Since spring has sprung, picnics have become almost a weekly event — between casual picnics with friends, group get-togethers, camping outings, and the like — there’s always some reason to gather with family and buddies outside. Most of these occasions come with the “bring something to share” line — and you know by “something” they mean “food.”
When I was a kid, my mom loved picnics. LOVED them. She still does, actually. Whether it was the playground down the street — the one where we had to hold hands tightly to cross the busy street before she’d release us to race to the swings while she set up the picnic — or a Sunday drive where we always managed to find a picnic table somewhere during our adventure — Mom would squeeze in a picnic. To this day, if I go to a park and catch a whiff of lighter fluid (Dad handled the cooked meat end of the deal), it always reminds me of picnics growing up. (And fortunately, my parents still take us on picnics just about every single time we see each other!)
Our picnics back then were very simple and budget-friendly. Peanut butter and jelly. Apples, maybe. Cookies. Nothing elaborate, but somehow perfect.
Anyhoo. Whenever we get those “bring something” admonitions for these group outings, I’m always fairly certain I can’t just bring some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Today’s picnickers expect something with pizazz. Something special. (It’s just the way we are these days. But this isn’t a post about the simplicity of the past and the consumerism of the present. That’s over on someone else’s serious blog.)
So I’ve lined up three knock-them-off-their-plaid-blanket treats that will be a hit at your next picnic. The first comes from my mother-in-law. I don’t know how many picnics they took when Big Fish was a kid, but this definitely would have been a must-bring:
PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE BITES
* Your favorite brownie mix (or homemade recipe)
* 1 bag (12 Oz. Bag) miniature peanut butter cups
Make the brownies according to recipe/box directions. Fill mini cupcake pans with batter a little more than 1/2 full — but no more than 2/3 full. Gently place an unwrapped peanut butter cup on top of the batter, pressing a little bit into the mix. Bake until done — depends on your recipe, but check after about 10 minutes. Doesn’t take too long. Let them cool about five minutes before removing them — don’t wait too long or they cement into the pan.
MINI OREO SURPRISE CUPCAKES
This one’s from the Kraft website:
* 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
* 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
* 1 egg
* 2 Tbsp. sugar
* 48 Mini Oreo Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
* 1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended. Spoon half the cake batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Top each with about 1-1/2 tsp. cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie; cover with remaining cake batter. Bake 19 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with Cool Whip. Top with remaining cookies. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.
Okay, this last one I haven’t tried yet — just came across them yesterday. But they look amazing. Now, whether or not you find time before your picnic to actually make them (rather than, say, grabbing a bunch of corn dogs and bringing those along…not that I’ve ever done that, of course) is another story. From the amazing recipe files of Bakerella, cake pops:
Tell me those aren’t the most adorable freaking “cake pops” you’ve ever seen?! You really have got to go visit Bakerella’s site and check out all the amazing things she’s done with cake on a stick. Don’t you just want to be her child? AMAZING.
I can’t post any of her recipes here (don’t have permission…not that I’ve asked…she seems like a very nice person, but it’s 5:00 in the morning as I write this and I don’t know how nice she’d be if I called her to ask right now). But, you’re in luck. Visit her site, and you’ll find plenty of directions — and then catch her book that’s coming out this fall. I know I’m going to!
But first…a summer of picnics.
Wow, you made them and had enough left over for pictures! Amazing that your lab assitstants didn’t devour all of them before the photo shoot.