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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles are made with fresh strawberries, plain Greek yogurt, honey and granola for the perfect summer breakfast or healthy treat on a hot day. 

Weather has been crazy this spring and Cincinnati has had one of the wettest years EVER so far so outside play and hot sunny days has been pretty minimal. I know those hot muggy days are coming though and these popsicles will be perfect! Honestly- the kids don’t even care what the weather is like though, they love these things. 

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles starts with a tangy Greek yogurt. Sweet strawberries and a touch of honey are added for great flavor. The tops have granola added for a play off a morning yogurt parfait but honestly, granola is optional. 



 Tips & Tricks

Yogurt

Not everyone is a fan of Greek yogurt. If you are one of those people, you can substitute for a yogurt you do like.  Mixing in some honey into the plain Greek yogurt is sometimes a good way to sweeten it to your liking. Greek yogurt does have a great texture is a bit thicker than other yogurts so keep that in mind when picking a yogurt.

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Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles are made with fresh strawberries, plain Greek yogurt, honey and granola for the perfect summer breakfast or healthy treat on a hot day. 

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword popsicle
Prep Time 7 minutes
Freeze Time 3 hours
Servings 10 popsicles
Author Amber

Equipment

  • Popsicle Mold
  • Food Processor

Ingredients

Strawberry Layer

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and halved
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain
  • honey

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

  • Greek yogurt plain
  • 5 fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
  • granola

Instructions

  • Wash and hull the strawberries. Slice 5 strawberries and cut another 2 cups worth into halves.

Strawberry Layer

  • Place the halved strawberries into food processor with 1/2 cup yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Blend until smooth.

Breakfast Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

  • Place a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt into the bottom of each popsicle mold.
  • Add 3 strawberry slices into each.
  • Fill each mold with the strawberry Layer mix.
  • Top each mold with another spoonful of plain Greek Yogurt and some granola.
  • Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

Sweet and Salty Cookies

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Sweet and Salty Cookies are made with dark chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, mini pretzels, sea salt and basic baking ingredients for a delicious combination of sweet and salty. 

Cookies are made A LOT in my house. There is just something so comforting about a warm cookie from the oven with the melty chocolate chips and gooey insides. Plus, baking cookies is just a fun activity to do with the kids while they learn about measuring and real life chemistry with how ingredients interact with each other. 


 

Sweet and Salty Cookies

Sweet and Salty Cookies taste just how you would think they would. You have nice big chunks of sweet chocolate, the caramel-like soft butterscotch surprise, salty pretzels that also give extra texture and a sprinkle of sea salt to finish. 

Tips & Tricks

Softened Butter

Give the butter time to soften before making a cookie batter. This will help it incorporate with the sugars just right and give the perfect consistency. 

Let it Chill

Put the prepared cookie batter into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking cookies. This helps solidify the fat in the cookies which helps keep the cookies from spreading out too much while baking. 

Baking Powder and Water

The combination of baking powder and water causes a chemical reaction. You can see the reaction with the bubbles that form and that combination is immediately put into the cookie batter where it inflates the cookies. 

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Sweet and Salty Cookies

Sweet and Salty Cookies are made with dark chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, mini pretzels, sea salt and basic baking ingredients for a delicious combination of sweet and salty. 

Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon hot water
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chunks can substitute chocolate chips
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup mini pretzels chopped
  • whole mini pretzels one per cookie
  • sea salt

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until creamy and smooth.
  • Add the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat again.
  • Add kosher salt.
  • Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to batter. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat while slowly adding in the flour.
  • Chop 1/2 cup pretzels and stir into batter along with butterscotch and chocolate chunks.
  • Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Use a cookie scoop to place batter onto baking sheet giving space between each cookie. Add a whole pretzel on top of each cookie and a sprinkle of sea salt.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  • Place on a cooling rack.

Root Beer Float Popsicles

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AWMemories

Root Beer Float Popsicles are made with A&W® Root Beer and vanilla ice cream packed into popsicle molds and frozen for a delicious treat made with only two ingredients.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest was amazing and full of adventure. I remember riding my bike down big hills, finding frogs in the creek, going blackberry picking at my grandparents, road trips with the family, baking strawberry pies, hiking the mountains one day while dipping my toes in the ocean the next and enjoying an old fashioned root beer float on a hot day made with vanilla ice cream and A&W Root Beer.

The beach may be far from where I am raising my own children here in the Midwest but the memories are just as fantastic.  Running through the sprinkler, spending long days at the amusement park, exploring every corner of the city and just like my own childhood, enjoying some A&W Root Beer. My root beer got fun twist today with these Root Beer Float Popsicles. Easy to make, creamy and refreshing on a hot day!

Walmart

My one stop shop for summer fun is Walmart! From outdoor toys and flowers for the front porch to adorable clothes and all sorts of snacks, like A&W Root Beer and vanilla ice cream. Walmart has a little bit of everything at great prices.

A&W is celebrating its 100th anniversary! Anything that has been around 100 years must be good, which is why it will be on my Walmart shopping list all summer long!

Find more ideas for celebrating memories inspired by A&W Root Beer by clicking HERE.

Root Beer Float Popsicles

Root Beer Float Popsicles are sweet with a strong note of delicious vanilla that lingers in your mouth. The taste is timeless and may just bring back some forgotten childhood memories.

Tips & Tricks

Let the ice cream sit out for 5 minutes or until it gets soft and slightly melted before placing into popsicle molds. This will make it easier to fill each mold and also allows that A&W Root Beer to mix in a bit to create a creamy popsicle.

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Root Beer Float Popsicles

Root Beer Float Popsicles are made with A&W® Root Beer and vanilla ice cream packed into popsicle molds and frozen for a delicious treat made with only two ingredients. 
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 15 ounces A&W® Root Beer
  • 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  • Let the vanilla ice cream sit out for 5 minutes or until it becomes slightly melted. 
  • Fill each mold a third to half full of ice cream. 
  • Fill each mold with A&W Root Beer. Since the root beer will foam, let it sit for a minute until that foam goes down and fill some more until you have liquid to the top of each mold. 
  • Put the popsicle mold lid on and insert popsicle sticks. 
  • Let freeze overnight and serve. You can run the mold under lukewarm water for a minute to release the popsicles from the mold easier. 

Notes

Ingredient amounts may me different dependent on your popsicle molds. 

Is A&W Root Beer part of your childhood memories? Let me know how in the comments below. 

 

Dragon Fruit Sorbet

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TrainYourDragonAtWalmart http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is a healthier dessert made with frozen raspberries, fresh dragon fruit, orange, lime and sugar that is vibrant and refreshing. This is the perfect dessert for a fun family night to watch the newly released How to Train Your Dragon 3. 

The kids are on their first week of summer break and to kick it off we celebrated with a movie and fun dessert. The entire family has been eager for the release of How to Train Your Dragon 3 so it was an obvious choice for our special movie night. To keep with the dragon theme, I thought creating a recipe from dragon fruit would be exciting for the kids. Both the movie and the dragon fruit dessert ended up being a hit! 

How to Train Your Dragon 3

No spoilers! 

Our favorite characters are on a mission to free all the captured dragons and Hiccup is determined to find The Hidden World. A place free from humans and safe for the dragons. On their journey, our favorite dragon, Toothless, finds a love interest with a new female dragon character named Light Fury. Toothless attempting a mating dance with help from Hiccup will have your whole family laughing out loud! The movie explores friendships, new love and learning when to let go. 

Walmart is the place to go to pick up the How To Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set. The Walmart exclusive includes two Funko keychains of Toothless and Light Fury. Make sure to check out the fun How to Train Your Dragon apparel and toys on your Walmart shopping trip. We found a silky soft throw pillow featuring Hiccup and Toothless. My daughter also had to have the character toy Snotlout Jorgenson since he is one of the funniest characters on the series with the dragon Hookfang. 

Head to Walmart and purchase the new release of How to Train Your Dragon 3 Walmart Exclusive DVD Gift Set today!

Click HERE to find it at a Walmart near you. 

Dragon Fruit Sorbet

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is sweet and flavorful with a nice punch of lime to balance all the sweetness. This sorbet is smooth and colorful and you can taste all the natural fruit inside. Perfect for a warm day. 

Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit comes from a flowering cactus species. You can find two common species of this tropical fruit in the grocery. You may find white flesh with pink skin or pink flesh with pink skin. The pink flesh with pink skin is what I used for the recipe today and it is usually labeled as a Red Dragon Fruit.  I love to use the pink fleshed dragon fruit because the color is so vibrant and beautiful. The white can also be used for this recipe and the color of your sorbet with will be a light pink.

Taste

Dragon fruit is sweet and mild. Tastes much like a kiwi but with a more subtle flavor. This fruit is delicious on its own or in a recipe. 

Nutrition

Dragon fruit is a low calorie fruit that is rich in antioxidants. Great addition to a healthy diet. 

How to Prep

Preparing the dragon to eat is simple. Just slice down the middle lengthwise and scoop out the inside flesh using a spoon. You can either dice and freeze the fruit or eat it as is. Try adding it to a fruit salad for an interesting twist. 

What is Sorbet?

Sorbet is a frozen fruit puree made with a sweetener.  Sorbet can easily be made without an ice cream maker. Just blend some frozen fruit, sugar and juice. Then, add it to a 1.5 quart insulated ice cream tub to store and freeze. The sugar to liquid ratio is how you get that great sorbet texture so any fruit can be used for sorbet. 

Icy Sorbet?

Left the sorbet in the freezer for a few weeks and it formed some ice? Don’t toss it! This mixture creates the perfect smoothie. Just add the sorbet to a blender with a banana and some water. Blend until smooth and serve. 

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Dragon Fruit Sorbet

Dragon Fruit Sorbet is a healthier dessert made with frozen raspberries, fresh dragon fruit, orange, lime and sugar that is vibrant and refreshing.
Course Dessert
Keyword dragon fruit, sorbet
Servings 6 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 3 dragon fruit fresh
  • 6 ounces raspberries frozen
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 1 orange juiced
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  • Juice the lime and orange.  Slice the dragon fruit and use a spoon to remove the flesh from the outside. 
  • Add ingredients to a blender or food processor. 
  • Blend until smooth. 
  • Place into a 1.5 quart ice cream container. 
  • Freeze for 2 hours+. Remove from freezer to thaw out 10 minutes before scooping. 

Notes

Sugar is what helps the sorbet keep its texture and from not turning into a giant pink ice cube. However, if you are consuming this sorbet immediately (within 2 hours of freezing), there is no need to add sugar so you can have an even healthier dessert by making more of a granita type dessert. **Images are without any added sugar. 

What is your favorite character from How to Train Your Dragon? Let me know in the comments below. Also, let me know how you are kicking off this summer vacation! 

 

 

Confetti Cupcakes

Confetti Cupcakes are a simple cupcake made from white cake mix, confetti sprinkles and a light whipped cream frosting. 

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A few weeks ago, I made a Unicorn Poke Cake for my daughters birthday with a delicious whipped cream frosting. We wanted to use the same frosting for another celebration so these Confetti Cupcakes were born. These are perfect for a celebration of any kind with the simple cake base, light and airy frosting and just a pinch of color with the fun sprinkles. 

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Confetti Cupcakes

Confetti Cupcakes begin with a fluffy white cake that is a real crowd pleaser with the simplicity and subtle taste. A whipped cream frosting is added on top. This frosting is light and not overly sweet like most buttercream frosting. 

Whipped Cream Frosting

It is important to make the frosting stable since it is piped on top of cupcakes today. The frosting needs to hold its shape but still have that nice airy texture. Start with placing the beaters and mixing into freezer. This helps keep the whipped cream at the perfect temperature to create the frosting by bringing it that medium peak. Next, Make sure the gelatin has completely dissolved in hot water before adding to the frosting. The gelatin is what helps stabilize the frosting to hold its shape after decoration. 

The Peak

What is a soft, medium and stiff peak? Whipping a soft, medium or stiff peak is a term used when beating egg whites or heavy whipping cream.  Bringing the egg whites to a soft peak before adding to the cake mix will result in a fluffier cupcake. To make a whipped cream, the heavy whipping cream must be beat to at least a soft peak but to hold its form for a whipped cream, a stiff peak is needed. 

  • Soft: When the beaters are pulled up, the peak will flop over. This is where you want your egg whites. 
  • Medium: When the beaters are pulled up, the peak will have a nice curl. 
  • Stiff: When the beaters are pulled up, the peak will be straight and hold shape. This is ideal for the frosting. 

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Confetti Cupcakes

Confetti Cupcakes are a simple cupcake made from white cake mix, confetti sprinkles and a light whipped cream frosting. 
Course Dessert
Keyword Birthday, cupcakes, dessert
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 24 Cupcakes
Author Amber

Ingredients

Confetti Cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 3 egg whites large
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 cup confetti sprinkles

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin powder
  • 6 Tablespoons hot water
  • confetti sprinkles decoration

Instructions

Confetti Cupcakes

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter until creamy. Add cake mix and the milk. Beat until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to a soft peak. This takes about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg whites to cake mix and fold in with 1/4 cup of sprinkles. 
  • Place cupcakes liners into muffin pan and fill each 3/4 full of cake mix. 
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes and let cool before frosting. 

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • Place mixing bowl and beaters in freezer at least 30 minutes to chill before beginning frosting. 
  • In the chilled bowl, use the chilled beaters to beat the confectioners sugar and heavy whipping cream to a medium to stiff peak. This should take about 5 minutes
  • In a small ramekin, let the gelatin dissolve into the hot water completely before adding it to the frosting.  Beat again so the gelatin is thoroughly mixed with the whipped cream. 
  • Place into a pastry bag with large tip and frost each cupcake followed by placing sprinkles over top. 
  • Place cupcakes into fridge and remove 5-10 minutes before serving. 

 

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Unicorn Poke Cake

Unicorn Poke Cake is a fun rainbow cake made from a box cake mix, vanilla pudding and a whipped cream frosting topped with colorful sprinkles that makes my inner unicorn completely delighted! 

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My daughter requested something a little different this year for her Birthday! She wanted something with pink and rainbows, sprinkles galore and whipped cream so we created this delicious cake that is totally girly and so simple. Works perfect for a unicorn themed Birthday party. Plus,  you don’t need any sort of cake decorating skill to nail it!

Also try these Cake Batter Rice Krispie Wands from Leggings ‘N’ Lattes for the ultimate girly party treats. 

You may remember that Chocolate Poke Cake from a few weeks back and this poke cake is the same idea. Start with a yummy cake baked in a 9 x 13  inch pan, then poke holes in it using the back of a wooden spoon. Top that with a layer of pudding and then comes the frosting. 

Unicorn Poke Cake

My favorite part of this Unicorn Poke Cake are the vibrant colors inside! Aren’t they just beautiful? You can use any color combination you want. My daughter picked yellow, pink, purple and blue and it turned out really nice. 

Whipped Cream Frosting

My daughter isn’t a huge fan of traditional buttercream frosting. This Whipped Cream Frosting was just right since she is a whipped cream kind of girl and it adds a really light, fluffy layer that works really well with this dessert. A great whipped cream takes just a little patience to beat the heavy cream until it sets up to that perfect consistency. Add some gelatin to the mix for a more stable topping! 

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Unicorn Poke Cake

Unicorn Poke Cake is a fun rainbow cake made from a box cake mix, vanilla pudding and a whipped cream frosting topped with colorful sprinkles that makes my inner unicorn completely delighted! 
Course Dessert
Keyword dessert, Party, Unicorn
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

Rainbow Cake

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • food dye pink, purple, yellow, blue
  • non-stick cooking spray

Vanilla Pudding

  • 5.1 ounce vanilla pudding instant
  • 3 cups whole milk

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin
  • 6 Tablespoons hot water

Garnish

  • rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

Unicorn Poke Cake

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the remaining cake ingredients (milk, cake mix and eggs) and lightly beat until you have a nice, consistent batter. 
  • Place the batter into four bowls (or a bowl for each color you are using). Add food dye to each bowl and stir until color is consistent. 
  • Spray the 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick spray and spoon the batters into it switching colors between each spoonful. Take the spoon and smooth out the top when finished. 
  • Bake for 28- 30 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and let cool. 
  • Once cooled, use the bottom of a wooden spoon to gently poke holes throughout the cake. 
  • Make your pudding. Add a box of pudding powder to cold milk and stir until it begin to set up. Immediately pour the pudding over cake. Smooth out the top. 
  • Set the cake in fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. 

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • As the cake is chilling, place the beaters and a mixing bowl into freezer. 
  • Once the beaters and bowl are chilled, assemble the hand or stand mixer and start the frosting. Beat the heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar for 3-5 minutes. You want a stiff peak to form where when you lift the beaters, the frosting will stand straight up with a slight curl. 
  • In a small bowl, add 6 Tablespoons hot water and 1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin. Mix together until dissolved. Add the mixture to the whipped cream frosting and beat again. 

Finishing Touch

  • Frost the cake with the whipped cream frosting and smooth the top. 
  • Add sprinkles! Refrigerate until serving. 

I hope this cake gets the unicorn inside you super excited! Let me know in the comments below about the gathering you will be mixing this cake up for! 

Chocolate Poke Cake

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Chocolate Poke Cake is a delicious dessert made with a simple box cake mix, pudding, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips and a chocolate whipped cream frosting. 

I know I have been posting A LOT of desserts lately but I cannot help it. Spring is here, Easter is coming and we are planning so many warmer weather activities already like grill outs and gatherings. This Chocolate Poke Cake is perfect to make for all these events and also a big hit. 

What is a “poke” cake? 

A poke cake is typically a box cake mix baked in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Once cooled, you poke holes in the cake using the back of a wooden spoon. Whip up a batch of pudding or jello, then pour that over the top of the cake. Let cool and set up and then do a layer of frosting. Voilà. You just made a yourself a truly delicious cake. This chocolate version is so decadent and moist that any chocolate lover will be in love. 

Chocolate Poke Cake

Chocolate Poke Cake is so super chocolatey (that’s a word, right?) with multiple layers of chocolate goodness. My favorite layer is the light whipped cream frosting. Although, still made with chocolate, this frosting layer makes the entire dessert a fluffier and airy. 

How to make the chocolate whipped cream frosting

It only takes 3 ingredients to make this luscious frosting : heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder and confectioners sugar. Before beginning, place the beaters and mixing bowl into the freezer to get nice and cool. Once cooled, remove from freezer and put together your hand or stand mixer with the chilled beaters. Combine all your ingredients into the cold bowl and beat fro 3-5 minutes. The frosting is done when you reach that firm peak where the frosting will stand straight up with a slight curl when the beaters are lifted. 

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Chocolate Poke Cake

Chocolate Poke Cake is a delicious dessert made with a simple box cake mix, pudding, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips and a chocolate whipped cream frosting. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate
Servings 12 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

Chocolate Pudding

  • 3.9 ounce chocolate pudding powder
  • 2 cups cold whole milk

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Garnish

  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • chocolate syrup

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the remaining cake ingredients (milk, cake mix and eggs) and lightly beat until you have a nice, consistent batter. 
  • Spray the 13 x 9 inch pan with non-stick spray and pour batter into it. 
  • Bake for 28- 30 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and let cool. 
  • Once cooled,  use the bottom of a wooden spoon to gently poke holes throughout the cake. 
  • Make your pudding. Add a box of chocolate pudding powder to cold milk and stir until it begin to set up. Immediately pour the pudding over cake. Smooth out the top. 
  • Set the cake in fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. 

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

  • As the cake is chilling, place the beaters and a mixing bowl into freezer. 
  • Once the beaters and bowl are chilled, assemble the hand or stand mixer and start the frosting. Beat the heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder and confectioners sugar for 3-5 minutes. You want a stiff peak to form where when you lift the beaters, the frosting will stand straight up with a slight curl. 

Finishing Touch

  • Frost the cake. 
  • Decorate the top with chocolate syrup and mini chocolate chips. 
  • Cut into 12 portions and serve. Note that you can get more portions out of this to serve more people. 

Notes

You can follow the instructions on your cake box to make the chocolate cake batter if you prefer. 

A family gathering? A birthday party? A pot luck at work? What will you be bringing this decadent Chocolate Poke Cake dessert to this season? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

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Easter Bunny Cupcakes are made with white cake mix, a sweet buttercream frosting, sprinkles and an adorable milk chocolate bunny on top.

I know it sounds crazy but Easter is less than a month away! Time to get the kids their Easter outfits, make some brunch plans and enjoy some Easter inspired desserts like these cute cupcakes. They really are the perfect addition to an Easter tablescape or family gathering.

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Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Easter Bunny Cupcakes start with a box of white cake mix! So easy- just add some milk, butter and eggs to the mix to create a delicious, moist cupcake that tastes like it came from a bakery. The buttercream frosting is a butter/vegetable shortening blend to form a stable, pipable frosting so the “grass” has a lot of dimension and holds up.

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Tips & Tricks 

All About That Buttercream!

A pipable buttercream is very important to make perfect “grass”. The frosting should be stiff but not so much that it hurts your wrist to decorate with. I like to use the combination of butter and vegetable shortening to create that stiffness. Add the vanilla extract and then the confectioners sugar in increments until everything is combined. You should be left with a very thick frosting that will be needed thinning out. 1 teaspoon of water beat into the frosting should do this.

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Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Easter Bunny Cupcakes are made with white cake mix, a sweet buttercream frosting, sprinkles and an adorable milk chocolate bunny on top. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword easter, cupcakes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 46 minutes
Servings 24 Cupcakes
Author Amber

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 box cake mix
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 eggs

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
  • green food dye
  • water

Garnish

  • confetti sprinkles
  • Lindt extra small chocolate bunnies
  • Whopper Robin Egg chocolates

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Place 1/2 cup softened butter into mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat butter until creamy. 
  • Add cake mix, followed by milk and beat. 
  • Add eggs, one at a time. 
  • Place cupcake liners into muffin pan and fill each 3/4 full of cake batter. 
  • Cook for 15-18 minutes. 
  • Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool. 
  • Begin frosting. Place 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup vegetable shortening into a mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until creamy. 
  • Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the 4 cups of confectioners sugar into bowl in increments until fully blended. 
  • Add green food coloring until at desired color. 
  • Add a pinch of water if the frosting is too thick. Start with a teaspoon of water to thin it out but you want this frosting to be thick and pipable. 
  • Fill a pastry bag with the frosting with a #233 tip for grass. Decorate each cupcake. 
  • Add some confetti sprinkles and a chocolate bunny on each. You can even make some cupcakes with a couple Whopper Robin Eggs int he center instead of a bunny. 

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Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are a delicious treat made from cream cheese, sour cream and eggs on a graham cracker crust with a swirl of fresh blueberry purée.

Cheesecake just may be my favorite dessert and it has been FOREVER since I have shared one with you all. These Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are perfect for Easter, which is seriously approaching fast, or an other spring time gathering. As far as cheesecake goes, this is a really simple one to whip together and is really pretty! I am in love with the marbling effect from the top view!

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars have minimal ingredients needed. You start with a graham cracker crust base made of just graham crackers, butter and sugar. Then move onto the next layer of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. The blueberry swirl is made of just fresh blueberries and then you can garnish with some whipped cream and a few blueberries for presentation.

Tips & Tricks

Water Bath

There are a few cheesecake recipes that I don’t use a water bath with and this is one of those. You certainly can to prevent cracking from the steam. To create a water bath simple place the 13 x 9 inch pan into a larger pan. Fill that larger with a bit of water- 2 inches worth. Then, bake per instructions.

Lump Free Batter

The goal when making a cheesecake is to have a silky texture free of lumps. How can we ensure this?

  • Eggs and cream cheese should be warmed up to room temperature or close before beginning. I just leave these ingredients out on the counter 30 minutes- one hour before baking.
  • Beat the cream cheese with sugar until smooth before adding any other ingredients.
  • Eggs will be added lastly and one at a time. Gently mix.
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Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are a delicious treat made from cream cheese, sour cream and eggs on a graham cracker crust with a swirl of fresh blueberry purée. 
Course Dessert
Keyword bluberry, cheesecake, dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
chill time 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling

  • 32 ounces cream cheese (4 packages)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries

Garnish

  • whipped cream
  • fresh blueberries

Instructions

  • Get the eggs, cream cheese and butter out to start bringing to room temperature before preparing the cheesecake. 
  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. 
  • Place graham crackers in food processor to turn into crumb. Add in 1/3 cup of the sugar and the melted butter. 
  • Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Press the mix down with a flat surface ( I use the bottom of a measuring cup) so it is even and will hold together after cooking. I line my pan with parchment paper so you can easily remove the entire cheesecake for serving. 
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Then set to the side to cool. 
  • Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese. Add 1 cup of sugar and beat until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla extract and sour cream. Beat again. Add in one egg at a time. Blend and then pour over the crust. 
  • Purée the blueberries in food processor. Use a spoon to drop the purée on the top of the cheesecake. Use a knife to cut into the batter and create a marble effect. 
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. 
  • Cool and then chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours- overnight. 
  • Cut into 16 equal pieces. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top and more fresh blueberries. 

Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies are deliciously chewy cookies made perfectly with just basic baking ingredients.

Remember that Magnolia Lemon Pie with Candied Lemon Slices inspired by Joanna Gaines recently? It was too good to not try another Magnolia Table recipe ASAP and these chocolate chip cookies did not disappoint. There is no crazy secret ingredient or special process- just a simple, homemade cookie that is soft and satisfying. Exactly what we need some days.

Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies

Honestly, I have never been a huge fan of crisp cookies and could live without them. Chewy cookies on the other hand are my jam.

JUST. CAN’T. STOP. EATING. THEM.

These Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies are those chewy type cookies that stay good and soft for days and completely addicting!

Tips & Tricks

How to Bring Butter to Room Temperature Quickly

So, I may be slightly impatient. I hate waiting for butter to soften enough to use for baking but you can easily and quickly soften your stick of butter in the microwave.

  1. Leaving the wrapper on, place the butter in the microwave on it’s side.
  2.  Heat for 5 seconds.
  3. Rotate the butter onto another side. Heat another 5 seconds.
  4. Repeat this for all 4 sides and the butter should be soft enough to work with.

Print

Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies

Magnolia Table Chocolate Chip Cookies are deliciously chewy cookies made perfectly with just basic baking ingredients. 
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
chill 30 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 2 dozen
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda heaping
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips semi-sweet

Instructions

  • Place room temperature butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Beat with a hand or stand mixer until smooth. 
  • Add eggs. Beat again. 
  • Add vanilla extract, baking soda, salt and 1 cup of flour. Beat again. 
  • Slowly add in the remainder of the flour and beat until thoroughly mix. 
  • Stir in chocolate chips. 
  • Place batter in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Drop cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet giving each a little space. 
  • Bake for 11 minutes and then cool on a baking rack. 


Have you tried any recipes from Magnolia Table/ Joanna Gaines? Maybe you have even visited her restaurant or bakery! Let me know in the comments below and seriously, does this women ever sleep between books, tv shows, a home decor line, appearances and restaurants?