Autumn Treats

Yum!

Pumpkin Dessert Bars via The Daily Dish 

Pumpkin Filled Cannoli Cones via The Daily Dish 

Gooey Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Bites via Cheeky Kitchen 

Grown Up Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes (w/ Bourbon) via Sweet Tooth Sweet Life 

Crock Pot Baked Apples via Skinny Chef 

Oh, sweet nectar. I'm going to need to test out a few of these recipes before Thanksgiving. 

Why I Run

I run so I can eat things like a frozen yogurt with crumbled red velvet cupcake (from Sprinkles!) mixed in. Delicious!

Eclair Cake

Last week a tried a new dessert recipe at the request of my mom. I found a great recipe on allrecipes.com. I ended up choosing a recipe called Eclair Cake and it was delicious! It was so easy and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare... no baking required. 

Click here for the official recipe

I've made this recipe twice; here are some tips: 

   1. Do not use skim milk. I bought a small milk jug of 2% so I didn't have to buy an entire gallon (I usually drink skim). 

   2. Let the cake set in the fridge for at least 3 hours (minimum). The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer the graham crackers become (it's key to the recipe). 

This has become my go-to dessert recipe. Everyone loves it and there's never any leftovers. Enjoy! 

{ mix together 2 packages of vanilla pudding... do not use skim milk. Opt for 2% for the richness } 

{ fold in 1 tub of Whip Cream } 

{ mix the pudding and whip cream mixture for 2 minutes } 

{ grease a pan with butter, add one layer of graham crackers, layer 1/2 pudding mixture... repeat these two layers and finish with a third layer of crackers } 

{ heat unsweetened coco powder, sugar  and milk until smooth... remove from heat and add butter & vanilla... pour on top } 

Holiday Delight

Watching the Food Network on Saturday mornings is one of my favorite things to do (especially when it's chilly outside). Last Saturday I caught an episode of 5 Ingredient Fix  that highlighted recipes for a "Posh Potluck". I watched the host make chocolate truffles and I was determined to try the recipe. 5 ingredients? Sounds simple (and it was). 

Official Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup cream
• 14 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups coconut, toasted and finely ground

Directions 
Put the white chocolate in a large bowl.

Add the heavy cream to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm it over very low heat. Put the white chocolate into a bowl and pour in the hot cream. Whisk until all of the chocolate has melted. Add the butter and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate the ganache for about 1 to 2 hours, just enough to be able to form it into balls.

Use a tablespoon or small scoop to measure even amounts of ganache into small balls. Put the balls on a parchment or silicone mat lined sheet tray. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up before the next step.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler (or a microwave). Dip each ball in the melted chocolate (2 forks make it easier to fish out dipped chocolate balls). Put the coconut into a medium bowl and add the ganache balls. Toss to cover them in the coconut, then put them on a wire rack over a parchment lined tray to dry. Allow the truffles to set for about 10 minutes before devouring.

PHOTO STEPS! 

** I forgot to take a picture of the first 2 steps (boiling the cream and melting the white chocolate...oops!) 

{ 1 inch white chocolate balls } 

{ use a spoon to coat the white chocolate balls with melted dark chocolate } 

{ allow the coated truffles to dry on a rack } 

{ melt white chocolate for an extra decor element } 

{ use a fork to drizzle white chocolate on the truffles } 

{ enjoy! } 

This was my first time making truffles at home and I thought they turned out great! They were quite delicious and I already have a few ideas for my next batch. I may add a little flavor extract or use coconut/hazelnut flakes. 

I plan to make a larger batch and give them away to family, friends and co-workers for a holiday surprise!