Valentine Heart Cereal Treats

I usually make rice krispy treats, but when I found these heart shaped Quaker Whole Hearts cereal in my supermarket I had to try making valentine treats with them.   This version is very tasty ~ with a flavorful mix of peanut butter, marshmallows, chocolate candys and an oat cereal (the oat cereal part is the good for you part!)  When I stirred my chocolate candys in they melted a bit and broke up, thus you don't see clean, pretty colored M and M's ~ but that's OK they were still a hit. 

Recipe
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 package miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 cups Quaker Whole Hearts Cereal
1 cup Valentine M and M candies
Line a 9 X 13" pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted.  Stir in peanut butter until blended.  Add the cereal and the candies and mix.  Spoon into prepared pan, and flatten down evenly.  Cool, then cut into heart shapes  with a cookie cutter, or slice into squares.

Enjoy!

So Good Brownie Tarts

These brownies are fudgy and delicious, they are so good and easy ~ one bowl prep!  I made them in these individual tart pans to fancy them up for Valentines, and decorated them with Valentine M and M's and Valentine stencils   They can be made in a pan as well and cut into squares.

4 1 oz unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
1 cup flour
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 4 cavity tart pans with baking spray, or line a 9 X 13 " pan with aluminum foil overhanging the sides, and spray with baking spray.  
Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at high 1 1/2-2 mins - stirring at 30 second intervals, until melted and smooth.  Whisk in sugars.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each.  Whisk in flour, vanilla and salt.  For individual tarts I scooped 1 1/2 icecream (40z) scoops into each and smoothed top.  Or pour batter into 9 X 13" pan and smooth top.  If desired top with Valentine colored M & M's or sprinkles.  Bake tarts for about 20 mins, or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs - you don't want to overbake or you'll have a hard brownie.  For the pan bake about 40 mins or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Let cool on wire rack, then lift out of pans.  Decorate with Valentine stencils, covering tart and sprinkling powdered sugar over.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living

Or drizzle them with chocolate and top with berries

I used these stencils, available here:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B004I1L1RI

And these tart pans, available here:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B003W0UW30

Enjoy!

Valentine Chocolate Covered Strawberries

With valentines day coming soon I thought I'd share these chocolate covered strawberries.  It's an easy, yet decadent and delicious treat for valentines day or any occasion!  Just dip and swirl ripe cleaned and dried strawberries in Wilton White or Cocoa melted candies (directions for melting are on bag), then dip in desired sprinkles, set to dry on waxed paper.  

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Mini Cheesecakes

As Valentines Day is approaching, we think of those we love and plan ways to show them through sweet gifts and gestures.  I'm thinking up festive desserts,  and these bright Red Velvet Cheesecakes would make the perfect Valentine dessert.  A rich red velvet cheesecake  on a chocolate cookie crust, topped with fresh whipped cream, then garnished with chocolate shavings and heart decorations, pure love!

 

Recipe

Crust:

1 9 oz package thin chocolate wafer cookies, crushed

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)

Filling:

2 1/2 8 oz packages cream cheese (20 oz total), softened

1 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

2 tsps pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp red food color

3 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Garnishments - dark chocolate shavings ~ I used a Ghirardelli Twilight Delight bar, sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use 2 6 cavity small cheesecake pans ~ to yield 12 2 1/2" cheesecakes, or bake 1 large cheesecake and adjust cooking times.

Mix cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar, divide crumb mixture among cups and press.  In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually add in sugar and cocoa and beat on med until fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and food color.  Beat in eggs, one at a time until blended, then heavy cream, scrape sides of bowl as needed with rubber spatula, beat until well blended.  If you have any chunks of cream cheese, change to a whisk attachment and beat until smooth.  Divide batter evenly among pans, each will be filled out 3/4 of the way.  Bake approximately 20 minutes or until centers are just set.  Cool at room temp then refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  For whipped cream, in chilled bowl of mixer, with a whisk attachment, beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla on high until stiff peaks form.  Spoon or pipe whipped cream onto chilled cheesecakes.  Garnish with chocolate shavings and decorative sprinkles as desired.

Recipe Adapted from Betty Crocker

 

Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day!

Pans available in Baking Store:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/B002NV3V6O

Chocolate Dipped Festive Treats

For a sweet and simple (albeit messy to make) treat, try dipping some treats into chocolate and decorate!

 

First get your ingredients set up,  take out your dipping snacks - use your 
imagination, I chose strawberries, pretzels and oreos. If using strawberries wash and dry them. Pour desired sprinkles into paper cupcake liners for dipping them or sprinkling, and melt your desired chocolates.  I use the white melting candys for white chocolate, the directions are on the package for melting these in the microwave.  I use the Ghiradelli bittersweet or semisweet chocolate baking bits for the chocolate.  These can be melted in a metal heat safe bowl over a small pot of simmering water, stirring with a wooden spoon until the bits have melted and you have a smooth liquid chocolate.  For strawberries, hold the stem and dip and swirl, let excess chocolate drip back into bowl, then place on waxed paper to set.  For pretzels and oreos you can dip and immerse in chocolate, then lift from bottom with a fork, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl then slide off fork onto waxed paper to set.  While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle and decorate with desired sprinkles and candies and let completely set.

Valentine Goodies

 

 

 

Christmas Pretzels ready for gifting!

Red White and Blue Strawberries - dipped in white chocolate or white melting candy then dipped in blue sprinkles and patriotic sprinkle mix!

Enjoy!

Whoopie Pie Love

A whoopie pie's a wondrous thing,

Like newborn pups or early spring.

It fills the mouth with rapture sweet,

This yummy chocolate sandwich treat

Anonymous (from book "Making Whoopies")

Have you ever had a Whoopie Pie?  They are like devil dogs but the cake is moister - a rich chocolaty cake, and the cream is more decadent- a vanilla marshmallow buttercream.  They are addicting!  For me, it was love at first bite, the forever kind of love :)  The best ones I've had were at Hershey Farm Inn in Lancaster Pennsylvania.

 

Fancy Whoopie, Raspberry filling and Raspberry Rose topping

 

A cornucopia of whoopies ~ original chocolate with vanilla filling and pumpkin with cream cheese filling

I even tried a Strawberry Shortcake Version, vanilla cookie cakes with fresh strawberry buttercream mixed with chunks of fresh strawberries

If you love whoopies like me you will love them in a whoopie pie cake, lots of that chocolately cake with the sweet cream in the middle and as a topping, it doesn't get better then this!

100 Mini's

Patriotic Mini Whoopies

 

My favorite recipe for whoopies is:

Whoopie Pies on the Food Network, from Moody's Diner

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/whoopie-pies-recipe/index.html

For more flavors and recipes check out my store for whoopie cookbooks - in the cookbook section!  http://rosiescountrybaking.blogspot.com/p/rosies-amazon-baking-store.html

Red Velvet Valentine Cakes

Recipe
Cake
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 Tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dutch processed cocoa
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
8 oz package cream cheese at room tep
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cake pans, I made 5 mini cakes with this batter and 8 cupcakes, this can also make 1 large bundt cake.  Spray your choice of pans with baking spray or line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium until blended.  Sift together the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 intervals, and mix on low after each addition.  Pour batter into prepared cake pans.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes for mini cakes.  Cool completely before frosting.  Frosting:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and cream cheese until soft and smooth.  Slowly add the confectioners sugar and continue to blend, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add vanilla extract and mix on medium until smooth and fluffy.  Frost the top of your cakes and decorate as desired.
Recipe adapted from "Kiss my Bundt"

Enjoy!

Recipe from:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/0977412024

Valentine Rice Krispy Treats

I love to make desserts for my valentines.  And I love transforming a simple and favorite treat by adding some color and shape to it, like these heart shaped rice krispy treats.  This is a fun and easy recipe that your children can participate in from beginning to end!

Recipe:
4 Tbs butter or margarine
1 10 1/2 oz package mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Valentine colored nonpareils - sprinkles 
Heart sprinkle/candy mix


Prepare a 13x9x2 inch pan by pressing a piece of parchment inside large enough to cover surface and sides of pan.
In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat, add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and add rice krispies cereal, stir until well coated, sprinkle about 2 Tbs nonpareils and stir into mixture.  Using a spatula sprayed with baking spray, evenly press mixture into pan.  While still warm sprinkle more nonpareils over top as desired.  Let cool, then using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut into heart shapes.  Top each heart with a heart shaped candy or sprinkle - (Wilton sells varieties of these in craft stores) and lightly press.

I made some baby hearts too with a mini heart cutter 
Package them up in a clear cellophane bags tied with ribbon and their ready to give to your sweet valentine/s

Special Occasion Linzer Tarts

Linzer tarts can be a versatile treat for any occasion.  You can make them into almost any shape and fill with a variety of jams.  They take a little time to make,  but the combination of the nutty buttery shortbread cookie with a nice fruit jam or preserve is such a treat it is worth it!  Today I made some special heart shaped ones for Valentines day with Raspberry Preserves:

My favorite linzer cookie recipe is from Alex Guarneschelli of the Food Network and can be found here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/linzer-heart-sandwich-cookies-recipe/index.html

Spoon the thinned jam onto each bottom, and spread slightly towards corners, but not too close to edges

Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar as much as you desire, I like to leave a little cookie showing

 

And in the fall time you can make Apple Pie Linzer Tarts using an apple shaped cookie cutter and either apple preserves or apple butter for the filling.  They're so good and something a little different!

Enjoy!