Birthday Cake Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

Oreo celebrated its 100th birthday yesterday! WOW! What an accomplishment, and surely a reason to get in the kitchen and enjoy some of the wonderful cookies that have thrived in our industrialized society through all of our economic ups and downs for a century.

If you know me, you know that Oreos are one of my favorite store-bought treats. They take me to a simpler time, spending many a childhood afternoon dipping these cream-filled chocolate cookies into small cups of milk, timing it just perfectly so that the cookie was removed from the milk mere seconds before breaking off completely, only to be lost in a sea of speckled white. Ahhh, the good old days....

My grandma got me hooked on these bad boys, and I enjoy giving them to our kids every so often as a bedtime snack (usually one I partake in, too!). For the most part, Double Stuf are my go-to variation, but I also have really come to enjoy the Mint Oreos, as well. I have several recipes already posted that utilize Oreos in some form or another, so feel free to browse through those, too, to find your perfect way to celebrate your love for Oreos. By the way, if you don't love Oreos, just stop reading now. This one is probably not for you!

I had heard about the Birthday Cake Oreos, but had yet to try them until yesterday. They really are a party in your mouth! I had a hard time reserving enough of them to actually use in the recipe, but after hastily chopping them up, it was much easier to resist.

I saw a recipe similar to this one on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. She is always coming up with innovative and sinful treats; you definitely need to check out her blog if you haven't already. Her version inspired mine, which I will now tell you about!

Birthday Cake Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

- 1/2 cup butter
- 18 oz. miniature marshmallows
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Rainbow Chip cake mix
- 8 cups Rice Krispies
- 16 Birthday Cake Oreos, finely chopped

For the topping:
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Rainbow Chip Frosting
- 3-4 Birthday Cake Oreos, crushed
- 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1. Spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, melt butter. Stir in 18 oz. marshmallows, vanilla, and Rainbow Chip Cake Mix, mixing well until smooth and creamy. Stir in the Rice Krispies and the chopped Birthday Cake Oreos until well-combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan, using wax paper if necessary to evenly press the Rice Krispie treats into the bottom of the pan.
3. Place white chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Immediately stir in Rainbow Chip frosting, crushed cookies, and remaining marshmallows. "Spread" over the top of the Rice Krispie treats.
4. Let set for 30 minutes or until topping is set. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

These bars are seriously Ah-Mazing.... They combine so many of my favorite childhood treats into one, deliciously fantastic dessert. One of the things I love the most about these Birthday Cake Oreo Rice Krispie Treats is the fact that, even though all of the ingredients come together to create an incredible, cohesive dish, the integrity of each individual component remains largely intact, and you can truly enjoy each ingredient for what it brings to the overall flavor palate. And, to make them even better, they are beyond soft with just a perfect amount of gooey-ness to allow for enjoyment with mess!

The classic Rice Krispie Treat, the Birthday Cake Oreo, and the Rainbow Chip birthday cake are all in attendance at this party, and you truly don't want to miss out! I definitely recommend that you make these SOON! Especially if you love Oreos. Celebrate their accomplishment and appreciate some stability in an ever-changing world- spread some cookie love!

Layer upon layer of birthday treat perfection... I am so making these for Brooklyn's birthday party at daycare this month! 

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Cream Cheese Cake Bars

Every so often, a recipe catches my eye that sounds so beyond perfection that I must make it immediately. Now that I am attempting to limit my "over-indulgence," I really have to exercise self-control more often than not for my waistline's sake. Following as many other food blogs as I do, in addition to my regular Pinterest browsing, makes this task seem impossible at times, as I sit with my mouth watering in front of my computer and try to convince myself that "it can't be THAT good..."

Well, no matter how many times I tried to tell myself this when I saw these bars on Cookies and Cups, I could never quite convince myself. I obsessed over them for a little under a week when I finally caved and hurried to the store, head hung in shame, to gather the few additional ingredients I needed to undertake my baking endeavors. I needed my "fix," after only three days of being "on track" with eating better and exercising. The good thing is, although I ultimately gave in, my craving was satisfied and more, as these bars are SO rich that I only needed a very small piece to feel fulfilled. The scale never reflected my weakness! Hooray!

I ended up taking these to book club and also to work to share, as well as the kids (brother included) and Chris, of course, tried them. They were an all-around hit. Everyone was raving about them. Even Chris. I know, right? Now you KNOW that they must be divine, right?

The bottom layer consists of the beloved boxed cake mix vamped up with a few additional ingredients. The middle layer, which is my personal favorite, consists simply of cream cheese mixed with dark chocolate hot fudge sauce. Heaven...on...earth... Top that off with toffee bits and dark chocolate chips, sprinkled with a few of the leftover crumbs from the crust layer and you have yourself and rich, decadent, deliciously and sinfully chocolate dessert that is packed with layer upon layer of indulgence.

If you're anything like me, you are probably already drooling. So without further adieu, I give to you the gift I call Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Cream Cheese Cake Bars...

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Cream Cheese Cake Bars (Adapted from Cookies and Cups)

- 1 18.25 oz. package chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp. coffee (or cream/milk would work, too, I just happened to have coffee)
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 16 oz. jar Hershey's Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce
- 2 cups dark chocolate chunks
- 1 cup toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13" cake pan with foil, leaving enough excess on each end to create handles. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, egg, and coffee using your hands. Press all of this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, reserving 1 cup for topping.
3. In the same large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and hot fudge sauce using an electric mixer until creamy and well-blended. Pour over the crust.
4. Sprinkle the dark chocolate chunks and the toffee bits over the cream cheese layer, then sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then cool to room temperature on wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least three hours, then cut into bars and serve. Store in refrigerator, but these bars are best served at room temperature.


Anyone else find it hard to stay strong when recipes like this are sitting in front of you, staring at you, calling to you and beckoning, just begging to be baked, eaten, and enjoyed???

Southwest Shepherd's Pie

Every so often, I find that it becomes necessary to have a week at the grocery store where we only buy perishable food items and make our meals revolve around the huge supply of non-perishable food we have stocked in the cupboards and pantry. Without this occasional "cleansing ritual," if you will, we would never even make a dent in our stockpile of canned goods, mismatched pastas, and other staples that have collected and compiled over time.

More often than not, these attempts of mine to clear out some room in our cupboards end up in a pretty tasty dish of some sort (sometimes not-experimentation is bound to yield occasional failures), although they are usually so random that my beloved fiance and brother (both of whom have been previously mentioned throughout this blog) refer to them, lovingly of course, as sh*t casserole. Many a dishes have been endearingly termed this, and if Southwest Shepherd's Pie ends up in this category, it is by far the best sh*t casserole I have ever created.

This baked dish is layered with flavors of savory and sweet, with a very subtle spicy sensation, and is absolutely delicious. It will indubitably be a go-to dinner when we plan our weekly menus. It has been promoted past the point of mere cupboard cleaning to deserving its place in our regular dinner rotations.

Here is what you will need:

Southwest Shepherd's Pie (AKA Best Sh*t Casserole Ever)

- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 yellow or sweet onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. garlic paste
- 1 tbsp. EACH chili powder, paprika, and cumin
- 1 tsp. EACH season salt and black pepper
- 6 mini sweet peppers (I used two of each color- red, orange, and yellow, but any combination would be fine), chopped
- 1 10.5-oz can Rotel tomatoes UN-DRAINED
- 1 15-oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 7-oz can green chilies
- 1 15-oz can sweet corn, drained
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar -jack cheese mix
- 1 box of honey cornbread mix (plus all ingredients called for on box mix- I used and LOVED Krusteaz-brand)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic paste until beef is cooked through and no longer pink. Drain. Stir in all seasonings, chopped sweet peppers, Rotel tomatoes with juice, black beans, green chilies, and corn. Cook beef mixture for approximately 5-7 minutes, just long enough to slightly soften the peppers and let the flavors develop. Spread meat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese.
3. In a medium bowl, mix cornbread batter according to instructions on box. After batter has been mixed, spread evenly over the cooked beef mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until cornbread is cooked completely and a toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean. Cool for approximately five minutes before serving. If desired, top with fresh salsa and sour cream.

A beautifully layered dish that delivers a ton of flavor

We served this with a simple mixture of Romaine, crushed tortilla chips, and a dressing of fresh salsa and sour cream. It was such a perfect start to a delicious dinner, and all in all, this meal was incredibly well-balanced. 

Do you ever have nights where you just throw everything in the cupboard into a dish and cross your fingers and hope for the best? Sometimes, innovation brings about great things, and this one was definitely an example of that principle at work!