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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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Washi Tape and the New Blogging Vernacular -- A Little Birdie Told Me No. 21

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Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to  join the party after the features below. ------------------------------------------------ Bloggers are dreamers and doers, thinkers and makers crafters and bakers And this week, I discovered that this community of innovators is crafting a new lexicon as well... ------------------------------------------------ For example, Jocelyn of Inside BruCrew Life tickled my "so cute it hurts" nerve with: PUFFY HEART AS IN " I puffy heart anything coconut  and these didn't disappoint! " She was referring to her   Coconut Cream Cheesecake Brownies ------------------------------------------------ Alison of Stuff & Nonsense charmed me with ROOTLED AS IN "R ootled through the cupboards to be sure th
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Sandcastle Cake Recipe -- A Fun and Easy Summer Classic!

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A whimsical, sculpted cake in less than an hour! Every year my daughters' school has a year-end carnival that includes a Cake Walk. The end of the school year is so impossibly busy  -- Who has time to spend on an elaborate cake?  I love Nordicware bundt pans for their ease of use, consistent results, whimsical designs, and for the way that they can make anyone look like a cake sculpting pro! My favorite Nordicware design is their Castle Bundt Pan.  I've enjoyed using it to make this crowd-pleasing Sandcastle cake, especially when I'm in a pinch for time, but still want to do something special.  The Sandcastle cake is the perfect celebration or donation dessert -- delicious, charming, and easy! Here's the super short-cut version to making your very own Sandcastle Cake using the Nordicware castle pan: Castle Bundt Cake (takes approx. 50 minutes) Ingredients 1 box yellow or white cake mix 1  3-3/4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding 4 large
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CHEESECAKE MOUSSE AND A LAYERED MOUSSE CAKE TUTORIAL

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Back when I was shleppin' flour and sugar for pay, the most popular combination of flavors on my menu was a decadent trio of buttermilk chocolate cake, cheesecake mousse, and raspberries.  My signature "Flour Shop Cheesecake Mousse" is a wonderfully versatile little mousse.  It is perfectly delicious served by the spoonful in a cup with fresh fruit or compote.  It can be piped into a cupcake or scooped on top in place of frosting.  It makes the perfect filling for tart shells and chocolate cups. Recently, I was asked to donate a small cake to a local fund-raising event and decided to resurrect the blissful trinity in the form of a double-mousse cake. This is the perfect, elegant little cake for entertaining and the technique used in the tutorial for creating a stacked mousse cake is one that anyone can use with ease.  All you need is a sheet of acetate, which can be found in the scrapbooking section of any craft store, cake, mousse and a sweet-tooth!
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My Favorite Wreath DIY, A Craft for Book Lovers, and some tasty nibbles on A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME NO. 20

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Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to  join the party after the features below. ------------------------------------------------ I truly enjoy visiting everyone's links each week, and just have to say ... I love you guys!   Yeah, as cynical and saddleworn as I can be, I'm really a sentimental sap at heart. Exercising my nerdish wiles, I put together a Wordle using the names of all the incredible people who have become REGULARS here at Rook No. 17 over the past 20 weeks.   And now, the Week 18 features...  ------------------------------------------------- A Little Birdie Told Me... Lynda of Something Created Every Day has one of the most beautiful, original and creative wreath DIY projects EVER!   Vintage Sewing Wreath Carol of The Answer is Chocolate Inspir
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MUSIC MONDAY -- Meet "Matt the Electrician"

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Still shot from the video "All I Know" by Matt the Elecrtrician Have you seen the newest video from Matt the Electrician for his song "All I Know" ? Craftionistas and music-lovers alike will flip for this beautifully crafted video featuring the soulful voice and artful strumming of the singer/songwriter accompanied by a scrolling backdrop designed by his incredibly talented wife Kathie (you may know her from FUTURE CRAFT COLLECTIVE ).   All I Know from Matt the Electrician on Vimeo . "All I Know" is from Matt's new album, "Accidental Thief" which debuts June 14.   Some of my favorite tracks are " Pioneer Bride", "Friends" & "Daydreamer". You can check out more of Matt the Electrician's music on iTunes . ---------------------------- This post has been shared with Singing & Pinning @ 5 Minutes Just for Me
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Kissable Cakes -- "Hot Lips" and "Cardinal Sin"

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Here are the fruits of this weekend's labors. Tutorials and Recipes to follow shortly...   The "Hot Lips" Cake Dark chocolate cake layered with whipped ganache and raspberries Just a touch of edible glitter gave this pucker a kissable shimmer It's been a long while since I've sculpted a cake, so it was a really nice feeling, even thought the degree of difficulty wasn't that high, to know that I can still take a bunch of flour and sugar and make it look like something else.  *smile* The Cardinal Sin Cake (known to incite lust, envy and gluttony) Chocolate Cake, cardinal-red raspberries, cheesecake mousse and chocolate mousse
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The Perfect Summer Drink Recipe -- Mango Margaritas Tajin

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It's been a long, long time since a flavor has met my palette and left me wondering, "Where has this been all my life?"  But a few weeks ago, I had that rare, earth-shaking gastronomical experience when my friend Holly introduced me to the combination of  fresh mango and the Mexican seasoning Tajin (you can read her Mango Magic post HERE ). The seasoning, primarily composed of lime, salt and chili, excites all the taste buds and is the perfect compliment to the sweet, tart and tropical mango. I've had Tajin on the brain...bad...really bad. Holly got hers from a friend in Los Angeles.  I was determined to find it locally. After searching obsessively for about a week, I was thrilled and surprised to finally find Tajin at Target in the Mexican food section -- and the mangoes of the world rejoiced!! On Mother's Day, my husband cooked up a fabulous Mexican feast, so I seized the opportunity to whip up a cocktail to serve with the meal. My head still reeli
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