Hot Chocolate on a stick

I love to make small things that I can give away so these Hot Chocolate sticks where a great find!!  I made a couple batches in the star forms to be given to soldiers and their families at my hubby's deployment ceremony.  I also plan on making these again around Christmas time as cute little gifts.

Hot Chocolate on a stick



Adapted from Giver’slog

 

 



Supplies needed:
silicone ice cube trays
Piping bag or gallon zip lock bag
cake pop sticks
small treat bags
ribbon
make up labels

Ingredients:
10.5 oz Belgium Dark Chocolate bar (not chips)
10 oz Milk Chocolate bar (not chips)
1/2 cup loose (not packed) coco powder
1 cup loose (not packed) powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sea Salt

Mini marshmellows

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, powdered sugar. Add sea salt, Set aside
2.  Chop chocolate into small pieces and combine in a glass bowl that is completely dry. Microwave in 30 second segments, stir chococlate after each 30 seconds.  Once chocolate is about 2/3 melted (there are still some chunks in the melted chocolate), stir until remaining chunks melt. This prevents the chocolate from getting too hot.
3.   Pour melted chocolate into the mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Mixture will be very thick, similar to brownie batter. Spoon mixture into a piping bag (no coupler or tip is needed) or into a gallon zip lock bag with the corner sliced off. Pipe the chocolate into an ice cube tray.  If the mixture is still very dry just melt a little bit more chocolate and add until you get the correct consistancy.

 



4.  Once all chocolate has been piped, pound the tray lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles and to flatten the tops of the cubes if they are uneven. Insert a stick and place four mini marshmallows onto the top of each cube. Once all cubes are complete, set aside cubes for a couple hours then place them in the fridge for about twenty minutes.

5.  Pop out the chocolate sticks and wrap up pretty!!!   Make labels with instructions on how to use

To Use:
Heat up 1 cup milk (approximately 1 ounce of chocolate should be used for each cup of milk, so adjust based on the weight of your cube) and stir in. Cube will take several minutes to dissolve completely.

Love the interactive part of this treat!!!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Here is another wonderful fall treat for you!!!  I served these at my husband's party and everyone loved them.  So enjoy your fall and new treats.

 

 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Adapted from Paula Deen

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Line a 9x13 baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

 



Ingredients:

Crust:  

2 cups all -purpose flour
1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 sticks (1cup) butter, softened

In a medium bowl combine the flour and brown sugar.  Cut in the butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly.  Press evenly into the lined pan,  bake the crust for 15 minutes.

Cheesecake filling:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In an electric mixer bowl combine the cream cheese and sugar.  Beat on Med. speed until mixture is smooth.  Add one egg at a time and then the Vanilla. Combine well.  Then pour over the warm crust.

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine these four ingredients into a small bowl,  Spoon evenly over the cheesecake mixture

Strudel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

Ice Cream Caramel sauce

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients until well Incorporated.  Sprinkle topping over the apples.
Bake cheesecake 40-45 minutes,  Once out of the oven Drizzle caramel over the top!!  Allow to cool before serving.
Making 16 servings

Fall is Here

My hubby is about to leave on his third deployment and I wanted to have a special going away/ surprise birthday party for him.   We made it a fall theme and it turned out wonderful.  When I sent out the invites I asked family and friends to help out with the party by sending a note to Aubrey on balloons and also send a few family pictures.   The balloons where not a very good idea because the ink did not stay on the balloons.  But I am thankful to everyone who took the time helping out with the party.

The guests enjoyed pulled pork and ribs with homemade BBQ sauce.  In town friends brought side dishes.  The dessert table had a wonderful spread with an Apple spiced cake, apple cider caramel cookies, mini pumpkin pies, pumpkin pie dip, caramel apple cheesecake bars, and a mini candy bar.

We invited a couple of the soldiers that will be going with Aubrey on deployment and also wanted to honor them and their families.  Every year around Christmas we choose someone to bless with gifts as that is what the season is all about giving to others beyond ourselves.  As Christ gave his son for us.  We choose the soldiers and their families to give to this year.  I prepared each soldier an Airplane survival Kit which had all kinds of their favorite goodies and reading material in it.  Also I put together a little bag with tissues, hand sanitizer, lotion, hand wipes, and chap stick. 
For the children I ordered a Henry Hero Bear( http://henryherobear.com/index.php) .  My Husband's Aunt Janet is the creator of this great bear!!  Two of the wives are excepting little ones soon so I put together a fun little box of onesies for them.

For the party decor we got a canopy to give a little shade.  Tables where covered in pumpkins and all other fall things.  The middle pumpkin we took off the top, gutted, add soil, and planted a mum inside.  These turned out so cute or at least I think they did.  :)

 



 

For the drink table we served water and apple cider.  I pre-made ice rings with apple slices and Cinnamon sticks.

 

We also played a few games during the party which I enjoyed a lot!!  I got the games off of the site "minute to win it".

 

 

I just want to end with this:  Thank you so much to all the soldiers and their families what give so much for our country!!!   I am so honored to be surrounded by such brave men and women!!!

 

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

Oh my goodness can I just say YUMMY!!!  I am throwing a going away party for my hubby before he heads out for this third deployment over seas.  The theme is fall so all the treats I am making are fall'ish.  These apple Cider Caramel cookies have turned out so good, thanks to The Cooking Photographer for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (7.5 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix.....not sugar free
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz) bag Kraft caramels

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F,  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.  But if you use wax paper you need to spray it well with spray oil.

2.  In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder.
Add the flour and mix until just combined.

3. With a big spoon scoop a ball of dough into your clean hands.  Roll into a ball and then flatten out with your fingers.   Add a caramel into the center.

 

4.  Work the dough around the caramel and make a ball again.  Making sure that there are no holes.  Set on lined cookie sheet about two inches apart.

 

5.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Once they come out remove carefully right away and put on a cooling rack.  If caramel is coming out of the bottom let cool upside down.

You will so want to eat the whole batch so be careful!!!!  :)

Butter Cream + Wedding= Happy!!

           I have done it!! I got to do my very first wedding.  A very small wedding but it was a wedding all the same.  I made a small cake for them to cut and save, with the flavor being carrot cake.  Then I built two cupcake towers and had two different cupcake flavors: Key lime pie and Cookies and cream.  On the very bottom you will see not cupcakes but jars.  The groom really wanted peach cobbler and that was what was in the small jars. 

        The cupcakes where covered in ether cream cheese frosting or homemade butter cream.  I had been having a hard time with my butter creams but my mom did a little digging for me and helped me get the great butter cream I was able to make for the wedding!! Thanks MOM!!  I was so excited when it turned out so good.  So I want to share how it worked for me.  Now know this whole baking thing is still new to me in many ways so I do a lot of trial and error.   This is the only recipe that has worked for me so far!!!

Rich and thick Butter Cream:
1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups Powder sugar, shifted
1/4 cup heavy cream, add 1 tablespoon at a time

1.  Butter must be completely softened!!!  Add to bowl and beat until creamy.
2.  Add in the salt and vanilla and cream some more.
3.  Shift all the power sugar in a separate bowl and then turn mixer onto med. speed add powder sugar a 1/2 a cup at a time.
4.  Allow to mix for about two minutes and then add the heavy cream.  ONLY add as much as you need.  It really depends on how tight or loose you would like your frosting to be. 
5.  Beat on High for about 2 more minutes to help get all air bubbles out.

( to store the frosting:  I put it into the fridge and of course the butter hardened up.  But I let it sit out for an hour or so and it was soft again.  Then you will need to beat it again on high to get the fluffy frosting back and good as new!!)