Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Dead Week Study Treats

I did what I do best when I want to avoid something… I baked. Paige and I spent the greater part of Saturday afternoon and well into the evening in the kitchen making treats that I could give out as study treats for dead week. What better way to spend hours studying then with some amazing Cake Pops and Peanut Butter cups to munch on.

Peanut Butter cups are one of my signature treats. When all other recipes fail I know I can always fall back on my version of a Resses peanut butter cup. My mom and I have been making these for years. Every year during the holiday we were search high and low or cup mini cup cake cups to put them in and then place them in cute tins and give out as gifts. Before we knew it we were getting request for them at every holiday. They are a quick and easy and absolutely AMAZING!

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Recipe

½ a brick white chocolate almond bark

½ brick milk chocolate almond bark

1 cup creamy peanut butter (don’t do the healthy peanut butter they won’t taste as good)

- I always add a little bit more peanut butter because I LOVE IT!!

2 cups Rice Crispys

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Instruction

In a microwave safe bowl place the white chocolate and milk chocolate. You can break it up so that it melts faster if you want it is not necessary. Place the bowl in the microwave and start melting in 1 to 2 minutes increments you don’t want to melt it to quickly and burn it.

Once the chocolate is mostly melted add the peanut butter and place back in the microwave for one more minute.

Stir the chocolate and peanut butter to make sure it is evenly mixed.

Add the rice crispys and stir again.

With a regular sized spoon scoop mixture into the cups and place on a cookie sheet. Once you have filled all of the cups place the cookie sheet in the fridge and you are done.

They do not take very long to set up! Peel back the wrapper and enjoy!

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The second yummy treat we made was French Toast Cake Pops. I have made Cake Pops quite a few times and they are some of my favorite treats. However, this is the first time I stepped outside of the box and made a fun flavor like French toast. I was pretty scared that these were such a crazy flavor that no one would like them…But that was anything but true these were a total hit.

Recipe

1 box (about 18 ounces) yellow cake mix

1 box (3.4 ounces) instant butterscotch pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 teaspoons maple flavoring, divided

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

¾ container butter cream frosting

1 Bag candy melts ( I used white and orange)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray one 13 x 9 x 2 in. sheet pan.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, 2 teaspoons maple flavoring and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat at medium speed with electric. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes for sheet pan, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling grid and cool completely.

In small bowl, combine icing with remaining 2 teaspoons maple flavoring, remaining 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and salt. In large bowl,

Cute the cake into chunk and use hands to crumble cake (rub two chunk of cake together) until no large chunks remain. Add icing mixture; mix with fingers until well combined.

Form mixture into cake balls, Wash your hands every few balls so that they don’t start to stick to your hands. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours.

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Melt Candy Melts according to package directions. I start and 1 minute increments.

Dip sticks into melted Candy Melts and insert into cake balls; let set. Wait until candy is completely firm before dipping the pops completely in melted Candy Melts; let set.

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So my cake pops didn’t have a section that gets flat from laying down after I dipped them in chocolate I bought a Styrofoam block and stuck the pops into it.

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Both of these treats are super fun to make and even more exciting to eat. It was rewarding to hear how much people enjoyed there Dead Week Study Treats.