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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 cookies form a perfect partnership with a
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WONKATEERS, PROJECT #3: OREO TRUFFLES (ON A STICK!)

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These delicious treats are ridiculously easy, make a lovely presentation, and are always the first to go at parties and bake sales. There are only three ingredients: One package of oreos, one 8 oz. package of cream cheese, and chocolate candy coating. Sprinkles are optional. Chocolate Dipped Oreo Truffles Here is my favorite source for Nonpareils:  BETTERBYEZ ON EBAY And my favorite source for fancy sprinkles:    FANCY FLOURS NEXT UP...CLASSIC DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
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WONKATEERS, PROJECT #2: Chocolate Dipped Krispie Treats and Marshmallow Wands

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These fun and easy chocolate dipped treats combine two things that most people go nuts for:  chocolate and stuff-on-a-stick !  For the December Lyceum class, the kids and I dipped marshmallows, rice krispie treats, and s'mores.  Oreos and Nutter Butters are fun too ~ just be careful inserting the stick.  They have a tendency to crack.  In the following tutorial, we're using the Chocolate Transfer Sheets.  You need not use Transfer Sheets to make festive looking chocolate dipped treats, however.  One of the things my girls most enjoy is when I melt some white chocolate, place it in a ziploc freezer bag (or pastry bag), snip the tip, and allow one to drizzle the chocolate over the candies, while the other shakes on the sprinkles. Chocolate Dipped Treats DIY
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WONKATEERS: TEXTURE SHEETS & LUSTER DUST

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Another technique the kids and I had fun experimenting with was applying texture to chocolate.  This technique is similar to the Chocolate Transfer Sheets , but rather than applying a cocoa butter image, we are simply embossing a pattern.  What I love about this technique is that your kids can often find patterns to use on things you already have around the house.  As long as it's flat, plastic, and clean, you can probably use it to emboss a pattern on chocolate.  Bubble wrap, a corrugated plastic liner from a food container, and a dish drying matt all have interesting patterns and can be suitable for texturing chocolate. Special texture sheets for chocolatiering can be purchased at some cake decorating stores and online.  They're relatively inexpensive, are easy to work with, and are reusable.  There are many fun patterns available such as lizard skin, wood grain, and crocodile! Here's my favorite source for Texture Sheets:  Bake Deco Use Texture Sheets the
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WONKATEERS: Couture Candy DIY

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Ricart chocolates. Photo: Mkrigsman, Flickr. Every wonder how those famous chocolatiers get those fabulous edible patterns on their fancy schmancy chocolates? It’s actually the result of a very simple process using Chocolate Transfer Sheets . Chocolate Transfer Sheets consist of a sheet of thin acetate that is embossed with an edible ink comprised of cocoa butter and powdered food coloring ~ that’s all. The sheets are available in hundreds of patterns: from animal prints and floral designs, to mod geometrics and celebratory text like “Happy New Year”.  Transfer sheets can be cut down to fit any chocolate dipped confection, or can be cut and coated with chocolate to wrap around a cake.  Here are some of my favorite sources for Chocolate Transfer Sheets: Fancy Flours Custom Chocolate Shop Beryl's    Chocolate Transfer Sheets are very easy to use provided that you follow some basic guidelines:   Always store in a cool dark place. They’re made from cocoa
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WONKATEERS, PROJECT #1: Chocolate Dipped S'more on a Stick

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In the first week of December I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of kids through the Lyceum of Monterey where I taught a two-day class in Chocolatiering. It was fun; a learning experience for all; and very chocolatey! I’m hoping that the kids will feel inspired to carry forth with the “Wonkateering” (as we called it) at home. In this spirit, I am authoring a series of posts featuring the recipes we used in class, some tutorials and techniques, and resources for where to buy the tools and specialty items. The first class focused largely on chocolate dipping and the use of texture and transfer sheets . We’ll start with my personal favorite: The Indoor S’more. Indoor S'More on a Stick Please feel free to ask questions and comment in the field below.  Recipes, Tips and Resources will continue to be posted throughout today and this weekend.
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SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR THE SITSTAS: challenging the notion that good things come in small packages

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Season's Greetings SITSTAS , Readers, Blogger Pals, Non-Blogging Friends...EVERYONE!   If you've visited the Rookery before, you may well recall my affinity for vintage photographs; especially those passed down from my family.  So, it's probably no surprise that I've chosen one of my absolute favorites as the official Rook No. 17 Holiday Card:
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE SHAREFEST ~ JOIN US IN PROMOTING ARTISTS, CRAFTERS, SMALL BUSINESS, YOU?

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12/7/09 UPDATE:  Another free and easy opportunity to share your handmade goods, or get unique and meaningful gift ideas~ Share photos of your handmade items in the Rook No. 17 Gift Guide Gallery on Facebook (be sure to put a link in the description box) ARE YOU A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER? --or-- DO YOU HAVE AN ETSY OR ARTFIRE SHOP? --or-- ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR CRAFTER SELLING ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE? Or maybe you've just had enough of all the mass-produced, disposeable junk out there and want to give your family and friends something quality...something meaningful....something special this year, but need some direction? IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY WITH ANY OF THESE, PLEASE READ ON... THE BACKSTORY:  The microphone on my cell phone went kaput last Thursday, so I was off to the mall to buy a new one (of course, my contract isn't yet up, but that's another story).  I was absolutely shocked, that at 1:45 on a Thursday, our little mall was jam packed with cars -- so much so
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