kids in the kitchen

Strawberries and Cream Miracle Cookies

- Mama 2 Comments

These cookies are nothing short of miraculous. Well, I mean, look at them. They look like your standard, very delicious, absolutely cute cookies.

But, they’re just a handful of ingredients, and they take almost no time at all. These are the kind of cookies you make when you say “I have to have cookies! Like now!” Or the kind of cookies you say “Oh! Crud! The school bake sale is today and I forgot to bake something!” But, they’re also the kind of cookies you make when you need something delicious, time-pressed or no, the kind of cookies that taste so much harder than they are. And that’s what’s miraculous, and also very, very dangerous about them.

For the base cookie, you just need a box of cake mix, a carton of whipped topping, and an egg. You’ll also need powdered sugar to roll the cookies in before baking. I chose to add in some white chocolate chips for that whole “and cream” bit. Strawberry is a fun, and unexpected, cookie flavor for Valentine’s day. While this cookie could easily be made with chocolate, or with red velvet, you’ll love the flavor of a strawberries and cream cookie amidst scores of chocolate choices in the Valentine’s season.

This is where things get almost stupidly easy. You toss your cake mix, your Cool Whip, and your egg into a bowl, and mix. It’ll be an extra thick cookie batter.

Like very thick! At this point, fold in your white chocolate chips. Then, roll the batter into balls.

Roll those balls in powdered sugar. Relish in the fact that you’re not having to take a picture one handed of this step– it’s tricky!

Place the balls several inches apart on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Waiting for them to cook is hard. You may be surrounded by people with their mouth open like little birds, just waiting for a taste of warm cookie, fresh from the oven.

Once cooled, you’re able to enjoy them! They’ve got a really great flavor, and they’re so easy, anyone could make them. The strawberries and cream is unique and exciting, something new!

They’ll be gone quickly! I promise!

 

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Counting calories this V-Day? There are only 140 Calories per cookie, and they’re way more satisfying than a hundred calorie pack! Calorie counts may vary.

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Trying a variation on these cookies? Let me know how they turn out in the comments below!

Harvest Cinnamon Popcorn Mix

- Mama 2 Comments

I’m a pretty big fan of popcorn. There really isn’t a time or place where popcorn isn’t a decent answer… whether it’s kettle corn at the soccer game, super extra mega butter popcorn at the theatre, or just microwave popcorn with the family as a night snack. But there’s always a very special place in my heart for mixes that involve popcorn and other foods I love. This harvest cinnamon popcorn mix is no exception. With only a few ingredients, and the ability to make it in under 10 minutes start-to-finish, it’s the perfect treat for a last minute snack!

Start out with four simple ingredients. I picked up this Sweet Cinnamon Act II popcorn on a whim when I saw it at the store, and it has an incredible cinnamon scent that can’t be beat. The S’mores Candy Corn was also an impulse buy of mine (and a good one at that!) CandiQuik is good for mixes like this because it solidifies after being melted and then cooled, so it is a good way of keeping a mix held together. Finally, the Pumpkin Spice M&Ms are really yummy… and remind me so much of the chocolate chai latte from Starbucks. Yummy! You could also add in some peanuts, cashews, or chopped walnuts to this mixture to add a protein punch while still maintaining a yummy fall flavor blend.

Start by popping your sweet cinnamon popcorn in the microwave the way you typically pop microwave popcorn. Spread the popped popcorn out on a large cookie sheet.

By the handful, add the Pumpkin Spice M&Ms and S’mores Candy Corn, making sure to get a pretty even distribution of the candy over the popcorn. I’m not going to give exact measurements because this is really done to taste, but I added about 2/3 cup of each candy in the bag of popcorn. Just add what looks “right” to you– there isn’t a right or wrong in this recipe.

Next, melt your CandiQuik (about 2 squares) in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each nuke, until it’s melted.

Take your spoon, fill it with CandiQuik, and with a flick of the wrist, drizzle it over the popcorn mixture evenly. Don’t worry about being precise or pretty– you’re just going to break this into bits once the CandiQuik is set!

See? Beautifully coated!

Let that sit for just a smidgen, until the CandiQuik is hardened and no longer melty. Then, put all of the popcorn mixture into a bowl, cup, or other favorite serving receptacle, and enjoy with family and friends! It’s a perfect snack for sharing… and it’s oh-so-yummy.

Yum.

But I Don’t Bake! Chocolate Bark

- Mama 5 Comments

It happens every year. People send out the cookie exchange invitations, and there’s always that person that gets invited, but decides to turn down the invitation because they don’t bake. They may not come right out and say “Sorry, I don’t bake, so I can’t come.” But they’ll find ways to get out of going, for sure.

If you’re that person, be warned. I’m stripping you of your excuses, because you can absolutely make this. If you can work a microwave, you can make this.

Start with these beautiful Nestle Toll House Holiday Morsels.

Then, get you/your sous chef/your mom/your child/your brother to sort them by color.

I recruited my amazing sous chef/mom to sort them while I did the second step.

Okay, this is the really hard part… take foil, line a 9×13 pan, and set a single layer of chocolate graham crackers on the bottom of the pan.

Melt your three colors of chocolate chips in three separate microwave safe containers, stirring every 30 seconds of the melting process to keep from overcooking them.

Spread the brown molten chocolate onto the graham crackers. Then, blob red and green melted morsels onto the layers, making sure to alternate colors.

Take a knife and gently swirl it back and forth across the pan.

Draw lines with the knife in the other direction, too.

If you want, you can even drag the lines diagonally.

Stick the whole pan into the fridge until the chocolate is hard. Lift the foil out of the pan, then break apart the bark in small chunks– random shapes are fine.

Ta-da! Take that to your cookie exchange and impress everyone without lifting a finger. If you want to get fancy, you can stir in a total of a teaspoon of extract into the chocolate– mint is a favorite, but orange adds a surprising twist.

See? Even if you don’t bake, you can absolutely make this bark and go to a cookie exchange. You win, and everyone else wins, too.