Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse

I’m not sure if there is any candy more closely related to fall and Halloween than candy corn!  The distinct shape, instantly recognizable color pattern and pure sugary goodness make these little sweets a Halloween staple.  Inspired by these traditional candies, I created this Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse, perfect for a special dessert or Halloween party.

Candy Corn Cheesecake Mousse

This recipe yields a sweet and fluffy, light cream cheese flavored dessert.

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk or cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 small container (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed

orange and yellow food color

candy corn (for garnish)

Directions ~

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until fully smooth.  Slowly add powdered sugar, then milk (or cream).  Add vanilla.  Continue mixing.  Beat about 1 minute on medium to medium-high speed.  Fold cool whip into cream cheese mixture, and stir until fully combined.

Scoop about 1/3 of the Cheesecake Mousse into a bowl, and color orange.  Color another third of the mixture yellow.  Leave the remaining third white.  One color at a time (starting with yellow), scoop mixture into a piping bag or large ziplock bag, and squeeze a layer of the Cheesecake Mousse into small dessert dishes of your choice.  Repeat with orange and then white Mousse.

Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 1 day) before serving.  Garnish with candy corn if desired.

Recipe yields 4 moderate servings or 6-8 mini servings.

Recipe Source:  Glorious Treats

Sugar Free Option:  In the past, I have adjusted this recipe to be sugar free, with good results.  Simply substitute 1/3 cup Splenda for the powdered sugar, and replace regular cool whip with sugar free cool whip.  Omit candy corn garnish.

Recipe options:  This general concept could be created using vanilla pudding or white chocolate mousse (from a mix or from scratch).

 

 Source : http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/09/candy-corn-cheesecake-mousse.html

How to Make an Orange Creme Float

   

Do you love Orange Creme Popsicles? Do yo love Orange soda? Do you love ice cream? Then this is for you!

Steps :

1. Choose a tall glass.

2. Add a few spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream to the bottom of the cup.

 3. Pour the Orange soda to the top but not to high to prevent over foaming.

4. Enjoy with a straw and/or spoon!

 

Tips :

• You can also fill the glass up halfway with soda, put in the ice cream and fill the rest with the soda.

Things You'll Need :

• A glass
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Orange soda
• A spoon

Warnings :

 If you add to much soda too fast, there could be too much foam and it will over flow.


 Source :  http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Orange-Creme-Float

How to Make a Coffee Coke Float

Iced coffee and frappucinos are excellent cold coffee suggestions for a hot day. Why not "tweak" a classic coke float with a coffee taste? Here is how to make a coffee coke float.

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients :

• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) strong coffee
• 4 scoops coffee ice cream
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) light cream
• 1 bottle Cola 

Steps :

1. Combine the coffee and light cream together.

2. Measure and divide the mixture. Fill 4 glasses half full.

 

3. Carefully add a scoop of coffee ice cream to each glass.

4. Divide the Cola amongst the 4 glasses.

Tips :

• Avoid filling the glasses more than necessary since you'll need the room for the ice cream and soda.

Things You'll Need :

• 4 glasses
• Ice cream scoop

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Coffee-Coke-Float

How To Make Rainbow Pudding Pops

Cool treats are part of summertime and nothing is cooler than a pudding pop. Unless, of course, it is a rainbow colored pudding pop! This little goodie is as attractive as it is delicious. Parents and children can make these pops at home with just a few ingredients. Follow this recipe for a summer treat that adults will love as much as children do.



You will need:
• 1 or 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
• Different colors of food coloring
• Milk
• Whisk
• Mixing spoon
• Large mixing bowl
• 5 or 6 small mixing bowls
• Paper or plastic cups
• Popsicle sticks
• Plastic wrap (optional)

Steps :

Step 1: Pour the pudding mix into the largest mixing bowl.

Step 2: Refer to the pudding directions to determine how much milk to add to the bowl. Add the milk and whisk the pudding according to the package directions.

Step 3: Separate the liquid into 5 or 6 smaller mixing bowls

Step 4: Add a different color of food coloring to each mixing bowl. Stir the pudding in each bowl, rinsing the spoon after each stirring, and add more food coloring to achieve the desired colors.

Step 5: Place the paper or plastic cups on a flat surface. Add a smooth, even layer of each color of pudding to each cup. The goal is to make the sides of each pudding pop look like a rainbow of colors.

Step 6: Insert a popsicle stick into the center of each cup. The thickness of the pudding should hold the stick in place. If it does not, cover each cup with the plastic wrap and put one stick through the wrap and then into the pudding.

Step 7: Freeze the pudding pops for several hours until they are set completely.

Step 8: Remove the pops from the freezer and warm the sides of each cup with your hands. Remove the pudding pop from each cup and enjoy.



 Source : http://www.hippshelp.com/how-to-make-rainbow-pudding-pops/

A welcome drink - "Back of the Island"

I don’t know if cheating on my first recipe is a good start, but for the sake of sharing a delicious cocktail with you, I’ll take my chances.

You may have tried a cocktail with nutmeg before, but that was with nutmeg spice, the brown powder that comes from the ground seed of a nutmeg fruit.

While the yellowish-white fruit of a nutmeg isn’t considered a spice, it has similar taste, albeit with a citrus and sour flavor.  Very sour.  The kind of sour you don’t forget.  But nothing that adding sugar can’t handle.

The island of Penang, where we stay now, has proven that mix with the must try fresh nutmeg juice - a delicious frothy concoction of nutmeg fruit, sugar, and a preserved sour plum.  After planting so many nutmeg trees on the island’s hilly west side to get at the seed of the fruit, it was inevitable that the abundance of nutmeg fruit was put to good use.

The main town, and sometimes the name used to refer to the entire west side of the island, is called Balik Pulau - a Malay term which literally means “Back of the Island”.  The perfect name for a tropical spice drink!

“Back of the Island” Cocktail (or Mocktail) by Season with Spice
Two servings

Ingredients:
Two fresh nutmegs – peeled, halved, and pit removed
1 cup of cold water
4 teaspoons of raw or white sugar (5 or 6 if you like your cocktails sweeter)
16 ice cubes
1 can of ginger ale
2 shots of rum (4 tablespoons)

The process:
1. Put 8 ice cubes and one shot of rum in each glass.
2. In a blender, add in the cold water, sugar, and nutmegs. Blend well.
3. Pour the mix through a fine metal strainer into a bowl. Then transfer the juice into each glass.
4. Top off with ginger ale, and stir.
5. Optional – garnish with lime or lemon, and drop the nutmeg seed into the bottom of the drink (for some reason I thought it would float, but it sinks like a rock)

If you don’t take alcohol, no problem, the drink is refreshing with or without rum. More information about nutmeg the spice.

Cheers!

Source : http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2011/03/fresh-nutmeg-juice.html

How to Make a Triple Chocolate Milkshake

   

Triple chocolate milkshakes are an ultimate chocolate treat for chocoholics. This milkshake gets a boost from the addition of crumbled brownies, a great way to use up yesterday's not-as-fresh brownies.

Ingredients :

• Scoop or two of chocolate ice cream
• 8 fl oz (240 ml) milk
• Chocolate straws or sticks
• 2 crumbled brownies
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate syrup or sauce

Steps :

1. Pour about 8 ounces (240ml) of milk into the blender.

 

2. Add the chocolate ice cream. A scoop or two is usually sufficient but it's dependent on your taste preferences.

 

3. Blend the ice cream and milk ingredients together until it turns into a mushy mixture.

 

4. Add the two crumbled brownies. Make sure that the pieces are small enough for ease of blending. And add all the other ingredients listed.

 

5. Blend the ingredients again until the resulting milkshake is smooth.

6. Turn off the blender. Pour the triple chocolate milkshakes into glasses for each person.

 

7. Top the drinks off with whipped cream.

 

8. Drizzle chocolate syrup or sauce all over.

9. Add a chocolate straw or stick in the cup and enjoy.

 

Tips :

• Add more brownies for an increased chocolaty taste.
• Use milk which has more than 1% fat in it, this gives a more rich taste.

Warnings :

Use nut-free brownies; nuts won't enhance the flavor.

Things You'll Need :

• Blender
• Glasses

 Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Triple-Chocolate-Milkshake

How to Make Fruity Ice Cubes

    
Fruity ice cubes are delicious to suck on if you have a sore throat, or to add to cock/mocktails etc etc. Here is how to make them!

Ingredients :

• Water
• Strawberries
• Orange/cranberry/apple juice
• Blueberries

Steps :

1. In an ice - cube mould, half fill half of the squares with water.

 

2. Chop up the strawberries into small pieces.

 3. Into half of the water filled moulds (therefore a quarter of the overall square count), drop a bit of strawberry.

4. Fill the rest of the water-and-strawberry moulds with water so the strawberry is floating in water.

5. In the half filled watery moulds, drop a single blueberry.

 6. Fill the rest of the blueberry-y moulds with water so the blueberries are floating.

7. In a third of the empty moulds, pour one of your three juices to the top of the mould.

 

 8. In another third of the empty moulds, pour in another of the fruit juices to the top.

 

9. Repeat with the remaining moulds and remaining juice.

 

10. Place in the freezer for 48 hours.

 

11. Serve as soon as you have popped out of the mould.

 

Tips : 

• Sure, you can use your own fruit (the ones listed set the best and the fruit is the easiest to use)!
• Make milk squares for young children and toddlers. You could use plain milk and flavoured milk!
• Make porridge squares with a blob of golden syrup or jam to eat with your breakfast or as a snack!

Warnings :

• Don't use fruits or juices anyone who will be eating the cubes are allergic to.

Things You'll Need :

• A freezer
• 48 hours
• Ice cube mould
• Cash (to buy the fruit and juices)

 Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fruity-Ice-Cubes

 

How to Make a Cupcake Cone

 

Here’s a snappy idea which will lend a little whimsy to the next birthday party you throw for your child. Bake some cupcakes in ready-made ice cream cones. You can complete them ahead, and have the cupcakes ready for serving. Or you can bake and cool them in advance, leaving frosting and the decorating as an activity for that house full of energetic kids you're expecting. 

Ingredients : 

• Store-bought or homemade cake batter of choice
• Ice cream cones
• Frosting of choice
• Sprinkles

Steps : 

1. Make the batter for the cupcakes. Use a cake mix or your favorite scratch cake recipe. Prepare the batter as per directions.

2. Unwrap the ice cream cones slowly, being careful not to damage them as you remove any plastic coverings. Place each empty cone in a muffin tin, one per ungreased muffin cup.

 3. Pick up and fill each cone. Replace each cone in its muffin cup.

 

•  Leave a little room at the top for expansion (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch).

• Do not overfill the ice cream cones with batter. An ice cream scoop holds about the right amount and lets you do a neat and trim job of filling. Aim for cupcakes which do not overflow the cones. These will be more attractive and will be easier to frost. The image of batter in the cone here will result in an unsightly overflow during baking

• This image shows what it looks like after baking overfilled cones; not very attractive.

 

4. Bake according to cake batter instructions. Bake for the same length of time you would bake regular cupcakes.

5. Prepare the icing or open up a store-bought icing mixture.

6. Place the sprinkles in a small bowl.

7. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool.

8. Frost the cupcakes using a knife or spatula. Try to let the frosting warm up a bit if you've been keeping it in the fridge, as some frostings are more difficult to work with when cold.

9. Dip the top of the cupcake in sprinkles. Dip fully or dip just one side for an artsy effect.

 10. Place each cupcake back into the muffin tin, or place in a serving dish with sides. Carry the muffin tin or serving dish very carefully; these cupcakes will be top heavy and have a tendency to topple.

11. Serve and enjoy!

 

Tips :

• The same technique can be used for a treat at a graduation party. Buy sprinkles in school colors or use frosting of one school color, with sprinkles of the other school color.

Warnings :

• Don't use too much icing as this can weigh the cupcake down and cause it to tip over.
• These cupcakes should be eaten the same day they are made or else the moisture from the cake will take away the crispness of the cones.

Things You'll Need :

• 24 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
• One recipe of cake mix, complete with eggs and oil and other ingredients required
• Icing (16 oz can will be more than enough)
• Muffin pan
• Ice cream scoop
• Sprinkles

Source : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cupcake-Cone