Meringue Cookies in the shape of candy corn and ghosts

(recipe found at http://makebakecelebrate.com/candy-corn-week-candy-corn-meringues-printable-and-round-up/)

• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 TSP Salt
• 1/4 TSP Cream of Tarter
• Orange Gel Coloring
• Yellow Coloring
• Parchment Paper
• Pipping Bag
• Large Round Tip

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150-170 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer separate egg yolks from egg whites. Let the eggs come to room temp.
2. Beat eggs until white and foamy. Mix in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tarter until soft peaks form.Set timer for 7 minutes. Slowly add in sugar a bit at a time taking the entire 7 minutes to do so.
3. Divide into three bowl. To make the most meringues put a little more in the orange bowl, and the most in the yellow bowl because you will use the most of these colors.
4. Add orange to your middle bowl and yellow to the bowl with the most meringue.
5. Fill piping bags with meringue using a large round tip (I used Wilton #2A). If you only have one tip or one bag just start with yellow and wash in between of course.
6. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet pipe yellow dots of meringue about an inch across. Holding the icing bag vertical. Just press gently until you get a nice shape release pressure then pull up. I have found that these bake best when they are no bigger then and inch wide and an inch tall.
7. Layer an orange dot on top slightly smaller, remember to keep the icing bag vertical it will help loads!
8. Layer a smaller white dot on top. Pull up as you release pressure to get a nice little tip.
9. Now bake at a very low heat (about 150-170) for about two hours to two and a half hours until they are nice and crisp. I just checked on mine every so often to make sure they haven’t started to brown. Every oven is different. I have found in the past that a low temp for a much longer time is far better then a higher temp with a risk of browning.
10. With any left over white batter: swirl and add a couple of mini chips for eyes

Chocolate Coated Marshmallows with sprinkles with gluten free Snyder’s Pretzel handle

This is pretty self explanatory and incredibly easy to make.  They are festive looking and very fun to eat!  The chocolate cools and hardens quickly so it can even be done as a last minute dessert.

HAPPY BAKING!

What’s your comfort food?

In general, I don’t care to repeat recipes.  I get a lot of pleasure from finding new combinations of flavors and textures.  There’s also a bit of a thrill in finding new desserts that dazzle and impress.

But then there are some days where I find myself craving certain flavors and no new recipe attracts my attention.  Those are the times when I know I need to hit up one of my favorite recipes.  This is the dependable kind of recipe that is guaranteed to satisfy.  It’s also relatively easy to make; a recipe that requires a ton of effort zaps all the comfort.

Here’s my comfort dessert.  They’re not fancy.  They’re easy to make.  And the flavors are perfectly comforting.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not instant oatmeal or quick oats)

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Cover 2 cookie sheets with wax paper
2. Place oatmeal and peanut butter in bowl to later add to hot ingredients.
3. Place butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk in saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.
4. Immediately add oatmeal, peanut butter, and vanilla.  Stir until completely incorporated
5. Spoon batter onto cooking sheets covered in wax paper.  Allow to air dry (about 1 hour)

Like many, my kids’ comfort food is chocolate chip cookies.  One kid likes the cookie dough and the other one likes the warm cookies.

HAPPY BAKING!