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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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Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow "Elf" Mugs ~ A Delightful and Diminutive Holiday Treat

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  Every year I enjoy coming up with a new way to decorate chocolate-dipped marshmallows for the holidays.  Chocolate-dipped marshmallows are so easy and fun to adorn, and they're delicious too!  This year, my inspiration came from the " Mini Christmas Cups of Cocoa on a Stick " from Hoopla Palooza.   From the moment I saw Lisa's adorable chocolate mugs, I knew just what I'd be creating to donate to the bake sale for my daughter's holiday music performance.  Introducing, Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Elf Mugs -- a bite sized treat that combines the delicious flavors of chocolate and marshmallow, with the crunch of a salted pretzel handle.  You can find everything you need to make these little cups of cuteness in your grocery store. The mugs made f or some excellent hijinks for our Elf on the Shelf, Elfonso , as well...   Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Elf Mugs Yield:  approx. 30 mugs Ingredients/Materials 1 l 6 oz. bag mar shmal
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My Favorite Hanukkah Latke-tizers: Latke Hors D'oeuvres, Jewish Deli Style

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Latkes -- crispy, golden potato pancakes -- are a must-have for any Hanukkah celebration.  Now, imagine if you will, bite-sized latkes topped with some of your favorite things -- sour cream, dill and lox, a slice of pear with sharp cheddar cheese, or applesauce and a slice of spicy chicken sausage.  We call them Latketizers -- replacing the cracker or bread in an appetizer with a warm, crispy latke.  My favorite latke to serve as a passed hors d'oeuvre is the Brooklyn Avenue -- named after a signature sandwich from the famous Canter's Delicatessen in Los Angeles.  This one-bite Jewish deli experience is the creation of my husband, who actually put together his first Brooklyn Avenue latketizer while lunching at Canter's.   As we neared the end of our meal , a few delectable bites remained at the table:  a lonely little latke, a half-eaten bowl of cole slaw, and a few pieces of corned beef.  With his penchant for trying new food combinations, my husband se
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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles with Raspberry Dust Garnish

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I love the combination of dark chocolate and real raspberry ~ such a blissful marriage of flavors!  Today I'm sharing my recipe for silky smooth dark chocolate truffles with a hint of raspberry and a beautiful and easy-to-make raspberry dust garnish. I was inspired to create this confection when I saw an expensive, yet alluring vial of "raspberry dust" for sale in a gourmet spice shop.  Since this elegant, crimson powder is nothing more than freeze dried raspberries ground to dust, I knew I could make my own at home for a fraction of the cost.  I've been it ever since and sprinkling it on ice cream, cream puffs, and any treat to which I want to add a bold shock of color and the sweet tang of raspberry. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles (with raspberry dust garnish) makes approx. 36 1 cup frozen raspberries 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 2/3 cups (12 oz.) 60% Cacao Chocolate, chopped (*see below for a grocery store pick) 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tabl
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Picture Perfect Packaging for Holiday Food Gifts with Martha Stewart
Including a Coupon Code & Sweepstakes

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  You've lovingly baked the cookies, dipped the chocolates, and sugared the sugarplums.  Your beautiful edible gifts deserve more than the old paper plate and plastic wrap treatment right?  But it can be costly and time consuming to track down the right boxes, ribbon, labels and other pretties to get that professional bake-shop look, no?  No. Decorative treat bags, boxes and wrappers from Martha Stewart Crafts add the finishing festive touch to your homemade gifts with no muss and no fuss – so they’ll look as good as they taste!   Recently I had the pleasure of trying out a package of Martha Stewart Crafts Modern Festive Match Box packaging kit.  The kit includes everything you need - except the treats - for five gifts: boxes, labels, ribbon and paper inserts.  I used my boxes to package my newest holiday confection -- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles with Raspberry Dust .  The boxes aren't only great for treats however -- Just imagine how darling a l
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The Best Gift for All Ages to Foster Art & Imagination ~
Fill In the Blank (An Inspirational Sketch Book)
Review and Giveaway!

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When I was five years old, I received what at first appeared to be a regular coloring book for my birthday.  " Big whoop ," I remember thinking.  I had reached my threshold for coloring inside the lines.  As I flipped through the pages, however, hoping for a dot-to-dot or maze to break up the contrived art experience, I realized that this was no ordinary coloring book.  On each page there was a prompt, and the pictures were incomplete!  The prompts were there to tickle my brain into an excited frenzy of creation and imagination.   Instead of coloring the character ... ...I was designing a character of my own . Instead of coloring in a house... ...I was designing the house... Instead of a kid with a coloring book... ...I was an artist, inventor, architect , superhero, president, princess! I was in love!  I doodled the ink right out of my pens and filled every square inch of my book till there was nary a scrap uncovered.  From the title page of Fill
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Wear Your History ~ Crystal Family Photo Pendant Necklace Tutorial

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A few weeks ago I shared my tutorial for how to make personalized family photo ornaments using chandelier crystals and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.  At the same time that I made the ornaments, I turned two of the pendants into vintage-style necklaces.  Each necklace featured a photo of one of my girls.  The necklaces are easy and inexpensive to make and are a wonderful way to carry someone you love close to your heart.     Crystal Pendant Photo Necklace 1 crystal photo pendant (tutorial HERE ) 1 bail 3 strands of chain , 2 4 " long/ea 1 2 4 " piece of silk ribbon or vintage binding 1 2 4 " piece of ivory lace (I used a vintage piece that was 2 3/4" wide 3-in-one jewelry pliers 2 8mm open jump rings  2 4" pieces jewelry wire (thin enough for two strands to fit th rough your crimp beads. 2 filigree bead caps or bead cones 2 crimp beads 1 toggle clasp 2 crimp bead covers (optional) Step 1:  Attach the bail to the pendant by ins
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