Individual Tres Leches Cakes with Spiced Chocolate Mousse

Whew! After that long-winded title, I better not disappoint with this one! We had a Mexican themed lunch today at work. I wanted to do a dessert that fit the theme, yet still allow my usual creativity. Ever since I ordered this Wilton pan from Sur La Table a few weeks ago, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the perfect opportunity to test it out. More about the pan in a second. First, let me reel you in.
Mmhmm. Little cakes soaked in three milks. Rich, fluffy spiced chocolate mousse pocketed inside. And what’s that on the bottom there? Oh, you know, just a sturdy base of semisweet chocolate. Okay – back to the pan.

I bought this pan for $10.95 and could not be more excited about it. It is perfect for so many creations. Want to make cookies or brownies and top them with a scoop of ice cream? This is your pan. Strawberry shortcake? The pan above is waiting for you. Individual cheesecakes? Give this guy a try. I think you get my point. 🙂
Once the cake batter is ready to go, fill each cup about 2/3 full and baked them ’til light golden brown. Let ‘em cool for about 5-10 minutes, remove, and repeat. If you don’t have this pan (yet), just make cupcakes!
Here’s where the fun really starts. Turn the cakes (or cupcakes) upside down, and spread with melted semisweet chocolate.
Once the chocolate is set, whisk together your three milks, pierce each cake with a fork multiple times, and slowly pour the milk mixture into the cakes. I place the cakes in a cake pan so the excess milk mixture doesn’t dribble all over the counter. 🙂
Then, and this is perhaps my favorite part, whip up your spiced chocolate mousse. Dollop the top of each cake with the mousse.

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How to Make Peanut Butter Yogurt Pie (Recipe)

*EDITED TO ADD: If you like bananas, try a similar version of this pie, peanut butter banana yogurt pie!*

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  I’m just going to glide right over the fact that Syracuse lost their first basketball game of the season and tell you that the sun was out two days in a row (practically unheard of in January up here) and my mom’s birthday was Saturday.  Much more happy.  Anyway, it was mom’s birthday and in rare Liz fashion, I didn’t bake her a cake.  I know what you’re thinking – what kind of daughter-with-a-baking-blog am I?  Well, don’t worry, we still indulged, just with a creamy peanut butter yogurt pie instead!

See, I’ve been on the Greek yogurt train for well over a year now, but mom just recently jumped aboard this past summer.  I’ve told her before, I’m pretty sure she’s single-handedly keeping Chobani in business these days.  Knowing how much she loves the good stuff, I decided I should incorporate Greek yogurt into her birthday dessert.  I’ve recently learned that vanilla Greek yogurt with a little peanut butter stirred in makes a delicious (and healthy) little snack and well, lo and behold, it’s delicious as a pie, too!

I had actually planned to add powdered sugar and whipped cream to the pie filling too, but found it really didn’t need it.  Obviously, I’m pretty sure powdered sugar and whipped cream can do no wrong and you could add them if you want a sweeter, more indulgent pie… I’d say 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup whipped cream… but trust me when I say that if you try the simple version below, you won’t be disappointed!

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How to Make Peanut Butter Oh!s Squares (Recipe)

Hello and happy Monday!  I hope you had a nice, relaxing weekend.  Despite my last-minute packing, I actually did have a fairly relaxed weekend, and am now cruising down the east coast toward my new state of Florida!  My mom and I spent last night in Virginia and got to take a field trip to Trader Joe’s (woohoo!), and today we’re headed to Savannah!  I’m so excited for Savannah, it’s a place I’ve wanted to visit ever since I started watching Paula Deen throw butter and mayonnaise into dishes right and left.

Since I’m the midst of a major road trip, I thought I’d share with you one of the snacks I packed for our trip, peanut butter Oh!s squares.  They’re essentially just peanut butter rice krispie treats made with a different cereal, but oh (ha!) what a cereal it is.

My family grew up going through boxes and boxes of cereal every week, and Oh!s were one of our all-time favorites as kids.  As the box states, “good stuff in the middle.”  If you’ve never had them, they’re a circle shaped cereal that tastes sort of like Cap’n Crunch, with little crunchies in the center of the circle.  Basically, they’re sugary cereal deliciousness that you have to try at least once in your lifetime.  I order you.

I whipped these squares up over the weekend (in between stuffing my car with everything I didn’t have the moving company take) and they’ve been the perfect treat to have on hand as we zip down the east coast.  Make a batch soon, they’re easy and delicious!

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How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats (Recipe)

Do you ever feel like your days are so busy and exhausting but you have nothing to show for it?  That’s how I’ve been feeling for the past week or so.  A billion little projects right and left.  Heaven help me when I actually have a family in… 20 years.

You know what I do when I desperately need to make something sweet (desserts are critical to life, obviously) but I just don’t have the time?  I fall back to the simplest treats I know… rice krispie treats.  Keep ‘em traditional, change up the cereal, add some sprinkles, chocolate chips, or… make chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats.

 

If you’ve never had chocolate peanut butter, you’ve never lived.  I buy Peanut Butter & Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams variety — I’ve never see any other brands, but I’m sure there must be some others out there.  Anyway, all you do is swap some of the butter for the peanut butter, and before you know it you have crisp and gooey chocolate peanut butter treats.

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How to Make Almond Joy Rice Krispie Treats (Recipe)

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t. Today though, we feel like nuts.
For some unknown amazing reason, I picked up a colossal bag of mini marshmallows at BJ’s a few weeks ago. You’ve since seen some of those mini mallows in these quesadillas. I’ve also had an absurd amount of handfuls. They were even my post-run recovery snack one day. But all of this mallow consumption had merely put a dent in that monstrous bag. ‘Til now.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Similarly, when life gives you mini mallows, you make rice krispie treats. But who wants a plain ‘ole rice krispie treat? Okay, okay, I won’t knock the quintessential cereal treat. But you know me. I think outside the [cereal] box. After a quick glance through my cupboard, I had a plan. Almond Joy Rice Krispie Treats!
Describing these is quite simple. Imagine hold a rice krispie treat in one hand, and an Almond Joy candy bar in another. Now take a bite of each at the same time. That’s what these taste like!
Quick tip: As with most rice krispie treats, you want to make sure you’ve got your ingredients ready to go so that once your marshmallows are melted, you can quickly toss everything in. This is the key to simple, stress-free mixing. Oh, and make sure you save a spoonful for yourself.
If the summer heat is hampering your baking efforts, give these a try. No-bake treats are an automatic win this time of year!

Almond Joy Rice Krispie Treats
Makes about 16 treats
5 cups mini marshmallows
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped almonds
3 to 4 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
In microwave-safe bowl, microwave marshmallows and butter about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted and smooth.
Fold milk chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds into the marshmallow. Immediate add Rice Krispies. Gently stir until mixed.
Use the back of a wooden spoon to press mixture into pan. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Once cut, garnish treats with additional flaked coconut and/or almonds, if desired.