Carrot Cake Fudge

    Yes, you read that correctly. It's fudge that tastes like carrot cake! Talk about a rich and indulgent treat! This recipe made so much fudge that I had enough to bring some to both of my jobs this week! Where it has received rave reviews from my coworkers by the way! You're going to love it!

Carrot Cake Fudge

Ingredients:

For the bottom layer:

- 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- 18 ounces of white chocolate (9 squares of almond bark or 3 cups of chips)

- 1 cup of dry boxed carrot cake mix

- 1/2 cup of marshmallow fluff

For the top layer:

- 1 (14 ounce) can of cream cheese frosting, divided

- 6 ounces of white chocolate ( 3 squares of almond bark or 1 cup chips)

- 2 tablespoons of marshmallow fluff

- food coloring

    In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan melt together the butter, 18 ounces of white chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cake mix. Once thoroughly combined, add the other 1/2 cup. Once that is combined, stir in 1/2 cup of marshmallow fluff. Mix well and pour into a parchment lined 9x13 baking dish. Let the bottom layer set in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. While it's setting, make the top layer. Clean out the sauce pan you just used and melt the 6 ounces of white chocolate over medium-low heat. Once melted, mix in 3/4 cup of the cream cheese frosting and 2 tablespoons of marshmallow fluff. Smooth that mixture on top of the bottom layer and place in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or two. Divide the remaining cream cheese in half. Color half of it orange and half of it green. Slice the fudge into bite sized pieces and pipe little frosting carrots on top.

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

    It's finally Easter weekend! If your family is anything like mine, you love to wake up to treats on Easter morning. I made a lot of our treats this year. Reese's eggs are a definite favorite! These homemade peanut butter eggs are pretty close to the real thing! 

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter, softened

- 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

- 1 cup of confectioners sugar

- 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs

- 1 (12 ounce) package of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

    Mix together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs until completely combined. It should be crumbly, but not dry. Shape tablespoon scoops of the dough into eggs shapes and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. Remove the peanut butter eggs from the freezer and dip them into the chocolate, let them set, and enjoy.

Coconut Macaroon Nest Cookies

    It's finally Easter week! The weather has been beautiful here in Florida and we are celebrating the first week of spring time! Instead of youth group this week, the kids got to participate in an Easter egg hunt! I made a couple of treats to go with their sandwiches last night. These little coconut macaroon cookies look like little bird nests! Topped with little Cadbury chocolate eggs, they are a perfect Easter treat!

Coconut Macaroon Nest Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 (14 ounce) package of shredded sweetened coconut 

- 5 large egg whites

- 1/3 cup of sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract 

- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- pinch of salt

- Cadbury chocolate eggs or jellybeans for topping

    Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the coconut, egg whites, and sugar. Heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Spray two mini muffin tins with non-stick baking spray. Scoop a little less than a tablespoon into each cup. Press the center down to form the nest shape. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Remove, top with eggs, and enjoy.

Spring Flower Treats

    I can't believe it's April already! On this Good Friday, I've decided to share a cute idea that I found on Pinterest for a spring treat! I'm a huge fan of sweet and salty and what's better than chocolate and pretzels? Once again, I made this treat for the kids at church and they loved them! They can be a bit of a pain to decorate, but they're so cute that it's worth the effort. They're perfect for a cute Easter basket treat!

Spring Flower Treats

Ingredients:

- 1 bag of spring colored M&M's

- 1 bag of pretzel squares

- 1 bag of bright white candy melts

    On a microwave safe dish, place a couple of pretzels and top them each with a candy melt. I did 5 at a time. Place them in the microwave and heat until the candy melt has started to melt. I put them in for about 30 seconds. Be careful to not overheat them, they will burn. Place the M&M's in a flower design on top of melted candy and let them set. I put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Enjoy!