Funfetti Dirt Cups are a colorful twist on the traditional chocolate treat. This vanilla variation has homemade vanilla bean pudding that will knock-your-socks-off and sprinkles dotted throughout for a playful feel!

I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BacktoSchoolTreats week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

I have a love of dirt cups, and even as an adult, enjoy this nostalgic treat – gummy worms and all! While chocolate is the traditional flavor, I opted to go all vanilla in these Funfetti Dirt Cups.

Vanilla Bean Pudding:

There is nothing like homemade pudding! Hands down, one of the best desserts. Aside from the fact that it takes only 5 minutes to make, I also can name all the ingredients, and usually have everything on hand or in the pantry. While lots of puddings out there use eggs as a thickener, I tend to keep eggs for pastry creams.

Milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and butter combine into a luxurious vanilla pudding that you won’t want to wait until it’s cool to eat. I may have had a couple spoonfuls while it was still warm – just to make sure it was edible, lol. It was torture having to wait until the pudding cooled.

Funfetti Dirt Cups:

I opted to use Golden Oreos instead of the standard chocolate, for an all vanilla flavor profile. You could also use Nilla wafers or honey graham crackers in a pinch.

Quin sprinkles are the least likely to bleed into the pudding, but if you’re daring like me and use jimmies, wait until just before serving to add them in. Otherwise, you’ll get a streaky rainbow pudding that isn’t the most appetizing in color. Sweets & Treats has an adorable Sugar Cone Mix that worked great for these Funfetti Dirt Cups.

Tools, Tips & Tricks:

• Small dessert glasses are a fun way to display these Funfetti Dirt Cups
• You can find my favorite whisks and spatulas in my Amazon shop

Print

Funfetti Dirt Cups

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Chilling time 4 hours hours

Ingredients

Vanilla Bean Pudding

• 2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Funfetti Dirt Cups

• 20 Golden Oreos
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
• 4 tablespoons Sweets & Treats sprinkles, plus more for decoration

Instructions

• Place milk, heavy cream, sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes, or until thickened.
• Take off heat and whisk in vanilla bean paste and butter. Pour into heat-proof bowl, and cover with plastic wrap touching the entire surface. Refrigerate minimum 4 hours
• Once pudding is cooled. Using a food processor, crush Golden Oreos and set aside. Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Fold whipped cream into pudding in thirds. While folding in last third, add sprinkles and gently fold together. Divide between cups and layer with golden oreos. Garnish with more sprinkles. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready (sprinkles might discolor pudding)

Summer is winding down, and we are celebrating with #BacktoSchoolTreats hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 30 bloggers will be sharing 100+ fantastic recipes for both parents and kids, with breakfasts, snacks, desserts, and drinks to get you back in the school routine. Thank you sponsors for providing the prize packages.

Check out these #BacktoSchoolTreats recipes from our Bloggers:

Back to School Breakfasts:
Air Fryer Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal from Jen Around the World
Cherry Almond Scones from The Redhead Baker
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Overnight Oats from Tara’s Multicultural Table
Chocolate Oatmeal Surprise from Girl Abroad
Chorizo, Sausage and Caramelized Onion Mini Quiche from My Sweet Zepol
GF Banana Bread Muffins from Frugal & Fit
Rainbow Sprinkle Pancakes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
S’mores Breakfast Bars from Nik Snacks

Back to School Snacks:
ABC 123 Snack Mix from Big Bear’s Wife
Banana Sushi from Simple and Savory
Blueberry Granola Bars from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Granola Trail Mix Snack Packs from Home Sweet Homestead

Back to School Desserts:
Apple Cake with Vanilla Bean Sauce from Our Good Life
Apple Slice Donuts from For the Love of Food
Cereal Milk Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Funfetti Cookie Dough Bars from The Spiffy Cookie
Funfetti Vanilla Dirt Cups from Love and Confections
Gluten Free Lemon Cream Bars from The Mandatory Mooch
Loaded Chocolate Chunk Bar Cookies from Hardly A Goddess
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes from Daily Dish Recipes
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
Spiced Honey Hazelnut Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Back to School Drinks:
Affogato Vanilla Milkshake from Family Around the Table
Apple Pie Latte from The Beard and The Baker

The post Funfetti Dirt Cups appeared first on Love and Confections.

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

Berry season is Florida is one of my favorite times of the year. The fresh berries are bursting with flavor and beg to be added to every dessert. Trifles are the perfect treat to show off these gorgeous strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. A no-bake cheesecake pudding mousse adds a hint of sweetness, and vanilla wafer crumbs give these trifles a little crunch.

There is no right or wrong way to make a trifle. I often use angel food cake or pound cake as an ingredient. Cookies or cookie crumbs are a great option too. You can use fresh fruit, canned pie filling, or forgo the fruit altogether. Chocolate brownie trifle and dirt cakes are some of my favorite desserts!

No-bake cheesecakes because they are easy to make and look great in desserts, like my Rainbow Cheesecake Parfaits. You can even place it in a piping bag with a star tip to create beautiful bite-sized desserts. I also added sprinkles to these Funfetti Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups, because who doesn’t love cheesecake and sprinkles?

I added instant pudding to the cream cheese and Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, for a rich and creamy texture. Creme Chantilly is also folded in, to lighten the cheesecake pudding. Extra Creme Chantilly is also piped on top of these Very Berry Mini Cheesecake Trifles with a 1M piping tip that can be found online or at any craft store.

This recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make a large cheesecake trifle.

Very Berry Mini Cheesecake Trifles tips:

• Have all the ingredients ready to go, including clean and dry berries
• A food processor is a great tool to create the vanilla wafer crumbs
• Place cheesecake pudding mousse into an uncut piping bag and store in the refrigerator until ready to use
• Stemless wine glasses are also a great choice, if you don’t own individual trifle dishes
• You can layer the trifle ahead of time, but leave off the whipped topping and garnishes until right before serving
• Different berries and fruit are the perfect way to customize your trifles
• Whether you choose individual trifles, or one large trifle dish, this recipe is perfect for a crowd or dinner party

Visit Dixie Crystals for the full recipe:
VERY BERRY MINI CHEESECAKE TRIFLES

The post Very Berry Mini Cheesecake Trifles appeared first on Love and Confections.

Apples, warm spices, salted caramel sauce, and molasses cookies come together in the perfect Fall dessert. Parfaits are a great way to create beautiful desserts for a crowd during the holiday season.

The post Molasses Apple Pie Parfaits 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.

 

Trifles are such a fun Summer dessert where many flavors are delicious. Strawberries, peaches, vanilla cream filling and homemade pound cake is a great fruit-filled and creamy combination. There really is no right or wrong way to make a trifle and you can pick and choose what fruits, cake and fillings you want. You can even go one step further and do a chocolate trifle with cookies or brownies – now that sounds delicious!!

 

Angel food cake is another popular option if you prefer that to pound cake. Summer has plenty of delicious fruits to choose from like berries, stone fruits, and tropical fruits. Whipped cream and pudding combine into a silky and creamy filling that is just light enough to top the cake and fruit.

I really enjoyed this homemade pound cake recipe. I plan on making it again and topping with some simple macerated strawberries for another easy and delicious dessert. Happy baking!

 

Click here for the FULL RECIPE:

STRAWBERRY PEACH POUND CAKE TRIFLE

 

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I have an ongoing relationship with Dixie Crystals as a recipe developer and brand ambassador. I receive product, coupons and/or compensation for posts featuring their products. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Love and Confections possible. As always, all opinions are my own.

The post Strawberry Peach Pound Cake Trifle appeared first on Love and Confections.

Welcome to #PumpkinWeek 2016, where my blogging buddies and I share our love of all things pumpkin. Each of the 80+ recipes all contain some form of pumpkin – not just pumpkin spice. Hope you enjoy our delicious week, and don’t forget to follow along on the #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board!

I absolutely love Autumn, but as most of my friends know, I don’t start getting excited about it until mid-September. I have a no-pumpkin rule until then, because it just doesn’t feel like Fall yet. Living in Florida, we don’t really have a Fall season. It’s now October and is still hot and muggy outside. There are no changing of leaves, apple picking, etc., so I don’t generally use pumpkin in recipes until October.

Creme Brulee is such a fun and easy dessert to make, and great if you’re having dinner guests over. It needs to be made ahead of time and chilled. Your friends will love the taste and presentation – who doesn’t love their own mini dessert. They’ll also think you’re a pro if you forego the broiler for a tableside torching.

Cook time: 01 hrs. 05 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs. 10 mins.
Tags: creme brulee, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, dessert, custard

Here’s more great #PumpkinWeek recipes:
Adorable Turkey Crust Pumpkin Pie from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Amish Pumpkin Roll from Palatable Pastime.
Double Pumpkin Gnocchi from Caroline’s Cooking.
Gigi’s Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Bread from Family Around The Table.
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal in the slow cooker from Feeding Big.
Lisa’s Pumpkin Soup from Cooking With Carlee.
Mini Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecakes from The Crumby Cupcake.
Pecan Pumpkin Cobbler from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks.
Pumpkin Bread from The Freshman Cook.
Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze from Making Miracles.
Pumpkin Brulee Tart from The Redhead Baker.
Pumpkin Cookies with Butter Rum Icing from Grumpy’s Honeybunch.
Pumpkin Creme Brulee from Love and Confections.
Pumpkin Glazed Bacon from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.
Pumpkin Laksa from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
Pumpkin Milkshake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pumpkin Muffins from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings.
Pumpkin Pretzel Bites from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.
Pumpkin Spice Affogato from The Bitter Side of Sweet.
Pumpkin Spice Granola from The Chef Next Door.
Spiced Pumpkin Cider from Gluten Free Crumbley


Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

The post Pumpkin Creme Brulee #PumpkinWeek appeared first on Love and Confections.

It’s time for #SundaySupper again, and the theme this week is eggs! There are so many delicious recipes to create with eggs, like frittatas, quiches, deviled eggs, etc. I love eggs in almost every form, but decided to go sweet and do a dessert this week.

Pavlova with Strawberry Curd is a great way to use eggs, because it used both whole eggs and egg whites. Meringue can be finicky depending on the weather, and making baked meringue (or macarons) is best done on days with low humidity.

Another tidbit of advice: cold eggs separate better, yet warm eggs whip up better. Separate your eggs while they are cold and let them come to room temperature before whipping them. In quite a few recipes where egg whites need to be whipped, a double boiler is a great tool to warm the eggs. I usually prepare a small saucepan with about 1-2 inches of water and use my stand mixing bowl as the double boiler – that way, when my eggs get warm, I can move straight to the stand mixer and start whipping.

Pavlova with Strawberry Curd
Strawberry Curd is a Love and Confections original recipe
Meringue is adapted from Francois Payard

Strawberry Curd Ingredients:
– 8 ounces Strawberries
– 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
– 1/2 cup granulated Sugar, divided
– 5 extra large Eggs
– 4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, room temperature

Strawberry Curd Directions:
* before starting have a clean bowl along with a fine mesh sieve set aside for after the mixture is cooked.
1. Puree strawberries in a food processor, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Discard the solids. Combine the strawberry puree, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium pot. Heat until just under boiling.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Slowly pour the puree into the eggs while whisking continuously.
3. Return the mixture to the pot and cook on medium-high, whisking constantly, for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from the stove and strain through the waiting fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the surface is completely covered to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate a minimum 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Meringue Ingredients:
– 90 grams Egg Whites
– 110 grams Granulated Sugar
– 60 grams Confectioner’s Sugar

Meringue Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200F. Line one or two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment and set aside.
2. Put the Egg Whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)
3. Sift the Confectioner’s Sugar over the Egg Whites and fold the dry ingredients into the whites. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)
4. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could free form your shapes and level them with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
5. Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Today I have two recipes for you, and they are delicious! With Florida strawberries in season, we eat them nearly every day. This past weekend, our family took #toddlerLnC out to a u-pick farm and picked about 15 pounds of berries. We love eating them as-is, but I decided to whip up some new recipes with Truwhip to accompany our fresh berries.

If you aren’t familiar with Truwhip, it is a 100% natural frozen whipped topping. As a kid, I grew up liking frozen whipped topping, and now that I am older, I like to pay attention to what I am eating and the ingredients I am using. Truwhip contains no high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or GMOs. 

I am able to pronounce everything in Truwhip, like ingredients such as water, tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and palm kernel oil. Truwhip Original has 30 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. Truwhip also has a Skinny version that has 25 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving.

It sounds too good to be true, and it really is delicious! I even spoon it right out of the tub. Truwhip has a list of simple and delicious Spring recipe ideas on their website and I can’t wait to try some of them – topping my morning coffee, scooping it like ice cream, and making pies with whipped topping.

For today’s two recipes, I headed to Publix and grabbed a tub of Truwhip Original. Nothing goes better with whipped topping than fresh Florida Strawberries. Strawberry season is one of my favorite times of year and Plant City, the Winter strawberry capitol, hosts the Florida Strawberry Festival every year.

This year, Truwhip is a festival sponsor and you can get a serving of yellow cake topped with a heaping spoonful of delicious Plant City strawberries and a dollop of Truwhip at the Truwhip Strawberry Tent. I seriously need to make my way to the Festival this year, because that Strawberry Shortcake is calling my name!

I hope you enjoy some Truwhip with beautiful Florida strawberries this season!

Truwhip Cheesecake Dip
A Love and Confections recipe
Serves 4

Truwhip Cheesecake Dip Ingredients:
– 1 (8 oz.) package of Cream Cheese, softened
– 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
– 5 ounces Truwhip
– 1-2 pounds Strawberries

Truwhip Cheesecake Dip Directions:
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a bowl with a hand mixer, beat the Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar until smooth and there are no lumps.
2. Add in the Truwhip and beat until combined. Spoon into serving bowl and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
3. Place serving bowl on a platter with cleaned strawberries and enjoy!

Truwhip Strawberry Brownie Trifle
A Love and Confections recipe
2 glasses serves 4

Truwhip Strawberry Brownie Trifle Ingredients:
– Prepared Brownie Bites, quartered
– Strawberries, quartered or diced
– 1 batch Truwhip Cheesecake Dip
– Truwhip and Strawberries for optional garnish

Truwhip Strawberry Brownie Trifle Directions:
1. Building the trifle from the bottom up, place Brownie pieces in the bottom of two glasses. Alternatively, you can create individual portions in a smaller dish.
2. The next layer is quartered, or diced, Strawberries.
3. Place Truwhip Cheesecake Dip into a piping bag and pipe the third layer.
4. Repeat steps 1-3. Top with additional Truwhip and garnish with a Strawberry. Enjoy!

Until next time, 
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

This post is sponsored by Truwhip. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Love and Confections possible. All opinions are my own.

The post Truwhip Cheesecake Dip and Strawberry Brownie Trifle appeared first on Love and Confections.

I love breakfast parfaits and eat them a lot during Spring and Summer. Some favorites are my Berry Parfait, Cinnamon Apple and Sea Salt Caramel Granola Parfait, and Meyer Lemon & Strawberry Parfait. I received some Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Granola and Qi’a Superfood Cereal to try. These two items are definitely great for topping oatmeal and mixing in parfaits, like what I am sharing today.

Farro Breakfast Parfait
A Love and Confection original recipe

Farro Breakfast Parfait Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup Farro
– 1 & 1/2 cup Water
– pinch of Salt
– 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
– 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
– 2 tablespoons Qi’a Superfood Cereal, plus more for garnish
– 1/4 cup Pumpkin Flax Granola, plus more for garnish
– Stonyfield Vanilla Green Yogurt

Farro Breakfast Parfait Directions:
1. Place Farro and Water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through. Drain any extra water, then place in a medium mixing bowl to cool.
2. Into the mixing bowl with Farro, add in the Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Qi’a and Pumpkin Flax Granola. Combine, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next morning, assemble by alternating layers of the Yogurt and the Farro mixture. Top with a garnish of Granola and Qi’a. Enjoy.
* The Farro mixture is enough for a few days of parfaits. You can use it immediately, but I find it easier to make ahead and refrigerate.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!


Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with Stonyfield as a member of the Clean Plate Club. I receive product, coupons and/or compensation for posts featuring their products. As always, all opinions are my own. #stonyfieldblogger #sponsored.

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I am patiently waiting for the cool weather to come to Florida. I see pictures from family and friends of changing leaves and apple picking. To get in the Fall mood, my family took #ToddlerLnC to a pumpkin patch at a local sweet corn farm about 30 minutes from our house.

We took her last year and she loved sitting next to the pumpkins. This year, however, she wanted nothing to do with them and wanted to run around and play like a big girl. What a difference a year makes!

My family and I also did the corn maze. Even though it’s mid-October, it is still warm outside, and we were sweating buckets. Good thing Mr. L&C is a great navigator, because we did the maze in just about 45 minutes. The attendant said that it usually takes people 45 minutes – 2 hours to do the maze.

We had a lot of fun and I cannot wait for the weather to cool down. Until then, I’m going to enjoy some cold Homemade Pumpkin Pie Pudding!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

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