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Showing posts with the label CHOCOLATE

Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookie...

Marshmallow Cottontail Peeps on a Stick -- Sweet, Simple & Fun Easter Recipe

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Here comes Peter Cottontail Hopping down the Bunny Trail Hippity, Hoppity Easter's on its way Two of my favorite and most nostalgic Easter sweets are chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies and Peeps ® .   So, my girls and I decided to combine the two classics, resulting in: COTTONTAILS ON A STICK These sweet bunny silhouettes are so simple to make and taste incredible! Here's all you need: Marshmallow Peeps ®  Bunnies Lollipop Sticks  (found in the cake decorating aisle of most craft stores) Candy melts, bark or tempered Couverture Chocolate Mini marshmallows Step 1:  Line a baking sheet or tray with wax paper (no need to use expensive parchment) Step 2:  Prep your Peeps ®  by inserting a stick as far as it will go without coming up through the ears. Step 3:  Prep mini marshmallows by trimming off 1/3 with scissors.  Keep the larger pieces and discard the trimmings. Step 4:...

How to Make Robins' Egg Truffles

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Days are longer, trees are bursting with flowers, and new life is hatching all around -- It's Spring!   I believe in celebrating life's sweet moments and enjoy dreaming up whimsical confections to make those moments even sweeter. So last year, for the Spring Fling at Mine for the Making , I hatched a new idea for a chocolate truffle, inspired by one of the most lovely, delicate, and sweet symbols of Spring -- the robin's egg.  Today I'm sharing my recipe for these speckled sweets here in my own creative nesting place. ROBINS' EGG TRUFFLES INGREDIENTS 9 oz. semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/2 cup heavy cream (not "whipping cream" or "half and half") 1 Tablespoon butter (this makes the truffle silkier) 10 oz. white candy bark Blue food coloring 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder Equipment Baking sheet or tray lined with wax paper Cool, damp cloth Candy dipping fork a fine sieve 1.  In a sm...

My Favorite Breakfast ~ Catalonian Chocolate Crostini (Pa amb Xocolata)

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I'm willing to contend that there are few things that smell more glorious or taste more delicious than freshly baked bread.  I love the experience of baking bread from scratch, but life doesn't always afford me the luxury of the time to tenderly nurture and knead a golden loaf into sublime existence. So it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to try a new line of par-baked artisan breads ~ a marriage between Ecce Panis -- know for their hand-crafted, stone baked breads -- and Pepperidge Farm .  With simple ingredients like flour, water, and yeast -- and no preservatives -- the Ecce Panis breads make it easy to have warm, freshly baked breads ready-to-serve any time.   When you think of the perfect accompaniments for a loaf of fresh, crusty bread, what comes to mind? There was a time when my thoughts would have instantly gone to the savories -- Irish butter, cognac laced pâté, hot artichoke spread, and fresh, garlicky tomato bruschetta.  Th...

Recipe: Salted Shortbread Toffee

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  Necessity is the mother of invention , indeed! With the sudden realization that I had nothing to bring to a New Year's day party, I scoured the cupboards and flipped through the recipes I had enjoyed during my December candymaking spree to see if the stars would align.  Well, close enough -- I was just a bag of pretzels shy of being able to make pretzel toffee.  A box of shortbread cookies came to the rescue, making this simple and delicious confection a new family favorite! Salted Shortbread Toffee Ingredients Nonstick Cooking Spray 4 sticks (1 pound) salted butter, cut in to 1" pieces 2 cups granulated sugar 8 ounces shortbread cookies, broken in to bite sized pieces 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Ghirardelli) 1 Tablespoon fine flake salt (Maldon, Fleur de Sel, Sel Gris) Hardware Half Sheet Baking Pan (13x18x1) Aluminum Foil Wooden Spoon or Silicone spatula Candy Thermometer  Small offset spatula or si...

Chocolate Mustaches on a Stick -- The Perfect, Last-minute, No-bake Halloween TREAT!

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Big Wow-factor with minimal effort -- A perfect combination for busy families! The idea is far from anything new, but it's one I dearly adore: the classic, clever and delightfully dapper mustache on a stick !  I was excited when I found that Wilton is selling an absolutely charming (and at $1.99, very afforadable) mold for making chocolate mustaches ~ no special chocolatiering skills required!  Only $1.99 -- sweet deal! My posts here at Rook No. 17 this week have been light, as I've been busy putting the finishing touches on costumes and enjoying all the Halloween festivities about town with my girls. It's busy weeks like these that make me grateful for the little tools, tricks and shortcuts that help in making stand-out treats with little mess and minimal fuss. That's why, despite the odds that you've already seen a lot of chocolate mustaches out there in blogland, I'd share my find of the Wilton Fun Face Mustache Lollipop mold. My girls h...

Easy Halloween Treat ~ Chocolate Dipped Ghosts on a Stick!

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The clock's ticking on Halloween plans and projects.  With little time to spare, I needed a quick, easy and inexpensive Halloween treat to make with my daughter's girl scout troop the other day.   If you're short on time as I was, you'll appreciate this no-bake treat that takes only minutes to prepare and requires only a few ingredients!   What's more, it's easy for kids to do and would make a fun activity for a Halloween party!   Marshmallow Ghosts on a Stick (makes 2 dozen) Marshmallow Peeps Ghosts, 2 packages Wilton Light Cocoa or Dark Cocoa Candy Melts , 1 bag Wilton White Candy Melts, 1/4 cup Wilton Lollipop Sticks , 24 Piping bag or Ziploc Cello bags, tulle and/or ribbon (optional)   Step 1:  Remove Peeps Ghosts from package.  Separate into individual ghosts.  Insert a lollipop stick in to each ghost (till it reaches the top, but doesn't poke through). Step 2:  Line two baki...

Pumpkin Pie Fudge with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe

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After the success of this latest confectionery experiment I am so excited to present to you my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Fudge with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache ! This is the perfect Autumn candy!  The fudge is creamy and smooth with just the right amount of pumpkin and spice.  The silky ganache and flaky sea salt take the already excellent fudge to the realm of the sublime! If you love chocolate, pumpkin pie, and salty/sweet combinations...you'll love this fudge.  Even if you don't care for pumpkin pie because of the texture, you should give this recipe a try.  It captures the delicate taste of pumpkin combined with fall spices, but with the texture of fudge, rather than custard. Pumpkin Pie Fudge with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache fudge portion of recipe adapted from Southern Living Makes 64 1" pieces For the fudge 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup salted butter, cut in to pieces 1 cup canned pumpk...