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The older I get, the more I can’t stand winter and in New York we are experiencing extreme, frigid temperatures.  The kind of dangerously low, temperatures causing our schools to close for!  We went into NYC this past Saturday and after going to the circus, I so badly wanted to walk with my husband and little ones on the streets of Manhattan, pick up some Italian pastries and show them the sites of the city that never sleeps.

However, literally a couple of blocks and we felt like we had frostbite so we ducked into a restaurant, had a late dinner and hailed a taxi to go back home.  Very disappointing.  It’s times like now I love when I see stores putting up spring displays and anything that makes January and the winter go faster.  Which is why when I went to Walmart to pick up some candy I needed for baking, I soaked in the spring merchandise on the shelves.

I am focusing on the next big event, we will be entertaining friends and family for the “Big Game” in a few weeks.  I love to bake and so I tried out some recipes this past weekend.  Who doesn’t love chocolate, caramel and peanuts?  Not any one I know, so I was excited to mix it up in the kitchen with SNICKERS®.  I first made some decadent, SNICKERS® Cupcakes.

Don’t they look fabulous? See the ooey, gooey filling!  SNICKERS® Minis  on top is so much better than a cherry.

Would you like to make these?  I knew you would.  First thing is to bake up some chocolate cupcakes.  I used just a boxed Devil’s Food cake mix and prepared and baked according to the package directions.

When the cupcakes are cool you make the filling by mixing milk, butter, soft caramels, chopped peanuts and marshmallow fluff.  You add milk, butter and caramels to a saucepan and melt on the stovetop over medium heat until melted stirring constantly.

Then add peanuts and marshmallow fluff to the melted confection and stir until everything is combined well.  Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool and thicken for approximately 30-35 minutes.

When you are ready to fill the cooled cupcakes, you cut out a hole in the middle of the top of the cupcake where the filling with go.  Then you can fill with a pastry bag and decorator tip all the cupcakes with the filling.

For the cupcake frosting I made a peanut Butter Buttercream by mixing butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, peanut butter and milk.  Put the frosting in a pastry bag and top all the cupcakes with the frosting.

Last I make a chocolate glaze by mixing confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder and milk and drizzle the glaze over the cupcakes.  Top each cupcake with a half of a SNICKERS® Minis. Yum, these made the final cut and it was a unanimous decision that they will be found on our game day buffet.   If you want to try the list of ingredients is below.

Chocolate Cake Mix of Your Choice ( Prepare and Bake Cupcakes According To Package Directions)

 Cupcake Filling:

• 3 Tbsp of Milk
• 6 Tbsp of Butter
• 8 Oz. Caramels
• 1/4 Cup Marshmallow Fluff
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Peanuts

Peanut Butter Icing

• 1 Cup Butter
• 4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2/3 Cup Peanut Butter
• 2-3 Tbsp Milk

SNICKERS® Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies were the next treat on my baking agenda.  These are an easy peanut butter cookie that is stuffed with a SNICKERS® Mini.

First step is to make your cookie dough so cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with your electric mixer.  Add egg, vanilla, milk, salt and baking soda and mix until completely combined.  Slowly add your flour a little at a time and mix until the dough comes together.  Chill your dough for at least 30 minutes.

Take your chilled dough and scoop out two tbsp. size  balls of dough, flatten slightly with the palm of your hand  and place a SNICKERS® Mini in the center of one of the flattened dough balls.

Top with the other slightly fattened dough balls and seal the edges and form into a ball.   Continue this process placing the cookies on a cookie sheet approximately 2″ apart.

Bake at  350 degrees F for 13-16 minutes or until they just begin to brown.

Cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store the cookies in an airtight container or freeze them between layers of paper towels for up to 1 month.

So what did my family think?  Was this cookie a game day winner?  You betcha and it will have its special place on our big game day buffet extravaganza!  Want to try them?  The recipe is below.

SNICKERS® Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Salted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
• 3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1-1/2 Cups Flour
• SNICKERS® Minis (about 20-24)

Okay one more but we are going to appeal to those who are looking for something less chocolatey and more tangy.  For those guests I  tried a Skittles®  Drop Sugar Cookie.  Big thick, soft and chewy sugar cookies with a colorful mix of Skittles® are easy to make and oh so good.  The cookie even has a lemony, citrus flavor from the candy.  It was quite remarkable when I tasted that because I was surprised they would flavor the cookie itself but it was a delicious surprise.

I first made a drop sugar cookie batter.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy then beat in one egg plus one egg yolk.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Then incorporate the flour, baking soda and cornstarch (first combine the dry ingredients ) and mix until well blended.

I used a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough onto a cookie sheet and then pressed in the Skittles® candies on top.  If you had a favorite team that was yellow and red, purple and yellow etc, you could use just those 2 colors to show your support for your team!

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes or until edges look set and just beginning to brown.  Remove and let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then remove them to cool completely on a cooling rack.  This recipe makes about 24 large cookies.  See full list of recipe ingredients below.

Skittles® Drop Sugar Cookies

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 2 Tsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Salted Butter
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
• 1-1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• Skittles® Candy

From January 21-31, enter to win by purchasing 1 qualifying MARS Chocolate product and 1 qualifying Wrigley product at Walmart. All you have to do is snap a photo of the receipt to show proof of purchase and text or email to biggame@drvsusa.com. 14 winners will be drawn randomly at the end of the contest period (1 for each day of the contest), and will receive a $250 Walmart gift card! For more information on the contest, visit drvsusa.com/biggame.

I would love you to share with me your results if you make any of these recipes and also share what you are planning on whipping up for the “Big Game!”