Messy, but SOOOO Good!!

Homemade Junior Mints
makes about 94 candies
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. mint extract
3 -3 1/2 C. powdered sugar
8 oz. semi sweet chocolate

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in the mint extract. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 C. at a time, until the mixture is stiff.  It may look crumbly, but you should be able to push it together with your hands.  Roll mixture into small balls and flatten slightly.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in the microwave at 50% heat. *Once melted and smooth, dip each mint center in the chocolate.  Once covered, place on a piece of waxed paper. Once all the centers have been dipped, refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened.  Store in the refrigerator.

*To be less mess... I just spooned the melted chocolate over the mint center.  It wasn't covered on the bottom, but saved me time and mess!!

Honeybutter
1/2 C. butter
2 C. honey
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until creamy and smooth.

Watermelon Sorbet

This is a good way to use up some watermelon. We make a batch with each watermelon we get. Yummy!!

Watermelon Sorbet

1 C. water
1/2 C. sugar
4 C. watermelon chunks
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into 8" baking pan. Puree the watermelon in a blender, then put in with the sugar mixture. Stir in the lemon juice. Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour. Stir and freeze 45 minutes. Stir, and freeze through.
Thaw Slightly and serve.

another Pinterest new favorite

Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast
1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch slices
Whipped Cream cheese
Spread cream cheese between two slices of bread, place in a glass pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Mix together:
4 eggs
1 C. milk
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pour over bread and let sit for five minutes, turn bread over and cover pan with saran wrap.  Refrigerate overnight. Drizzle melted butter over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Whipped Topping:
1 pt whipping cream
1/4 C. sugar
2 tsp. almond or amaretto flavoring

Top with strawberries mixed with sugar and the whipped topping.

Yummy Caramel Sauce

Take one can of sweetened condensed milk, and peel off the label. Place on its side in your slow cooker.  Fill with water 2-3 inches above the can.  Cook on High 4 hours or on Low 8 hours.  Turn off slow cooker and let sit for 40 minutes.  Put in fridge until ready to use.  Use as apple dip or topping for your ice cream. YUMMY!! It was really hard not to just eat this with a spoon!!(well, maybe I did just a little!)

Snickerdoodle Bars

I think I like these even more than the cookies!  Easier to make too!!

Snickerdoodle Bars
2 1/3 C. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Glaze:
1 C. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Spray bottom of a 9x13 pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with mixer until creamy.  Beat in sugars. Add eggs and vanilla until combined.  On low, beat in dry ingredients until mixed.  Spoon 1/2 of the batter into pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over batter.  Drop tsp. size amounts of batter evenly over the cinnamon.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until done. Cool completely.
In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars.