Sweet Treats for Kids of all Ages

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

17 May 2008 10:46 AM

My daughter was very disappointed when I told her that we would not be baking a dessert to bring to the upcoming graduation potluck we've been invited to. In fact, I rarely offer to bring dessert to parties that feature guests of varying age groups because I can never find a recipe that I know will appease the masses.

Most of the dessert recipes I have are either geared specifically to adults and include ingredients such as coffee or alcohol or they are kid-friendly, teeth tingling, super sugary creations that most adults shy away from. These days I offer to bring a main dish or salad and avoid having to make two desserts to pass.

The end of May and the beginning of June are busy times for graduations, weddings and other family oriented celebrations such as Memorial Day. If you are stuck trying to figure out what dessert to bring to your next potluck you might want to try one or both of the following recipes.

The first one is designed more for adults as it features coffee and a variety of spices that most kids would turn their noses at even though it is hidden in chocolate. The other recipe is a tried and true kid favorite created by the kitchen staff at Hostess. It spotlights the indestructible Twinkie and strawberries, which happen to be quite abundant this time of year.

If you have kids who love Hostess products I strongly recommend visiting their site. It is chock full of recipes featuring everything from Ding Dongs to Sno-Balls and my personal favorite Ho-Hos.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE BROWNIES

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 cups vegetable or canola oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch cayenne pepper

3/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter or coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk wet ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients all at once and stir to combine.

Pour into greased baking pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into squares.

STRAWBERRY TWINKIE JUBILEE

Ingredients:

14 Hostess Twinkies

2 boxes Strawberry Gelatin

2 cups hot water

2 boxes Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 cup milk

1 container Cool Whip

1 pint strawberries, sliced

Directions:

Line 13x9 cake pan with Twinkies.

Mix gelatin with hot water. Stir in strawberries. Pour over Twinkies.

Mix pudding with cold milk. Pour over dessert and top with whipped topping.

Garnish with strawberries and refrigerate.

Related Articles:

Rainbow Fruit Tart

Chocolate Shortcake

Macadamia Nut Madness

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger