Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

 

In all my years of baking, I've never made scones! They're one of my favorite pastries but I never got up the nerve to make them before. They seemed too messy and complicated. I finally sucked it up and gave them a try. They were indeed messy. But not complicated at all! AND they turned out amazing! I'm already making another batch today for some friends :)

 

 

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, diced
1 c. frozen raspberries*
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter, melted
Sugar for sprinkling

 

Directions:

Whisk together the milk and sour cream and refrigerate until needed. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium or large bowl. Add the diced, cold butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the size of small peas. Add the milk mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined.

Place the dough onto a liberally floured work surface (this is where it gets messy!). Using floured hands, dust the dough with flour and knead 6-8 times, until it holds together in a ball. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds, like a letter, using a spatula to release dough if it sticks to the counter top. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form an approximate 4-inch square. Roll into a 12 inch square again. Sprinkle raspberries and white chocolate evenly over surface of the dough. Using a spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface and roll up tightly into a log. Place seam side down and press log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, slice rectangle into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-24 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 large scones.

 

Recipe found here

 

 

*I like to use frozen raspberries and break them into small pieces before adding them to the dough. It disburses them more evenly and you don't get big mouthfuls of raspberries when you bite into the scone.

 

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Oh my gosh...these are like a little piece of heaven in your mouth! So simple, yet so delicious! I love rice krispie treats and a looooove coconut so I knew I couldn't go wrong mixing the two together. I may or may not have eaten these for breakfast today ;)



Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. toasted shredded sweetened coconut*, divided
1 1/4 tsp. coconut extract
5 c. Rice Krispies cereal
Directions:
Generously spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray and set aside.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium/low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in half the toasted coconut (3/4 cup) and the coconut extract. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and press down with your fingers (it helps if you put a little cold water on your finger tips to prevent sticking). Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of toasted coconut on top and press lightly. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting and severing.

*To toast coconut, heat a skillet over medium heat (no oil needed) and add coconut. Stir constantly until lightly browned and crunchy, about 5 minutes.

Raspberry Almond Bars - take 1

I say "take 1" because I have a pile of raspberry almond bars/tarts/cakes etc. that I'll be trying out over the next several weeks to determine which recipe is best. Then I'll make my favorite for a big event I'm baking for in September.

This one turned out well. I don't have anything to compare it to though since it's the first! But it was really easy to make and they don't seem dry (something I'm trying to avoid). I'm feeding these to a group of ladies this evening...so we'll see if they go over well!

Raspberry Almond Bars

Ingredients:

2 c. white flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. almond extract
10 oz. raspberry preserves
1/2-3/4 c. sliced almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Next, slowly add the flour mixture until well combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with raspberry preserves. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until dough is set. Cool completely, cut into squares and serve.

Mango Coconut Sorbet

Wow! This post is long overdue! So sorry for how dead it's been around here. We're still busy busy getting our house in order....I'll have some room reveal posts soon! Over the last couple weeks I redid our laundry room, Amelia's room and put some finishing touches on Margot's room. It's looking and feeling great!

I really wanted to take a moment and share this sorbet recipe with you. It's just too good not to! I made this for my family earlier this week and it was consumed immediately! Everyone raved about it. Even a couple people who don't care for either flavors loved it. Mango and coconut are two of my favorite things to eat so I was super excited to make this! It met all my expectations and then some! I can't wait to make it again. Someone snapped this photo and posted it on Instagram. I borrowed it since it was the only one taken :)


Mango Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. water
2 c. peeled and cubed ripe mango
13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1.5 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 c. flaked coconut, toasted*

Directions:
In a small saucepan over med/low heat, combine the water and sugar and stir occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Next, place the mango cubes, coconut milk, lime juice and coconut extract into a blender and pulse until smooth. Add the sugar water and pulse a few more times until well combined. Place mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Once mixture is chilled, place in your ice cream maker and freeze to soft serve consistency. Transfer to a freezer container with lid and freeze 2-3 hours, until firm. Serve topped with toasted coconut*. Makes 6 servings.

*To toast coconut, heat a large skillet over med/high heat (no oil needed) and add coconut. Stir constantly until lightly browned and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Cool and serve.

Espresso Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

When I saw this cookie recipe in Annie's blog I pinned it and planned to make them for my dad for Father's Day. I think they were a hit. Just the right amount of chewiness. The coconut and espresso flavors weren't as prominent as I'd hoped. I even added an extra tablespoon of espresso powder...but they were still super tasty!

Espresso Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. espresso powder
1 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coconut extract

1 c. dark chocolate chips

1 c. shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and espresso powder and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Slowly add all the dry ingredients, beating on low speed, just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and coconut.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes in the preheated oven just until cookies are set. Let cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

I made these for Easter this year for the kiddos and my sister who can't have gluten. I think everyone else gave them a try, too! I was happy with how they turned out but I thought they could definitely be more Nutella-y. The hazelnuts and chocolate chips on top are a must!  It gave the that great Nutella flavor. I'll make them again but I'll try 3/4 cup of Nutella instead of 2/3 next time.

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter (plus more for the pan)

10 oz. bag marshmallows

2/3 c. Nutella

6 c. Rice Krispie cereal

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Once mixture is smooth, remove from heat and stir in the Nutella. Next, stir the cereal in until well coated. Coat the bottom and sides 13x9 pan with a little bit of softened butter. With butter on your fingers, press the cereal and Nutella mixture into the buttered pan. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and chocolate chips in an even layer all over the top and press firmly with your fingers until they're no longer lose, but attached to the top of the treats. Allow to cool at least 1 hour, cut and serve.

Chai Bars with Honey Ginger Icing

Here is yet another delicious recipe I came across on Pinterest! I love chai and I love an easy dessert to throw together. This is both! I'm embarrassed to say that Randy, Margot and I devoured these all on our own over the last several days. They were awesome! Super moist, too. They had a nice fall taste, almost like pumpkin spice. The blend of spices in these bars is amazing. I figured this could the last dessert like this for a while since yesterday was the first day of Spring ;)

Chai Bars with Honey Ginger Icing

Bar Ingredients:

1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1 egg
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt salt
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. cardamom (I didn't have)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Icing Ingredients:

2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ginger
1 c. powdered sugar
water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add the egg and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and spices and stir into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown. Let cool.
To make the icing: mix the honey, ginger, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add water, half a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is spreadable. Spread over the cookies and allow to set before cutting into squares.

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

I was in charge of dessert this year for our family's St. Patrick's Day meal. I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com and it had great reviews and looked easy to make so I decided to give it a try! Baileys is some good stuff...especially in dessert form! This cake was awesome! Super moist, super flavorful and it had a great texture. Everyone loved it. I think Randy is going to request this cake a lot from now on...not just for St. Patrick's Day! The original recipe called for using a bundt pan but I suggest using an angel food pan. I think it bakes more even and makes the cake look better :)

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 c. chopped pecans

18.25 oz. package yellow cake mix

3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3/4 c. Irish cream liqueur

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. water

1 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. Irish cream liqueur

Directions:

Preheat  oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour an angel food cake pan and sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly in the bottom and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Add the eggs, 1/4 cup water, vegetable oil and 3/4 cup liqueur. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan, on top of the nuts. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. While cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, 1/4 cup water, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of liqueur. After cake has cooled for 10 minutes, gently remove from and pan and place on a serving platter, pecan side down. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork and spoon half the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake, allow it to absorb and then spoon the second half of the glaze. Serves 10-12.



Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

I kept seeing this recipe in blog after blog...so being the pumpkin lover I am, I had to try it! Only 2 ingredients seemed too good to be true. But it's not! I was really pleased with how these turned out and I will totally make them again! You can't ask for a simpler recipe! I kind of turned them into 3 ingredient muffins by adding 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to them...mmm :)



Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
15 oz. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
18.25 oz. boxed spice cake mix

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and place paper liners in 2 muffin tins (24 total). In a bowl, combine the pumpkin and cake mix. Mix on medium/high for 30 seconds. Fill muffin papers 3/4 of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

So I've never made bread pudding before...I've never even eaten bread pudding before! So this was a major first for me. I love all things pumpkin so I was excited to give this a try. I was really happy with it! It was really easy to throw together and had a great, cozy autumn taste. My grocery store sells great, fresh baked whole wheat french bread which I'll probably use whenever I make this again in the future :)


Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
2 c. low fat milk
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 loaf french bread, cut into 10-12 thick slices

Directions:Preheat oven to 350. In a toaster, toast each slice of bread until golden brown, cut into cubes and spread evenly in a 13x9 baking dish. Whisk together all the other ingredients until well combined pour over the bread cubes in the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until set. Serve immediately, topped with whipped cream if desired. Serves 6-8.


Recipe adapted from here

Dirt Cake

Ingredients:
32 oz. Oreo cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2 3.5 oz. packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 c. cold milk
12 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
Gummy worms

Directions:
In a food processor, chop the Oreo cookies until they become crumbs (white parts will disappear). You should have about 8 cups of crumbs. Set aside.
Beat together the butter, cream cheese and powedered sugar. Separately, beat together the pudding mix, milk and whipped topping. Combine the cream cheese mixture with the milk mixture until smooth.
To assemble, simply layer the crumbs and pudding mixture in a round serving dish (or a brand new flower pot) starting with the crumbs. Place a few gummy worms on top of each layer of crumbs. Its up to you how thick or thin to make each layer. Makes 10-12 servings.

Notes: I've made this cake a few times before and it's always a hit! It's really fun and easy to make, too. This time I made it for Easter to share with my family and some of our friends. Recipe found here.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. instant espresso powder
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
4 egg yolks
3/4 c. white sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree

Directions:
In a medium or large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, espresso powder and spices and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, using a mixer on medium speed, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture becomes light in color and falls from the beaters in ribbons.

Remove one cup of liquid from the cream mixture and gradually pour into the egg yolk mixture, beating the entire time, to temper the eggs. Add tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan and whisk well. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Transfer the custard to a large bowl, preferably one with a pour spout, and cover tightly. Chill for at least two hours, or overnight. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Once the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 hours, or until ice cream has hardened.

Notes: I was really excited when I came across this recipe back in November and I just now got around to making it since I had some extra cream on hand. Pumpkin spice lattes are one of the few things I can't resist! This ice cream turned out great. In my opinion it needs more of an espresso taste though...the pumpkin really over powers it. Next time I'll add an extra tablespoon of espresso powder and I think it'll be perfect!

Recipe adapted from here

Lemon Bars

Crust Ingredients:
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. white sugar
2 c. white flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. white flour
4 eggs
2/3 c. lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
5 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. Beat together the 4 crust ingredients until dough forms. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, press dough evenly into the prepared dish and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. 

Filling Directions:
While crust is baking, whisk together the sugar and flour. Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and food coloring if using. Stir until well combined. Once crust has finished baking, pour the filling over the top (will be very thin) and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Place powdered sugar in a sifted and dust the top of the bars evenly while cooling. Cool completely, slice and serve. You can serve room temperature or refrigerate. Makes 24 bars.

Notes: These bars have always reminded me of my older sister. She used to make them all the time when we were kids and I never tried them because I didn't think I'd like them (I used to be really picky!). I thought of them today for some reason, maybe because my sister was on my mind, and I decided to give them a try! I'm sorry that I never tried them before...they are delicious! Very sweet and tart...but delicious!

PS-all the bars got eaten before I got a chance to take a picture of them, so I borrowed this one from Google images until next time I make them!

Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

Cake Ingredients:
18.25 oz. yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted


Filling Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
15 oz. can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg


Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 baking dish and set aside. Combine the cake mix, egg and butter and mix until well combined. Press evenly into the prepared baking dish and set aside.


Filling and Baking Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, butter and beat until combined. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Pour mixture over the cake batter (mixture will be thin) and bake 40-50 minutes. Do not over bake, the center should be a little gooey. Makes 12-15 squares.

Notes: I made this cake for Thanksgiving a couple years ago and it was a hit! I made again for an event at our church this evening. This is a Paula Dean recipe so you know it can't be good for you at all ;) But it's SO good! It's like a cross between pumpkin pie, custard and cheese cake with a really yummy, buttery crust. It's especially tasty with whipped cream and coffee.

Coffee Cake

Cake Ingredients:
2 c. flour
3/4 white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chilled butter
1 egg
about 3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Streusel Ingredients:
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. chilled butter


Cake Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Crack the egg into a 1 cup measuring cup and bet lightly. Fill the rest of the cup with milk and then add the vanilla. Stir well to combine. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Do not over mix!

Streusel and Baking Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugars and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. To assemble, spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan, followed by half the streusel. Repeat these steps with the remaining batter and streusel. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until cake is set. Makes 9 generous servings.

Notes: I'm not usually a very big fan of coffee cake but for some reason I was craving it last night so I threw this together for dessert. I'm so glad I did! It's probably the best tasting, fluffiest, most moist coffee cake I've ever had! And it was SO easy! I will make this again for sure :)

Watermelon Ice Cream Bombe

Ingredients:
5-6 c. lime sherbet
4-5 c. vanilla ice cream
5-6 c. strawberry or raspberry sherbet
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Line a gallon sized bowl with plastic wrap, making sure wrap hangs over the sides of the bowl at least 4 inches. Spoon the lime sherbet into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Press into the sides and bottom of the prepared bowl using a large spoon or your hands. Freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat the same process with the vanilla ice cream, pressing on top of the frozen lime sherbet in a thin layer. Freeze for another 30 minutes.

Spoon strawberry or raspberry sherbet into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Fill the remaining space in the bowl with this mixture, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze at least 6 hours. To unmold, remove the top plastic wrap and dip the outside of the bowl into warm water until the bombe begins to loosen, about 15 seconds. Place a serving platter over the bowl, flip over and shake to release bombe. Peel away the plastic wrap and slice into wedges with a large knife dipped in warm water. Serves 14-16.

Notes: I thought of my brother Stefan when I saw this recipe because he loves sherbet. It was his birthday and he was out of town. BUT I finally made it for him this week (only 3 months late!) and it was a hit. Everyone really liked it...including me, and I'm not the biggest sherbet fan. I had a hard time getting a good picture of the bombe. This shot is the best I could get...

Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh medium-large strawberries
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Wash and dry the strawberries, cut the stems off and stand up straight. Cut an "x" in the tip of each strawberry going 3/4 of the way down. Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Place mixture into a piping bag (or in my case, a Ziploc baggie with a hole cut in the tip!) and squeeze into each strawberry from the bottom up. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes: Randy has had a few crazy days at work so I wanted to have a little treat waiting for him today. These were simple to make and really delicious and fresh! They were a little messy and making them made me wish I had a piping bag....oh well, I'll get one someday...maybe! These would be great for a baby or bridal shower or any party, really :)

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ingredients:
3 c. all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 1/2 c. white sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. chilled butter (I used half Smart Balance)
4 c. fresh blueberries
3 tsp. corn starch

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1 cup sugar and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter and egg until crumbly. Pieces should be no larger than a pea.
In a separate bowl, stir together the blueberries, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch. Pour half the crumble mixture into the prepared pan. Pour blueberry mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the blueberries. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

recipe adapted from here 

Notes: Blueberries were on sale this week at the grocery store so I picked up an 18 oz. carton (which turned out to be exactly 4 cups...perfect!) and made these bars with them. I'm not a huge blueberry fan, but these were so good! I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and made a few of my own little changes....super easy to make, I threw them together in a couple minutes! They are a great for dessert or to munch on with your morning coffee :)

M&M Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:
1/4 c. butter (plus additional for the pan)
10 oz. bag large marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispies Cereal
1 1/2 c. regular M&Ms candy

Directions:
Grease a large pan (I used an 11x16) and set aside. In a large sauce pan, melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the marshmallows, stirring continually until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies. Next, quickly stir in the M&Ms so the colors don't start to "bleed". With butter on your fingertips, press into the prepared pan. Allow to cool for at least and hour and then cut into 24 squares.

Notes: I'm making Randy and his band some treats to take on their week long trip to Illinois...this is one of four things I'm making. These are simple and yummy and should hold up well during their travels.

Cherry Chip Bars

Ingredients:
1 box Cherry Chip cake mix
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
5 drops red food coloring (optional)
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, water, brown sugar, butter and eggs. Mix for 1 minute on low spread. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Notes: My mom used to make these when I was little and I loved them! Chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite flavor combos and these bars are so easy to throw together so they're wonderful!