Posts

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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Recipe ~ Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge {Made with Real Lemons}

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This post is titled "Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge {Made with Real Lemons}".  You may be saying to yourself, "Of course 'Real Lemons'.  Isn't that overstating the obvious?"  Alas, I have found that that is not always the case.  While looking for inspiration for a non-chocolate confection for my holiday candy boxes, I came across a delectable-looking photo of Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge online.  Perfect!  Well, almost.  It turns out that the recipe, as well as all the others I was able to find online call for all manner of lemon-flavored substances, except, of course, real lemon.  Determined to make Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge a part of my seasonal candy repertoire,  I dashed to the kitchen and concocted a sweet, tart, and melt-in-your mouth buttery recipe of my own.  Enjoy! Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge {Made with Real Lemons} Active t ime: approx. 20 minutes Chill time:  approx. 6 hours Yield:  approx. 2 lbs.  6 Tablespoons butter 2 packa
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Recipe ~ Peanut Butter Pretzel Bark

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Elegantly marbled with smooth milk chocolate , this sweet & salty confection looks downright fancy, but it's so, so easy to make. Last year I tried several new candy recipes from friends throughout the blogosphere, and this one from Shugary Sweets was the hands-down favorite. This year, I adapted the recipe slightly to fill an entire half-sheet baking pan (13x18x1) and to have the perfect ratio of peanut butter and chocolate for my liking.  So, without further ado, here's my version of the Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge from Shugary Sweets: Peanut Butter Pretzel Bark  Makes 80 pieces Active time:  15 minutes Chill time:  2 hours Ingredients 26 ounces Ghirardelli  White Chocolate Morsels (approx 2 1/2 bags) 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 6 ounces Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Morsels 80 mini pretzel twists Hardware Half-sheet pan Parchment paper Small offset or silicone spatula Piping or ziploc bag Scissors Toothpick or bamboo skewer Pre
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"Almond Joy" Truffles

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  When you have a good truffle recipe, it's fun and easy to start making custom flavors.  And truffles are so easy to make -- if you can boil cream and pour it over chocolate, you can make truffles.  Truly. Named after the popular candy bar, the "Joy" in this chocolate and coconut confection comes from a shot of Amaretto liqueur.  If you're not a big fan of almond liqueur , y ou can replace the amaretto with any spirit your wish -- whiskey, Baileys, rum, Kahlua, champagne...  Instead of coconut you can roll the truffles in cocoa powder, nuts, nonpareils, or cookie crumbs. Almond Joy Truffles   (makes approx. 3 6 ) 1 2 /3 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tablespoons butter, softened 2 Tablespoons Amaretto Liqueur 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut Step 1 :  Microwave method In a microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate and cream.  Microwave at medium power till cream begins to boil.  Let
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How to Make Mouthwatering Caramallow Candies

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  Chocolate covered homemade caramel is just about one of my favorite things on earth.  So, when I saw a recipe for homemade honey caramel from the First Lady of Chocolate , Alice Medrich, in Better Homes and Gardens a few years ago, I knew it was a keeper.  The recipe includes instructions for turning your caramels into a marvelous marshmallow topped Caramallow candy.  I made a batch yesterday and decided that the recipe was simply too good not to share with my readers.   The recipe is not mine and it didn't need any modifications.  So, please find Alice's complete recipe HERE .
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Christmas Day Tradition: Make Glittered Handprint Keepsake Ornaments
{and a Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter Wonderland Giveaway}

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ESTABLISH A TRADITION:   Every Christmas, make a glittered handprint ornament with the children in your home. MAKE MEMORIES:   In the short-term, you'll be establishing a fun, easy and inexpensive tradition.  In the long-term, when the children have grown, you'll have a whole little tree's worth of meaningful ornaments and memories. WIN :  Enter to win a 24-piece set of Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter to get your new tradition started.   I am so excited to share the simplest, sweetest and most glittering little holiday tradition to start with your family!  This year we'll be playing host to all of the nieces and nephews, so I wanted a quick and easy craft project that everyone -- infants through teens -- could take part in that would commemorate our Christmas together.  The idea for these ornaments was inspired by Ms. Hollingsworth, one of the first-grade teachers that I work with.  As a holiday present for her students' parents, each child
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Crafting with Glimmer, Shimmer, Sparkle & Shine with
THE BIG-ASS BOOK OF BLING by Mark Montano
{Review & Giveaway}

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  THIS BOOK IS SO FUN! Not for the meek, (It's more for the chic) It's classy It's brassy And very unique. The Big-Ass Book of Bling is wildly creative -- a colorful compendium of clever crafts that prove that all that glitters need not be gold.  Nor do you have to be an advanced crafter, fashion designer, or break the bank to create fabulous one-of-a-kind jewelry, accessories and home decor.   Just like its author, Mark Montano , this book is fun, inspiring, clever and smart, and fabulously fashionable. Here...experience a little of the Mark Montano magic for yourself... You can also find Mark on his website markmontano.com , his blog markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com , on Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube . I had the pleasure of meeting Mark and hearing him speak at the SoCal Social in October of this year.  He is all at once charismatic and cool and exudes an unquestionable likeability and contagious creative vibe that come throug
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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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