Saturday Dishes - Holiday Desserts

This week's theme is:
Holiday Desserts

December is full of holidays!
What desserts do you like to bring to holiday parties & get togethers?
I'm going to bring a minty variation of my 123 Brownies to a party this weekend (:
I'll share it with you soon!

If you're new to the party

welcome to Saturday Dishes
where every week is a new theme...

Your job is to post your recipes that coincide with that theme!

Easy peasy, right?

Don't have a recipe that goes with the theme?
No worries!
Just sit back, relax, enjoy the other posts,
& be sure to check out the index & upcoming themes
to see what you can post in future weeks!

Saturday Dishes is hosted by:

- Marissa @ Life is Fantasmic -
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- Lisa @ Pebbles and Piggytails -
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Check out our blogs & show us some love!
We love seeing new faces & new followers on our social media,
& comments make us smile (:

Last week's theme was Leftovers!
There weren't a lot of links
so I guess a lot of you are in the same boat as me
& have no idea what to make with leftovers.
Here were a few of my faves...

Fusion, the Leftover Meal from Anna Can Do It!

Garlic Parmesan/Romano Chicken and Noodles from A Life in Balance

Gluten Free Cranberry Bars with Orange Drizzle from So Much To Make

Lisa's faves might be different than mine,
so don't forget to swing by her blog too! (;
Oh yeah...
& if you were featured
feel free to grab a button!

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Next week's theme is:
Appetizers
so come back next week to share your amazing appetizers!

Now on to the linky...
Link up your Holiday Desserts,
visit other posts,
& make new friends!

Keep spreading the word so we can see new faces at the party!

If you'd like to be a guest host send us an email so that we can get you on the calendar,

& let us know what themes you would like to see in the future.
We'd love to use your ideas!

By linking up at Saturday Dishes, you are giving permission for Life is Fantasmic & Pebbles and Piggytails to feature your posts with one image on social media with links back to you.

An InLinkz Link-up

xoxo

Grandma's Apple Crisp

I have another nostalgic recipe to share with you!

My Grandma's Apple Crisp (:

It's super easy & definitely delicious!

5 medium apples - peeled & sliced (I use Granny Smith)

1 cube butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup flour

Place sliced apples on bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Melt butter & mix with remaining ingredients. Crumble mixture over apples & place in oven at 350 degrees for 42 minutes.

NOTES:

- Peach slices may be used instead of apple slices. I've even used the topping with blackberries before... It was pretty awesome!

- When my mom makes it she often doubles the topping ingredients & sometimes uses a little less butter than the recipe calls for. I now do the same thing (:

   

xoxo

Sunday Cookies

While growing up, we had this Sunday tradition

of eating roast for dinner after church & chocolate chip cookies for dessert...

My mom STILL makes a delicious roast every Sunday
& then makes these yummy cookies for dessert!

1 cup butter (softened)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter & sugar. Beat in egg & vanilla. Add dry ingredients & combine; stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake with love at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

Note: These cookies taste best when you reserve a tiny handful of chocolate chips for each person to eat on the side while they are baking ;)

xoxo

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Balls

I made these Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Balls
for Little Princess' Lilo & Stitch Luau last week...

I had seen a couple different versions of these here & here,
but neither one included the yummy buttery brown sugar glaze
that is on traditional Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
I was determined to somehow include it.

1 box Yellow cake mix

1 can crushed pineapple (well-drained, but reserve juice)

1 10 oz jar Maraschino cherries (drained)

1/4 cup butter (melted)

1 cup brown sugar

Vanilla frosting (may not need it)

Yellow candy melts

Make cake mix according to directions but substitute reserved pineapple juice for water called for in the directions. Mix in well-drained crushed pineapple last (I used about a cup, but might try more next time) & bake according to directions. Once completely cooled, crumble with hands or food processor. Combine brown sugar with melted butter. It's okay if not all the brown sugar melts. Drizzle warm brown sugar mixture over the top. Combine well. If the consistency is still off, add frosting little by little until the right consistency is achieved (holds together easily, but not too sticky). Form then flatten a ball of dough & place a cherry in the center. Firmly wrap the dough around the cherry to make a ball again. Place cake balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, then refrigerate 10-15 minutes to firm them up for dipping. Use a fork to submerge each cake ball into melted chocolate & carefully tap off any excess chocolate. Carefully slide the balls off of the fork onto the cookie sheet. 

Note: You may have to bake your cake longer than the directions if you didn't drain enough of the pineapple juice, so making sure that you drain them enough is an important step.

Note: You can chop your cherries & mix them in right after the buttery brown sugar if you don't want them whole.

xoxo

Triple Berry No-Bake Cheesecake

Oh my golly gosh goodness!

I LOOOVE cheesecake (:

I don't care whether or not it's baked,

as long as it's cheesecake...

This recipe certainly does not disappoint!

Someone made this when we lived in Tucson & gave us the recipe.

I lost the recipe & was super duper sad.

I was ecstatic when I noticed this recipe was in my

Kraft Philadelphia 3 books in 1 cookbook.

That cookbook is one of my faves

because you really can't go wrong with cream cheese.

Anywho, this is one of my go-to desserts to bring to potlucks...

Enjoy!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 Tbsp sugar

4 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar (I like to throw an extra spoonful of sugar in when I make it)

1 pkg (12 oz) frozen mixed berries, thawed & well drained

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed

Line 9x13-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix crumbs, butter and 3 Tbsp sugar; press onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar with mixer until well blended. Add berries; beat on low speed just until blended. Whisk in Cool Whip. Pour over crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Variation: Prepare as directed, substituting 3 cups mixed fresh berries for the pkg of frozen berries and increasing the sugar mixed with the cream cheese mixture to 1 cup.

xoxo

Milk Chocolate Fondue

Milk Chocolate Fondue. New Years Eve deliciousness. 'Nuff said.

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

A dash of salt

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt until chocolate is melted. Stir/fold in the oil, milk, and vanilla until mixed well. Serve warm.

(Tastes great with strawberries, apples, marshmallows, pound cake, bananas, pretzels, cheesecake, etc...)

123 Brownies

These brownies are my fave & they are easy as 123...

I have my friend Kate to thank for these! She brought some to me at school my junior year after she found out I was moving to Arizona... Then I got the recipe from her & have enjoyed them ever since!

Ingredients:

Favorite brownie recipe (I just use a box)

Jar of marshmallow creme

1 cup peanut butter

2 cups chocolate chips

3 cups rice krispies

Directions:

Make brownies according to box or directions. Once completely cooled, spread entire jar of marshmallow creme on top. Melt peanut butter & chocolate chips together in microwavable bowl. Stir together, then mix in the rice krispies. Pour mixture on top of marshmallow creme. Store in refrigerator & allow time for top to solidify before serving.

(Thanks Whooping Crane! ♥ Little White Lab Mouse)

Banana Bread Brownies topped w/ Chocolate Peanut Butter

I saw these on Six Sisters' Stuff last month & knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with my leftover bananas next time I had them. With our banana loving little dudeman this doesn't happen often.

I followed the link at the bottom of their post to Cookies and Cups to see the original post where they found the recipe. They looked even more delicious and it just confirmed that I needed to try these out. Plus, I had just discovered another site with great recipes for sweet stuff. Definitely a win. I'm so glad I checked it out!

So I tried it out and of course it didn't look NEARLY as appetizing as either of the other two. I kind of expected that though since I am terrible at taking pictures of food and nothing I make ever looks like it does in the pictures. I must have mushed the bananas into too much of a paste and stirred it too much since I saw no banana chunks. It tasted wonderful but was incredibly dense.

I also felt like it was missing something...

I've been on a chocolate peanut butter kick lately, so I thought I'd try making a chocolate peanut butter sauce to pour on top of it.

It was exactly what was needed! They now looked more appetizing than the funky thing that came out of the oven AND my taste-buds were satisfied. My only complaint is that I wish they weren't so dense...

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350. 

- Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray, set aside. 

- Combine butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Melt together over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When melted, set aside to cool.

- Combine the mashed bananas, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in beaten eggs until evenly incorporated.

- Stir in flour and salt until just combined.

- Pour all but 1/4 cup melted chocolate into the banana mixture and stir.

- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup melted chocolate on top, and swirl it into the batter.

- Bake 25-30 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

- Once cooled, melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips & 1/4 cup peanut butter together, then spread on top of the brownies. 

- Cool completely and cut into squares.

Notes:

- Brownies will be very dense

- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I guessed the amounts for the topping since I had eyeballed the amount that I put on top. I had already had a few pieces before I spread it on, so I wouldn't have been able to give an accurate amount anyway. Hopefully my estimates will be right...