Guest Post *Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats*

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I'm always on the lookout for some yummy, festive treats for my kids and their teachers.  But with our dietary restrictions (a daughter who needs gluten-free and dairy-free options), it gets kind of tricky to say the least.

Well my fabulous, long-time friend, Leia from Eat It & Say Yum, came up with this amazing recipe that my daughter will actually be able to enjoy!  HALLELUJAH!!!

Make sure to check out Leia's amazing blog!  She has awesome recipes and her blog is absolutely beautiful.  I know you'll love it.  I sure do!

I'll add my minor adjustments to these Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats to make them dairy-free as well at the bottom of this post.  But for now, I'll turn the time over to the wonderful Leia...

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Hey there!  My name is Leia, and I blog over at Eat It & Say Yum. I am so excited to be doing a guest post here at All Things Delicious. Hannah and I have been friends for years.  It’s fun to see all the amazing things she does here on her blog.  She is so talented!

Today I am bringing you a sweet treat just in time for Valentine’s Day. My family has been loving these Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispy Treats this past week.  And I bet your family will love them as well!  As always the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is amazing!  Plus the Valentine’s M&M’s and sprinkles make them festive, and easy to adapt to any holiday. 

You can whip these up in a matter of minutes, so if you need something quick, this is it!  Just don’t over cook the marshmallows, and the treats will stay soft and chewy.  The marshmallows should be melted just enough to stay creamy, not runny. 

I love this Sally’s Cocoa Crackles cereal I got from Costco.  They stay crunchy even after being mixed with the marshmallows.  It’s so good.  Also, they are gluten-free!  Any brand of cocoa crispy cereal will work, I just love this kind. 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy these treats, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

46 large marshmallows

7 cups Cocoa Crispy Cereal (I recommend Sally’s Cocoa Crackles)

3 Tbs butter- cut into pieces

1 cup M&M’s

1 Tbs Sprinkles- optional

Directions:

1.        Grease a 9x13 pan, set aside.  In a large microwave safe bowl, heat the marshmallows, peanut butter, and butter for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave again for 20-30 seconds.  Do not cook too long.  The marshmallows should still be creamy, not liquidy. 

2.       Add the cocoa crispy cereal to the marshmallow peanut butter mixture and stir carefully.  You don’t want to crush all the cereal.  When almost fully mixed, add the M&M’s, and slowly add the sprinkles as you stir.  Scrape everything into the greased pan, and use a greased spatula to press the cereal into the pan.  Allow to cool.  

**To make dairy-free, use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and instead of M&M's, use larger heart-shaped or confetti sprinkles.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

If you are one of All Things Delicious' Facebook fans, you may have seen my post about these cookies.  (Like the Facebook page HERE!)

As I mentioned on Facebook, we recently learned that one of my daughters has an intolerance to gluten and dairy.  It has been a major adjustment for us, but I'm slowing learning how to best help her have good food to eat.

When it comes to yummy treats that we usually make and enjoy on Sunday's, we usually turn to brownies, baked cookies, cakes, quick breads, and such...all things my daughter can no longer enjoy (well, at least for now).

But when one of my friends posted a picture of no-bake cookies on Facebook, I thought that would be something easy to adjust to fit our gluten-free and dairy-free needs as well as our cravings for something sweet.

They hit the spot.

This recipe is a cross between my mother-in-law's and my mom's recipes for no-bake cookies.  So simple and so delicious.

Here's what you'll need:

2 C. sugar

4 T. cocoa

1/2 C. margarine (or Earth's Best Vegan Buttery Sticks)

1/2 C. milk (or coconut milk or any other milk substitute)

1 C. peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3 C. oatmeal (old fashioned or quick cooking)

1 C. coconut (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, cocoa, margarine, and milk.  Let boil for 2-3 minutes.

 

Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, vanilla, oatmeal, and coconut (if desired).

Using a medium cookie scoop, place cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Let cool until firm, approximately 20 minutes. 

I doubled the recipe so that we can put the extras in the freezer for the next time my little girl has a craving for something chocolate-y and sweet.

Stuffed Hamburger & Cheese Rolls

Every year, my mother-in-law and her sisters and sisters-in-law host a two day crafting/sewing/cooking event for all of their daughters and daughters-in-law.  They've been hosting these for the last 10 years and they are always so fun to get together with family, visit, eat, craft, and sew.

My mother-in-law's family, whom I'm so privileged to call my own, is made up of some very incredible women with so many talents.  I look up to each one of them and have learned so much from them.

Last year, many, many, many hours were put into making a family cookbook.  I have been having so much fun going through the recipes and trying so many new things for my little family.  We've definitely found many gems in that cookbook, which is not surprising to me at all, coming from such amazing women and mothers.

The recipe I'm sharing today comes from my husband's cousin's wife, Candria.  She's such a wonderful mother and a really great friend.  A note she added to this recipe says,"Kid and husband approved!"

Well, we had the same approval rate at our house.  In fact, my kids went CRAZY over these rolls.  This recipe makes about 2 dozen little sandwiches and it's a good thing too.  The kids were requesting these for lunch and dinner until they were gone.

And a major bonus is that they're EASY!  The only thing that took much time and effort was hollowing out the rolls and that's not a big deal at all.

Oh, and one more thing...I found a big bag of two dozen potato rolls on clearance in the bakery at our grocery store, so they were super cheap.  And it was no problem that they were a little stale and dry.  Adding the filling made them perfect!

So, thank you, Candria, for sharing this family-loved recipe!

Here's what you'll need:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 Tbsp. dried, chopped onion

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I used 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken)

1 1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese

5-6 large rolls or bread bowls (I used 22 dinner-sized potato rolls-the perfect size for little hands to handle)

Brown the hamburger with the onion.  Add soup(s) and cheese and stir until combined.

Cut tops off of rolls and hollow them out.  Fill each with meat mixture and place tops back on.  

Wrap each in tin foul and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  

*Candria likes to use Asaigo Cheese rolls when she can find them.  I liked using the stale potato rolls.*

Key Lime Tarts

Here's a fresh, quick and easy dessert, perfect for Spring!  This recipe comes from the ladies at Our Best Bites.  I did adjust it slightly.  I didn't have any limes, but I did have some bottled key lime juice, so that's what I used.  

It was interesting to see that the recipe on the bottle of juice was almost identical to the one from Our Best Bites.  The only difference was that the recipe on the bottle called for less egg yolks.  So I put them to the test.  I made one batch using the recipe from Our Best Bites and another batch using the recipe on the key lime juice bottle.

Guess what we found...there was hardly any difference at all.  So if you don't have 5 egg yolks to work with, have no fear, 3 egg yolks work just as well!

Here's what you'll need:

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

3-5 egg yolks

1/3-1/2 C. Key lime juice (or regular lime juice)

12 mini graham cracker pie crusts (found by the graham cracker pie crusts on the baking isle)

Place mini graham cracker crusts on a large baking sheet.  Combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice in a medium sized bowl.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into pie crusts. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Then refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve chilled with sweetened whipped cream.

*You can make this as a full-sized pie.  Just use a prepared 9-inch graham cracker crust and bake for 15-16 minutes.*

To make sweetened whipped cream (also from Our Best Bites):

1 C. whipping cream

1/3 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place all of the ingredients into a chilled metal bowl.  Beat on High with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (has the desired stiffness you'd like).  Serve immediately.

Resurrection Rolls

The kids and I did a fun (and yummy) little project for Easter, helping them understand what we believe about Easter.  The kids loved making these rolls and they are so simple that they could do almost everything themselves.

Here's what you'll need:

Large marshmallows

Grands! biscuits, any variety

3-4 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine

Cinnamon sugar

This is the cinnamon sugar that I used.  It's from Alison's Pantry and it was WAY good!  I loved the added flavor of the vanilla.  I can't wait to try it in more of my cooking and baking!

If you don't have this kind of cinnamon sugar, you can just make your own by mixing 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

(Luke chapters 23 & 24)

The biscuit will represent the tomb.

Flatten out a biscuit.

After Jesus died on the cross, he was taken to a tomb and his disciples covered his body (the marshmallow) with special oils (the butter) and spices (the cinnamon sugar).

Place a marshmallow into the melted butter, then cover with the cinnamon sugar.

Then they laid his body in the tomb and enclosed him in it.

Put the covered marshmallow on the flattened biscuit and completely cover the marshmallow with the biscuit, sealing off any holes.

Place on a baking sheet.

*Some of my kids wanted to dip their rolls into the butter and cinnamon sugar too.  That made for even tastier rolls!*

Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes, or until golden brown.

Place on a cooling rack to cool enough to be handled.

After 3 days, Jesus' disciples discovered that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had been resurrected. 

When they've cooled enough, break open the rolls to see their empty, hollow interiors.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Crunchy Krispie Treats

I love to use today's recipe for seasonal occasions.  I've made them for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.  You can made these glorified rice krispie treats fun for anytime using the special holiday themed M&M's.  Or just use the regular colored M&M's to make them any other time of the year.

These treats are so easy to make, but are extra special with Frosted Flakes (or Corn Flakes), peanuts, and M&M's.

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 cubes (3/4 C.) margarine

1 (16 oz.) package of mini marshmallows

6 C. Rice Krispies

4 C. Frosted Flakes (or Corn Flakes)

1 (12 oz.) bottle roasted peanuts (1 1/2 C.)

1 (8 oz.) package M&M's

Melt the margarine in a large pot over Medium-Low heat.  Add the marshmallows and keep stirring until smooth and melted.

 

Remove from the heat and add the Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, and peanuts, stirring until evenly coated.  

Lightly grease a large rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  Gently fold in the M&M's.  

Spread onto the cookie sheet.  Lightly grease your hands and press the treats evenly throughout the pan.  

Allow to cool.  Cover to keep moist.

Rainbow Dipped Marshmallows

My last post on my daughter's birthday party is to explain how to make Rainbow Dipped Marshmallows.

As with everything else about the birthday party, these are so simple to make.

Here's what you'll need:

Large marshmallows

White chocolate

Rainbow sprinkles

Popsicle sticks

Melt the white chocolate in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Push the Popsicle sticks into the marshmallows.  Dip them however far you'd like into the white chocolate, then immediately sprinkle with sprinkles.

Place them in a Styrofoam board with holes approximately 2-3 inches apart to allow the chocolate to cool and set.

Display them on a platter when you're ready to use them.

Or stick them into little plastic bags to use as thank you gifts.

Shrimp Scampi

We have been trying all sorts of new recipes around here.  Today's recipe is one that I pretty much just tried some new things and threw it together.  I was very happy with how it turned out.  So good!

I am a big fan of shrimp, so I was so looking forward to making Shrimp Scampi.  I loved how simple this dish was to make, and the flavor was WONDERFUL!  It was a great weeknight dinner.

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. linguine

4 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and devained (that's how I bought mine, frozen and already pink)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder OR 2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 pkt. Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix, dry

1/2 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 C. parsley, chopped OR 1-2 Tbsp. dried chopped parsley

In a large pot, bring water and a little oil to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.  

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter and add the olive oil on Medium heat.  Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, salad dressing mix, chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, and shrimp.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes,stirring often, or until the shrimp is heated through.

 

*I added my shrimp frozen and as they thawed during the 5 to 8 minutes, I pulled off the tails.  You can thaw your shrimp and remove the tails prior to cooking.*

Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the cooked shrimp mixture.  Stir well to combine.  Keep covered until ready to serve.

So simple!  Enjoy!

Ham Rolls with Apricot-Pineapple Sauce

I tried a new recipe from the cookbook that my sister, Lynae, put together and gave me.  It was quite good! And it was so easy to assemble and didn't take long to get to the table.  SWEET!!

I think this would make a great dish to serve while entertaining.  Just a thought.

                                        

Here's what you'll need:

Thick sliced ham lunch meat (I used a whole 1lb. package which had 16 slices in it)

Sliced Swiss cheese (one slice per slice of ham, so I needed 16 slices of cheese)

1 box Stove Top Stuffing

Apricot-Pineapple Sauce:

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 C. water

1 C. pineapple juice

1/4 C. apricot-pineapple preserves

1 Tbsp. butter

Prepare stuffing mix as directed on the box.  Set aside.  On a plate, lay out a slice of ham, top with a slice of cheese.

Then place approximately 1/3 cup of prepared stuffing on the cheese.  

Roll and secure with a toothpick and place on a shallow baking dish.

In a small saucepan, stir together the cornstarch and brown sugar.  Add the water and pineapple juice.  

Stir over medium heat until the mixtures comes to a full rolling boil.  Let boil for 2 minutes.  

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and preserves.

 Pour over the ham rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot with the sauce spooned over top.