Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard (Shot & Cocktails)

CHARMANDER
1 splash of grenadine
1 oz Fireball cinnamon whiskey
.5 oz Bacardi 151

• Pour a splash of grenadine into the bottom of a shot glass.
• Add the Fireball, then top with the Bacardi 151.
• Light it on fire, then extinguish before drinking.

CHARMELEON
1 splash of grenadine
1 splash of scotch
1 oz fireball cinnamon whiskey
fill with ginger ale

• Mix all the alcoholic ingredients and then pour over ice in a lowball glass.
• Top with ginger ale.

CHARIZARD
2 oz fireball cinnamon whiskey
2 splashes of grenadine
2 splashes of scotch
1.5 oz bacardi 151
fill with ginger ale

• Mix all the alcoholic ingredients, pour into a highball glass, and top with ginger ale.
• If you want to light the Charizard on fire, add the Bacardi 151 last, after the ginger ale, on top of everything else.
• Extinguish before drinking.

Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur (Shot & Cocktails)

BULBASAUR
1/2 shot lime vodka
1/2 shot lime juice
1/2 shot melon liqueur

• Simply mix all three ingredients into a shot glass.

IVYSAUR
1 shot lime vodka
1 shot lime juice
1 shot melon liqueur
1 shot Sprite

• Shake all alcoholic ingredients, pour over ice in a rocks glass, then add Sprite to fill.
• Stem of mint as garnish optional.

VENUSAUR
1 Bulbasaur
1 Ivysaur
1 shot lime vodka
1 shot lime juice
1 shot sprite

• Shake a Bulbasaur shot together with the alcoholic ingredients of an Ivysaur cocktail, along with an additional shot of lime vodka and lime juice, then pour into a highball glass and fill with Sprite.

Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise (Shot & Cocktails)

SQUIRTLE
1/3 shot spiced rum
1/3 shot coconut rum
1/3 shot blue curacao

• Simply pour all three ingredients into a shot glass.

WARTORTLE
1/2 shot spiced rum
1/2 shot coconut rum
1/2 shot blue curacao
Fill with Mountain Dew Voltage

• Shake the alcoholic ingredients, pour over crushed ice in a lowball glass, then fill with MDV.

BLASTOISE
1 Squirtle
1 Wartortle
1 shot light rum
Fill with Mountain Dew Voltage

• Pour 1 Squirtle and 1 Wartortle into a highball glass over ice, add the light rum, fill with MDV.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Puppy Chow

8 cups Chex cereal
2 cups Reese's Puffs cereal
16oz. white melting chocolate (CandiQuik)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 bag Reese's mini peanut butter cups (8oz)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup mini Reese's pieces

1. Combine the cereal in a bowl and set aside.
2. Divide the powdered sugar into 2 big ziplock bags and set aside.
3. Place the melting chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stir, heat an additional minute, then stir every 30-seconds.
4. Spoon the peanut butter into the melted chocolate and stir until smooth.
5. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir until coated.
6. Toss the peanut butter cups with the cereal.
7. Spoon the mixture into the two ziplock bags evenly.
8. Close and shake until thoroughly coated.
9. Spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet until set.
10. Sprinkle with the Reese's pieces.
11. Store in a sealed container for up to one week.

St. Patrick's Day: Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark

14 thin mint cookies, broken up.
1 1/2 c. pretzels, broken into pieces
1 lb. milk chocolate melts
1 c. green M&M's
green colored sprinkles

1. Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.
2. Spread broken cookies, pretzels, and about 3/4 c. of the M&Ms onto the waxed paper.
3. Place milk chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
4. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly.
5. Sprinkle remaining M&M's and sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet.
6. Do not let it harden.
7. Pace cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm
8. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces.
9. Store in air tight container.

St. Patrick's Day: Shamrock Shakes

2 cups mint ice cream
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream
2 Tbsp Creme de Menthe liqueur
a few drops of Green food coloring
Chocolate mint cookies

1. In a blender blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Add more milk to reach desired thickness.
3. Serve with crumbled chocolate mint cookies.
4. This amount yield 2 small shakes

St. Patrick's Day: Twisted Shamrocks

These are the St. Patrick's day

version of Chocolate Love Buttons

pictured to the right.

--------->

If you are using kisses

other than milk chocolate,

follow the baking instructions

in the love button link.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Photo Credit

parchment paper
mini pretzels
pretzel sticks
Hershey's Kisses
bag of M&M's

1. Preheat oven to 200F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the pretzels in the shape of a clover and place a Hershey's kiss in the center.
3. Fit as many as you can onto your baking sheet.
4. Bake in oven for about 4 minutes.
5. Press the end of a pretzel stick into the center of the softened kiss - it is the stem.
6. Press an M&M over the end of the pretzel stick.
• You want the kiss to squish down so the other pretzels cement together.
7. Let the kisses harden before wrapping.

• On the other hand, eating pretzels and melted chocolate is quite good....
• To harden more quickly, place the in the refrigerator. 

St. Patrick's Day: Caramel Rice Krispy Treats

Rice Krispy
3 Tbsp butter
10oz pkg regular marshmallows (or 4 cups of mini marshmallows)
6 cups of Rice Krispies

1. Melt butter over sauce pan on low.
• Add food coloring in wanted.
2. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted
3. Mix in Rice Krispies until evenly coated.
4. Place in buttered 9x13 pan.
• make sure the Rice Krispies are packed in.

Caramel
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup cream and butter.
• Bring to a boil, stirring often, then stir in remaining 1 cup cream.
2. Heat, without stirring, to 242F with a candy thermometer
• or until a small amount of syrup dropped into a cold water forms a firm but pliable ball.
3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
4. Pour over Rice Krispy treats.
• Add sprinkles if you'd like!

St. Patricks's Day: Mint Oreo Cupcakes w/ Mint Buttercream Icing

Cupcakes 
1/2 cup butter - room temperature
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
     plus 2 Tbsp for the Oreo chunks
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites - room temperature
1 pkg mint Oreo cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F and insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. Twist apart 24 Oreos and place filling side up in the bottom of each paper liner.
• Cut other cookies in half, and save 24 halves to place in frosting.
• Crush the other cookie halves, also for garnishing.
3. Cut the remaining Oreos into quarters with a sharp knife, then toss with 2 Tbsp of flour and set aside.
4. In a large bowl cream the butter until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt
6. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until integrated
• stir in sugar, then beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.
• Add the egg whites and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Stir in the quartered cookies.
7. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 cull and bake for 20 minutes, then cool cupcakes in the pan.

Icing
1 cup + 2 Tbsp butter - room temperature
5 1/2 cup icing sugar - sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 tsp mint extract (it depends on how strong you want the flavor)
2 - 4 Tbsp milk
Green food coloring

1. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and 1/2 cup of the icing sugar together until well combined.
2. Continue adding the icing sugar to the butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time.
3. Once the buttercream mixture starts to get stiff, add the vanilla and mint extracts, and 2 Tbsp of the milk.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all of the icing sugar is incorporated into the butter mixture.
• you may want to add in more milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you reach a desired consistency.

St. Patrick's Day: Shamrock Soft Pretzels

Alright, basically I plan to use the soft pretzel recipe found [here] that I have already made and LOVE.

All that I would change are the shapes to make the pretzels, and maybe add some green food coloring or find some green sugar or salt!

Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day: Leprechaun Pudding

Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (or Pistachio so you won't need food coloring)
Green Food Coloring
Whipped Cream (optional, for garnish)
Sprinkles

• No real directions needed.
• Make the pudding according to directions and add a few drops of food coloring until it's thoroughly mixed and of a color you like.
• Place in some cups, put on some whipped cream and sprinkles, and serve.

St. Patrick's Day: Cream Puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
5-6 drops of food coloring
1 cup flour
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil and add food coloring.
3. Stir in the flower with a fork and mix until smooth.
4. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs with an electric mixer until smooth.
5. Spoon dough in heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
7. Cool completely.
8. Cut open and spoon out any soft innards, and fill with desired filling just before serving.
9. Garnish with powdered sugar.

Whipped Cream Filling with Vanilla Beans

1 cup heavy cream, well chilled

3 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 inches of fresh vanilla bean, split and stripped

1. Ina chilled mixing bowl, mix cream, sugar, vanilla, and stripped vanilla beans on high speed until stip peaks form.
2. Chill until ready to serve.

St. Patrick's Day: Pot of Gold Pops

30 Oreos - pulverized
8 oz Cream Cheese
1+ cup Mint Chips
1+ cup Black or Chocolate Melts
1 Tbsp Vegetable Shortening, for thinning
Gold Sprinkles
Sugar Sticks

1. Break 30 Oreos into pieces and pulverize in a food processor until about the size and texture of corn meal.
2. Mash the softened cream cheese with the cookie crumbs until well incorporated and no white remains.
3. Line a small pan with wax paper
4. Scoop either 1 or 2 Tbsp of the mixture, form a ball, and place on wax paper.
• 1 Tbsp will make 26 small pops
• 2 Tbsp will make 13 large pops
5. Place pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Melt 5 of the chocolate melts and dip the sucker stick tips in, place one in each ball, then chill for 2 minutes.
7. Melt the Mint Chips at 50% power in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted.
8. Slightly flatten the balls, then dip them in the mint melts, lightly tapping the excess on the side.
9. place the sticks in some kind of base to harden.
• [some kind of base]
10. Melt the black candy melts in the same fashion as the chocolate.
11. Dip the balls in the melts so that they are now double coated.
12. Put some of the black melts into a zip-lock bag, snip a small corner, and pip the cauldron rims and handles.
13. Fill the "top" of the cauldron with a scarce amount of melted chocolate, then immediately pour the gold sprinkles.

St. Patrick's Day: Simple Marshmallow Pops

Marshmallows
Green Sprinkles
Water
Edible marker or Green Melting Candy
Lollipop Sticks

Instructions are pretty self explanatory

• For marshmallow covered in sprinkles:
• Quickly submerge the marshmallow in water, immediately coat in sprinkles and tap off excess, then set aside to dry.
• Other disigns:
• Just draw on them or decorate any way you see fit.

St. Patrick's Day: Leprechaun Hat S'mores

Keebler Fudge Stripes Cookies
Large Marshmallows
Dark Chocolate Candy Melts
Green Candy Melts
Green Sprinkles

1. Melt dark chocolate candy in the microwave, in 30 second intervals (on 50% power if possible) and stir after each heating.
• Repeat until completely melted.
2. Dip Fudge Stripe Cookies into chocolate, coating completely.
• Shake off any excess.
3. Place cookies on parchment paper, top side down, until candy coating is completely set.
4. Using a toothpick, dip marshmallows into chocolate and coat almost entirely.
• Shake off any excess.
5. Set marshmallows on parchment paper until candy coating is completely set.
6. Melt green candy in the same fashion as the previous chocolate.
7. Flip marshmallow upside down and insert new toothpick in top. 
8. Dip marshmallows into green candy, just barely to create a small band of green around the bottom.
9. Goat green candy band with sprinkles
• Shake off any excess.
10. Place marshmallow in center of chocolate covered cookie and remove the toothpick carefully.
• Touch up the hole left by the toothpick with a small dab of melted chocolate.
11. To finish, attach a glittering shamrock which is shown how to make in the pictures provided.

Shamrock Cupcakes / Heart Cupcakes

These are pretty self-explanatory :)

MAKES HEARTS

MAKES SHAMROCKS

Gooey Cookies and Cream Double Chocolate Cake Bars

Source: Picky Palate

1 Devils Food Cake Mix
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted
          butter, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
14 oz can sweetened
          condensed milk
14 Oreo cookies, broken
          into bite size pieces

*Makes about 12 bars

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with tin foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place cake mix, butter and egg into a large bowl, mixing to combine.
• Use your hands, it's much quicker
4. Press into prepared baking pan.
5. Top with broken pieces of Oreo cookies.
6. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cookies and top with chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until cooked through.
8. Remove from oven
9. After 5 minutes of cooling, run a plastic knife around edges to loosen from pan.
10. Let cool completely, remove foil from pan, then cut into squares.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chambord Chocolate Frosting (#33)

[ This is Cupcake #33 from Ming Makes Cupcakes ]

CUPCAKES
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3 T berry jam
3 tsp Chambord liqueur

1. Fix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy.
3. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and egg.
4. Add milk and flour mixture alternately while still mixing.
5. Mix in jam and liqueur.
6. Pour into lined cupcake pan.
7. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

FROSTING

1 stick butter

5 heaping Tbsp cocoa

1 lb confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/8 cup Chambord

1. In a saucepan, melt butter at low temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, mix cocoa and sugar.
3. Add melted butter, vanilla, and milk and beat at low speed until mixed.
4. Mix in Chambord.
5. Frost cupcakes generously and top (or fill) with a dollop of jam.

Sparkly Fruit Gummies

 6 Tbsp unflavored gelatin (about 8 env.)
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 1/4 cups boiling water
6 cups sugar, plus extra for coating
Extract or flavored oil
Food coloring

1.  Line two 8x8 inch pans (or many small) with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

2.  Sprinkle gelatin evenly over the cold water in a 6-quart pot. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the boiling water. Stir until gelatin dissolves, then stir in sugar.

3.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and gently simmer for 25 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

4.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and add flavors and colors as desired, or pour the hot mixture into a mixing bowl to color and flavor, then pour them into the pans.

5.  Cover finished containers with plastic and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

6.  Lift plastic from pans, peel off candy, and turn onto a cutting board that's been sprinkled with sugar.

7.  Coat a sharp knife with cooking spray and cut candy into 1/2 inch cubes, roll them in sugar.

8.  Leave candies on parchment / foil / waxed paper at room temperature for one or two days to allow the outside to crystallize.

9.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling and Milk Chocolate Glaze

[ This is Cupcake #29 from Ming Makes Cupcakes ]

*Note: I am only posting this cupcake because I liked the glaze... and it's just store bought. Damn.

CUPCAKES
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

1. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat in butter gradually.
3. Beat in sugar and mix thoroughly.
4. Beat in eggs, then vanilla and milk.
5. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full.
6. Place a spoonful of preserves in the center.
7. Cover with batter.
8. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

FROSTING

1/2 stick butter

3 heaping Tbsp cocoa

1/2 lb confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1. Melt butter.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa and sugar.
3. Add melted butter, vanilla, and milk.
4. Beat at a low speed until mixed.
5. Dip cupcakes in glaze and top with chocolates.