Young At Heart Mommy

Managing Motherhood Through Love & Laughter

Salted Caramel SNACK ATTACK Brownies

I’m a sucker for sweet and salty desserts, nothing new. They are easily my favorite thing to create and consume even though I have been trying REALLY hard to behave myself lately. With the exception of a small piece of pie on Easter I have been sugar-sober for over a month now. That’s a long time for someone that enjoys baking weekly and has a sweet tooth that could kill.  I have still been actively working on my “baking bucket list” checklist and today I finally made salted caramel sauce from scratch. What took me so long? This stuff is incredible! Sweet, salty, creamy, and gooey – now that’s inspiration. Easily a future addiction.
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Cotton Candy Cobweb Cupcakes

With Halloween about two weeks away I am thrilled to say that costumes have been purchased, treat bags have been assembled for school, decorations are up and the giant cauldron by the front door is full to the rim with CANDY! This year was painless. Since I ordered Toodie’s costume and accessories online I was able to avoid the crazy crowds, the worst part of any holiday. Of course I decided to use the saved timed and energy to make another treat in the kitchen this weekend, Cotton Candy Cobweb Cupcakes. I couldn’t help myself given the next two weeks are busy ones. This may be the last yummy treat I make before the haunted holiday arrives!
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Cookies And Cream Popcorn Munch

I don’t know if it’s because Publix has the sweetest B1G1 deals or we really love these classic cream filled wafers but we have accumulated a plethora of Oreo cookies in our pantry. Original, double stuffed, lemon, mint, root beer- you name it, we got it. Every time they release a new flavor it ends up in our shopping cart. With the snack drawer needing a little  of relief I decided to use what we had lying around and whip up a batch of Cookies & Cream Popcorn Munch.Worst thing I could have ever done because no one in this house can stop  eating it including my child who is totally wired right now. I can only blame myself and my continuous itch to make sweet goodies. If you love the lovable Oreo or the medley of sweet and salty flavors, this is the snack for you
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Caramel Apple Pie Popsicles

Judging by the amount of sunshine we are getting I am well aware that Summer is still alive and kicking. But I can’t help but be ready for Fall. Am I the only one eager for the season change? It’s my favorite time of the year and I am so over this heat. Bring on the nice weather, warm apple pies, big pumpkins, and cute boots! If there is anything I associate with Fall it’s all of the baked treats and homemade goodies that bring about those warm fuzzy feelings. Since Summer is still here I decided to combine two of my favorite things from each season, popsicles and apple pie! If you are also itching for Fall to arrive these are a great way to hold you over and put you in the mood. If you think warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream is delicious just wait until you try these Caramel Apple Pie Popsicles!
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Fudgy Double Chocolate Ice Cream Cookie Trifle #IBBakesWell

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.

I’ve developed a patten over the past month and I have noticed that Wednesdays are the appointed day of the week in which I get my bake on. It may be because it’s the only day of the week when I have the house to myself without any distractions or interruptions. That means extra time to get in touch with my sweet side, the one that involves a spatula and cookie dough. I was recently sent a big box of goodies that included a variety of Immaculate Baking products. If you aren’t familiar with this company you should probably know the basics and why they stand out from the others.
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Sweet + Salty Maple Bacon Toffee Bark

You can find bacon in over a thousand recipes, from your grandmother’s homemade Split Pea Soup to Smoked Macaroni & Cheese. They’re all delicious. But after many weeks of searching for baking inspiration I came to the conclusion that there just aren’t enough desserts featuring this decadent ingredient. By now you should know that based on my other recipes I have an infatuation with anything sweet and salty. My latest creation, Maple Bacon Toffee Bark,  combines crisp salty bacon, sweet toffee, and rich caramel. Add a hint of sea salt and your taste buds will be sent in overload with the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory.
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Recipe: Ooey Gooey Cake Batter Bars

Growing up my mother was not the best cook on the block but she sure could bake. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree in this case. While I enjoy cooking and attempting to make edible dishes, it just isn’t my thing. You should stick to what your good at in and out of the kitchen. I’m good at burning things and also setting the smoke alarm off. That alone tells me that my culinary interests should be channeled to something more productive. Now when it comes to baking I’m your girl.
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Pillsbury Bake-Off: Malted Milk Ball Peanut Butter Cream Squares #BakeOff #PlatefullCoOp

Disclosure: The information and samples have been provided by Pillsbury through Platefull Co-Op.

Baking sweets and treats is one of my many guilty pleasures. Whether it’s cookies or cakes I am always in the kitchen whipping up some sort of dessert. Do you know anyone who is passionate about cooking and baking too? If so, their creativity in the kitchen could land them a spot to compete for $1 million and other prizes in the 47th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest! Their original recipes may be submitted online at www.BakeOff.com now through May 8, 2014. The Bake-Off® Kitchens will evaluate all eligible entries and choose the top 100 recipes to compete at the 47th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest Finals at the Omni Nashville Hotel on November 3, 2014.
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Recipe: NO BAKE Blueberry Muffin Pudding Push Pops

I love baking. I truly do. If you’ve been around here long enough then you probably can confirm this. But these days I find myself tired of cake, frosting, sprinkles, the process, the clean up, and the waiting. Sometimes it’s just nice to have an easy recipe that you can whip up in a matter of minutes and not have to clean a ton of sticky utensils after. I’ve had a box of the plastic cake push up pops sitting in my garage for some time now. I didn’t want to make the same old boring layered cake concoction so I decided to base my recipe on one of my favorite snacks; mini muffins. No bake, no mess, no problem! You can make and consume these little guys in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
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Make Your Own Jolly Rancher Lollipops

What You Need:
  • Parchment Paper
  • Jolly Ranchers
  • Lollipop Sticks
  • Cookie Sheet

    First things first, unwrap all your Jollyrancher candy! While you are preparing your lollipops, preheat your oven to 275°F. Any hotter and they will melt too quickly. After two attempts, I found this to be the ideal temperature.

      

    When i took a trip to the store yesterday I thought I picked up the Original Jolly Rancher bag but somehow ended up with Passion Fruit flavors. If you want your lollipops to be colorful make sure you get the correct assortment. These flavors were still very good and also tangy.

    Once all of your candies are unwrapped, you are going to take three at a time and group them together on your parchment paper. You can mix and match your colors according to what you want your lollipops to look like. We only had three basic colors to work with so we did our best! Make sure you leave enough space between each group because they are going to expand in the oven.
      
    By now your oven should be ready for candy cookin’. Place your baking sheet into the per-heated oven and allow them to melt for about 6 minutes.
    Make sure to keep an eye on them because once they have begun to melt, it does not take long after. The longer they are in the oven, the bigger they get. If the candy melts too thin it will be difficult to keep the stick attached.When they are finished they look something similar to the photo below.

     
    The lollipops will be very hot when you remove them from the oven. Immediately place the stick at the ends of the melted candy, twisting so that the candy wraps around it. This will keep it firmly in place.As you can see, each lollipop has it’s own unique shape. Some are long, some are short, and some are wide!  
     

    These cool rather quickly but we allowed ours to sit for 10 minutes so they wouldn’t be floppy.  Once they’re are cooled off you can pop them right off the parchment paper.If you want to speed up the process you can stick them in the fridge. These homemade Jollyrancher lollipops are Toodie approved! 

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