Quick and Easy Desserts

I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't have a lot of time and energy to put into making something. Other times? I am just lazy. When this happens I have two default desserts: Peanut Butter Blossoms and Mini Cheesecakes.

My mom would always make peanut butter blossoms around the holidays, but I think that this delicious goodness should be enjoyed year round! When running short on time use shortcuts such as pre-made cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Blossoms 

package of pre-made peanut butter cookie dough

bag of Hershey Kisses

sugar

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Divide cookie dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.
• Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes (can vary depending on your oven).
• While cookies are baking, unwrap Hershey kisses.
• As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, place kisses in the middle. (The heat from the cookie will melt them a bit. yum!)
• Move cookies to cooling rack.
• Enjoy!

This next desert comes from my grandma. They are a crowd pleaser and are super cute! 

Mini Cheesecakes

2 eggs

3/4 c. Sugar

16 oz. cream cheese

2 tsp. vanilla

16 vanilla wafer cookies

1 can pie filling (I usually go with cherry)

Vanilla Wafers

cupcake liners

• Preheat oven to 375 and place liners in cupcake tin. Drop 1 vanilla wafer into bottom of each.
• Beat eggs with sugar.
• Break cream cheese into pieces, add to eggs and sugar and beat until smooth (10 min) then mix in vanilla.
• Fill liners 3/4 full with cream cheese mixtures and bake 10-12 minutes.
• They will look pale and sink in the middle after cooking.
• Top with Tbsp of pie filling and refrigerate.
• Remove paper before serving.

 It took me about 1.5 hours to make both of these. 

Let me know what you top your cheesecake with!

S-C-O-R-E

I made these a few weeks ago for the Superbowl. Daniel's two favorite teams were playing in the big game so he was psyched for it! Me? Not so much. My enthusiasm was based all around the opportunity to get to work on my cookie decorating skills (in progress). 

I will admit that I cheated. I used pre-made dough. oops! But the icing was all me and my mixer.

It had been a while since I had made royal icing so I forgot to tailor the recipe to the Houston area; i.e. I added the amount of water the recipe called for when in Houston you don't need that much. Lesson learned, again, and hopefully remembered this time. 

Overall, I would count it as a success. The icing was so delicious that I may have eaten some of it sans cookie. yum! 

Food Coloring: I have used Wilton food coloring in the past but have had trouble getting some colors to  come out right. I used AmeriColor with this batch and it worked like a dream! I am looking forward to using their red coloring and will update on the results soon.

Cherry On Top

http://idkmybffjes.blogspot.com/2011/02/cherry-on-top.html

I posted one of my first attempts on my other blog. Check it out!