Easy Fudgy Blossoms

Hey! Search no more...

I know you are looking for a quick and easy, last minute Halloween treat to whip up before Friday.

*SCREECH* Stop looking it's HERE!

Here is a very quick, insanely easy and intensely fudgy treat.  Suitable for Halloween or any holiday depending how you top it
PROMISE!

Easy Fudgy Blossoms
or Evil Witch's Hats
created by JennyMac's Lipsmack
published on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used a dark chocolate variety-use what you prefer)
1-15 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses or any variety you prefer or nuts or BOTH


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Place chocolate cake mix in a bowl. Add pumpkin puree and mini chips. 

3. Mix well. Rubbing the mixture on the sides of the bowl to ensure there are no 'pockets' of dry mix. 

4. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

5. Using a small cookie scooper put 12 scoops on parchment. You will fill two sheets and can still fit a couple of extra in between each scoop, they won't spread much. 

6. Bake for 15 minutes. 

7. Place sheets on cooling rack and place either a kiss or nut of choice on center and gently push. When cool, the cookie will hold the centered treat just fine.

Baker's Notes:

1.  I call these Evil Witch's Hat, because they are so moist and fudgy, you will think that they gotta be bad for you.  Nope, no oil, no egg.  They are dark so let everyone else think they are evil so that leaves more for you.

2.  ADDED BONUS!!! Kids can eat these and they will be getting some squash or veggies into their little tummies. *rubbing hands*  BWAHAHAHAHAHA! So now YOU are Evil but in a good way.

3.  You can store these in a tin because they have so much moisture you won't worry about them drying out. You can use the orange candy corn kisses to amp up the Halloween factor if you want. Or one of those new MEGA M&M's in the center....maybe for Christmas?

4. Published on Allrecipes.com!!!

 

Enjoy! I did!

Crustless What?

Gather all your family around the computer screen....Is this a crustless pizza or crustless quiche?

Honestly, I don't care really but it's really good! I found this on Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. She often makes two of some of her recipes, one as she has/found it and she then makes another to be gluten free. She made two versions one with a pie crust and one crustless. I am not going to even attempt the one with the crust for it was just delicious without one. She made it this way to be gluten free....I used the crustless recipe to have lower fat.

Here's what I did:

Crustless Pepperoni Pizza
adapted from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

8 ounces of shredded cheese (I used 1/2 Fat Free Cheddar and 1/2 Reduced Fat Mozzarella)
2 ounces of sliced turkey pepperoni
1 (12 ounce can) Carnation Fat Free evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
marinara sauce for topping or for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9X9 baking dish or pie pan. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese and half of the pepperoni onto your selected baking pan. Whisk together the milk, eggs, flour, basil, and garlic powder. Pour onto cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and carefully lay pepperoni on top of cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.

The first night of eating this was really good. When we ate the leftovers, to mix things up I added some marinara sauce and it was EVEN better. So whether you want it neat as is or want to live a little dangerously with potential drips from marinara....go for it!

Lynn was right in her post saying that the Evaporated milk made it seem much richer than using just milk. I was surprised that even with the FF evaporated milk....the eggs had a silkier feel like a quiche does than something like scrambled eggs. Good call Lynn! Delish!

Try it with crust or no crust. Pepperoni or sausage. I added a little chopped onion. Add peppers for more color...just try it!

Enjoy

I am all for EASY at this time of year!

Here's an easy one dish meal for you before all your intense holiday cooking...

I found this in my Hungry Girl 200 under 200 Cookbook. It's fabulous!

EZ Tomato Basil Chicken
adapted from Hungry Girl

1 lb. raw boneless chicken breast tenders (you could also cube/strip up 1 lb. worth of regular chicken breasts
1-1/2 cups (half a 20 oz can) crushed tomatoes with basil
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp. pepper
salt to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pan sprayed with non stick spray to high heat on the stove. Add onion and cook just until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes.

Pour half the tomatoes (one fourth of the can) in a medium baking pan. Lay chicken in the pan and top with onions.

Pour the rest of the tomatoes (another 1/4 of can) evenly over chicken and onion. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Allow chicken to cool and sauce to thicken slightly before serving.

Make 4 servings

Simply delicious. Plain buttered pasta with garlic bread on the side. Or a salad...very moist and flavorful. And exactly as she says...EZ!

Enjoy!

You ARE joking right?

Here is it....some guilt free fudge for you to enjoy over the holidays!

I discovered the cookbooks from Hungry Girl and they are very tasty and so fun!

Click here for the website for her books...there is a table of contents for all her recipes, pictures of each and the nutrition information for all.

Her website in general, you can subscribe to your email and she will send you all sorts of tips how to lower fat, swap foods and she provides recipes as well. My favorite is the email she sends with the hot new low fat products available (I am still looking for the new peppermint tootsie pops!).

I just cut to the chase and bought the two books. Ask Santa for a copy of each. Her newest one I have not have a chance to review yet.

As promised, your guilt free fudge...

Dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
from Hungry Girl

1-18.3 oz Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies Traditional Chewy Mix
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
2 Tbsp. reduced fat peanut butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine pumpkin with brownie mix in a large bowl. Mixture will be very thick.

Spray a square 9X9 baking pan (I lined mine with non stick foil) with non stick spray and pour in the mixture. Spoon peanut butter on top and use a knife to swirl it around the top of the batter. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to cool.

Cover pan with foil and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut into 36 squares.

PER SERVING (1 piece):
65 calories, 1g fat, 57mg sodium, 14g carbs, 1g fiber, 9g sugars, 1g protein POINTS® value 1*


I think these lil beauties got better with time. At first they just tasted like under done brownies....but over time they really tasted like fudge. Awesome!

Make these for yourself to enjoy and I bet if you put them out with the rest of your holiday goodies....they'd never know the difference!

Enjoy!