Christmas-Themed Dessert Charcuterie Board Recipe

Christmas-Themed Dessert Charcuterie Board Recipe

 

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cooking Time:

0 mins 

Serves:

6-8 people

 

This super easy recipe is a fun twist on a classic charcuterie board! Instead of meat and cheese, the board is dessert themed with a variety of sweet Christmas treats.

Ingredients

  • Peppermint bark
  • Chocolate covered pretzels
  • Christmas Oreos
  • Christmas M&M’s 
  • Christmas tree-shaped cakes, cookies, and brownies
  • Chocolate covered strawberries

Prep Instructions:

Step 1

First, find a large cutting board or platter as your base. Then, pull together all of the yummy desserts you want on your board. I recommend choosing treats with different flavors and textures. Feel free to mix up the ingredients based on your preferences! 

Step 2

Place the Christmas M&Ms into small bowls and place them on the platter. I recommend putting smaller ingredients or dips into small bowls and building the board around the bowls.

Step 3

The next part is easy! Assemble the remaining desserts (peppermint bark, chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, cakes, cookies, brownies, and chocolate-covered strawberries) around your board and serve!

 

This recipe is great for dinner parties and events where people will be mingling and snacking. I hope you and your family try and enjoy a dessert charcuterie board this holiday season! 

 

Choc. Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Choc. Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

 

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cooking Time:

8-11 mins 

Serves:

8

 

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of salted butter
  • 1 cup of brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 jumbo egg, room temperature
  • 3 tbsps of vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp of baking soda & baking powder
  • 1 tsp of sea salt + more for sprinkling
  • 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • Ice cream brand and flavor of your choice

Prep and Cooking Instructions:

Step 1

Brown the butter over medium heat, constantly stirring until the butter begins to turn a golden brown. Make sure you only brown the butter lightly. Take the butter off the heat immediately and allow it to cool.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until blended, then add the egg and vanilla extract.

Step 3

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix half the dry ingredients into the wet until everything comes together. Slowly add in the remaining flour, a little bit at a time. Fold in the chocolate chips slowly, do not over-mix.

Step 4

Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes or overnight.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough into balls, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Bake for 11 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown. Top with sea salt.

Allow cooling before inserting ice cream into a sandwich. (See Assembling the Sandwiches below.)

 

Assembling the Sandwiches
Place one scoop of ice cream (about 1/3 cup) for each ice cream sandwich between 2 cookies. Gently press cookies together, and roll ice cream edges in sprinkles. Eat immediately; OR, to save for later, wrap sandwiches individually in plastic wrap. Place into a resealable freezer bag, and freeze until needed.

 

 

Brownie Recipe

Brownie Recipe

This Brownie recipe will be a hit for your next Tailgate party!

Choose a Brownie mix of your choice and follow the instructions on the box, with the following exceptions: 

  1. Instead of oil, use butter and double the amount.
  2. Instead of all water, use half water and half milk to make your brownies gooier and more flavorful.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla flavor.  
  4. For an extra twist, add ½ teaspoon of almond flavor.

Serve with your favorite iced coffee or crumbled over two scoops of vanilla ice cream!

Strawberry Shortcake – Quick & Easy Dessert

Strawberry Shortcake – Quick & Easy Dessert

I’m not really a baker, but I have a really bad sweet tooth!

Therefore, I play around with desserts pretty often to satisfy that. While in graduate school, one of Demario’s football coaches’ wives took me under her wing and showed me how to make this quick and easy mouthwatering dessert. It’s so good, I had to share!

Ingredients

  • 1 box of butter cake mix
  • 2 sticks of butter (doubled)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 milk (instead of water)
  • 1 small can of Eagle Brand condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 container of strawberries
  • 1 container of Cool Whip

Instructions

  1. Follow the instructions on the box of cake mix but use my recommended amount of butter (trust me). [Ooh! And I recently added some strawberry mixture inside the cake batter…amazing.]
  2. Use a sheet cake pan for baking the cake.
  3. Once the cake is done and cool, poke holes all throughout the cake. Make sure the holes are large enough for milk to seep in. ( I use the end of a wooden spoon.)
  4. Pour the can of condensed milk over the top of the cake and even it out.
  5. Wash and dice strawberries. Stir in powdered sugar to create a syrup mixture.
  6. Pour syrup mixture over cake.
  7. Top with Cool Whip and serve.

*Place leftovers in the fridge.

(Quesha, thanks for sharing this all those years ago. It’s still one of our favorites, and I love making it for our guests!)

 

 

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Recipe Week: Thanksgiving Series (#1): Banana Pudding

Recipe Week: Thanksgiving Series (#1): Banana Pudding

Kicking off our Thanksgiving Recipe Week with a delicious dessert! This is not your usual Banana Pudding 🍌 … made with Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies! Want to bring some excitement to the kitchen this Thanksgiving? Whip this up!

Ingredients

2 packages of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

2-6 medium-sized bananas, sliced (I prefer minimum-sized bananas.)

1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk

1 box (5 oz) of Instant Banana Cream Pudding Mix ***

1 box (5oz) of Vanilla Pudding Mix

2.5 cups of milk (I use Vanilla Almond Milk.)***

12 oz of Cool Whip, thawed

Instructions

  1. Line the bottom of a baking dish or dessert bowl with one package of the Chessmen cookies. Top with sliced bananas to create your first layer.
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add in pudding mix and milk. Beat for several minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the Cool Whip
  3. Spread the mixture over the banana layer. (Repeat this step.)
  4. Top with the remaining with the second package of Chessmen cookies.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap.
  6. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Making the Switch to Dairy-Free Bliss: 5 Delicious Dairy-Free Alternatives

Making the Switch to Dairy-Free Bliss: 5 Delicious Dairy-Free Alternatives

Dairy, like cow’s milk or yogurt, has been known to cause inflammation, gas and a myriad of other uncomfortable symptoms. Adjusting your diet doesn’t mean you have to compromise on flavor. With some planning and a little creativity, making the swap to dairy-free can be effortless. 

Here are six alternatives (and a surprising treat!) that you can incorporate into your everyday life with your next trip to the grocery store! 

  1. Earth Balance butter:

I use this to cook pretty much everything — from breakfast to dessert! This butter substitute is a great alternative and super yummy! You can find it in a spread or sticks. We leave a stick out to soften for bread for the week and everyone enjoys it! 

  1. Daiya cheese slices and shredded cheese:

Like most kids, my kids love cheese! However, it typically does not end well for any of us when they indulge. I love using Daiya cheese to make grilled cheese sandwiches, mac & cheese, and with crackers for a snack. It’s made with pea protein, which is full of iron, and is easily digestible. I really like this cheese because it melts nicely and my kids love it, which is a win for me!

  1. Almond milk:

We use almond milk for our cereal, baking and any recipes I use that require milk. I love the smooth taste, and it’s the only milk I’ve drank and not gagged since childhood! It’s especially delicious for dipping cookies into!

  1. Vanilla oat milk creamer:

Several brands make their own variation of this creamer. So Delicious has one made with pea protein and cane sugar. It’s flavorful and smooth! I use it for coffee and in the mix for my French Toast (recipe coming soon).

  1. So Delicious ice cream and ice cream sandwiches:

These are a great anytime treat. I even use the ice cream to make my homemade ice cream cake (recipe coming soon). I love that I can get the satisfaction of ice cream without the guilt, gas and eczema outbreak later!

And … 

  1. Oreos: 

Shocking, I know, but Daddy and the kids love these cookies, and I was surprised to learn that Oreos are vegan! We use them as a snack, good behavior incentives, baking, and of course, with ice cream!

Making healthy food swaps doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor! There are so many alternatives to try beyond this list that your family might love. Plus, new vegan snacks and foods are becoming more popular than ever, so the options are endless. Be on the lookout for recipes, like my delicious French Toast and my highly requested homemade ice cream cake, both of which incorporate some of these alternatives.