Your tailgating wouldn’t be complete without a few game-changing desserts. Score extra points this week with these ideas for delicious, inexpensive sweet treats.

K.I.S.S. the cook (Keep It Simple Stupid)

Like other tailgating recipes, it’s often better to keep your dessert choices simple and easy to prepare ahead of time. Think individual serving sizes that are easy to enjoy without lugging an extra plate around.

You can save your best culinary efforts for the main course by simply visiting your local Kroger or other favorite bakery a day or two ahead. Purchase mini-cupcakes or a giant cookie decorated in Georgia Bulldog colors.

But with just a little effort…

Create your own cookie pizza.

  • Simply buy a roll of chocolate chip cookie dough from the dairy section and let it thaw before placing it in a pizza pan.
  • Flatten and shape the dough. Next, bake and decorate with red and black M&Ms while your pizza is cooling.
  • Once your cookie pie has cooled, pre-slice it into thin strips for easy serving.

Another option is to drizzle chocolate over popcorn and mix with red M&Ms, for an easy-to-grab fan favorite. Or consider a big bowl of candy corn mixed with peanuts.

This will look fall-festive and is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Purchase clear plastic cups so guests can scoop their own individual servings.

Plan ahead with these easy recipes:

Try converting strawberries into tasty football morsels by dipping them in chocolate. Add white laces with melted white chocolate or tubes of pre-made frosting.

Roasted Georgia-grown pecans are another simple dish.

  • Take a paper bag, 2 cups of shelled pecans, 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of garlic powder.
  • Microwave at 30 second intervals for about two minutes, shaking the bag each time.
  • Let the pecans rest for about 2 minutes before serving. Cool completely before storing for the game.

For this week’s game against the Missouri Tigers, have your tailgaters roaring over these delicious desserts:

Tiger Stripe Brownies:

Ingredients

For brownie batter: Duncan Hines Family-Sized Classic Brownie Mix

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ water

4 tablespoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup

For cheesecake/tiger stripe batter:

8 ounces cream cheese, well softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  • Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Prepare brownie mix using the directions on the box, and add additional Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. Spread in a baking pan.
  • Whisk together tiger stripe/cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
  • Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl with a knife or spatula.
  • Bake until toothpick in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Bulldog and Tiger Dessert Shooters:

Ingredients

1 pan of cooked brownies

1 (3.4 oz.) package instant French vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

20 mini Butterfinger candy bars, finely crumbled

1 (18 oz.) frozen raspberries, thawed

1 cup fresh raspberries

¼ cup sugar

1 can of whipped cream topping

Gold candy sprinkles

Directions

  • Prepare brownies; cool and roughly crumble.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until smooth. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, then remove and stir in Butterfinger candy bars. Refrigerate pudding for an additional 5 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl combine thawed frozen raspberries and sugar.
  • For Bulldog Shooters: Layer brownies, then raspberries in mini dessert cups or shooters, and repeat. Top with whipped cream and a fresh raspberry.
  • For Tiger Shooters: Place a layer of brownies, then pudding, then brownies and pudding. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with gold sprinkles. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

 

— By Karen Huppertz Special for the AJC’s DawgNation.com