Cinnamon Chex Marshmallow Drops-12 Days of Easy Sweets 2014

12 DAYS OF EASY SWEETS 2014

When I first saw Cinnamon Chex at the supermarket, I just knew that they would make a great ingredient in a cookie so I purchased a box.

Now I love to make no-bake cookies.  They are usually very quick and easy so I can get a sweet into my mouth in the shortest possible time if I am having a craving.  I decided to use the Chex instead of graham crackers in a favorite recipe.  This is a cross between a cookie and a candy and is for all the cinnamon lovers out there. but watch out, these are quite addictive. If you don't eat them all, they are a great gift.

Cinnamon Chex Marshmallow Drops
3/4 cup butter or margarine (I always use butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 cups crushed Cinnamon Chex cereal (about 3 3/4 c. uncrushed), crush to consistency of crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine butter, sugar, and eggs in a medium saucepan. Cook to a rolling boil, stirring constantly remove from heat and allow mixture to cool 15 to 20 minutes. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, crushed Cinnamon Chex cereal, coconut, marshmallows, and nuts, if using. Stir until  well  blended.  Using two teaspoons, quickly drop by heaping teaspoonsful onto waxed paper or foil. Let stand until set, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Makes about 45.

Cinnamon Apple Cider Squares-Improv Challenge

Hubby has been bringing home lots of free apples lately, so this month’s Improv Challenge ingredients of apples and cinnamon were very timely for me.  For awhile now I have been wanting to try a recipe using dry Spiced Cider Mix.  This seemed like a good time to do that.

I decided to add an envelope of Spiced Cider Mix and finely chopped apple to a favorite butterscotch brownie recipe from my old Betty Crocker Cookie Book.  The result was both a failure and a success.  The resulting “brownies” were a bit too soft to serve as a cookie, but they were wonderful and delicious cut in bigger squares and served as a dessert.  I have made these several times now, and hubby always looks forward to them.

I also like the fact that this recipe can be be made with melted butter, margarine, shortening or vegetable oil, whatever you are comfortable using in your cooking.  I have used melted butter and vegetable oil.

Cinnamon Apple Cider Squares
adapted from Betty Crocker Cookie Book
1/2 c. butter, margarine, shortening, melted or vegetable oil
2 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 .74 oz. envelope Spiced Apple Cider Mix
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 chopped apple, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine melted butter, margarine, shortening or vegetable oil with sugar and beat well.  Stir in eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Combine flour, cider mix, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Add to fat/sugar/egg mixture and stir until well blended.  Mixture will be stiff.  Stir in apple and nuts, if using.  Spread in a greased 9x13-in. baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Cut into squares while still slightly warm.  Serve topped with ice cream and caramel sauce, if desired.  Makes 12 servings.

Improv Challenge is a monthly linkup of recipes with a given set of ingredients and is hosted by Lesa from Edesia's Notebook.  December's challenge is red and green and posting is the third Thursday of the month.  If you would like to join in the fun, you will find all the info on Lesa's Improv page.

An InLinkz Link-up

Snickerdoodle Blondies-Secret Recipe Club

Being the cookie lover that I am, how could I not love a blog called Secrets from the Cookie Princess, my assignment for August's Secret Recipe Club.  Colleen started her blog in 2010 when she baked 163 dozen (163 dozen, yes that is correct) cookies for Christmas gifts.  I often make cookies for Christmas gifts, but I have never baked 163 dozen.  When I started my blog, I was making 18 dozen cookies for a church fundraiser, and my first few blog posts were cookie recipes so Colleen and I have that in common.  Colleen's posts have very helpful step-by-step photos.

Although Colleen has branched out some and posted other delicious sounding recipes like her Crockpot Pork Tenderloin (Which I made for dinner today by the way.  It was moist and wonderful and a great dinner to make on a hot day.), Mom’s Picnic Potato Salad, Enchilada Casserole and Mexican Rice, her emphasis is on cookies and other baked goods.  That really pleases me, and I have added many new recipes to my ""must make" list.  The great sounding cookie recipes are just too numerous to mention by name, but besides the recipes I am posting today, I have also made the Avalanche Bars.  Delicious.  I must also soon make the Glazed Donut Muffins.

It has been very hot here, and I really wanted to bake, so I wanted to make a recipe that was quick, easy and didn’t need a lot of time in the oven.  I love Snickerdoodles so decided that the Snickerdoodle Blondie recipe filled the bill.

The only change I made was that I used the microwave and my large two-quart glass measuring bowl to melt the butter and mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.  This does make a very thick dough that is best mixed with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.  I turned the dough into a foil-lined baking pan and spread and patted it out with my clean hands.  I cut my bars smaller, and got 40 bars from the pan.  I transferred the bars to a zip-top plastic bag when they were cooled to keep them soft.

The brown sugar/cinnamon flavor really came through and the bars were soft, chewy and wonderful.  I am sure I ate too many.  If you like cinnamon, be sure to make these.  Colleen, thanks for a great recipe.

If you like cookies or bake for someone who does, be sure to visit Secrets from the Cookie Princess.

Snickerdoodle Blondies
from Secrets from the Cookie Princess
2 2/3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter
2 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. white sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and mix well.  Place butter in a large microwaveable bowl, cover and melt for 3 minutes at 50 percent power.  Stir to finish melting the butter, if necessary.  Add brown sugar to butter and beat well.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well blended.  The mixture will be very thick.  Transfer to a foil-lined 9x13-in. baking pan and spread and pat out to fill the pan with clean hands.  Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.  Sprinkle evenly over the top of the dough.  Bake at 350 for 23-28 minutes.  Allow to cool until just warm.  Cut into bars.  Makes 24 to 40 bars depending on the size you cut.  Cool completely and transfer to a zip-top bag or other sealed container for storage.

If you would like to join in the fun, you can find all the necessary information on the Join SRC Page.

An InLinkz Link-up

Apple Pie No Churn Ice Cream-Dessert Challenge

 

When I learned that the two ingredients for this month’s Dessert Challenge, hosted by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain, were apples and cinnamon, I knew that I wanted to try an idea that had been rolling around in my head for quite some time.  I had been wondering if I could create the taste of apple pie in the Easy No-Machine Ice Cream. Since a mixer is used to make the ice cream, I have decided that No Churn Ice Cream is a better name for this ice cream recipe.

I combined the ice cream recipe ingredients, pie crust pieces and a cooked apple pie filling to make the ice cream.  I served the ice cream on wedges of cinnamon-sugar pie crust and topped it with Butterscotch Sauce.  Cinnamon Cream Sauce would be another good topping for this dessert.

My hubby enjoyed this very much.  Of course, he had to say, “Wouldn’t it have been easier just to make an apple pie and top it with ice cream?”  Sometimes, men just don’t understand cooks creative urges.

I used refrigerated pie crust to make this as I was concerned that my homemade pie crust would not hold up mixed in with the ice cream ingredients.

Use a can of purchased sweetened condensed milk or make it yourself.  The le leche sweetened condensed milk sold in Hispanic grocery stores is usually less expensive than the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

The only bad thing about this ice cream is that it is not as stable as most ice creams, so should be dished up just before serving.  It is, therefore, difficult to get a really nice photo of this dessert even though it was very good.

Apple Pie No Churn Ice Cream
1 pkg. refrigerated pie crusts
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 pt. whipping cream
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 T. vanilla
4 apples, thinly sliced and slices cut into thirds (about 4 c.)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t .cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 T. white sugar
2 T. corn starch

Remove pie crusts from package and spread out on two foil-lined baking sheets.  Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle and spread over the pie crusts.  Cut one pie crust into 8 wedges.  Cut second pie crust in half and cut one of the halves into 4 wedges.  Cut second half into 1-inch strips.  Cut each strip into little wedge shapes.  Bake according to package directions until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Place whipping cream in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes on high speed.  Fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until well blended.  Gently stir the mini pie crust wedges.  Turn mixture into a 9x13-inch container, preferably with a cover.  If no cover is available, use plastic wrap.  Cover and  place in the freezer for about 2 hours.  Meanwhile combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Cook over medium-low heat until apples are very tender, 10-15 minutes, stirring often.  Combine the white sugar and the corn starch.  Stir into the apple mixture and mix well.  Bring to a boil and simmer until very thick, about 5 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Spoon apple mixture over the ice cream and stir until apple mixture is swirled through the ice cream mixture.  Return to freezer and freeze until very firm, preferably overnight.  To serve place a cinnamon/sugar pie crust wedge on a dessert plate and top with a square of ice cream.  Top with a sauce if desired.  Makes 12 generous servings.

Next month's ingredients are pumpkin and cream cheese.  If you would like to join in the fun of the Dessert Challenge, just check out Sheryl's Dessert Challenge page.

To see what other bloggers have made with apples and cinnamon, check out the links below.
Friday, Sept. 12, 2013.  A note of explanation.  The linkup time for this party is limited.  We I turned on my laptop yesterday, to do the linkup, my wonderful computer decided it was time to update itself, which it did for that whole time I had available to do the linkup.  I had to leave home at 7 a.m. to have extensive dental work done which required the entire day.  Therefore, my recipe is not part of the linkup below.  Be sure to go check out some of the other blogger's recipes.

Linking also to these great parties:
Full Plate Thursday
Freaking Awesome Friday
Saturday Dishes-Apples
Weekend Bloggy Reading 
Get Him Fed
Weekend Potluck
Saturday Spotlight
Strut Your Stuff
I'm Lovin' It
Link Party Palooza
Party Junk
Saturday Sharefest

Apple Cinnamon Zucchini Bars

I am still getting lots of zucchini from my daughter so there will be at least a few more zucchini recipes posted here.  Truth be told, hubby does not like zucchini except in sweets so that is what I use the zucchini in most often.

For some time now I have been wanting to use Smucker's Apple Cinnamon Topping in a cookie recipe.  I had been giving it a lot of thought and sort of knew what I wanted to do.  At the last minute, I decided that I would add some grated zucchini to the recipe.  Using grated zucchini is a wonderful way to hide it.  With the apple and the cinnamon, I am not sure you can not even taste the zucchini in these.

I am going to try this recipe using pineapple ice cream topping and zucchini next.

Apple Cinnamon Zucchini Bars
2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 c. butter
1/2 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. quick oats
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1 jar (12 oz.) Smuckers Apple Cinnamon Topping
1 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1/4 c. flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.  Stir to combine.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Pat 3 c. of mixture evenly into the bottom of a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, let cool 5 to 10 minutes.  Meanwhile add cinnamon, quick oats and nuts to the remaining flour mixture.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl combine apple cinnamon  topping, the grated zucchini and the flour.  Mix well.  Spread mixture over the slightly cooled, baked crust.  Sprinkle flour/oats/nut mixture evenly over the apple/zucchini filling.  Pat down gently with your hand.  Place in oven and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Place on wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into bars.  Makes about 36

Linking to these great parties:
Create and Share Party
Cast Party Wednesday
Show and Share Wednesday
What's Cookin' Wednesday
What's in Your Kitchen Wednesday
Whimsy Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap Crafts
Wow Me Wednesday at Polkadots on Parade

Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bars-Saturday Sweet

I may have mentioned in an earlier post, that last fall one of my daughters and her family moved from 50 miles away to just 5 or 6 miles down the highway from us.  She put in a garden and is sharing her bounty with us.  She planted zucchini so you all know what that means.  I am sure that there will be a number of zucchini recipes here on the blog in the next few weeks.

I thought that I would start off with a recipe for a sweet, Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bars.  Unlike most recipes, this one calls for chopped and not shredded zucchini.  If you want it totally hidden, it can be peeled.  I never bother with peeling it myself.  Although I use buttermilk, this is one instance where the 1/2 t. lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 c. milk works fine.  I top the bars with a simple chocolate glaze.

This an adaptation of a recipe from The Zucchini Cookbook by Paula Simmons, 1974.  This is a cookbook that belonged to my mother.

Spiced Chocolate Zucchini Bars
adapted from The Zucchini Cookbook by Paula Simmons, 1974
1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. unsifted flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
2 c. finely diced zucchini
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 T. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
1-2 T. hot water

Cream butter, vegetable oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well blended.  Beat in egg, vanilla and buttermilk.  In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Add to sugar mixture and stir until well blended.  Stir in diced zucchini.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.  When cool, combine butter, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in enough hot water to make a glaze consistency.  Spread evenly over the top of cooled bars.  Let glaze set up, then cut into bars.  Makes about 36 bars

 Do you have a favorite sweet recipe that uses zucchini as an ingredient?

Linking up to these great parties:
Weekend Potluck
Share Your Creativity
Weekend Bloggy Reading
Saturday Spotlight
Strut Your Stuff
I'm Lovin' It
Sugar and Slice Sunday 
What'd You Do This Weekend

Strawberry Cream Cheese Swirl Bread-Saturday Sweet

Today’s Saturday Sweet is Strawberry Cream Cheese Swirl Bread.  This is a moist, pinkish bread with swirls of white cream cheese marbled through it.  The recipe makes a large loaf, and it is nice to serve at bridal and baby showers.  It can be made ahead and kept  tightly wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.  The bread can be frozen and will keep several months if well wrapped.  Since either fresh or individually frozen strawberries can be used in this recipe, I prefer to make the bread up fresh.

I did not include it in the photo, but I like to serve this with Strawberry Spread:  1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened and mixed with 1/4 c. strawberry jam.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Swirl Bread
1 egg
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (low-fat is OK)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 c. water
1 1/2 c. fresh or individually frozen strawberries, mashed by hand or processed in a food chopper
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg well.  Add cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon.  Beat until smooth with an electric hand mixer or a wire whisk.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda and salt.  In a second bowl combine melted butter, egg and water.  Beat well.  Add mashed strawberries.  Mix well.  Mix strawberry mixture into dry ingredients stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in walnuts.  The batter will be thick.  Grease and flour a 5x9-inch loaf pan.  Spoon half of batter into the pan.  Pour cream cheese mixture over batter in the pan, smoothing out evenly.  Spoon remaining batter over cream cheese layer, covering it as much as possible.  Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely before slicing, at least 2 hours.  Cut into slices with a thin sharp knife.  Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.  Makes 1 loaf, about 16 slices.

Linking to these great parties:
Weekend Potluck
Weekend Bloggy Reading
Strut Your Stuff
Share Your Creativity
Party Junk
I'm Lovin' It
Saturday Spotlight 
Sunday Funday 
Pin It Monday

Cinnamon Almond Squares-Improv Challenge

The ingredients for the May Improv Challenge, hosted by Kristen over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, is cinnamon and sugar.

This is a pretty common combination so it wasn’t difficult for me to chose a recipe to share today.  Of course, it is a cookie.  Of course, it is a bar cookie.  Of course, it comes from one of my favorite cookie books, my old reliable “Homemade Cookies” from Farm Journal.

This is a shortbread type cookie that takes only six ingredients and is very quick and easy to put together.  The dough is most easily made with an electric mixer as there is only an egg yolk binding all the ingredients together.  To facilitate it blending in, it is best to remove the egg from the refrigerator, separate the yolk and the white and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

The cookies can be easily varied by using different spice and nut combinations.  My favorite spice is actually 5-Spice, but nutmeg, cardamom or ginger are all good.   Use any nut that you like or have on hand.

Walnut Cinnamon Squares
adapted from “Homemade Cookies” by Farm Journal

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
1 egg, separated
1 c. toasted slivered almonds

Place flour, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until mixture is well blended and crumbly.  Add egg yolk and mix until mixture is well blended and sticks together.  Turn mixture into the center of a lightly greased 10x15-inch jelly roll pan.  Pat dough out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.  Beat egg white until it is foamy.  Using a pastry brush, spread egg white over the top of the dough.  Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top.  Press them in lightly with the palm of your hand.  Bake at 275 degrees 1 hour.  While still hot, cut in 1 1/2-inch squares.  Cool in pan on rack.  Makes about 4 doz.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have made with cinnamon and sugar.

Sharing at these great parties:
Full Plate Thursday
Fantastic Thursday

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats-Glazed Cinnamon Toffee Bars

Wow, another year has passed, and here it is time for another 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic.

It is so handy to have cookies and other goodies stocked away in the freezer at holiday time.  It is also nice to have a cookie mix on hand.  This year I thought that I would do something a little different.

I have a wonderful recipe for a homemade cookie mix from which over 20 different cookies can be made.  Today I am sharing the basic recipe and one of the cookies.  Each week I will share another cookie which can be made with the mix.

The original recipe called for shortening, but I usually use butter instead.  If using butter, the mix must be stored in the refrigerator.  It will tend to lump up a bit so will need to be stirred well before measuring.

The recipe for the Glazed Cinnamon Toffee Bars calls for an unusual ingredient, cottage cheese.  You may put it through a food processor or blender if you want to hide it.  You could also use sour cream or yogurt if desired.  The bars have a texture somewhat like a light brownie.

Holiday Cookie Mix
8 c. flour
2 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
3 c. shortening or butter

In a very large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Mix until thoroughly blended.  Cut in shortening or butter until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.  Transfer to zip top bag or bags or a tightly covered container.  Store in the refrigerator if using butter.  Makes about 16 cups mix.

Glazed Cinnamon Toffee Bars
3 c. Holiday Cookie Mix
1 c. quick oats
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. cottage cheese
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. cinnamon chips
1/2 c. toffee chips
1/2 c. chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans
1 T. melted butter
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 T. or more milk

In a large bowl combine cookie mix, quick oats and cinnamon.  Mix well.   Combine  cottage cheese, eggs and vanilla.  Add to dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Stir in cinnamon chips, toffee chips and walnuts or pecans.  Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes.  Place on a rack and let cool.  Combine melted butter, powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Add milk until of a glaze consistency.  Brush over the top of the bars.  Let cool and cut into bars.  Makes about 36 bars.  Store in a zip top bag.

There is still time to join us in this fun link-up.  Just click here to find the details.  For lots of great recipes just check out the links below.