Recipes Archives - Whistle and Ivy

Easy Caramel Apple Lollipops

October 22, 2015 by Bethany 2 Comments

The fall season is in full swing! Although I refuse to think about Thanksgiving until I take down my Halloween decorations, I always welcome the flavors of autumn. Pumpkin and pumpkin spice is a favorite, and we have been making lots of pumpkin recipes lately (not all desserts!). My son loves this soup, and it’s so darn easy I make it anytime he requests it. My other favorite is caramel apple. Tart apples with a caramel drizzle is something I look forward to all year, but I also love caramel apple favored sweets. These easy caramel apple lollipops are so easy to make and so, so good.

To make these, you will need molds of some kind. I didn’t use the plastic ones, so if you are using those, make sure they can withstand the heat of the oven without melting. I would imagine the silicone ones would work pretty well, but again, I haven’t tried them myself. These metal ones are my favorite. I have bought several sets and even found a large set at a local thrift store!

What you need:

To begin, heat your oven to 350º. Generously grease a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, and lay out your molds with sticks inserted.

Unwrap your candy and set one Jolly Rancher and one caramel inside each mold.

Put the pan in the oven. Make sure to stay close and check it frequently. It should take about 5 minutes to melt, but the time may vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen and altitude of your location. Take out your pan just as the Jolly Ranchers start to liquify and run. Your caramels will still be a bit solid. They will continue to melt after you take them out of the oven.

If you need to, twist your sticks so they are fully immersed in candy. It works better if the stick is in the Jolly Rancher, instead of the caramel.

Let them completely cool before taking the lollipops and molds off the sheet. If you find one is being stubborn, you can use a turner to help loosen it. Do not try to remove the molds yet. Because the caramel is soft, it will stick to the molds. To removed them easily and cleanly, put the molds and lollipops on a plate and cool them in the fridge for a few minutes. Once they are cooler than room temperature, the molds pop off easily.

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I hope you enjoy these treats!
What is your favorite fall flavor?

Don’t forget to try these as well–

: Candy Corn Popcorn

: Milky Way Coated Apples

: Creamy Orange Cocoa

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Halloween Rice Krispie Cake

October 7, 2015 by Bethany 10 Comments

I tried something a bit weird over the weekend. I made a huge Rice Krispie Treat…in the shape of a cake: A Rice Krispie Cake, if you will.

I have to tell you, it was pretty darn easy to make, it came together in a snap, and it actually looks kinda nice –not that the original and delicious Rice Krispie Treat needs to be classy or fancy to be amazing, but this cake turn out pretty fun. I made this one for Halloween, but you could really do anything you wanted, and make each layer any color that you want to match your occasion.

Isn’t that cake stand fabulous? This $2 beauty was made using a tutorial by Hawthorne and Main, and was the perfect spooky piece to display my Rice Krispie Cake.

Even though this is a regular cake-sized cake, it is made of rich, dense Rice Krispie Treats, so you can cut the pieces very thin. I cut myself a regular cake-sized slice, and I couldn’t eat the whole thing. My eyes were much bigger than my stomach apparently. Also, I recommend including the chocolate layer in your cake, so good. The marshmallow with Cocoa Pepples is an amazing combination.

Also, any kind of hot frosting will work. Since I am not a culinary expert, I used this delicious, fudgey frosting recipe for Texas Sheet Cake by Tastes Better From Scratch.
The layers are sticky enough that you don’t really need to frost in between them, but you can if you want fudgey flavor between each layer.

To make the drippy edge, you can simply pour a dollop of hot fudge very near the edge, then using a spoon, push the frosting over the edge so it drips down the sides. Fill in the top with more frosting until it’s covered.

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Enjoy this Rice Krispie Cake! We sure did.

White Chocolate Candy Corn Popcorn

September 24, 2015 by Bethany 6 Comments

Raspberry Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

June 30, 2015 by Bethany Leave a Comment

Chocolate Sandwich Rice Krispie Treats

June 24, 2015 by Bethany 2 Comments

Sometimes a brilliant idea is so simple you wonder how you didn’t think of it sooner. That is definitely how I feel about these amazing chocolate sandwich Rice Krispie Treats. Original Rice Krispie Treats are one of my absolute favorite desserts, so soft and chewy. But add two layers of chocolate, and this classic childhood favorite is taken to whole, new level. These chocolate sandwich Rice Krispie treats are a simple variation of the original, but so delicious!

I like to add a bit less cereal to my recipe. The resulting batch is a bit smaller, but I enjoy them so much better when they are chewy and soft.

Quality over quantity.

These chocolate sandwich rice krispie treats take only a slight extra effort, but it’s so worth it! Make sure when you make these that you have a big crowd to share with, because it’s hard to stop eating them.

These are a perfect and easy treat to take to a potluck or barbecue, it only takes a few minutes to whip them up. The trick is holding yourself back while they cool.

I am guest posting at PinkWhen today, so head over there to get the recipe!

Want more delicious treats? Try these Pink Lemonade Crinkle Cookies or these Banana Yogurt Popsicles.

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Enjoy!

Banana Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

June 10, 2015 by Bethany 2 Comments

Pink Lemonade Crinkle Cookies

April 28, 2015 by Bethany Leave a Comment

Hello everyone! It is a beautiful bright spring day here in Utah, a perfect day for these beautiful and delicious Pink Lemonade Crinkle Cookies!

They are delicious and have a decadent tart, lemony flavor.
So good!

Hop over to PinkWhen for the recipe!

Happy baking,

20+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes

November 17, 2014 by Bethany 2 Comments

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Caramel Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

November 13, 2014 by Bethany 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chiquita Banana for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Banana recipes remind me of my grandma. She made the best, most moist and delicious banana bread I have ever tasted, and I haven’t tasted anything quite as amazing since hers. So since my childhood, I have loved banana recipes. The wonderful thing about bananas is when they get overripe, they get so sweet, making them a perfect choice for baking. And since these banana cookies are, of course, made with bananas, they are a perfect recipe to enter into the #ChiquitaCookingLab. Going on right now, you can enter your own banana recipes for a chance to win $4000, which will be given away each week!

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Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Biscuits

October 29, 2014 by Bethany 2 Comments

Are you tired of pumpkin yet? ME NEITHER! It’s why fall is so wonderful, isn’t it? While I haven’t had pie yet (which I usually don’t make until Thanksgiving), I have had a healthy amount of pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin french toast and pumpkin bread. I apparently crave it for breakfast because the idea for these pumpkin spice breakfast biscuits popped into my head one day and I never looked back. Definitely a keeper!

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Eye of Newt Creamsicle Salad

October 15, 2014 by Bethany Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TruMoo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you catch my Halloween Orange Hot Cocoa recipe from a couple weeks ago? Well, I have another orange recipe, this one uses TruMoo Orange Scream. It’s so good; it’s not overly sweet, does not contain HFCS and delivers 8 essential nutrients. Plus, it tastes like creamsicles! And that’s what this Eye of Newt Salad tastes like, too. This delicious fruit salad with fun colored tapioca “newt eyes” is a great recipe for your upcoming Halloween party!

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Creamy Orange Hot Cocoa

September 25, 2014 by Bethany 6 Comments

Isn’t autumn glorious? One of my favorite things about the changing of the weather is the warm drinks. I don’t regularly drink hot beverages, so hot chocolate is very seasonal for me. I love sipping on herbal tea or cocoa before bedtime during the fall and winter months. I wanted to try and make a cup that had a Halloween twist: Orange Hot Cocoa. This recipe is creamy and refreshing. I tend to prefer creamy hot cocoa over rich, dark hot cocoa, and this recipe definitely fits the bill! Plus the orange flavor is just divine.

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Is is cool enough for hot cocoa where you are?

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Milk Duds Caramel Popcorn

August 11, 2014 by Bethany 8 Comments

Now, this may seem insane, but I am not a huge popcorn lover. When we go to the theater, it is the absolute last thing I want to eat. Give me some Sour Patch Kids and Punch Straws!

But pregnancy does weird things to me. Before I was pregnant with my son, I wasn’t a huge chocolate lover (which I understand is equally strange!), but during that pregnancy I craved chocolate so much. Now I totally get the all the Pinterest and Facebook memes about chocolate. I got a love for chocolate and feet a half shoe size bigger from The Boy, and Little Cricket is turning me into a popcorn fan!

This recipe took my quite a few tries. The ratio was off, or you couldn’t taste the chocolate, which made for really gooey and yummy popcorn, just not quite the flavor I was going for. But I think I nailed it. If you are a fan of salty and sweet, this recipe is absolutely for you!

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ALO Strawberry Lemon-Limeade

July 7, 2014 by Bethany 6 Comments

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALO Drink for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ah. Summertime. One nice thing about living back in Utah is the summer! It gets hot, don’t get me wrong, but the nights get lovely and cool. I love opening my windows and letting in a cool breeze as the sun goes down; something that was never an option in Vegas. It was still over 100 degrees at 10:00 pm! It’s so nice to sit in the shade and enjoy the weather, drink in hand. I don’t drink alcohol, but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a delicious drink to be had.

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Strawberry-Orange Popsicles

June 25, 2014 by Bethany 10 Comments

My sister gifted me a popsicle set a few years ago, and I have dabbled with it a few times, but since the Boy has really started loving frozen treats, I realized I need to really start making them. It has been so fun! It’s nearly impossible to make popsicles that aren’t tasty; just add your favorite fruit (and maybe some vegetables!) and some yogurt into the blender and puree it.

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Cadbury Mini Egg Easter Sundae

March 26, 2014 by Bethany 8 Comments

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but it is finally warming up in Northern Utah! The boy loves sticks (which he calls ‘drum sticks’), rocks and digging in the dirt.

With Easter just around the corner, I came up with this amazing warm weather treat.

Guys…I cannot even tell you how delicious this sundae is. If you love Cadbury Mini Eggs, you will absolutely love this sundae.

But first, check out this round-up of 7 creative Easter ideas. Love these bloggers!

1) Cadbury Mini Egg Easter Sundae by Whistle and Ivy

2) Tangram Bunny Art by Persia Lou

3) Fall Wreath Transformed for Spring by Homemade Ginger

4) String Art Inspired Painted Tea Towels by Tiny Sidekick

5) Baker’s Twine Carrot by Keeping it Simple

6) Cross-Stitch Bunny Canvas by Cutesy Crafts

7) Twine Wrapped Easter Eggs by Cook and Craft Me Crazy

Now, this sauce takes just a little bit of preparation, but I assure you, it is worth it! And you can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for when you are craving a decadent and delicious treat.

Cadbury Mini Egg Sundae Sauce

1/2 Bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs
1/2 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

Using a double boiler, or a small pot and a glass bowl, fill the bottom pot with a little bit of water. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Turn on your element and heat the water until it boils, then turn the heat down to low. Add your mini eggs into the bowl (make sure there is no moisture in the bowl). Stir them for a few minutes so they get heated through. It will seem like nothing is happening, but they will quickly begin to crack.

Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat, the chocolate will cook instead of melt and will solidify and turn chalky! Once a few eggs have cracked, add the sweetened condensed milk. The eggs will quickly start to break down. Stir until everything is smooth. You will still have delicious pieces of crunchy candy shell. Spoon over ice-cream and enjoy! This will make about 2 cups of sauce.

Who has eaten two bags of Cadbury mini eggs this Easter season. Not me, of course!

Avocado Mint Chocolate Sugar Cookies

March 2, 2014 by Bethany 5 Comments

Well, it’s Sunday, which means I usually crave something sweet . I have heard of bakers using avocado instead of butter in cookies, so I decided to give it a try. I didn’t go completely butter-free on these cookies, because I was wary of how it would taste. But I might give it a try next time I make sugar cookies, because these turned out delicious and I can’t taste the avocado at all!

Avocado Mint Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 medium ripe avocado(at room temp)
1/2 C softened butter
3/4 C honey (or 1 cup sugar)
3 eggs
5 T cocoa
3 1/3 C whole wheat flour
2 T vanilla

Icing:
Softened Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla
Peppermint Oil
Green food coloring

Preheat your oven to 350º. Using your standing mixer, mix butter and avocado until well blended and smooth. Mix in the honey, then eggs. After it’s mixed well, add cocoa and vanilla. Add flour one cup at a time, as much as your mixer will handle. Mix in the rest of the flour by hand.

Roll out your dough about 1/4” thick and cut with a cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 8-9 minutes.

To make the icing, mix half package of cream cheese ( I really love the half greek yogurt, half cream cheese packages) and about a half package of powdered sugar. Mix in the sugar until you have a consistency that you like. Add vanilla and about 5-7 drops of peppermint oil. Then, mix in the coloring. Spread onto cooled cookies and enjoy!

Happy baking :)

S’more Pancakes

February 7, 2014 by Bethany 20 Comments

You guys know that I love a big breakfast! So when I got the chance to review the exclusive Cafe Zupas Cookbook, I knew exactly which recipe I would try.

S’more Pancakes - Bring a favorite camping treat to the breakfast table with this easy and delicious pancake recipe!

Mmm. Who doesn’t love s’mores? These pancakes are reminiscent of campfire treats and sleeping under the stars. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

Batter:
1 1/4 C Flour (I used 100% Whole Wheat)
3/4 C graham cracker crumbs (I used Annie’s Bunnie Grahams, and they are easy to crush up in the processor)
1 Tbs baking powder
3 Tbs Sugar
2 Eggs**
1 1/4 C Milk**
3 Tbsp Oil or Sour Cream

Chocolate Sauce:

2/3 C Cocoa Powder
1 C water
1 1/2 C sugar
1/4 t salt

Marshmallow topping:

1 C Marshmallow Creme
A Couple Tbs of hot water

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, graham crumbs, salt and sugar. Mix well.
Add eggs, milk and oil/sour cream
Stir until just combined. Pour 1/4 C of batter onto heated griddle.

For chocolate sauce, whisk cocoa and water over medium heat. Add sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes. I added a few Tbs of marshmallow cream to the chocolate sauce, but the original recipe does not call to do this.

To make the marshmallow sauce, simply take the marshmallow creme and slowly mix with a little hot water (1 tsp at a time), until you get a good consistency.

AND I have a cookbook to give away to one lucky reader!

This cookbook is arranged by season, and has some yummy soups, salads, desserts, sides and more.

To enter to win this cookbook, add your email and first name in the widget below. You can also earn bonus entries. In case you didn’t know, Cafe Zupas now caters! Check out there catering page found here.

Good luck :)

** Original recipe calls for 1 1/2 C milk, but I found the batter too thin, so I cut it a bit. It also directs to separate the eggs and the beat the whites to soft peaks, then fold into the batter, but I am a bit lazy and decided to just throw them in and add less milk to get a good consistency.

Orange Brownies with Orange Fudge Frosting

January 24, 2014 by Bethany 6 Comments

So I know we are all trying to get healthier, eat better and BE better, but I had to share the recipe! You can’t completely deprive yourself of delicious treats, right? And these brownies are amazing! If you love Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, you will absolutely love these, too.

Orange Brownies with Orange Fudge Frosting Dessert

Brownies:
1 Box of Fudge Brownie Mix
Zest of 1 orange, divided (a little bigger than a baseball)
1/4 c oil
1/2 C half and half
2 eggs
Orange Oil

Frosting:
2 T Cocoa
1/2 C Butter
1 t Vanilla
3 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

To make the brownies, mix the contents of the box with oil, half and half and eggs. (You can also make them according to the box directions, these are just a little less fatty). Mix with a whisk until it’s combined well. Add 1 tsp of packed zest and about 3 drops of orange oil. Pour into a greased pan and cook according to the package directions. Don’t over bake.

Frosting:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar. It will be a little runny! Then, add the rest of the zest, and a couple drops of orange oil. You can frost your brownies with the warm frosting, or put the frosting in the fridge for an hour and it will thicken to the consistent of butter cream frosting.

I may or may not have eaten the entire pan…

Happy baking!

Spiced French Toast with Caramel Maple Syrup and Thanksgiving Roundup

November 6, 2013 by Bethany 13 Comments

Milky Way Candy Apples and Spooky Halloween Ha-wEYE-an Punch

October 28, 2013 by Bethany 22 Comments

Disclosure: For Halloween, as part of a sponsored post for the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community, I made these delicious Halloween Punch and Candy Apple recipes. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions and ideas are 100% my own.

It’s almost Halloween! I am excited to take The Boy trick-or-treating; he will be the most adorable dragon ever. I’m sad to admit that this will be his third Halloween, but only his first year dressing up. I guess we will see if he even keeps it on longer than a few minutes, hopefully long enough to get a picture!

Are you looking for a ghoulish and quick Halloween recipe? Try these delicious Milky Way candy apples (yes, they are coated in melted Milky Ways and they taste like heaven) and spooky Halloween Ha-wEYE-an punch!

milkywaycaramelapplesandhalloweeneyeballpunch#shopPIN

Milky Way Caramel Candy Apples with Snickers and Spooky Eyeball Punch Drink Halloween Party

Milky Way Apples

What you need: ( Makes about 5 apples)

Granny Smith Apples
Candy Apple Sticks
30-40 Milky Way Minis (the little square ones, not the fun size)
Variety package of Mars Candy: Milky Way, Twix, Snickers and 3 Musketeers ( or your favorite candy) –for topping
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Parchment Paper

To prepare, wash your apples, remove any stickers, and twist and remove the stems. Then, insert your sticks at the top. Dry and set them on your parchment paper until you are ready for them.

Prepare your candy topping: chop Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers or other candy until they are mostly crumbs. Place in a small bowl and set aside. The Twix and Snickers worked better than the 3 Musketeers, the nougat was a bit sticky.

To melt the Milky Ways, you either need a double boiler, or a pot and a heat-safe bowl that fits snugly on top. If you aren’t using a double boiler, put a small amount of water in the pot. Make sure the water isn’t deep enough to touch the bottom of your bowl. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Place your bowl on top and add 15-20 mini Milky Ways (or 10 Fun Size). Stir constantly.

Once the candy starts to melt, add 1-2 T sweetened condensed milk. Because Milky Ways have nougat, which is more solid than caramel, a little bit of the sweet milk will make the mixture creamier. This still won’t be the same consistency as melted caramel, but it should be soft enough to “roll” the apples instead of dipping, and still get a nice rim on top. Be patient! If you add too much sweetened condensed milk, your apples will still be delicious, but they will be quite messy.

Let the excess drip off and scrape the bottom with your spoon. Then, dip the apple in your candy crumbs. Place your apple on the parchment paper and let it cool before eating; if you can wait that long, yum!

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Spooky Halloween Ha-wEYE-an Punch

What you need: (for 2 liters)

3 C Fruit Juicy Red Hawaiian Punch
3 C Pomegranate and Cranberry 100% Juice
2 C 7UP

Milky Way Caramel Candy Apples with Snickers and Spooky Eyeball Hawaiian Punch 7 up Drink Halloween Party

This one is really easy: Mix all ingredient and enjoy!

hawaiinpunch7UPhalloweenpunchblueberryeyeballsicecubes#shopPIN

Eyeball Ice cubes

What you need:
1 Package of Frozen Blueberries
2 Ice trays

Fill your ice cube tray with cold water. Thoroughly rinse the frozen blueberries and drop one into each water-filled compartment on the ice tray. Put the ice trays in the freezer until they are frozen. I love how the blueberry juice makes the eyeballs look bloodshot!
Once they are frozen, add to your Halloween Ha-wEYE-an punch and enjoy your wonderfully grotesque drink!

Spooky Halloween Blueberry Eyeball Ice Cubes

Enjoy these delicious recipes ( I know I will) and I hope your Halloween is fun and safe!

For other ideas on how to use Mars Candy, check out Bright Ideas! And to find coupons for your favorite products, click HERE!

Happy Halloween!

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

July 12, 2013 by Bethany 15 Comments

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 26, 2013 by Bethany 17 Comments

Kool-Aid Lollipops Recipe

January 19, 2013 by Bethany 29 Comments

If you know me, you know I am a sugar fiend. I love baking goodies, and sugary treats are my favorite. Homemade lollipops are really delicious, especially if they are flavored with your favorite Kool-aid. My favorites are peach-mango and blue-raspberry, yum!

Here’s the recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Honey or Karo Syrup
1/2 Cup Water
1 packet of Kool-Aid
Lollipop Molds (if you don’t have any, here is a tutorial to make your own out of foil)
Lollipop Sticks

Prepare a cookie sheet by generously spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside. Mix sugar, syrup/honey and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil and heat until it reaches hard crack stage, or 280-300 degrees. Avoid stirring it once it has started boiling. Also, don’t scrape the sides of the pot. Candy is very temperamental and the whole batch can crystalize if undissolved sugar from the side mixes in. It doesn’t need to be stirred, so once it starts boiling, you can leave it alone. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, once it starts to look thick, take a teaspoon and dip some out and drop it into a glass of cold water. If you hear a “plink,” when it hits the bottom of the glass, you know it’s done.

It’s very important that you let the candy cool before adding the Kool-Aid. Hard candy usually calls for oil flavorings. Kool-aid will work, but you have to let the candy cool. Otherwise, the molten candy will burn the powder and your lollies will turn out tasting bland and bitter.

Remove the candy from heat and gently stir it for a few minutes. It will bubble up as you stir it. Let it cool to about 260 degrees, then add your Kool-Aid. Make sure it’s mixed well, then pour into your molds.

Let them cool and enjoy!

Delicious!

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