Mint Oreo Magic Bars

As promised, here is a Sugar Sunday / Dessert recipe in all its glory.  This is a tasty one. 

Oreos, mint, chocolate, more chocolate, and pretzels-  drizzled with creamy sweet sugary sweetened condensed milk.  Come to Mama!

Mint Oreo Magic Bars

1 stick of butter

2 sleeves worth (about 24 cookies) of chocolate sandwich cookies

1/2 cup mint chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks

1/4 roughly chopped pretzels

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter in an 8x8" baking dish.  While butter is melting, crush cookies into fine crumbs.  Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top of melted butter.  Top with chips and pretzels.  Drizzle entire can of sweetened condensed milk over everything.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until milk is slightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.  

Notes: To speed up the cooling process put the pan into your freezer.

STEP-BY STEP

 Melt butter in 8x8 baking dish

 Crush cookies into fine crumbs.  (You can use a rolling pin, but I find a blender or food processor is much easier.)

 Sprinkle crumbs over melted butter.

 Now for the delicious toppings:  Mint Chocolate Chips

 Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

 Chunks of Milk chocolate

 White Chocolate Chips

 and pretzel pieces.

 Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over everything. 

 It should be a white milky lake once you're done.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until milk slightly starts to brown.

 Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Balls

These chocolate covered cherry cake balls just scream "I love you".

These are a decadent treat - chocolate cake and cherry frosting balls with a yummy sweet maraschino cherry center, double-dipped in chocolate.

These do take some time to make, but, as with everything I make, they are super easy!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Balls

1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix 

4 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 cup hot water

1 tub cherry or strawberry frosting

1 (10 oz) jar maraschino cherries

1 (24 oz) brick almond bark, divided 

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, oil, and water together 30 seconds on low-speed, and then 1 minute on high, until completely combined.  Pour into a greased 9x13" baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes or until done (a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out clean).

Cool completely.  

Once cool, crumble cake into a large bowl.  Mix with 2/3 -3/4 of the tub of frosting.  You want the cake and frosting mixture to be moist and able to stick together when formed into balls, but not super moist it's crumbly and falling apart.  Start with 2/3 and add more if necessary.  Form cake mixture into 1 inch balls.  Make an indent in the center of each ball with your thumb.  Insert a cherry.  Cover up cherry and roll ball smooth.  Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.  

Once the balls are ready, in a medium bowl, melt half the almond bark according to package directions.  Dip cake balls into chocolate covering completely.  Tap off extra chocolate and allow to set on a clean sheet of parchment paper.  Once chocolate has set, melt remaining almond bark and repeat.  Double-dipping each ball.  Top with sprinkles or drizzle with left-over chocolate, if desired.

Notes:  This is a great way to use up leftover cake.  Instead of baking the cake and adding the frosting, just dump the remaining frosted cake into a large bowl, and stir until it comes together.  

Step-By Step:

 Once the cake has cooled, crumble into a large bowl.  Mix crumbs with  2/3 -3/4 tub of frosting.  You want the mixture to be able to stick together when formed into a ball, but not too moist it's falling apart, or too dry it crumbles.

 Now for the yummy part-

 Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough (you can make these smaller if you'd like)

 Use your thumb to make an indent in the center.

 Insert a cherry,

 then close back up and roll smooth.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Freeze balls for at least 1 hour.

 Once balls are ready, melt almond bark (I used white and dark).

 Dip balls, covering completely.  Use a fork to tap off excess -

 Place on a sheet of parchment paper to until set.  Once set, dip them a second time. 

Reindeer Noses-

Chocolate Coated Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies

Need a quick and easy treat to leave for Santa?  Reindeer noses (peanut butter filled Ritz crackers dipped in chocolate) are just the thing.   

OR

Put a few of these in a cellophane bag.  Tie with a ribbon, and you have a great last minute neighbor gift that is sure to make you the favorite neighbor.  

Chocolate Coated Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies

1 box Ritz crackers (4 sleeves)

1 heaping cup peanut butter

1 brick almond bark (chocolate or vanilla)

Spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on half of the crackers.  Top with remaining crackers to form a sandwich.  Melt almond bark according to package directions.  Dip each cracker sandwich into the chocolate, completely covering.  Allow excess chocolate to drip off.  Place coated crackers on wax or parchment paper.  Leave as is or sprinkle with sprinkles, or drizzle with contrasting melted chocolate.  Allow chocolate to completely set.  Store in layers between wax or parchment paper in a dry cool place.  These also freeze well.

Makes about 60

STEP-BY-STEP 

 To make this go really fast, open your sleeves of Ritz crackers so they're all ready.

 On half of the crackers, spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.

 Top with remaining crackers.

 You're existentially making little Ritz cracker peanut butter sandwiches.

 Melt the almond bark.  I prefer to use half at a time.  This way I don't have to remelt my chocolate.

 Dip each sandwich into the melted chocolate.

 I like to use a fork to tap tap tap the excess chocolate off.

 Place dipped crackers on a piece of wax or parchment paper.

 You can leave as is, or sprinkle with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or small candies.

 OR - drizzle with contrasting melted chocolate.  This can be done once the chocolate has set.

There you go, easy-peasy.

Again this year, I'm including a 3x5 printable recipe card.  Consider it my Christmas present to you.  Just click on the card.  Then right click and "save as" to your computer.  You're welcome to print as many as you like.

White Chocolate Pudding Snickerdoodle Cookies

Here we go!  It's that time of year again.

I have some awesome amazing cookies for you this year.  Santa (and your neighbors) are going to love them (and you).

First on the list (the Nice List that is):

White Chocolate Pudding Snickerdoodles.  White chocolate and cinnamon = love forever. These cookies call for a box of instant pudding.  Have you ever added instant pudding mix to your regular cookie recipe?  It makes and keeps your cookies soft, and it's an easy way to add flavor to your cookies.  

White Chocolate Pudding Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2-3/4 cups flour

1 (small) box instant white chocolate pudding mix

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:  1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs.  Mix in the flour, pudding mix, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in white chocolate chips.  

In a small bowl, mix together topping sugar and cinnamon.

Shape dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

STEP-BY-STEP

 Cream butter

 and sugar together until light and fluffy.

 Mix in eggs.

 Add in baking soda

 cream of tarter,

 salt

 flour,

 and white chocolate.  Mix until combined.

 Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips.

 In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together.

 Shape dough into 1-1/2 inch balls. 

 Roll in cinnamon and sugar.

 Place on a lightly greased baking sheet 2 inches apart.  I pressed some extra white chocolate chips into the top of my dough so more chocolate chips will show once they're baked (just to make 'em pretty).

 Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Again this year, I'm including a 3x5 printable recipe card.  Consider it my Christmas present to you.  Just click on the card.  Then right click and "save as" to your computer.  You're welcome to print as many as you like.