Butter Pecan Cake Mix Truffles-12 Days of Christmas Treats

Recently I was visiting over at Averie Cooks and ran across  a recipe for No-Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Truffles.  This recipe took only 5 ingredients and sounded delicious.  It made me think of the fact that I love the Butter Pecan flavor of cake mix.  I have not been able to find that flavor for awhile, but last time cake mixes were on sale at Safeway, there it was on the bottom shelf.  I purchased my sale limit of 3 boxes that day.  I wondered if I could adapt the recipe using Butter Pecan cake mix.  I also thought that ground pecans added might be a good idea.

You may have to play with the dough a little bit, adding more milk or cake mix to get it just right.  The mixture should be like stiff cookie dough.  I chose Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers to dip the dough ball in, but white chocolate chips would be OK to use, too. I would add 1 1/2 T. shortening or coconut oil to the white chocolate chips.  It will take a little guessing as to the correct amount of dipping mixture to make.  I used 1 1/2 c. of the Melting Wafers.  Out of curiosity, I measured my package of cake mix, and it contained about 3 cups, enough for 3 batches of truffles.

Averie says these will keep a very long time in the refrigerator or freezer.  I doubt that that would be the case at our house.

Thanks, Averie for a great recipe idea.

Butter Pecan Cake Mix Truffles
adapted from Averie Cooks

1/3 c. pecans, preferably toasted
1 c. dry Butter Pecan Cake Mix
1/4 c. plus 1 T. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 T. agave nectar (optional)  use another T. of milk if you don’t have this
1 1/2 c. white melting wafers or white chocolate chips
1 1/2 T. shortening or coconut oil if using the chips

Place pecans in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Add cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and agave.  Mix until very well blended.  Add more cake mix or milk, if necessary, to get the mixture to a moldable dough.  Refrigerate or freeze the dough at least 15 minutes.  Remove dough from refrigerator and shape into 1-inch balls.  You will have about 20 or so.  Refrigerate or freeze balls at least 15 minutes.  When ready, melt wafers or chips according to package directions.  Remove dough balls from refrigerator and dip into the white chocolate coating.  Place on parchment or waxed paper to firm up..  Makes about 20.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator or freezer.

Linking to Weekend Potluck

White Christmas Frosting Fudge-Improv Challenge

Our leader. Lesa, who blogs over at Edesia’s Notebook picked red and green for this month’s Improv Challenge.  I thought of lots of ideas to combine red and green foods for the challenge, even considering doing something with broccoli and red pepper, which would have been nice and healthy.

In the end, something sweet won out.  There is the matter of my constant sweet tooth, and it is Christmas time, after all.  Since it is Christmas time, I knew the sweet had to be quick and easy, so I decided to make a red and green version of a frosting fudge recipe that first came from Pillsbury, adding chopped candied red cherries and pistachios to the white fudge.  With only 5 ingredients and around 20 minutes of actual work time, this is the perfect candy to make during the busy holiday season.

I colored the pistachios with a little green food coloring to make the candy a bit more festive.

White Christmas Frosting Fudge
1 (11-oz.) pkg. white baking chips
1 (15-oz.) can white frosting
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. candied cherries which have been cut into eighths
1/2 c. chopped pistachio nuts
few drops of green food coloring, if desired

If using food coloring on nuts, add, mix and spread nuts out on a piece of waxed paper to dry while you prepare the rest of the candy.  Line a 8 or 9-inch square pan with a piece of foil big enough so that the extended ends will fold back over the top of the pan to cover.  Place white baking chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50% power for one minute.  Stir.  Continue to microwave at 50% power for 20-30 seconds, stirring each time.  Stir chips until they are completely smooth.  Add white frosting and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Stir in cherries and nuts.  Scoop into prepared pan.  Refrigerate about 1 hour to set.  I like to store this candy in the fridge, tightly wrapped and uncut, cutting it as I need it and let the candy set 30 minutes or so to firm up.  Makes 64 1-inch pieces.

If you would like to join the Improv Challenge for 2015, you can find all the info on Lesa's Improv Page

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Frosting Fudge with Almonds-12 Days of Easy Sweets

12 Days of Easy Sweets

A number of years ago, I ran across a recipe for fudge that was made with canned frosting and candy chips.  The original recipe called for chocolate frosting and semisweet chocolate chips, but I later ran across recipes that called for other flavors of frosting and chips.  It is nice to be able to make candy from ingredients that you can keep on hand in the pantry.
 
This is a very simple and easy recipe, and it allows you to make fudge from unusual flavors like strawberry and pink lemonade.  The pretty pink color makes a nice addition to a Christmas candy plate.
.
I prefer to keep the candy well wrapped and uncut in the refrigerator until a couple of hours before I plan to serve it.  I then cut the candy and let the pieces set out to firm up a bit.

Strawberry Frosting Fudge with Almonds
bag (12 oz) white vanilla baking chips
1 can (16 oz.) Strawberry Flavor Frosting
1 t. vanilla
dash salt
1/2 c. toasted slivered almonds

Line a 8 or 9-inch square pan with a piece of foil that is big enough to bring the excess ends back to overlap the center of the pan.  In a microwave-safe bowl, melt baking chips for 1 minute at 50 per cent power.  Remove from microwave and stir.  Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 to 20 second intervals until you can stir the chips smooth.  This takes a little bit of effort when stirring.  Add the frosting mix, vanilla and salt.  Mix until well blended.  Stir in the almonds.  Turn into prepared pan. Fold the excess foil ends back over candy.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let candy set up.  Store, well wrapped, in the refrigerator, cutting into squares as you are ready to serve.  These are very rich so I cut them small, into about 1-inch squares.

Marshmallow Bars-12 Weeks of Christmas Treats

I seemed to have let the end of September creep up on me so I am a few days late in posting my first recipe for this years 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic.

This recipe has become a “go-to” recipe for me since I first made it earlier this year.  I saved this to my computer way back in 2000, and it was posted by a Phyllis A. on some email list I subscribed to at that time.  Sometimes you find a recipe that you can use as a base for making several different variations.  This is one of those.  This is also a bar cookie and the butter is melted so that means it is quick and easy.

One note.  Don’t let the name mislead you.  The marshmallows almost completely melt in this cookie, and it will be difficult to tell they were even there.  They add a nice softness to the cookie.

The original recipe called for melted butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and nuts.  I have made these with melted white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips (both semi-sweet and milk chocolate) and cinnamon chips.  I vary the other chips and nuts according to what melted chips I am using.  I have used almonds with the white chocolate chips, peanuts with the peanut butter chips, pecans or walnuts with the chocolate chips, and pecans or cashews with the cinnamon chips.  I have also made these without the nuts.

When I use chips where the package is not quite 12-oz., I use a scant 1 c. of chips for melting. There doesn’t seem to be a difference in the finished recipe
.
If you need a quick and easy recipe for a holiday cookie tray, give these a try.

Marshmallow Bars
scant 1 c. or 1 c. butterscotch, white chocolate, chocolate, or cinnamon chips
1/2 c. butter or margarine (I use butter)
2 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed (I use white sugar with white chocolate chips)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 pkg. (11 to 12 oz.) chips of your choice
1/2 c. chopped nuts, preferably toasted

In a microwave safe bowl combine the scant 1 c. or 1 c. selected chips and butter.  Cover and heat in microwave 1 to 2 minutes at 50% power.  Stir.  If not completely melted, heat for another minute at 50% power.  You may also combine the chips and butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add chip/butter mixture and mix to combine.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well and add to wet ingredients.  Stir until well blended.  Stir in marshmallows, chips and nuts.  The mixture will be thick.  Spread into a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minute or until bars test done with a toothpick.  Cool and cut into bars.  Makes about 36.  Store in a zip top bag.

Visit Brenda's post here to find the info about joining in this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.

Bunny Trail Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Frosting-Dessert Challenge

Sorry that I have been MIA so much lately.  I hope to be back here more often soon.  The ingredients that Sheryl from Lady Behind the Curtain chose for this month’s dessert challenge were Peeps and white chocolate.  She also said that marshmallows or marshmallow creme could be used.

When I think of Peeps, all that usually comes to mind is the little, yellow chicks.  However, recently I was in Michael’s, of all places, to purchase an Ott light bulb and saw these bunnies.  When I saw them, a whole plan came to mind, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  A Bunny Trail Cake.  It seemed only natural that the cake be carrot, and the white chocolate could go in the frosting.  Off I went to find recipes for inspiration.

Turning to my trusty recipe file on my computer, I found three recipes for carrot cake made with baby food carrots.  Since I am basically lazy and do not like the bother and mess that comes with shredding carrots, I thought baby food carrots was a good idea.  Then I got to the grocery store and saw that baby food carrots were around $1 a jar, and I needed two jars.  Well, I am also cheap, and decided I would figure out how to use either cooked or canned carrots instead of the baby food.

The original recipes I found on my computer called for 2 cups sugar, which I felt was a lot so I reduced the sugar to 1 cup.  I thought this was fine considering the amount of sugar in the frosting.  I am putting a range from 1 to 2 cups in the recipe.  If serving the cake with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar, you might want to increase the amount of sugar in the cake.

I adapted a White Chocolate Frosting recipe from Food.com.  It called for 6 oz. of white chocolate bar, melted and cooled.  I chose to use half a package of Ghirardelli Classic White Chips.  Don’t use Nestle’ brand.  These do not melt well.  My butter was very soft so I did not need to add any cream or half and half.  I frosted the photographed cake pretty heavily so barely had enough frosting to cover the second half of the original cake.  I would recommend that another half cup of powdered sugar be added and liquid as necessary.  That should make enough frosting to frost both cake halves.

A cake decorator I am most definitely not, but I did color some coconut with green food color to use as grass and added some mini candy eggs for garnish.  I used toothpicks to anchor the bunny Peeps to the cake.  If anyone wonders why I did not use the green coconut on the ends of the cake, it is because these bunnies are coming from somewhere and going to somewhere.  I ran into one unexpected situation when I opened the package of Peeps.  They were attached to each other and so there were little uncovered spots of marshmallow left showing when I took the Peeps apart.

Although I did not include them in the cake I made, I have listed pineapple, coconut and chopped nuts in the recipe as optional.  They were included in the original recipes, and I think one or all would be great in this cake.

Bunny Trail Carrot Cake
1 c sliced cooked or canned carrots
3 T. water or liquid from canned carrots
1 c. vegetable oil
1-2 c. sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 T. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, very well drained (opt.)
1/2 c. flaked coconut (opt.)
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (opt.)
1 c. flaked coconut (double this if making both halves.)
green food color
1 pkg.  bunny Peeps (12)
mini candy Easter eggs of your choice
White Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

Place carrots and water or liquid in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Place in the bowl for an electric mixer.  Add sugar, vegetable oil and beat until blended.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix to combine.  Add to carrot mixture and mix until smooth.  Pour batter into a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cake cool.  Meanwhile make the frosting.  Add green food color to the coconut and mix well. set  Set aside.  Cut cake in half, making two 4 1/2x13-inch halves.  Frost half of cake.  Sprinkle the coconut around the bottom of the cake and along the two long top edges.  Insert one end of a toothpick into a bunny Peep.  Insert the other end of the toothpick into the center of one end of the cake.  Repeat to make a line of bunny Peeps along the center of the cake.  You will need six or seven.  Use six if you want one package of Peeps to make two cakes.  Randomly place mini candy Easter eggs among the coconut grass.  Proudly share and slice between bunnies to serve.  Makes 6 to 7 servings.  You may either make another Bunny Trail cake with the second half of the original cake or freeze it to use later.

White Chocolate Frosting (adapted from Food.com)
half an 11 oz. pkg. (scant 1 cup) white chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 c. butter, very soft
1 t. vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1-3  T. heavy cream or half-and-half, if necessary

Melt white chocolate chips according to directions on the package, beating until smooth.  Add butter and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer or wire whisk until smooth.  Stir in sifted powdered sugar.  Add cream or half-and-half if necessary, beating until well blended.

Next month's ingredients are strawberries and cream cheese.  Come join in the fun next month.  Just visit Sheryl's Dessert Challenge page to find out how.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers did with this month's ingredients.

Fish in Chips Cookie Cakes-Improv Challenge

The two ingredients for the June Improve Challenge, hosted by Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker are fish and chips.

Since my hubby does not eat fish, I was planning to skip this one; then Kristen sent out an email that said to be creative, and things like Swedish Fish or fish crackers and candy chips could be used.  Since I love sweets, that changed my mind; and I thought that I would have some fun.

I decided to see what I could do with Swedish Fish and some cookie dough.  I purchased two boxes of Swedish Fish at the Dollar Store so I had 28 of them.  I used the Toll House Bar Cookie recipe from Nestles as my base recipe and used 1/2 c. each of chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch and white chocolate chips.

I baked the cookie cakes in my silicone cupcake cups.  The cakes needed to bake about 20 minutes.  I baked them 10 minutes, inserted the Swedish Fish, and baked them 10 minutes more.  I think baking the cakes 15 minutes before inserting the fish might have been better.  Because of the length of the fish it was necessary to insert them diagonally.  I liked the look of that, but the fish could have been trimmed down so that they would be more vertical and centered in the cookie cake.  These do not have the consistency of cupcakes.  They are much more like a thick, chewy cookie.

I added a simple green tinted powdered sugar glaze to give the illusion of (what I hoped) was fish jumping out of water.  These might be fun to serve at a party that has a fishing or outdoor theme.

Fish in Chips Cookie Cake
24 to 28 Swedish Fish candies
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. each chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, white chocolate chips (or all one kind)
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
2-3 T. milk
blue and yellow food coloring

In a large mixing bowl combine butter, sugars and mix well.  Stir in eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.  Stir into creamed mixture until well blended.  Stir in chips.  The dough will be somewhat stiff.  Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough into silicone cupcake cups or paper-lined muffin tins.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Insert a Swedish Fish diagonally into each cake.  Return to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.  Do not over bake.  There will be liquid bubbling inside the fish, do not touch them.  Allow cakes to cool completely.  Remove silicone cups or paper liners.  Mix together the powdered sugar and milk to a glaze consistency.  Add a drop or two of blue and yellow food coloring to make glaze green.  Brush glaze around the fish and over the top of the cakes.  Let glaze set.  Makes about 24 to 28 cakes

The ingredients for July's Challenge are peaches and herbs.  You will find all the information for joining in the challenge on Kristen's Improve Challenge page.   You may join at any time.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have created with fish and chips.  There might even be some "real fish" in some of the recipes.

Linking to these great parties:
Full Plate Thursday
Fantastic Thursday
Thursday's Treasures 
Your Creative Time Out 
Showcase Your Talent Thursday
Catch a Glimpse Thursday 
Tasty Thursday