Ghastly Ghosts ~ Halloween S'mores with Peeps®

As shared from the kitchen of Mari @ Once Upon a Plate
www.onceuponaplate1.com
With many thanks to Mary @ Home is Where the Boat is

Ingredients:
Package of Peeps® Ghost Marshmallow (you'll need 12)
1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
8x8-inch baking dish
Generous amount of butter for baking dish

Your favorite Brownie recipe (or boxed mix)
1/2 cup Chocolate chip morsels
36 Mini chocolate morsels (3 for each ghost, for eyes, nose/mouth)

Preheat oven, center rack 350ºF

For the Graham Cracker Crust: Generously butter baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, blend in sugar and salt until completed mixed. Press mixture into bottom of buttered baking dish, as evenly as possible. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, prepare brownie batter. When graham crust is baked, remove from oven and pour brownie batter over crumb crust and spread evenly. Bake according to recipe/boxed mix directions. Scatter the chocolate morsels over the brownies during last 5 minutes of baking (this will help the marshmallow 'ghosts' adhere to the brownies.)

Remove the baking dish from oven and arrange 3 rows of 4 Ghost Peeps®
over the chocolate morsels, pressing lightly.  Place pan a few inches from hot broiler element in oven, do NOT walk away (these will burn in an instant once they begin to turn golden.)  When the marshmallows are the color you like remove from oven, you'll notice the chocolate for eyes/mouth have all but disappeared. Remove from broiler, cool a bit then place chocolate mini-morsels to represent ghosts' eyes and mouth. These are easiest to cut neatly when completely cool. Cut as desired and enjoy!

Cranberry Bliss Bars ~ Similar to Starbucks

Cranberry Bliss Bars (similar to Starbucks)
As shared by Once Upon a Plate
Makes about 16 servings

My changes to the original recipe are noted in italics below.

For the bar batter:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract (I used 3/4 teaspoons EACH)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I omitted and added 1/3 cup finely diced candied crystallized ginger)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup diced dried cranberries (I used 1/2 cup)
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks (or 6 ounces white chocolate morsels)


Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used 8 ounces & 1 tablespoon butter)
3 cups powdered sugar (I used a little over 1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons lemon juice (I used 2 teaspoons orange extract, and scant 1 teaspoon almond extract)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup diced dried cranberries (If cranberries are small, leave whole)




Drizzled Icing **  (I substituted white chocolate)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
orange zest, garnish (optional)


**I omitted, and used about 2 to 4 ounces (your choice) of white chocolate with with 1/2 teaspoon canola oil, melted & stirred together, then drizzled over.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position rack in center of oven.

Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt; beat well.
Gradually mix in flour until smooth.
Mix diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand.
Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13-inch baking pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges.
Allow to cool.


Frosting: combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.


When the cake has cooled, spread frosting over the top of cake.
Sprinkle top with diced cranberries.


Icing: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and shortening.


Drizzle icing over cranberries in a sweeping motion or use a pastry bag with a fine tip.
Allow cake to sit for several hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle.
Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices.
Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Original recipe from Food.com  ~ my changes are as noted in italics.

I hope you enjoy!

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Clementine (or Orange) Flavored Vodka and Liqueur

Clementine (or Orange) Flavored Vodka and Liqueur As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate
Makes about 1 quart

This recipe is based on one from the cookbook  Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects by Karen Solomon.

Karen's recipe uses oranges, but I used Clementines ~ and I also suggest a couple of optional  ingredients for the liqueur recipe. 

You may enjoy the flavored vodka, or take it a step further by adding a simple syrup and allowing it to age into a delightful liqueur.


Clementine (or Orange)-Flavored Vodka

1 quart inexpensive vodka
5 or 6 sweet Clementines, or 4 sweet oranges (Navel or Valencia) Organic if possible
1 large jar with tight fitting lid

Wash and dry jar and lid.  Wash fruit and cut each into 4 to 6 slices. Place fruit in the jar and pour vodka over. Tighten lid and store in a cool, dark place for two weeks, shaking the jar once a day. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth.  Return the vodka to a jar, and put it back in it’s cool, dark place to age for 3 weeks to mature the flavor.


Clementine (or Orange) Liqueur

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cups clementine (or orange)-flavored vodka  from recipe above.
Optional:  1/4 cup Mandarin flavored Vodka,  1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other Orange liqueur

To make simple syrup :  In a saucepan combine sugar and water, place over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, set aside to cool completely.

Pour the flavored vodka into a jar, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the simple syrup (and optional ingredients if using), taste.  If you prefer a sweeter liqueur add more of the simple syrup to taste. Secure lid tightly, label jar and store in a cool, dark place for 4 to 6 weeks.

(If you can wait that long!) 

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Dutch Babies (Puff Pancakes)

This recipe serves 2, however, you can easily multiply this recipe to make any size Dutch Baby you like. For 4 to 6 eggs I usually use my largest cast iron skillet, but you can use a rectangular roasting pan or any oven-proof container with 3 to 4-inch sides.


If you want to make individually sized pancakes, divide the following recipe in half (but don't reduce/divide the amount of butter--each individual pan will still need 1 Tablespoon of butter)


Dutch Babies
(Oven Baked Puffy Pancake)
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate

Serves 2

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 Tablespoon butter

Center oven rack in middle to lower position. Preheat the oven to 450-500 degrees for at least 15 minutes.

In a blender mix the milk and eggs until completely combined. With machine running, spoon in the flour until a smooth batter forms (scrape down sides of blender bowl if necessary.)


Place a cast iron skillet(s), pie pan, or other suitable, oven-proof baking container in oven to heat. When pan is hot add butter to the pan(s).


As soon as butter sizzles; swirl pan to distribute butter evenly. Immediately pour batter into pan (or divide evenly between pans), and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, depending upon size of pan(s). The batter will bake, then puff up dramatically. Bake until it is as light and eggy, or browned and crispy as you like.

Top with powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, or cinnamon apples, fresh fruit, yogurt, syrup or honey.



For another of my posts about Dutch Babies, click HERE.



I hope you enjoy!

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Frozen Hot Buttered Rum

Frozen Hot Buttered Rum
As shared by the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate
4 servings

Notes: Way better than spiked eggnog!!

1 pint good quality vanilla ice cream
½ cup crushed ice
¼ cup Myers's (Dark Jamaican) rum
¼ cup Buttershots Liqueur (sometimes called Butterscotch Liqueur)
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a blender, crush the ice, add remaining ingredients and blend until mixture is the consistency of a slushy, icy milkshake.

Add more Myers's Rum and Buttershots as desired.

Cheers & Enjoy!

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