Saint Patrick’s Day Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake is a delicious treat perfect for any green celebration. A fun shamrock sprinkle mix decorates the chocolate-coated glass. Sprinkle some extra on top of the freshly whipped cream for a milkshake fit for a leprechaun!

This recipe was created for and sponsored by Florida Dairy Farmers. All opinions are my own.

Milkshakes are one of my favorite frozen treats, and these Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes get an extra dose of holiday cheer with a festive sprinkle mix. Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes are the an easy treat to make for Saint Patrick’s Day. They are family-friendly, because green beer and Irish Cream Liqueur are definitely not for the kiddos. Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes will make them feel like they are part of the celebration too.

I used dark chocolate coating wafers for dipping the glasses. They are in the baking section of local craft stores. Some bulk food stores carry them as well. Feel free to use milk chocolate or white chocolate, but I personally think the dark chocolate makes the sprinkles stand out more.

Speaking of sprinkles, I love fun sprinkle mixes and they totally make the dessert. I love the different shades of greens, touches of white, and colored pearl sprinkles in this one that Sweets & Treats gave me. Sprinkles definitely take this milkshake over the top.

What you need for Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes:

• mason jars
• dark chocolate coating wafers
• shamrock sprinkle mix
• green and gold paper straws
• Wilton 1M piping tip and piping bag

Mason jars are in most grocery stores, Target and online. Dark chocolate coating wafers and the Wilton 1M piping tip and piping bags can be found in craft stores. I received my sprinkle mix from Sweets & Treats online store, as well as some green straws. Paper straws are common in most craft stores, although a better selection is usually available online.

I found those cute little cauldrons in the dollar section of my Target after Halloween. These cauldrons are so cute and great for both Saint Patrick’s Day and Halloween! I filled them with little gold coin sprinkle quins, but they can also be filled with chocolate gold coins for a festive touch.

Print

St. Patrick’s Day Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate candy melting wafers
• St. Patrick’s Day shamrock sprinkle mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Mint Green gel food color, optional
• Freshly Whipped Cream

Instructions

• Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip rims of glasses into chocolate then immediately sprinkle with shamrock sprinkle mix. Refrigerate 5-10 minutes.
• In high-powered blender, combine milk, ice cream and a few drops of mint green food color. Blend until combined. Pour into glasses, top with freshly whipped cream and more sprinkles.

I am honored to work with Florida Dairy Farmers. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Love and Confections possible. 

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St. Patrick’s Day Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes are decadent chocolate cupcakes infused with Irish Cream Liqueur, then decorated with a trendy buttercream piping technique in various shades of white and green. Top with a fun sprinkle mix that will shamrock your St.Patrick’s Day.

This recipe was created for and sponsored by Dixie Crystals. All opinions are my own.

Saint Patrick’s Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate. Everyone wears green and eats and drinks all things green. I decided to create a moist chocolate cupcake with Irish Cream Liqueur, and fun buttercream decorations.

I love making sweet treats for Saint Patrick’s Day. My Shamrock Fudge is always a hit, Rainbow No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits always win the kids over, and my Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake Cookie Cups are the perfect indulgent bite for adults! Saint Patrick’s Day is always a celebration in our house, especially because Mr. L&C’s birthday is so close to it.

Frosting doesn’t always have to be piped the same way for every cupcake. I like mixing it up, and this technique can be used with so many different color combinations! Inspiration is everywhere these days, and I love trying out new techniques and tricks I find through Instagram. (P.S. if you’re not following me on Instagram, you should).

I will definitely be using this piping technique again for all the holidays this year. Cupcakes are the perfect treat and can become a showstopper at any event or holiday. Details and quality definitely matter, and choosing a fun sprinkle mix tops off this delectable Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcake!

Tips and tools for the best buttercream:

• A stand mixer is my favorite for mixing buttercream – you can find my favorite kitchen appliances in my Amazon Store.
• Disposable piping bags – they are see-through, which is great when using multiple colors, and the most sanitary option.
• Small silicone spatula or straight icing spatula
• Gel food colors – with a variety of colors, gel is the best for buttercream and royal icing.
• Piping tips – I have a large variety of piping tips and use them on cakes, cookies, and more.

Visit Dixie Crystals for the full recipe:
ST. PATRICK’S DAY IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

The post St. Patrick’s Day Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes appeared first on Love and Confections.

I hope you make your sweetheart something special this Valentine’s Day!

Visit Dixie Crystals for the full recipe:

SWEETHEART STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

 

The post Sweetheart Strawberry Milkshake appeared first on Love and Confections.

My family loves all kinds of desserts and I love have a variety when it comes to parties and holidays. Usually, a lot of different desserts equals a lot of time in the kitchen, but with easy, make-ahead cookies like Cranberry Coconut Macaroons, I don’t have to spend hours preparing them. Coconut Macaroon cookies are one of my dad’s favorites, so I decided to add a delicious twist with dried cranberries and chocolate.

These simple cookies are perfect for adding different flavors. My Almond Joy Coconut Macaroons always go fast. I love the chocolate drizzle and almond flavor. Cranberry and chocolate are delicious also. You can use any dried or freeze-dried fruit to flavor the coconut macaroons.

The post Cranberry Coconut Macaroons appeared first on Love and Confections.

The gingerbread cupcake recipe is so easy to make and this version makes a smaller amount than a normal batch. I used strong, warm coffee as one of the wet ingredients – just be sure it isn’t too hot that it starts cooking the batter.

Coffee buttercream is one of my new favorite experiments. I love the flavor that LorAnn Coffee Emulsion gave to the frosting. I used a lot more frosting than usual on the cupcakes, but only because it photographs better. You can definitely decrease the amount of frosting on each by piping a simple rosette – like on my Christmas Rosette Sugar Cookies.

The sprinkles are out of this world!! I used the “Reindeer Food” sprinkles from Sweets & Treats. It was the perfect color scheme for my cupcakes and I adore the miniature gingerbread quins.

When I envisioned this cupcake, it needed a topper that would wow – something out of the ordinary. After realizing I needed a mini gingerbread cut-out cookie, or gingerbaby as I was calling it all day, I turned to none other that one of the cookie queens herself, Sweet Sugarbelle. Her gingerbread recipe is phenominal and will be in my Christmas cookie rotation every year!

Here are some items used in today’s recipe:

Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Oils Coffee Emulsion
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup strong coffee, warm
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Coffee Buttercream

• 1/2 cup Cabot unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons LorAnn Coffee Flavor
• 2-3 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• Sweets & Treats Sprinkles
• Mini gingerbread cut-out cookies

 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Line tin with cupcake baking papers and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and sugars, and cream 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add in egg, vanilla and coffee flavoring. Mix to combine. Slowly add brewed coffee while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Using a small measuring scoop, add dry ingredients in while mixer is on low. Scrape down sides and mix gently with spatula if needed.
4. Using a scoop or disher, divide batter between 14 cupcake liners, roughly 2/3 full in each. Bake 16-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool in tins for 5-10 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.
6. Coffee Buttercream Instructions: In large bowl with hand blender, or bowl of mixer with whisk attachment, mix butter and shortening together until completely combined. Add in salt, vanilla, and coffee flavoring and mix on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Once incorporated, whip on medium low and add in heavy cream, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more after incorporating powdered sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once combined, whip on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. If you live in a humid climate, or frosting does not hold shape, add sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired piping consistency. If necessary, add additional heavy cream for looser piping consistency. Place frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and mini gingerbread cut-out cookie.
7. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Yield: 14 cupcakes

 

 

#ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Puerto Rican Coquito from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Frozen Salted Caramel White Russians from Blogghetti
Gingerbread Salted Caramel Coffee Martini from Daily Dish Recipes
Hot Buttered Caramel Apple Cider Mix from Tip Garden
Salted Caramel Martini from April Golightly
Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Breakfast:

Chocolate Hazelnut Doughnuts from Kate’s Recipe Box
Cranberry Eggnog Quickbread from Jonesin’ For Taste
Cranberry Orange Bread from Juggling Act Mama
Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls from Moore or Less Cooking
Eggnog Cinnamon Roll Donuts from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Candies:

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Cranberry Eggnog Fudge from Sweet Beginnings
Snickerdoodle Fudge from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Desserts:

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies from Seduction In The Kitchen
Chocolate Espresso Mousse from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Cranberry Champagne Cupcakes from Our Good Life
Eggnog Gelato from The Redhead Baker
Festive Coconut Macaroons from For the Love of Food
Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream from Love and Confections
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Peppermint Pattie-Stuffed Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies from Platter Talk
Peppermint Red Velvet Macarons from The Crumby Kitchen
Rum Spiked Eggnog Cupcakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Salted Caramel German Chocolate Dessert Shooter from Take Two Tapas
White Christmas Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream from Family Around the Table
White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake from Who Needs A Cape?

 

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Thank you ChristmasSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Lorann Oils & Flavors, Torani, Joyjolt, and Sweets & Treats Boutique for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The ChristmasSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the ChristmasSweetsWeek posts or entry.

The post Gingerbread Latte Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream #ChristmasSweetsWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

Christmas cookies are some of my favorite cookies to make. Every year we make our traditional Cut-Out Sugar Cookies, as well as Ginger Crinkles, and Nutmeg Logs. I wanted to add a different cookie to the mix this year, and this twist on the classic snickerdoodle was the perfect choice. Eggnog Snickerdoodles will definitely be added to my Christmas cookie list from now on.

From what I can tell, people either love or hate eggnog. Mr. L&C loves it and can’t wait until December rolls around to start drinking it. To say these cookies were a hit is an understatement. When I opened the container, the nutmeg is prominent, and you can tell just by smell that these cookies are full of eggnog goodness.

I made some with the glaze, but actually prefer it without. The glaze doesn’t set hard, so they don’t stack easily with it. The cookies are good on their own and were gobbled perfectly fine without the glaze, so it’s your choice if you want to add it or not.

This batch went to a Christmas cookie exchange party with friends, and you can definitely tell that those who loved eggnog kept going back for more. Mr. L&C was happy they weren’t all eaten, so we brought the extras home to snack on during the week.

I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think they would do find baked, placed in a airtight container, then plastic wrapped to keep them fresh, if you like baking ahead. Since we make a lot of cookies, I will probably do just that with another batch, so we have them for the Christmas Day.

#ChristmasCookiesWeek Friday Recipes

• Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti by House of Nash Eats
• Andes Mint Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Brownie Cookies by Books n’ Cooks
• Bubble Light Sugar Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Chocolate Cutout Sugar Cookies by Everyday Eileen
• Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Madeleines by Family Around The Table
• Christmas Ornament Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies by The Redhead Baker
• Classic No Bake Cookies by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
• Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies with Eggnog Glaze by Love and Confections
• Figgy Pudding Thumbprints by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Frosted Chocolate Cherry Almond Bars by YumGoggle
• Cream Cheese Buttons with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Gingerbread Cookie Stars by The Freshman Cook
• Holiday Lights Sugar Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Lemon Snowdrops by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Merry Moose Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Not Your Grandma’s Sugar Cookies by Girl Abroad
• Ooey, Gooey Gingerbread Bars by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pecan Shortbread Trees by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Perfectly Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies by Tip Garden
• Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Soulfully Made
• Sour Cream Cookies by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spiced Chocolate Cut Out Cookies with Marble Glaze by The Baking Fairy
• Sweet Potato Pie Cookies by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• Whoville Christmas Wreath Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Disclaimer: Thank you #ChristmasCookiesWeek sponsors: Adams Extract, Sprinkle Pop, YumGoggle and Silpat for providing the prizes free of charge. The #ChristmasCookiesWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected at random from entries received. The prize packages will be fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #ChristmasCookiesWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #ChristmasCookiesWeek posts or entry.

The post Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies with Eggnog Glaze #ChristmasCookiesWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

Sugar cookies are a holiday tradition in my family, and I have been making sugar cookies since I needed a step-stool to reach the counter. This year, instead of our family’s favorite frosting or royal icing, I wanted to create beautiful and easy buttercream frosting rosettes topped with a festive sprinkle mix.

This dough is very easy to work with and one of my favorite cookies to make. I usually make them for every holiday, and enjoy them most at Christmas. My mom, sister and I decorate cookies together – and eat quite a few along the way. Last year, I think we made a total of 17 dozen different cookies, and this sugar cookie recipe was probably 4-5 dozen of them.

Buttercream rosettes are really beautiful on every baked good, from cookies to cupcakes to layer cakes, it all looks amazing. I chose both pink and red for a fun color combination and they match the Christmas sprinkle mix perfectly.

I tinted the entire batch pink, used half, then tinted the rest red. It’s easier if you start with pink so you don’t have to use as much red food coloring. Also, red darkens a lot as it dries, so don’t go overboard on the color.

The sprinkles used in today’s recipe are from Sprinkle Pop. They have a lot of fun and festive sprinkle mixes and these matched perfectly with my buttercream. I love the bright color combination and it is the perfect twist on traditional Christmas colors.

#ChristmasCookiesWeek Monday Recipes

• Ach Tannebaum’ Iced Sugar Cookies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Brown Sugar Ornament Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Butter Pecan Nuggets by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies by Soulfully Made
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Everyday Eileen
• Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies by Tip Garden
• Chocolate Espresso Brown Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chocolate Snowball Cookies by Hardly A Goddess
• Chocolate-Cherry Snowballs by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Christmas Macarons by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Christmas Rosette Sugar Cookies by Love and Confections
• Christmas Sprinkle Pudding Cookies by Jonesin’ For Taste
• Classic Spritz by Books n’ Cooks
• Dark Chocolate Coffee Crinkle Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Delicious Cookies by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
• Frostbite Cookies by Cooking With Carlee
• Ginger Crinkle Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
• Gingerbread Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hot Chocolate Cookies by Family Around The Table
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie by Caroline’s Cooking
• Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies by House of Nash Eats
• Peppermint Cookie Dough Truffles by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Peppermint Meltaways by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Peppermint Pizzelles by Girl Abroad
• Peppermint Thins by Palatable Pastime
• Pistachio Cranberry Macaron by Yumgoggle
• Sour Cream Decorated Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Spiced Chocolate Molasses Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Vegan Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars by The Baking Fairy
• Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Shortbread by Kate’s Recipe Box
• White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies by The Redhead Baker
• Whoville Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Disclaimer: Thank you #ChristmasCookiesWeek sponsors: Adams Extract, Sprinkle Pop, YumGoggle and Silpat for providing the prizes free of charge. The #ChristmasCookiesWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected at random from entries received. The prize packages will be fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. #ChristmasCookiesWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #ChristmasCookiesWeek posts or entry.

The post Christmas Rosette Sugar Cookies #ChristmasCookiesWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

Welcome to this year’s #EasterSweetWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. We’re so glad that you’ve joined us for this week long event of Springtime and Easter dessert recipes! We’re sharing tons of treats this week plus a few fantastic giveaways! You’re going to love what we have in store for you.

Lemon is definitely one of my go-to Springtime flavors. I love citrus and growing up in Florida, citrus is abundant. My family and I go to the citrus groves during season and pick oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and lemons. I love everything from meyer lemons to key limes, and everything in between.

While I love baking from scratch the most, sometimes I do the semi-homemade route and start with a box mix. When I am planning a big party or holiday event, this is a time-saver, especially when I am in charge of more than one course or dish. I am definitely glad I chose this Easy Lemon Bundt Cake for our Easter celebration. It is sweet and moist, and I love the tart lemon flavor.

This year we have are 28 fantastic bloggers participating in this year’s Easter dessert event! Throughout the week we’ll be share tons of great Springtime and Easter themed dessert recipes with you. With over 75 sweet dessert recipes being shared this week we just know that you’re going to want to save some of these recipes to make again and again! We even hope that some of these recipes end up in your Easter recipe keepsake collection! Plus, don’t forget that we have 5 (five) great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors! Scroll down to take a look!

Check out the amazing #EasterSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers today!

• M&M Marshmallow Cheesecake Apple Dip from Big Bear’s Wife
• Apple Caramel Crumb Pie from My Sweet Zepol
• Apple Blueberry Crisp from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Easy Lemon Pudding Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
• Easter Butter Mints from Nik Snacks
• No Churn Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us

PRIZE #1

PRIZE #2

  

PRIZE #3

PRIZE #4

Prize #4 — Anolon is giving one (1) winner a Anolon® Vesta 9-Inch Square Baker in Cobalt Blue

PRIZE #5

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week long event, #EasterSweetsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, Rainier Fruit, Anolon and Microplane! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #EasterSweetsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.

The post Easy Lemon Pudding Bundt Cake #EasterSweetsWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

 

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love celebrating holidays and baking special treats for my loved ones. These Red Hot Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes are sure to be a spicy and sweet surprise that will make everyone’s day brighter. 

The perfectly pink frosting gets its color from cinnamon candies. I warmed some milk and let the candies sit in the milk before straining and adding it to the buttercream. I have seen some people try and pulverize these candies in the food processor, but they are pretty tough. Soaking in milk really brings out the cinnamon flavor and you don’t have to worry about grainy candy bits ruining the frosting. I added 1 small drop of gel food coloring just to brighten up the pink.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I have an ongoing relationship with Dixie Crystals as a recipe developer and brand ambassador. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Love and Confections possible. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links – if you make a purchase after clicking the link, the price will not be higher, but a portion of the sale will go towards the sustainability of this website. As always, all opinions are my own.

The post Red Hot Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes appeared first on Love and Confections.

We always have a New Year’s Eve party, and more often than not it’s all about the finger food and small bites. I love creating a special menu for our party, and I definitely need to plan, especially after our NYE a few years ago. We did a potluck and ended up with ALL THE CHEESE. There were two cheese trays, macaroni and cheese bites, cheese spread, and one person brought chicken fingers. There is nothing wrong with it, but I love a variety, and that’s why I created this menu.

Mushrooms are a family favorite, whether stuffed as an appetizer, in a sauce, or any variation in between. Stuffed mushrooms are a simple and easy appetizer, with little prep and ingredients needed. You can customize them for any flavor profile, add almost any protein, and just have fun when making them. I always make extra, because they usually go really fast at parties. You can serve it as-is or with a marinara sauce.

Puff pastry cheese straws are about the easiest appetizer and so delicious! These straws are light and airy, crispy and the perfect amount of cheddar cheese and spices. Like the mushrooms, these can be totally customized. I love using cheddar cheese, but mozzarella with marinara, or swiss cheese would be great too. Depending on the cheese, you could also have a dip. I opted for a ranch in case anyone wants it, but they are perfect on their own. You could make a variety of cheese straws and dips and have a whole party tray of just that.

Dessert is a must at my parties and I usually have a variety. This year I decided that Nutella would be the star of the show. I love chocolate and hazelnut together in any form. Cheesecake is always a crowd-pleaser, but I didn’t want to be in the kitchen cooking a cheesecake. No-bake cheesecakes are a favorite for parties because of how easy they come together. Anything that makes my menu easier definitely helps me out.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I have an ongoing relationship with Florida Dairy Farmers as a recipe developer. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Love and Confections possible. This post may contain Amazon Affiliate links – if you make a purchase after clicking the link, the price will not be higher, but a portion of the sale will go towards the sustainability of this website. As always, all opinions are my own.

The post New Year’s Eve Bites and Delights – Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms, Puff Pastry Cheese Straws and Nutella Cheesecake Cookie Shooters appeared first on Love and Confections.