Easter Cake Mix Cookies With Cheesecake Filling

  

Whenever Justin and I go to our favorite frozen yogurt shop (you know, the kind with a toppings bar), I am always faced with the tough choice of cake batter versus cheesecake. I love all things cake batter and usually that is my go to ice cream/frozen yogurt flavor. But their cheesecake flavor is so good too and I can never seem to choose one over the other. Since I am always afraid of regretting my decision, I usually just mix the two and call it a day.

That is exactly what I did with these cookie sandwiches. Traditional cake mix cookies filled with a cheesecake cool whip icing made for a decadent at home dessert with very little fuss.

I have really been keeping it pretty easy when it comes to Easter desserts because I feel like there have been so many holidays one right after another from Thanksgiving right on through. Especially with St. Patrick's Day and Easter being so close this year. I actually spent about three hours on St. Patrick's Day photographing bunnies, and chicks and Easter treats. You feel me fellow food bloggers? I cannot wait for two whole months without a major holiday.

If you are getting a little dessert lazy like me, then these cookies are perfect for you. They were like those famous cookie sandwiches you can get at the mall kiosk without actually having to get dressed and get in your car : )

My sister is obsessed with those mall cookies and she actually inspired me to turn the cookies into icing filled sandwiches. She is going to be mad at me for saying this but I am pretty sure she ate two (maybe three) of these babies in one day. 

And honestly, I can't blame her. I forced myself into self control by only keeping one of these at my house while packing off the rest to my family and the fire station. Because they were that good. And because I have three more Easter recipes on my "to bake list". April 1st can't get here fast enough!

Easter Cake Mix Cookies with Cheesecake Filling

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup Easter M&M's
• 1 tub of Cool Whip
• 1 small package of cheesecake pudding mix (I used sugar free)

1.) Make the cake mix cookies using this recipe here.

2.) Let cookies cool completely.

3.) While cookies are cooling, stir the cheesecake pudding mix into the tub of Cool Whip and mix completely.

4.) Spread a generous amount of the Cool Whip filling in between two cookies, sandwich together and enjoy!

Make sure you stop by this week's Mealtime Monday and link up any amazing recipes you have been working on lately.

***Depending on the day this post may be linked up to any of these fabulous linky parties.***

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Homemade Peep Cakes

  

I have a confession to make. I LOVE Peeps. Like really love, like in college I could buy that 12 pack of them and eat them all in one sitting love. I know they are sickly sweet. I know that I would probably go into a diabetic coma if I knew how much sugar was in them. But I still love them.

And my love for them isn't just contained to chicks and rabbits. I am that person who buys the Christmas and Halloween ones too. I mean who doesn't love a pure sugar ghost, or Christmas tree, or maybe even a bat? I constantly pin cute Peep desserts and ideas. Speaking of that, have you checked out Love From The Oven's Peep recipes? Her website alone could have me pinning for hours.

There is just one problems with my Peep obsession (other than sugar overload). My husband hates them. How is it possible to hate something as cute as a Peep? Yet somehow he does. He thinks they are "too sweet". They freak him out, blah, blah, blah. He wouldn't buy them if they were on after Easter clearance for .10 cents a box. (Target, here I come!)

So here lies my problem. A majority of what I make for the blog gets consumed by Justin and his fellow firefighters. If I made something with Peeps, he wouldn't eat any of it and I would have to sit and eat them all by myself. Which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world except for the fact that I would be on a sugar high for the rest of the week.

Justin's hate of all things Peeps notwithstanding, I wanted to make something "Peepy" without actually using Peeps. Because nothing says Easter like sparkly sugar coated rabbits and chicks. I was racking my brain about what to make when I remembered this Wilton Silicon Bunny Cake Pan I got at last year's Target Easter Clearance (where else?).

I made the bunny cakes using basic yellow cake mix and then froze them to make it easier to dip them. I dipped them in Wilton Yellow Candy Melts, covered them in yellow sparkling sugarand gave them eyes and a nose with cool whip mixed with cocoa powder.

And they were precious. And delicious. And even the manly firefighters ate them. And the best part? Justin loved them and even requested that I make them again the next day.(Which I didn't by the way...)

They tasted like a homemade version of a Little Debbie cake roll. Creamy candy melt on the outside and golden yellow cake in the inside. The colored sugar added the perfect crunch just like it does on the outside of real Peeps.

And guess what? I still have some mini bunny cakes frozen in our freezer. So I can have my Peep cakes and eat them too, long after the Target clearance section has been wiped out.

Make sure you stop by this week's Mealtime Monday and link up any amazing recipes you have been working on lately.

***Depending on the day this post may be linked up to any of these fabulous linky parties.***

Do you host a weekly party? If so, make sure to visit my party page and add yours so we all can join in the fun!

Mealtime Monday Recipe Link Up & Features (#46}

  

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Did you celebrate with green beer and corned beef? I just laid low as we have had a number of busy weekends in a row and have a few more to follow. It was nice to have some down time : )

I made and photographed three different Easter dessert recipes this weekend so I hope that you are ready for two straight weeks of Easter!

Ready for the party? Here are this week's features!

Easter Chick Bunny Cake Pops from Pint Sized Baker 

Sriracha Popcorn from Domestic Superhero 

Dulce De Leche Swirl Brownies from Annie's Noms 

Pizza Dip from Real Housemoms

Malted Milk Egg Rice Krispies from Sweet Southern Blue

You can also check out my Pinterest board for Mealtime Monday Features where I will be pinning the original links to the items featured here each week as well as my Facebook page which will have even more features too!

If you were featured you can feel free to grab a button from my sidebar.

As I teacher, I enforce rules all day so I am going to call these my suggestions.

I would love it if:

• You would link back to this post/blog. You can do so by grabbing my button (upper right hand corner), linking back to this post in your post, or by adding this blog to your list of places you link up to/party at on your Link Parties page. The more people who link up the better it is for all of us : )
• Please follow this blog through GFC, Linky Friends or Blog Lovin.
• As an added bonus you can become our Facebook friend too!
• Please only post directly to your recipe link. No giveaways, etsy shops or anything not family friendly.
• Please do not link up to posts you have already linked up to before. Also, the recipe needs to be something you made with photos of your own and should give credit where credit is due : )
• Pretty please visit at least two new blogs and show them some love.
• By linking up you give me permision to use these photos (with proper link backs) in my features and on my Facebook page
• Come back next Monday and link up!

Ready, set, make me hungry!
 

15 Cute & Easy Easter Crafts

   

I love Easter. As a teacher, it is a sign that Spring is in full swing and summer isn't too far away. While I usually stick to Easter baking, I thought that I would share some of my current favorite Easter crafts and DIY projects from around the blogosphere.

Check back next Friday for a HUGE Easter desserts round up!

Wreaths

Lilly Pulitzer Easter Egg Wreath

 

Peep Wreath

 

Easter Egg Wreath

Easter Grass Wreath 

Washi Tape Easter Egg Wreath

Crafts/DIY

Coin Covered Cross- Paid In Full

Easter Egg Bouquet 

Eggshell Candles 

Paint Chip Easter Garland

Easter Bunny Jars

Carrot Napkins

 

Terra Cotta "Easter Baskets"

Candy Centerpieces

Jelly Bean Topiary 

Peep Topiary

 

Chocolate Egg Topiary 

 

Weekly Totals Shopping Trip: Saved 62% at Publix

Today's Publix trip ended up being smaller than planned because a bunch of the items on my list ended up not being on sale in my area or not being the right price for me to get them. I really just grabbed my usual salad and Greek yogurt along with a few other sale items we were needing. 

Since I also hit up Publix and Target on Sunday, it was nice to keep my trip small. We are still plugging away at cleaning out the freezers and while we have made some room, we are going to have to hit it hard in the next two weeks if we want to have room for our forty pounds of Zaycon chicken.

Even with three shopping trips this week I managed to keep my spending right around $40.

Weekly Shopping Totals:

Total retail value: $128.21

Total spent:$41.31

Total saved: $86.90

Percent saved: 68%

Breakdown of today's Publix trip:

 Total retail value: $44.67

Total spent: $16.65

Total saved: $27.82

Percent saved: 62%

What I got with sale/coupon match ups:

• 2 one pound boxes of Land O Lakes Butter, retails for $4.55 each, on sale for $2.50 each
• Used two .50/1 coupons from the 3/10 SS
• Made them $2 a box
•  5  Dannon Okios Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.20 each
• Used $1/5 blinkie coupon
• Made them $1.00 each
•  3 Voskos Greek Yogurts, retails for $1.25 each, on sale for $1 each
• Used a .30/2 coupon from the 3/3 SS
• Stacked with a $1/3 Publix coupon from the Happy Easter Advantage flyer
• Made them .56 cents each
•  2 boxes of Triscuit Crackers, retails for $3.69 each
• Used a B1G1 FREE Publix peelie on the box in store
• Made them $1.84 each
•  2 bags of Fresh Express Spinach Salad, retails for $4.09 each, on sale BOGO ($2.04 each)
• Used two .55 cents off coupons from the 3/10 SS
• Made them $1.49 each
•  1 package of Buitoni Frozen Tortellini, retails for $4.19
• Used a $1 off coupon from the 2/10 SS
• Earned a $1 Ibotta deposit 
• Made it $2.19 total
•  1 big box of Rice Krispies, retails for $5.09
•  Used a $1 off coupon from the 2/17 RP
• Stacked with a $2 off Publix coupon from the Happy Easter Advantage Flyer
• Made them $2.09
• Used a $5/$30 Winn Dixie coupon

 
How did you do this week? Inspire me (and everyone else) with your amazing savings and deals this week. Please link up directly to your specific post. Do not link up to your blog's home page, giveaways, or etsy shops please. You can also "like" Couponing & Cooking on Facebook too! I would love it if you would link back to this post or grab my button from the sidebar : )

Click below to link up your posts!

Saved 86% at Target: FREE Dryer Sheets

 If this isn't a typical couponer's shopping trip, I don't know what is. Dryer sheets and M&M's, clearly the staples of any well rounded household. 

With freebies becoming few and far between these days, I was thrilled to find that my Target carried the smaller box of Bounce Dryer Sheets at the $1.97 price. With the $3/3 Target coupon and the $3/3 P&G manufacturer coupons these were all FREE! 

And really, can a food blogger have too many holiday themed M&M's? I think not.

Breakdown of Sunday's Target trip:

Total retail value: $25.02

Total spent: $3.42

Total saved: $21.60

Percent saved: 86%

What I got with sale/coupon match ups:

• 9 boxes of Bounce Dryer Sheets (34 count), retails for $1.97 a box
• Used three $3/3 coupons from the 3/3 P&G
• Stacked with three $3/3 Target coupons from the 3/3 SS
• Made them all FREE
•  2 bags of M&M's, retails for $3.19 each, on sale for $2.89 each
• Used a $1.50/2 coupon from coupons.com (might not be available anymore...)
• Stacked with a $1.50/2 Target coupon
• Made them $1.39 each (bags also had a $1/2 peelie on them)

Make sure to come back Thursday for my weekly totals shopping post and link up!

Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

  

Going to college at Notre Dame meant that St. Patrick's Day was an all day event, a school wide holiday if you will. Class were still in session but the whole day had a "celebratory" air to it. Parties started before sunrise and went well past midnight. Green glitter, Mardi Gras beads, colored hair spray, face paint and shamrocks on everything were commonplace in classrooms, dorms, and most public places.

It was the only time of the year outside of football season when a person wouldn't be judged for having a drink with breakfast. Guinness, Irish Coffees, and green beer were often consumed with every meal of the day, including breakfast.

Fast forward a few years, and I am an adult with a full time job, a mortgage and life insurance. Drinking with breakfast isn't just unacceptable, it's frowned upon.

St. Patrick's Day is only a few days away and I have found a solution to my first world problem. Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins. Have your breakfast and a cocktail too.

These muffins are laughably easy. Cake mix, eggs, oil, Bailey's and chocolate chips. I replaced the water called for in the box mix with the Irish cream and it was perfect. They baked up beautifully and while most of the alcohol in the Bailey's was cooked out, just enough flavor was left to know exactly what you were eating.

The Bailey's made the muffins insanely moist and even after a few days they still weren't dry like most baked goods get. You can definitely still taste the alcohol so I probably wouldn't serve these to kids or people who don't drink. But you can always try substituting one of the many Bailey's Coffee Creamer flavors for the Irish Cream to keep the taste while skipping the alcohol.

Bailey's Irish Creme Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup of Bailey's Irish Cream 
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping if you want)

1.) In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients until well combined.

2.) Using an ice cream scoop fill lined muffin cups. Top with a few extra chocolate chips.

3.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the tops of the muffins are springy to the touch.

4.) Let cool and store in an air tight container.

Make sure you stop by this week's Mealtime Monday and link up any amazing recipes you have been working on lately.

***Depending on the day this post may be linked up to any of these fabulous linky parties.***

Do you host a weekly party? If so, make sure to visit my party page and add yours so we all can join in the fun!