{Easy English Toffee}

This is my favorite things to make at Christmas time. Its easy and makes a lot to give away. And it is out of this world yummy.

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

5 Tbs hot water

1 cup sliced almonds

For the chocolate topping:
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 minute increments until smooth. Pour over the toffee once it is set. Then top the chocolate with sliced almonds if you desire.  

Place the butter in a large pot over medium high heat, (make sure you have your candy thermometer in the pot) Once the butter is melted add the sugar and stir until it is all combined. Keep stirring. When the mixture comes to a boil add the water one tablespoon at a time. Keep stirring and add the almonds. Now you just keep stirring over medium heat until the candy thermometer reaches 310 degrees. It usually takes about 10 minutes or so. The mixture starts to turn a light brown color and pulls away from the sides.

Remove it from the heat and pour into a large jelly roll pan, and let it cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute or until it is smooth and melted. Pour the chocolate over the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Once it has set, break it into pieces and store in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.

{Cheesy Potatoes AKA Funeral Potatoes}

I have had a ton of different variations of this recipe and this one is the best one I have tried. I like that they don't have any condensed soup in them. They are really easy and always turn out cheesy and delicious.

3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
26-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 cup light sour cream

Topping:
3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent,a bout 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Combine the chicken broth and milk in a liquid measure and slowly whisk in the mixture. Add the salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth. Mix in the frozen hash browns, lifting and folding the mixture until well combined. Finally, stir in the sour cream.

In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined. Scoop out the potato mixture into a 9X13-inch baking dish and top with the buttered cornflakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

{Homemade Celery and Herb Stuffing}

I have always loved stuffing at Thanksgiving time. It's probably my favorite part of the whole meal. I decided last year to try making homemade stuffing, and Thanksgiving will never be the same. This was so amazing and really a lot more simple then I thought it would be. I actually made it the night ahead and kept in the fridge until it was ready to put in the oven the next day. I will be making this every year from here on out.

7 tablespoons butter, plus more for dish and baking
1 loaf rustic/artisan/crusty white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 9 1/2 cups bread cubes)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced in half-moons
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 to 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Toss with bread cubes in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer on 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toast in the oven, tossing once, until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Heat the oil and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add celery, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 10 minutes.

To bake all of the stuffing in the oven: (this is my preferred method) Put vegetable mixture and toasted bread into large bowl. Stir in poultry seasoning, herbs, and 2 cups broth into stuffing. Stir in 4 eggs until bread mixture is well coated. Spoon into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish, and dot generously with butter. Cover with foil, and bake in a 375° oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

To stuff inside of turkey: Put vegetable mixture and toasted bread into a bowl. Stir in 1 cup broth, the poultry seasoning, and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 eggs. Stuff inside of turkey and bake.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

{Candy Corn Cookies}

This was a really fun recipe to make with my kids. Gotta love a good chocolatey cookie that has a touch of Halloween to it :)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• About 36 candy corns
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat  until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and cocoa powder and mix until a dough forms.
• Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch  10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

*Recipe Source: Martha Stuart 

{Springy Cupcakes}

I know Easter is now over, but I think these cupcakes are not only cute for Easter but for spring time. My kids and I loved making these, they were really simple and fun to make. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend :)

1 box cake mix (I used funfetti)
batch of your favorite frosting
2-3 drops green food coloring
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
pastel colored candy coated chocolate eggs

Prepare and bake cupcakes according to the package direction. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled. frost with your favorite frosting (I used this frosting) In a separate bowl mix coconut with 2-3 drops green food coloring until you get the desired color you want. Sprinkle the coconut over frosting and stick candy eggs on top. I thought it worked best to dip the eggs in frosting and then sticking them on, that way they stayed put.

{Key Lime Pie}

Happy Pi Day!! I thought this would be a great dessert for today, especially because this warm weather is making me excited for Summer. Also a fun dessert to make for St. Patrick's Day and adding a little green food coloring to the filling :) To make it extra easy on yourself buy a ready made graham cracker pie shell from the store, thats what I usually do :)

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick butter (4 Tbs) melted
2 (14oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lime juice
2 whole eggs
Whipping Cream (homemade is best)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees

In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, Slice and serve with whipping cream on top.



Recipe adapted from: Emeril Lagasse

{THE Best Sugar Cookies}

I consider myself a little bit of a sugar cookie snob. I love them so so much, but I have to have them a certain way. My favorite have been THESE for years, and I have made a ton of others to try and compare to them and FINALLY I have found a recipe that I think are even better. These cookies are perfect. I love that they are soft and chewy and just perfect. Maybe the cake flour has something to do with it. I just know that I am completely in love. Happy Valentines Day :)

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups cake flour


Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended well. Add dry ingredients and mix. To make dough easier to work with, chill before rolling.

Roll  to about 1/4 inch thick and cut cookies and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. 

Cookies are done when top is slightly cracked and no longer looks wet. Do not brown.

Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup butter

3-4  cups powdered sugar

2 Tbs milk

1/2 tea vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat soft butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add milk, almond extract and vanilla, blend well. Tint frosting with food color as desired. Decorate with sprinkles immediately after frosting. 

(If the frosting is too thick add a little more milk, if too thin add a little more p. sugar)

Adapted from: A Bountiful Kitchen

{Red Velvet Cake}

I have really wanted to try some fun and creative recipes for Valentines this year... There are so many good ones on Pinterest. BUT sadly I have not gotten around to it. I did make this cake and it was really good and easy to make. I topped it with some Valentines sprinkles to be more festive. Anything to make the kids happy right?

For the cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 (1-oz.) bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup lowfat sour cream
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a liquid measure or other bowl, whisk the buttermilk, red coloring and vanilla together.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sour cream, oil, butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Add half of flour mixture and mix. Add the buttermilk/food coloring mixture and mix again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the remaining flour until just combined. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda until mixture fizzes then quickly fold into batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the countertop to burst any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Don’t over bake or the cake will be dry. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, butter and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Slowly mix in powdered sugar. When the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the cake, cut into pieces and serve. If not serving right away, store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Alternately, you can spread the frosting on each individual piece instead of the entire cake.

Adapted slightly from: Mels kitchen Cafe

{Breakfast Buns}

I actually made these on Christmas Morning. They were so moist and yummy. I ended up making them the night before and then sticking them in my freezer and baking them in the morning, so it was really easy. I made the glaze to go over mine, but just dusting them with powdered sugar is great too.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour + 1/2 cup  cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 2 1/4 cups heavy cream

Coating:
7 tablespoons butter, melted
Cinnamon and sugar for rolling (I just mixed my own together)

Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add 2 cups of the cream all at once, then toss and stir the mixture till the dough comes together. If necessary, add additional cream to make the dough cohesive. Gather the dough in your hands and knead it a few times to make sure there are no dry spots.

Place the cinnamon sugar in a small, shallow bowl or pan; or in a plastic zip-top bag. Break off pieces of dough about the size of a ping pong ball, or about 1 1/8 ounces. Dip each piece in melted butter  then roll or shake in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. Place the cinnamon-coated dough balls into the pan of your choice in a single layer; they’ll be touching one another, which is just fine.

Cover the pan with plastic, and place in the freezer overnight, or for up to a week or so. If freezing longer than overnight wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then in foil. Next day, remove the pan from the freezer, and let the buns rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. The buns don’t need to thaw.

If you’re baking the buns immediately (not frozen), bake them for 45 to 50 minutes, till the buns in the center are cooked through. You can asses this by taking a toothpick and actually digging into the center bun to take a look; it should look totally baked, not doughy. If the buns have been frozen, bake them for 65 to 70 minutes, testing for doneness as instructed above. Tent them with aluminum foil after 45 minutes of baking. 

Remove from the oven, and serve immediately. Dust with powder sugar, or powdered sugar glaze (recipe below) if desired, right before serving.

Powder Sugar Glaze:

4 tbs butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3-6 tbs hot water

Mix all together until it is slightly runny.

Recipe Source: King Arthurs Flour

{Yummy Cheese Ball}

Here is a recipe for a yummy and very easy cheese ball. I hope you all have a fun and safe New Years!! xo

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 package ranch-style dressing mix
2 cups chopped pecans

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and dressing mix. Form into one large ball or two smaller balls. Roll in chopped pecans to coat the entire ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

{Delicious Fudge}

I have really gotten into candy making this year. It has been a lot of fun. I figure since I am not living close to my family to eat up all their goodies I need to make my own. This was my first time making fudge. It was so creamy and delicious. Make sure you cover it good while you store it in the fridge, otherwise it will dry out. Happy Holidays!

4 cups sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1 cups butter

2 large (4.4 ounce)  Hershey Chocolate Candy Bars

1  12 oz package milk chocolate chips

1  7 oz jar marshmallow cream

Put the sugar, milk and butter into a large sauce pan. Stir it all together over medium high heat. Bring it to a boil while you continue stirring. Once the mixture has reached a "hard boil" which means it keeps boiling even while you are stirring it, continue cooking for 5 minutes while you stir. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Hershey chocolate bars, chocolate chips and marshmallow cream. Mix it well so that all the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the fudge into a buttered 9x13 pan. Let the fudge set and cool for about 1 hour. After it has cooled down you can cover it (or it will dry out) and store it in the fridge, or freeze it. 






Recipe Source: Jamie Cooks It Up

{Gingerbread Cookies}

These little guys were really fun to make, and they were really yummy to eat. :)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg yolk

2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Chill for about an hour. (My dough was pretty stiff so I actually just rolled them out with out chilling it, and they turned out perfect)

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2″ apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. If you bake them on the short end they will stay soft and chewy and if you bake them on the longer end they will be nice and crispy. I like mine soft and chewy so I baked for exactly 8 minutes and they were wonderful!

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

{English Toffee}

I recently got a candy thermometer and it has made me one happy girl! I have never made candy for Christmas because I never dared to do it without one. Now I can't stop making candy, it's so fun. This English Toffee recipe is so simple and so delicious. I have made two different recipes that are both really good. One happens to be my Mother in Laws recipe which she is pretty much famous for. The other one is really good too, I can't decide which one I like better. I think I will post both just to have them when I need them. You really can't go wrong with either. :)

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
6 Tbs hot water
3 Tbs corn syrup
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 cups melted chocolate (I use milk and I prefer a large symphony bar)
extra nuts chopped finely (like almonds or pecans)


Place the butter in a large pot over medium high heat, (make sure you have your candy thermometer in the pot) Once the butter is melted add the sugar and stir until it is all combined. Keep stirring. When the mixture comes to a boil add the corn syrup and add the water one tablespoon at a time. Keep stirring and add the almonds. Now you just keep stirring over medium heat until the candy thermometer reaches anywhere between 275-280 degrees. It usually takes about 10 minutes or so. The mixture starts to turn a light brown color and pulls away from the sides.
Remove it from the heat and pour into a large jelly roll pan, and let it cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute or until it is smooth and melted. Pour the chocolate over the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Once it has set, break it into pieces and store in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.



Kelley's Toffee 


2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
5 Tbs hot water
1 cup sliced almonds

Do the same steps as said above, except cook it until the thermometer reads 310 degrees.

{Oreo Truffles}

I am posting these again because they are so amazing and perfect treats for the holidays. I got the original recipe from  The Sisters Cafe These are surprisingly very easy to make, and look pretty fancy when they're all done :)
















1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground up in blender or food processor
1 1/2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine ground Oreos and cream cheese in mixer using paddle attachment until well mixed. Roll into 1 inch balls (makes about 30) and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.

Melt white chocolate in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt dark chocolate and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip a small corner and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.

{4th of July Pops}

I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July weekend! I love this time of year, there is so much to do, and so many yummy things to eat :) I got this recipe out of the Family Fun Magazine and they are so fun and refreshing. This makes 12 popsicles.

2 cups blue Kool-aid (or blue drink)
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups red Kool-aid (or red drink)
12 (5 oz) disposable cups
12 wooden craft sticks

*I have the plastic popsicle makers that I bought from Target, so I used those.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the blue drink into each of the 12 disposable cups. Freeze until partially frozen, about 30-45 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the whipped cream and yogurt. Equally divide the yogurt mixture among the cups. Add a craft stick to the center of each cup and return to the freezer for another 45 minutes.

Remove from the freezer and pour 1/4 cup of the red drink into each cup, on top of the yogurt mix. Freeze until solid.

Run briefly under warm water to remove the popsicles from the cups.

{Crock-Pot Maple Brown Sugar Ham}

This year for Easter I had the fun opportunity to host dinner at my house! It was so fun, and of course we had to have ham right? I had never made a ham before, so I browsed the internet and found this great recipe! What is easier then throwing something in the crock pot?? And this is the most flavorful ham I have ever had, and I have had some good ham! I adapted it slightly from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I will be making this again for sure!

*I ended up buying a 9 pound spiral-cut ham, and the top stuck out too far for the lid to go on, so I just wrapped the whole top of my crock-pot with 3 layers of aluminum foil so no heat could escape, it turned out perfect!














7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice

Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the crock-pot, flat side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

{Sugar Cookies} Happy Easter!

My Sister in Law made these awesome sugar cookies while we were in Utah during Christmas. They remind me of a homemade version of Lofthouse cookies. They fluff up pretty big, but I love that they keep their shape after they are baked, because they are much easier to frost that way. My 3 year old and I made these a couple days ago, but I cut the recipe in half. Here is the full recipe. Happy Easter everyone!!














1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cup white sugar
4 whole eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups of all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together and until creamy. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl sift together the baking soda, cream of tartar and flour, slowly add the flour mixture to the cream mixture. Chill the dough for 1 hour. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch in thickness and cut out into desired shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Let them cool on a rack completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 Tbs karo syrup
2 -2 1/2cups powdered sugar
6-7 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

*Adjust the milk or powdered sugar a little to reach desired consistency. I like mine on the thick side.

Mix the butter until fluffy, add the powdered sugar and all the other ingredients until all combined.

{Chocolate M&M Cookies}

These are really good! And I was glad I found a fun way to use the Easter M&M's I just bought :)













1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup M&M’s
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and the butter in the Microwave for one minute. Stir. Microwave again for one minute and stir well. If the chocolate is not fully melted, continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until the chocolate and butter are well combined

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer), combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually mix in flour mixture on low speed. Fold in M&M’s with a wooden spoon (don’t use a mixer as the M&M’s will break into pieces and not stay whole).

Lightly grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Drop dough onto baking sheets by tablespoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until they have slightly flattened and there are a few cracks on the surface, about 13-14 minutes. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies sit for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 2 days. They also freeze well.

{Mascarpone Cupcakes With Strawberry Glaze}

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! I thought these were really good, and I really liked the switch of the glaze on top instead of the traditional Icing, it was still really sweet but very fresh tasting from the strawberries. Yummy!













8oz Mascarpone Cheese
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine cheese, eggs and oil. Beat until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill cups to center, bake according to package, let cool completely.
Puree strawberries in blender. Place powdered sugar in a bowl and pour in the puree, whisk until smooth. Top the cupcakes with glaze and let set.

{Chocolate and Caramel Covered Pretzel Rods}

These are really fun to make, really messy but way fun :) So delicious! This recipe makes about 40 pretzels and I didn't have a candy thermometer so I just kept dripping the caramel into cold water to see if it would roll in a ball and once it did I knew it was done. :)














1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
14 0z. can sweetened condensed milk
tiny bit of salt
pretzel rods
chocolate for dipping and drizzling (I used about 10 ounces of milk chocolate that I just chopped up and melted to cover the pretzels and for additional drizzling and 6 ounces of white chocolate for drizzling)

Mix ingredients in order over medium heat. Come to a rolling boil to soft ball stage. Take caramel off heat and use a spatula to smooth caramel over pretzels. I let the caramel set for about 15 minutes and then rolled the pretzel on waxed paper so there wasn't a pool of caramel under the pretzel.

After caramel has set on pretzels (about 20 minutes), melt desired chocolate in microwave or in a bowl over simmering water. I poured my melted chocolate into a tall glass and dipped each caramel pretzel into the glass to coat the caramel pretzel in chocolate. Again, lay the pretzel to dry on a tray covered in parchment paper. I put them in the refrigerator to set fully before drizzling with white chocolate. (I also used food coloring to color the white chocolate before drizzling.) For drizzling, use remaining melted chocolate and pour into a ziploc bag. Cut a tiny tip off one corner and drizzle across pretzels.

If the pool of chocolate underneath the pretzel is too big, don't worry just cut it off with a knife. ENJOY!