can use unwhipped whipping cream in place of half and half)
  • 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , sifted
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Chocolate coating:

  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at high for 2 minutes or until butter or margarine is melted.
  3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour.
  4. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).
  5. Let the brownies cool.
  6. Mix all frosting ingredients, and crumble cooled brownies into the mix.
  7. Form into balls and freeze for 20 minutes.
  8. Microwave heavy cream for 1 minute.  Put in chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute.  Stir until smooth.
  9. Dip brownie balls into chocolate, let sit.
  10. Eat!

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Filed Under: brownie, brownie balls, Brownies, Brownies with Almond Buttercream Frosting, Cake balls, Chocolate Frosting



Moist Coffee Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee Frosting

April 1, 2012 By

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I do love coffee cake, but this is not the coffee cake you’re thinking of.

This is cake with actual coffee in it.

This is a moist yellow sheet cake.  It’s super delicious and the chocolate hazelnut coffee frosting is just as good.

This is the perfect birthday (or just everyday) cake for a coffee lover.  Even for non-coffee lovers, the coffee taste isn’t strong enough that they won’t like it.

I found the recipe over at Tasty Kitchen and I’ve made the chocolate version of this coffee cake and I loved it, so I knew the variation would be awesome and it was.  I definitely recommend this recipe.

One last thing: don’t forget to enter the gallon of coconut oil giveaway!!! It’s the last night to enter. I will announce the winner on Tuesday morning or afternoon.  Thanks to all of you for entering! 

Are you a coffee fan?  What’s your favorite flavor/brand?

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Moist Coffee Sheet Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee Frosting

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen and Savory Sweet Life 

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 ¼ cups Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt
  • 2 sticks Butter
  • 1 cup Boiling coffee
  • ½ cups Buttermilk
  • 2 whole Beaten Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Frosting:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened
  • 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut extract
  • up to 4 tablespoons coffee

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Foil an 18×13 inch pan.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
  4. Melt butter in a saucepan.
  5. Add boiling coffee, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
  6. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. While cake is baking, make the frosting: Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar SLOWLY until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Add hazelnut extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of coffee and beat for 3 minutes. Add more sugar/coffee to desired consistency.
  8. Wait for cake to cool, then frost.
  9. Cut into squares, eat, and eat!

coffeecake

Filed Under: Chocolate Frosting, Frosting, Sheet Cake, Vanilla, Vanilla Brownies Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



“You’ve got dirt on your head” Wednesday & Double Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcakes

February 22, 2012 By

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For anyone who’s curious about Lent, read the following… If not, check out the awesomely moist cupcakes at the end of the post. :)

It’s Ash Wednesday and every year, it never ceases to amaze me the funny things I hear from people.  For example:

  • You’ve got dirt on your head.
  • Where do you buy the ashes? (From someone who thought we put the ashes on ourselves)
  • Oh no, please don’t tell me those ashes are from dead people. (No… they’re burned palms)
  • What’s the point in the ashes?? (By the way, it’s just a reminder that we came from ashes and we’ll leave as ashes)
  • Are you okay? (Because, obviously, my head was bruised haha)

These are just a few I heard this year… and my mom called to tell me about the “dirt on the forehead” example.  All I could do was laugh.

This year for Lent, I decided to add things as well as give things up, which I’ve never done before.  So, I’m going to:

  • Quit gossiping. I try not to do it now, but I’ve realized how much more aware I am now. (Yes, after one day haha)
  • Do at least one good deed a day.
  • Make sure I don’t miss church.

That last one shouldn’t be on there because I should never miss church, but since I’ve been to college I haven’t been great about getting there every Sunday.

I found this funny website that gave “20 Weird Things to Give Up for Lent.”  I’m posting them below.  They’re from “Life Teen.”

  • Don’t eat the last bite of your food
  • Park at the very back of the parking lot
  • Put a popcorn kernel in your shoe every day
  • Don’t use your apps
  • Get to know your neighbors
  • Pray the “Hail Mary” and do an ab crunch for every single word
  • Stop complaining and/or being negative
  • Give up texting and call whoever you need to talk to
  • Don’t use utensils
  • Give away 10 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, and a pair of shoes
  • When you wake up, jump out of bed, kiss the floor, and learn humility
  • Wear the same 4 outfits for all of lent
  • Everyday do 20 (or 100) pushups and offer it up for someone who’s sick
  • Leave a post-it with a positive message on it wherever you go
  • Cut out all screen-time (phone, TV, computer) after dinner
  • Send a different person from the Life Teen Staff an affirmation email every day of Lent
  • Don’t straighten or curl your hair
  • Sit and stand up straight – don’t slouch!
  • Every day take a picture of something or someone you’re grateful for and hang the pictures in your room.

So, if you’re struggling for ideas, you can thank Life Teen for the above help.

On to cupcakes!! I hope you didn’t give sweets up for Lent, because these are awesome! 

Thanks to the lovely people at POM Wonderful, I received a sample of their POM juice.  Although I drank most of the juice, I made sure to save the rest for this recipe.

The pomegranate flavor is almost unrecognizable, but the juice gives it moisture (these are extremely moist) and a hint of flavor.  The cupcakes aren’t overly sweet, which is why I topped them with my favorite white chocolate frosting.

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Double Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcakes 

Adapted from: She Bakes Here

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 cup pomegranate juice

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a small measuring cup or bowl, combine oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with pomegranate juice.
  4. Mix well, breaking up the flour clumps as you go.
  5. Line your muffin tins with baking cup liners. Spoon the batter into the cups, only filling 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-25 minutes, testing with a toothpick to ensure they have baking thoroughly.
  6. Frost with your favorite frosting, or mine, which is here: How Sweet Eats.

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Filed Under: Butter, Chocolate, Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate Frosting, Cupcakes, Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting, easy pomegranate, Frosting, Fudge-like Brownies, Fudgy, Fudgy Brownies, POM, POM Wonderful, POM Wonderful recipes, pomegranate, Powdered Sugar



White Chocolate Butterscotch Bark and {8 Ways to Drive Free Traffic to Your Blog}

November 3, 2011 By

It can be a tough blogosphere out there if your blog isn’t getting any traffic.

Trust me, I know how frustrating it is.

When I started out a little over a year ago, I made this blog expecting to wake up with tons of comments and visitors.  Obviously, that didn’t happen and I woke up discouraged.  But, I kept doing it because it’s what I love to do.

That would be my one word of advice to any blogger starting out: Don’t give up.

If you’re discouraged like I was, here are some tips I’ve learned along the way to help drive traffic to my blog:

1.  Tastespotting and foodgawker.  If you’re a food blogger, I would suggest taking a photography course or doing some research on how to take professional food photographs. Getting your photos accepted on these two websites will benefit your traffic big time.

2.  Post Often. The more you write, the better your chances of getting traffic are.  First of all, the more you write, the more people have to read… duh.  Second of all, search engines will pick up your keywords and send viewers to your site.

3.  Join sites like Reddit.  Don’t feel bad submitting your own content to Reddit every once in a while; there’s no harm in that.  It will get you recognized and get your blog out there.  However, do not post every single post you write on Reddit.

4.  Add a StumbleUpon widget to your website.  Check out StumbleUpon’s audience tools.  They’re super helpful.  Most importantly, add their badge to your site, just in case you have a few sweet readers who want to submit your website.  All of their tools are very beneficial.

5.  Google AdWords: Keyword Tool.   When you’re writing a blog post, put a few of the words into the keyword tool and see if there are any words you could use that would draw more traffic to your blog.  Use those words often: in the title, in the actual post, in the labels.

6.  Advertise yourself on Twitter and Facebook.  When you make a new post, tweet about it, make a status about it, email people about it.  Do what you’ve gotta do to get your blog name out there.

7.  Guest Posts.  Ask other blogger’s if you can write a guest post for them.  You’d be surprised how often they say yes.  And if they don’t say yes, don’t worry about it, at least you tried.

8.  Comment.  Guarantee you if you comment on 50 other blogs, you’ll at least get 20 replies back.  It’s as simple as that.  You can’t expect people to write on your blog if you don’t write on theirs.

What do you guys do to drive traffic to your blog?


I made this Butterscotch Bark because butterscotch chips and butterscotch “discs” were on sale at Wal-Mart and I got a little sale happy.  I didn’t really need them, but I figured since they were on sale, I should probably buy them.  Luckily, they make for a pretty good bark.  I love making bark because it’s so adaptable.  If you don’t like butterscotch, you can add whatever you want and it will still be good.

White Chocolate Butterscotch Bark


Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounce) white chocolate chips
1/2 package (6 ounce) butterscotch chips
24 butterscotch “discs”, chopped to small pieces
*Optional:
1/2 cup chocolate Cheerios
1/2 cup chocolate frosting, melted
Sprinkles

1.  Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave or with a double broiler.  Poor onto a piece of parchment paper and spread out with a spatula.
2.  Melt the butterscotch chips and drizzle over the white chocolate.
3.  Sprinkle the chopped butterscotch chips evenly over the top.
4.  Sprinkle and drizzle the optional toppings over the top.
5.  Let cool until the chocolate has hardened.
6.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Filed Under: Blogging How To, Butterscotch Bark, Butterscotch Candy, Butterscotch Chips, Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Frosting, Chocolates Cheap, Driving Traffic, How to Chocolate, Website and Traffic