Desserts | Pennywise Cook

Homemade Strawberry Belgian Waffles

May 3, 2013 By amy Leave a Comment

It is MAY! Where in the wide world of sports did March and April get off to? I remember thinking wow, it’s already March and then BOOM it’s May. I’m mostly caught off-guard because both of my girl’s birthdays are in May which means that mommy has a lot of work to do. My oldest’s birthday is next week and I decided not to procrastinate this year by asking her cake preference a week before instead of, oh, the night before.

These are Mom Of The Year qualities, you know.

She chose My Little Pony with a Rainbow Dash emphasis. For those of you who don’t know about these girly things, just know that I have a lot on my plate next week.

There’s probably a chance that you’d like to know about those big, fluffy waffles up there. I could tell you many stories about when my mom used to make these for me. Without exaggerating, I probably ate 4 of these in one sitting when I was younger.

I could do the same now, but I try to practice self-control.

My mom always made them from a box. Do not get me wrong, that is normally the very method that I would use. However, since I do have a tendency to eat a redonkulous amount of them, I wanted to make sure and healthify them up just a bit.

These Homemade Strawberry Belgian Waffles contain no butter, oil, or eggs. You could use soy milk or almond milk in place of the milk and you’d have them dairy free! They aren’t artificially made to taste like strawberries like some boxed mixes might work. They are literally made with fresh strawberries which give them a more natural flavor.

I almost called these Strawberry-Banana Belgian Waffles because I used bananas instead of the oil/butter/egg, but the banana taste didn’t come through as much as I was expecting. Even the strawberry taste didn’t become as potent as I would have liked. But if you’re brave and don’t mind a little sugar, you can add a tsp of sugar to the strawberries before adding them to the batter and I’m sure that it will bring out the strawberry flavor a little more.

I think my favorite part about Belgian waffles as opposed to regular waffles is the fact that they are super fluffy.

I love fluffy food.

Does that sound weird? I’m sure it does, but I don’t care. I like whipped cream, cotton candy, mousse of all kinds, lighter-than-air angel food cakes. You name it, if it’s an ounce away from losing it’s gravity and joining the angels, then I probably enjoy eating it. The key to eating them, at least in my opinion, is to top them with fresh (or sliced and sweetened) strawberries and then give them a few squirts of Reddi Whip. I’m not sure that I could be in the presence of a Belgian waffle that didn’t contain whipped cream. That’s just the way that I was taught to eat them. I wonder what the Belgians think of me…

My waffle iron makes 2 of these at a time. With the amount of batter that I mixed up, I got 4 total. To help you know how many of these you’ll get out of 1 batch. I’d recommend doubling the recipe if you have a hungry bunch.

Believe me, they won’t eat just one.

Recipe adapted from Vegan Heartland.

Homemade Strawberry Belgian Waffles

Recipe type: Breakfast

Author: <span class=”mceItemHidden”><span class=”mceItemHiddenSpellWord”>Pennywise</span> Cook- Adapted from Vegan Heartland</span>

Serves: 4

Strawberries add a summery flavor to sweet and tasty belgian waffles! You’d never know these were healthy. There are only about 150 calories per waffle!

Ingredients

1 c flour (I used about 1/4 c whole wheat)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp maple syrup (I used sugar free)
1/4 c mashed banana (about 1 banana)
3/4 c skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c fresh strawberries, finely chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder until combined. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, banana, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low until fluffy.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
Then gently fold in the strawberries.
Cook according to your waffle iron’s directions.
Optional) Top with fresh strawberries and Reddi Whip!

Notes

- If you wanted to bump up the nutrition, you could also add some flax to these. I used about a 1/4 c whole wheat flour in mine.

- You can use pretty much any type of milk in place of the dairy milk if you’d like. Even coconut milk. It’s just a matter of your preference!

- These don’t have a strong strawberry taste (what’s in a name anyways?), so if you want to bump that up, add about a tsp of sugar to the strawberries. OR you could add the strawberries in the at the beginning and let them mix in well with the wet ingredients. The flavor would disperse a little more there. (I will be trying this myself)

- Or if you have any other suggestions for these, I’d love to hear! They are a work in progress.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Facts (per waffle not including toppings): 147 calories, 40 carbs, 0 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 417 gram sodium, 3 grams sugar.

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Belgian, Belgian Waffles, Breakfast, Breakfast Waffles, Homemade Belgian Waffles, Homemade Waffles, Waffles

2-Ingredient Homemade Magic Shell

April 16, 2013 By amy 2 Comments

Ever since I can remember, I have been in love with the dipped cones from Sonic. I remember as a kid, we’d be coming home from church or school and I’d close my eyes and imagine that my parents’ blinker would come on once we got to Sonic. Oh the joy that would come when I’d hear that click click click. And if we did stop, sometimes that joy would be crushed by my dad eating the tip off my dipped cone. I still have a complex about that to this day…

I also adore that Magic Shell liquid that you pour over your ice cream. You know the stuff. It starts as a liquid, but the minute that it hits your ice cream it starts to harden and forms a shell. It’s basically the same thing as the dipped cones from Sonic. No wonder I love the stuff.

It was only recently that I found out how extremely SIMPLE it is to make magic shell. You can pay around $3 bucks for a bottle of it at the store. After you read this recipe, you may never purchase it ever again. I know I won’t.

There’s something about the fun of starting off with a liquid and watching it turn to a solid. Brings me back to high school when we would do science lab. I was usually pretty bored until we did the hands-on experiments.

You see the TWO ingredients that are used to make this lovely, tasty, and sweet ice cream topping combine together to make your own little science experiment each time that you eat a bowl of ice cream. Coconut oil is the ingredient that essentially causes the hardening with contact to the cold. And then of course, you have your chocolate chips that mix with the coconut oil to create the “shell”.

Therefore, you end up with a liquid that becomes a chocolatey, yummy, shell on top of your creamy ice cream. And to think that this recipe only contains two ingredients that takes only seconds to make. You’ll never go back to store-bought, I promise…

You can use your favorite flavor of chips to make this. Use butterscotch chips, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk, or semi-sweet. I store mine in an old chocolate syrup bottle. With the coconut oil as an ingredient, it tends to harden in the bottle after a while at room temp. Simply pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and it’ll be back to liquid and ready to create a chocolate shell over your ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of I Wash, You Dry.

2-Ingredient Homemade Magic Shell

5.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: I Wash, You Dry

With just 2 ingredients, you can create your own magic shell without a trip to the store!

Ingredients

1/2 c. Coconut Oil
12 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (or your choice)

Instructions

In a large microwavable bowl, combine the coconut oil and chocolate chips.
Microwave at intervals of 30 seconds at 50% power, stirring between intervals.
Pour over ice cream and allow to dry and harden.
Store in an airtight container at ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Notes

If your magic shell hardens in the bottle, microwave it for about 30 seconds to get it back to a liquid again.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Desserts, Kitchen Tips and Tricks Tagged With: Chocolate Ice Cream Topping, Chocolate Shell, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Topping, Magic Shell

No Time To Make Dessert? {Giveaway}

January 10, 2013 By amy 13 Comments

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Edwards. All opinions are 100% mine.

Strawberry Cream Pie 1 No Time To Make Dessert? {Giveaway}

The words you are about to hear may come as a shock to you….

I don't always have time to make a homemade dessert. Yes, it is true. Sometimes, just sometimes I don't even feel like making dessert. And perhaps the reasoning behind it is that I spend so much time on dinner that I justdon't care to spend anymore time in the kitchen. It's understandable right?

The only times that I really feel it's necessary to have dessert as a requirement is when it's a formal meal. You know, friends over or perhaps a holiday dinner. We had a dinner like this recently and of course, dessert was a forgotten project. Edwards Crème pies to the rescue! We stopped by the store and I let my daughter pick out her favorite. Strawberry Cream Pie was her dessert of choice and it was a good one. I'd probably recommend it for a get-together. I love when there's no baking involved.

For the holidays, Edwards is still offering a holiday e-card that you can send to family and friends! I know it's January, but the link still works so try it out! It's pretty cute. I sent my e-card in no time flat and received a coupon via email.

My favorite part of the e-card offer? You AND your recipient get a $1 off coupon. Throughout the month of November and December, Edwards Desserts donated $1 for each and every Edwards product purchased. How super cool is that?

Now, let's get to the good stuff! One of YOU are going to win a FREE Edwards Creme Pie! The winner of this giveaway will receive a coupon for a FREE Edwards Creme Pie AND Edward's Desserts will be making a $20 donation to Toys for Toys in the winner's name! This will be a quicker than normal giveaway ending on Tuesday, January 15th at midnight CT.

Edward's Desserts Giveaway

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this post with your favorite Edward's pie or perhaps one you'd like to try.

Optional Additional Entries:

Follow Edward's Desserts on Facebook and leave a comment here that you did/are.
Follow Pennywise Cook on Facebook and leave a comment here that you did/are.
Follow Pennywise Cook on Twitter and leave a comment here that you did/are.
Subscribe to Pennywise Cook’s daily email. Leave a comment that you did/are here.
Follow Pennywise Cook on Pinterest. Leave a comment her that you did/are

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, January 15th at midnight CT. I will contact the winner on Wednesday, January 16th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them, I will name a new winner. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery of your coupon. US residents only.

20121010 fba8typdmy23x7c56jbsx1addi No Time To Make Dessert? {Giveaway}

20121010 ggwa1y3n6kisci851bm5i1ne31 No Time To Make Dessert? {Giveaway}

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Desserts

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Gift Jars

December 10, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

I’ve recently gotten the nickname “Becky Homecky” from my mom. Had you asked me 5 years ago if I would be creating recipes, crafts, and projects then I probably would have said absolutely not. Not just because I was working at the time, but also because I never really had the urge to do anything so Betty Crocker-ish. These days I find these things to be completely stress-relieving and better yet, fun.

Whodathunkit?

Every Christmas for the past 5 years, I’ve said I’m going to make homemade Christmas gifts to save money and to put a little thought into my gifts. And almost every year, I get down to the wire and never get around to it. This year, I’m determined to make it happen.

I’m starting with these gift jars. There are about a million combinations for gift jars these days. You name it, you can gift it in a jar. My daughter suggested that we try Banana Bread Gift Jars the other night. I told her that I wasn’t sure that you could do that because bananas can’t rightly be put in a jar and keep.

Then I came across this recipe at Recipe Goldmine for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Jar. Never having made mixes in a jar like this, I wanted to go with a tried and true recipe before branching out into experimentation. I found it interesting that using dried banana chips for the banana part actually ended up tasting like regular bananas.

And the chocolate, come on. YUM is the only word to describe chocolate and bananas.

I got my jars at Walmart for around $8 for 12 of them including tops. I used some fabrics pieces that I already had along with some red string to dress the jars up a bit. I printed out the instructions for making the bread and glued it to a piece of scrapbook paper. Then punched a hole and tied it to the jar.

Aren’t they adorable?

These make such great gifts for teachers and coworkers. And they are inexpensive too. My favorite part!

Recipe courtesy of Recipe Goldmine.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Gift Jars

Recipe type: Gift, Bread, Snack

Author: Reipe Goldmine

Easily create homemade gift jars for yummy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Ingredients

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried bananas, finely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Layer all ingredients in a quart-size jar in order they are given. Press the layers down firmly before adding next layer.
Attach gift tag with these instructions:
In a large bowl, place the contents of this jar. Make a well in the center. Mix 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 eggs (slightly beaten) and 1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened) into dry mixture. Stir until completely blended. Spoon the batter into a large loaf pan that is well greased with wax paper in the bottom. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Desserts, DIY Projects, Kitchen Tips and Tricks Tagged With: Banana Bread, Banana Bread Gift Jars, Bread in a Jar, Bread Mix in a Jar, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Bread, Christas Gift, Gift, Gift Jars, Gifts

Butterscotch Pretzel Treats

November 20, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

Thanksgiving is in TWO days! This year has just flown by. Have you finished all your big feast shopping? I sure hope so, because the stores are nuts about now. I was in a few stores the other day and just gave up. You know those trips to the store when you have only a couple of items. Then you get in line only to realize that for those 2 items you’ll have to wait in line for 20 minutes. That’s about the time that I start to justify whether or not it’s absolutely necessary that I get those items.

I usually just give up.

I wanted to share with you guys these awesomely yummy treats that I made the other day. When I’m feeling experimental, I pick up things I think might go well together and then kinda throw it together. As you know, sometimes it works well and other times, well, it completely bombs.

I’m human and a novice cook, so what can I say?

So this is why I was so very happy when these tasty Butterscotch Pretzel Treats turned out so yummy! So easy with just 4 simple ingredients and they take literally minutes to make.

They resemble that of rice krispie treats, but I used pretzels instead of the rice krispies. And oh did that make them yummy. I just love the hint of salty that you get with these sweet treats.

The first thing you want to do is get all of the pretzels out of the bag. The reason that I want to unscore pretzels is because the bag tends to have a ton of salt at the bottom, so don’t just pour the entire bag of pretzels into your ziploc. Use your hand to get them out leaving all the salt at the bottom of the bag.

Use meat mallet or something heavy to break up the pretzels a bit.

It’s really not essential that you make them super small. Just get them fairly broken and be done. Put them in a bowl.

Then it’s time to melt up your marshmallows with a little bit of milk. This may be the longest step in the whole process.

Pour the melted marshmallows in with the pretzels and use your spoon to mix it all up really well. There tends to be pretzel crumbs at the bottom, so make sure to incorporate those too.

Pour it all into a greased 9×13 dish and flatten out. Set that aside while you get the butterscotch going.

Using your preferred method, melt the butterscotch chips until smooth. Some people feel comfortable using the microwave, but I’m not good at that so I always use a make-shift double boiler for this.

Pour the melted chips over the marshmallowey pretzels and place in the refrigerator to set.

Cut into bars and serve! It’s so easy to make these and they are SO good. A nice little change from your everyday rice krispie treats, don’t ya think?

Butterscotch Pretzel Treats

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Author: Pennywise Cook

With only 4 ingredients, these Butterscotch Pretzel Bars and easy AND incredibly yummy!

Ingredients

1 12 oz Package Butterscotch Chips
1 12 oz Package Pretzel Sticks
1 10 oz Package Mini Marshmallows
2 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

Remove the pretzels from their bag and transfer to a large ziploc bag. Make sure to use your hands to remove them and not pour the entire bag in. This will avoid getting all of the salt into your treats.
Using something heavy, break the pretzels inside the ziploc until fairly small. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Place the milk into a large saucepan. Pour in marshmallows and melt over medium heat until smooth.
Pour the marshmallows into the pretzels and combine well. Making sure to get the pretzel crumbs incorporated well. Pour into a greased 9×13 dish and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, melt bag of butterscotch chips in microwave or over a double boiler until smooth. Pour over pretzel mixture and spread completely over top.
Place in refrigerator to set. Cut into bars and serve!

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: Butterscotch, Butterscotch Pretzel Treats, Butterscotch Pretzels, Butterscotch Treats, Desserts, Pretzel, Pretzel Treats, Rice Krispie Treats, Snacks, Treats

2-Ingredient Oreo Bark

November 5, 2012 By amy Leave a Comment

How did your family do with the time change? Everyone enjoy their extra hour of sleep at your place? With 2 girls under 5, there was no extra hour of sleep here. They just don’t cherish that hour like we do. I even had a conversation with my 5 year old the other night about how mommy and daddy like sleep. She just couldn’t grasp why we would enjoy wasting so much time with our eyes closed. That whole conversation was a lost cause. It never really went anywhere and contained no resolution for her.

Sometimes it’s better to just not try and explain things to a 5 year old, huh?

Last week, I had a hankering for something Oreo. I can’t ever bring myself to actually indulge in eating oreos, but I do like to make things containing them. Go figure. I had a package of white chocolate chips in the pantry and some individual packages of Oreos.

Can you say simple? That’s all that I needed to make this incredibly tasty candy bark. It took literally minutes to make and satisfied my Oreo hankering times 2.

I found myself eating so much of it that I sent it to work with the hubby. That’s my secret weapon, y’all. You notice sometimes I don’t always make “healthy” things. Those are usually the ones that I try to send away to a friend or to work with hubby.

It all starts with a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Crumble up about 12 or so Oreos and lay them around the cookie sheet. Melt up your white chocolate chips and pour them over the Oreos. Smooth out and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes or so and YOU’RE DONE.

Does it get any easier?

This, my friends, would make a fantastic food gift for Christmas! Simple wrap it up in a fancy tin or treat bag and tie with a Christmas bow and you have one cheap and cheerful gift!

Who wouldn’t enjoy Oreo Bark?

2-Ingredient Oreo Bark

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Author: Pennywise Cook

With only 2 simple ingredients, you can make a Christmas gift or tasty snack within minutes!

Ingredients

12 or so Oreos (Crumbled)
1 (12 oz) Package White Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread the crumbled Oreos around the sheet.
Melt entire bag of white chocolate chips according to the package or in a double boiler.
Once melted pour over the Oreo pieces and smooth out. Place cookie sheet in freezer for about 10 minutes and then break into pieces.

Notes

If you don’t have a double boiler to melt your chocolate chips, just use two sauce pans. Place hot water in the bottom one and the chocolate chips in the top. Bring the water to a rolling boil and melt the chips.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Holiday, Party Ideas Tagged With: 2 Ingredients, 2-Ingredient, Bark, Candy Bark, Chocolate Bark, Christmas Gifts, Dessert, Food Gifts, Oreo Bark, Snack

Candy Corn Fudge

October 19, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

I realize that those of you out there who don’t like candy corn are probably cringing right now. But luckily for you, this fudge doesn’t actually taste like candy corn. And for those of us who do like candy corn, you can make some of this for your candy corn-hater friends and keep all of the actual candy corn for yourself. With Halloween just around the corner now, it’s everywhere!

For Christmas last year, my husband got me 6 bags of candy corn. He got a stellar deal on them after Halloween and put them up until Christmas. He knows the way to my heart.

True story.

And no, that’s not all that he got me.

This fudge isn’t for those watching their sugar. Or calories, or carbs at that. It’s high in everything I’m sure, but is a worthy splurge for the candy holiday. It also looks quite festive and makes a great party snack!

I can’t help but love this recipe because it only contains 4 simple ingredients. Needless to say that the steps are simple too! In total, it took me about 30 minutes, 1 dirtied mixing bowl, a dirtied measuring cup, and a major sugar high to make this. When I say major sugar high, I mean I ate waaaaay too much of the ingredients while making it.

Learn from my mistakes and don’t do it if you want to eat any of the actual fudge.

That’s a mix of white chocolate chips, marshmallows, and vanilla frosting. Who wouldn’t want to dive right into that?! This picture begins the layering process which is much easier than it sounds.

We’ve given the white a little time to cool and set and here comes the orange layer! It happens pretty fast.

And after finishing up the layering, you’ll be proud that you decided to use wax paper because it makes it super easy to remove from the pan and cut into perfect little fudge pieces!

This would be a great fun fall snack to make with the kiddos. Stirring in the coloring is the best part, aside from licking the spoon. I’ve always got an eager spoon-licker around here.

Here’s how to make it!

Candy Corn Fudge

Recipe type: Dessert, Snack

Author: Pennywise Cook

With just 4 ingredients, you can create fun and festive fudge that mimics the look of candy corn!

Ingredients

1 Package Mini Marshmallows
1 Tub Vanilla Frosting
1 12 oz Bag White Chocolate Chips
Orange and Yellow Food Coloring

Instructions

Line a square baking dish with wax paper.
st Layer:
In a large mixing bowl, place 3/4 c. white chocolate chips, 3/4 c. mini marshmallows, and 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp vanilla frosting. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Return to microwave and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir and pour into bottom of baking dish. Smooth out to all of the edges. Place in refrigerator to set for 10-15 minutes.
nd Layer:
Place the same ingredients in bowl and microwave as you did the other layer. Add orange food coloring to melted mix until you reach desired color. Pour onto cooled and set white layer. Smooth out to all edges and return to refrigerator for another 10-15 minutes.
rd Layer:
Place the same ingredients in bowl (use up the rest of the white chocolate chips, but you may have some leftover marshmallows and frosting) and microwave as you did the other layer. Add yellow food coloring to melted mix until you reach desired color. Pour onto cooled and set orange layer. Smooth out to all edges. At this point, I place mine in the freezer for 10-15 minutes for it to set really well.
Using wax paper, pull out from dish and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator to keep firm.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Party Ideas Tagged With: Candy Corn, Candy Corn Fudge, Candy Fudge, Fudge, Halloween Candy, Halloween Fudge

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

October 12, 2012 By amy 1 Comment

These days school is jam-packed full of learning, extra-curriculars, and even a taddy little bit of fun. They’ve even moved lunch time up for many kiddos to make room for other activities. Some children eat lunch at 10:00! What is this world coming to? But they are waking up at the crack of dawn so an early lunch isn’t so bad. But as parents we must be prepared to hear those impending words each afternoon….

I’m huuuuuungry. Can I have a snack?

Can you blame them? They have been busy for 7 HOURS. All of that icky math and science can really work up an appetite you know? The least that we can do is give them a snack. Here’s a simple snack idea for your busy student (or hungry parent!).

Start by cutting up a couple ripe bananas into bite-size pieces.

Microwave 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter and stir in 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder.

Dip each banana piece into the peanut butter and set on wax paper.

You can drizzle any leftovers on the tops if you’d like.

Freeze for at least an hour and you’re done!

Bing bang bong and you’ve got a very tasty (and healthy) snack! It’s a nice little change from chocolate-covered bananas. The peanut butter actually adds nutritional value with it’s healthy fats and boost of protein. Not to mention the potassium in the banana itself. But who cares about all that? The peanut buttery goodness with a hint of cocoa is super yummy!

Here they are after they are frozen. The peanut butter gets hard, but not as hard as chocolate would so you’ll want to eat them pretty quickly after removing them from the freezer. Ie- don’t leave them sitting around for long periods of time.

YUM!

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Author: Pennywise Cook

Frozen peanut butter bananas create a healthy afternoon snack!

Ingredients

2 Bananas, Cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds to melt. Stir in cocoa powder until mixed well.
Dip banana pieces into peanut butter and place on wax paper. Drizzle remaining peanut butter over top if desired.
Freeze for at least an hour. Preferably 3-5 hours or longer.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Healthy, Kid-Friendly Tagged With: After school, After school snacks, Afternoon snacks, Bananas, Frozen, Frozen Bananas, Peanut Bananas, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Banana, Snacks

No-Bake S’mores Pie

October 5, 2012 By amy 2 Comments

Fall is here! On our trip these past couple of weekends I noticed the trees a changin’ and they are just beautiful. It was especially beautiful driving through the mountains in Chattanooga. I love looking down on huge valleys just covered in autumn-colored fall trees. Makes the drive more enjoyable for sure!

Along with the leaves falling and cooler weather, campfires are sure to follow! In fact, we’re thinking about having a family night this weekend around our fire pit. The feel of cool, crisp air mixed with a crackling fire and marshmallows just can’t be beat in the fall. And you can bet that some fall treats will be eaten! S’mores are my all-time favorite campfire food. I enjoy a roasted hot dog every now and then. And popcorn in those foil packages are fun, but s’mores are the real deal.

Even before the weather even pretended to cool off, I got a hankerin’ for a s’more. Somehow, instead of creating just 1 s’more, I ended up creating this pie. That’s ok. I’d rather have an entire pie than 1 s’more anyways.

So this pie is super simple. I wanted to make it a little better for you, so instead of using creams, I opted for a nonfat yogurt. Of course after using an entire bag of chocolate chips, it doesn’t really matter. But hey, at least I make the effort right?

All the prettiness on the top is completely optional. I had just bought the ingredients for my s’more so I had them and thought why not make the pie look pretty? So depending on how pretty you make yours look, you’re talking between 4 and 6 ingredients. Most of which are highly inexpensive and easy to work with. This pie would be a GREAT thing to bring to a cookout get together.

The one thing that I will point out is that the yogurt does give the chocolate filling a bit of a tang. Clearly this was my sacrifice for making something better for you. My daughter noticed this immediately, but it didn’t bother my husband. If you think you might not like that, try using heavy cream instead. Should taste great and give the same type consistency.

Here’s how to make it:

No-Bake S’mores Pie

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Pennywise Cook

You don’t have to make a fire to have s’mores! Try this easy pie to satisfy your craving!

Ingredients

1 Graham Cracker Crust (reduced fat)
1 Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz)
1 c. Plain, Nonfat Yogurt (or heavy cream)
1 tub Marshmallow Cream
2 c. Mini-marshmallows- Optional
5 Graham Crackers for Topping- Optional
1 Hershey Bar for Topping- Optional

Instructions

In a large microwavable bowl, place the chocolate chips and 1 cup yogurt. Microwave on 50% power for 5 minutes. Remove and jiggle the bowl getting the chocolate chips to move around without stirring. Return to microwave and heat on 100% powder in 15-30 second increments until the chips begin to melt. Stir until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour- 2 hours.
Chocolate mixture should be cold. Place in a mixing bowl and whip until the chocolate turns a light brown color. Whip for about 5 minutes on high. Pour into graham cracker crust.
Top with marshmallow cream (though you may not need the entire tub). Top with chocolate pieces and graham crackers if you wish and line the outside with mini marshmallows.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Desserts, Kid-Friendly, Party Ideas Tagged With: Dessert, Easy Pie, No Bake Pie, No Bake Smores, Pie, Smores, Smores Pie

Parmesan Garlic Knots

September 21, 2012 By amy 2 Comments

I think I could probably put the word easy in front of just about every recipe that I share with you. I usually don’t attempt or create anything that involves too much work. I don’t have the time or the patience most days to waste on a drawn-out recipe so I enjoy when I can crank something out easily.

My mom has been on an easy recipe kick recently and shared some killer monkey bread with me the last time we visited. Easy is a pretty relative term when it comes to cooking. What might seem easy to one might just be heavy labor to another, but today’s recipe folks is for anyone’s definition of easy. Mom said that she had made a couple different versions of pull-apart bread and one was a savory version that included Parmesan cheese and garlic. I’m not sure that there’s anything better than those two in combination. I loved that idea and it was only a matter of when to make it.

Her monkey bread recipe was so simple and the savory version carried the same instructions with different ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or perhaps spray with nonstick spray.

Start out with refrigerated biscuit dough. Let’s not judge here. You do it too. Pop them all out of the can.

My lovely assistant, Addie helped me with the next step. Depending on how big you want your knots you can cut the biscuits in half or leave them whole. I cut mine in half to make slightly smaller knots.

Roll out the dough into a rope.

Then in all literalness, tie the ropes into knots. And don’t worry about them being perfect and pretty. They are going to puff up and get eaten, who cares?!

Try to place them with the ends facing down. Then its time to bake them according to the dough’s package. About 8 minutes should do. I found myself checking over and over again because I made my knots smaller. The bottoms ended up slightly dark brown.

While they are cooking, make up the coating. In a large ziploc bag, throw together Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning, and oil. My mom used butter for her’s, but I went a slightly healthier way with a mix of olive oil and canola oil.

As soon as they come out of the oven, let them cool for just a second (so they don’t melt the bag) and then while they are still warm, toss them in the cheese mixture. The warmth helps the cheese to stick to them.

They are SO tasty! I took them to a get together the other night and everyone kept saying that they wanted the recipe. There’s almost nothing to them that it seems silly to call it a recipe. Enjoy!

This recipe is thanks to my mommy and with a little help from Spark People.

Parmesan Garlic Knots

Recipe type: Side Dish, Appetizer, Snack

Author: Pennywise Cook

Turn a simple can of biscuits into a masterpiece fit for any dish by making these Parmesan Garlic Knots!

Ingredients

1 Package Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut each biscuit in half for smaller knots or use whole for larger. Roll each piece into a long rope. Tie into a knot and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place ends down on sheet.
Bake according to package or about 8 minutes until golden.
Meanwhile mix all other ingredients in a large ziploc bag.
Remove knots from oven and allow to cool slightly. While still warm, toss the knots in the cheese mixture until coated thoroughly.

Notes

The cheese mixture did slightly get clogged up in the bottom of my ziploc bag so if you want to avoid that, you can just toss them in a large bowl.

The go really great with spaghetti or pasta!

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Like this post? SHARE it!

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: Bread Knots, Easy Bread Knots, Garlic Bread Knots, Garlic Knots, Parmesan Garlic Knots, Parmesan Knots

Homemade Strawberry Belgian Waffles

Like this post? SHARE it!

2-Ingredient Homemade Magic Shell

Like this post? SHARE it!

No Time To Make Dessert? {Giveaway}

Like this post? SHARE it!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Gift Jars

Like this post? SHARE it!

Butterscotch Pretzel Treats

Like this post? SHARE it!

2-Ingredient Oreo Bark

Like this post? SHARE it!

Candy Corn Fudge

Like this post? SHARE it!

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

Like this post? SHARE it!

No-Bake S’mores Pie

Like this post? SHARE it!

Parmesan Garlic Knots

Like this post? SHARE it!

Follow

Search

Archives

Categories

About Me