Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bites - No Bake

Peanut butter and chocolate are always a wonderful combination. Here is a pretty simple no bake recipe.  The most challenging part is always the dipping in the melted chocolate. Try this and wow your friends this Christmas season. 

 recipe found on Pinterest; here

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bites

Makes: 25-27 balls

 Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs - I used Keebler crumbs
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

Add graham crackers crumbs to the 1 cup of peanut butter. Mix it up good. You want the mixture to be dry enough to be able to form balls. Add a little bit more peanut butter or cracker crumbs to achieve this consistency if need be.

Form even sized balls with your hands and place on a wax paper covered plate, cutting board or baking sheet. Freeze for 30-60 minutes.

I used a double boiler to melt the chocolate; stir chocolate until melted. Place the mini chips in a small bowl. Note: You can use whatever topping that you would like including nuts, crushed Oreos, Heath bars…etc.

I used two forks to dip the peanut butter balls in the melted chocolate, one at a time, and then I sprinkled the chips over the balls. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

~Michelle

Caramel Apple Cookie Bites

I like to try interesting recipes, that's my motto. I also like bite size desserts.  I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  First, the cookies are super delicious, at least according to my brother. Second, I realized at the end of the baking and decorating  that I should have put ground nuts on the bottom. You will see why as we go along.

Recipe from Taste of Home magazine; Halloween issue 2005

FILLING:
1/3 cup chopped unpeeled apple
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DOUGH:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING:
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a small saucepan, combine filling ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened; set aside to cool.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla and salt; beat well.  Add flour; mix well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Flatten and place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each.  Fold dough over filling and reshape into balls.  Place 1-inc apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a saucepan over low heat, cook caramels and evaporated milk, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted.  Insert a toothpick into each cookie and dip into caramel topping until completely coated.  Dip bottoms of cookies into nuts.  Place on wire racks to set.  Yield about 3 dozen. 

I got a little over 2 dozen.  We ate a couple of the cookies before they were frosted so I only had to make half of the topping mixture.

 I used a spoon to cover the cookies with the caramel topping.

 When I was adding the nuts to the cookies I thought oh how cute to sprinkle the nuts on the top of the cookies and did not dip the bottom in the nuts.  That caused them to STICK to the serving plate.  I had to use a spoon to get them off the plate.  You could not really use the toothpick to up the cookies because they were just too sticky.

 I learned my lesson.  The cookies tasted awesome, just a little messy.

I shall make them again and dip the bottoms in nuts.

~Michelle

Chocolate-Almond Cheesecake Bites part 2

I wrote a post to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog back in April. I had intentions to make the cheesecake bites to celebrate and I just never did. I find that everyone I know is watching their weight and when I show up with baked goods I get stares and a few people grab some just to be polite. Even my co-workers are 'dieting' so I feel bad bringing in goodies.

Well, I finally had an opportunity to make these. It was for one of my best friends 40th birthday party. I wanted to bring something small for dessert. She really loves the recipe I have for a checkerboard cake, but I didn't know if there was going to be cake so I decided to make the chocolate-almond cheesecake bites. Everyone just loved them.

I cut the squares small so they were really bite-size. 7x7 = 49 bites.

I melted white chocolate and drizzled over the cooled bites.

Mouthwatering!!

To check out the recipe click here or on the link above. :)

~Michelle