What is puppy chow? No, it is not dog food. It is a delicious sugary treat that happens to have a striking resemblance to the brown processed squares dumped in the food bowls of canines around the world. Although it is unclear why anyone would want to associate animal food with this sweet snack, the alternative is no better; Chex cereal brand makes this treat and sells it under the name "Muddy Buddies". 
Despite the unfortunate names, puppy chow or Muddy Buiddies are a super easy and delicious treat that can be made in many varieties. Classic puppy chow is Chex cereal that is first coated with mixture of melted chocolate and peanut budder, and then tossed in powdered sugar. Variations of puppy chow can be created by coating the cereal in anything that melts well, like white chocolate or Nutella, and tossing in various powders: red velvet cake mix, or a cinnamon powdered sugar, for example.
This is a recipe for classic puppy chow, but feel free to experiment in your dorm room and come up with your own flavor combination.
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INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 Cups rice Chex cereal
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/4  cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/8 cups powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
  • In double boiler, melt chocolate and peanut butter
  • Pour over Chex cereal, and stir until cereal is completely coated
  • Move chocolate covered cereal into a tupperware container
  • Add powdered sugar, and toss until sugar is evenly distributed

 
There are some things that should not be as easy as they are. Using disposable plates at parties, cutting a corner by walking through  a neighbor's yard, casually listening to the intense conversation happening at the table next to you, and making Rice Krispie treats. 
The magical squares that are both crunchy and chewy honestly take almost no effort to make. This particular recipe takes 1 cup of Rice Krispies cereal, 1 cup of marshmallows, and about 6 minutes. We're sorry.
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Ingredients (makes 4 squares)
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup Rice Krispies (f)
Directions:
  • Melt half of marshmallows in double boiler
  • Add remaining marshmallows, and stir until smooth
  • Mix melted marshmallows into Rice Krispies
  • Spoon into square tupperware (lined with aluminum foil)
  • Let sit 10 mins, until cool
  • Remove from foil and cut into squares

 
Summer has officially ended, and fall is here to stay. This season of brisk mornings and changing leaves comes with the warm, comforting flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon. Pumpkin spice lattes are back on the menu, and canned pumpkin is back in stores. Naturally, we decided to make our first fall post a pumpkin recipe. 
These pumpkin pie truffles are the perfect way to usher in the season. Imagine taking the pumpkin pie off of your thanksgiving table, mashing the crust into the filling, balling it up, and dunking each ball in chocolate. These truffles are the realization of that fantasy. The filling of each truffle contains pumpkin, spices (pumpkin turns into an edible hug with a bit of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon), cream cheese, melted chocolate, and graham cracker crumbs. How could it be any better?
These truffles are truly the perfect way to usher in the season. Enjoy!
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INGREDIENTS: (makes 8 truffles) 
  • 3 Graham crackers, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin puree
  • 1 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup melted white chocolate (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup melted white chocolate and 1/2 cup melted semisweet chocolate (dipping)

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DIRECTIONS:
  • Mix graham crackers, spices, and powdered sugar in a bowl
  • Add pumpkin, cream cheese, and melted chocolate
  • Stir until well combined
  • Refrigerate filling for 4 hours (or overnight)
  • Form filling into 7 or 8 balls
  • Refrigerate for 2 hours
  • Melt dipping chocolate
  • Dip truffles 
  • Wait for chocolate coating to harden (or not) and dig in!

 
The great thing about having a double boiler with a maximum capacity of one cup is that all our recipes must be made in small quantities. These quantities are sometimes perfect for a single serving ( the recipe for our S'mores Bar produces exactly one bar), but in most cases we choose to make many mini portions. Why? Cute food is fun! Not only are tiny desserts visually pleasing, but all of the flavors and textures are guaranteed to combine in a perfect bite! 
Today, we created a tiny dessert based on the classic mixture of peanut butter and apples.  Our bites have a peanut butter oatmeal base that is covered with spiced apple sauce, and topped with freshly sliced apples.  Each bite is basically a miniature peanut butter apple sandwich...except better. Enjoy!
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INGREDIENTS (makes 6 bites):
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Base:
  • 1 packet instant oatmeal (f)
  • 1 tbsp almond flour 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon granola
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter (f)
  • 1/2 tbsp (1 pat) butter (f)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar (f)
  • 1 tbsp apple sauce (f)

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Spiced Apple Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce
  • pinch cinnamon

Topping:
  • 1/2 small apple, sliced
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • Cinnamon granola (to sprinkle over tops)

DIRECTIONS: 
  • Mix oatmeal, almond flour, cinnamon, and granola together
  • In double boiler, melt peanut butter and butter 
  • Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and apple sauce
  • Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined
  • Divide mixture into 6 cupcake liners (doubled for integrity)
  • Press liners and bases into small dixie cups (to support sides)
  • Stir together apple sauce and cinnamon, and spoon on top of base
  • Toss apple slices with cinnamon and sugar
  • Layer apple slices over apple sauce
  • Sprinkle with granola
  • Let set in refrigerator for 1 hour
  • Remove from dixie cups, and enjoy!
 
It has been more than a year since we last updated Dorm Room Delights. In that time, we were busy sophomores who were too pressed for time to come up with new recipes for the site.  Now, as mature Juniors who have completely mastered our classwork and extracurriculars, we are ready to come back to the blogging world. 
When we took a look at the old site, we realized that it needed some serious sprucing up.  To start, we've changed the overall design and layout, with a more image based recipe page and simpler navigation. In addition, we have decided to go through the old recipes and save the best ones, re-make the slightly less successful recipes, and come up with exciting new creations. Here goes!  

INDOOR S'MORES BARS

There are a million recipes for s'mores bars floating around the internet. Obviously, the combination of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows is delicious. But, the truly irresistible feature of good, old fashioned s'mores that you make by the campfire is the contrasting textures. Melted chocolate with crunchy graham crackers and gooey marshmallows combine magically in your mouth.  
The challenge of creating an indoor s'mores dessert is capturing these varied textures. I have seen s'mores brownies where chefs add marshmallows to brownie batter and bake it over a graham cracker crust, but in that case the texture of crust and brownie is too similar....and where is the melted chocolate?
Here at Dorm Room Delights, we have made a s'more (using just our electric kettle) that has all of the textures and flavors of an honest to goodness campfire s'more. How did we do it? Simple, we kept a graham cracker in its purest, crunchiest state, layered it with a mixture of marshmallows and melted chocolate (to prevent the chocolate from hardening completely), covered that layer with plain melted marshmallows, poured chocolate over the top, and sprinkled with marshmallows and crushed graham crackers. The crunchy graham cracker base and hard chocolate layer top form a sandwich around the chewy inner layers in the same way graham crackers sandwich a real s'more. 
If we haven't convinced you that this is almost as good as any s'more out there, all you'll have to do is give it a shot. Here's the fantastically simple recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 Graham cracker
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
  • Wrap single graham cracker with aluminum foil
  • Melt 1/4 cup marshmallows and 1/4 chocolate together in double boiler
  • Spread over graham cracker base
  • Melt remaining 1/2 cup marshmallows
  • Spread over cooled chocolate layer
  • Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • Pour over top
  • Sprinkle with marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs
  • Cool in refrigerator for 30 mins and enjoy!
 
There is something incredible about the magical combination of melted marshmallows, chocolate, and crunch graham crackers. S'mores are classic campfire treat, but many have tried (and failed) to make a comprable indoor version. The gooey perfection that is so vital to a s'more cannot be achieved by simply pouring melted chocolate over a few marshmallows that have been sprinkled on a graham cracker. 
So, how did we make an awesome no-bake, no-fire s'more with our limited equipment? How did we at dorm room delights accomplish what so many others have failed to do? The secret is a combination of 4 layers: a graham cracker base, a chewy chocolate/marshmallow layer, a gooey melted marshmallow layer, and a hard melted chocolate layer topped with crushed graham cracker and marshmallows. The variety of textures mimics an authentic s'more, because the marshmallow/chocolate layer hints of freshly melted chocolate and elevates the entire s'mores bar.
Although the bowl of the double boiler needs to be washed for each layer, the time spent washing equipment is just the right about of time for the freshly poured hot layer cool. All in all, this is an awesome recipe that uses common ingredients on our blog (graham crackers from our no-bake cheesecake, semisweet chocolate chips from all of our various chocolate recipes, and marshmallows- which go perfectly with our fantastic hot chocolate!)
Ingredients:
  • 3/4 C Marshmallows
  • 3/4 C Chocolate Chips
  • 1 Graham Cracker
Instructions:
1. Lay the graham cracker down in tinfoil and fold the foil into a square.
2. In the double boiler, melt 1/4 C of marshmallows.
3. Add 1/4 C of the chocolate chips to the melted marshmallows and continue double boiling until the mixture is combined and has an almost fudgey consistency.
4. Press this mixture onto the graham cracker and let it sit. 
5. Melt the rest of the marshmallows and pour them over the chocolate-marshmallow mixture.
5. Melt the rest of the chocolate and do the same. 
6. Sprinkle some whole marshmallows and crumbled graham crackers over the bar and let it cool in the fridge. 
7. Cut and enjoy!
 
This is a recipe that we’ve been meaning to try for quite some time. It is a perfect dorm room recipe, because it only needs a mini-fridge and two ingredients: whipped cream and chocolate wafer cookies.        The cookies are layered with whipped cream to form a roll, which is then covered with more whipped cream. The log is placed in a fridge overnight, and when it comes out, it has become a delicious chocolate and vanilla cake. The wafer cookies absorb moisture from the whipped cream and puff up into thick, cake-like layers. This is seriously something that you have to see to believe.
Next time you are out buying snacks, you should grab a box of ‘Famous Chocolate Wafers’, some whipping cream, and try this recipe out for yourself. It will blow your mind and your taste buds!
Ingredients: 
10 wafer cookies
1 cup whipped cream (we made our own using 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Directions:
1.     Spread about 1 tbsp whipped cream over each chocolate cookie
2.     Assemble cookies into a stack
3.     Turn stack on its side and completely cover with whipped cream
4.     Refrigerate overnight
5.     Cut diagonally into slices to show off chocolate layers 
 
Ice cream pie is an incredible creation. Delicious ice cream combined with a sweet, crunchy crumb crust- what is not to love? Especially when you top it with hot fudge sauce :)
If your mouth is watering, don't waste a second. Grab some oreos and go forage a cup of soft serve from the dining hall. This is so easy to make that you have no excuse.
If you want to add a toch of excitement to the pie, serve it with this incredible fudge sauce. We whipped it up with some condensed milk and chocolate chips that were left over from our cookie-dough truffles.
Sure to impress, and sure to please, this pie is a winner. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Ice cream pie:
6 oreos/ chocolate sandwich cookies
1 cup soft serve from dining hall (f)
Fudge Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup condensed milk
handful semisweet chocolate chips
Directions Ice Cream Pie:
1. Using a spoon or the back of a fork, crush oreos into small bits
2. Let ice cream warm a little, and spoon into crust
3. Freeze immediately and wait a few hours before serving
For the Fudge Sauce:
1. Combine chocolate chips, condensed milk, and butter in bowl of double boiler
2. Stir until melted, and pour over ice cream pie
 
We are so excited about this recipe for a few reasons. Not only do these bars taste like mini apple pies, but we were able to forage every single ingredient from our dining hall!
These bars have an oatmeal crust that is layered with apple sauce, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (or an optional walnut streusel topping which requires a few more ingredients.) The cinnamon, brown sugar, apple, and oatmeal flavors combine perfectly to create a truly sublime desert!
Ingredients:
For the bars:

  2 packets instant oatmeal (f)
  2 tbsps brown sugar (f)
  1 tablespoon butter (f)
  2/3 cup apple sauce (f)
  1 tsp cinnamon (f)
  1 tbsp sugar (f)
For the walnut streusel topping:
  1 tbsp flour
  2 tbsp sugar (f)
  1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (f)
  1 tbsp butter (f)
  Handful chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over oatmeal, and stir until oats are cooked
2. Melt butter in double boiler, stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3. Pour butter mixture over oats and stir until just combined
4. Press oats into base of aluminum foil pan
5. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp brown sugar
6. Spread apple sauce over oatmeal and refrigerate for 1.5 hrs
 
The genius who created oreos should be given a medal. Honestly, do you know anyone who genuinely dislikes those chocolate, creamy sandwich cookies? Especially since there are so many varieties: vanilla oreos, inside-out oreos, double-stuffed oreos, not to mention all of the knock-off versions (like our preferred brand: JoJo's from Trader Joe's.)
Oreos are not only delicious, but quite useful for baking. They can be blended in a food processor and used to make a chocolate cheesecake crust (check it out with our ice cream pie), dipped in peanut butter like the movie Parent Trap, or mashed up with cream cheese to make oreo truffles!
Oreo truffles are tiny bites of perfection. Just imagine the tang of cream cheese frosting mixed with sweet chocolate flavors, combined with the crunchy texture of the oreo crumbs...
Actually, don't imagine anything. Make your own! These truffles are super easy, fast, and simple. Go for it!
Ingredients:
12 oreo cookies (any brand of sandwich cookies will work)
5 tablespoons cream cheese (f)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Mash oreos in large bowl
2. Mix in cream cheese until combined
3. Form into 8 balls, refrigerate 15 mins
4. Melt chocolate over double boiler
5. Dip balls in chocolate, refrigerate 30 mins or until chocolate coating has hardened