Whether you're baking from scratch or looking for easy ways to upgrade a store-bought favorite, these recipes are a sweet way to add a bright, seasonal flare to your spring baking lineup.
"Good Morning America" worked exclusively with Nestlé Toll House's recipe development team to share two treats loaded with their new Morsels and More to celebrate spring.
Not only are both recipes easy to make, but Meredith Tomason, corporate pastry chef for Nestlé's baking division, said "it's a great way to get cooking with your kids -- our goal was to come up with something fun and family-friendly."
Tomason developed two seasonal recipes using the two new bagged mixes Strawberries & Cream and Spring Easter Basket. The first is made with premier white chocolate morsels, graham cracker bits, and strawberry-flavored chunks. And the Easter bag batch is made up of peanut butter-flavored morsels, pretzel sticks, and colorful candy eggs.
Both versatile mixtures can be used to decorate a cake, bake in a cookie, "but it can also be a snack," Tomason said. "It isn't just a topping -- the textures you get through having it both in a dough and on top adds to the textural fun that's gonna happen."
"The new Easter basket one is so fun with the little eggs," she said of the seasonal bag of treats. "It's whimsical, but also perfect for spring."
Check out both of the exclusive recipes below and share your homemade treats on social media with "GMA."
"The cool thing about this recipe is you can dip the top of the egg into melted white chocolate and use the Spring Easter Basket mix as a topping," Tomason said. "The beauty of this one is self expression. You could use white, semisweet, dark chocolate or milk chocolate."
Makes: 10 Eggs Prep Time:15 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups toasted rice cereal
1 1/2 cups Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
1 cup Nestlé Toll House Spring Easter Basket Morsels & More
Directions
Spray large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat marshmallows and butter in large, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.
Working quickly, stir in cereal and 1/2 cup morsels. Carefully transfer mixture into prepared mixing bowl.
Spray hands with nonstick spray. Press marshmallow mixture into a 1/3 cup then form mixture into an “egg” shape with hands. Repeat with remaining mixture to make a total of 10 eggs.
Microwave remaining 1 cup morsels and vegetable shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.
Dip top of each egg into melted morsels; shake off or scrape excess against side of bowl. Place each upright in muffin pan(s). Immediately sprinkle dipped end of each egg with Morsels & More. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Yield: 12 Servings Prep Time:15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 bag (8 oz.) Nestlé Toll House Strawberries & Cream Morsels & More, divided
2 cups whipped cream or thawed whipped topping
3 cups fresh berries (we prefer strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held mixer, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and thoroughly combine. Add dry ingredient mixture and mix until incorporated. Stir in half of the Morsels & More mix.
Spread dough into prepared pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes until edges are lightly golden and cookie is cooked through. Let cool on cooling rack until room temperature.
Remove cookie pizza from pan. Use an offset spatula to help release the edges if needed. Place pizza on a serving plate. Top pizza with whipped cream, berries, and remaining Morsels & More Mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate briefly before serving.
