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Blackberry Lemon Bramble

May 2, 2017

A refreshing cocktail with a berry-licious twist: blackberries, lemons, simple syrup, gin and ginger ale combine into a refreshing drink, perfect for happy hour or evening cocktail. It easily turns from a cocktail to a mocktail too!

Blackberry Lemon Bramble from LoveandConfections.com

I love creating fun cocktails and this Bramble is one of my favorites so far. It has the perfect amount of sweet and tart, and incredibly easy to make. Blackberries are in season right now. The gorgeous, plump, and juicy berries are absolutely delicious and perfect for a Spring or Summer cocktail.

My one pet-peeve about these gorgeous purple fruits are the seeds. I dislike any cocktail that has muddled blackberries and keeps the seeds in. To fix that, I used my food processor then strained the mixture so I had the wonderful blackberry flavor, without all the seeds.

I can definitely imagine myself sitting on my patio, enjoying the Spring sunset, with a Blackberry Lemon Bramble in hand. Don’t forget some fun garnishes – because we eat with our eyes first. I am growing mint in my container garden at the moment and am loving the pop of color it gives. I also have an alternative if you or someone you know is not imbibing. The mocktail tastes just as delicious!

Visit Dixie Crystals for the FULL RECIPE:

BLACKBERRY LEMON BRAMBLE

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.

World Penguin Day, The AZA & Stonyfield YoKids! #StonyfieldBlogger

April 25, 2017

Today is World Penguin Day and my favorite yogurt company, Stonyfield Organic, is celebrating in a big way by partnering with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Penguins are one of my favorite animals. They hold a special place in my heart. When my grandfather was alive, he was a great artist, and asked me if there was a painting I wanted. I immediately told him penguins. He worked on it and surprised me with a gorgeous painting that I cherish so much. Penguins were also the favorite animal of my late best friend, and every time I see one, I smile and think of him. They are adorable to watch and cute as can be scuttling around. I even took a behind-the-scenes tour, once, to get up close and personal with some rambunctious penguins.

Stonyfield is the country’s leading organic yogurt maker, focuses on conservation and sustainability, and recently received B-corp status, so it comes as no surprise that Stonyfield partnered with the AZA on World Penguin Day.

Stonyfield YoKids teamed up with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to sponsor the AZA SAFE program (Saving Animals From Extinction). The AZA has 232 accredited zoos and aquariums in 47 states with over 750,000 animals in the care of zoo and aquarium professionals. There are about 1,000 threatened or endangered species in these AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. AZA SAFE created a conservation plan that brings together zoos, aquariums and other partners to prevent the

Some of the 10 Signature Species (African penguin, Asian elephant, black rhinoceros, cheetah, gorilla, sea turtle, sharks, vaquita, Western pond turtle, and whooping crane) can be seen on the Stonyfield YoKid’s packaging this year. You can also find an offer for a FREE kids ticket (with the purchase of an adult ticket) for one of the hundreds of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in your community when you purchase 2 specially-marked Stonyfield YoKids multi-packs.

Until next time,

LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

I have an ongoing relationship with Stonyfield Yogurt 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.

Red Velvet Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

April 19, 2017

Red Velvet Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is easily a family favorite. Use a box mix for a shortcut and top it off with adorable sprinkles!

Red Velvet Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from LoveandConfections.com

Red Velvet is such a delicious cake, if made right. For most people it’s hit or miss. Some like it, some don’t but my family is in the first group. I came across this recipe in February and knew I had to make ASAP.

My sister loves red velvet cake and this one was definitely a hit. It is incredibly easy since I used my favorite box mix. While I do like to create baked goods from scratch, I also doctor up cake mixes because, let’s be real, sometimes it’s a lot easier to do that than scratch, especially with a three-year-old running around.

I live for homemade cream cheese frosting and this one was no exception. Smooth, creamy, just the right amount of sweetness – absolutely perfect! Toppings are optional, but everyone here loves sprinkles so I made it extra adorable with some heart sprinkles and nonpareils.

This pound cake was so delicious and you can play around with the flavors too. For Easter this year, I created one with lemon cake mix and lemon pudding. I cannot wait to try out different flavor combinations. I am also going to experiment with baking it in one loaf pan, as opposed to two like the recipe states, and also in a bundt pan. I am a bundt-lover and this would definitely be a delicious bundt cake too!

Red Velvet Pound Cake

By adapted from The Recipe Critic
Published 04/18/2017

Red Velvet Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is easily a family favorite. Use a box mix for a shortcut and top it off with adorable sprinkles!

Ingredients

4 large eggs, room temperature
1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 (4.3 ounce) package Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix, dry
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 325F. Prepare 2 bread pans with baking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Combine the rest of the ingredients until mixed.
Divide batter between loaf pans and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cakes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack or serving dish. Serve warm or room temperature. Optional Cream Cheese Frosting after completely cooled

Yield: 24 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 45 mins.
Total time: 50 mins.
Tags: Red Velvet, Red Velvet Cake, Pound Cake, Cake

Cream Cheese Frosting

By Love and Confections
Published 04/18/2017

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time, until desired consistency. Spread onto cake with offset spatula and decorate with sprinkles.

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 10 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Sweet Cream Tres Leches #SplashofDelight

April 11, 2017

Sweet Cream Tres Leches is a delicious spin on the classic dessert. Moist cake is soaked with three different milks, including International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplashofDelight #CollectiveBias

Sweet Cream Tres Leches from LoveandConfections.com #SplashofDelight

Tres Leches has always been a favorite cake. I grew up in Miami and enjoyed it often. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I started making Tres Leches on my own and had fun experimenting with flavors. I created a Pumpkin, Chocolate and Tiramisu Tres Leches so far.

I knew my next version had to be unique and loved having the opportunity to use International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream half gallon, from Walmart, as one of the “three milks”. I knew I wanted to create a twist on my traditional cake and International Delight® was just what I was looking for in my Tres Leches. I love looking at all the fun flavors – there are over 30!

I also picked up a half gallon of International Delight® French Vanilla, which is sweet and mellow, is my go-to for my morning cup of coffee. The half-gallon container is much easier to hold than conventional carton packaging too, making my mornings easier and tastier. I might switch it up next time and try the International Delight® Caramel Macchiato, it sounds so delicious – creamy richness swirled with luscious caramel is right up my alley! I chose International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream because it is rich, delicious and reminiscent of homemade ice cream – the perfect flavor for my cake – especially because I topped it with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles. It’s almost like a cake sundae, and who wouldn’t want that?

I hope you enjoy my Tres Leches and more delicious and unique recipes and baked goods using International Delight®!

Sweet Cream Tres Leches

By Love and Confections
Published 04/11/2017

Sweet Cream Tres Leches is a delicious spin on the classic dessert. Moist cake is soaked with three different milks, including International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream.

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix
Water
Vegetable oil
Egg whites
12-ounce can Evaporated Milk
14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
8 ounces International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream
11/2 cups Heavy Cream, very cold
2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9×13 pan with baking spray and set aside. Mix and bake cake according to package directions. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using a toothpick or skewer, poke holes all around the cake.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, condensed milk and International Delight® Cold Stone Creamery™ Sweet Cream. Slowly ladle the mixture all over the cake, trying to get as much into the holes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum 6 hours, preferably overnight.
30 minutes before making the topping, place the bowl and whisk attachment from your stand mixer into the freezer. Whip the Heavy Cream on medium-high, until it starts to thicken and form soft peaks. Add in the Vanilla Extract and combine. Slowly add in the Powdered Sugar while the mixer is on low. Once it is incorporated, mix on high to whip until firm peaks.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the whipped topping on with an offset spatula. The cake needs to remain refrigerated and covered because of the whipped topping. If necessary, use toothpicks on the cake so the plastic wrap does not touch the whipped topping. If not serving immediately, store in the refrigerator and do not put the sprinkles on until right before serving.

Yield: 24 servings
Prep Time: 6 hrs. 15 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 35 mins.
Total time: 6 hrs. 50 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTION!

Carnitas Burrito Bowl #RealFlavorRealFast

March 30, 2017

Carnitas Burrito Bowls are fresh, fast and perfect for a weeknight meal that is ready in under 30 minutes!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealFlavorRealFast #CollectiveBias

Carnitas Burrito Bowl from LoveandConfections.com #RealFlavorRealFast

Carnitas are delicious, but waiting 8 hours for a slow cooker is not always ideal. While they are super safe, I don’t like leaving the house with a slow cooker on. Some days you want that slow cooked taste but can’t stay home to babysit it. That’s where my Carnitas Burrito Bowl comes in.

I found all my ingredients at my local Walmart, including the NEW Smithfield® Marinated Boneless Pork Shoulder Seasoned Carnitas. The 100% pork is marinated and pre-cut into smaller pieces – perfect for pan searing, like in my recipe below.

While I love burritos, sometimes a fresh and fast burrito bowl is best. I add cilantro rice, roasted corn, and black beans. Tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and fresh lime wedges are a must and all found in the produce section of Walmart. Sour cream and shredded cheese are great options too, and found in the dairy section at Walmart. It’s always fun to set up a burrito bowl bar, with each topping in separate bowls, so everyone can add what they like. It’s similar to those fast casual restaurants, but more delicious and in the comfort of your own home!

You can even use any leftover Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork in homemade fried rice for dinner another night of the week! Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork is versatile for any night of the week by sauteeing, grilling and roasting. I hope you enjoy all these delicious Smithfield® recipes. Also, here’s an Ibotta coupon for $1.00 off any of the NEW Smithfield® Marinated Carnitas, Homestyle Roast and Sweet & Smoky Roast.

Carnitas Burrito Bowl

By Love and Confections
Published 03/30/2017

Ingredients

1 package Smithfield® Marinated Boneless Pork Shoulder Seasoned Carnitas
1 cup uncooked rice
1 can black beans
Pickled Onions
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Avocado
Sour Cream
Cheese
Lime wedges
Cilantro

Instructions

Heat a large skillet on high. You can add a small amount of vegetable oil if you prefer. Working in batches, sear carnitas 1-3 minutes per side – depending on size of carnitas.
Remove seared carnitas and set aside while searing another batch. Once all seared, return all the carnitas to the pan, cover and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F to 160°F. Let rest then julienne.
While the meat cooks, cook rice and beans according to package directions. Heat corn in a skillet until warm and starting to brown.
Once rice is cooked, place in bowl and mix in cilantro. Portion out each component into a bowl: chopped lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, corn, black beans, carnitas, pickled onions, rice, and optional toppings sour cream, cheese and lime.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Bacon Jam & Ham BLT #SandwichWithTheBest

March 20, 2017

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SandwichWithTheBest #CollectiveBias

Bacon Jam & Ham BLT is a delicious and easy sandwich made with only 6 ingredients! Toasted Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse™ Hearty White, Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham, Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise, tomato, spinach and bacon jam are sandwiched to make the perfect twist on the classic BLT.

Bacon Jam & Ham BLT from LoveandConfections.com #SandwichWithTheBest

I have a love of BLT’s from childhood, and always enjoy them when I want an easy and delicious sandwich. Today, I am re-working mine to include my 6 favorite ingredients. With bread as a vessel for all the BLT deliciousness, you can’t start a sandwich without quality bread, like Pepperidge Farm® from the bread aisle at Walmart. I love Farmhouse Hearty White because it is slow baked, crafted from a small batch recipe, and uses wholesome ingredients.

In the salad dressing aisle at Walmart, I found Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise. It is made with real, simple ingredients, like eggs, oil, and vinegar. I love using it to amp up my sandwiches by mixing it with fun flavors too. Hello, bacon jam mayonnaise is coming my way soon! Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham is slow roasted for hours, has the perfect amount of sweetness with premium quality honey, and has no artificial flavors or by-products. Look for Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham in the packaged meat section at Walmart.

B: Crispy bacon is usually a must, but sometimes I don’t feel like baking or frying bacon. That’s where bacon jam comes in. If you’ve never had bacon jam, you need to get your hands on some immediately! It is the perfect spread, in addition to the Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise, and gives such great bacon flavor while helping to hold the sandwich together.

L: While I love lettuce and eat it regularly, spinach is a great option and totally different twist for this sandwich. The deep green leaves taste great with everything and are really pretty when you look at the cut sandwich. Plus, since the leaves are flatter, the sandwich stays together better. Come on, I mean we are talking serious sandwich construction and engineering here, lol. Also, those fun little cocktail picks help hold your sandwich together too.

T: A BLT is nothing without the tomato. I love having tomatoes on all my sandwiches, with the exception of peanut butter and jelly. Grilled cheese, Italian, tuna, you name it and I have a tomato on that sandwich. Make sure your tomato is nice and ripe, and cut in about 1/4-inch pieces – not too big and not too small.

When layering my sandwich, I place Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise on the inside of both pieces. Bacon jam goes on one side and tomatoes on the other. Spinach on top of the bacon and ham on top of the tomatoes. Sandwich it together and cut it diagonally, because that is a pretty cut, but you can also cut it straight across – I won’t judge.

Bacon Jam & Ham BLTs are perfect for any day of the week when you are in a time-crunch but want a delicious meal. Here are more creative sandwich ideas from Pepperidge Farm®. You might also like my Monte Cristo Grilled Cheese, made with Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse™ Oatmeal bread, Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham, and Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise.

Bacon Jam & Ham BLT

By Love and Confections
Published 03/20/2017

Ingredients

2 slices Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse™ Hearty White
3 teaspoons Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise
2-3 teaspoons Bacon Jam
1/4 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup baby spinach
3 slices Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham

Instructions

Toast bread. Spread mayonnaise on the insides bread. Spread bacon jam on one side. Layer spinach on top of bacon jam. On the other slice of bread layer tomatoes then ham. Sandwich together, cut, and enjoy!

Yield: 1 Sandwich
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 02 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 01 mins.
Total time: 3 mins.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Shamrock Fudge

March 16, 2017

Smooth and creamy fudge is given a fun twist for St. Patrick’s Day by turning it green and topping with lucky sprinkles.

Shamrock Fudge from LoveandConfections.com

Saint Patrick’s day is around the corner and I love such a festive holiday. Celebrations make me happy – so does chocolate – and when they are together it’s a match made in Heaven. I realized that I have never blogged about fudge before and knew I needed to get one posted here asap.

Ever since my Chocolate & Confections class in culinary school, I have been somewhat of a fudge snob. Really good fudge is sometimes hard to come by – so here’s an easy recipe for you to enjoy. You can change up the color and flavoring, just be careful with the amounts – you don’t want a whole teaspoon of mint extract – and top with festive sprinkles.

The sprinkle mixture on top is a combination of shamrocks and lime green jimmies. Feel free to create your own fun mixture! I am so ready to create more fun fudge candies using this recipe as a base.

Visit Dixie Crystals for the FULL RECIPE:

SHAMROCK FUDGE

Until next time,

LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Cherry Hand Pies for #PiDay

March 14, 2017

Cherry Hand Pies are just about the easiest dessert that takes little effort and looks gorgeous. There’s something special about mini pies and these cuties are perfect for Pi Day!

Cherry Hand Pies from LoveandConfections.com

Happy Pi Day! Today I am celebrating my love of Pi with pie. Pi – that wonderful non-repeating, non-terminating number from math class many years ago. When I was in high school, I had an algebra teacher who knew 45 decimals of Pi by heart. I bet that I could memorize more, and helped organize our high school’s Pi Day celebration.

It took a little while, but every day leading up to Pi Day, I memorized 3 additional digits of Pi, until I beat and smashed his record. We had fun pieing teachers in the face to raise money for charity, and during our morning announcements, I rambled all the digits of Pi I had learned. To this day, I still can recite all 56 decimals of Pi that I memorized.

So, onto the delicious part of Pi Day – the pie. While I like making homemade crust and homemade filling, I kind of took a shortcut. Things have been quite busy around here, with a rambunctious 3 year old. Sometimes I have to take shortcuts to get things done, and truth be told, I ran out of time making these hand pies, but they still turned out cute and delicious! I hope you enjoy Pi Day with a slice of your favorite pie!

Cherry Hand Pies

By Love and Confections
Published 03/14/2017

Cherry Hand Pies are just about the easiest dessert that takes little effort and looks gorgeous. There’s something special about mini pies and these cuties are perfect for Pi Day!

Ingredients

1 pre-packaged pie crust
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg
Turbinado sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon milk or lemon juice

Instructions

Heat oven to 425F. Prepare sheet tray with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Roll pie dough slightly thinner, on a lightly floured surface. Using a biscuit or circle cutter, cut rounds and place on baking sheet. If needed, re-roll and cut more.
Place 2-3 cherries in the middle of 8 bottoms, brush the outside with egg wash, and crimp with a fork. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar
Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack. Create glaze with powdered sugar and milk or lemon juice. Drizzle onto pies and enjoy!

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 5 mins.

Cook time: 18 mins.
Total time: 23 mins.

Happy Pi Day! Here are some delicious pies baked up by our blog friends. Hope you have a delicious #piday!

Cherry Hand Pies from Love and Confections
Chocolate Orange Free Form Pie from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Pie from Feeding Big
Fried Apple Pies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Gluten Free Death By Chocolate Pie from Gluten Free Crumbley
Mini Shamrock Pie from The Freshman Cook
Shepherd’s Pie Pizza from The Spiffy Cookie
Sweet Potato Pie from My Catholic Kitchen

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Rainbow No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits

March 14, 2017

Rainbow No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits are an easy and colorful dessert perfect for a Spring celebration or holiday treat. Top with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles for a show stopping presentation.

Rainbow No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits from LoveandConfections.com

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars

March 10, 2017

Chocolate and strawberries are always a winning combination. Luscious strawberry filling tops a chocolate bar that’s a mix between a cookie and a brownie. A drizzle of chocolate ganache tops these delectable Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bars from LoveandConfections.com

Strawberry season in Florida yields sweet, delicious red fruit, and aside from eating it straight off the bushes, I love baking with strawberries. Strawberry Fraisier and Strawberry Freezer Jam are a must, and I also love making Strawberry Lemonade Spritzers when the weather starts to warm up.

Brownies and strawberries are an amazing combination – rich, dark chocolate and sweet strawberries are a favorite of mine. These bars are easy to make and it will look like you took hours. The chocolate drizzle tops it perfectly. You can leave them as-is, or you can top them with chocolate dipped strawberries. I bet these would look great with a chocolate and white chocolate drizzle too.

Visit Dixie Crystals for the FULL RECIPE:

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY BARS

Until next time,

LOVE & CONFECTIONS!