Desserts

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

January 6, 2021 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This 2 ingredient Fruit Dip is so simple, sweet and versatile! It’s a must-make if you love to make charcuterie or snack boards, and it also makes an awesome topping for pancakes, French toast, etc.!

Charcuterie and snack boards have grown tremendously in popularity over the last 2-3 years it seems, and I am absolutely a fan of the craze. Not only are they a beautiful and an aesthetically pleasing way to serve finger foods for a gathering, but they’re also a perfectly acceptable way to transition snacks into a meal when cooking is the farthest thing from your mind. When I break out the giant serving platter and start pulling snacks out of the pantry and fridge, my family knows that this mama isn’t cooking anything else the rest of the day.

You may recall some of the charcuterie boards I’ve done in the past. My Halloween Charcuterie Board is a favorite of mine, and I also have a Sweet & Savory Charcuterie Board, a Spring-themed Charcuterie board and the Ultimate Summer Charcuterie board on the blog if you’re looking for a few ideas when creating your own. I love to incorporate a mix of both fresh and dried fruits on the boards I create, and I love to have a dip to serve alongside the fresh fruit or to smear on top of crackers.

Making a fruit dip is super simple, and this 2 Ingredient Fruit Dip is a go-to for me when making charcuterie boards. All you need to whip up this dip is a container of whipped topping and a container of strawberry (or whatever flavor you prefer) cream cheese!

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Print Recipe

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

Ingredients

1 8 oz container Cool Whip thawed
1 8 oz container strawberry cream cheese spread softened

Instructions

Using a hand or stand mixer, combine thawed whipped topping and softened cream cheese and mix until smooth and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
Serve immediately and refrigerate any leftovers.
Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

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If you want to lighten this dip up just a bit, you can swap out the whipped topping with a sugar free variety, or you can even make your own from scratch!

This recipe will make more fruit spread than you’ll need for a charcuterie board, so my favorite thing to do with the leftovers is to serve it on top of French toast, pancakes or smeared over a bagel of piece of toast for breakfast.

Looking for more Charcuterie Board Inspiration? Check out these posts right here on Southern Made Simple!

Spring Charcuterie Board | Ultimate Summer Charcuterie Board | Sweet and Savory Charcuterie Board | Halloween Charcuterie Board

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

December 29, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Peanuts! Get your peanuts! Sugar roasted peanuts are a scrumptious snack that are very easy to make, and if you package them up and tie a ribbon around them, they make a wonderful treat to share with a friend! Growing up right next door to the peanut capital of the world, peanuts have always played a significant role in my life and the community that I was raised in. As the granddaughter of a peanut farmer, I’ve learned quite a bit over the years about the economical importance this tiny nut has had not only on my own family, but on the state of Alabama as a whole. They’re arguably one of the most important crops grown on American soil, and they’re loaded with important nutrients that just might surprise you!

During peanut harvest season in the early fall, I shared my recipe for Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts – which are a true southern delicacy that most folks around here just can’t get enough of. I’ve even been known to eat them for breakfast, truth be told. While boiled peanuts are undoubtedly my favorite way to snack on these lovely little legumes, these sugar roasted peanuts come in at a close second.

Most people know that peanuts are a great source of protein, but did you know that incorporating a handful of peanuts into your daily diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and promote healthier cholesterol levels? (You can read more about the health benefits of peanuts here.) Peanuts are actually classified as a superfood, which further proves that not all heroes wear capes! 😉

These sugar roasted peanuts, or “candied peanuts” are vey easy to make. In fact, I use the same recipe when making my Sugar Roasted Pecans! I frequently make these around the holidays or for special occasions, but they’re great to make and eat any time of year. I love to add them to charcuterie boards, too! Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

Ingredients

1 16 oz container unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1 egg white
4 tsp water
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 F
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
Using a mixer, beat egg white until frothy. Add in water and vanilla and continue mixing
Stir in cinnamon, sugar and salt
Add in peanuts and coat with egg mixture completely using a large spoon
Spread the peanuts evenly on to the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, being sure to stir every 15 minutes
Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

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The photo below is of my 2 year old daughter sneaking a peanuts while I was trying to photograph them. She crawled up in my lap while the camera was still in my hand, so I kept snapping photos to capture the sweet moment!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other peanut favorites found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts | No Bake Peanut Butter Pie | Peanut Butter Fudge | Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats | Peanut Butter Corn Flake Candy

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 9, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Do you have a really good, classic, no-fail and dependable chocolate chip cookie recipe that you love to reach for when a cookie craving comes along? If not, allow me to introduce you to the new love in your life. Seriously. These Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are lightly crispy on the outside, perfectly soft and chewy on the inside and have an irresistible buttery and brown sugar flavor with the perfect chocolate chip-to-cookie ratio. I may be tooting my own horn a little bit here, but I’d say these chocolate chip cookies are pretty darn close to perfect.

Chocolate chip cookies are the most googled cookie recipe of all time, and that holds especially true during the holidays. Many folks are grasping at things that bring them comfort and joy during this time of year, and that means savoring classic recipes that they know are good. And honestly, I think chocolate chip cookies would even bring the Grinch himself a little bit of joy and happiness. I’ve never seen a grumpy person with a stack of cookies and a glass of milk in their hands. 😉

The base of this recipe may look a little familiar to you, as it’s the same dough that I use in my Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies that I shared just a few weeks ago. It’s my go-to cookie dough for just about any cookie, especially ones that I really want to have that soft-batch bakery feel.

Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup salted butter room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbs vanilla flavoring
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp corn starch
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer, combine butter, white sugar and brown sugar
Add in vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated
Slowly add in flour, baking soda and corn starch and mix until soft, thick dough forms
Add in chocolate chips and stir until just combined
Refrigerate 1 hour or longer (Don't skip this step!)
Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or use a non-stick silicone baking mat
Once dough is thoroughly chilled, roll or scoop into 1 1/2-2 inch balls and place an inch or more apart
Bake for 10-11 minutes. *Cookies will appear undercooked when first removed from the oven. Do not cook any longer - the cookies will continue to set while left to cool on the cookie sheet.
Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

By the way, here’s a few of my must-haves in the kitchen when it comes to baking cookies. There’s still time to let Santa know about these items if you’re adding them to your wish list!

When these cookies first come out of the oven, they’re going to look a little undercooked. That’s exactly what you want them to look like. I promise. They’ll continue to cook a little while they’re cooling on the cookie sheet, and the texture will be everything you’ve ever wanted a cookie to be. You’ll definitely be going back for seconds and thirds. And then you’ll go back for another one to dunk into your coffee the next morning. I’m just speaking from experience here. 😉

If you like this recipe for Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, be sure to check out these other great recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies | Molasses Cookies | Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies | Soft Batch Candy Corn Cookies | Strawberry Milkshake Cookies

What types of cookies will you be baking during this holiday season? Do you like to try new-to-you recipes, or do you prefer to stick to the classics? Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite kinds of cookies. I always love to hear what’s cooking in your kitchen!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

December 3, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

Since we put up our Christmas tree and decorations last week, we’ve been spending a lot of family time watching kid friendly Christmas movies almost every night. We turn all of the lights in the house off except for the tree, lighted garland and a few flameless candles, and my two girls have been absolutely mesmerized over the new ambiance that the Christmas lights bring. Even though our girls are very young and their attention span can’t last the length of the movie, we still enjoy the time we spend together. I’ve also enjoyed making a special treat for us to munch on while we all curl up together and watch. Popcorn is always a must when watching movies, and I love to zhoosh it up a bit and make it feel a little more Christmas-y. This White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn is the perfect blend of sweet and salty, and has been the perfect movie snack for us all to enjoy while watching the big screen!

When I was in college, I worked at the local movie theater for about 2 1/2 years to help pay for my wedding. During that time I sort of had a love-hate relationship with popcorn. Sure, freshly buttered popcorn smells absolutely amazing, but for the entirety of those 2 1/2 years I smelled like popcorn too. My clothes, car, even my bedroom smelled like popcorn. I had to nearly crawl inside the giant popper each night to disassemble and clean the machine, and you would be amazed at how quickly that “extra butter” can get all over everything.

So all that is to say, I never really popped popcorn very much after I left my job there. Popcorn was my supper many a night when I was working late, and I always felt that I had had my fill of it. But every now and then I circle back around to it, and adding fun toppings like melted white chocolate and crushed peppermint candies makes this snack irresistible!

If you find yourself curling up on the couch this season to enjoy your favorite Christmas movies, here’s a few of my favorite things to cozy up with on movie night!

And if you want to spruce up your popcorn and make it feel a little more festive, here’s a free printable copy of the recipe for you to try!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 bags buttered popcorn popped
1 8oz bag Wilton White Chocolate Melts
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp fine red sugar sprinkles (feel free to add more or less!)
10-12 peppermints crushed

Instructions

Pop popcorn according to package instructions, set aside
In a microwave safe bowl, pour in chocolate melts and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted
While chocolate is melting in microwave, carefully crush peppermints
Pour popcorn into a large mixing bowl and pour melted chocolate, crushed peppermints and sprinkles and stir until well coated
Pour popcorn onto a baking sheet and spread out to dry
After about 15-20 minutes, the chocolate should be dry and the popcorn is ready to eat. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

And if you’re looking for a bit of a different flavor profile for your popcorn on movie night, check out these recipes for Caramel Apple Bourbon Popcorn and Smokin’ Sriracha Popcorn!

Are you enjoying watching holiday movies this Christmas season? What are some of your favorite movies and snacks to enjoy? I’m always looking for a good recommendation! Leave a comment below and share the love!

Cranberry Banana Nut Bread

November 28, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This recipe for Cranberry Banana Nut Bread is one of my favorite things to bake during the holiday season. When it’s sweet aroma fills my kitchen as it’s baking, it has a special way of giving me those warm and fuzzy feelings that only the Christmas season can bring. The tartness of the cranberries paired with the sweetness of the bananas makes a wonderful combination, and it’s absolutely delightful with a pad of butter smeared on top and a cup of coffee to go with it!

Little known fact about me: I do not like bananas. At all. You won’t ever find a banana pudding recipe or a banana cream pie here on Southern Made Simple. Even their smell bothers me. I have to turn my head away when I’m peeling one for my daughters to eat. Banana flavored things such as pudding or candies are also a hard pass for me. However, oddly enough, the one exception to my strange distaste for bananas is banana nut bread. And I don’t just like banana nut bread, I love it.

And when I get lucky enough to have a few bananas on the counter that my daughters are no longer interested, I know exactly what I’m going to make with them. Cranberries freeze decently, so this time of year when the grocery stores have plenty of them on hand, I like to buy extra and keep them in the freezer so that I can pull them out and bake with them throughout the first few months of the year.

This cranberry banana nut bread is perfectly moist with golden brown edges that have the perfect amount of “crunch.” This bread is great to bake and give to a loved one during the Christmas season, and it also freezes and thaws nicely if you’d like to bake extra!

Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cranberry Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugar
Add in mashed banana, eggs, yogurt and vanilla and stir until just combined
Add in flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just combined - do not over stir
Fold in cranberries and nuts
Pour batter into a greased 5x9 loaf pan
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of bread comes out clean

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to find more recipes featuring cranberries! If you’ve got some leftover from Thanksgiving, this bread is a perfect place to put those berries to good use!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other great recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Are you doing any special holiday baking this season? If so, I’d love to hear what you’ve got cookin’ in your kitchen! Drop a comment below and share what you’re making for the holidays. I hope you and your family truly have a happy, safe and wonderful Christmas season!

Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

November 15, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

These Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are a perfect holiday treat to indulge in! Grab a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk and enjoy!

I need y’all to hear me on this. Clean out your ears real good and make sure you’re listening very closely, because what I’m about to say is very serious. It is absolutely no exaggeration, and while I understand that it is a bold statement, it’s wholeheartedly true.

I’ve had a lot of cookies during my time here on Earth. Soft batch, fudgy, cakey, some with nuts, some with various types of chocolate chips. I’ve loved nearly every cookie I’ve tried. Some tries were just likes and not loves, but for the most part I’m a cookie-kinda-girl and I’ve never been mad at a cookie. I even like the super cheap ultra-manufactured nothing-special cookies. You know, those butter cookies you had every year at VBS as a kid that you stuck your finger through the middle and wore like they were edible rings? I love those, too. They’ve got a special place in my heart.

But these? These cookies are my favorite cookies in the entire world. Granted, I know I’ve never tried every cookie in the world, but at this point I don’t feel like I need to. I’ve found true love, and it’s baked right into these Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies.

I can’t put my finger precisely on it – maybe it’s the copious amounts of butter, or the richness of the brown sugar. Maybe it’s the fact that these cookies are perfectly chewy and soft, but sturdy enough to dunk in your morning coffee or glass of milk without it crumbling straight to the bottom of your glass. Or perhaps it’s the bits of tart cranberry tucked inside coupled with the sweetness of those white chocolate morsels. Whatever it is, the world needs more of it. Especially in this dumpster-fire of a year 2020.

If you’ll be doing a little holiday baking this year, this recipe is a must-try. I promise you. Bake some for you, bake some for your neighbors down the street, or make them as a treat for your family for getting through an incredibly tough year. Honestly, just bake them because it’s a random Tuesday. You don’t need a reason!

Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup salted butter room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs vanilla flavoring
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer, combine butter, white sugar and brown sugar.
Add in vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated.
Slowly add in flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt and mix until a soft, thick dough forms.
Add in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. (Don't skip this step!)
Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or use a non-stick silicone baking mat
Once dough is thoroughly chilled, roll or scoop into 2 inch balls and place about an inch or more apart on the cookie sheet
Bake for 10-11 minutes. *Cookies will appear undercooked when first removed from the oven. Do not cook any longer - the cookies will continue to set while left to cool on the cookie sheet.
Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other great cookie recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Acorn Muffin Bites

October 12, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and Entenmann’s® Little Bites. All opinions are mine alone. #SeasonOfLittleBites

When I decided to homeschool my daughter this year, I was excited at the freedom and the possibilities to venture beyond the books and discover new ways of learning through hands-on activities and adventures. The fall season is the perfect time to venture outdoors and study nature, and we’ve been enjoying collecting and gathering acorns, twigs, pinecones, and things of that nature to study more in our at-home kindergarten classroom.

After a recent outdoor scavenger hunt, my daughter’s fascination with acorns was beginning to bloom. She loved how they all had little “hats” on top, and she started her own collection of them inside an old glass jar. This prompted the wheels in my brain to begin turning up new ideas to spark her curiosity and imagination. I opened up a package of Entenmann’s Little Bites® Chocolate Chip muffins for her to enjoy for her afternoon snack, and the idea to create these Acorn Muffin Bites was quickly born!

Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins have been a staple in our pantry for years. I love them because they contain no high fructose corn syrup and zero (0) grams of trans fat per serving, and she loves them because they’re perfectly soft, easy, and mess-free for her little hands, plus they contain real ingredients like blueberries, strawberries, and in this case – real chocolate chips! The muffins were already the perfect shape to use as the base of the acorn, so while she was snacking I headed back to the pantry to search for some melting chocolate, pretzel sticks and a few chocolate sprinkles to create our own little snack-craft project.

Realizing I needed to add a few things to my grocery list, I hopped online and added more Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins to my cart, plus a few other things we needed around the house using Walmart’s Online Grocery service. I love being able to conveniently add items I need to my cart from my computer or phone and choosing a time to pick up my groceries at the store that works for me. With a busy homeschooling schedule, I’m thankful to be able to spend less time in-store and more learning and playtime with my girls!

Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins are available nationwide and come in more than 8 varieties, so there’s truly a flavor to fit every snacking occasion. In addition to the chocolate chip muffins, I also picked up a package of Entenmann’s Little Bites® Blueberry Muffins and Entenmann’s Little Bites® Pumpkin muffins to further celebrate the fall season!

Once I had all ingredients needed on hand, I explained to my daughter that we were going to add a few new acorns to her beloved collection, but this time we weren’t going to keep them in a jar – we were going to eat them! She looked a little puzzled, but she was so excited when I told her that chocolate and sprinkles were involved. These acorn muffin bites are a perfect craft for little hands to get involved with, as there’s no actual cooking or baking required. All we needed was a little melted chocolate almond bark, chocolate sprinkles, and pretzel sticks that were broken in half.

Once the chocolate was melted in the microwave, we dipped the tops of the chocolate chip muffins into the melted chocolate and then added sprinkles on top. We then set them out on a plate to dry and inserted the pretzel stick in the top to serve as the stem. After about 20 minutes, the chocolate was dry and we began to snack away!

Creating these cute little acorn muffin bites using Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins was a perfect homeschool (or anytime) activity to do with my daughter, and they were a wonderful way to celebrate the goodness found in the changing of the season this year! In addition to making fun snacks like these, we love to enjoy Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins for any occasion, and we’ll soon be taking them with us on many more outdoor adventures! I love that they’re perfectly pre-portioned and portable your on-the-go needs. They’re a must-have in our house, and they certainly keep the smiles coming!

Next time you’re shopping in-store or online at Walmart, make sure you check out the variety of Entenmann’s Little Bites® muffins (like Pumpkin!) and other varieties such as Entenmann’s Little Bites® Fudge Brownies, plus other NEW flavors coming soon!

Mummy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

October 5, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

These Mummy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are a spook-tacular treat to serve this Halloween! They’re not your average rice krispie treats, either. They’re packed with peanut butter goodness, plus a smidge of white chocolate that makes them frighteningly scrumptious!

Halloween is lurking right around the corner, and I’ve been conjuring up a little Halloween-magic in the kitchen this weekend getting my girls into the spooky-spirit! My oldest really loves rice krispie treats, so we put together these delicious Mummy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats using a slightly more sophisticated version of traditional rice krispie treats.

For these treats, I used my White Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats recipe that I shared here a few weeks ago. Instead of these rice krispie treats having a sticky texture, they have a creamy and smooth bite to them thanks to a blend of chunky peanut butter and white chocolate almond bark! Add a little drizzle over the top to create a “mummified” look and a few candy eyes and you’ve got an instant Halloween hit!

Here’s a better look at the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Mummy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

1/2 lb white almond bark (note: most packages are 1 lb exactly)
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 1/2 cups rice krispies cereal
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
extra melted white almond bark for drizzle
Candy eyes

Instructions

In a double boiler, melt white almond bark and peanut butter together, stirring frequently
In a large bowl, combine cereal and marshmallows
Once peanut butter mixture is melted, pour over cereal and stir until well combined and marshmallows are melted
Spray 8x8 baking dish or brownie pan with non-stick cooking spray
Pour mixture into pan and gently press down with the back of a spoon to flatten and fill the space of the pan
Allow to set for 2-3 hours, or until treats are dried enough to hold their shape when cut
Melt additional almond bark (just a little bit will do!) and drizzle over treats to make the mummy wraps. While the almond bark is still wet, add candy eyes.
Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Halloween Hack: There’s no need to cast a spell on your treats to get them to cut evenly every time! When making brownies and rice krispie treats, I love to use this brownie pan with a built in slicer to get perfect portions every time!

If you like these fun treats, you’ll LOVE these other fun Halloween snacks found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Do you like to make special treats for Halloween? What are some of your favorite confections to devour this time of year? Leave a comment below and share the Halloween-love!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

September 10, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

These Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats so hauntingly good, you’ll snap, crackle and pop for more!

A few weeks ago I shared a recipe for White Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, and ever since then I’ve had this slight obsession with finding more ways to capture those flavors and textures in other treats. Peanut butter and chocolate go together better than just about anything in this world, and adding in the light crispy and crunchy flakes from rice cereal creates this irresistible concoction that good right down to the bone.

These aren’t your typical back-of-the-box rice krispie treats, but don’t let that frighten you away from making them! You can certainly make these with original rice cereal, but I reached for the cocoa krispies to make these chocolaty treats instead. You’ll also need half of a package of chocolate almond bark, a cup of peanut butter, a cup of Reese’s Pieces and miniature marshmallows.

Using a double boiler (I called it my cauldron when making Halloween treats) 😉 melt down 1/2 of a package of chocolate almond bark. Add in the cup of peanut butter and stir until it’s perfectly creamy and smooth. Add in cereal, marshmallows and candy in a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir until everything is well coated.

Pour into a well greased brownie pan or 8×8 casserole dish. Pro tip: Spray your hand or the back of a spoon with nonstick cooking spray so you can press the mixture down evenly into the pan without making a total mess.

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Double Chocolate & Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups coco rice krispies cereal
1 lb chocolate almond bark (most packages of almond bark contain 2 lbs, so just break 1 package in half)
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup Reese's pieces

Instructions

In a double boiler, melt chocolate almond bark and stir continuously until smooth
Add in peanut butter and stir until well combined
In a large bowl, combine cereal, marshmallows and Reese's Pieces
Pour melted chocolate and peanut butter over cereal mixture and stir until well combined
Spray a brownie pan or 8X8 baking dish thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray
Pour mixture into pan and press into all corners using your hand or a well greased spoon to make sure mixture spreads as evenly as possible
While mixture is still wet, add a few more candy pieces and cereal for garnish if desired
Allow to sit on counter until mixture firms up enough to cut - at least 2 hours
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Also, if you’re looking for a fool-proof way to get perfect and evenly cut bars, use a brownie pan like this one! I own this same one, and it’s a workhorse in my kitchen.

Once the treats have dried and set, just slice and serve! These Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats go great with a tall glass of milk, and they’re perfect to serve for Halloween or fall celebrations!

Looking for more hauntingly fun Halloween treats? I’ve got it all right here on Southern Made Simple!

Fresh Apple Cake

August 28, 2020 by Laura Tucker Leave a Comment

This recipe for Fresh Apple Cake is truly like biting into a slice of old school southern baked goodness. The fresh apples keep the cake perfectly moist, and the pound-cake-like crust takes it over the top!

Let’s talk about cake for just a minute, shall we? You can never go wrong with a good old fashioned cake, but when it comes right down to it, I prefer mine without the icing. Sure, the icing on the cake is always the prettiest part, but too much sugar isn’t always a good thing, and I believe a cake being able to stand it’s own without adding all the frills really says a lot about the quality and goodness of the cake itself.

You wouldn’t cover up the golden delicious crust on a pound cake with icing, would you? Of course not! I prefer my cakes to be like that. Give me ALL the golden sugar-y crust and hold the icing, please!

Fresh apple cake has always been a favorite of mine. The fresh apples baked inside keep the cake amazingly moist, but perhaps the best part about this particular recipes is, as I mentioned earlier, the pound cake crust. There’s a special trick to accomplishing that crust, and it all has to do with how you grease your pan.

Sometimes we can be prone to reach for the non-stick cooking spray when a recipe calls for greasing the pan, but your cake will truly be lacking something special if you go that route. As I’ve said in previous posts, I do not cook with Crisco like so many old school southern recipes call for. My ONLY exception to that rule is when I’m baking a cake, especially a pound cake or a fresh apple cake like this one.

When baking a cake, you’ll want to “grease and flour” the pan to prevent your cake from sticking to the sides and falling apart. To grease the pan, you’re going to need to get your hands a little dirty. Technically, I suppose you could find a way around getting your hands dirty, but I prefer to use my hands to really get down into all of the crevices of the pan. You’ll want to take a scoop of Crisco and smear it ALL around the inside of the tube pan, making sure to not leave any area ungreased. Next, you’ll want to “flour” the pan, or in this case, use powdered sugar instead of flour. Trust me on this one.

Dusting the pan with flour or powdered sugar creates a line of defense between the Crisco and the cake batter. It prevents the Crisco from seeping into the batter as the cake bakes, yet still lets the batter rise up the sides of the pan. The Crisco creates a perfectly golden crunchy layer that is one of my favorite parts of this recipe, and you won’t have a difficult time releasing the bread from the pan. Before you pour the batter in the pan, be sure to dump any excess powdered sugar that didn’t stick to the Crisco into the trashcan.

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Fresh Apple Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups all purpose flour (Divide flour into 2 3/4 cups + 1/4 cup)
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans optional
1 tsp vanilla
4 apples (I use Red Delicious) peeled and chopped
Crisco and about 1/4 cup powdered sugar for greasing and dusting the pan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 F
Using a stand mixer, combine vegetable oil and sugar.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
In a separate bowl, mix pecans and 1/4 cup flour
In a separate large bowl, combine 2 3/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt and gradually add into the sugar mixture
Add floured pecans and vanilla
Fold in apples
Thoroughly grease a tube pan with crisco and "flour" the pan with powdered sugar. This creates an AMAZING crust, so don't skip this part!
Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 1 hr and 20 minutes
Test for doneness before removing from oven
Enjoy!

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Here are a few of my favorite must-have’s in the kitchen when baking a fresh apple cake, or any cake for that matter!

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This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and Entenmann’s® Little Bites. All opinions are mine alone. #SeasonOfLittleBites

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