This recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies was a result of my desire to bring a different dessert to a gathering with some of my college friends. My friend who was hosting is a big fan of Strawberry Shortcake. That, plus my love for whoopie pies made Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies a no brainer!
These Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies are made of fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries sandwiched between two vanilla cake-like cookies.
Ingredients:
Whoopie Pies:
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
It’s that time of year where there are plenty of barbecues and outdoor gatherings again. Whenever our friends host, I never want to come empty handed so I like to have a bunch of dessert recipes on hand, especially no bake dessert recipes!
This No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake is perfect for summer meet ups – you don’t have to turn on your oven and overheat your own home, and it can be made ahead and served chilled or at room temperature.
The cake is super simple to make. It is layers of graham crackers, whipped cream pudding, and chocolate frosting, mimicking the flavors of a chocolate eclair. If you don’t want to make your own frosting, you can also buy store bought and just use that.
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (16 oz box) plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups whole milk, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Some mornings, I wake up and want to treat myself to something a little bit more special than my typical morning coffee.
Now that I’ve been working from home full time for 18 months, I don’t really go to coffee shops anymore, so in order to have a fancy coffee treat, I have to make it myself!
A frappe is perfect for those mornings where you need a pick me up. It is a blended coffee drink served cold, typically topped with a nice dollop of whipped cream, and is surprisingly easy to make. This Mocha Frappe recipe uses just 7 ingredients to make a chocolatey, frothy coffee concoction.
I suggest preparing the espresso the night before so that you can make it and enjoy it quicker the next morning.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings, multiply as needed):
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I had the opportunity to try a featured milkshake at Bassett’s Ice Cream using Tastykake’s new Cookies and Crème Mini Donuts.
The donuts are the first offering from Tastykake Scoop Shop™, an ice cream-inspired line of sweet snacks. Scoop Shop Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts are available everywhere Tastykake is sold for $2.99 per 9.5oz bag or $1.79 for the six-count single serve option.
The Scoop Shop line features fan favorite ice cream flavors in sweet snack form and will be launched in two phases, the first already available, with phase two planned for late April. Leveraging trends in the snacking category, Tastykake Scoop Shop explores the crossover of two sweet snacks by borrowing flavor and forms from different categories. The first Scoop Shop item, Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, blends one of the brand’s top-selling product types with a proven favorite ice cream flavor. And they really nailed it, the donuts really do taste like cookies and cream! Phase two combines mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor with a creme-filled cookie for the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (um, YUM), so be on the look out for those in late April. The new treats create a fun snacking experience that ice cream and sweet snack lovers will appreciate.
To help celebrate the launch in its hometown, Tastykake partnered with another Philadelphia icon and the nation’s oldest ice cream company – Bassetts Ice Cream – a full-service frozen dessert distributor. I was thrilled to try this partnership from two brands with tons of Philadelphia history, more than 250 years of combined history in Philly! I headed over to Reading Terminal Market (fun fact: my husband and I were actually married in Reading Terminal) to try the limited-edition milkshake item. Kirby the Krimpet, the Tastykake mascot, even made an appearance!
The milkshakes are made with Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, chunks of Tastykake’s Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and garnished with a Cookies & Crème Donut. The shakes are sold at Bassetts’ original retail location in Reading Terminal Market for a limited time.
I swear they made these Donuts and milkshakes just for me, Cookies and Cream is my favorite! So naturally, I wanted to try to make my own version at home, this recipe for Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes. I picked up two pints of Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, a bag of Tastykake Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, milk, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, and I was ready to go!
Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
When it comes to summer get togethers, there tend to be plenty of mouths to feed. So I’m a big fan of crowd recipes that feed multiple people, or allow you to make ahead and portion out as you like!
With cherries in season, there is no better time to make a simple Cherry Slab Pie. Slab pie is just pie made in a sheet pan with sides, which is a great option for making dessert for a bunch of people. It’s a bit more rustic, so you don’t really have to worry about perfecting your pie crust skills (it will still taste awesome!)
Ingredients:
Slab pie (serves 12):
8 cups fresh cherries, destemmed and pitted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
the juice and zest of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 store bought refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (2 packages)
Note: I was sent some coupons for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in order to make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake. Opinions are mine alone.
Last weekend, I had friends over for dinner. Planning what to eat dinner was pretty easy, until I realized I hadn’t thought of a dessert!
Luckily, I had picked up some Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk the last time I was at the supermarket and had the remaining ingredients on hand as well so that I could make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake.
Not only is this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake super tasty, it can be made with pantry items without needing to make another trip to the supermarket. So it’s the perfect “just in case” recipe to make when needed!
Note: I was sent coupons for Graeter’s Ice Cream for review. Opinions are my own.
Happy National Root Beer Float Day! I had to celebrate the only way I know how, by making myself a root beer float, or, more specifically, an Adult Root Beer Float!
Luckily, Graeter’s Ice Cream wanted me to celebrate in style and sent me some coupons so that I could try their snazzy flavors in my float.
Graeter’s Ice Cream
Graeter’s Ice Cream is still made the same way it has been since 1870: by hand. Made with high quality ingredients, the ice cream is still made one batch at a time in 2 1/2 gallon French pots.
Graeter’s has some seriously awesome flavors. To highlight some of them, I decided to make an “adult” root beer float, made with Not Your Father’s Root Beer, because, why not?
The Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream seemed like the perfect way to make a root beer float more for adults– it’s made with the bold taste of Kentucky bourbon, then loaded it with roasted, buttered, salted pecan halves and our gourmet bittersweet chocolate chips. (There isn’t actually bourbon in it by the way.)
The Original Salted Caramel is one of the first flavors Graeter’s made over a century ago. Made with brown sugar, cream, and a pinch of salt, it’s a perfect complement to root beer in my opinion!
(They also have a Madagascar Vanilla Bean flavor if you’re not feeling particularly adventurous with your float this time around.)
Ingredients:
1 pint Graeter’s Ice Cream of your choice, (I suggest Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip or Original Salted Caramel)
When I think of all things chocolatey, no list would be complete without Black Forest Cake, which is traditionally made of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and cherries. My Black Forest Cupcakes version for #Choctoberfest uses dark chocolate cupcakes stuffed with cherry filling, topped with fresh whipped cream frosting, chocolate shavings, and maraschino cherries.
As the Gold Sponsor of #Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar, Imperial Sugar was kind enough to send quite a bit of sugar my way to use in my recipes, including these Black Forest Cupcakes. (Speaking of #Choctoberfest, don’t forget to enter the giveaway!)
If you follow my Instagram, you may have seen what “tough” research I had to do this weekend for this post. With the 3rd Annual South Street Spring Festival just days away (Saturday, May 2), I visited Sweet Life Bakeshop at 7th and South to try their signature Banana Pudding.
This. Pudding. Is. Fantastic. I gobbled up the whole thing in minutes, so I’m surprised I even was able to get a photo of it beforehand!
Sweet Life Bakeshop’s banana pudding will be available at the South Street Spring Festival, along with nearly 30 other eateries, bars, and food trucks, so come hungry! From 11am to 8pm this Saturday, 8 blocks of South Street (between Front and 8th) will be shut down and turned into a huge (and free) block party!
Headhouse Plaza will also be in on the fun, so be sure to check out 2nd Street between South and Lombard. The plaza will be transformed into a giant lawn concert complete with grass, lawn chairs, games and beach balls!
Along with all of the delicious food, South Street will feature more than 40 bands on three stages and seven performance areas. Over 100 boutiques, small businesses and other other retailers will cater to your style, beauty, health, fitness and other shopping needs. In conjunction with the Festival, Brauhaus Schmitz will host the third annual German Maifest on the 700 block of South Street, with German beers, dancers, music, food, flower headbands and even a Maypole. Outside of Atomic City Comics (638 South Street) look for free giveaways and character appearances during Free Comic Book Day.
Whew! Ok so, to highlight one of the amazing offerings, I decided to make a spin on Sweet Life’s banana pudding — Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars! This recipe is adapted from a Southern Living Banana Pudding Cheesecake recipe, but adds in some peanut-buttery goodness and then is topped with a drizzle of chocolate and some fresh whipped cream.
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sara Lee. This could include the Sara Lee providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
Every Mother’s Day, I make my mom a citrus-themed dessert. She loves lemon desserts, so I’ve made Earl Grey Lemon Squares and a Lemon Tart with Raspberry Shortbread Crust in the past. This year, I decided to make cupcakes, specifically Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes!
I’m so ready for spring. I am trying to will the warmer weather to be here ASAP by making a bunch of spring-themed posts. Sara Lee must have read my mind because they contacted me about using their yummy pound cake in a recipe — what better way to show off Sara Lee Pound Cake than with a trifle?
These mini berry trifles use fresh berries, pound cake, and fresh whipped cream with lemon curd, making a yummy and bright spring dessert. I made them in mini trifle bowls but you can adapt this recipe to go in a traditional trifle bowl.
Ingredients (makes 4 mini trifles):
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 jar ( roughly 11 oz) lemon curd
1 Sara Lee pound cake, defrosted
strawberry jam
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
2 strawberries, halved
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sara Lee. This could include the Sara Lee providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I have already shared an Irish-themed main meal, bread, baked good, and sweet treat so I thought this time around a drink was in order, this Clover Cocktail!
Fine Wine & Good Spirits sent me this really yummy spin on an Irish coffee called the Clover Cocktail, which is frozen instead of hot.
Ingredients (makes 1 serving; multiply as needed):
The inspiration for this post is a bit convoluted. I was originally looking for some way to incorporate wet walnuts into a recipe for my dad. My dad is a huge fan of wet walnuts and he just had surgery so I wanted to make him a little pick-me-up treat. Wet walnuts are usually a topping on ice cream so I thought it would be fun to make a spin on a banana split in cupcake form. Later, I found out that Banana Splits do not traditionally even have wet walnuts as a topping. Oh well!
I used a banana cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart and filled each cupcake with homemade whipped cream. I then topped 1/3 of the cupcakes with vanilla frosting, 1/3 with strawberry frosting, and 1/3 with chocolate frosting. I topped them all off with sprinkles, wet walnuts, and maraschino cherries!
These are sugar overload so despite the photos showing all 3 types, stick to one cupcake at a time 🙂
Happy Pi Day! As a Mathlete alum, Pi Day has always been a part of my nerdy math world. And what better way to celebrate than to make a pie?
I have some other pie recipes on here, but I have had a hankering for peanut butter lately, so I am celebrating this year with a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. This is a FoodNetwork.com recipe but I decided to make my own crust (you are more than welcome to just buy one – use a 9-inch pie crust).
Ingredients:
Pie Crust:
1 package oreos
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Hot Fudge Sauce:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3.5 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
Peanut Butter Pie:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
