Easter Bunny Treats

Ingredients:

2/3 cup vanilla frosting
30 large marshmallows
Pink gel or paste food coloring
Red and pink heart-shaped decorating sprinkles
60 miniature marshmallows 

Directions: 


Frost the tops of 12 large marshmallows; stack a large marshmallow on top of each. Quarter the remaining large marshmallows; set aside for ears. Tint 1/4 cup frosting pink. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; place pink frosting in bag.

Pipe a ribbon between the stacked marshmallows for bow tie. With white frosting, attach red hearts for eyes and a pink heart for nose. Pipe pink whiskers and smile.

For ears, pipe the center of quartered marshmallows pink; attach to head with white frosting. With the remaining white frosting, attach the miniature marshmallows for legs and tail. Let stand until dry.

Source: Great Holiday Ideas

Cheesy Sausage And Egg Bake

Ingredients:

1. 1          pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained*
2. 1 1/2    cups sliced fresh mushrooms (4 ounces)
3. 8         medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
4. 2         medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
5. 2         cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
6. 1 1/4   cups Original Bisquick® mix
7. 1         cup milk
8. 1 1/2   teaspoons salt
9. 1 1/2   teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
10. 1/2      teaspoon pepper
11. 12       eggs

Directions:

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Layer sausage, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and cheese in dish.
2. 2 Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over cheese.
3. 3 Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Notes:

1. *Chorizo or hot Italian sausage can be substituted.
2. This bake can be made 8 to 12 hours ahead. Make as directed through step 2; cover and refrigerate. When ready to bake continue as directed in step 3, (bake time may be longer).

Source: bettycrocker.com

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet potato (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Whipped cream and pecan halves for garnish

Directions:

Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.

Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans.

Source: AllRecipe.com

Pine Cone Cheeseball

Ingredients:

2 8oz packages of cream cheese softened
2 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
one packet of Ranch dip or dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley)
1/2 tsp chipotle chili seasoning
approximately 2-3 cups of almonds, whole


Directions:

Blend cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. 

Add seasonings and blend, then add cheddar. 

Place cheese ball onto platter in two balls. 

Using plastic wrap over top, shape the cheese balls with your hands to form the shape of a pine cone.

Remove plastic wrap and starting at the bottom add the almonds to create the pine cone look. Enjoy!

Source: featurepics.com

Candy Christmas Wreath

Ingredients:

1 (12-oz.) package milk chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Butter
1 1/4 cups candy-coated chocolate pieces
1/2 cup coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 5 cookies) 

Directions: 

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan, reserving condensed milk can. Cook over medium-low heat until all morsels melt, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and salt. Cool slightly (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, grease an 8" round cake pan or springform pan with butter. Line pan with 2 pieces of plastic wrap, overlapping edges and smoothing out any wrinkles. Wrap empty condensed milk can with aluminum foil, smoothing out wrinkles; place in center of cake pan.

Stir 1 cup candies and crushed cookies into fudge; spread fudge in cake pan, holding can firmly in center. (A second pair of hands is a big help here.) Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate candies over fudge, gently pressing candies into fudge. Cover and chill until firm (about 2 to 3 hours).

To unmold, carefully loosen edges with a sharp knife, and remove can from center of fudge. Carefully invert fudge onto a plate. Invert again on a serving plate or cardboard cake round for gift giving. Cut fudge into thin slices to serve.

Note: For an easy gift giving "platter," we wrapped a cardboard cake round with wrapping paper.

Source: Christmas with Southern Living 2007, Oxmoor House 2007

Marshmallow Witches

It's getting closer to Halloween and you need to be ready for those trick or treeters'.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla frosting, divided
36 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
12 large marshmallows
1 drop each green, red and yellow food coloring, optional
1/4 cup flaked coconut
12 chocolate wafers
12 miniature peanut butter cups
12 milk chocolate kisses

Directions:

For the face of each witch, place a dab of frosting on the bottom of three chocolate chips; press two for eyes and one for nose onto each marshmallow.
For hair, combine green food coloring and a drop of water in a small resealable plastic bag; add coconut and shake well. Spread a small amount of frosting on sides of marshmallows; press coconut hair into frosting. Place 3 tablespoons of frosting in a small heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; tint orange with red and yellow food coloring. Set aside.
For hats, spread some of the remaining frosting in the center of chocolate wafers; press peanut butter cups upside down into frosting. Lightly spread bottoms of chocolate kisses with frosting; place on peanut butter cups. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert a small star tip. Fill the bag with frosting and pipe stars around the base of each peanut butter cup.

Secure a hat to each witch with a dab of frosting.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Source: Recipe.com

Mini Spider Bites

These little cupcakes are almost too sweet to eat! Let the kids help you assemble the charmers and you can teach a science lesson, too—what a great way to teach that all spiders have eight legs! —Sara Martin

Ingredients

: 

• Miniature cupcakes of your choice
• 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
• M&M's minis
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Pastry tip—round tip #7
• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• Shoestring black licorice

Directions:

• Generously frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting; add M&M's for noses. Top with chocolate sprinkles.
• Insert tip #7 into a pastry bag; fill with vanilla frosting and pipe spider's eyes. Add M&M's for pupils. Cut black licorice into 2-in. pieces; attach eight legs to each cupcake. Yield: varies.

Originally published as Mini Spider Bites in Halloween Food & Fun 2009 , p27 

The Great Pumpkin Cakes

These are the ultimate confectionery tribute to Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin. The little round cakes are surprisingly easy to make—just put two cupcakes together, frost and decorate with vines and leaves. —Sharon Skildum

Ingredients

 

• 1 package yellow cake mix or cake mix of your choice (regular size)
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting, divided
• 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons orange paste food coloring
• 12 green gumdrops
• 1/2 teaspoon green paste food coloring

Directions

• Prepare and bake cupcakes according to package directions. Fill 24 greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cans frosting; tint orange. Cut a thin slice off the top of each cupcake. Spread frosting on 12 cupcakes. Invert remaining cupcakes and place on top; frost top and sides.
• For stems, place one gumdrop on each pumpkin. Tint remaining frosting green. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert #5 round tip and fill with a third of the green frosting. Pipe curly vines from pumpkin stems. Using green frosting and #352 leaf tip, pipe leaves randomly along the vines. Yield: 1 dozen.

Originally published as The Great Pumpkin Cakes in Taste of Home Halloween Party Food