Being You: Tips for girls (:

No Bake Treats

Rocky Road Bark

Chop 1 pound semisweet chocolate; melt three-quarters of the chopped chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in 1 tablespoon shortening and the remaining chocolate until smooth. Spread thinly on a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with 1 cup mini marshmallows and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts. Let set; break apart.

Butter Pecan Toffee

Combine 1 stick butter, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown (305 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Arrange 20 tea biscuits side by side on a large buttered, foil-lined baking sheet; pour the sugar mixture on top and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans. Chill until firm; break apart.

Chocolate-Almond Toffee

Make Butter Pecan Toffee. After pouring the sugar mixture over the biscuits, immediately sprinkle with 3 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate. Let melt, then spread. Top with toasted sliced almonds instead of pecans.

Matzo Toffee

Make Butter Pecan Toffee using 3 matzo sheets instead of the biscuits. Top with flaky sea salt instead of nuts.

Sticky Toffee

Chews Pulse 1 cup each pitted dates and broken shortbread cookies, 3/4 cup walnuts and 2 tablespoons each brown sugar and honey in a food processor until smooth. Form into 1-inch balls; flatten into rounds and press a walnut half into the centers. Chill until firm.

Toffee Marshmallows

Melt 8 ounces chopped milk chocolate; dip jumbo marshmallows (one 10-ounce bag) partway in the chocolate, then sprinkle with toffee bits and chopped peanuts. Chill until firm.

S’mores Squares

Melt 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate; spread on 12 graham cracker squares. Top with mini marshmallows. Chill until firm; break apart.

Hazelnut Brownies

Crush 26 vanilla wafers and 1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers in a food processor. Add 3/4 cup jarred dulce de leche, 8 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate and 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts; pulse until smooth. Press into a buttered, foil-lined 8-inch-square pan. Press 1/4 cup more nuts on top. Chill until firm, then cut into squares.

Pecan-Praline Brownies

Make Hazelnut Brownies, replacing the dulce de leche with butterscotch sauce and the hazelnuts with pecans. Press 1/2 cup toffee bits into the top along with the nuts.

Kettle Corn Brownies

Make Hazelnut Brownies, replacing the hazelnuts with crushed kettle corn. Top with 1/2 cup kettle corn instead of nuts.

Salty-Sweet Crispy Treats

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a saucepan; add one 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows and stir until smooth. Stir in 3 cups each crisp rice cereal and broken thin pretzel sticks. Press into a buttered 9-by-13-inch pan. Let set, then cut into bars.

Magic Bars

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a saucepan; add 4 cups mini marshmallows and stir until smooth. Roughly chop 1 sleeve graham crackers and add to the pan along with 1 cup each mini marshmallows, chopped pecans, shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Press into a buttered 9-by-13-inch pan. Let set, then cut into bars.

Mexican Chocolate Tarts

Mix 3/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch each of salt and cayenne. Spoon into small cup-shaped tortilla chips; top with whipped cream and more cinnamon.

English Pudding Petits

Fours Mix 1/2 cup each mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon dry sherry. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes; top each with mascarpone and a raspberry.

Brandied Kumquat Cakes

Simmer 2 cups kumquats and 1/2 cup each brandy and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes; top each with a kumquat and skewer with a toothpick. Let stand 5 minutes so the syrup soaks in.

Dulce de Leche Petits Fours

Slice a thawed frozen pound cake (crusts removed) lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Stack 3 slices with dulce de leche in between. Repeat with the remaining pound cake. Cut into triangles; dip 1 side of each in melted white chocolate and dust with cocoa powder. Chill until set.

Cherry-Pistachio Petits Fours

Make Dulce de Leche Petits Fours, replacing the dulce de leche with cherry preserves. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios instead of cocoa powder.

Chocolate Butter Wafers

Melt 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate and spread on round butter crackers (such as Ritz); top with chopped pistachios and chopped dried apricots.

Chocolate Vanilla Wafers

Melt 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate and spread on vanilla wafers; top with toasted pepitas, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.

Chocolate-Raspberry Wreaths

Melt 4 ounces chopped white chocolate; dip the bottoms of 2 pints raspberries in the chocolate and arrange around the edge of round sugar cookies. Drizzle with more melted white chocolate. Chill until set.

Sparkly Buckeyes

Beat 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter and a pinch of salt with a mixer. Form into 1-inch balls. Dip the tops in melted semisweet chocolate and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Chill until firm.

Gingerbread Pops

Pulse14 crumbled gingersnaps, 1/2 cup each confectioners’ sugar and cookie butter (speculoos spread), 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger and 1/2 stick room-temperature butter in a food processor. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll in confectioners’ sugar, insert a lollipop stick into each and chill until firm.

Manhattan Bourbon Balls

Microwave 1 cup dried sour cherries and 1/4 cup bourbon, 3 minutes. Pulse 52 vanilla wafers in a food processor until ground. Add the cherry-bourbon mixture, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup and a pinch of salt; pulse until combined. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls and skewer each with a cocktail pick. Chill until firm.

Spiced Orange Truffles

Bring 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil in a saucepan; pour over 8 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur and a pinch each of cardamom and salt. Chill until firm. Scoop and roll into 1-inch balls; roll in crushed orange-flavored cookies (such as Anna’s) or vanilla wafers. Chill until set.

Mocha Truffles

Make Spiced Orange Truffles, replacing the orange liqueur with espresso and the crushed cookies with finely chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/articles/50-no-bake-treat-recipes.page-3.html?oc=linkback