With Easter just around the corner, you don’t need the holiday to use jellybeans as an ingredient or decoration for your sweet treat creations. Keep in mind that kids aren’t the only ones that get a kick out of these colorfully sweet confections. From experimenting with the exotic flavors of Jelly Bellys to focusing on one flavor (like hot cinnamon) – there are plenty of ways to add a little pizzazz to your desserts, including the ones listed below:

Jellybean Rice Krispy Treats

These iconic chewy cereal bars usually contain Rice Krispies, but any crispy rice cereal will do. In a large microwave bowl, combine three tablespoons of butter and one 1-ounce package of marshmallows. Cook on high power for 3 minutes – stirring halfway during cooking time. Stir the mixture until smooth, and then add 5 cups of crispy rice cereal and 1-½ cups of assorted jellybeans. Stir until coated. Press the mixture into a buttered 13×9 pan. Cut into squares.

Biscotti with Jellybeans

Using jellybeans in a biscotti recipe isn’t something you see all the time, but some people will add the chewy sweets to their usual ingredient list. When your biscotti dough is very soft and sticky, add in a 13-ounce bag of assorted jellybeans.

Jellybean Cake

While some people choose to top their frosting with jellybeans to make a decorative exterior for their favorite cake recipes, others will insert jellybeans into the batter of their cake, which adds a chewy, sweet surprise in each slice. Browse the Internet for recipes, which include Jellybean Confetti Cake and Easter Angel Cake.

Sugary Nests for Jellybeans

Want to spice up the presentation of Easter jellybeans? Combine the crunchiness of Chinese noodles with melted marshmallows to create an attractive nest for your sweets. All you need is 2 cups of miniature marshmallows, ¼ cup of butter, and 4 cups of chow mein noodles. Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture until everything has melted. Add in the chow mein noodles and stir well to coat with the buttery marshmallows. Grease your fingers and press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a prepared 12-cup muffin tin. Refrigerate until firm.

Jellybeans for Decoration

Using jellybeans as a decoration is a popular Easter dessert technique for cupcakes. Use the shape of the jellybeans to create the ears and nose of a sweet rabbit face, while using licorice for the whiskers. For a Halloween treat, black jellybeans come in handy for creating the body for ghoulish spiders on top of cakes and cupcakes.

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with traditional Irish sweet treats or want to add international pizzazz to family get-togethers, consider sampling the following desserts from Ireland. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish with a bit of Guinness, whiskey or leftover potatoes.

Carrigaline Whiskey Pie

When preparing Carrigaline whiskey pie (also known as Sweet Whiskey and Potato Souffle), you’re well on your way to creating an appetizing dessert soufflé that incorporates beaten eggs, whipped egg whites, and the typical sweetener. However, be prepared for the mashed potatoes and other extras that add to the overall taste of the pie. From pounded almond to orange juice, variations make sure the aroma and flavor of the pie captures the addition of whiskey.

A sample ingredient list for Whiskey Pie includes: ½ pound of boiled potatoes, ¼ pound of melted butter, ¾ pound of sugar, six eggs, pounded almonds, one tablespoon of orange extract, and four ounces of Irish whiskey. When baking all the ingredients together, the soufflé will fall to give the appearance of a pie. In the end, you are left with a solid, rich dessert with an unforgettable fragrance wafting in the air.

When serving the pie, you may use unsweetened whipped cream or double cream with a hint of grinded nutmeg as a topping.

Chocolate Potato Cake

In case you’re wondering how potatoes found their way into the recipes of Irish desserts, the freshly mashed variety was discovered to create tender breads and cakes. Another rich dessert that uses potatoes as one of the ingredients is Chocolate Potato Cake. Moist to the touch, the cake fills the kitchen with the same scent as brownies baking in the oven. Some of the ingredients found in a typical Chocolate Potato Cake recipe include grated chocolate, superfine sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon, milk, and cold cooked potatoes. For this recipe, it’s best to use a tube pan (like a Bundt) or a springform cake pan.

Donegal Oatmeal Cream

This particular dessert takes advantage of oats – a popular homegrown grain in Ireland. When making Donegal Oatmeal Cream, do not use rolled oats, as recipes call for cracked whole oat grain or groat (also known as pinhead oats, cracked oats or porage oats). When local grocery stores do not carry the oats you seek, pay a visit to the nearest health food store. Donegal Oatmeal Cream is certainly the perfect challenge for someone that doesn’t mind a bit of extra legwork. You won’t be disappointed, as the combination of oatmeal cream, whipped cream, and tart fruit makes an irresistible treat.

Irish Whiskey Cake

Follow in the footsteps of traditional Irish weddings by serving an Irish Whiskey Cake, which produces a rich, moist dessert – glazed with a sumptuous Irish whiskey icing (or sauce) – a real treat for the 21 and over crowd. After making the cake, the dessert is topped with a glaze consisting of one stick of butter, ¼ cup of water, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, and one cup of Irish Whiskey.

Other Irish desserts to consider include:

• Guinness Cake – with raisins soaked in Guinness.
• “Irish Coffee” Pudding – containing Irish whiskey
• Tipsy Cake – made with warm custard and sherry

Offering a meringue crust topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits, Pavlova is a pie with quite an intriguing background. While a bit of controversy surrounds the official credit for creating the dessert, the name and recipes first hit the public as a tribute to a popular ballerina named Anna Pavlova. When Pavlova was touring Australia and New Zealand around the same time, the sweet treat surfaced in both countries soon after. Interestingly, the dessert serves as a national dish in both places. To this very day, the countries continue to fight over the claim of invention.

The meringue of the dessert is made with a crispy crust that offers a soft, light inside filling –  characteristics meant to honor the airy performances of Anna Pavlova. A favorite during holiday celebrations (like Christmas dinner), Pavlova is made with fresh fruit combinations. Fruit selections may include blackberries, grapes and pineapple. However, the true nature of Pavlova shines through with popular combinations that deliver a delicious union of sweet and tart flavors, such as:

• Peach slices and berries
• Banana and passion fruit
• Kiwi and strawberries

In the United Kingdom, raspberries are often chosen as a topping because the tartness of the berries contrasts well with the sweetness of sugar.

Ingredients and Preparation of Pavlova

Beating egg whites to a stiff consistency is one of the first steps taken to prepare Pavlova. The eggs are then folded in caster sugar (or superfine sugar), white vinegar, cornstarch, and at times, vanilla. A pinch of salt added to the egg whites and vanilla essence act as optional ingredients that enhance the overall appeal of the dessert. The mixture is slow baked to form the crispy, crunchy shell of meringue. The inside of the dessert is spongy and moist – often resembling the softness of a marshmallow. When choosing a topping, many note passion fruit as a must-have ingredient.

Courtesy of cherrylet

The giving and receiving of flowers is a time honoured tradition cultivated from a rich history. Be it a single delicate stem or an entire bouquet, the practice of giving flowers has been used to express love, attraction, condolences, and celebration.

But what about those who suffer from allergies? Or perhaps those who are against the idea of flower giving altogether, because the beautiful blossoms inevitable wither away into nothing? Well, look no further, Edible Arrangements (R) are officially in your midst!

Although these edible arrangements also do not last forever, they do offer some sweet rewards. Fashioned out of an array of colourful fruit, and shaped like daisies, stars and tulips, a bouquet of the edible variety is a refreshing way to liven up any event (and guaranteed to make your bouquet stand out from the rest.)

If fruit isn’t really your ideal taste sensation, there are always the highly regarded chocolate alternatives. Check out the lavish “The Sweet Garden” for all your chocolate flower hopes and dreams.

Courtesy of Oh Nuts

White lilies, peach kissed daisies, ravishing red roses, tulips, daffodils, Black Eyed Susan’s, you name it, they have it in a scrumptious chocolaty form, prettily wrapped and ready to be shipped.

You can also make your own chocolate arrangement. Simply buy some Mint Meltaways (R), a medium Styrofoam ball, a fancy glass and a box of pins. Push a pin through the top of the Mint Meltaway (R) wrapper, then stick into the Styrofoam ball. Repeat until the entire ball is covered, place in the glass so that it is free-standing, and voila! You’re very own inexpensive, yet oh-so good, chocolate edible arrangement. What could be easier? What could be better?

A Mardi Gras celebration isn’t much of a party without a piece of King Cake. Often containing a filling or surprise (such as a coin or small trinket), this tasty sweet yeast bread is a traditional Mardi Gras treat. The dough for King Cake is braided and shaped into a circle to represent a crown. White icing and colored sugar decorates the cake in the time-honored colors of Mardi Gras – gold (power), purple (justice), and green (faith).

Local bakeries stock up on King Cake to satisfy Mardi Gras celebrators, but nothing beats a homemade creation. The dough usually contains eggs, flour, powdered milk, butter, salt, warm water, and yeast. Sugar, egg, and softened cream cheese serve as a typical filling. A streusel topping of cinnamon, sugar, and toasted pecans may cover the cake. Glazes often contain softened butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Beyond the colorful display of King Cake, awaken your kitchen with the tantalizing scents of other Mardi Gras desserts, such as:

Pain Perdu

This deep-fried version of French toast involves softening hard bread by dipping it in a mixture of eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk, and then deep-frying or pan-frying in butter. New Orleans Pain Perdu is typically made with leftover New Orleans-style French bread – similar to a French baguette, but with a crunchier exterior and lighter interior. Pain Perdu is either served with powdered sugar, jam, or flavored syrups.

Bananas Foster

Topping ripe bananas with a warm, syrupy topping consisting of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, rum, and banana liqueur over scoops of vanilla ice cream, Bananas Foster originated in New Orleans. Often times, the dessert is set afire after the addition of alcohol – a cooking technique known as flambé.

Pralines

This New Orleans confection is comprised of chopped pecans, heavy cream, and sugar. Louisiana first enjoyed this sweet treat when French settlers took full advantage of the local sugar cane and pecan trees. During the 19^th century, chefs in New Orleans used pecans instead of the European preference of almonds and added cream to thicken the dessert.

Courtesy of .Larry Page

Pancake Tuesday is almost here. Also known as ‘Shrove Tuesday,’ this day is traditionally meant to signify the first day of fasting for Christian Lent. However, a great many people choose to celebrate this day (also know as ‘Fat Tuesday’ in Catholic circles) by making a pancake feast for friends and family to enjoy.

Pancakes are one of those strange foods that simultaneously fall into the breakfast and dessert category. Smothered in rich thick maple syrup or topped with a dusting of icing sugar, this favourite food can be enjoyed at any hour of the day. The variations that can be put on an original pancake recipe are endless; banana, banana chocolate chip, strawberry, blueberry, whole wheat, carrot, apple, potato, even meat filled pancakes have become a popular staple on breakfast tables all over the globe.

So this year, for Pancake Day, why not indulge in a huge pancake buffet? Make a batch of every kind of pancake imaginable, to provide guests with a wide selection. Check out the “Pancake Recipes” site for an extensive database on unique recipes to get your started.

Courtesy of hlkljgk

To make your pancake laden table a little more interesting to look at, why not try fashioning different shapes out of your pancakes? All you need are some cookie cutters, and voila you can have hearts, tulips, stars, dinosaurs, teddy bears, fish, horses, whatever you’d like! Shop around at “Golda’s Kitchen,” and the cookie cutter of your dreams will cost you less than $5 CAN.

Slice up lots of fresh fruit and serve in individual bowls so guests can garnish their sugary indulgences with some nutritious goodness and colour, throw on some tunes and there you have it – the greatest pancake party of all time. Hey-ho!

With teaspoon in hand or a pile of cubes, plain white sugar is the most common method of sweetening tea. However, a wide selection of sweeteners is awaiting the chance to help you discover the many facets of drinking your preferred beverage. For example, often overlooked as a way to sweeten tea, brown sugar offers a deeper, richer flavor than its refined sugar cousin. You never know when you’re going to find a new favorite combination. A few ideas for sweetening your next cup of tea include:

1) Rock Sugar

Rock sugar is a rather decorative (and oftentimes colorful) form of sweetening your tea, making it the perfect addition to a tea party amongst friends. Rock sugar crystals are molded into rectangular prisms or attached to a stirring stick that dissolves in your hot cup of tea.

2) Indian Jaggery

For an exotic take on sweetening your tea, jaggery is unrefined sugarcane sugar often used to enhance the flavor of savory and sweet dishes all over India. With no preservatives and chemicals added to the sugar, prepare for a distinctive, earthy taste.

3) Maple Sugar

Treat your taste buds to a different take on tea by adding maple syrup as a sweetener. While processed sap is just as sweet as sugar, it actually contains more minerals and fewer calories than honey. Use Grade-B maple syrup for a highly flavorful treat.

4) Agave Syrup or Nectar

An increasing number of people are discovering the deliciousness of agave nectar – a natural sweetener that comes from the agave cactus. For centuries, people in South America and Mexico have used agave, which offers 50% more sweetness than regular sugar. Choose agave nectar for stronger teas to enjoy a taste that resembles a blend of honey and molasses.

5) Stevia

Sometimes, you must choose your tea sweetener to fit your health limitations. For example, most diabetics are stuck with the chemical aftertaste of artificial sweeteners. However, the leaves of the stevia plant produce a natural sweetener that doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. Scan your local market for options, such as Truvia.

6) Honey

With a variety of types and qualities, honey offers a versatile option in sweetening tea. Usually, clover honey is seen as the most popular choice because it possesses a somewhat neutral flavor. Other selections, such as tupelo honey with its buttery taste, offer flavor variations. The added benefit of using honey to sweeten your tea is that it contains healthy components, such as antibacterial properties. Many tea retailers also sell honey sticks for a less messy experience.

7) Simple Syrups

Also known as “sugar syrups,” solutions of sugar are boiled in water and often flavored with herbs or fruit (such as cranberries or ginger) during the cooking process.

For chocolate lovers, you can never have too many options in the sweet treat department. When it comes to chocolate covered creations, strawberries are probably one of the first items that come to mind, right along with nuts and pretzels. While small chocolate covered pretzels make a tasty treat, keep in mind that chocolate dipped pretzel rods make exquisite gifts. Covered in chopped nuts, caramel, sprinkles, and other embellishments, this sweet indulgence illustrates the versatility of chocolaty treats. Other ideas include:

Candy Apples

From light drizzles of milk, dark or white to a full blanket of velvety chocolate, caramel isn’t the only topping used to completely cover an apple. Often times, chocolate-dipped apples are decorated with extra trimmings, such as cookie crunch, chocolate chips, marshmallows, M&Ms, or sprinkles.

Fruit

Whether fresh or dried, chocolate covered or dipped fruit go beyond Valentine’s Day strawberries or your typical box of Raisinettes. There is no end to the fruity sweet treats that take advantage of a chocolate makeover. Take a walk on the wild side and sample berries, figs, cherries, dried apricots, and dried apple rings drenched in chocolate.

Fortune Cookies

You’ll certainly feel lucky when you indulge in a chocolate dipped fortune cookie. This small treat is often dressed with extra toppings, such as mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts (like almonds and peanuts).

Potato Chips

Chocolate covered potato chips represent the ultimate union between salty and sweet. When making at home, choose potato chips with ridges because they keep their shape and crispiness despite coming in contact with heated chocolate. Feeling adventurous? Decorate with toffee bits or crushed hazelnuts.

Cookies and Brownies

A drizzle of chocolate or generous coat of the sweet stuff transforms a simple oatmeal cookie or walnut brownie into an addicting treat. Generally, brownies and cookies are halfway dipped in chocolate to avoid an overload of sweetness. One of the most sought-after of chocolate covered cookies is the Oreo, which comes in milk and white chocolate varieties.

Spoons

Add a bit of pizzazz to hot chocolate or coffee with a chocolate dipped spoon. To create your own at home, simply dip a plastic spoon in melted semi-sweet or white baking chips. Cool on a sheet of wax paper before placing in the freezer.

Other chocolate covered treats to consider include:

• Rice Krispie Treats
• Cheesecake Bites
• Shortbread
• Marshmallows
• Mints
• Cubes of Pound Cake
• Bananas

Whether you’re using a box of banana Jell-O filling for a cream pie or whipping up parfaits for dessert, the world of pudding includes much more than just the basic varieties of chocolate and vanilla. In the past, the most common way to prepare pudding was to mix ingredients with a grain product or other binding material (like flour, butter, eggs or cereal) to create a solid product. Nowadays, people boil, steam or bake creamy and thickened puddings from scratch.

A couple of ways to step outside of your pudding comfort zone include:

1) Fruit Bread Puddings

To create a new pudding, you may add tropical juices and other fruits to elevate the taste and texture of your recipes. For example, Fruity Bread Mango Pudding may contain Rubicon mango exotic juice drink paired with dried cranberries and mango.

2) Yam (or Sweet Potato) Pudding

Around the holidays, candied yams and sweet potato pie are popular desserts. You probably don’t think of yams and sweet potatoes as creating satisfying puddings, but these healthy starches offer quite a taste and consistency with common ingredients, such as butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, and slivered almonds.

3) Steamed Fruit Puddings

Boiling water is used as a method of preparing steamed puddings, where cranberries, plums and apples serve as common ingredients. Known as a popular sweet treat in England, Devon’s Georgie Porgies Puddings offers two tempting steamed fruit selections: Orange & Cointreau (an orange flavored triple sec liquor) and Cider & Apple (contains West Country cider and apples). For a holiday twist, use canned or fresh pumpkin puree to create a steamed pumpkin pudding, which tastes heavenly with a whipped cream or brandy sauce topping.

4) Latin American Rice Pudding

Take a page from Latin American and Caribbean cookbooks by preparing a rice pudding called “arroz con leche” (rice with milk). When preparing this sweet treat, the typical list of ingredients differ per country. In Chile and Mexico, the pudding contains raisins soaked in sherry wine or tequila. Colombians soak their raisins in red wine, rum or pisco – Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes. Anise seed adds a touch of licorice to the Cuban version of arroz con leche. In Peru, it is not uncommon to find shredded coconut or walnuts added to the pudding.

Need a little something sweet to brighten up your day? What better way to put a smile on any face than a batch of colourful sunflower cupcakes!

This original recipe comes from a one of a kind book entitled Hello, Cupcake written by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson and are guaranteed not to disappoint. First of all, they are cupcakes — cake you can eat on the go — brilliant!  Secondly, they are absolutely adorable and surprisingly simple to craft.

photo courtesy of Katie Stine

Here’s What You Need:

1 box of cupcake mix (flavour is entirely up to you; although vanilla is recommended)
2 cans of vanilla icing
Red M&Ms (that’s right, only the red ones, meaning the rest of the package is snacking material!)
Oreos
Green food dye
Yellow/Orange food dye
A little bit of chocolate icing

Decorating Method Part I:

Bake the cupcakes by following the instructions on the package. Try to use green cupcake skirts – more commonly known as cupcake liners – to continue the garden-like look.

1. Spoon a chunk out of the top of each cupcake and place an oreo in the space.
2. Add green food dye to one can of vanilla icing. Using a leaf icing tip, make a series of green leaves around the edge of the cupcake. (TIP: To make leaves, hold icing tube at 45 degree angle, start in the middle and as you squeeze move to the outside, rippling the icing as you go.)
3. Next add yellow food dye to the remaining can of icing. Using a fresh icing tube, paint on two layers of yellow petals, using the same method you did for the leaves, only making the petals wider and more triangular.

photo courtesy of cheftara1986

Decorating Method Part II:

1. Break out the third icing tube and introduce the chocolate! Put a tiny dollop of chocolate icing on the spot you want your ladybug to sit. Place a red M&M on top of the dollop, making sure the telling white ‘M’ logo is facing down.
2. Carefully paint on spots and lines to make your ladybug come to life.
3. Allow cupcakes to sit overnight, so that the icing well and truly sets, and enjoy the next day!

To see exactly how these beautiful cheery cupcakes are made, check out Karen Tack’s interview on “GMA Now.”