Peanut Butter Ice Cream Brownies

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker Fudge brownie mix (plus water, oil, and eggs required to bake them)
1.5 quart Moose Tracks frozen yogurt
8 oz. bag Reese's Peanut Butter Cups minis
Reese's peanut butter ice cream topping (about 1/3 bottle)
hot fudge ice cream topping (about 1/3 jar)

*Bake brownies according to the mix directions in a 9x13 pan.  I slightly undercooked mine so they would be softer.
*Cool brownies completely.
*Soften frozen yogurt for a few minutes on the counter.  Spread evenly over brownies.
*Top with mini peanut butter cups. Drizzle peanut butter topping over the top.  Then drizzle warmed hot fudge topping.  You could use as much or as little as you desire.  The above amounts were about what I used.
*Cover the pan and put back in the freezer.  Freeze for a couple of hours to harden.

serves 12

Lemon Bars

I'm always trying to concoct new dessert recipes. They aren't always the BEST tasting but since they are also healthier, I think they make a pretty good substitute.

My mom was recently having a craving for something lemony. I figured I was up for the challenge. Here is what I came up with. My daughter loves them, by the way! (Bonus point :)

Lemon bars 

1 pkg lemon cake mix
1/4 cup light butter, softened
2 egg whites 

Mix together. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 12 min. until they are slightly browned and puffy. Cool.  

2 pkg. Instant sugar free lemon pudding
2 3/4 cup skim milk

Whisk together for 2 min. Pour over cooled crust. Refrigerate to set. Top with Cool Whip free. 

Makes 24 bars. 1 bar = 3 pp

Caramel Apple Tart

Ingredients:
1 Pre-made Pie Crust
4 large Granny Smith Apples
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Sugar
1 TB Butter
Cinnamon
1 TB Caramel Topping

Instructions:
1. Place oven rack in lowest position & preheat oven to 400ºF. Place cookie sheet in oven on rack.

2. Place pie crust dough in a 10-inch round cake or tart pan. Work top edge into a decorative scallop. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

3. Peel, core and slice apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices; place in a bowl as you work and sprinkle with lemon juice.

4. Arrange apple slices in pan in circles starting on the outside rim; apple slices should overlap tightly.

5. Sprinkle sugar over tart, adding a pinch of cinnamon and dot with tablespoon of butter.

6. Bake on heated cookie sheet until apples are tender but not mushy, about 40 to 45 minutes.

7. Remove tart from oven to cool. Drizzle caramel over tart and serve.

1/6 of tart is 5 points plus

-courtesy of Kelly S.

Pumpkin Bars

I had been meaning to try these bars for a while now but knew I needed something else to give them some pizzazz.

I found the sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix and decided to give it a try. I was looking for a cream cheese-like frosting and I think it did the job well.

I love how moist the bars are and am completely intrigued by the wonder of canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bars

1 box of Spice cake mix
15 oz can of pure pumpkin

Frosting:
1 4-serving sugar-free instant cheesecake pudding mix
1 cup skim milk
oz. Cool Whip free

Mix cake mix and pumpkin together. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan (with cooking spray). Bake according to directions on box but reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.

Cool completely.

Stir pudding mix with milk until it starts to thicken. Add Cool Whip and stir until completely blended.

Spread on top of cooled bars.

1/12th = 4 points plus

Autumn Acorn Treats

The super talented baker of delicious things, Stephanie, is sharing a yummy tutorial with us today! She made the most adorable little treats for my kiddos last week and I asked if she would share with us how she made them. She said yes!

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AUTUMN ACORN TREATS
by Stephanie

I saw an image for these on Pinterest. By the way, have you checked out Pinterest? I haven't totally looked through exactly what it is and what it can do, but from what I gather it is something like an online "bulletin board." If you are anything like me, you either have an overwhelming collection of bookmarked websites or a folder of saved images but no way to trace them back to the original source. I think Pinterest is a place where you can collect images that inspire you but also keep a link back to where you found them. For now, I'll add Pinterest to my never ending list of bookmarked sites to check out more thoroughly one of these days.

These little acorns are so quick and easy!

Ingredients:


Hershey Kisses (of any variety)
Chocolate Chips (for melting and topping off your acorn)
Nutter Butter Bites

Directions:

Simply melt a handful of chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring often. Place a dot of melted chocolate on the flat part of the Hershey Kiss and place the Nutter Butter bite on top. Do the same to adhere a single chocolate chip on top of the Nutter Butter Bite and...voila! You have yourself the tastiest little acorn.

Enjoy!

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Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing this tasty little treat with us! I can't wait to make some!

Scarecrow Cupcakes

I saw these cupcakes in a Woman's World magazine recently and thought they were adorable!




The Ingredients
cupcakes:
1 cup Reese's Pieces candies chopped
1 pkg (18. 25 oz. yellow cake mix)
Water, eggs, and oil
frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, from 2 (16 oz.) packages
3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
decorations:
Blue, golden yellow and orange concentrated food colorings
Rainbow Twizzlers Twists
6 flat-bottomed ice cream cups
2 1/2 cups All-Bran cereal
24 brown mini M &M's
Toothpicks
12 pieces candy corn
Chocolate sprinkles
Jumbo leaf-shaped sprinkles
1 Tbs. light corn syrup



Directions
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
Mix candies with 1 Tbs. cake mix; put aside.
Prepare remaining cake mix with water, eggs, and oil following package
directions. Stir in candies.
Divide among liners.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool.
Frosting:
On medium-high speed, beat butter until fluffy.
On low, gradually beat in confectioner's sugar, then milk and vanilla until combined.
On medium-high beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (Or use this recipe for frosting - yum!)

Reserve 1 tsp. frosting.
Tint 1 1/2 cups frosting blue, 1 1/2 cups frosting yellow and remaining frosting orange with food coloring.
Transfer 3/4 cups each yellow and orange frosting to separate pastry bags fitted with rose tip (such as Wilton #104); reserve. Spread blue frosting over 12 cupcakes; spread remaining yellow and orange frosting over 6 cupcakes each.


Constructing the Cupcakes



For each patchwork "hat", cut 9 (3/8" long) pieces of desired color Twizzlers. Arrange pieces, on top third of 3 yellow and 3 orange cupcakes, pressing into frosting.
For "hat brims", cut 2 1/2 "x 1/4" strips from Twizzlers press onto cupcakes below "hats."
Tuck cereal into frosting around Twizzlers hats and along edges of cupcakes.
On orange and yellow cupcakes:
Press on M&M's "eyes"; for "pupils", using pick, dot M&M's with white frosting.
Press on candy corn "noses."
Press on chocolate sprinkles "mouths".
Place "head" cupcakes, on sides on top of the blue cupcakes with "face" forward (about 1" in from the front edge), press down to attach.
Tuck cereal into frosting along top edge of hatless "heads".
For each cone "hat", trim and discard wide top end of ice cream cone. Pipe frosting "brim" along edge. Invert onto "head".
Pipe frosting "collars" around "heads."
Tuck cereal around "collar."
Decorate with leaf sprinkles, brushing with corn syrup to attach to "hats."


This recipe from Woman's World Makes 12 scarecrow cupcakes.

Photo Credit: Woman's World Magazine

Banana Pudding Pie

6 low fat Graham crackers 
2 (4 serving) sugar free instant banana cream pudding
2 3/4 cups skim milk
2 bananas
Fat free cool whip


Lay one layer of graham crackers in bottom of 8 inch square pan (break them apart as needed to fit right).

Slice up bananas and layer them on top of graham crackers. 

Make pudding according to directions with milk.  Pour over bananas.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours.  Top with Cool whip. 


1/9 serving is 3 points plus

Pumpkiny Pie

I came up with this delicious, better for you Pumpkin Pie knock-off. It's really tasty and light and so easy. I'll definitely be making this again soon!

6 low fat graham crackers
1 4-serving box of sugar free instant vanilla pudding
2 cups skim milk
1/2 (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin
dash or 2 of pumpkin pie spice
4 Ginger Snaps, crushed

Lay one layer of graham crackers in bottom of 8 inch square pan (break them apart as needed to fit right).

Make pudding according to directions with milk.

Once set, add in the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and stir until fully incorporated.

Spread over graham crackers. Sprinkle ginger snaps on top.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve with whipping cream.


1/9 serving is 3 points plus

Chocolate Mousse Pie

2 4-serving boxes chocolate fudge sugar free instant pudding
16 oz. Cool whip free
Readymade reduced fat Graham cracker crust

Mix pudding and cool whip til combined.  Spread into pie crust.  
Store in refrigerator.  

1/8 of pie = 5 points plus  

Brownies

I love a good brownie! Fudgy, chewy, yum!

Well, I tried making a brownie mix with applesauce and egg whites. Yuck! They did not turn out that great. Disappointing.

I ran across this recipe and tried it and can I say Yummy!?

Brownies:

1 box of devils food cake, chocolate cake, or brownie mix (I used devils food but next time I'm going to try a brownie mix)
15 oz can of pumpkin

Mix together and bake according to box directions except reduce baking time 5 mins.

I sifted powdered sugar over the top. Very delicious!

1/12th of 9x13 is 5 points plus (varies depending on the mix you use, pumpkin is 0)

Buttercream Frosting

One thing I enjoy doing is making birthday cakes for my kids. I'd enjoy it more if I was able to do it alone in peace and quiet but that doesn't stop me. 

I am by no means a professional but I like to try to get creative with their cakes if I can. 

Benton's cake last weekend was a turtle cake. I frosted 2 9x13 stacked layers. Then I made a turtle from some cake I baked in a glass bowl. I cut out the head, legs, and tail from an extra cake I had baked with the leftover batter from the bowl cake. I frosted all of the pieces and stuck them into the "shell" with toothpicks. Then I used spray food coloring to make the turtle green.

I love the spray food coloring that they make now. First, it is fun and fun is good. Second, I think it's just easier and less messy than trying to dye the frosting. Try it, you may love it. :)

(*Sorry for the lack of pictures. I just wasn't able to get my act together in time to add them.) 

I've done panda cakes, an Icee cake, a Percy (Thomas train) cake, a Barbie cake, a Bob and Larry cake. I've made more cakes than I can name (or remember) over the last 10 years. 

Some have turned out better than others. Some ended up lying down instead of standing upright (dowels are very important). In the end, it's been an adventure. I've had fun, the kids always think they look awesome (I love a child's naïveté), and another birthday is celebrated. 

However, it really doesn't matter what the cake looks like as long as it tastes good, right?

Well, have I got a recipe for you today! This frosting is awesome! My mom has been frosting her cakes with it for years! It's good on cutout cookie, too. Lisa, Stephanie, and, of course, Kelly can attest to how yummy this buttercream frosting tastes. Once you try it, no canned frosting will ever do. 

*Warning: This not a healthy-tasty recipe. I have no idea how many points plus it is. I'm scared to calculate it. 

Buttercream Frosting

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 tsp vanilla

Cream together. 

Add 3 cups powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated. 

Add 1 1/2 Tbl 2% or whole milk. Beat together slowly. Scrape sides and beat for 5 min or more. This is what makes it very fluffy. 

Depending on your cake size, you may have to double or triple the recipe.

Frost your cake and enjoy! Yum!

**Just a little side note, I made the actual cake this weekend the healthy-tasty way with applesauce and egg whites. No one noticed a thing. I received many compliments on how good the cake was, though.    

Poke Cake

Duncan Hines white cake mix
1 1/4 c water
1/4 c applesauce
3 egg whites

Prepare and bake following the directions on box except using ingredients above. Reduce baking time 1-2 minutes.

Let cake cool 20 minutes.  With fork, poke holes every 1/2 inch across top of cake 

Stir 2 (.3 oz) boxes of any flavor sugar-free Jello into 2 cups boiling water for 2 minutes until dissolved.

Pour evenly over top of cake. 

Refrigerate 3 hours. 

Top with Cool Whip free and enjoy!

This dessert is so cool and refreshing on a hot summer day!

1/12th of recipe = 5 points plus  

Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes

Another new, healthier recipe. I can tell you're excited.

I'm just finding that a treat doesn't always have to be decadent. It can taste good and not be all that bad for you. I am so impressed with how the lighter version of these cakes taste (using applesauce and egg whites) that I think I'm going to make all of my cakes this way. Shhh ... Don't tell.

The real problem lies in the frosting. That yummy deliciousness that is butter, crisco, and powdered sugar is not all that good for you. Surprise, I know. So, once in a blue moon, I'll partake. But when you have a family as big as mine with birthdays around every corner, you need to come up with a healthier alternative.

Here is my latest concoction. It tastes great on it's own, too! (1/2 cup = 2 points plus)

Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes

Cupcakes :
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup applesauce
5 egg whites

"Frosting" :
Small container cool whip free
4 serving box chocolate sugar free pudding

Bake cupcakes according to package directions except using above ingredients. Decrease baking time by 1-2 min. 

When cupcakes are cool, mix cool whip and dry pudding mix together. "Frost" cupcakes and enjoy!

2 cupcakes = 5 points plus

Strawberry Pie

For our Fourth of July celebration, I made a strawberry pie. I changed up my usual recipe a bit and made it lighter. Each piece (1/12 of 9x13) ended up being 2 points plus. Wahoo!

Crust

1/2 cup light butter
1 cup flour
2 tsp sugar
2 egg whites

Work together. Press into bottom of 9x13 pan. The dough will sticky and somewhat hard to stretch out to 9x13 but it will work.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 min. I think I undercooked mine a little so make sure it is baked long enough.

When the crust is cooled, cut up strawberries to fill the pan. You can use as much or as little as you like. I filled mine about 2/3 full.

Make 1 large box (.6 oz) sugar free strawberry jello according to directions. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours. Pour over strawberries in pan.

Refrigerate for 4 more hours or until firm.

Top with fat free cool whip or light whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

It's a not so secret secret that I have joined Weight Watchers. Since then, I have been trying to think up some healthier recipes, especially desserts.
I came up with this topping for a cake that is tasty and technically 0 points plus (when added to the cake, it bumps the total cake points up one point). A piece of cake (1/12th) is 5 points plus and worth every point.

Chocolate cake

1 box Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup applesauce
5 egg whites

Follow directions on back of box substituting the above ingredients for the ones suggested on the box. Reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes.

Raspberry Topping

.3 oz sugar free raspberry Jello
8 oz Cool Whip free
fresh raspberries

Mix together jello powder and Cool Whip while cake is baking. Refrigerate until cake is cool.
Frost cake with topping and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Over the weekend, I made this again using sugar free strawberry Jello and fresh strawberries. It was also very good.

This is a yummy, light dessert that everyone will enjoy.