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Stay-Soft BEST Ever Rice Krispie Treats and Pops

July 16, 2019/0 Comments/in Desserts, Candy, Recipes /by Carrie Groneman

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

One of the BEST things in life is a GOOD soft, tasty Rice Krispie treat!

But it has to be soft.

Yummy marshmellowy.

A little gooey, but not real sticky or that’s just a mess.

Most important it needs to have great flavor and not be bland and tasteless.

Do these sound like your kind of perfection in a Rice Krispie Treat?

If it does, and you love them like I enjoy a really good one, then I have the perfect recipe for you!

Making these soft delicious treats in a pan to cut into the usual bar, which is great. But I have a something special for you! It’s a simple and clever way to have fun eating them, and of course, sharing them too.

These stay-soft best ever rice krispie treats and pops are a family favorite. Not only because they are very inexpensive to make, they are so simple, you’ll make them up often with the kids or grand kids as a quick and easy dessert and special treat.

Stay-Soft BEST Ever Rice Krispie Treats and Pops

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

10 oz. mini marshmellows (or large ones in a 10 oz. bag)

5 1/3 cup of rice krispie dry cereal

*Additional 1-4 Tablespoons of additional butter

Optional: Biscuit cutter, melting chocolate buttons or chocolate chips, sprinkles, parchment paper, cellophane bags, -use the right sized cutter with the bag:), ribbon

Directions:

Using some of the additional butter (1-2 Tablespoons), lightly butter either a 9″ x 13″ cake pan or a jelly roll pan that has sides; depending on how thick you want to make your treats.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Pre-measure your rice krispie dry cereal into a bowl.

Set it aside.

If making Pop’s lay a piece of parchment out near you, but not in your way of working.

In a large saucepan, melt the 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) over low heat.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Add in the marshmallows and stir continually.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Keep stirring until they are completely melted – being careful not to burn them.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the rice krispie cereal.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Folding in until it is completely covered

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Spread the mixture into the buttered pan of your choice. Using buttered hands (with the rest of the butter), pack it down firmly if you are going to cut out shapes.

Allow the mixture to cool completely in the pan.

Cut them into bars for the original treat.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Store in an airtight container to keep them soft and perfect.

To make the POP’S, using a muffin or biscuit cutter (or anything that is round and will go through the depth of the mixture and cut)

push through to the bottom, using a firm pushing down motion.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Take your circle out and push a craft stick into the center of one end to make a POP.

Do this with all of your POP’s until you cannot cut anymore shapes out.

Put your melting buttons or chocolate chips into a microwavable bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Repeat this process until the chocolate is completely smooth and warmed through, but not hot.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Dip one of the POP’s into the chocolate, helping with a spatula, spoon, or another utensil to cover up as far as you desire, and also to help scrap off the backside and make the chocolate layer more even all around.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Cover with sprinkles (or heath bits as shown) while with chocolate is still wet on the POP.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

Lay on the prepared parchment paper and allow the POPs to set up.

Easy, quick and delicious Rice Krispie Treats

To make them even more presentable for gifts, etc. have cellophane bags that are larger than the POPs.

Put the POP end into the bag first so the stick may sticking out of the bag; depending on the length.

Now tie with ribbons, or whatever you desire.

Makes a great gift, take-home treat, oh there are so many uses for this scrumptious treat.

Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2019

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Patriotic Red, White and Blue Popcorn In Printable Cone Wrap

June 29, 2018/15 Comments/in Desserts, Candy, Recipes /by Carrie Groneman

Patriotic Popcorn

Your friends and family are going to LOVE this Patriotic Red, White and Blue Popcorn In Printable Cone Wrap!

I found these adorable 4th of July cone covers designed by Heather of ChickaBug Blog and just had to make something to go in her very cool printable.

After searching around for ideas, I set to work making some Red and Blue Popcorn which I made by coating popcorn in a bit of white chocolate and dry cake mix. Yes, I wrote cake mix, and it turned out really, really good. I hope you’ll give it a try this 4th of July!

Patriotic Red, White and Blue Popcorn In Printable Cone Wrap

Ingredients for the Patriotic Treat:

Sugar Cones

Printable, (link in description and below in directions)

Glue Dots

Popcorn, popped, 4-6 cups depending on your taste, per color

1 Tbl. shortening, I used butter shortening, per color

1 cup white chocolate buttons, per color

1/2 cup cake mix, per color (I found these small bags of bright colored cake mix)

Directions:

Pop the popcorn and have 4 cups ready in a bowl, with extra in reserve.

Spread waxed paper out for popcorn to set up on.

Print the awesome cone printable by clicking HERE which will take you to ChickaBug’s site. Thank you so much Heather for sharing with us at AMS! Patriotic Popcorn Cut out the cone cover.

The printable has a ‘fold here’ line, but I wanted the cover to the top of the cone, and the fold lines did not show, so it was good either way you choose to do it. Patriotic Popcorn Wrap the wrapper around the cone And secure with glue dots

Remember to have your popcorn popped and ready.

Now to make the homemade yummy PATRIOTIC RED, WHITE AND BLUE POPCORN

Pour chocolate wafers into a microwavable bowl; microwave for 20 seconds, stir. Patriotic Popcorn Microwave another 10 seconds and stir.

Continue this process… Patriotic Popcorn Until it is smooth and completely melted. Add in the shortening and stir until melted well.

Melt in microwave a few seconds if necessary. Patriotic Popcorn Now trust me on this, add in 1/2 cup of DRY cake mix and stir well.

Pour onto popped popcorn and stir; adding in more popped popcorn if needed. Patriotic Popcorn When it is well combined spread out on waxed paper to set up.

Repeat the process for another color Patriotic Popcorn Add in the shortening Stir until melted Add in the other color of cake mix and stir well

Allow the other color to dry on waxed paper also.

Now you have a wonderful treat to serve in these very clever cone covers. Patriotic Popcorn

Thanks again Heather at ChickaBugBlog for sharing your printable with us.

Carrie Groneman’s recipe, Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2014, 2018

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Tender white cake mix that has been baked. Then holes poked all over it to allow in a delicious mixture of whipped cream and key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Then finished with a glorious topping of pudding mix, cool whip and lime.

Easy Key Lime Poke Cake

February 19, 2018/9 Comments/in Desserts, Candy, Recipes /by Carrie Groneman

Refreshing Key Lime Cake

This Easy Key Lime Poke Cake fits the bill for St. Patrick’s Day with its hint of green, it’s amazing for summer with its light refreshing flavor, and great anytime of year with its delicate infusion of subtle lime.

Beginning with a tender cake mix, you know this will be easy; and with additional key ingredients, its amazing!

The middle ‘poke’ layer is a scrumptious delightful combination of sweet and tangy.

With a topping of a creamy fabulous-ness, for a popular make-ahead dessert.

For a really quick yummy lime treat check out these Easy Key Lime Cookie Bars

Easy Key Lime Poke Cake

Ingredients:

Cake –

1 box of white cake mix

1 ¼ cups water

2 Tbl. vegetable oil

4 eggs

Key Lime Filling –

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup Key lime juice

1 ½ tsp. grated lime peel (approx 1 lime)

Topping –

1 (3.4 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

1 cup milk

3 cups thawed frozen non-dairy whipped topping

1 Tbl. grated lime peel (approx. 1 – 2 limes)

1 Tbl. Key Lime juice

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9×13” baking pan well with spray release.

Have a straw, chopstick or skewer easily accessible.

In a large bowl, beat the cake ingredients with a mixer on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium-high for 2 minutes; scraping bowl occasionally.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile zest the limes. Do this on a grater with small holes, scraping off only the outside green to gain wonderful flavor. Do not grate into the white pith layer, as this makes the food bitter. Key Lime Poke Cake When the cake is cooked through, poke holes, about ½” apart over the entire cakeIn a medium bowl, mix together the filling ingredients, just until combined well.

This will thicken up and take more effort to push into the holes if allowed to set up, so it’s best to mix it up as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. Key Lime Poke Cake Pour half of the filling mixture over the cake.

Refreshing Key Lime CakeSpread with a spatula to keep it from running down the side of the cake; directing it into the holes.

Continue moving it till most is absorbs into the holes.

Refreshing Key Lime Cake Again poke holes next to the previous holes, all over the entire cake.

Pour the rest of the filling ingredients over the cake and again direct the filling into the holes.

Put the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Refreshing Key Lime Cake

After the 30-60 minutes refrigeration time, prepare the pudding mix using only 1 cup of milk, but follow the mixing/preparation directions on the side of the box.When the pudding is prepared (again, only using 1 cup of milk), fold in the thawed whipped topping, lime peel and lime juice. Key Lime Poke Cake Spread over the cake and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight, covered, but not touching the topping that you have just put on top of the cake.

Serve the cake chilled and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Refreshing Key Lime CakeUse within 3 days.

Refreshing Key Lime Cake

Recipe by Carrie Groneman, adapted from sohowsitaste.com.

Recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.

Refreshing Key Lime Cake

Chocolate Divine Dessert

November 22, 2017/6 Comments/in Desserts, Candy, Recipes /by Carrie Groneman

Divine Chocolate Dessert

Chocolate Divine Dessert

Here’s a dessert for those who love chocolate, graham crackers, cream cheese, whipped cream and anything divine!

This has been a family favorite for years and it is SO easy to put together. It begins with a bottom layer of graham cracker crust. Up next is a level of light cream cheese. A chocolate pudding tier of thick creamy goodness is crowned by whipped topping. Chocolate bar is grated and sprinkled on top to make it extra fancy if desired. Yummy scrumptiousness!

Chocolate Divine Dessert

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs. milk

8oz. container thawed whipped topping

2 small pkgs. (3.9 oz. each) of chocolate flavored pudding

3 1/2 cups cold milk

Directions:

Crush the crackers in a food processor. Chocolate Divine Dessert 2 Combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Chocolate Divine Dessert 3 Combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar.

Add in melted butter and mix well.Pour into the bottom of a 13×9” pan and press firmly. Chocolate Divine Dessert 5

Beat cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbs. milk Chocolate Divine Dessert 7

Until smooth and creamy.

Gently fold in half of the whipped topping.Carefully spread the creamed mixture Chocolate Divine Dessert 10

Using care not to tear the crust.

Using 3 1/2 cups cold milk; prepare both boxes of pudding mix as directed on the package(s).Pour the pudding over cream cheese layer. Chocolate Divine Dessert 13