This quick and easy mousse looks fancy, but it’s actually SO quick and easy to make!
This easy version of mousse has long since been one of my favorite go-to desserts. Not only is it delicious, but it’s super duper quick and easy, cheap, fairly diet friendly, and really versatile. There are so many different ways to make it! Plus, I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, so it’s a great recipe to keep in your back pocket for dessert in a pinch.
If that’s not a win all over, then I don’t know what is!
The ingredient list is pretty simple. And really short.
Instant pudding mix (white chocolate flavored for this snickerdoodle variation).
Fat free milk.
8 ounces Cool Whip.
And for this version you’ll also need cinnamon, white chocolate, and (optional) snickerdoodle cookies.
Easy Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark is filled with marshmallow cream swirls and Thin Mint cookies.
Bark is one of my favorite candies to make. It’s so easy, looks beautiful, packages nicely, and is so versatile. There are so many yummy versions you could make!
I’m especially in love with this Cowboy Bark (copycat) I posted just last week. It’s as gorgeous as it is delicious, and everyone knows that pretty food just tastes better!
This Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark combines some of my very favorite textures and flavors: rich semi-sweet chocolate, crunchy Thin Mint cookies, and creamy marshmallow fluff. You get a little bit of each in every bite, and it’s such a darn good combination!
I guarantee you won’t be able to stop at just one bite.
Tips for Making Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark
When making Marshmallow Swirl Thin Mint Bark, it’s important to follow a few key steps to ensure a delicious and visually appealing treat. First, melting the chocolate slowly is crucial. Whether you use a double boiler or microwave, take your time and heat the chocolate in small increments, stirring frequently. This helps prevent the chocolate from burning and ensures a smooth, even melt.
Once the chocolate is melted, you’ll add the marshmallow cream. It’s essential not to overmix at this stage; instead, gently swirl the marshmallow into the warm chocolate. The goal is to create a marbled effect rather than fully combining the two, which gives the bark a lovely visual texture.
After spreading the chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, you’ll add the decorative touches. Melting green wafers and using a piping bag (or a ziplock bag for easy cleanup) to create swirls over the chocolate adds a festive and professional look to the bark.
Finally, spreading a bit of marshmallow cream on each Thin Mint cookie before pressing them into the chocolate ensures they adhere well. Sprinkling chocolate chips on top adds an extra layer of flavor and texture. Allow the bark to cool and harden completely—placing it in the refrigerator speeds up this process—before breaking it into pieces and enjoying your homemade treat!
This single serve recipe is perfect for when you need a little chocolate fix but don’t want to make an entire cake!
WARNING: this is where diets come to die… in a rich, fudgy pool of decadent melty chocolate and peanut butter enveloped in a thick, fluffy cake.
I’m just saying.
Sometimes you just need chocolate cake rightnowrightnow. Right?
And when that craving strikes, you don’t want spend the time (and dirty dishes) slaving away over a full sized cake. And you really don’t want an entire cake sitting around, tempting you for days after the craving has passed (because, omg, I can eat an entire chocolate cake in one afternoon without even really wanting to– please tell me that’s not just me?!).
Enter: mug cakes. They are simple and easy, warm and fresh, and they’re ready RIGHT NOW.
It’s brilliant.
These little cakes are a little different from typical molten lava cakes. Because instead of slightly underbaking the cakes to create the lava center, I’m actually adding a brick of chocolate and a teaspoon of creamy peanut butter (!!!!!) to get all warm and melty in the center of this cake.
I prefer this method over the underbaking for a couple of reasons.
One, for some reason the uncooked cake batter “lava” has always kind of weirded me out. I don’t know why– it’s not like I don’t lick the bowl after I make a cake! But something about uncooked batter masquerading as melted chocolate… it just never seemed right to me. So there’s that.
Second of all… since we are microwaving these cakes rather than baking them, the heating method is kind of wonky. We’re dealing with cooking time in terms of seconds rather than minutes, so it’s nearly impossible to be as precise as we would need to be in underbaking the cake the exactly right amount of time. By using actual chocolate in the center, we eliminate the headache of trying to figure out how to keep the center unbaked while nuking the rest of the cake just enough. Fabulous.
I desperately wish that I had some ice cream on hand when I was photographing this. Wouldn’t a big scoop of vanilla plopped in this warm mug of melted chocolate and peanut butter just be divine?
All I had at the time was whipped cream, and that was pretty good too 🙂
Just a few simple ingredients and about 60 seconds is all you have standing between you and this cake. Enjoy!!
Crunchy, creamy, sweet and peanut butter popcorn. Ready in under 30 minutes, and you won’t be able to put it down!
I’ve obviously been in the mood for snacking lately. I don’t know if it’s me trying to prepare lots of Super Bowl recipes, or if it’s just the fact that I’ve been dieting for 19 days a billion years.
(How are your New Year’s eating resolutions going? Still going strong?)
Either way, munchies have been on the brain, because the past two weeks of recipes have included 2 snack mixes and 2 dips, plus today’s popcorn and yet another dip recipe tomorrow. ????
Today’s popcorn is one of my favorites from the book, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Popcorn (on page 75)! This is one of my most used go-to recipes for a quick and easy popcorn treat. It can be packaged for giving away or for entertaining guests.
This Ultimate Peanut Butter Popcorn recipe is a slight variation on the chocolate chip version in my book. Beyond creamy peanut butter and white chocolate, this version is also stuffed with lots of Oreos. (Is there a more heavenly combination than Oreos and PB?), Reese’s Pieces, and a chocolate-y drizzle.
As I always do when making any sort of chocolate-coated confection that will be eaten with hands, I used Ghirardelli Candy Melts (NOT white chocolate chips). I’ve sang the praises of this much loved ingredient over and over again. But in case you’ve missed my soap box spiel on candy melts, here’s the gist:
Yes, I know we all love REAL chocolate chips the best. But candy melts will work SO MUCH BETTER in candy making and coating, because they are made specifically to melt well. They melt smoothly and quickly without seizing, they coat better than normal chocolate, they cool and harden quickly, and the hardened coating won’t melt all over your hands when handling.
Just use the melts please (available at Target, Walmart, Michaels, and other stores).
Rant over. ????
And you might also remember me saying this before, but it bears repeating: I LOVE this Boom Chicka Pop (found at Target) for my popcorn munch mixes!
It’s sweet and crunchy, with a sugary shell that protects the kernels from any sort of moisture from the chocolate. And it’s just overall perfection.
Of course, you can always use microwave popcorn or air popped (which has always been my preferred method in the past, I melted through TWO poppers when I was writing the book!). Your choice. But if you can get your hands on some bagged kettle corn, you’ll save a little time plus add some sweet crunch to every delectable bite.
So… wanna see how easy it is to make this??? (Say yes! Say yes!)
I made another video for you!!! I’m brand new to the video-making thing, so I don’t have many under my belt yet. But I’d say this one is already a big improvement from the first, and I’ve been SO excited to share it with you.
I hope you like it!
What did you think? My brother and I have been working so hard on making more videos for you. I can’t wait for you guys to see them.
For now, I hope you fall in love with the Peanut Butter Popcorn as much as I have. It’s perfect for a quick, last minute treat and completely addictive. For a fun variation, try adding M&Ms, PB cups, Nutter Butter cookies, or miniature marshmallows! Just to name a few ????.
