This time of year my boys love having bonfires in the backyard and roasting marshmallows, and I thought it would be fun to try making them with different ingredients and see which ones we like best. Our kitchen counters were covered with every different type of s’more ingredient you can imagine, and we were all in a happily miserable sugar coma when all the taste testing was over. 

Below you’ll find our top seven favorite combinations and tips for making them in the most delicious, least messy way. Yes, seven is a random number, but we couldn’t decide on just five. There were too many good ones! And I’ll share how I roast marshmallows in the kitchen when the weather isn’t cooperating to have a fire outside. If I’m being honest – I 100% prefer this method because I can make a bunch of perfectly toasted marshmallows at a time, and I don’t end up smelling like a bonfire. Let’s make some s’mores!

THE PERFECT S’MORES FORMULA:

• something crunchy – example: graham cracker, pretzel, cookie – not a soft one!
• something creamy – example: slightly melted chocolate, peanut butter, caramel
• a perfectly toasted marshmallow

HOW TO TOAST MARSHMALLOWS IN THE OVEN:

Turn the broiler on high with an oven rack positioned in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place marshmallows flat side down so they don’t roll around. Space the marshmallows a few inches apart so they don’t stick together when they expand from the heat. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and watch them very carefully. It only takes a few minutes, if that, to brown on one side so don’t walk away from the oven. After the first side is toasted to your liking, take them out of the oven, gently turn them over with a pair of silicone-tipped tongs, and place them back in the oven to toast the opposite side. This side will brown even faster, so again don’t walk away from the oven! As soon as they reach toasted perfection, immediately pull them out and allow to cool slightly before transferring them to your s’more.

REESE’S TAKE 5 CANDY BAR S’MORE

original graham cracker + peanut butter + marshmallow + pretzel crisp + peanut butter cup

HOW TO MAKE: Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on two squares of graham cracker – crunchy would be more like the Take 5 bar, but you can use creamy too. To one graham cracker add a peanut butter cup, a warm toasted marshmallow, a pretzel crisp, and the second graham cracker on top. 

MINT CHOCOLATE S’MORE

chocolate graham cracker + marshmallow + andes chocolate mints

HOW TO MAKE: Place Andes chocolate mints on a graham cracker square and top with a toasted marshmallow and a second graham cracker square.

ICED OATMEAL COOKIE S’MORE

iced oatmeal cookie + marshmallow + white chocolate

HOW TO MAKE: Place a piece of white chocolate on an iced oatmeal cookie and top with a toasted marshmallow and another iced oatmeal cookie.

COOKIES ‘N CREAM S’MORE

oreo chocolate sandwich cookie + marshmallow + cookies ‘n cream chocolate

HOW TO MAKE: Separate one chocolate sandwich cookie. Add a piece of cookies ‘n cream chocolate and a toasted marshmallow to one of the halves and top with the remaining cookie half.

TIP: Since an Oreo is so much smaller than a graham cracker square, it might be better to use mini marshmallows for this s’more instead of the regular size. Better marshmallow to cookie ratio.

SALTED CARAMEL CHURRO S’MORE

cinnamon graham cracker + marshmallow + white chocolate + salted caramel sauce + sea salt

HOW TO MAKE: Place a piece of white chocolate on a cinnamon graham cracker and top with a toasted marshmallow. Add a drizzle of salted caramel and sea salt to a second cinnamon graham cracker and place on top. 

COOKIE BUTTER S’MORE

cinnamon graham cracker + marshmallow + cookie butter

HOW TO MAKE: Spread a fairly thick layer of cookie butter on two squares of cinnamon graham cracker. Add a toasted marshmallow to one graham cracker and top with the other. 

NUTELLA BANANA SPLIT S’MORE

graham cracker + marshmallow + nutella hazelnut spread + strawberry + banana

HOW TO MAKE: Spread a thin layer of nutella on two squares of graham cracker. Add a toasted marshmallow and slices of fresh strawberry and banana to one graham cracker. Top with the other graham cracker. 

TIP: place the sliced fruit on a paper towel to dry off excess moisture before adding them to the s’more. They will slide around less and stick to the Nutella better!

FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THESE RECIPES AT WALMART:

We had so much fun playing with all the different s’mores recipes, and I hope your family will enjoy the ideas we’ve put together as well. Let me know what your favorite s’more is! Even with all the ingredients I bought, I was able to save money with low-cost quality brands from Walmart. I love their online order and pickup option, but I tried Walmart delivery for the first time and it’s a game changer for our busy life!

You can click HERE to start your Walmart pickup or delivery order. Right now new customers can use promo code TRIPLE10 to save $10 off your first three pickup or delivery orders! ($50 minimum)

I partnered with Walmart on this post, but as always the thoughts and opinions shared are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting our blog and brand partners! As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do!

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The post 7 S’mores Recipes to Try appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

I love crunchy little bites of walnut in my zucchini bread, but those are of course totally optional. And if you want a simple traditional zucchini bread recipe, just omit the blueberries. Although I encourage you to try it! 

A few tips:

• Lining the bottom of your pan with parchment paper is key. I made two of the exact same loaves baked the exact same way with the same amount of cooling time, and the lined one came out of the pan without any resistance, while the unlined one tore and left a good chunk of the bread in the pan. 
• Some recipes call for squeezing all the liquid out of the grated zucchini, but I don’t recommend it for this recipe. 1) it saves a step and a lot of mess, and 2) it helps make the bread moist and fluffy.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

 

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The perfect zucchini bread recipe with delicious additions of blueberries and walnuts

Author: Liz Fourez

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups zucchini, grated
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup crushed walnuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard 9" loaf pan with cooking spray and line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar for 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating for an additional minute. Stir in the zucchini, blueberries, and walnuts (if desired).
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture until well combined.
5. Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

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Let me know if you try this recipe! Enjoy!

MORE RECIPES TO TRY:

Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Hand Pies

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Ice Cream Bars

Apple Turnovers

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The post Blueberry Zucchini Bread appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

The boys and I make these famous sugar cookie cut-outs every year for Christmas, but I wanted to come up with a few quick & easy cookie creations for the holidays that I could whip up quickly without all the fuss and mess of sugar cookies made from scratch. I started with a pre-packaged sugar cookie mix for all of the recipes and turned them into three different recipes for Christmas cookies with just 2-4 ingredients each (plus anything you need to prepare the cookie dough, such as butter & eggs). If you’re looking for something a little easier, but still super delicious and festive, I hope you’ll try one of these three yummy recipes I’m sharing today!

SALTED CARAMEL THUMBPRINTS

NUTELLA COOKIE CUPS

SNICKERDOODLE BARS

This first recipe for Salted Caramel Thumbprints is my absolute favorite. Something about a subtly sweet sugar cookie mixed with that salty bite of caramel is a combination that always leaves me craving more. 

tips:

I highly recommend picking up some coarse sea salt from the grocery store for these cookies. The big flakes of salt sitting on top of the caramel not only looks pretty (like little ice crystals), but it makes the flavor so much better.

You’ll need to use the back of a round metal teaspoon to make the indentation for the caramel in each cookie once they come out of the oven. I found this gorgeous set of brushed gold measuring spoons and measuring cups at Walmart that I absolutely love.

Salted Caramel Thumbprints

 

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A sweet, chewy sugar cookie with creamy salted caramel in the center

Author: Liz Fourez

Recipe type: Dessert

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package sugar cookie baking mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 11 ounce bag caramel (I used Kraft baking bits)
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used Morton)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to package directions + ¼ cup all-purpose flour in a large bowl until well combined. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are set, and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Using the back of a round metal teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small microwaveable bowl, heat the caramel and heavy whipping cream in a microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring after the first minute, until the caramel is melted and smooth. Spoon about half a teaspoon of caramel into the center of each cookie and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let stand for about 10 minutes until the caramel is set.

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The next recipe is for Nutella Cookie Cups, and this was such a fun one for my kiddos to help with! You bake the sugar cookie dough in a mini muffin tin and make little wells in the center while they are still warm to hold a spoonful of delicious, chocolatey Nutella. But the most fun part is adding some colorful sprinkles on top!

tips:

Nutella is a brand of chocolate-hazelnut spread that my kids absolutely love, but Walmart has a Great Value option that will save you a few dollars!

To make the indentation in the cookies, you could use either a skinny shot glass or something the size of a wine bottle cork would work as well.

To remove the cookie cups from the pan, gently use the tip of a fork or knife to gently loosen the sides away from the pan. 

I found that the colored sugar crystals I normally use to decorate sugar cookies sort of melted right into the Nutella, but the non-pareils work great and look really pretty!

Nutella Cookie Cups

 

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a mini sugar cookie cup filled with creamy Nutella and colorful sprinkles on top

Author: Liz Fourez

Recipe type: Dessert

INGREDIENTS

• one package sugar cookie baking mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• one jar Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
• sprinkles (non-pareils like these work best)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to package directions. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place into a mini muffin tin. Bake for 9-11 minutes and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
2. Use the bottom of a shot glass or wine bottle cork to make a well in the center of each cookie. Add a teaspoon of Nutella into each well and finish with sprinkles on top. Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for another 20 minutes before removing them.

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Can you tell someone had fun playing with all the sprinkles?

The last recipe is more of a bar than a cookie, but it starts with the same sugar cookie mix and uses a store-bought can of frosting on top! But just two simple ingredients turn this sugar cookie into something even more delicious.

Snickerdoodle Bars

 

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soft, chewy snickerdoodle bars with a creamy vanilla frosting and sweet cinnamon sugar topping

Author: Liz Fourez

Recipe type: Dessert

INGREDIENTS

• one package sugar cookie baking mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 16 ounce container vanilla frosting

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8-inch pan with cooking spray. Prepare the sugar cookie mix according to package directions with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon added to the mixture. Press the dough evenly into the pan.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon with 1 teaspoon sugar. Spread the vanilla frosting over the cooled bars and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

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I hope you enjoy these easy treats and can’t wait to hear which is your favorite! With everything I have going on this year, spending hours grocery shopping, baking or cooking from scratch, and cleaning isn’t how I want to spend the holidays with my sweet babies. I’m sure many of you can relate. The fact that I was able to get everything I needed for our easy Christmas cookies at Walmart quickly and affordably means I can spend more time making memories in the kitchen with my family. I linked everything from this post below, both food and kitchen accessories!

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*The cute coffee mug and kitchen towel are also from Walmart, but I believe they are only available in store right now otherwise I would have linked those too!

I partnered with Walmart on this post, but as always the thoughts and opinions shared are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting our blog and brand partners!

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The post 3 Easy Sugar Cookie Recipes appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

Bundt cakes are one of my favorite desserts to make because the presentation looks so beautiful with minimal effort. And the texture and flavor of this chocolate-cherry combination is absolutely delicious. When this recipe was given to me, I knew it would be perfect to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, and here is the story behind it:

Grandma Diane works in the antique store where my shop Love Grows Wild Market is located. She isn’t my grandma, but she is one of those women who is sweet as pie to everyone she sees and has always loved on me and my boys like we are her own. She is also quite a firecracker, and every time I hear a swear word fly out of her darling mouth, it makes me love her a little more. A few weeks ago I was in my shop working, and Diane came to me with a cake recipe she’s been making for years and years and said that it was so good it should go on my blog. It was such an unexpected gesture because when someone like Grandma Diane, who has been cooking and baking for her family for so many years, wants to pass down a recipe to you, it truly is like a gift. And now the boys and I have a recipe we will always make and think of Grandma Diane.

It’s chocolatey with the perfect hint of cherry and so very easy. All this cake needs is a little sprinkle of powdered sugar over the top. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

GRANDMA DIANE’S CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 box (3.9 ounce) instant chocolate pudding mix
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 ounce container sour cream
1 package cherry chip cake mix
3 eggs
⅔ cup water
⅔ cup vegetable oil
powdered sugar for sprinkling on top

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix the sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together in a large bowl. Add the pudding mix, cake mix, and chocolate chips, and stir until combined. Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan, and bake 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the cake out onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar on top to serve.

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MORE DESSERT IDEAS:

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies | Applesauce Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Enjoy, sweet friend! If you try any of my recipes, I’d love to see what you make by tagging me in your photos!
IG: @lizlovegrowswild + #lovegrowswild

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The post Grandma Diane’s Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

PUMPKIN BREAD WITH CINNAMON STREUSEL

INGREDIENTS:

for the bread:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup milk

for the streusel topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a medium bowl, add the flour, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined, and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and line bottom of pan with wax paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat for 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then mix in the pumpkin puree. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla into the milk. Mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture in 3 additions on low speed, alternating with the milk mixture. Pour batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.

Once the butter in the streusel topping is cold again, use a fork to break the mixture into small equal size pieces. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter, and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

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MORE FALL RECIPES:

Pumpkin Bread Pudding | Applesauce Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Maple Glazed Pumpkin Hand Pies | Apple Turnovers | Pumpkin Ice Cream Bars

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Enjoy, sweet friend! If you try any of my recipes, I’d love to see what you make by tagging me in your photos!
IG: @lizlovegrowswild + #lovegrowswild

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The post Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Streusel appeared first on Love Grows Wild.