Oreo Cake with Oreo Whipped Cream Frosting

Kim

I guess it’s Cake Week on the blog! I have almost always made my kids’ birthday cakes. My mom always made mine (and my siblings’…I would always choose chocolate cake with chocolate icing and my brother would want strawberry cake with chocolate icing and I would get mad. I hated strawberry cake! #itsallaboutme) Now that my girls are getting older, they like to go on Pinterest and find cakes that generally go beyond the “chocolate or vanilla – or strawberry“. I’m sure one day soon their requests will exceed my skill level, but for now, it’s pretty fun!

My oldest chose this Oreo Cake for her birthday this year. Somehow, I have a 14 year old. I’m not sure how this happened. Why does time speed up once you have children? (Unless they have a stomach virus in the middle of the night. Time slows WAY down then.)

The cake has Oreo cookies in the cake itself, Oreos in the icing, and then I added some mini Oreos on top. Both layers had Oreos baked right in, and I loved the flavor and crunch of the baked Oreos.

The only negative is that the whole Oreos made the cake a little difficult to slice. Next time I may use mini Oreos instead.

Oreo Cake with Oreo Whipped Cream Frosting

1 box chocolate cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
1 box (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding mix (I used Hershey’s)
1 cup sour cream (can also use plain yogurt)
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup coffee (room temp or slightly warm, not hot – leftover coffee is fine; can sub with water)
1 package Oreo Cookies, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, and coffee.
Add in eggs, one at a time, stirring until just combined. Scrape down sides.
Beat mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Spray two cake pans with cooking spray, and line bottom of each pan with desired number of Oreo cookies. I used 11 whole cookies in each pan, but could have squeezed in a couple more!
Pour cake batter over cookies in prepared pans.
Bake for suggested time on back of cake mix box, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

Oreo Whipped Cream Frosting

1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 Oreo Cookies (crushed with a rolling pin or pulsed in food processor until crushed in large crumbs. Do not over process.)

small “grab bag” mini Oreos (optional)

Place mixing bowl and mixer attachment in freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill.
After chilling, add cream to bowl and mix on medium speed until it starts to thicken.
Add vanilla and beat until mixture is to desired thickness and forms stiff peaks.
Fold in cookies. Keep refrigerated until ready to frost cake.

To Assemble:

Place one layer of cake on a plate. I would recommend Oreo side down on bottom layer, and up for top layer. Having the cookies in the middle made it a little more difficult to slice. Frost entire cake and keep chilled until ready to serve. If desired, add mini Oreo cookies on top for decoration.

This cake was inspired by , , Makin’ it Mo’Betta

This Oreo Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting was featured at:

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Chicken & Biscuits Casserole {Quick and Easy Meal}

Kim

This Chicken & Biscuits Casserole is another quick and easy meal to get on the table, that is approved by 2 out of 3 (of my) children. It’s pretty much the ultimate comfort food, with creamy sauce, biscuits, cheese…oh yeah, and some chicken too. Some people even get crazy and throw a vegetable in there. Which totally would not fly in my house.

This can be thrown together really quickly if you have pre-cooked or leftover chicken (or turkey), use refrigerated biscuits, and condensed cream of chicken soup. However, you could certainly use homemade biscuits, make your own cream of chicken, etc. I went with the super quick and easy version since as I mentioned in my last post…kids have practice in the evenings and dinner has to be FAST.

I used the large Pillsbury Grands biscuits, but next time I will use the smaller biscuits, just to make serving easier; or cut them in half before baking. I quartered and baked the remaining biscuits in the can because my crowd loves a biscuit, but you could buy the smaller container of biscuits. You can always do this with the leftovers too.

Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

1 can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (I used the reduced fat version)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can of biscuits (I used Pillsbury Grands Reduced Fat)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix the cream of chicken and yogurt (or sour cream) together.
Add chicken, milk and melted butter to the cream base. Stir until combined.
Pour into prepared baking dish and top with cheese.
Flatten your biscuits (only 4 of the Grands biscuits would fit) and place on top of the cheese.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until biscuits are nice and browned on top, and sauce is bubbly.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before serving (the sauce will thicken some as it sits)

Recipe adapted from:

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Crescent Roll Pizza Ring {Quick & Easy Meal or Appetizer}

Kim

The weather may not feel like Spring, but the clocks have sprung forward and Spring sports have begun. At least here in the Mo’Betta house. This means that most evenings, right at dinner time, I have to haul my kids across the county to either soccer or volleyball practice. Therefore, dinner has to be something quick and easy. This ‘recipe’ fits the bill. It’s made with crescent rolls, and you can fill it with pretty much whatever you have on hand.

My plan was to make one with ham and cheese, just to discover I had two slices of ham left. *typical* So, I went with plan B…pepperoni and cheese, which I’m sure the kids would prefer anyway. (Except for my youngest who picked out the pepperoni, but he is the pickiest kid on earth.)

Since the kids don’t all like sauce (because that would be too easy), I just made this with pepperoni and cheese, then had pizza sauce on the side for dipping. Crescent roll rings would be great for parties and game day food too. They make a cute presentation, can be cut into any size you like, and filled with pretty much anything you want. Since all you have to do is lay the pre-cut crescent roll triangles out on a pan and lay your toppings on, they come together quickly and easily too. Pretty much a win in my book!

Crescent Roll Pizza Ring

2 cans Crescent Rolls (I used Pillsbury Reduced Fat)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Italian Blend)
Pepperoni (I used turkey) – as many as desired
Italian Seasoning, garlic powder – optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a baking pan or pizza pan with non stick spray (my pizza pan has holes in it, so I put aluminum foil on it, and sprayed the foil)
Separate crescent rolls into individual triangles, placing them in a circle on the pan, with pointed ends facing out (so it looks like a sun). The inside of the circle (wide ends of triangle) should overlap.
Place fillings (pepperoni and cheese) over the overlapped/wide portions of the crescent rolls.
Take the pointed ends of rolls (outside of circle) and bring them over the toppings, securing the toppings inside. You can tuck the pointed ends under the ring or just pinch the dough together.
Sprinkle some cheese, garlic powder, and italian seasoning over the top of the ring if desired.
Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crescent rolls are done.

Recipe adapted from

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Chocolate Glazed Donuts {Baked}

Kim

In yesterday’s post I mentioned Chocolate Glazed Donuts, so I wanted to share the recipe. My son (as with most kids) LOVES donuts. However, being the mean mama that I am, and being all concerned about trans fat and such, I very rarely buy them. Luckily, my children don’t realize that baked donuts are basically muffins in a donut shape, and consider it a treat when I make them.

I’ve made many, many donuts and these are among my top three. My other favorites being these Apple Cider Donuts and these Meyer Lemon Donuts.

Chocolate Glazed Donuts

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (I like to sub 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount with xylitol)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Glaze:
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pan with nonstick spray. (If you do not have a donut pan, you can use a mini muffin pan to make donut “holes” or make traditional muffins, adjust cook time accordingly.)
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (if using). *I usually just whisk everything until no clumps remain, but my girls actually used the sifter for this recipe. Yes, I had flour and cocoa everywhere.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then add milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk until combined and smooth. Whisk in butter.
Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture (wet to dry) and mix just until combined.
Fill donut (or whichever) pan about 3/4 full and bake for 10-12 minutes (again, depending on pan being used), or until done. (Use the toothpick test if unsure).
Cool for 5 minutes in the pan,then transfer to a wire rack.
While cooling, whisk (or sift) the powdered sugar, then add the milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. (If too thin, add more sugar; too thick, add more milk.) Dip warm (not hot) donuts into the glaze (you can do one side or both) and place on wire rack to set.

Recipe Source:

Donuts = Happy Kids. Baked Donuts = Happy Mom!

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Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls {in 30 minutes!}

Kim

I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday because….it was SEVENTY-FIVE degrees outside!!!! I had full on Spring fever. Washed my car, did some grilling…and guess what the high for tomorrow is? TWENTY-FIVE. Yes, 25. A 50 degree drop in temp, and tonight, we are supposed to get an inch of sleet/rain/snow #overit. This bi-polar weather is making me crazy. So, what better way to start yet another snow day (or any day!) than with cinnamon rolls. Not fussy, waiting for things to rise cinnamon rolls – but super easy, roll and go cinnamon rolls. ‘Cuz that’s how I roll.

They look pretty good right? Other than my ‘taken in the bad morning light with my cell phone pic’ of course. You would probably never guess they started with pre-made pizza dough. Yep, pizza dough!

Is it exactly the same as homemade, baked from scratch cinnamon rolls? No, not exactly. Is it a very good compromise? In my opinion, yes. In my kids’ opinion, absolutely!

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Pre-made pizza dough (thawed, if frozen) *I used Pillsbury pizza dough in the can, from the dairy section of the grocery store (with the biscuits)

3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

Icing:
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/8-1/4 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8″ by 8″ baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir the softened butter until spreadable. (Can microwave in small increments to soften if needed)
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll the pizza dough out with a floured rolling pin into a rectangle. (approx 12 x 15 inches)
Spread a thin layer of the softened butter (about 2 tablespoons) over the surface of the dough.
Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt (if using) over the buttered dough, covering the entire surface (to the edges).
Starting on one of the 12″ (shorter) sides, tightly roll the dough to form a log. Pinch the seam if needed to keep from unrolling.
Place log seam side down, and slice into 9 even pieces (about 1 1/2 inches thick). Place into buttered dish – with 3 rows of 3 rolls. Top rolls with remaining butter.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until rolls are lightly browned and no longer wet and doughy looking. While rolls are baking, mix together icing ingredients. It’s okay if icing appears a little thick, since it will melt on warm rolls.
Remove rolls from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes. Place spoonfuls of icing on warm rolls, allowing icing to melt and cover rolls. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from my Cini-Mini Pull Apart Rolls and

So, I’m going to go drink yet another cup of coffee and complain non-stop to my friends via group text about the weather. Don’t I sound like a BFF you want to have? haha

This recipe was featured at !
Friday Frenzy

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Easy Homemade Sunflower Butter & Nut-free Muddy Buddies

Kim

If you have a child with food allergies, or have them yourself, you know it can be tough. You have to monitor everything that goes into your or your child’s mouth. Reading labels becomes second nature, as does inquiring about ingredients at potlucks, family gatherings, parties, etc. It’s a full time job.

You read food labels like others read trashy novels. | 14 Things That Prove You Are A Peanut Allergy Mom

Now that my son is older (he will be seven soon!) *Side note: I started this blog when he was TWO! I can’t believe I’ve been doing it this long! He is very good about asking people “does it have nuts?” or asking me or his teacher if he can eat something. However, also now that he’s older, he realizes that he is different and that he can not participate in everything that goes on at school or eat everything the other kids eat. When a situation like that arises, he says “I wish I wasn’t allergic, and was like everyone else.” *Cue breaking heart* No mom wants her child to feel that way.

I hadn’t planned on getting into all that, I was just going to post these recipes! I’ve had this stewing in the back of my mind since his class did an activity that involved smearing peanut butter all over a pine cone and sticking birdseed to it, and my son had to leave the room! He felt so left out, but of course, I would rather he be out of harms way, but he was so sad about it. It was a parent who came in and did it, not the teachers, and I know the other parent was just trying to do something fun with the kids, but I really wanted to punch her in the face. (Just kidding. sorta.) If I had been made aware ahead of time, I could have made this quick and easy Sunflower Butter so that everyone could participate! Making it yourself is much cheaper than buying the SunButter Brand in the store.

We used the sunflower seed butter to make traditional Muddy Buddies, just subbing out peanut butter with the sunflower butter. It worked great, and tasted like “regular” Muddy Buddies…my oldest daughter thought I made them using less peanut butter, but didn’t realize they were peanut free. The sunflower seed butter has a milder flavor than peanut, but when used in recipes, it’s hard to tell the difference.

Homemade Sunflower Butter

2-4 cups roasted sunflower seeds (recipe will yield about half this amount once processed)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (only if seeds are unsalted; add to taste. Start with a small amount, grind seeds, then add more as needed)

oil – as needed to thin to desired consistency, we used coconut oil, but you can use any you like. I didn’t add quite enough, so my butter is a little thicker than I would like. If spreading on bread, it would need to be a little thinner.

(optional) sweetener: this can be sugar, honey, agave, whatever you choose. We used about a teaspoon of honey.

Add ingredients to bowl of food processor and blend until smooth!

Nut-Free Muddy Buddies

9 cups Chex Cereal (we used a combo of Rice, Corn and Wheat Chex)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup Sunflower Butter (*see above; can also use peanut butter or any other peanut butter replacement.)

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place cereal in a large bowl
In a 1-quart microwavable bowl, heat chocolate chips, sunflower butter, and butter in microwave on High for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds more or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Add vanilla, stir to incorporate.
Pour chocolate mixture over cereal, and stir until cereal is coated.
Add 1/2 the powdered sugar to a gallon size baggie, and add to it half the cereal mixture. Shake until cereal is coated in powdered sugar. Pour contents of baggie onto a waxed line cookie sheet to completely cool. Repeat step with remaining sugar and cereal.
You can also add in sprinkles, candy, etc if desired. We made this for Valentine’s so we used some Red Velvet MM’s, leftover from these cookies!

(recipe from back of Chex Party Mix Variety Pack box)

If you like Muddy Buddies, you may also like this Brownie Biscoff version!

Any allergy moms out there? My son is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. He outgrew his egg allergy when he was four…that was a happy day!

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Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Kim

My son always asks for bananas when I am forced to go grocery shopping with my children, and it’s really hard to deny your children fruits and vegetables if they ask for them…even when I know they will not get eaten. Unless I buy one, which I never do, because lets face it – having bananas sitting around going bad is an excuse to make stuff like these muffins. Or this!

Y’all…these are good! As I’ve mentioned every time I post something with bananas, I don’t even like bananas, but these were really good. They had a good texture, they rose well, they were nice and chocolate-y, with only a hint of banana flavor (of course, I didn’t use the full amount of banana called for….I subbed in some Greek yogurt to make up the difference.) All THREE of my kids liked them, which almost NEVER happens..but admittedly happens much more frequently when chocolate is involved!

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

(Yields 12 standard muffins)

1 1/2 cups mashed banana*

1/3 cup oil (I used this )

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar*

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Raw sugar for tops (optional)

*If you do not have the full amount of banana, you can sub in applesauce, yogurt, pumpkin…pretty much any pureed fruit or mild flavored veggie to make up the difference. I used Greek yogurt.)
*The original recipe called for one cup of sugar. I reduced it since my bananas were very ripe and therefore very sweet.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed bananas (and yogurt in my case), oil, and egg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, reserving a few extra for the tops if desired. (This just makes them look pretty!)
Fill prepared muffin cups approximately 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops with raw sugar and remaining mini chocolate chips if desired.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. (Can check centers with toothpick if unsure…should come out clean, unless you hit a melty chocolate chip!)

Recipe Source:

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars {my favorite bar recipe!}

Kim

I know I post a lot of cookies. Like…a lot.of.cookies. I love cookies. Cookies are probably my dessert of choice. And I’ve already typed cookies several times and I’ve just started. Well, I’m not breakin’ out the thesaurus. My point is I’ve baked a lot of cookies, and I have my “go-to” cookie recipe, but these are cookie BARS. Meaning, they are even easier because you don’t have to measure them out, space them, stand near by to bake batch after batch. Yep…these are homemade cookies, made easier, and just as awesome. You’re welcome.

This is my favorite cookie bar recipe to date. No waiting for butter to soften, no scooping out even amounts of dough, just mix it up, slap it in a pan, and bake. Did I mention they are soft, chewy and delicious? These were made with all chocolate chips, but we made some for Thanksgiving with chocolate chips and M and M’s.

I like the ease of this recipe, and you can cut them into any size you want, so they can feed a crowd if needed. I hate to say how quickly the 4 of us can go through a batch. It’s embarrassing.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/8 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*we have made this without the additional yolk and they were just as good, in my opinion

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 11×7 inch baking pan. (Can use a smaller pan for thicker bars or a 9×13 pan for thinner bars, adjust bake time accordingly.)
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until combined.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until combined; do not overmix.
Fold in chocolate chips. (Can reserve a few for the tops if desired.)
Press the dough into prepared pan and level out with spatula (or hands). Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips on top if desired.
Bake approximately 25 minutes (depending on pan size), until the top of the bars are a light golden brown. They should still be a little glossy on top, like they are not quite fully baked so they will be nice and chewy.

Recipe Source:

So…who’s ready to make cookies?! Above is my favorite homemade cookie bar recipe (as of this posting anyway!), this is my favorite for individual cookies, and this is my favorite cookie bar using a cake mix!

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Cranberry Mousse (aka Jello Salad)

Kim

When I was growing up, my Grandma always had some type of jello salad at family gatherings. I, being the picky, stubborn, petulant child that I was, would never eat the jello salad because I do not like jello. And it often had either marshmallows or fruit cocktail in it…and I didn’t like those either. Don’t you feel sorry for my parents? Anyway, jello salad consisted of jello, obvi, and fruits, nuts, etc. If it was formed or molded into a shape…it was called a jello mold. I’m telling you all this for no apparent reason just to say that for Thanksgiving I wanted to make a jello salad. My Grandma is no longer on this earth, but she is very much a part of me and I knew my mom would like it. I found a recipe that felt familiar and I liked from Taste of Home, but they have given it a much more sophisticated name…Cranberry Mousse.

But to me, it will always be jello salad. You can call it whatever you like, but I know something else we can call it – a keeper! It was delicious! Obviously my tastes have changed a little over the years, and even though I still don’t care for jello, this salad/mold/mousse has a lot of flavors and textures going on and I really enjoyed it. I also decided to lighten it up by swapping out the sour cream with Greek yogurt. The ending result was delish. If I do say so myself. Which I do. I think my Grandma would be proud!

This plastic mold actually came from my Grandma’s house, but you could use any pan you like (it doesn’t have to be in a mold, I just think it looks pretty!) I have a Christmas tree shaped baking pan that I want to try for Christmas. Yes, I plan on making this again! I think it’s perfect for the holidays with it’s bright color and I love the multitude of textures going on…you have cranberries, crushed pineapple, crunchy nuts, then the creamy yogurt/gelatin combo. And even better…it’s easy!

Cranberry Mousse (aka Jello Salad)

1 package (6 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained (SAVE juice)
1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups (16 ounces) Greek yogurt (I used , can also use sour cream)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large heat proof bowl, pour in gelatin mix. Add boiling water and stir until jello mix has dissolved.
Add juice of drained pineapple.
Stir in can of cranberry sauce, gently breaking up the large chunks.
Add lemon juice, lemon peel and nutmeg. Stir to combine and chill until mixture begins to thicken. (Not fully set, just thick like pudding)
Remove from fridge and fold in yogurt, crushed pineapple and pecans.
Pour into desired serving bowl or a lightly sprayed mold (9-cup).
Chill until set, at least 2 hours. (I made mine the day before)
If using a mold, let mold sit at room temp for 20-30 mins., inverted onto serving plate. Gently remove from mold. It will soften as it warms, but not so soft that it loses shape.

Recipe Source: & my Grandmother

What kinds of foods are traditions at your house? Are there certain foods that always trigger memories for you?

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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Santa’s Snack Mix & ‘Twas…Before Christmas!

Kim

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of . All opinions are 100% mine.

‘Twas the days before Christmas when all through the store, the moms were all busy buying more, moRE, MORE!! When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a display full of Christmas candy that I raced to get near! Red ones, greens, big ones and small….I just knew I had to have them all, aLL, ALL!
They had dark chocolate, pretzel, and mini’s too…and when I saw M&M;’S® White Chocolate Peppermint I thought it was too good to be true!

So I grabbed them all up and raced towards the door, I had cookies to bake and egg nog to pour! I would take cookies to neighbors so they wouldn’t be sad, but just then I spotted Holiday Storage products by GLAD!
These would be perfect for the cookies I bake, making it easy and convenient for the goodies I take. I grabbed a few and checked out with a swipe of my card, got home and searched Pinterest long and hard.

Found the perfect recipe, it was out of sight! And when the cookies were all done I exclaimed “Happy Christmas to all…and to all a goodnight!”

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used 1/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark and 1/4 cup regular Hershey’s cocoa)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup White Chocolate Peppermint M&M;’s ()
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the red and green holiday ones)

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and coffee crystals together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well mixed, add vanilla.
Slowly add in flour mixture to the butter/sugar (I say slowly since I use my stand mixer and everything will be covered in a flour cloud if you pour it all in too quickly). Batter will be thick.
Fold in candy and chocolate chips.
Chill in refrigerator for 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
After dough has chilled, scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball.
Place on cookie sheet approx. 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-10 minutes. (The inside will seem slightly underdone.)
Allow to cool on wire rack and then consume several. Or package in your Holiday Glad containers and get them over to the neighbors ASAP!

Recipe Source:

Not only are the Glad Holiday Storage containers great for gifting, they also include recipes on the back! Each recipe will fit in the container it comes with. Of course, I just had to try out the Santa’s Snack Mix. The sweet and salty combo is always a favorite around here.

How yummy does that look?!

Santa’s Snack Mix from Glad

8-10 cups Popped popcorn
2-3 cups Holiday shaped pretzels
1 cup red and green Holiday sprinkles
1 package DOVE® Dark Chocolate candies *I used white chocolate drizzle
2 cups Peanuts *I omitted due to my son’s peanut allergies and used Cheerios instead
3/4 c. Corn syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Butter (1 stick)
1 package M&M;’S® Holiday Baking Mini’s and/or M&M;’S® Holiday Mint candies

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine the popcorn, pretzels, and ~~peanuts~~ Cheerios. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, melt butter, vanilla, sugar, and corn syrup over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly.

4. Pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Toss until all covered.

5. Spread the popcorn mix on a baking tray or cake pan (may want to use two pans). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Holiday sprinkles, stir. Sprinkle with M&M;’S ® candies, stir again.

6. Place DOVE® chocolates (or white chocolate) in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the popcorn. Sprinkle with remaining sprinkles. Let cool approximately 10-20 minutes (may put in refrigerator so chocolate hardens more quickly. Once cool, break into chunks.

Tip: Store in a perfectly sized GLAD® storage container for up to 7 days.

Perfect 🙂

M&M;’S® White Chocolate Peppermint and Glad Holiday Storage products are ONLY available at Target. Just another reason for me to love them so!