Baking can be tricky — the directions, the measurements, pre-heating the oven — it can all be a lot to digest {both literally and figuratively}. But rest assured, not all of those classic baked good treats require a lengthy step-by-step process. In fact, many can be made in just a few easy steps. With some new-found time at home, take it as an opportunity to try your hand at becoming an amateur pastry chef {or an expert one, if things turn out well}. Plus, baking with your loved ones can create meaningful memories centered around food, because during challenging times, food can bring people together. Here are a few simple, fun, and delicious desserts to make at home that are sure to be a hit and become a lasting memory during an uncertain time.
1. S’mores
Don’t worry if you don’t have access to a campfire, a microwave or oven will do the trick. The classic s’more consists of three key ingredients — graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. First, there’s the matter of what kind of crackers to use. Aside from the obvious option, homemade chocolate chip cookies, Girl Scout cookies, Rice Krispies, and Oreos all make for a delicious foundation. Moving on to chocolate, Hershey is the classic choice, but if you’re looking to experiment with flavors, try peanut butter, dark chocolate, salted caramel, Kit Kats, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Nutella, or chocolate covered pretzels, — the options are endless. A true s’more wouldn’t be complete without a fluffy marshmallow, but there’s no reason to stop there. Play with extra toppings like candied fruit or bacon, shredded coconut, cinnamon powder, and fudge.
2. Banana Split
The iconic banana split has been around since 1904. Since then, the sweet creation has gone through a multitude of transformations, but certain ingredients remain a constant in almost all recipes + variations. There must always be a banana, three scoops of ice cream, chocolate syrup or fudge, and three cherries. The flavors of the ice cream and toppings are where you can get creative. Go crazy with your favorite ice cream flavors, as long as there are three scoops lined up the middle of the banana halves. For added texture, consider nuts, crumbled Oreos, sprinkles, waffle crisp, fruit, and of course, candy. Next, drizzle or drown {no judgment} your dessert in chocolate syrup, fudge, Nutella, caramel, strawberry jam, or pineapple jam. Lastly, top it off with whipped cream and three cherries.
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3. Root Beer Float
A successful root beer float should, well, float. The ice cream floats because it’s churned with air and composed of fat, both of which are lighter than water. Begin with a fountain glass or any other tall drinking glass and add a generously sized scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top inside-corner. Next, without pushing the ice cream to the bottom of the glass, fill 2/4 of it with root beer and allow it to fizz up. From there, personalize it with toppings like whipped cream, chocolate syrup and of course, a cherry on top.
4. Chocolate Covered Fruit
Practically effortless to make, the hardest part is deciding what fruit to use. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Choose your chocolate preference. Dark chocolate is a popular option when paired with fruit. Melt the chocolate on a stovetop and add one teaspoon of coconut oil for every cup of chocolate. Most fruits can be dipped in chocolate and turn out delicious, but try using strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches, apricots, and bananas. Cut the apples into slices. Peel the nectarines, peaches, and apricots, then manually separate each individual piece. From there, dip half of each piece of fruit into your melted chocolate and sprinkle on a topping. Chopped nuts and shredded coconut are delicious choices. For bananas, cut them horizontally into small slices, ½ inch thick, add a teaspoon of almond butter on half of the banana slices and place the other half on top. Insert a toothpick to hold them together and dip them halfway into the chocolate. Place the baking tray in the freezer for 15 minutes and voilà, your chocolate-covered fruit is complete.
5. Cake Pops
Cake pops are tiny bites of happiness on a stick. Begin by baking a cake {box cake mix works} and once it has fully risen, place it in a bowl and mash it with your hands until you reach a crumble consistency. Then, without overdoing it, add frosting little by little to the bowl and mix it in. It’s important not to add too much frosting to the already moist cake, as the final texture won’t be favorable. When mixing, the goal is to reach a moistness that allows the cake to stay together when you roll it into a ball. You can arrive at the perfect ball shape with an ice cream scoop or large spoon, and a little hand rolling. Next, melt a chocolate bar over the stove or oven, dip a stick in the melted chocolate and insert the stick into the middle of the cake ball. After freezing them for 10 minutes, proceed to dip each cake ball into a cup of the same melted chocolate {chocolate or vanilla}. Lastly, add a fun topping like sprinkles and you have yourself a sweet treat.
6. Flavored Popcorn
Level up your movie night skills with unique popcorn flavors. All you need is a microwavable bag of popcorn and your imagination. For ranch, melt four tablespoons butter with a one-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix, two tablespoons of chopped chives and salt. For parmesan-rosemary, use 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, three tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and two teaspoons kosher salt. For veggie pulse, use two cups of mixed veggie chips and dehydrated snap peas in a food processor until powdery. For peanut butter banana, use one cup of dried banana chips and half cup chocolate chips with peanuts. The options are endless, click here to discover 50 recipes for flavored popcorn.
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7. Fried Oreos
Bring the festival to your home by making fried Oreos. Follow these simple steps to achieve the fried Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies of your dreams. Combine one cup of pancake mix, two eggs, one cup of milk, two teaspoons of vegetable oil, and a pinch of vanilla extract in a bowl. The end result should look like pancake batter, but this one is slightly sweeter. The batter should be thick enough to form a nice coating around the cookies. If the batter drips right off your cookies, you can add more pancake mix, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Take your Oreos, preferably double stuffed of any flavor {peanut butter, mint, or birthday cake also work} and flip them into the batter and place them in the hot oil to cook until they reach golden brown perfection. Top them off with powdered sugar and perhaps a drizzle of chocolate syrup and enjoy your at-home county fair treat.
Experiment with these snacks and make them your own by getting creative with flavors and toppings. Let’s face it, baking brings joy into any home and everyone could use as much cheer as possible. Let us know if you plan on trying out any of these recipes!
Which of these recipes will you be making this week? Let us know in the comments!
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