Celebrating A Campfire Tradition

Summer is quickly approaching. Time to spend outdoors hosting a barbeque, going up to the cottage.  What fun! Not all of us have the opportunity to sit around a campfire to eat the delicious s'more. Not to worry. I have you covered. This delicious dessert is a tribute to the famous campfire goodie made right in your kitchen. So easy to make. You can prepare this the night before and toast the marshmallows last minute just before serving.

S'Mores Dessert Squares


64 Nilla Wafers, divided

5 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. sugar

3 1/4 cup cold milk, divided

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

2 pkg (4 serving size each) vanilla instant pudding

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Finely crush 40 of the wafers and place in medium bowl. I used the food processor to do this. Or you can place in a ziplock and crush. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

Pour 1 1/4 cups of the milk into a medium bowl. Add the chocolate pudding mix. Beat with a whisk for 2 minutes until well blended (I cheat and beat with a mixer fitted with whisk attachment). Spread over crust and top with 24 wafers.

Spread chocolate pudding over crust. Top with wafers

Beat the whipping cream and set aside.


Pour remaining 2 cups milk into a mixing bowl, add the vanilla pudding mixes. Beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Fold in the whipping cream into the vanilla pudding. Spread over the wafer layer. Refrigerate overnight.

Fold whipping cream into the vanilla pudding

Spread the vanilla/whipped cream mixture over wafers

Preheat broiler just before serving. Top dessert with the mini marshmallows. Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned. I really kept an eye on this and rotated the pan continuously to ensure the marshmallows were evenly browned. You may sprinkle with grated chocolate if you wish.

You may sprinkle with grated chocolate before serving

Serve immediately.

Makes 24 squares.

Decadent Ice Cream Pie

If you're intimidated with baking, why not try this recipe out. A delicious ice cream pie that is easy to make and great to make ahead for your dinner or event. Or just make this and savor for a cheat night!

Why not serve this at your next barbeque?

Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Pie

Crust:

1 1/4 cup Oreo Cookie Crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

Press on bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Pie Filling:

1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate squares, chopped

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy (double cream)

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup confectioners (icing) sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Skor bits

1L tub of premium vanilla ice cream

Melt the chocolate, butter. cream and corn syrup on top of a double broiler. Set over but barely touching the simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate has melted.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chocolate for the pie topping. Spread the remaining on the cookie crust. Sprinkle with half of the Skor bits. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, using a paddle attachment, beat the ice cream with an electric mixer until spreadable but not runny. Pour immediately into the prepared pie plate and freeze until firm (about 2 hours).

Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals until spreadable. Remove, stirring quickly and spread onto the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining Skor bits and freeze until completely firm before serving. If you are making this ahead, remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier.

* If you do not like toffee bits, substitute for chopped, roasted almonds.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

This simple and decadent recipe will be a hit a your next party. I once served this at my child's birthday party and the adults ate all of them! When the kids came up from playing, there was nothing left! Thank God for the birthday cake! These little morsels have a chocolate chip cookie base which adds a little oomph to the dessert.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

1 pkg.          chocolate chip cookie dough
2 pkgs.        cream cheese 8 oz ea. at room temperature
1 can           sweetened condensed milk
2 large         eggs
2 tsp            vanilla extract
1 can            cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Paper line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. Remove from oven.

Beat the cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the cups and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool. Top with cherry topping.                

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Death By Chocolate

This recipe by far my go to when pleasing a crowd. You can serve in glasses like I did here or in a trifle bowl. When there's an event I'm invited to, the host/hostess always asks me to bring this along.

Skor Trifle

1                   Chocolate cake mix (or your own) prepared
1/3 cup         Kahlua liqueur (or sweetened black coffee)
3 pkgs          Instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups    skor or heath chocolate (I always use Skor)
4 cups           Sweetened Whipped Cream

Make holes, using a fork, all over top of the baked cake. Drizzle the Kahlua over top. Let stand 10 minutes. Chop the cake into small pieces.

Layer the pudding

 

Add the chocolate bits

 

Then the whipped cream and repeat.

 

Chill.

 

Serves 20

 

ENJOY!

         

Kit Kat Cheesecake Recipe

If you love Kit Kat chocolate bars you are going to love this recipe. Pure chocolately goodness!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Crust

 1 1/2 cups                  chocolate cookie crumbs

 1/3 cup                       butter, melted

Filling

3 pkgs                        regular cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 cup                       granulated sugar

3                                 eggs

1 tsp                           vanilla

1 cup                          Sour Cream

2 tsp                           flour

9 packs                      Kit Kat chocolate bars*

*Reserve a few sticks of the bar and hand chop for the garnish.

Garnish

 left over chopped Kit Kat bars




For the crust, combine the chocolate crumbs and the butter. Press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Place the crust into the refrigerator while making the filling.

 Beat the cream cheese on low with an electric cake mixer until smooth. Beat in the sugar slowly until nice and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, then the sour cream and flour.

 Pour 1/4 of the batter into the prepared pan. Place a stick at a time of the Kit Kat bar until evenly distributed around the pan. Place the remainder of the batter on top of the chocolate bars.

Place the spring form pan onto a cookie sheet filled with warm water to come up about 1/2 inch. Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until set. Turn off the oven and let sit for about an hour.

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Place into the fridge for about 24 hours before you are ready to garnish.

Remove the sides of the spring form pan and place onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with chocolate. Voila!

Serves 10 to 12 Servings.