These uncomplicated Back to School Pencil Pops are a delicious treat to kick off the school year!
Back to School season is always exciting in my family. My kids LOVE going back to school and seeing their friends and getting back into the swing of things.
This year, however, the weather still feels like it’s summer outside because the weather has been in the 90s!
To keep cool, my kids love popsicles and ice cream. However ice cream has so much sugar that I find it hard to justify eating ice cream every day during summer.
So, I make popsicles!
These simple to make Back to School Pencil Pops are low in sugar and high on flavor!
Using a pencil shaped popsicle mold gives an extra layer of fun to this sweet treat!
To make these fun Back to School Pencil Pops you’ll need:
pencil shaped popsicle mold
juice in yellow and orange
popsicle sticks
foil
freezer
If you don’t have a pencil mold, I’ve seen these made in regular popsicle molds as well and they’re still super cute!
The sky is the limit when it comes to color combinations and popsicles. Use your imagination and have fun!
Here are some more cute, fun ideas for back to school treats! Enjoy!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #CelebratorySips #BecauseSummer #LoveThyNeighborhood #CollectiveBias
Creamy vanilla pudding layered with shortbread cookies and bananas paired with Malibu and Jameson make this Boozy Banana Pudding the perfect grown-up treat!
I’ve never made homemade Boozy Banana Pudding before. To be honest, I did not really think it was a thing that people did because all I knew was those little pudding mix boxes from the baking aisle at the grocery store.
When I thought about making banana pudding from scratch, I reached out to my friends on social media and asked them what made their favorite banana pudding so amazing.
Every person answered that the pudding had to be made from scratch and contain at least rum.
So that’s what I did. I made a Boozy Banana Pudding from scratch featuring Malibu, an original coconut rum from the Caribbean, where the spirit of summer shines all year round, and Jameson, a blend of pot still and grain whiskey from Ireland that is triple distilled; and remarkably smooth.
Making the pudding for this Boozy Banana Pudding isn’t a difficult undertaking. In a sturdy medium size pot, combine sugar, corn starch, salt and egg yolks.
Whisk all those ingredients together until you get what looks like a clumpy mess. No worries, though, because it will loosen up as soon as you add the milk.
Pour in the milk and whisk together over medium heat until the sugar and eggs dissolve and the mixture is smooth.
You’ll want to pay very close attention to this next part. I made the mistake of stepping away and burnt the pudding. You don’t want that. Learn from my mistake and DO NOT STEP AWAY for the next 5-7 minutes!
Whisk, whisk, whisk your little heart out until the mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. As soon as the pudding begins to thicken up (it happens quick and you’ll have mere seconds before it burns) remove it from the heat and whisk until thick.
Next up is the butter, vanilla paste, and Malibu.
The rum what gives this Boozy Banana Pudding it’s distinct flavor and the butter ensure it will be velvety smooth.
You’ll whisk all of that together while the pudding is still warm. Transfer the entire mixture to a large glass bowl.
Make sure to scrape down the pot to ensure every last drop of pudding gets in the bowl!
Finally, press a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding so that a film does not form on top while chilling. Place bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours so that the flavors have time to form and the pudding sets.
When you’re ready to serve the boozy banana pudding, get 4 mason jars, shortbread cookies, bananas, and make the Jameson whipped cream.
I liked using shortbread cookies for this Boozy Banana Pudding because they seemed to hold up a lot better than the traditional vanilla cookies that are normally used.
There is a lot of moisture sitting on top of the pudding and under the bananas and having a cookie that is not only delicious but will stand up to that is essential in creating the perfect Boozy Banana Pudding.
Assembling these desserts is quick and easy. Simply layer pudding, cookies, bananas three times. Add a dollop of Jameson whipped cream to the top, sprinkle cinnamon and garnish with a cookie and banana.
Pure Boozy Banana Pudding Perfection.
Serve the Boozy Banana Pudding immediately. You can store them overnight if you have extra, but the cookies will get a bit soggy the next day.
My husband enjoyed his delicious dessert with a glass of Jameson on the rocks and said it was the perfect night cap for his long day.
The perfect drink to go with this Boozy Banana Pudding needs to be light and refreshing.
A Rum Raspberry Spritzer will cool you down on the hottest day and is the perfect sidekick to the banana pudding.
To make the Rum Raspberry Spritzer, you’ll need:
Malibu Rum
Raspberry Seltzer Water
Fresh Raspberries
Ice
Depending on how strong you like your drinks, pour 1-2oz of Malibu into a glass filled with berries and ice. Fill the glass with the bubbly water and give it a quick stir with a spoon. Pop in a straw and enjoy!
This spritzer could be easily changed using any flavor seltzer water and any fruit you like! Pick your favorite flavors, the combination possibilities are endless!
Save $2.00 now
Start date: 07/15/18
End date: 08/18/18
Offer: Save $2.00 NOW on the purchase of any ONE (1) 750ml bottle of JAMESON® IRISH WHISKEY or MALIBU®.
Valid in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, West Virginia, Wyoming
Save $3.00 by mail
Start date: 07/15/18
End date: 08/18/18
Offer: Save $3.00 BY MAIL on the purchase of any ONE (1) 750ml bottle of JAMESON® IRISH WHISKEY or MALIBU®.
Valid in: Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington
Need a dessert to bring to your 4th of July party? This simply delicious Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake made white chocolate chips and red, white and blue sprinkles is the perfect Independence Day dessert!
This year I’m hosing a HUGE July 4th Celebration at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. I’m expecting about 3000 people to attend to enjoy food vendors, music, entertainment, carnival games and fireworks!
I don’t have to cook or bake for the celebration, however that won’t stop me from making this super cute Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake for my kids to enjoy in the days leading up to the 4th of July!
What I love most about this dessert is how incredibly quick and easy it is to put together and bake.
The ingredients are ones that I always have on hand in my pantry so I don’t have to run to the store to pick up supplies to make.
The second thing I love about this dessert is that it’s a one-bowl recipe. Ingredients don’t need to be measured out into other bowls which means less mess, less clean up and easy baking!
My husband loves this recipe because of the white chocolate chips. You could easily substitute milk or dark chocolate chips, however the patriotic sprinkles wouldn’t stand out as much as with white chocolate chips. Making my husband love this recipe is a win in my book because he rarely likes dessert.
So what exactly is a cookie cake, you may be asking? It’s a dessert that is made with a cookie batter base but baked in a cake tin. It’s thick and rich like a cookie, but cuts like a cake into slices!
Frosting. The frosting totes makes this dessert a cake too! Lots and lots of sweet, creamy buttercream frosting decorating the top of this cookie transforms it into a decadent cake!
And the sprinkles make this dessert patriotically perfect.
Don’t you think? I mean, everything is better with sprinkles!
I think I’ll just serve myself up a big slice, grab a glass of milk and enjoy!
Nothing better than a Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake for the 4th of July!
No matter what you’re doing to celebrate the Independence of the United State of America, celebrate it with a deliciously simple Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake!
Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake
This simply delicious Patriotic Sugar Cookie Cake made white chocolate chips and red, white and blue sprinkles is the perfect Independence Day dessert!
Ingredients
10 tbsp unsalted butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 cups flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup red/white/blue sprinkles
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by spraying the bottom and sides with non-stick spray.
Combine the butter and sugar in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add in the egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Mix until well combined. Slowly add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into your prepared spring form pan and press to the edges. Top with a few more white chocolate chips for presentation.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, just until edges are a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and allow cooling for 15 minutes. Then, remove the spring form side and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
With a stand mixer or a hand mixer, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Add in the salt, vanilla and heavy cream. Mix everything until it’s smooth and creamy.
Scoop into a piping bag with a 1m tip and decorate your cake.
This post has been sponsored by Coffee-mate® Creamer. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rich layers of espresso filled chocolate cake topped with whipped cookies and cream buttercream, a drizzle of chocolate ganache and more buttercream make this Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake a decadent dessert sure to please the chocolate lovers in your life!
Imagine a quiet afternoon with no kids, no distractions and and hour to yourself. Now, imagine holding a big cup of steaming, hot coffee topped off with Coffee-mate® Cookies & Cream creamer while seated comfortably on the couch under a cozy blanket with a big slice of cake to indulge in.
Sounds like heaven right?
Let me tell you… it was. This was me about two weeks ago, right before my kids were home for 13 days (snow days and spring break) enjoying a few cherished moments of silence.
Feeling inspired by my new favorite Coffee-mate Dessert Creamer in the Cookies & Cream flavor, I decided to recreate the magic of that afternoon in cake form.
However in order to make this Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake I needed a recipe! I knew I’d start with my chocolate cake recipe, but I needed to kick it up a big notch by adding more espresso to the batter to really bring out the coffee flavor.
Two tablespoons of espresso powder to be exact!
Two tablespoons of espresso in one cake means there will truly be a strong coffee flavor to the chocolate cake making it mocha-licious!
The Coffee-mate® Cookies & Cream Creamer reminds me of what it tastes like when I eat a chocolate cream sandwich cookie and dunk it in milk. I like my cookie extra soaked in milk so it gets mushy and melts in my mouth and the Coffee-mate Cookies & Cream creamer tastes exactly like that… but with coffee!
To replicate the cookies and cream flavor for the frosting in the Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake, I decided to start with a basic vanilla buttercream recipe.
I would whip the vanilla buttercream until it was light and fluffy and then fold in 16 crushed chocolate cream sandwich cookies! The cookies would need to be a little chunky so when I bite into the frosting, I get a piece of cookie in several bites.
To add some pizzazz to the cake, I knew it needed to not only taste good, but it needed to look spectacular!
Drip cake! Yes! Chocolate ganache dripping down the sides of the cake would take this mocha cookies and cream cake over the top! Swirls of cookies and cream buttercream and a few whole coffee beans on top make the cake perfects!
For supplies, I knew I only had one choice of stores to stock up on supplies for this sinfully delicious Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake… Walmart!
What I love about Walmart is that the location in my neighborhood is so close to me making shopping incredibly convenient! Walmart is my go-to place for easy shopping trips, especially when I’m on a budget.
Did you know that you can get Coffee-mate Dessert Creamers in three different flavors at Walmart? They’re super easy to find at the store… located with the rest of the coffee creamers in the cold dairy section. These creamers are NEW and only available seasonally so if you want to try them, you have to act fast!
You already know I’m sold on the Cookies & Cream flavor but there’s also Toasted Marshmallow Mocha and Coconut Caramel Latte that you won’t want to miss out on either.
And on May 10-13th you might even be lucky enough to try Coffee-mate Dessert Creamers in your local Walmart store!
So, the next time you’re sitting down to enjoy a quiet afternoon with your cup of coffee, make sure you’re using Coffee-mate Dessert Creamers… you never know what kind of dessert you’ll be inspired to make next!
Check here for more inspiration and details on the new Coffee-mate Dessert Creamers at Walmart!
I really hope you enjoy this Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake as much as I did, my photographer did and everyone we shared it with!
Happy Baking!
Mocha Cookies and Cream Cake
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
2 Tbsp espresso powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup, (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2lbs powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
16 chocolate sandwich cookies
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease, line with parchment paper and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the coffee, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the eggs. SLOWLY add a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs. Whisk to combine. In a slow stream, whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture until combined completely.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in wet. Using a whisk, stir until no more lumps remain.
Divide the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. Each pan should get 3 cups of batter.
Bake 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to cool on a wire rack.
Once the cakes have cooled, but are still warm, use a cake leveler to cut off the round mound on the top of the cake. Make sure both layers are the same height.
Cookies n' Cream Buttercream
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and half the cream until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl.
With the mixer on low, add the remaining cream. Whip on high speed for 3-4 minutes.
Crush the sandwich cookies until coarse. Add to the buttercream and mix until just combined.
Chocolate Ganache
In a small pan, heat heavy cream to a simmer. Do not boil.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Let sit for 3 minutes without stirring.
With a spatula, stir slowly until all the chocolate has melted.
Add butter and stir to combine.
Pour into a squeeze bottle.
Assembly
Place the first cooled cake layer on your cake stand/plate, cut side up. Spread a layer of frosting onto of that layer evenly.
Place the second layer on top, cut side down. Fill in the sides where the layers come together so that the frosting in the center extends all the way to the edge.
Spread a very thin coat of frosting over the entire cake. Chill for 20-30 minutes.
Fill a 12in piping bag fitted with an open start tip with frosting. Use the remaining frosting to completely cover the cake.
Use a straight edge to smooth out the top and edges of the cake.
Using the squeeze bottle, start in the center of the top of the cake and squeeze the ganache in an circular pattern until it just reaches the edge of the cake. Use a flat edge (spatula or knife) to press the chocolate over the edges causing a drip. If necessary, squeeze more chocolate on the edges in places that need more dripped chocolate. Allow to set for 10 minutes to set.
Pipe swirls of frosting on top of the cake equally around the edge of the cake.
Fresh berries, biscuits, and cream layered together make this French-inspired Raspberry Tiramisu recipe an instant classic sure to please!
This post and recipe was created for #EasterSweetsWeek. I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.
My good friend and photographer Fanette is French… and with her comes a lifetime worth of food experiences that I’ve never even imagined.
French cuisine and baking is one avenue which I have never explored and the benefit of having a French friend who is also a foodie means she bakes and I eat!
This recipe is a part of #EasterSweetsWeek!
Make sure to scroll down after the recipe to ENTER TO WIN
some great prizes from our sponsors!
I asked if Fanette help out with a recipe for #EasterSweetsWeek and she jumped at the chance to make something from her childhood.
Fanette has fond memories of her grandmother in France making a delicious dessert made of raspberries and cream and wanted to make that for today.
Unfortunately, recipes in France often call for ingredients only found in France… not America.
So, Fanette decided on this recipe for Raspberry Tiramisu inspired by what her grandmother in France made for her as a child.
Fanette’s Raspberry Tiramisu is a simple, layered dessert that is nothing short of spectacular in flavor. Trust me, I had about three servings the first time she served it to me and then took home two more for leftovers.
The first layer is fresh berries that have been mashed until juicy. Dipped in the berries and juice are traditional French boudoirs biscuits… or as we call them in America, Lady Fingers.
Once the lady fingers are soaked in berry, they line the bottom of the serving dish and are immediately topped with more fresh berries. Following the berries is a cream mixture that may surprise you.
The cream mixture is made from not only heavy cream, but eggs and mascarpone cheese! For American’s this mixture may seem strange, but to those in France it’s a traditional cream mixture used in many desserts.
Let me tell you – we’re missing out here in America because this Raspberry Tiramisu is AMAZING.
The tart berries, the crunch and sweetness of the biscuits paired with the creamy, smooth, rich cream is pure perfection. I can see why Fanette loved when her grandmother made desserts with this cream and berries and why it’s still a favorite today.
So, thank you to Fanette for being inspired by her family to make this for us today.
I am incredibly thankful to have a friend who loves to share her culture and her recipes with me.
Raspberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
2 eggs, large
70g granulated sugar
250 g of mascarpone cheese
20cl heavy cream
1tsp vanilla extract
10 boudoirs biscuits
200 g fresh raspberries, divided
Instructions
Separate the yolks and egg whites.
Mix the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar with a whisk until it's light and airy, then add in the mascarpone until you have a homogeneous mix.
Whip the heavy cream to firm peaks.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites to firm peaks.
Fold the whipped cream into the beaten egg whites.
Fold the mascarpone, sugar and yolk mix into the cream and egg whites gently until combined.
Separate berries evenly into two bowls. In one bowl, gently mash the berries until the juice begins to settle in the bowl.
Dunk the boudoirs biscuits into the mashed berries then line them at the bottom of small individual serving glasses.
Next cover with a layer fresh raspberries then a layer of the mascarpone cream mix.
Repeat steps 7 & 8.
Refrigerate for a 3-4 hours or until ready to serve.
Welcome to this year’s #EasterSweetWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us for this week long event of Springtime and Easter dessert recipes! We’re sharing tons of treats this week plus a few fantastic giveaways! You’re going to love what we have in store for you.
This year we have are 28 fantastic bloggers participating in this year’s Easter dessert event! Throughout the week we’ll be share tons of great Springtime and Easter themed dessert recipes with you. With over 75 sweet dessert recipes being shared this week we just know that you’re going to want to save some of these recipes to make again and again! We even hope that some of these recipes end up in your Easter recipe keepsake collection! Plus, don’t forget that we have 5 (five) great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors!
Scroll down to take a look!
PRIZE #1
Prize #1 — Dixie Crystals is giving away one (1) Instant Pot (8 Qt) to one lucky winner!
PRIZE #2
Prize #2 — Adam’s Extract is giving one (1) winner 5 different extracts including a bottle of Pure vanilla and a color pack.
PRIZE #3
Prize #3 — Rainier Fruit is giving one (1) winner a box of Apples and some wonderful Apple themed goodies from Sur La Table
PRIZE #4
Prize #4 — Anolon is giving one (1) winner a Anolon® Vesta™ 9-Inch Square Baker in Cobalt Blue
PRIZE #5
Prize #5 — Microplane is giving one (1) winner a Twist & Zest, grip & strip and a classic zester/grater
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older.. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from Marh 26th – April 1st at 12AMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterwards and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 5 (five) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 5 (five) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #EasterSweetsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, Rainier Fruit, Anolon and Microplane!These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #EasterSweetsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
Check out the amazing #EasterSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
When you want a treat but you don’t want to waste calories, you will definitely want to make these delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies!
My New Year’s resolution was to make healthier life choices, but in small, manageable places. The first new choice I made was to change my breakfast from sugar cereal topped with berries to a protein rich oatmeal topped with berries.
If you’ve never tried homemade oatmeal, consider my recipe for Overnight Oatmeal in a Jar. It’s simple and so delicious!
What I love most about these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies is that I don’t have to feel guilty when I want to enjoy one. I thought hard about the recipe for these cookies and made sure to choose ingredients that would pack a punch!
Depending on what kind of peanut butter and oats you use, each cookie could potentially have 10g of protein in each one!
That’s a snack I can feel good about giving my kids and treating myself to!
Substitution Options
If you’re not into raisins and chocolate chips, consider substituting the following:
Chia seeds
Almonds
Walnuts
Peanuts
Sunflower seeds
Poppy seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Dried cranberries
You could also substitute agave or maple syrup for the honey. Super easy substitution to make!
I really hope you enjoy these fantastically delicious and guilt-free peanut butter oatmeal cookies!
Happy Baking!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: 1 dozen
Prep Time: 1 day1 hour
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 1 day1 hour13 minutes
Ingredients
2 large bananas , mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used all-natural Jif)
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp pure honey
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup oat flour (pulse 3/4 cup oats in the food processor to make this flour)
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined.
Add the oat flour and baking soda and fold together until no more flour can be seen.
Pour in the steel cut oats, raisins and chocolate chips and fold together.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F & line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4 cup serving, scoop chilled dough and place evently onto parchment paper leaving 2-3 inches between each mound. Gently press down with a spatula to form a disk.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until the tops and sides are firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.
