Dessert

Brownie Ghosts

2 · Oct 12, 2014 · 9 Comments

+ This spooky Brownie Ghosts are brought to you by Pillsbury Baking +

I love the whimsey that this time of year brings. There is just something special about Halloween and all of the cool little treats you can make for your little ghouls and goblins. This super cute treat is so easy to make, you can even do it with your kiddos.

All you need is a box of Pillsbury Brownie mix, some Cool Whip topping and some of the super cute candy eyes.

Mix-up your brownie mix according to package directions and then bake in cupcake liners rather than your typical brownie pan. Reduce your baking time a bit to account for the smaller size. I baked mine for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Next, fill a pastry bag that is fitted with a jumbo round tip with Cool Whip. (I order all my baking supplies from Sweet Baking Supply, love that shop!) Then I pipe the ghosts on top of the brownies. They don’t have to be perfect. Ghost come in all shapes and sizes, don’t ya know.

Then I place the candy eyes on my cute ghosts.

Isn’t it so cool how you can whip something up so easy with your kiddos and feel like a ROCKSTAR! No advanced skills needed here, just a little box of Pillsbury and a little spooky love!

For more fun baking ideas, visit the Pillsbury Baking site or their Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram feeds. Each of these sites are packed full of ideas that can turn your ho-hum cake mix into something aaaamazing!

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by Pillsbury Baking. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own. However, I want you all to know that I will never promote a product or company that I do not love and use in my normal day to day life.

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Topped with Maple Butter Glaze

1 · Sep 18, 2014 ·

It’s finally here… PUMPKIN SEASON!! Oh my stars, this is truly my favorite season of the year. The chill that’s in the air, the leaves are hinting of change. Starbucks has busted PSL out of the vault. I’m not a coffee drinker, but even I can sense how big that is. Baking season has arrived and with it, all kinds of fabulous new pumpkin recipes. I’ve created the most scrumptious Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding that your family and friends are going to die over!

This simple bread pudding recipe is a cinch to make and it packs a huge pumpkin wallop. The cool thing is that I make it with SEVEN basic ingredients. Bread, Silk Almond Milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, one can of pure pumpkin, honey and topped with slivered almonds. I love baking with the whole family of Silk products. I especially love the flavor that the Vanilla Almond Milk adds to the flavor profile for this dish. Many of you know that I cook quite a bit with Silk. I love that it’s a natural plant based protein rather than animal based. It’s heart healthy with no fat or cholesterol. It’s low in calories, high in vitamins and is GMO free. You can’t beat all of that! You can learn even more about Silk and all of it’s amazing benefits here.

That is why I choose Silk Almond Milk over regular cows milk to make the custard for my Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding and the glaze that I top it with.

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe

1 loaf of hearty bread (I used a pumpkin struesal bread from Target, but you can use virtually any hearty bread for this recipe.)

3 cups Silk Almond Milk

6 eggs

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 can of pure pumpkin puree

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

First, you take your hearty bread, like I said before, I used a pumpkin streusal bread but, you can use any bread of your liking. You could use a cinnamon bread, a crusty loaf of French bread or even a hearty wheat. It’s really whatever you like.

Cut the bread into cubes and place in a small baking dish that has been covered in a non-stick cooking spray.

Next, you need to mix your custard in either a mixer or blender. My blender bit the dust this summer, so I opted for my mixerAdd your Silk Almond Milk and eggs.

Your pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree.

and your honey and mix until your custard is mixed well.

Pour over your cubed bread and top with slivered almonds.

Cover with foil and place in a 350˚ oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and place back in the oven for an additional 40 minutes or until the top has brown and the pudding has set.

I top mine with a butter maple glaze. Here is the recipe for that…

Butter Maple Glaze Recipe

1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

1 tablespoon Silk Almond Milk

a SMALL splash of maple and butter extracts

a small pinch of salt

In a small bowl whisk together the Silk Almond Milk and powdered sugar. You want the glaze to be rather thick. Add a few drops of maple extract and butter extract and a pinch of salt. Whisk together well.

You could really use any extracts that you like. Vanilla, Almond or even Rum if you like. Top your warm bread pudding with the glaze and serve.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

For more Silk inspiration follow them on Facebook or sign-up for their mailing list. They have great giveaways all the time, plus great coupons and fantastic ideas on how to add more plant protein into your life!

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by Silk Almond Milk. I have received payment for recipe development along with my post. However, all thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies

9 · Sep 11, 2014 · 4 Comments

It’s official… Fall is just around the corner. The kiddos are in school, the weather is starting to crisp… Baking season is getting ready to gear-up! I know that when my kiddos arrive home after a long day at school they are famished. Short of providing a meal for them right as they walk through the door, which on most days is a challenge, the practically inhale everything in sight! I’ve smartened up and have come up with a simple go-to recipe for a scrumptious after school snack with a bit of protein staying power tucked inside! Here are my Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies…

With these little goodies ready to hand out right as the kiddos walk in the door, that need to eat whatever isn’t nailed down is taken care of. They get a quick little snack that has some hidden protein and they can make it through to dinner. My secret…

Nature Valley™ Protein Crunchy Granola! Did you know that Nature Valley™ Protein Crunchy Granola packs a whopping 10 grams of protein in each 1/2 cup serving?! Yep… That’s a whole lot of quick protein that you can grab on the go. What’s so cool is that you can disguise all that protein in a treat like these Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies. Your kiddos will never know that you are helping them get to their next meal without having a case of hungry tummy in-between!

These cookies are soft and chewy with that lovely granola crunch baked right it that is just such a treat. Here’s how to make them…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter – room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 bag of Nature Valley™ Crunchy Granola – Peanut Butter ‘N Dark Chocolate (12.7 oz.)

1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature butter, sugar and brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and two eggs, one at a time.

Slowly add your flour, baking soda and salt mixture. Once that is incorporated, add your granola and chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Once lightly chilled, scoop into one ounce balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in a 350˚ oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

This yields about 24 cookies. Store in an air tight container. Better yet… Mix up a batch and place the dough in a large air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer and only bake as many cookies that you need at a time. It’s the perfect after school snack!

For more ideas on how you can add more protein in your diet with Nature Valley™ Crunchy Protein Granola, you can find all kinds of ideas on their Facebook or Twitter page. The folks at Nature Valley™ would like to help you add more protein into YOUR diet with this coupon (link to be added once brand approves) for Nature Valley™ Crunchy Protein Granola!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nature Valley Protein Granola via Burst Media. The opinions and text are all mine.

Peaches and Cream Dairy-Free Popsicles

1 · Aug 25, 2014 ·

Our family has a healthy obsession with peaches. We will take them in any form fresh right off the tree, canned, baked even frozen! This summer has been the year of the peach. My husband has been buying them by the case load and we have been madly canning them in hopes of prolonging the season. The other day I thought it would be fun to take some of our canned peaches and make them into tasty peaches and cream dairy-free popsicles…

I love finding ways to take those flavors I love, and make them a little healthier for my family. I have several friends who are all dairy-free and I thought that I would make these tasty treats so that they can enjoy this flavor combination as well.

I used Silk Vanilla Soy Milk for the cream part of my peaches and cream concoction. With the Silk Soy Protein I know that my family is getting some nutritional value even when they are feasting on popsicles rather than just empty calories like most. Check out these amazing benefits of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk…

• 6 grams of heart-healthy soy protein2

• 50% more calcium than dairy milk1

• 100% cholesterol-free

• Low in saturated fat

• Free of dairy, lactose, gluten, casein, egg and MSG

• Verified by the Non-GMO Project’s product verification program

• No artificial colors, flavors or funny business

Pair all that plant protien goodness with these super easy to make pops and you are a WINNER! Here’s how you make them.

Peaches and Cream Dairy-Free Popsicles

1 3/4 cups Silk Vanilla Soy Milk

1 diced canned peach

1/4 cup canned peach juice

1/2 packet of dried vanilla pudding mix

In a medium bowl, combine Silk Vanilla Soy Milk, peach juice and pudding mix. Whisk and set aside. Dice peach into bite sized pieces and add to the popsicle base. Pour base into popsicles molds and place in freezer for at least 4 hours. Carefully remove from mold and enjoy!!

Looking for more inspiration? Come visit Silk and sign-up to become a member of the Silk Community…

You can also follow along with all the Silk news on their Facebook page!!

1 Silk Vanilla Soymilk: 45% DV of calcium vs. 30% DV in 2% dairy milk. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26. Data consistent with typical 2% dairy milk.

2 In a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, 25 grams of soy protein per day may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of Silk Vanilla Soymilk has 6.25 grams.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Dessert

Almond Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe

Butter Maple Glaze Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies Recipe

Peaches and Cream Dairy-Free Popsicles

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