Homemade muffins (when made right) are superior to any muffin largely because they are at their most moist and fresh version straight when you’ve baked them in your oven. That said, there’s something special about big bakery style muffins — this recipe combines the goodness of both.

With their super fluffy texture, these jumbo muffins are amazing all on their own but you can dunk them into your morning warm cup of coffee or top them with some ice cream for an afternoon snack or dessert after dinner. They’re amazing any time of day. 

The next time you feel a chocolate craving coming on, or you just want a light, airy muffin, this is your go-to recipe.

Why You’ll Love Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins

Bakery-style chocolate chip muffins but in jumbo size- what’s not to love! 

• Easy – These muffins are some of the easiest to make that you’ll find and have the most basic ingredients.
• Chocolatey – These pack so much chocolate flavor into one muffin. It can be a sweet breakfast treat or a delicious dessert. 
• Versatile – You can make this the base of an ice cream sundae or it can be a fun version of a birthday cupcake. 
• Portable – You can take these anywhere — pack for a hike or in lunch bags. These are also the perfect way to create a gorgeous edible centerpiece for your next brunch gathering.

Ingredients

Besides maybe the buttermilk, I’d bet you have almost all of the ingredients for these large muffins already on hand! 

• All-purpose flour – All purpose flour helps these muffins to rise beautifully.
• Baking powder – One of the most important leavening agents, baking powder is another ingredient that helps these muffins turn out perfect. 
• Sea salt – Make sure your sea salt has fine granules so it dissolves well when mixing and baking.
• Unsalted butter – Make sure to use melted butter for the easiest mixing.
• Granulated sugar – The fine granules will melt perfectly for this recipe.
• Light brown sugar – Make sure to pack the sugar in the measuring cup to ensure the correct quantity.
• Eggs – Use large eggs which are the typically preferred size for baking.
• Vanilla extract – Any brand you grab from the grocery store will do but you can also make your own.
• Buttermilk – This adds a rich, creamy texture to your muffins that regular milk can’t replicate.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – While I prefer to use these you can also use any chocolate chunks whether it’s dark chocolate, mini chips, or milk chocolate chips.
• Decorator’s sugar – This is optional but can add texture and a fun flair to your muffins.

How To Make Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins

Make sure that you have room temperature ingredients before you begin baking.

1. Dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, and salt — in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon.
2. Mix butter and sugars. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix them together until combined. 
3. Add in eggs. Next, whisk the eggs and vanilla into the butter and sugar mixture until silky smooth.
4. Add half of dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and whisk vigorously in until smooth. Then, add half of the buttermilk, and combine. 
5. Add remaining dry ingredients. Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk and mix until all ingredients are completely combined and smooth. Ensure to not mix too much so that you don’t have tall muffin tops.
6. Chocolate chips. Using a spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop into liners. Then, evenly spoon the batter into the jumbo muffin pan prepared with jumbo muffin liners..
8. Top with chocolate chips and sugar. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top of the batter in the tin. Then, shake decorator’s sugar over the muffins.
9. Bake. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the muffins have slightly round tops. The edges should be golden brown.

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins Variations 

You can use various substitutions or additions to make these muffins your own.

• Nuts – Sprinkle crushed nuts on top to add texture and impart that sweet/salty flavor. 
• Sour cream – Using sour cream can help to make baked goods more moist.
• Chips – Use peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chunks in the muffin batter to add a pop of flavor.
• Cocoa powder – Incorporating cocoa powder can increase the richness of baked goods.
• Filling – Pipe a pudding, jelly, or whipped cream filling into the center of the muffins.
• Extracts – Try coconut, almond, orange, strawberry, or cherry.
• Greek yogurt – The acidity of Greek yogurt can work with baking powder to increase the fluffy texture of muffins. Its flavor adds tang.
• Fruit – Garnish with berries, sliced bananas, or any other fruit that you enjoy. Make it seasonal!
• Melted coconut oil – Using coconut oil makes baked goods lighter and adds rich flavor when it is substituted for butter. 
• Sprinkle of coarse sugar – Add some texture to the muffins by using a coarse sugar to sprinkle on top of the muffins. Use colored decorator’s sugar to make it colorful.
• Alternatve flour – You can experiment with any gluten free flours as well if you’re trying to lower carbs or can’t have gluten.

Storage and Freezing

Storage: You can store these muffins for up to a 5 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Freezing: You can also freeze them in an airtight container, ziploc bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months in the freezer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Super chewy and flavorful, these EASY Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are made with vanilla pudding mix, chocolate chips and mini M&M's!

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Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins

Moist muffins, studded with chocolate chips & a crunchy sugar top, this Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe tastes straight from the bakery!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword jumbo chocolate chip muffins

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 795kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon decorators sugar or turbinado optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 6 sections of a jumbo muffin tin with jumbo muffin liners or spray with baking spray, set aside.
• In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• Add half of the flour mixture, whisk it in until smooth. Add half of the buttermilk, whisk until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin sections. Add more chocolate chips on top for a pretty presentation. Sprinkle the decorator’s sugar on top of each muffin.
• Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The muffins will have a nice domed top and be golden brown.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then take them out and cool completely on a wire rack.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Jumbo Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

So, of course, I wanted to whip up some dessert recipes using them — these frosted grapes are one of my top choices for fruity desserts.

I can tell you for sure that there’s no better way to enjoy grapes than these, enrobed in a sweet coating. They have a crunchy exterior and if you freeze them, they’re like hard candies. I love the pop that they give when you crunch through the sugar coating and get to the juiciness of the fruit.

Frosted Grapes aka Sugared Grapes

These sugar-coated grapes are so easy to make, too. Just prepare the simple syrup then coat the fruit with that and then the sugar. The process is quick and you have a beautiful result that you can eat all on its own or use as a garnish.

While eating tons of sugar may not be a good thing, a little in moderation is just fine. That’s what these sugared grapes deliver. With just a touch of sweetness on the outside I still consider this to fall in the category of healthy recipes when it comes to dessert.

Next time you have grapes in the refrigerator try this easy dessert recipe. You won’t regret making this (somewhat) healthy snack.

Why You’ll Love Frosted Grapes

A sweet treat made from only three ingredients and made in only 30 minutes- what’s not to love!

• Easy– This is an easy recipe that you can throw together quickly.
• Simple– With only a few steps to make, these are some simple sweet treats. 
• Accessible– The ingredients are probably already in your pantry or easy to pick up at any store.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this perfect treat.

• Water– This will be the base of your simple syrup to coat the grapes.
• Granulated sugar– You’ll need to divide the sugar up so that you have some remaining to coat the grapes. The remainder will be part of the syrup.
• Light corn syrup– Make sure to use light corn syrup both for the flavor and the color. 
• Grapes– These are the key ingredient, of course. You can use red grapes or green grapes, and they can be seedless grapes or not, any grape varieties will work.

How To Make Frosted Grapes

You are going to love how easy it is to make this easy grapes recipe!

1. Make simple syrup. Place sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat. You’ll want to use a heavy bottom pan to reduce avoid being hit by any “spitting” from the mixture as it cooks. The mixture should be completely liquified without any solids
2. Cool. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Avoid leaving the mixture for longer than that because it will start to harden.
3. Toss grapes. After you wash grapes, toss the grapes in the simple syrup, coating them. You can use your hands or a large slotted spoon. Then, arrange them in a single layer on a wire rack.
4. Coat grapes in sugar. While allowing the grapes to cool, pour the remaining sugar in a plastic bag or a large bowl. If using a plastic bag you can toss the grapes in and shake. If using a bowl, roll the grapes in the sugar.
5. Tap off extra sugar. Once finished, tap off any excess sugar. You may want to keep a bowl of water and paper towels nearby to clean your fingers.
6. Allow to set. Once the grapes have been sugared, place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow to set.

What to Serve with Frosted Grapes

Serve these grapes at Sunday brunch, as an after school snack or even on party skewers for baby showers! They’re perfect on a hot summer day and for kids of all ages. 

You can serve with other fruits, in a whole bunch on a snack board with meats and cheeses, or in small bowls on party tables.

Variations

We like this grape recipe exactly as written, but there are plenty of ways you can make it your own.

• Ice cream– Make these a pretty garnish for any ice cream.
• Snow grapes– Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla extract and toss these frosted grapes in for a sweet salad.
• Cocktails– Use to garnish the likes of a lemon drop or French martini.
• Jello– Substitute flavored gelatin mix for the corn syrup and sugar to make rainbow jello grapes.  Dip the grapes in water or lemon juice before rolling them in the jell-o powder 
• Lemon juice– Toss in a touch of lemon juice to impart some tart flavor.

Storage and Freezing

Storage: Store in the refrigerator in ziploc bags or an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, you can chow down straight from the fridge, or you can let them come to room temperature.

Freezing: You can also freeze these grapes. Store in airtight bags and you can even eat them frozen.

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Frosted Grapes

When you want to enjoy a healthy dessert that you can make in a hurry, look no further than these Frosted Grapes, aka Sugared Grapes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword candy grapes, frosted grapes, sugared grapes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Calories 1041kcal

Equipment

• heavy bottom saucepan
• wire cooling racks

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar divided
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 cups grapes stems removed and rinsed

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat, combine water, 1/2 cup of the sugar and corn syrup. Stir until sugar has melted and mixture has reduced, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes, but not too long or the mixture will start to harden.
• Toss grapes in the simple syrup and then arrange in a single layer on a wire rack. Allow to cool for another 10-15 minutes.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a plastic bag or a large bowl. Roll the grapes in the sugar, tapping off any excess.
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes, place in the refrigerator or freeze. Store grapes depending on how you enjoyed them- room temperature, the fridge or the freezer.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

Nutrition

Calories: 1041kcal | Carbohydrates: 271g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 263g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Frosted Grapes (Sugared Grapes) appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

With just a handful of easy steps, this bread requires little prep time and it stays fresh for a week or more. It’s the perfect treat to have on hand for surprise guests or for indulging throughout the week. 

If you’ve been on the lookout for simple quick bread recipes, look no further than this one. Your whole family is sure to fall in love with it.

Why You’ll Love Iced Banana Bread

This moist banana bread may become one of your new favorite quick breads.

• Easy: With the simplest of ingredients, this quick recipe can be made in nearly no time.
• Versatile: This bread makes for a great dessert, a delicious snack, or a sweet start to the day. 
• Customizable: You can make subtle changes that turn this into your signature sweet bread. 

Ingredients

With these easy-to-find ingredients, you can whip up this irresistible banana bread.

• Sugar: The sugar adds sweetness to this basic banana bread.
• Shortening: The shortening helps to create a moist and tender texture.
• Large eggs: Eggs provide both structure and stability to the bread.
• Vanilla extract: The vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Overly ripe large bananas: The star of the show, overripe bananas, give the bread its flavor and contribute to the texture. Keep these in your freezer regularly so that you can bake up banana bread whenever you have a craving (just be sure to thaw frozen bananas).
• Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need for this easy recipe.
• Baking powder: This leavening agent helps the banana bread to rise and creates a light texture.
• Coarse kosher salt: Salt elevates the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Baking soda: Baking soda is another leavening agent that helps the banana bread rise.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warm, subtly spicy flavor.
• Nutmeg: Nutmeg also imparts a warm flavor and fragrance.
• Walnuts: The chopped walnuts add crunchy nuttiness to the banana bread.
• Cooking Spray: Cooking spray prevents the banana bread from sticking to the pan so that it can be removed easily and maintain its smooth appearance around the sides.
• Powdered sugar icing: This icing adds even more sweetness to the bread.

How To Make Banana Bread With Icing

It’s almost unbelievable how quickly this sweet, moist bread can be made.

1. Cream sugar and shortening. Add the sugar and shortening to a large mixing bowl and cream the two ingredients together using either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer.
2. Add eggs, vanilla and banana. While blending, add the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract. Ensure that all ingredients are completely combined.
3. Sift dry ingredients. In another large bowl, using a sifter (or a whisk), combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until entirely incorporated. Pro-tip: use a low speed when mixing to keep the dry ingredients in your bowl, not on your counter.
5. Fold in walnuts. With a rubber spatula, fold the walnuts into the mixture. 
6. Add to pan. Pour the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until it the top is golden brown and the bread passes the toothpick test using either a toothpick or a cake tester. 
7. Bake and cool. Let the banana bread cool on a wire rack before icing the top of the banana bread or serving.

What To Serve with Iced Banana Bread

If you want to pair sweets with this quickbread, you can top it with whipped cream or serve it alongside a scoop of ice cream. For healthy pairings, try serving it with a fresh fruit salad, applesauce, or yogurt. 

You can also spread butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, or homemade jam on a slice.

Variations 

There are a few ways to switch up this easy banana bread recipe.

• Nuts: Instead of walnuts, try using other nuts like pecans or pistachios.
• Extract: Substitute almond extract for some or all of the vanilla for nutty flavor. 
• Citrus: Add lemon juice or orange juice to the icing for a tart contrast to the mellow banana bread.
• Icing: Try using a cream cheese icing instead of the simple glaze. Or, simply dust the top of the bread with confectioners’ sugar.
• Chocolate: Fold miniature chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Or, melt chocolate and drizzle it over the iced bread for extra sweetness.
• Brown sugar: For a richer, molasses-style flavor, try substituting brown sugar for some of the white sugar.

Storage and Freezing

Be sure to wrap banana bread tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil before storing so that it maintains its freshness.

Refrigerator: Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. It might need to be re-iced, the icing tends to sink into the bread.

Common Questions About Iced Banana Bread

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Iced Banana Bread

This Iced Banana Bread recipe brings together warm, aromatic spices and banana flavor with a simple glaze! Perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword iced banana bread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Equipment

• 9-inch loaf pan
• electric hand mixer
• hand crank sifter

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups overly ripe bananas peeled and mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts chopped
• Cooking Spray
• 1 batch powdered sugar icing

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and shortening. Add the eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla and blend on low until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add to the wet mixture until combined.
• By hand, fold in the walnuts with a spatula. Lightly coat a 9-inch bread pan with cooking spray and line bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. Transfer the batter into the bread pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is lightly brown and it passes the toothpick test. If the top starts to brown too fast loosely cover with a leaf of aluminum foil.
• Allow to cool slightly before eating.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!

The post Iced Banana Bread appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

This heavenly dessert combines a buttery crust, luscious lemon filling, and a fluffy whipped cream topping.

What is a Lemon Lush?

This is essentially a sweet and luscious lemon lasagna with its layers of lemony goodness. 

The great thing about his delicious lemon lush is that you can serve it at any event. From a special occasion to a casual weekend brunch, this is the best dessert to serve in spring or summer.

And while it’s not a no-bake dessert, there’s very little baking involved — just bake the crust until golden brown and then spread in the fillings.

The next time you’re looking for a delectable treat that’s full of fresh, bright flavor, try making this tangy and sweet lemon lush. If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, this may become your new favorite.

Why You’ll Love Lemon Lush

What’s not to love on this easy dessert?

• Easy – No one will be able to believe how easy it is to make this bright dessert with its velvety texture and unbelievable flavor. 
• Accessible – All of the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store. 
• Customizable – You can switch up the ingredients in this easy lush in so many ways.

Ingredients

Just mix some simple ingredients together for a bright dessert that is sure to impress guests. Always use room temperature ingredients so that they mix easily.

• All purpose flour: The foundation for the crust in lemon lush, flour providing structure and a crumbly texture that contrasts with the creamy layers.
• Butter: Melted butter binds the flour together, creating a cohesive crust that holds its shape and adds rich flavor.
• Chopped walnuts: Nuts add a satisfying crunch and enhance the overall texture of the dessert. 
• Cream: Cream is a key component in the filling of lemon lush. It adds richness and smooth, luxurious texture. 
• Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar helps sweeten the cream and cream cheese layers, balancing the tartness of the lemon.
• Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese lends a tangy and creamy element to lemon lush, adding depth of flavor and silky smoothness.
• Instant Lemon Pudding: Lemon instant pudding infuses the dessert with a burst of vibrant lemon flavor. 
• Milk: Milk is mixed with the instant lemon pudding to create a flavorful lemon filling. For even more rich flavor, use heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream).
• Chopped Walnuts (for topping): These additional chopped walnuts provide a final layer of crunch and nutty flavor that perfectly complements the creamy dessert.

How To Make Lemon Lush

It couldn’t be easier to make this luscious dessert with all of its delicious layers.

1. Make Crust. Mix together flour, butter, the chopped walnuts then press into the prepared pan. You can also mix them in a food processor. Bake the nut mixture for the recommended time, then allow to cool. 
2. Make Filling. Add the cream and a portion of powdered sugar to a large bowl and beat, using an electric mixer. To a separate bowl, add cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
3. Fold. With a rubber spatula, fold in half of the whipped cream and spread on top of the cooled crust. 
4. Make Next Layer. Mix the lemon pudding and milk. Spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture.
5. Make Top Layer. For the next layer, add the remaining whipped cream on top of the lemon layer.
6. Garnish & Serve. Top with walnuts and serve, or store until ready to serve.

What to Serve with Lemon Lush

Of course, dessert is always great after a nice dinner. However, I won’t stop you from eating it all day long- it’s that good! It’s also great for potlucks.

You can top this with more whipped cream, berries, or fruit salad. It’s also great with ice cream and beverages like tea or coffee.

Variations 

Make this lush lavish with your own swirls of signature goodness.

• Nuts – Use different nuts like pecans or pistachios. 
• Flour – Experiment with alternative flours like coconut or almond flour. 
• Milk – Try using alternative options like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
• Citrus – Add lemon zest to the top of the lush, or incorporate lemon juice.
• Crust – Replace the nutty crust with graham cracker crust. Or create a cookie crust by crushing your favorite cookies.

Storage and Freezing

Store this delicious lush in the fridge if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers.

Refrigerator: Store this luscious lush for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container or wrap the serving dish with plastic wrap.

Freezer: It may not retain its velvety texture after being frozen, but you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Common Questions About Lemon Lush

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Easy Lemon Lush Dessert

This heavenly Lemon Lush recipe combines a buttery crust, luscious lemon filling, and a fluffy whipped cream topping. Perfect for summer!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon lush

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 455kcal

Equipment

• 8×8 square baking pan
• electric hand mixer
• mixing bowls

Ingredients

Crust

• ½ cup flour
• 5 tablespoons salted butter , melted
• ¼ cup walnuts , chopped

Layer 2

• 1 ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar , divided
• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened

Layer 3

• 3.5 ounces instant lemon pudding mix (dry)
• 1 ¾ cup whole milk

Topping

• ¼ cup walnuts , chopped

Instructions

Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, and chopped walnuts.
• Press the crust into an 8×8 inch baking pan.
• Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.

Layer 2:

• In a large mixing bowl with using an electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream and 3/4 cups of the powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form.
• In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
• Fold in half the whipped cream mixture using a rubber spatula. Spread in a layer on top of cooled crust. Set aside the remaining heavy cream mixture. Set bot in the refrigerator while making the next layer.

Layer 3

• Using an electric hand mixer in a medium mixing bowl, beat the instant lemon pudding with milk until thickened.
• Spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Top with the remaining whipped cream mixture and then chopped walnuts.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Video

Notes

Tip: Placing the pan in the refrigerator or even freezer betweens layers helps them set without mixing together while you spread on the next layer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1111IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Lemon Lush appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

Fall is in full swing and this time of year I all about the Halloween treats! I have quite a few Halloween desserts on the site already; but now that the kids are getting older and like to help more in the kitchen, I find myself making more fun treats.

Why Make a Bark?

I thought about graveyard dirt cups, but those can be quite messy and time consuming to put together. For the sake of time and cleanliness, this Graveyard Bark worked better for everyone.

Halloween candy bark recipes are great for serving at a Halloween party, serving as an easy Halloween dessert for the kids, or just to satisfy your sweet tooth when you want something different.

And the best part about this Halloween chocolate bark? You can customize it with whatever toppings you’d like. You can even make it look more like a graveyard by turning those milano cookies into headstones. Or use up your leftover Halloween candy as toppings instead.

What You’ll Need

• Pretzel sticks – Make sure to get the thin, short sticks and not the thick rods. You’ll want to pick out the whole ones to be able to make the “bones” properly.
• Mini marshmallows – You want the mini marshmallows because they are the perfect size to make the ends of the candy bones. You will also use melted marshmallows to make the spider webs.
• White chocolate candy melts – In order to make the bones look like, well, bones, they need to be white! White melting chocolate is the easiest way to do this.
• Red food coloring – This is optional, but the splatters of red food coloring makes this graveyard candy bark look a little extra creepy and fun.
• Hershey milk chocolate bars – Hershey is my favorite brand to use, however you can use any type of chocolate that you’d like. Dark chocolate would work well too.
• Solid vegetable shortening – Shortening is a great way to make sure the chocolate melts smoothly.
• Candy eyes – The candy eyeballs are a great way to take this Halloween treat to the next level.
• Oreo cookies – We need something that looks a little like dirt, and crushed Oreos are the best way to do that.

How to Make Graveyard Bark

1. Make bones. Start by preparing the “bones”. Place a mini marshmallow on both ends of a pretzel stick. Dip the pretzel sticks into the melted white candy melts and place onto a parchment lined plate. Allow the chocolate to set up and harden. Dab red food coloring onto each “bone” and set aside.
2. Prepare pan. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
3. Melt chocolate. In a small sauce pan, add 1 inch of water and place a heat safe bowl over the pot being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place in the chocolate and shortening. Mix until fully melted and smooth.
4. Add to pan. Pour onto the prepared pan and quickly spread evenly across the pan (this does not have to be perfect)
5. Toppings. Immediately place the “bones” that were prepared onto the chocolate. Following with the candy eyes, crushed pretzels and crushed Oreos.
6. Melt marshmallows. Set aside, place the remaining marshmallows into a heat safe bowl and microwave until the marshmallows start to expand. Mix the marshmallows.
7. Make webs. Using your fingers, take a little of the marshmallow, press your fingers together and then slowly spread to get the spider web appearance. Place over the bark and connect to the decoration pieces.
8. Let chill. Chill for 1-2 hours or until the chocolate has fully set. Break apart and enjoy.

Variations

• Toppings – You can certainly change up the toppings in any way you’d like! Try adding some gummy worms, candy corn, Halloween M&Ms, tombstone cookies, candy pumpkins, Halloween sprinkles or any other candy toppings.
• Chocolate – I used milk chocolate for my graveyard chocolate bark. But any type of melted chocolate will do. White chocolate chips, dark melted chocolate and bittersweet chocolate are all great options. You can even get melting chocolate in Halloween colors to drizzle over top.

Storage and Freezing

You can store this spooky candy bark in an airtight container for up to five days. After that, the pretzels will start to get a bit stale.

You can also store this graveyard bark in the freezer the same way.

Print

Graveyard Bark

Looking for an easy treat to make on Halloween night? This easy Graveyard Bark is great to help get the kids involved in the kitchen!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword graveyard bark

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Calories 208kcal

Ingredients

Bones:

• 20 pretzel sticks whole
• ½ cup mini marshmallows
• 1 cup white chocolate candy melts , melted
• red food coloring , optional

Bark:

• 22 ounces milk chocolate bars
• 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
• ¼ cup pretzel sticks , roughly chopped
• candy eyes
• ½ cup Oreo cookies crushed

Instructions

Bones:

• Prepare the “bones” by placing a mini marshmallow on both ends of a pretzel stick. Continue until you have 15-20 prepared.
• Dip the pretzel sticks into the melted white candy melts and place onto a parchment lined plate. Allow the chocolate to set up and harden.
• Dab red food coloring onto each “bone” and set aside.

Bark:

• Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan, add 1 inch of water and place a heat safe bowl over the pot being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water or use a double boiler.
• Add the chocolate and shortening. Mix until fully melted and smooth.
• Pour the chocolate mixture onto the prepared pan and quickly spread evenly across the pan (this does not have to be perfect)
• Immediately place the “bones” that were prepared onto the chocolate while still tacky. Following with the candy eyes, crushed pretzels and crushed Oreos.
• Set aside, place the remaining marshmallows into a heat safe bowl and microwave until the marshmallows start to expand. (about 15 seconds). Mix well .
• Wear gloves so it isn't has hot, then using your fingers, take a little of the marshmallow, press your fingers together and then slowly spread to get the spider web appearance. Place over the bark and connect to the decoration pieces until you are satisfied with the spider webs.
• Chill for 1-2 hours or until the chocolate has fully set.
• Break apart and enjoy.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

It is important to work quickly when adding ingredients onto the chocolate as it does set quickly.
The candy and decorations are optional and changeable! Get creative and use whatever you would like!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Graveyard Bark appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .

The secret of good buttercream is to have the right amount of fat (like butter) mixed with confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) and vanilla extract. Whip those together and you have an easy frosting recipe to use for cake and even for cookies.

What is Buttercream Frosting?

This recipe is just that. You can use this fluffy, creamy buttercream frosting on your layer cakes, bundt cakes, or holiday cookies. You can even use buttercream frosting for decorating. Frankly, it’s so delicious, I sometimes use it as a dip for my cookies when I have leftovers after icing a cake!

Some bakers like to make frosting with shortening or without powdered sugar, but in this recipe I prefer butter and I think that fine sugar dissolves better than other sugar options.

The combination of butter and powdered sugar makes for a smooth, creamy frosting that gets light and airy once mixed. It’s absolutely heavenly!

Why You’ll Love It

• Versatile- of course you can put this frosting on a cake, but it also works well on sugar cookies, doughnuts, and graham cracker sandwiches. Some even suggest using it on a sweet grilled cheese or sweet potato!
• Easy and fast– with only a few ingredients and even fewer steps to make, it comes together in no time!

Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted butter– bring your butter to room temperature (leaving it out for an hour or more) to make mixing easier.
• Real vanilla extract or clear vanilla- vanilla brings out the flavors in a recipe. With so few ingredients, vanilla helps to ensure that each ingredient shines.
• Fine sea salt– salt rounds out a recipe and enhances flavors. Using it in this buttercream frosting recipe will ensure that the vanilla flavor takes center stage.
• Powdered sugar- using powdered, instead of granulated, sugar will ensure that the sugar dissolves quickly, resulting in a smooth frosting.
• Heavy cream– using heavy cream helps to achieve the creamy consistency of this frosting.

How To Make Buttercream Frosting

1. Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Use either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. This should take about two minutes.
2. Add the vanilla and salt, then blend until combined.
3. Next, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Blend after each cup until it is fully incorporated. Once complete, the mixture will be thick.
4. Then, add the cream. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. This will take about four to five minutes.
5. Use the buttercream frosting immediately, or store in the refrigerator until it is needed, stirring well before using.

Variations

• Chocolate- chocolate makes everything better, right? You can easily add a half cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to make this buttercream frosting chocolatey. Adjust other ingredients as necessary to create the consistency and flavor you prefer.
• Extracts- add a dash of any extract you prefer to add some extra flavor. Maple, coconut, coffee, or almond will all work.
• Fruit juice– only use a little, because you don’t want to dilute the frosting too much and drastically alter the consistency. However, if you have maraschino cherry juice, or even apple, just a touch will add some extra flavor to your frosting. Pureed fruit or those ground with a pestle and mortar can also work.
• Color the frosting– add gel coloring to make your buttercream frosting more colorful.

The post Classic Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Best Dessert Recipes .