Chocolate Raspberry Muffins & Nutella Smore Cookies -- Weekend Treats

Weekends are a cooking conundrum. We are busy or we are resting and yet, we are hungry. I don't want to cook or spend too much time in the kitchen and yet I want to treat my family to some good eats. I especially feel this way on Suday.  So here are two of our easy favorites. Chocolate Raspberry Muffins and Nutella Smore Cookies. They are so simple that they are more like tips than recipes. But they are fast - chocolate and everybody loves them.

If you are frequent reader of my blog you already understand my love affair with the Jiffy Mix. So many uses in such a convenient inexpensive box. The Chocolate Muffin Mix is my new favorite and this is why. I tried this recipe off the back of the box and two days later I made it again for Sunday breakfast. You can certainly make these muffins with from scratch chocolate muffins. Just add the chocolate chips and raspberry jam according to the directions.

Rasberry and chocolate is one of those love food matches made in heaven.

1 Pkg of Jiffy chocolate muffin mix (or your homemade chocolate muffins)
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup Chocolate chips
1/3 C chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 Cup raspberry jam. ( I used my canned raspberry preserves)

Makes about 6 muffins if using one box of Jiffy.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mix, egg, milk, and oil. fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tin. Place one tsp of raspberry jam in the center and top with nuts (optional)
Bake 13-15 minutes.

So heavenly warm.

Nutella Smore Cookie Sandwiches.

This is a ridiculously easy idea made from a need to provide a Sunday dessert and a need to not bake anymore that day. And of course a need for a little Nutella therapy.

I use these wafers I found in the Spanish section of the grocery store, called Marias. They are 50 cents a package and taste a lot like a grown up animal cracker. They are the perfect base for these cookies.

The Smores

Nutella
Maria cookies or a hard cookie wafer.
marshmallow creme

Smear Nutella on one cookie and marshmallow creme on another cooke and smash together.

Now frankly I would totally stick with just the Nutella. I am a Nutella purist and I am not a huge fan of marshmallow creme. But oh my family loves these because they are a fan of both.

Jiffy Raspberry Valentine Cakes and a Jiffy Giveaway

My daughter's E-Z Bake valentines (scroll down for directions)

Happy Valentine's Day. Just for the love of it week is over. Tomorrow I am going to cook and bake up some love for my family. I hope you do the same for yours. But as a little valentine gift to my fellow foodies I am having my first little giveaway. Several weeks ago I posted a recipe on Jiffy Lemon Bars made with the Jiffy Lemon muffin mix. I honestly did not expect so many people to come and take a peek at that post. I was even more shocked to hear that some of you would happily have tried the lemon bars if only your stores stocked something other than Blueberry or Corn Muffin mix. How sad! Well, I find it funny that in a place where it is difficult to find a good prosciutto or other Italian staples, Jiffy muffin mixes come in so many flavors. And so I am giving away a box of six Jiffy Muffin mixes. I know it is not an expensive giveaway but hopefully, those of you who want to experiment with the other flavors of Jiffy, will jump on board and enter the drawing.

There are so many recipes to be made other than muffins, and I look forward to hearing other blogger's recipes. You can find some of those recipes at http://www.jiffymix.com/. My daughter loves to use the mixes for her E-Z Bake Oven. You will find her idea for a Jiffy valentine below. By the way this is in no way a paid promotion for them. I did not get free product or a request from them. I just wanted to give a little Pantry Eats love this time of year.

The Goodie Box:

Oatmeal Muffin Mix

Chocolate Muffin Mix

Lemon Muffin Mix

Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix

Raspberry Muffin Mix

Banana Muffin Mix (These may change subject to availability)

How to win: (No complicated directions)

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (I am so sorry all my foreign foodie friends).

1. Make a comment below about which Jiffy mix you are excited to try.

2. We will have a random drawing on February 21st.

3. Make sure you leave me some way to contact you even if it is just a link back to your blog.
4. Check here on February 21st to see if you won (in case you forget to leave a contact). If I can't contact you I can't give you the prize.

E-Z Bake Valentine

The main reason I buy Jiffy Muffin mixes is because they are cheaper and yummier than the E-Z bake mixes you buy in the toy section. This year my daughter took the raspberry muffin mix, followed the directions on the back of the box and one by one she made some cakes in her mini cake pans. She then removed the cakes, cut out the center for a heart shaped cake and topped with a little pink frosting and a pink marshmallow heart. An easy solution for all your E-Z bakers.