Pumpkin Marshmallows

Posted on October 29, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

A few weeks ago I showed you my newest marshmallow finds. Last night I played with the orange pumpkin ones. They can be used for so many different themes … fall, harvest, Halloween or Thanksgiving. I tied a simple name card on the stick as a place card for the Thanksgiving table … useful and edible! Here are a few ideas done my favorite way … fast and simple …

This is what I used …

The black lines are made with an Americolor Gourmet Writer
The green leaves are made with melted green chocolate (candy melts) & a toothpick
The orange lines are made with melted orange chocolate (candy melts) in a squeeze bottle
The green stem is a Sour Punch Candy
The brown stem is made with melted peanut butter chips & a toothpick
Pumpkin # 3 and #5 have regular white sugar sprinkled on the melted chocolate

Last week while camping, we used these for s’mores … let me just say, they make one mega s’more! These are the marshmallows that I used …

Just a reminder … some candy can be difficult to find after Halloween. Yesterday I bought the last bag of “Autumn mix” at my grocery store. It contained candy corn, indian corn and only 2 pumpkins!!! I am going to use the candy and indian corn for turkey tail feathers. I need more than 2 pumpkins for another project! As soon as I finish typing this, I am off to go candy hunting.

The moral of this story is … stock up on the candy or sprinkles that you can’t find regularly.

I ♥ comments, suggestions, or whatever is on your mind …

Only 3 days left until Halloween!

Posted on October 27, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

I can’t believe that October has come … and is almost gone! All the other holidays will be here before we know it. Time sure does fly when you are having fun! I certainly have had fun sharing my ideas with you … and there are more to come 🙂

Here is a quick summary of Halloween …

Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops

Eyeball Marshmallow Pops

Textured Halloween Bark

Witch Hat Cupcakes

The Witch is Dead … Cupcakes

The Bride of Frankenstein Pops

Tangerine Jack-o-lanterns

Black bottom cupcakes with spider webs

And for fall … this is what I have made so far …

Peanut butter & chocolate acorns

Candy corn popcorn

Now I am off to the kitchen …

Bride of Frankenstein Pops ?

Posted on October 20, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

Let me introduce you to Mrs. Frankenstein. She is very independent and does not need a sugar daddy … because she is a Sugar Daddy!

Several weeks ago I made Frankenstein pops. Then a comment was made asking about a Mrs. Frankenstein. I had leftover green chocolate and decided to give The Bride of Frankenstein a try. She did get a few “makeovers” in the process. I asked for opinions … she got mixed reviews, she was even compared to Gumby. I Googled “The Bride of Frankenstein” …. and found out that in many images she does not appear to have green skin … but if you Google “Bride of Frankenstein cakes” a green face is very popular!

Here is everything you will need … white & green candy melts, Sugar Daddy pops, candy eyes, edible tiny pastel sprinkles (sequins) and an edible marker

Please notice that there are red hearts sprinkles that were used in the first version, but not used in the final version.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment and unwrap the Sugar Daddy pops … they really are a little lumpy and bumpy …

Melt the candy … I mixed dark green and white to get a lighter green … dip the pop, tap off all the excess …

Lay it on the cookie sheet … and pop them in the fridge or freezer to firm up …

Melt the white candy … dip pop half way in the white candy to create the hair. It is important that you do this while the green is still cold because it may start to smear in the melted white candy … tap off the excess and lay the pop back on the cookie sheet …

After the white has firmed up make some “hair lines” using a fork …

A brush may be useful to clean up …

Give her a face … use a dot of melted green candy to “glue” on the eyes and cheeks and make the nose … use the marker to draw eyelashes, hair lines and mouth … (this is the first version with ♥ lips)

I think my bag of Sugar Daddy pops have evolved into Sugar Mama’s 😉

Candy Corn Popcorn

Posted on October 15, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

This is a quick and easy treat to make for a party or for individually bagged treats. There is a little peanut butter in it, but it isn’t over powering. I believe that the peanut butter cuts the sweetness of the white chocolate and creates a nice creamy texture. The peanuts really give you get that sweet and salty taste. I hope you enjoy it!

I want to remind everyone that the autumn doilies giveaway ends Monday, October 17 … don’t forget to enter!

This is what you will need … white chocolate, dark chocolate, popcorn, Rice Krispies cereal, peanut butter, salted peanuts and candy corn.

Microwave the popcorn and pour it into a large bowl … no unpopped kernels, please … add the Rice Krispies and peanuts … stir it all up! Use your favorite spoon … this is one of mine. Do you remember old Saturday Night Live episodes? This is my “OH, NO MR. BILL!” spoon … maybe I need help … I am now naming my spoons …

Melt the white chocolate and stir in the peanut butter …

Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir well …

Pour it onto a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper or parchment …

Spread it out …

Drizzle some dark chocolate on top … just use a teaspoon or fork or whatever works for you … it adds some color contrast …

Sprinkle the candy corn on top …

Let it harden up (or pop it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process) … break it into serving size pieces …

Candy Coated Popcorn

1 bag microwave popcorn (about 3 ounces, any type) or 7 cups popped corn

1-1/2 cups salted peanuts

1/2 cup Rice Krispies cereal

1 pound white chocolate (or candy melts)

2 ounces dark chocolate

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 cup candy corn

Line a large cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment. In a large bowl combine popped popcorn, Rice Krispies and peanuts. Melt the white chocolate and stir in the peanut butter. Pour the chocolate mixture over the popcorn mixture and stir to combine. Spread on prepared cookie sheet. Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over popcorn mixture. Sprinkle candy corn on top. Let stand at room temperature to harden or pop in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. Break into servings.

I ♥ comments … please leave one …

Ding-Dong, the Witch is Dead Cupcakes

Posted on October 13, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

If I could sing … I would … ding-dong, the witch is dead! (FYI … you should be happy that you can’t hear me!)

This was a first for me … cupcakes served icing side down!

On Sunday, I was looking at the Michael’s ad and saw this idea. I believe that the witch legs were made with fondant. I wanted to make it a little simpler. So this is what I can up with …

Leg ideas … Sour Punch Sticks, pretzel sticks, Pixy Stix, licorice, sugar sticks, stick cookies and tiny chocolate cigarettes …

Shoe ideas … colored Jordan almonds, small jelly beans and Starburst …

Candy melts to attach the shoe to the leg …

This what you will need …

Cupcakes
Icing
Candy Melts (just a few ounces)
Legs (whatever you choose)
Shoes (whatever you choose)
Witch Hats (click here for instructions)
Black edible marker (optional)

Before we start, I want to explain that my goal was to make this a very quick and easy project. I just loved the idea of the witch under the cupcake! Of course you could spend more time than I did and make it “perfect”.

Here are the items that I chose to use for legs and shoes … I did cut one Starburst and made 2 shoes from it …

Dip the legs in candy melts to create “socks” …

Attach the shoes …

Frost your cupcakes however you want … remember nobody will see the tops! Assemble the legs …

Turn the cupcakes icing side down on top of the legs and place a hat nearby …

I did pull out the edible marker and add some details …

P. S. If you like the doilies that I used, don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!

Comments are always appreciated …

Cupcakes with Candy Witch Hats

Posted on October 7, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

Soo many Halloween ideas … too little time! That is my dilemma right now. I do have ideas for fall also … and will post them shortly.

This little project is a quick and easy one. Great for kids … or adults … to make. The witch hats could be used alone … but I really like them on top of cupcakes … edible decor!

You will need …

Cupcakes
Icing colored orange
York Peppermint Patties
Hershey Kisses – Special Dark
Candy melts – I used orange and purple

Set up a little assembly line to make the witch hats … it takes a while just to unwrap the mint patties and kisses …

Put a dab or dollop (very technical terms) of melted candy on the mint patty. You can use a spoon … but a squeeze bottle would be a great option for kids …

Place the Kiss on the melted candy … a little will ooze out … creating a band. Pop them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up the melted candy …

I used my favorite cupcake decorating tip … Wilton #1M … to frost the cupcakes. Start on the outside rim and swirl your way to the center of the cupcake …

Put a hat on the cupcake … and you are done!

Do these fall in the “good for you” category? They have dark chocolate … antioxidants … can we rationalize it? If not, here is my find of the day …

I wish I could take credit for this quote … but I can’t … it came straight off a Denny’s menu!

Please feel free to leave a comment …

Textured Halloween Bark

Posted on October 6, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

I love it when I can use a product for more than one project … guess what I used to get the impressions in this candy.

If you guessed texture tiles that were designed for fondant or icing … you were right! I found these at Michael’s and are from Duff … of course! The two tiles (5-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ each) come in one package and are pretty ~~cheap~~ inexpensive. This is what they look like …

This is what you will need …

Candy melts (I used white, dark chocolate and orange)
Texture tiles
M&M’s
Rice Krispies cereal (optional)
Skull candies (Wilton)
Rubber or silicone spatula

Decide which side of the tiles you will use … I almost used the wrong side of the “words” tile … the words would have been backwards! Scoop some melted dark chocolate on the spider webs … and spread it around …

Using a spatula, scrape off excess chocolate (it can be reused). Let the chocolate firm up …

As you can see … it is not scraped perfectly clean …

Now repeat using orange melted candy on the words tile. Then mix some Rice Krispies into the melted white chocolate … you could leave it plain, add nuts or whatever you like. Pour the white chocolate on top of the spider webs and gently spread around …

Pour dark chocolate on the words tile and spread it around … then put the tiles in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up …

The candy will remove from the tiles very easily. The edges are not smooth … but I think that’s OK … it adds character …

To decorate … I used melted orange chocolate and M&M’s to create spiders …

I used more melted chocolate to “glue” the skull candies …

This is one of those “flexible” projects … change-up the colors … use different decorations … use the whole tile or just a small part … use your imagination!

I like feedback … please leave a comment!!!

Frankenstein or Hulk? … Marshmallow Pops

Posted on September 20, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

The lazy days of summer are over … today I decided that I had better get on the ball and start thinking about Halloween. So … I made these Frankenstein and sons marshmallow pops. I showed them to my hubby. He said … oh you made The Hulk! I’ll let you decide.

This is what you will need …

Jumbo marshmallows
Large marshmallows
Lollipop sticks
Candy melts
Candy eyeballs
Edible markers (black & red)
Chocolate jimmies

I did mix white chocolate with green chocolate (candy melts) to get a lighter color green. Dip the marshmallow in the melted candy … tap off all the excess candy …

Then dip the top of the marshmallow into the chocolate jimmies to create hair …

Place the pop in styrofoam (or a fancy homemade pop holder) … put them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to harden the candy …

Next give him some eyeballs, using melted candy as glue …

Use some melted candy to make eyelids …

I used some melted dark chocolate to make the mouth on the large pops … but used the black marker on the small pops …

Use the red marker to make some scars …

So … what do think … Frankenstein or The Hulk?

I ♥ comments!

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Chocolate Dipped Nutter Butter Marshmallow Pops

Posted on July 14, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

Nutter Butter cookies, marshmallows, chocolate, sprinkles and chopped peanuts … some of my hubby’s (The Peanut Butter Addict) favorite foods. I think his eyes were twinkling when he saw these treats.

What should they be called? I couldn’t come up with a name … just a description. Oh, I did decide they are pops because the Nutter Butter cookie is the stick … an edible stick … or should it be called a handle?

The whole creation came about because I have come across so many recipes for cookies and brownies stuffed with Nutter Butters or Oreos. I decided to stuff Nutter Butters in marshmallows … easier said than done. I broke several Nutter Butters trying to stuff marshmallows … and finally decided a different approach was necessary. I know that this is not a great culinary creation … just a fun little no-bake treat!

This is what you will need … about 1 pound of chocolate or candy melts, one 10 oz. bag of large marshmallows, 1 package of Nutter Butter cookies, chopped peanuts and sprinkles …

Set up an assembly line … cover a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment, cut the marshmallows in half (scissors work well), melt the chocolate … put some melted chocolate on the cut side of the marshmallow … the chocolate will act like glue …

Attach one half of the marshmallow to the Nutter Butter and then attach the other half to the other side of the cookie …

Let the chocolate harden up …

Dip the marshmallow in melted chocolate … covering the entire marshmallow … tap off the excess chocolate …

Dip in sprinkles, chopped nuts or ? … and set on waxed paper … pop them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to harden the chocolate …

Sweet Slider Cupcakes

Posted on July 1, 2011 by sweetsimplestuff

Sliders … teeny weenie hamburgers … on cupcakes? My sliders aren’t hamburgers at all … but I’m sure you knew that. They are made with Nilla Wafers, York peppermint patties and candy coating. The cupcakes … well, it is summer … I’m lazy … I used a mix … but I did make my favorite decorator icing (recipe above – all butter version).

This is what you will need to make the sliders … Nilla Wafers, small York peppermint patties and candy coating (frosting could also be used) – red/ketchup, orange/cheese and green/lettuce … I happened to have some candy in tubes (which is very handy, but not necessary) …

This is just like building a real burger … get your buns (Nilla wafers) and hamburger (York) patties ready … put some ketchup (red candy) on the bottom bun …

Then put the hamburger patty on the melted candy … add some melted cheddar cheese (orange candy) on top of the patty …

Don’t forget the lettuce (green candy) … and the top bun … your sliders are cooked!

Now, for the cupcakes … bake your favorite recipe or mix … make your icing … I used a bag and a plain round tip (#12) …

This is the voice of experience … do not make your icing and put it in the fridge … then try to pipe it out of a bag while it is still cold (like I did) … or this will happen … a hard skinny line of icing comes out of the tip … it breaks … it has some pretty big air bubbles … it is pretty ugly … let your icing come up to room temperature (or at least close) …