Decadent, Delicious, Moist, and just the right amount of peanut butter. These just could not have been any better !!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

30 cupcakes
235 calories per serving

1 package super moist yellow cake mix
1 ½ c water
¼ c vegetable oil
3 eggs
¾ c creamy peanut butter
1 tub ready to spread chocolate frosting
¼ c creamy peanut butter
1/3 c chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees . Line muffin cups with paper liners. Beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and ¾ c peanut butter on low 30 seconds and then on medium 2 minutes. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. Stir together frosting and ¼ c peanut butter and frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I love desserts that are quick and easy – there’s nothing like opening a box, melting and drizzling, and ending up with a dessert that makes your mouth water for more ! These are a cross between a cookie and a candy and at only 87 calories per serving, I like them even better

Nilla Deluxe

18 servings
87 calories per serving (2 treats)

18 Nilla Wafers
8 caramel candies
1 square Baker’s semi sweet chocolate
18 pecan halves

Place cookies flat side up in a single layer. Microwave caramels to melt, stiffing frequently. Let stand 5 minutes. Melt chocolate. Spoon 1/2 t caramel on to each cookie then top with a nut and drizzle with chocolate.

Delightful !! It’s basically a homemade Mound’s Bar but even more delicious ! Add a few nuts if you prefer Almond Joys You don’t even miss the chocolate on the bottom – there is more than enough here ! Each bar is a GOOD size.

Coconut Candy Bars

8 servings
203 calories per serving

1 ¼ c unsweetened coconut
½ c skim milk
2 t unflavored gelatin
1 t cornstarch
1 t vanilla
1/2 c Melted Semisweet Chocolate for drizzling

Combine ¼ c coconut, milk, gelatin and cornstarch in a blender until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened then remove from heat and stir in vanilla and the rest of the coconut. Form into 8 bars and cool completely then drizzle with melted chocolate.

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.

Neopolitan Pops

6 servings
113 calories per serving

Strawberry Layer
3 ½ oz. hulled and quartered strawberries
3 T skim milk
1 T light sour cream
1 T + 1 t sugar
1 ½ t vanilla extract
½ t heavy cream

Combine the strawberries and milk in a blender until smooth and then press through a fine mesh sieve so you strain out the seeds – I usually run a spoon back and forth over the berries and that pushes the mix through the sieve pretty good. You should end up with ¼ c plus 3 T of seedless puree. Whisk in the sour cream, sugar, vanilla and cream.

Vanilla Layer
¼ c + 2 T skim milk
2 ½ T heavy cream
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ t vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.

Chocolate Layer
1/3 c skim milk
2 ½ T chocolate syrup
1 T heavy cream
1 ½ t water
¼ t vanilla extract

Whisk all the ingredients together.

To make the pops in a Zoku, pour the strawberry layer 1/3 of the way up the mold and let freeze all the way. Then repeat with the vanilla and chocolate layers.

In traditional molds, freeze each layer at least an hour before adding the next and then freeze the whole thing 6 hours.

Toast the pecans in a skillet with the butter and sugar. Cook about 3 minutes stirring often. Let nuts cool completely.

In a saucepan over low heat whisk water and butterscotch morsels and cook until melted, but don’t boil. Cool 10 minutes then stir in the half and half and vanilla and then refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk occasionally so that a skin does not form on top of the mixture.

Working in 2 batches – place approximately 6 pecan halves in each mold and then pour in the butterscotch mixture up to the fill line. In 7-9 minutes you’ll have rich, flavorful pops that rival the experience of butter pecan ice cream 

If you are using traditional molds, freeze 6 hours.

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I recently got a Zoku Quick Pop Maker. BEST THING EVER ! I love making pops but hate the wait time. Now I have ‘em in 7-9 minutes This is one of the recipes I pulled from the Zoku book – of course, I’ve tweaked many of the recipes to suit my own tastes, bring down calories, and to get creative with the pops, but some are in their original goodness.

You can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku

Zoku Quick Pop Maker

6 servings
265 calories per serving

1 c water
2 1/3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used ghiradelli bittersweet morsels)
1/3 c sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 c skim milk
1 T fat free half and half
½ c very thin banana slices
6 T Magic Shell chocolate shell for ice cream
3 T chopped peanuts

In a saucepan whisk chocolate, sugar, water and salt and cook until completely melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes in the fridge and then whish in the milk and half and half. Then return to the fridge and cool completely (about ½ hour).

Working in 2 batches – Place bananas on the sides of the maker molds then pour in the mix. In 7-9 minutes you’ll have creamy, fudgy goodness with a bit of banana thrown in for interest

If you are using traditional molds, you can suspend the bananas by filling the molds half way. Freezing a bit, then adding the bananas and the rest of the mix. Or you can just let the drop to the bottom – it will still taste dandy ! Freeze 6 hours.

This chocolate bark is made with matzah crackers and it is just delicious – - and the prep time is only 5 minutes ! This is great to serve as a dessert when you have company. If you don’t like almonds, use any chopped nuts.

Chocolate Bark

2 1 oz. UNSALTED matzah crackers
1 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate bar chopped up into small pieces (or semisweet chocolate chip morsels)
2 T toasted chopped almonds

Place chocolate in microwave and cook on high 1 minute. Stir and cook another 30 seconds. Mix well assuring it is all melted and no chunks are left. Pour over crackers and spread with a spatula until well covered. Sprinkle with almonds and press them into the chocolate so they stick well. Let stand until hardened and then cut into 4 pieces each.

Make sure you don’t skip the ‘toasting the nuts’ portion of the recipe. It really makes a difference in their flavor and just takes a few minutes – chop your nuts and then place in a dry hot skillet. Stir and continue cooking a few minutes until toasted. You will know they are ready as they will be a little browned and you will start to smell the aroma

Yup – my friend poured these in a bowl, added milk, and had them like cereal – they’re just that good. They are so crunchy, so sweet, so awesomely good !

PB and Chocolate Chex

36 servings
90 calories

9 cups crispy rice and corn cereal squares
1/2 c peanut butter
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar

Melt chocolate in a saucepan then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and mix well being careful to not crush the cereal. Work in batches adding sugar to a large zip loc bag then adding the cereal and shaking to coat. Store in an airtight container.

A little gooey, a little chocolately, and a whole lotta fun to eat ! This toffee made with matza is very good.

Toffee Matza

30 servings
135 calories per serving

4 1/2 sheets matza
1 c margarine
1 c dark brown granulated sugar
8 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking dish and cover the bottom of the dish with matzas (breaking up pieces to fit exactly) and make layers to use up all the matzas. Heat margarine and sugar until bubbly, about 3 minutes. Pour over the matzas and bake about 15 minutes or until the top is thickened and bubbly. Sprinkle with chips right when it comes out of the oven and then let sit for 5 minutes. Spread the chocolate and then cool completely and break into pieces. This can be a bit tough since once it hardens up, it gets very brittle. I usually don’t cool it quite all the way and take large pieces out onto a clean flat surface and then make it into smaller bits from there.

How easy was that? Fudge in a snap ! Make up a batch and put it in a pretty container for a great holiday gift !

Chocobutter Fudge Bars

25 servings
140 calories per serving

1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker’s semisweet chocolate
3/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c cocktail peanuts, chopped
1 pkg. (6 squares) Baker’s white chocolate
1/4 c creamy peanut butter

Microwave semisweet chocolate and milk on high 1 minute. Stir and microwave another minute or until mostly melted. Then stir well and add nuts. Line the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with foil and spread the mix in the pan. Microwave white chocolate on high 1 minute. Stir and microwave another minute or until mostly melted. Stir until completely melted. Add peanut butter and stir well then spread over the other layer and refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into 25 fudge squares.

Sweet honey keeps all the ingredients stuck together. These are great to keep on hand for when you get a ‘sweets attack’. So healthy, so full of MUFAs, yet honey sweet and just a bit chocolaty.

Healthy Snack Bars

16 servings
109 calories per serving

2 1/2 c unsweetened puffed wheat cereal
1/2 c pecan halves, chopped medium fine
1/3 c salted roasted shelled pumpkin seeds / pepitas (just roast in oven 5-10 minutes)
1/4 c dried cranberries (craisins), coarsely chopped
3 T sesame seeds
1/2 c honey
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/8 t salt
1/2 cup mini semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (chop regular size ones)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper letting it overhang so you have ‘handles’ to pull up the bars when done. Mix cereal, nuts, seeds and cranberries. In a saucepan heat honey, vanilla and salt 2-3 minutes. The pour this over the dry ingredients and mix well then add chocolate and press it all into the prepared pan and spread it out. You can spray a wooden spoon with Pam to help. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top is brown. Use a knife to loosen the bars from the unlined sides of the pan and lift the whole thing out and set on a rack to cool a bit. Cut into 16 bars.