Gooey Jello Popcorn Balls with Marshmallows

I grew up eating popcorn balls made from just about every flavor of jello - orange, strawberry, cherry, lime - and I love them all. Now when I think about popcorn balls (or sing "a popcorn ball that would smell so sweet"), I can't help but remember these special treats. My mom and Auntie-X were the bakers of the popcorn balls when I was little. Along these same lines were caramel popcorn balls and even molasses! Each little ball would be homemade with love and wrapped up in plastic wrap for constant snacking that day. Good times.  

Of course, now that V-man is obsessed with popcorn and anything sweet - sound familiar? - I had to look up recipes for some jello popcorn balls. I came across this recipe on My Real Life Dinner for Jello Popcorn Balls with Mini Marshmallows. The thought of adding marshmallows to an already gooey, sweet, sticky ball sounded to me, like a fantastic idea! And V-man was all for it. I halved the recipe from My Real Life Dinner since I was just trying it out, but since I will no longer need to cut this quantity in half ever again, I will include the full recipe. The one switcharoo I made to put these fruity snacks over the top is that I used multi-colored "fruit" flavored mini marshmallows. Yes please.

What's great about these beauties is that you can use ANY flavor if jello you like! V-man chose lime, so we went with lime. Perhaps a refreshment idea for a How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie night...?

For a printable recipe, click here:

Gooey Jello Popcorn Balls with Marshmallows

Ingredients:

• 1 small box of Jello, any flavor
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 c. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. water
• 2 c. fruity mini marshmallows
• 9 c. popped popcorn

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the popcorn and mini marshmallows. Set aside.
2. Prepare a sheet of wax paper to place formed balls on.
3. In a small saucepan, combine Jello, sugar, butter, syrup, and water. Cook on medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Turn burner to medium low (make sure mixture keeps boiling at this temp or turn it up a little) and cook for 1.5 - 2 minutes. 
4. Quickly pour mixture over popcorn and marshmallows and stir with a wooden spoon until popcorn is evenly coated.
5. With buttered hands, form popcorn into 12 round balls (6 if you want them mega-sized!). Set formed balls on to wax paper and allow to cool.
6. After they cool, wrap each ball individually in some plastic wrap to stay fresh.
7. Enjoy!

These are perfect little edible gifts to give away, especially in the Fall. Visiting teaching, home teaching, neighbor gifts...my list can go on and on! I've been so busy helping some Boy Scouts sell popcorn that all I think about is popcorn now! Good thing I'm a little bit obsessed with the stuff :)

Let me know how these turn out and what flavors you like best!

Cream-filled Cookies-and-Cream Cupcakes

I really love Oreo-flavored-anything. In fact, my mom purchased some jet black alkalized cocoa powder from the Mennonite store and I tried it...and was totally sold. I put it in my Pero, my microwave mug cakes, and even in my oatmeal! When I first tried it, it had a very familiar taste. After doing some research, found out that it is in fact the same cocoa that is the base of Oreo cookies. Ah ha! That's where I'd tasted it before!

Now, I must admit that I have yet to perfect a cupcake recipe using my jet black cocoa powder. It reacts differently to the baking soda and baking powder and I have not found that perfect combination. So needless to say, this recipe actually DOESN'T use jet black cocoa powder. However, that Oreo/cookies and cream taste is present in each and every bite!

If anyone has in fact perfected a jet black cocoa cupcake, please please please share the recipe!

These cupcakes are filled with a buttery-sweet cream filling and topped with a magnificent Oreo buttercream recipe I found on My Un-entitled Life's blog. It was superb. I did not change one thing. 

Our church ward had a dessert auction for the Young Women to earn funds for Girls Camp. Naturally, I volunteered to make a couple desserts for the auction; this was one of them. Two lucky families went went home with these special sweets...and the Young Women got a little added funds for their camp. I feel pretty good about the outcomes :)

For a printable recipe, click here:

Cream-filled Cookies-and-Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen chocolate cupcakes of your choice (my current go-to cupcakes are these)
• 2 dozen mini Oreo cookies, optional

For the cream filling:

• 1 c. milk
• 5 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla 

For the Oreo buttercream: This recipe has been doubled

• 6 c. powdered sugar
• 2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 to 4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 24 Oreo cookies, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Prepare the cream filling by combining the milk and flour in a saucepan. Cook until thick; refrigerate until cool. In a bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk mixture and beat 10 minutes. 
2. Put the filling into a piping bag with a round decorating tip. Place the tip into the center of each cupcake so that it almost touches the bottom. Squeeze piping bag until the filling spreads and reaches the top of the hole you created with the bag. Repeat with each cupcake.
3. Prepare the Oreo frosting by creaming the powdered sugar, butter, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and cream and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the cookie crumbles and mix. Frost each cupcake using a piping bag and rounded decorating tip.
4. Place a mini Oreo cookie on top of each frosted cupcake to really make these delectables shine. 
5. Enjoy and share with friends!

S'mores Popcorn Mix

I think s'mores may be one of my favorite flavor combinations of summer. And this particular s'mores treat probably beats out the rest because of how simple and quick it is to put together! Not only that, but I can almost guarantee that EVERYONE who likes chocolate will love this chocolatey, grahamy, marshmallowy treat! Crazy enough, I actually came up with this one night when I had company over and did NOT have a treat for them (I know, shocking) so I had to whip up something quick with what I had. This was born.

Since then, I have made this so many times for Boy Scouts, dinner parties, and even just a quick evening snack in front of the TV. It works in so many different situations. 

The only problem with this little snack mix though, is that it is addicting. It's one of those treats that you can just sit and munch on all night and not even realize it. But hey, the base ingredient is popcorn and as a dessert-lover, I consider popcorn a healthy addition to my diet!

  

For a printable recipe, click here.

S'mores Popcorn Mix

Ingredients:

• 4 c. popped popcorn (or 1/4 c. kernels)*
• 3 squares melting chocolate**
• 3/4 c. mini marshmallows
• 2 Hersheys chocolate bars, broken into pieces***
• 3/4 c. graham cracker chunks****
• salt to taste, optional

Instructions:

1. Pour the popped popcorn (kernels removed) onto a foil-lined baking sheet. (If using unsalted popcorn, add salt to taste). Pour the graham crackers and marshmallows over the popcorn and mix to evenly combine.
2. Melt the melting chocolate in a microwave according to package directions. Drizzle it all over the popcorn so that the popcorn, graham crackers, and the marshmallows get a nice drizzle of goodness. (For a more dense, chocolately version, see notes** below). Add the pieces of chocolate bar over the top of the whole mixture.
3. Let the mixture sit on the sheet pan until the chocolate hardens. Break it all up and place in a serving container. 
4. Share and enjoy with many...or just yourself!

Notes:

* I often use 1/4 c. of kernels and just add salt, but the salty-sweet contrast of buttered microwave popcorn with the other ingredients in this recipe is my favorite way to go. 

** I have also used milk chocolate chips and melted them. They do take A LOT longer to set and harden, but they totally work. One option is to actually melt about 1/2 of a bag or so of milk chocolate chips and coat the ENTIRE mixture with chocolate so that everything is completely coated. That is a lot sweeter, but equally delicious. 

*** You can substitute milk chocolate or even semisweet chocolate chips here.

**** I have also used Golden Graham cereal. It works just as well, it's just sweeter.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-filled Cupcakes

I posted an amazing recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes a couple years ago on this blog and I didn't think they could get much better. But let me tell you - they can! This new and improved recipe is a compilation of a few different recipes from two sources. When combined into one rockin' cupcake, they create something magical. 

Now, the recipe I had been using came from Allrecipes and it was great. I have zero complaints with it. But this recipe uses the "Easy Vanilla Cupcakes" recipe from Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, as well as their "Chocolate Frosting". The cookie dough filling here is actually eggless and comes from Lovin from the Oven. (However, I will say that the heat of the cupcakes while in the oven does cook the egg in the cookie dough from the previous recipe. So no need to worry about that if you want to just use pre-made or your favorite cookie dough instead.) 

For a printable version of the recipe, click here. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-filled Cupcakes

Cookie Dough Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1/4 c. brown sugar, plus 2 Tbsp
• 2 tsp. water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow (or white) cake mix
• 1 c. sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract (be aware of allergies and sensitivities to this)

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 15-18 mini Chips Ahoy cookies 

Instructions:

1. For the cookie dough: Cream the butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add water and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Roll into 1-inch balls and place in the freezer until ready to use.
2. For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 15-18 muffin cups (there will be leftover cake batter) with cupcake liners and set aside.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat 30 seconds on medium speed until the mixture is moistened. Increase speed to high and beat another 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among the lined muffin tins, about 1/4 c. in each liner.
4. Place a frozen cookie dough ball in the center of each batter-filled muffin tin. (You can choose to put the cookie dough ball in first and it will cook with a little more solid bottom and chewy, doughy middle if you prefer that).
5. Bake cupcakes for 17-18 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the cupcake portion comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
6. For the chocolate frosting: Beat the ingredients together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Easy as that! 
7. Frost the cooled cupcakes using a piping bag and tip. 
8. Place a mini Chips Ahoy cookie on top of each cupcake if desired.
9. Enjoy!

These cupcakes are a hit. Did I mention that they ALL get eaten every time I make them. And they get eaten fast! The most recent experience involved a group of Boy Scouts for Boards of Review. It was an added bonus when they met with the committee/board to finish their rank advancements. Most of the boys came back for seconds. The lucky ones (who came fast enough) actually GOT seconds :)

In fact, one of the reasons I'm making this post after I have already done a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcake is because I was asked for the recipe and I wanted to be sure I gave them the exact recipe that they ate. Well, this is it. They seem complicated, but they are really not. However, if you make these, people will always be impressed and satisfied. So give them a try!