Speaking of holiday treats, we are in Week 10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! This recipe makes a generous amount, so is definitely a good treat to have on hand for your holiday celebrations.
So I couldn’t help myself…I had to share one last pumpkin recipe with you. It’s a good one. Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes are a moist, delicious pumpkin cake with a cream cheese surprise in the middle. A little sprinkling of powdered sugar on top is all these cupcakes need before presenting, which makes them ideal for travel or eating at a gathering since they won’t get all messy. While these cupcakes can hold their own without any frosting, they would also be really good with a little Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting if you want to get fancy. Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes are an easy, portable and fun little pumpkin alternative to tomorrow’s traditional pie.
By the way, can you believe we’re already in Week #9 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! Due to the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday, many of us are posting starting today through the rest of the week, so be sure to check out all of the yummy treats by clicking on the thumbnails at the bottom of this post.
Source: Taste of Home
Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars combine pumpkin and cheesecake into a beautiful layered bar that are as delicious as they are simple to make. First you make a graham cracker crust. While that cools completely, you make the cheesecake filling, reserving a portion to add in some pumpkin. Pour the plain cheesecake layer over the crust. Dollop the pumpkin layer over the cheesecake layer and try for a swirl effect, if you desire, by running a knife through the batter. I was liking the simple layered look, so left it as is. Either way, they taste like a decadent cheesecake with a pumpkin twist.
With the holidays coming up, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are a light alternative to those heavier desserts (or in addition to…I don’t judge!!) You would never guess it, but they are made on the lighter side, coming in around 115 calories per bar.
If you’re looking for other lighter dessert options, this Crustless Pumpkin Pie is my favorite pie of all time!
Source: Taste of Home
Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.
Speaking of chili, I am working on a fabulous new chili recipe to share with you soon. In the meantime, this Three Bean Vegetarian Chili can be made in less than 30 minutes and is our current chili of choice.
Adapted from Cooking Light, September, 2012
Sunny Blossoms are a peanut-free twist on the classic cookie. While Peanut Blossoms are always a favorite, the need for peanut-free treats are becoming more common. So in an effort to make a peanut-free alternative, enter Sunny Blossoms, made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. I used my grandma’s recipe as a base and went from there. Being the peanut butter diehard that I am, I wasn’t sure what to expect. While it is obviously not peanut butter, they still taste really good! Mike loved them as well and noted the next day they tasted almost peanut-y. Sunflower seed butter is mild enough to not overpower the cookie. Frankly if you put chocolate with anything, it’s going to be good! 🙂
Time sure flies! We are to Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! We all know that no holiday cookie platter is complete without some form of a ‘blossom’ cookie. Not only are they tasty, but they are so darn cute with the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle! Sunny Blossoms offer a delicious, peanut-free alternative.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake is a simple and delicious pumpkin pound cake, with warm spices and pumpkin-y goodness throughout. What attracted me to this recipe, aside from a slight pumpkin obsession, is that the ingredients are simple pantry items that I have on hand at all times. What made me fall in love with the recipe, aside from it being delicious, was how easy it was to make. The batter took me less than 10 minutes to whip together. Then bake for about an hour, let it cool, and voila! You have an elegant and versatile dessert that will happily feed a crowd or, in our case, treat a small family for a week. 🙂
Not only will this Pumpkin Bundt Cake be excellent served alongside your holiday cookie platter, but it would also be a tasty alternative at Thanksgiving dinner or even served at a brunch.
With Halloween just around the corner, the excitement is building for fun costumes and candy. We always somehow end up with more candy than we need to give out (thanks to the person who buys the candy, *ahem* Mike). While that may be intentional, I’m always happy to try new and tasty recipes using “leftover” candy ~ these Mounds Brownies being one of them!
Mounds Brownies take a basic brownie recipe and dress it up with coconut, simply by adding Mounds candy bars. It’s amazing how such a simple addition can really transform an otherwise ordinary dessert into something unique and seemingly decadant. You get a nice-sized chunk of candy bar in each brownie, and fans of chocolate and coconut will enjoy the complementary flavors.
By the way, it’s that time of week again. We are now in Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! While this recipe is shared in part to use up Halloween candy, these Mounds Brownies would be a super fun addition to your holiday treat platter. They’re something a little different yet delicious and very easy to make too.
Slightly adapted from All You, October, 2012
Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.
Easy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are a simplified version of a chewy homemade Oreo cookie. The chocolate cookies are soft, yet sturdy and the filling is a sweetened cream cheese frosting. The dough literally took me 5 minutes minutes to whip together. I feared the dough would be gooey and messy to work with, but it was quite firm and rolled into balls by hand without a huge sticky mess.
These cookies are fun any holiday or celebration because you can color the filling to suit any occasion or simply roll the sides in sprinkles for a cute, colorful decoration. The recipe yields a generous amount of cookies, which is perfect if you’re looking to share. It also halves easily, which is what I did…(I still shared though) 🙂
I am sharing these delicious yet super easy cookies as part of Week 4 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, hosted by Meal Planning Magic. While this recipe makes plenty and these cookies are perfect for any holiday cookie platter, I made them pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Week hosted by Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts. To conclude Breast Cancer Awareness Week, tomorrow Erin is hosting a giveaway, so be sure to visit Dinners, Dishes and Desserts on Friday for a chance to win!
Be sure to check out the thumbnails at the bottom of this post and visit the other bloggers who are posting amazing recipes today in support of Breast Cancer Awareness, and also for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats!
Source: Taste of Home: Best Loved Cookies and Bars
Be sure to check out the bloggers who are supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Week for some delicious pink and/or healthy recipes!
Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us
Black Bean Nacho Burgers are a healthy, spicy, cheesy burger that tastes just like black bean nachos! {vegetarian}
As we all know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor and recognition of this, my friend Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts contacted me about joining a bunch of bloggers together this week to share pink recipes or healthy recipes that are helpful for fighting cancer. What a great idea! So this week I will be sharing 2 recipes ~ today’s being the healthy one ~ Black Bean Nacho Burgers.
Some studies suggest a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer. While we don’t eat a lot of red meat in this house, I am always happy to find new substitutes for red meat standbys, such as a burger. Sometimes a burger really hits the spot, right? Even though it is an occasional indulgence, after having these Black Bean Nacho Burgers, I will be happy to never have a beef burger again! They are super easy to make, with a simple list of ingredients, and really do taste like black bean nachos! Made with black beans, crushed tortilla chips, some cheese, salsa and seasonings, these are a truly delicious healthy alternative to their red meat counterpart. Even Mike, who as I’ve mentioned before is a bit of a burger connessieur, thought they tasted incredible and did not miss the red meat.
Adapted from Fitness Magazine
