Tag Archives: candy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge

Super easy homemade peanut butter and chocolate fudge made with just four ingredients!

Four ingredient fudge!

Life has been so hectic here, and I suspect I’m not alone. With busy work schedules, back-to-school time and life in general, sometimes cooking or baking for the family can take a back seat. There are so many weeks that I’m scrambling to find a few things in my fridge to throw together so that L, Matt and I are well fed. Keeping those last minute meals interesting without going crazy sometimes seems to be an impossible task.

Super easy homemade fudge!

That’s why I was really excited to receive a copy of Five-Ingredient Recipes, A Cookbook for Busy People in the mail a few weeks ago. Not only are there interesting dinner recipes that most families will enjoy, but there are also fun and super easy dessert recipes as well. I’ve been seriously slacking in the baking department lately so I was thrilled to find a sweet treat recipe that required minimal time and ingredients. Something that I can make with ingredients in my pantry AND get done while L takes his (sometimes way too short) nap is a huge win.

Fast and Easy Five Ingredient Recipes

For some crazy reason I’ve never made fudge before, so when I found the recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge in Phi’s cookbook I couldn’t wait to get “cooking.” And I use that term lightly because All I had to do was microwave, stir and chill. This recipe is beyond easy to make and the result is rich, delicious and kind of addicting. Exactly what you want out of a dessert.

4-ingredient homemade fudge!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge
 
Super easy homemade peanut butter and chocolate fudge made with just four ingredients!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 16-24
Ingredients
  • 130g (1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
  • 20g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
  • 340g (2 cups) good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 114-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • Flaky sea salt (optional, my addition)
Instructions
  1. Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang for pan removal later; set aside
  2. In a small microwaveable bowl, heat peanut butter for thirty seconds on high heat; stir in powdered sugar; set aside
  3. Place chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a large microwaveable bowl; heat for thirty seconds on high and stir; repeat once or twice until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth (it will get thick quickly); immediately spread in prepared baking pan
  4. Spoon peanut butter mixture over chocolate and use a knife to swirl peanut butter into chocolate; sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired
  5. Chill pan in freezer for thirty minutes or fridge for one hour; once chilled, remove fudge from pan by using sides of parchment paper to lift it up; place on a cutting board and slice
  6. Serve immediately or store leftovers in fridge for up to a week
Notes
Notes:
Recipe from Five-Ingredient Recipes, A Cookbook for Busy People

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a copy of Five-Ingredient Recipes, A Cookbook for Busy People for free but as always, all opinions are my own.

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Blood Orange Chocolate Truffles

Rich and decadent dark chocolate truffles with a hint of blood orange. These are the best homemade candy!

These chocolate truffles are unbelievable!

Over the last few years it’s gotten increasingly harder to schedule plans with friends. Between kids, family obligations and the seemingly speed-of-light passing of time, everyone’s schedules fill up fast. The “let’s do this again, and soon this time!” inevitably turns into the passing of another two months until another date is made. Top that with the winter season leading to at least one child being sick and getting friends together really becomes an unfortunate challenge.

No one can believe that these are homemade!!

So when we were able to get four of our favorite couples (plus kids!) to our place for dinner, we wanted to make it lots of fun. The night started early (5pm ha!) so that everyone could bring their babies without worrying about childcare. It was definitely a risk to sign up for 4 children under the age of three in one apartment during the witching hour, but we went for it.

So rich and amazing! We went crazy over these truffles and can't wait to make them again.

Matt and I decided to go Mexican with dinner and break all the rules by making a recipe for chicken enchiladas we hadn’t cooked before (luckily America’s Test Kitchen is always dependable!). Plus, there was plenty of chips and guacamole to go around, even after L ate half of the guac. Add to that cilantro lime rice, Mexican-spiced beans, cumin-roasted cauliflower and salad.

Chocolate truffles are the best hostess gift! They seem so fancy but are actually easy to make,

I kept things seasonal and festive with spicy blood orange margaritas (that I’m still thinking about) and thought, why not have a blood orange dessert as well? So these Blood Orange truffles (along with a soon-to-come recipe for banana pudding) made their appearance.

Now, I know that orange and chocolate is a traditional flavor pairing that some people love, but historically it really hasn’t appealed to me. However, these truffles were quite extraordinary. The blood orange brought a fruitfulness to the truffles that complimented the bitterness of the dark chocolate at just the right level. That flavor, with a sensational melt-in-your-mouth richness made them a huge hit. In fact, my friends were a bit in disbelief that I had in fact made the truffles myself.

I promise you, though, that these are a lot easier than you might think. The most complicated part is tediously rolling the individual truffles but it’s very much worth the effort. Additionally, you can make these up to one week ahead of time if stored in the fridge. Just make sure not to eat them all before you gift or serve them. That is no easy feat.

Blood Orange Truffles are my new favorite dessert! Homemade candy is the best.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Blood Orange Chocolate Truffles
 
Rich and decadent dark chocolate truffles with a hint of blood orange. These are the best homemade candy!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 20 truffles
Ingredients
  • 79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 1g (1 teaspoon) blood orange zest (~1 orange)
  • 142g chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) blood orange juice (~1/3 orange)
  • 10g (2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (you won’t use all of it)
Instructions
  1. Combine heavy whipping cream and orange zest in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
  2. Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer over chocolate and whisk until smooth
  3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and orange juice until smooth
  4. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight
  5. Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles; they will be slightly soft and sticky; freeze for fifteen minutes to set
  6. Once set, roll truffles in cocoa powder and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
  7. Bring to room temperature before serving
Notes
Adapted from my lemon truffles
May store in refrigerator up to one week

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Lemon Truffles

Lemon Truffles

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

Vanilla M&M Shortbread Cookies

Vanilla bean shortbread cookies are even better when there are M&Ms in them! These shortbread cookies are easy to make and delicious to eat. Use pretty pink M&Ms for a Valentine’s Day treat!

Vanilla bean shortbread cookies are even better when there are M&Ms in them!

I love that there are plenty of excuses to bake around Valentine’s Day. Kid’s class parties, sweet treats for friends, and of course something special just for two. I’ve been spreading the love to some neighbors, doormen and even real estate brokers. And you know what, I don’t hear any complaining;-)

These shortbread cookies are easy to make and delicious to eat. Use pretty pink M&Ms for a Valentine’s Day treat!

These cookies are fairly easy to make and appear so simple (while pretty), but I assure you they are anything but boring. The vanilla bean paste adds an extra special flavor element to the buttery shortbread cookie and then of course, there are M&Ms. I don’t know what it is about an M&M cookie that is so appealing but they never, ever disappoint. Make these to spread some Valentine’s Day love in your world.

MM Cookies for your Valentine

5.0 from 1 reviews
Vanilla M&M Shortbread Cookies
 
Vanilla bean shortbread cookies are even better when there are M&Ms in them! These shortbread cookies are easy to make and delicious to eat. Use pretty pink M&Ms for a Valentine’s Day treat!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
  • 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 120g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or replace with additional teaspoon of vanilla extract)
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 265g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 320g (1⅓ cups) M&MS
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or slipat; set aside
  3. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
  4. Add vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and salt and beat until well combined
  5. Stir in flour; stir in M&Ms
  6. Scoop dough with a medium cookie dough scoop (~2 tablespoons each) onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart
  7. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until very light brown around the edges (bake for less time if looking for a slightly chewier cookie)
  8. Allow cookies to cool on cooling rack
  9. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week or in the freezer for up to two months

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Mini M&M Cookies

Mini M&M Cookies

Mega M&M Cookies

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Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Lemon Truffles

No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!

Lemon White Chocolate Truffles for the holidays!

Sometimes you just want to make something that tastes good and is extra pretty.

These lemon truffles are such a gorgeous little treat that you can’t help but ooooh and aaaaah over. They sparkle on the outside while the inside showcases an ultra creamy filling. The essence of lemon is present but not lip-puckeringly so and balances perfectly with the sweet white chocolate.

Lemon truffles are so pretty and sparkly for new year's eve!

The truffles do require some lead time because you want to make sure there is plenty of time for chilling. Otherwise, you will end up with a bit of a sticky mess. It’s worth it, though. You can display them in a fancy candy dish and most people would assume that they were the result of a high-end candy shop purchase. They are gorgeous and festive which lends them quite well to a New Year’s Eve celebration. And thinking way ahead, keep them in mind for special Valentine’s Day gifts.

 These are the best lemon truffles! So creamy and amazing.

Lemon Truffles
 
No-bake white chocolate lemon truffles are a refreshing change of pace for the holidays. Make this sparkly treat for your New Year’s Eve festivities!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 20 truffles
Ingredients
  • 79 milliliters (1/3 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 1g lemon zest (~1 lemon)
  • 142g chopped white chocolate
  • 57g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) lemon juice (~1/3 lemon)
  • ½ cup shimmering sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Combine heavy whipping cream and lemon zest in a small heavy-duty saucepan; heat over low-medium heat
  2. Bring to a light rolling boil then remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer over chocolate and whisk until smooth
  3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is completely melted; whisk in butter and lemon juice until smooth
  4. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight
  5. Once firm, use a small or cookie dough scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles; they will be slightly soft and sticky; freeze for fifteen minutes to set
  6. Once set, roll truffles in topping and store in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to eat
  7. Bring to room temperature before serving
Notes
Adapted from these white chocolate truffles

 

Lemon Truffles are my new favorite thing!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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No Churn Lemon Ice Cream

No Churn Lemon Ice Cream

Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

Lemon Berry Pavlova Parfaits

Mini Lemon Cupcakes

Mini Lemon Cupcakes

Ginger Pecan Candy Crack

Crazy addicting Christmas candy in a very good way. This  sweet and salty “crack” is made with toasted pecans, ginger spiced caramel and dark chocolate.

The best candy to make for Christmas! Easy, delicious and super addicting

Last week my sister and fiancé had us over for a fun weeknight Chanukah dinner. Jess and Quoc made a delicious dinner that included perfectly crispy latkes, salmon with dill yogurt sauce and salad with roasted squash. Just ask L, he hijacked most of my salmon and ate his weight in latkes. Chanukah success! I brought a green vegetable along with some cookies (my sister thought these tasted like a chai latte).

There were also “cookies” there, though, that tasted like some sort of ginger toffee caramel hybrid.  I had one bite and then couldn’t stop going back for more. The sweet and salty flavor combination with the added ginger spice was addicting. And to torture treat myself, I made my own interpretation to share with you.

This crunchy, sweet and salty candy treat is currently calling to me from a tupperware inside my fridge. I made a big batch and take a couple of bites worth almost every time I open the door. I just can’t help myself! What I love about this treat is that it differs from the other “crack” recipes out there by having an added spice and a hefty dose of toasted pecans. Oh, and don’t let the term “candy” fool you. There are no candy thermometers used in this recipe and it’s actually pretty straightforward. The ease of making it is either really great or really dangerous, You decide.

Newest obsession: Ginger Pecan Candy Crack

Ginger Pecan Candy Crack
 
Crazy addicting Christmas candy in a very good way. This sweet and salty “crack” is made with toasted pecans, ginger spiced caramel and dark chocolate.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~5 cups
Ingredients
  • 340g (3 cups) pecans
  • 227 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 230 grams (1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 2½g (1/2 teaspoon) table salt
  • 1g (1 teaspoon) ground ginger
  • ½g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 2 milliliters (1/2 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 255 grams (1½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • flaky sea salt to taste (I used about ¾ teaspoon)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper
  3. Top parchment paper with pecans and toast in oven for 8 minutes or until fragrant; set aside
  4. In a large heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring over medium heat until it begins to boil; once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes; it will thicken a bit as it cooks
  5. Remove from the heat and add the table salt, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the pecans
  6. Bake the for 12-15 minutes or until all of the caramel topping is lightly bubbling (watch carefully at end of cooking to make sure it doesn’t burn burn; if it appears to be browning too much, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees)
  7. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips; let stand five minutes, and then carefully spread them evenly across the caramel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt
  8. Chill in refrigerator for about two hours or until firm; break into pieces by hand
  9. Store it in an air-tight container in refrigerator or cool space for best results
  10. Enjoy within one week

 

Ginger Pecan Candy Crack is going on ALL my holiday cookie trays!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Banana Pecan Bourbon Flapjacks

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Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Cinnamon Ginger Buttercream & Ginger Cookie Pecan Brittle

Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Blondies

Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Blondies

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

Rich homemade candy  cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups - dying over these

I told you I had something up my sleeve for the caramel sauce. I don’t even think I need to talk too much about these little candy cups, the pictures say it all. Last minute Valentine’s Day treat perhaps?

 

4.0 from 1 reviews
Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups
 
Rich homemade candy cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce
  • Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge for fifteen minutes or until chocolate is set
  4. Remove pan from fridge and spoon caramel sauce into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon); if caramel sauce has been chilled and is firm, microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir for a more workable consistency
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over caramel and around edges so that coated on all sides; sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt if desired (and it should be desired)
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups... the picture says it all

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Double Dip Mints

Double Dip Mints

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

 

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Double Dip Mints (aka Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Patties)

This recipe for Double Dip Mints was inspired by one of my favorite candy stores.  Homemade milk chocolate dipped peppermint patties are even better than the original candy you are used to!

Double Dip Mints - such a great treat to gift to a friend!

In all of my summers of going down the shore, there are definitely mixed memories of people and events  that seem to be somewhat of a blur at this point.  Aside from a few special moments, without a doubt, one of my favorite things about the annual trips is visiting  Jagielky’s, an unbelievable chocolate store with a vast selection of homemade sweets.  I’m not even really a candy person in general, I can usually take it or leave it, but their chocolates are to-die-for.  The homemade caramel in the cashew turtles is just perfect and their almond butter crunch bars (milk chocolate and almond covered toffee) are one of my favorite treats in the world.  My mom and sister love their homemade marshmallow-filled chocolates and I never leave without a chocolate covered Oreo for Matt.  But there is one candy that always seemed to me so simple yet so genius and I had to recreate it, the Double Dip Mint.

The Double Dip Mint is really very straight forward.  It is basically like someone took a peppermint patty and then dipped it in milk chocolate.  So instead of one type of chocolate coating, you get two.  So for those of you who haven’t picked sides on milk versus dark, these are perfect for you.  My homemade version might not be quite  as delicious as the specialty treat I’ve been buying for years, but it’s pretty darn close.  Plus, this time of year I’m not heading to the shore so making them myself is necessary.

I worked off of Christina’s peppermint patty recipe and increased the volume so that you could sneak a few for yourself and then gift a dozen to a friend for the holidays.  Feel free to double or triple the recipe as needed!

 

Double Dip Mints (aka Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Patties)
 
This recipe for Double Dip Mints was inspired by one of my favorite candy stores. Homemade milk chocolate dipped peppermint patties are even better than the original candy you are used to!
Makes: 18-20 pieces
Ingredients
  • 240g (~1½ cups) powdered sugar, plus additional for rolling
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) water
  • 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) light corn syrup
  • 2 milliliters (¼- ½ teaspoon) peppermint extract
  • 170g good quality dark chocolate (I like using something 65% cocoa or higher)
  • 227g good quality milk chocolate
  • 42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter or shortening, separated
Instructions
  1. Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and peppermint extract in the large bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed for several minutes, until it forms large clumps
  2. Remove bowl from mixer and use your hands to knead the dough together
  3. Place a sheet of parchment paper (about the size of a baking sheet) on counter and dust with powdered sugar; place dough on top and sprinkle additional powdered sugar on top; top with another piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough out to be about ¼ inch thick; freeze dough (still between parchment paper) for at thirty minutes
  4. Remove dough from freezer and use a round cookie cutter or small glass (I used a shot glass!) to cut circles ~1 ½ inches in diameter; roll out remaining dough scraps and cut out additional circles until almost no dough remains
  5. Chill cut dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in freezer for one hour or up to one day
  6. When ready, take out a clean piece of parchment
  7. Melt dark chocolate and half of butter or shortening in microwave of a double boiler; once completely melted, remove peppermints from freezer and dunk each one and then place on clean parchment paper
  8. Chill peppermint patties in freezer for one hour and repeat dipping process with milk chocolate and remaining butter or shortening; freeze again until completely cooled
  9. Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in freezer up to one month
Notes
Recipe for peppermint patties from Dessert for Two
Inspired by my favorite chocolate candy store

Double Dip Mints - basically chocolate covered peppermint patties!

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peppermint Mocha Brownies

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Mint Cookies & Cream Buttercream Cups

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Thin Mint Ice Cream

Thin Mint Ice Cream

BLUEberry Buttercream Cups

These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats.  They are so easy to make.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

I think I might be a little obsessed with buttercream candy cups now.  First there were the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups and then I made these Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups.  The thing is, this is such an easy dessert to make.  I was able to do all of the work and clean up in the time it took Matt to go to the driving range.  I could have eaten them all and he wouldn’t even have had a clue.  Sometimes that is the best kind of dessert.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

So when I was thinking endlessly of some sort of fancy gender reveal post, I’m glad that it finally occurred to me to make some buttercream cups again.  I still don’t have high energy levels so it’s hard to motivate myself to make anything overly complicated.  Besides, blueberry buttercream plus chocolate – it’s like a gourmet truffle on crack.

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

 

Wait, what? Did I say gender reveal?  The filling might not be super blue (I’m trying to stay away from artificial coloring right now), but it is blue!  And that’s pretty much my favorite color since we found out that we are having a boy a couple of weeks ago! It actually wasn’t a shock, everyone seemed convinced of that a couple of months ago.  If I had been told anything else, I wouldn’t have believed the doctor anyway.  I grew up with a sister so this whole boy world is new and exciting for me.  And besides that, finding out the sex made things feel SO much more real.  We’ve even started looking at furniture and all of the cute room decorations out there.  Seriously, how is everything baby so darn cute?  And Matt?  I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy in the entire 10+ years we’ve been together.  That might be the best part!

BLUEberry Buttercream Cups
 
These Blueberry Buttercream Cups are the perfect no-bake chocolate treats. They are so easy to make.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups Blueberry Buttercream (see below)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

Blueberry Buttercream
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter,  at room temperature
  • 240g (1½ cups) powdered sugar
  • ⅛ cup blueberry puree (made from ¼ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on high speed for several minutes until light and creamy
  2. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar; beat on high speed until combined
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add blueberry puree, vanilla and salt; mix on medium speed for one minute;  beat on high speed for at least five minutes and until frosting is light and creamy; if it appears too thick, continue to beat for another couple of minutes or until it reaches desired consistency

Blueberry Buttercream Cups - the perfect no-bake chocolate treats (gluten-free)

Dear Pottery Barn Kids – you might just be the end of my bank account.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

 

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

 

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.

Steph's Baby Shower

Today’s post is exciting because I’m part of a huge group of blogging ladies celebrating Steph’s virtual baby shower! This sweet and talented blogger is due to have a baby girl in just a few weeks and I am so excited for her. I’ve never met Steph in real life, but through talking online I already know what a kind, friendly and lovely person she is. Not to mention she is writing a delicious looking e-cookbook!

For the virtual shower, I went with one of my favorite party staples, a bite-size pickup dessert. I love small desserts at parties because they give guests the chance to try a little bit of everything. These candy cups are a new variation of the Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups I shared a few weeks ago. This version swaps the filling for a simple vanilla buttercream tinted in pink and perfect for a (girl) baby shower. Of course you could make them blue for a boy as well. I also left out the Oreos this time to keep them gluten-free and Passover appropriate (just in time!). I think this will be a nice treat to share at our seder on Tuesday night. Scroll down to see what treats everyone else is sharing!

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups

 

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups
 
These dark chocolate candy cups are filled with a delicious creamy buttercream. They are a gluten-free, no-bake treat for any occasion.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1½ cups Vanilla Buttercream (replace food coloring with just 2 drops red food coloring); optional
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

 

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups
Don’t forget to take a look at what the other bloggers are bringing to the shower!

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes from Sarcastic Cooking

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake with Lemon Drizzle from Greens & Chocolate

Super Chewy M&M Blondies from The Realistic Nutritionist

Strawberry Cinnamon Twist Knots from A Kitchen Addiction

Lemon Shortbread with Salted Chocolate Drizzle from The Lemon Bowl

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream from A Zesty Bite

Blackberry and Mango Curd Pie from Joanne Eats Well With Others

Pecan Sticky Buns from Warm Vanilla Sugar

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins from Garnish with Lemon

Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Susie Freaking Homemaker

Super Simple Sugar Cookies from Espresso and Cream

Raspberry Acai Frozen Margarita from Nutmeg Nanny

Berry Coconut Frozen Yogurt from The Law Student’s Wife

Pretty in Pink Buttercream Cups from Keep it Sweet Desserts

Broccoli Salad with Honey Toasted Walnuts from The Roasted Root

Neapolitan Baked Doughnuts from Climbing Grier Mountain

Giant Pink M&M and Raisinette Cookies from Steph’s Bite by Bite

No-Bake Rhubarb Cheesecake Parfait Cups from Hungry Girl Por Vida

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from A Cedar Spoon

Freckled Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade from Take a Megabite

Vanilla Anise Cupcakes from Blahnik Baker

Mini Vanilla Bean Layer Cakes from The Baker Chick

Mini Blackberry Hazelnut Meringue Cakes from Eat Your Heart Out

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters

Baby Shower Chocolate Clusters

 

Pink Champagne Pops

Pink Champagne Pops

 

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

Mini Chip Brownie Bites with Pink Marshmallow Buttercream

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Rich dark chocolate candy cups filled with crème de menthe buttercream and crushed oreos.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

I’m not feeling all that great today so I’m going to keep this short.  These candy cups will kind of win over anyone who loves a little 2-bite treat.  My mom, while a buttercream lover, isn’t usually a fan of mint desserts and loved these.  I’m currently coming up with many excuses to make other versions and flavors.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Plus, I actually had some extra buttercream in the freezer so these were super easy to make.  Plus they are cute.  Plus you can pop one in your mouth whenever you have a sweet tooth.  Plus they are killer for chocolate cravings.

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups
 
Rich dark chocolate candy cups filled with crème de menthe buttercream and crushed oreos.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 227 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7g (1/2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Crème de Menthe Buttercream
  • ¾ cup finely crushed Oreos (from 6 Oreos)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge
  4. Combine buttercream with Oreo crumbs in an electric mixer with paddle attachment or with a spoon
  5. Remove pan from fridge and pipe buttercream into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon)
  6. Spoon melted chocolate over buttercream and around edges so that coated on all sides
  7. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

 

Mint Cookies and Cream Buttercream Cups

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Thin Mint Ice Cream

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M&M Kit Kat Cake {Appreciation Post}

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY, MATT!!!!!

Surprise 30th Birthday Party

Above photo from his surprise party this past Saturday night

A couple of weeks ago, Amanda over at i am baker suggested a day where bloggers write a significant other appreciation post.  Since she happened to pick Matt’s birthday, I figured it was the perfect excuse to participate.  Scroll down for some fun Q&A with my husband.

MandM Kit Kat Cake - quite the showstopper and easier than you would think!

To Matt- Whew, 30.  It seems like just yesterday we were meeting for the first time.  Me at the ripe old age of 19, you at the much older age of 20.  I remember the first time we met, thinking you were so cute.  Then the second time we met, when you didn’t remember me.  I tried to be cool and pretend like I didn’t remember you either.  I tried not to like you.  We all see how that worked out.

I’d like to say that I can’t believe we made it here, as real (or almost real) live adults.  But that would be a lie.  I knew from the start that I wanted to be with someone like you long-term.  I just didn’t know I’d be lucky enough to end up with you. 

This past Saturday night we celebrated your birthday.  You, me, your closest friends, and most of our family.  It made me happy to see you so happy.  I hope that party showed you in some small way how much I appreciate you. 

So let’s celebrate YOU today.  We might not have any cake left, but I think this post and a fancy dinner will do.

MandM Kit Kat Cake - quite the showstopper and easier than you would think!

I took Amanda’s questions and did a little face-to-face interview with Matt.  Here is what went down.

Lauren: What is my favorite blog called?

Matt:  Young Married Chic or Bakerella or the one you get the swiss meringue buttercream from (Sweetapolita).  I don’t even think you have a favorite blog, fyi.  Note from L – I probably don’t have a favorite blog but it was impressive that he at least remembered two names of other blogs!

L: What is my favorite prop?

M: Prop? For what?

L: Photography

M:  The coffee table.  It’s the background to every picture you take.  Note from L- should I take that as a hint?

L: What is the weirdest thing you have seen me do for a blog post?

M:  Weird?

L: If you could have your own blog what would you call it?

M: I had a blog for about four weeks.  I wasn’t that enthusiastic about it.  I really enjoyed the act of eating, more than waiting to eat while taking a picture of the food. The blog  was called Matt Eats Food.

L: What do you do for a living and what are your hobbies?

M:  I’m a numbers guy and I like to play golf every chance I get.

L: Who does the dishes?

M: How do you define “doing the dishes”?  If it is actually emptying the dishwasher, then it’s Lauren, but if you define it as actually putting things away after they’ve been emptied from the dishwasher, then it is me.  Note from L- some things need to dry before putting them away, just saying. 

L: What is your favorite recipe from my blog?

M: I liked the Black Bottom Ice Cream Cupcakes, the Meyer Lemon Shortbread Bars, and the Blueberry Pretzel Clusters.   I also liked the Blueberry Blintz Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes and the Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars.  Note from L- I gave him some help with the titles.

L: What do you wish I would post about?

M: Steak, garlic mashed potatoes, chicken parm, and your top ten favorite golf courses.

L: Anything else you want to tell my blog readers?

M: I’m really impressed with how many close friends you’ve made through blogging and how nice so many of the people out there are.  That being said, there are some real crazy ones, too.

MandM Kit Kat Cake - quite the showstopper and easier than you would think!

Finally, the cake.  I first saw the M&M Kit Kat Cake on Lori’s blog a couple of years ago.  M&Ms and Kit Kats just happen to be Matt’s favorite candies (Crunch bars and then Twix being next in line), so I knew that it would be the perfect thing for a special occasion.  Saving this cake for his surprise party seemed to be the right choice because guests were oohing and ahhhing at it like crazy.  Little did they know the cake was extremely easy to put together.  I used one of my favorite yellow cake recipes (double the cupcake recipe and bake in 9-inch round cake pans) and Sweetapolita’s perfect whipped chocolate buttercream (you can halve the chocolate frosting ingredients).  The result was a show-stopping cake that tasted pretty amazing.  I can’t tell you how many people asked if I really made that cake (Maybe my friends forget what I do for a living).

Want to see some of the other significant other appreciation posts?

And don’t you worry, more surprise party details coming soon!

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

I took a perfect brown butter cookie dough and added chopped pieces of some of my favorite candies: Peanut Butter Cups and Heath Bars.  Topped with flaky sea salt, these chewy cookies might just become your new favorite recipe!

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Before I get to these crazy good cookies, I just wanted to mention that Keep it Sweet Desserts is up for an American Made Award for the second year.  Last year we did really well, this year I’m determined to do better!  You can VOTE up to SIX times DAILY!  I’d really appreciate your votes and sharing with friends.  The winner will be selected based on VOTES and will be honored at the American Made workshop in October.  On top of that, Keep It Sweet Desserts would get $10,000 to help grow the business, it couldn’t get much better than that.

“American Made is a movement founded by Martha Stewart that spotlights the maker, supports the local, and celebrates the handmade. It’s made up of people and communities who have turned their passion for quality craftsmanship and well-designed goods into a way of life.”

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Okay, back to important things like brown butter.

I made these cookies a few weeks ago.  And let me tell you, baking with brown butter when you are on a pre-vacation diet is torture.  I’ve gotten used to my usual recipes for the business, but when I try something new, and it incorporates all of the things I love about a cookie, it is self-cruelty at its finest.

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

They are chewy on the inside and just slightly crisp on the outside (you need to make sure you get that light brown color for the crisp).  Chunks of Heath and Peanut Butter Cups, flaky sea salt… really, I don’t need to say more.

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies
 
I took a perfect brown butter cookie dough and added chopped pieces of some of my favorite candies: Peanut Butter Cups and Heath Bars. Topped with flaky sea salt, these chewy cookies might just become your new favorite recipe!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 large cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅞ ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 5½ ounces (2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 x-large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (~1 cup) Heath Bars, roughly chopped
  • 4½ ounces (~3/4 cup) Peanut Butter Cups, roughly chopped
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in chopped candy
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake,pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) on to prepared baking sheets
  9. Bake cookies until firm: 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown
  10. Allow to cool before serving
Notes

 

Peanut Butter Cup Heath Bar Brown Butter Cookies

And if you missed it, be sure to check out the announcement of our brand new flavors before they are even available to the public!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Sweet & Salty Party Cookies for a Virtual Bridal Shower

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies. aka Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies.  Nothing less for my lovely friend, Christina!

Christina Bridal Shower (4)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

For those of you who don’t know her, Christina is the incredibly sweet blogger behind Dessert for Two.  She is getting married soon and since she is such an amazing example of what a blogger should be, I knew we needed to celebrate.  Krissy put together the pretty invitation and from there it wasn’t hard to get a group of bloggers to agree.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’ve been emailing with Christina forever, but got to meet her in person when she came as my plus-one to a Foodbuzz Festival event last fall. She was just as awesome in person as she is on her blog. We even talked about her relationship with the Mr. and I could tell that an engagement was right around the corner:-)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’m so incredibly happy for her and can not wait to hear all about their fabulous wedding.  I just know there will be incredible food, lots of drinking and a whole lot of people there to celebrate a wonderful couple.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure she is going to be one beautiful bride.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Want to know what else everyone else brought to the party?  Check out the delicious dishes that the other bloggers contributed for Christina’s Virtual Bridal Shower!

Strawberry Macarons from Krissy
White Wedding Cake Cupcakes from Julie
Mini  “I Do”-nuts from Tara
Moon Pie Cupcakes from Madison
Whiskey Walnut Blondies from Jenna
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles from Joanne
Lemon Cupcakes with Sweet Tea Frosting from Kristan
Chocolate Covered Cheerios from Shelly
Mini Coconut Cream Pies from Megan

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
 
Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~40 cookies
Ingredients
  • 9.25 ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 8.25 ounces (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 3.75 ounces granulated sugar (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) milk chocolate almond Hershey kisses (about 35), roughly chopped (can be substituted with chopped milk chocolate and unsalted almonds)
  • 2.5 ounces (1½ cups) caramel corn (I used Popcorn Indiana) + ¼ cup additional
  • Sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipat and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, table salt and baking soda; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula; add egg, egg yolk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well-combined
  5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture just until combined; stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with spatula
  6. On low speed, add in kisses and all but ¼ cup of additional caramel corn
  7. Use a medium cookie dough scoop and place scoops of cookie dough on prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart; press the additional caramel corn into top of dough and sprinkle each with sea salt
  8. Bake cookies 11-12 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown
  9. Set aside to cool; best results if eaten same day (caramel corn begins to get a little stale) and store in an airtight container

 

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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The best sweet and salty cookies!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

The best M&M Cookies!!!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

I have so much I want to say and tell you about what is going on here at Keep It Sweet Desserts, but my thoughts are coming through in a pretty chaotic stream of consciousness so I’ll hold off until things calm down a bit!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

For now, though, I can say, I am SO happy I planned ahead and sent out my Food Blogger Cookie Swap packages early this year.  If I had waited, my cookies would have been who knows what and my photos rushed and blah.  I took these photos a few weeks ago when I was enamored with the wonderful chew in the cookie and fragrant aroma coming out of my kitchen.  For the swap, I wanted to make something that combined some of my favorite elements of a cookie, chew and salt.  While the brown butter flavor was only slightly apparent in the final product, the texture of these cookies and overall taste more than made up for that.  I sent my cookies to Angie, Crystal, and Michelle, I just hope they agreed!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

And of course I enjoyed receiving cookies in the mail for myself (such a nice change of pace!) from some wonderful bloggers.  Caroline (who I already adore) made wonderful florentines.  I was so impressed that she packaged them without them breaking at all!  Felice sent great Rosemary Lemon Shortbread cookies, the smell was amazing!  And finally, I got some terrific Cherry Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies from Cher.  What better way to find new blogs than by exchanging cookies?!

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen medium-sized cookies or 1 dozen large cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅞ ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 5½ ounces (2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 x-large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup M&Ms
  • Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and set aside to cool
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with sugars; beat on high speed until well combined
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium speed until well mixed
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in M*Ms
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake,pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with a medium (~2 tablespoons) or large (~4 tablespoons) cookie dough scoop on to prepared baking sheets
  9. Bake cookies until firm: 7-8 minutes for medium and 9-10 minutes for large
  10. Allow to cool before serving

 
Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Oh, and want to know what’s keeping me busy lately?  Mostly this, a ton of this, and quite a bit of this.  Yes, I may or may not be turning into an actual baked good.

Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Gluten-Free Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

1 week. 7 days.  Some amount of hours that does not feel like enough.

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

That’s how much time there is until Thanksgiving.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited for the holiday, but boy did things get crazy really fast!  It seems like just yesterday I was in the summer lull and just like that I’m organizing and delegating (SO thankful for family members who like to help!) for Thanksgiving dinner all the while coordinating hundreds of corporate orders to go out over the next 30 or so days.

My current mantra: do anything and everything possible ahead of time. If I had the space, I’d have all of my UPS boxes made and piled for the mass exodus that will be taking place in the form of Fudgy Caramel Pecan Brownies.  I’ve even started chopping the gazillion pounds of chocolate that will be transformed into Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cookies and so on. I actually thought I was so smart to pull out the food processor to help but when it started to smell like fire I decided that chopping would be my arm workout for the day.  If there is one added benefit to being super busy that I didn’t expect, it would be the fact that I don’t actually have to workout because this job can be extremely physically demanding.

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Anyway, back to my main point, getting ahead.  I have a gazillion amazing desserts planned for our Thanksgiving dinner (between my mom and I there might be more desserts than people), but I’m definitely trying to get some done in advance and sneak them into my day when I have a few free moments.  That is where these No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars come in!  They took almost no time to make (oh, except for that chopped chocolate that you know I love…), and once they are done you can stick them in the freezer until the day you want to eat them.  Not all holiday desserts have to be complicated!

5.0 from 1 reviews
No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24-48 servings depending on desired size (I cut them into small pieces to compliment the rest of the dessert spread!)
Ingredients
  • 6½ ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
  • 5½ cups Rice Krispies
  • ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup toffee bits
Instructions
  1. Line a 13x9 baking pan with tin foil and set aside
  2. Pour Rice Krispies into a large bowl and set aside
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt together chopped chocolates (not chips), corn syrup and butter, stirring constantly until combined
  4. Remove from heat and pour over Rice Krispies; use a spatula to combine
  5. Add chocolate chips and toffee bits and combine
  6. Spread mixture into lined pan and pack down using the back of the spatula
  7. Cover pan and place in refrigerator to chill for at least four hours
  8. Once chilled, remove foil from pan and slice into squares to serve
  9. Store tightly in a cool place up to two days or wrap and freeze until the day of
Notes
Slightly adapted from Nigella Kitchen
If making these gluten-free, check that all of your ingredients are specifically marked as such.

 

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Looking for other EASY desserts to add to your holiday menu?

Easy Low Fat Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Apple Cinnamon Blondies

Chewy Ginger Cookies {Gluten-Free}

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Six Fun and Easy Ice Cream Desserts

White Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Treats

22 Easy Desserts That Make You Seem Like a Pro

Chewy Gooey Cinnamon Toffee Blondies

And of course, that is where I can help!

No-Bake Rice Krispie Toffee Fudge Candy Bars

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

The fudgiest blondies loaded with everyone’s favorite sweet and salty candies.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

When I asked my Father-in-Law what he wanted for his birthday dessert, his only request was chocolate covered pretzels.  Sweet and salty, who doesn’t love those?

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

But come on, it is a birthday dessert!  And since chocolate covered pretzels are what I make as an afterthought when I have extra melted chocolate, I just had to make something else.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

So I threw together something else sweet and salty that required just a little more time and effort than the pretzels (of course I made those too) and was thrilled with the result.  What I love about blondies is how flexible they can be.  You can load them up with whatever you are in the mood for.  Since Halloween is just a couple of weeks away, these would be the perfect way to use up any extra candy or the inevitable post-holiday candy sale purchases.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies
 
The fudgiest gooey blondies loaded with everyone's favorite sweet and salty candies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-16 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 12⅜ ounces (1½ cups packed) light brown sugar
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 x-large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
  • ½ cup M&Ms
  • ⅓ cup chopped Heath Bars (~8 minis)
  • ¼ cup Reese's Pieces (I used mini but regular sized would work, too)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly; remove from heat and set aside when butter is completely melted
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder; set aside
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla; whisk in butter and sugar mixture
  5. Whisk in flour mixture until almost combined and then fold in any remaining crumbs with a spatula
  6. Fold in peanuts and candy until evenly distributed throughout batter
  7. Pour into prepared baking pan
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  9. Set aside to cool before cutting
Notes
Blondies will stay fresh for several days if wrapped or packaged in an air-tight container.  They also freeze incredibly well, just wrap them tightly in tin foil.

 

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Spring Cleaning Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover’s Bark

Spring Cleaning Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Bark

One week down and I’m feeling really good about this working from home thing.  I’m sure that some of the beginner’s high will die down after a while, but I’m glad to be off to such a productive start!  Sure, I might have left out half of the baking soda in a cookie recipe and taken a batch of brownies out of the pan when they were still warm and too fragile to move, but it can’t all be perfect.  The upside (or downside?) of baking mistakes is that I get to eat those batches.  Hmm, maybe I need to be a bit more careful or I’m going to have to start doing INSANITY multiple times a day!

Spring Cleaning Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Bark

Speaking of baking mistakes, it seems that any time I make anything that requires melted chocolate for dipping I melt double or triple the chocolate I need.  A couple of weeks ago I found myself with a big bowl of melted chocolate and didn’t want it to go to waste.  I quickly flipped through my drawers and found a few bags of candy that were due to be used up.  Lots of chocolate and lots of peanut butter but not too much for some candy fun!  You can find the recipe for this highly addictive Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover’s Bark on Fox!

Spring Cleaning Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Bark

Oh, and an exciting heads up!  The new website should be up by Monday so keep an eye out for the blog move.  I’ll be keeping everyone updated via Twitter and Facebook, but any RSS or e-mail subscribers are going to have to re-subscribe once the move is complete.

M&M Cookie Dough Cups

MandM Cookie Dough Cups (egg-free!)

Some things are too delicious not to share.

These M&M Cookie Dough Cups had the potential to be perfectly done and pretty, but my impatience got the best of me and most of the cups ended up jagged and a little funny looking.  Luckily they tasted so good I forgot how funky looking they were while I was eating them!  Next time I’ll take my time to get a prettier productSmile

MandM Cookie Dough Cups (egg-free!)

M&M Cookie Dough Cups
Makes ~16 cups

Ingredients:
16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup M&Ms

Directions:
Prepare chocolate cups: Line muffin tins with paper cup holders and set aside.  Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between
Once chocolate is completely melted, paint a layer on the inside of each paper cup holder with a paintbrush or the back of a spoon; the thicker the chocolate layer, the easier it will be to peel your paper
Set chocolate cups aside to cool in fridge and prepare cookie dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for a few minutes or until light and fluffy; add vanilla and beat for another minute
Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir in flour on low speed until combined; stir in M&Ms
Set cookie dough aside
Carefully remove paper liners from chocolate cups; scoop cookie dough into each cup using an ice cream scoop
Store cookie dough cups in fridge until ready to serve

 

MandM Cookie Dough Cups (egg-free!)

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

Did you know that brown butter smells like heaven?

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

Yup, it pretty much does. But then again, so do fresh baked cookies, the combination of melted butter and chocolate, and homemade caramel.

Matt referred to our apartment as a fudgery recently, and although I don’t actually make fudge, the meaning behind his comment was true.  We live in an endless supply of  baked goods.  I’m convinced that whoever rents our apartment after us will wonder why their home smells like chocolate.  Maybe they should pay extra for that.

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

But I digress.  This weekend was full of a baking marathon unlike any I’ve had in a while.  I’m trying to get a little ahead of schedule on desserts for the blog, but now I have a dozen recipes that I want to share with you IMMEDIATELY.

Guess I now have something else to keep my mouth shut about.

But in the spectrum of those desserts, the one that was iced with a frosting that smelled like heaven seemed the most pressing to share.  These brown sugar-based blondies are dense and chewy, filled with one of my favorite candies for baking and topped with a frosting that might put you in a butter-loving coma.  You’re welcome.

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting
Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting
Serves 12

Blondies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate toffee bits or finely chopped heath bars

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,  browned and chilled for an hour*
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

To Make the Blondies:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter and set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy
Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined
Stir in the flour mixture just until combined
Stir in the candy pieces
Bread batter into prepared baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center; do not over-bake
Set aside to cool and prepare frosting

To Make the Frosting:
When brown butter is chilled, beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until light and creamy
Slowly add the remaining ingredients alternating 1/3 of sugar, 1/2 of milk, 1/3 of sugar, remaining 1/2 of milk and remaining 1/3 of sugar
Turn up the speed and mix until the frosting is light and creamy
Spread over cooled blondies
Store blondies in refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving

Notes:
*To brown the butter, heat it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately.  You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter
Frosting adapted from Southern Living Magazine

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

And just to keep you excited for what is to come, this isn’t even the baked good that Matt claimed to be the “Best.Dessert.Ever.”

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies for a Virtual Cookie Swap

Chewy cookies with bits of toffee and chunks of almond filled Hershey’s Kisses

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies

There are some cookies that I can eat just one of*, but there are others where I can’t stop going back for more.  Those are the cookies that are so addicting as soon as I come up for a breathe, they have disappeared**.

*Complete lie unless said cookie is the size of my head

**That is what happens when you stuff your face

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies

These cookies fall into the latter category. Well, obviously because the first category does not exist in my world.  The other reason is that these cookies are chewy, sweet (but not too sweet), and have a mix of melt in your mouth milk chocolate and toffee, almond crunch balance.  Does that even make any sense?  Probably not, but we shouldn’t get bogged down with details here.  These cookies are just good.  And so good, that I feel a little guilty using them for a virtual cookie swap.  It just isn’t right to tease someone through the computer screen.

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies

However, knowing that Rachel and others are doing the same thing to me, teasing me with sugary buttery deliciousness, I don’t feel too  bad.  You shouldn’t either.  Instead, pay a visit to the Virtual Cookie Swap at the Avid Appetite and schedule yourself some time in the kitchen.

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Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup toffee bits
  • 1 cup chopped Almond Hershey Kisses (~30 kisses)

Directions:

  • Lightly chop Hershey’s Kisses; set aside
  • Combine flour with the other dry ingredients and whisk together; set aside
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  • Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients
  • Stir in chocolate pieces and toffee into batter
  • Chill dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight
  • Once ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
  • Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges
  • Allow to cool before serving

Adapted from these Doughy Chocolate Chunk Cookies [/print_this]

Milk Chocolate Almond and Toffee Cookies

And finally for the Duncan Hines cake mix winners! 

I used a random number generator to pick two winners:

#50 – Kelli who said “great trifle idea! always looking for different variations. can’t wait to try this!”

#77 – Chris M. who said “thanks. Love to try these products for my girlfriend”

Kelli and Chris- send me an email at keepitsweetlcl at gmail dot com and I’ll mail you the coupons!

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Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

I had big baking plans for last night, but with the temperature around 90 degrees, turning on the oven just seemed wrong.  A no-bake dessert probably would have been a good solution, but Matt has been asking me to make chocolate almond butter for a few weeks now.  It shouldn’t have taken so long to get to it because homemade nut butter is so easy to make, but I get lazy sometimes!

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

Not sure if I mentioned this on the blog, but we have a never-ending stock of Hershey’s Kisses in the apartment.  Dark chocolate kisses and milk chocolate kisses with almonds to be exact.  I use them every chance I get and probably will continue to do so until they are gone.

Hershey Kisses

By the way, do you know how good a 10-pound bag of Hershey Kisses smells?  I wish we had a hiding place for the chocolate because it is haunting my senses!

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

Anyway, I put a handful of Kisses to good use in this Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter.  It worked out well because the nut butter is creamy and chocolaty, but not overly sweet. I love using it on sliced banana, over ice cream or even by the spoonful.  Now that I think about it, Matt better act fast or I may eat the jar before he gets a chance!

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

To make the nut butter, grind almonds in food processor until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides every minute or so

almonds 1 almonds 2

Once creamy and wet, add vanilla and melted chocolate

melted chocolateadd chocolate and vanilla

Blend until completely combined

done

Store in an old nut butter jar or tupperwear

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter[print_this]

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

Yield: Makes ~1 cup or 16 tablespoons of almond butter

Ingredients

  • 2 cups salted roasted almonds
  • 12 dark chocolate Hershey Kisses, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

  1. Grind almonds in food processor until creamy, stopping to scrape the sides every minute or so
  2. Once creamy and wet, add vanilla and melted chocolate
  3. Blend until completely combined
  4. Store in a jar or tupperware at room temperature for up to a month

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Inspired by Oh She Glows

Dark Chocolate Kissed Almond Butter

What do you think I should do with all these Hershey’s Kisses?

Oreo Mallow Clusters

Oreo Mallow Clusters

Happy Mother’s Day to all of my mom and soon-to-be mom friends! I hope that all of you had a great weekend.  I spent a lot of time in the kitchen but also a lot of time outside.  The sunny and  warm weather makes me so happy.  Yesterday I got to take a long walk along the water with a good friend.  We caught up on life and it was wonderful.  Today we celebrated Mother’s Day by grilling and eating outside with family.  The fresh air is like free therapy.

Oreo Mallow Clusters

After the last chocolate cluster recipe I made, I knew I wanted to make another version.  They are so easy to whip up and so delicious.  Who doesn’t love homemade candy filled with delicious mix-ins?  So in the midst of a baking marathon, I made some Oreo Mallow Clusters in a matter of minutes.  They are milk chocolate clusters filled with Oreos and marshmallows (or in my case Peeps).  And you know what? Huge success.  It figures that this 10-minute recipe turned out so much better than an overly complicated dessert I also made.

Oreo Mallow Clusters

To make these, you will need some broken up Oreos

oreos

And chopped up Peeps (sorry bunnies)

peeps 2

And of course milk chocolate

milk chocolate 1

Just melt your chocolate

milk chocolate 2

Stir in the mix-ins

all ingredientsall ingredients 2

And drop clusters onto wax paper

clusters 1

Chill in the refrigerator

Recipe for Oreo Mallow Clusters

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Oreo Mallow Clusters

Ingredients (Makes 15 clusters)

  • 12 ounces high-quality milk chocolate
  • 1 1/3 cups Oreo chunks (~8 Oreos)
  • 2 cups chopped Peeps (~8 Peeps) or marshmallows

Instructions

  • Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring in-between
  • Once chocolate is completely melted, add Oreos and Peeps and stir until completely coated
  • Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
  • Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm
  • Store chocolates in a cool place for up to 7 days

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Recipe for Oreo Mallow Clusters

P.S. The above picture was taken with my Dad’s DSLR, what an amazing quality difference!  I am FINALLY getting one and hopefully my blog will be prettier very soon.

How was your weekend?  Is the weather getting better where you live?

3 Reasons to Make Truffles

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

I had a huge problem on Saturday.

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

There was almost an entire pint of organic heavy whipping cream in my fridge and it was about to expire.

chopped white chocolate 1

The horror!

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

But I prevailed.  I went through cookbooks and blogs searching for the perfect recipe to experiment with.  Whipped cream, ganache, caramel… for some reason I just wasn’t moved.

chopped chocolate 1

But then I saw some truffles and realized a few things:

1) Truffles might be one of the easiest desserts to make

2) Truffles are fun to make

3) Truffles are kosher for Passover!!!!!

Chocolate, cream and butter.  No flour, no baking powder, nothing like that.  I actually see truffles as an un-Passover Passover dessert.

chopped chocolate 3

I’ve experimented in the past with ingredients like potato flour and matzo meal, but those desserts often have an “off” flavor.  The problem with trying to replicate a normal dessert and make it work for the holiday is that it will never come close.  Desserts that are kosher to begin with, those are the ones to go with.  Flourless chocolate cake- yes.  Kosher-for-Passover chocolate chip cookies- not so much.

chopped white chocolate 2

Granted, some of the toppings I used aren’t actually acceptable for those who follow Passover strictly (for example, peanuts aren’t kosher for Passover), but they can easily be modified to be so.

Start by putting your heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low-medium heat

cream 1

Bring the cream to a light boil and add chocolate

boiling cream

melting chocolate 1

Remove  saucepan from heat and whisk in chocolate until completely melted

melting chocolate 2

When well-combined, whisk in butter until smooth

add butter

Then, chill mixture in refrigerator for two hours or until it is firm

ganache done

Use a small teaspoon or small ice cream scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles approximately the size of thumb-tip

toppings2

Dip each truffle into topping of choice

making truffles 2

Store finished truffles in refrigerator for up to a week

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

Chocolate Truffles
Yield: Makes ~20 truffles

Ingredients
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
5 ounces chopped chocolate, any type*
2 ounces unsalted butter, softened at room temperature*
1/2 cup topping of choice

Cooking Directions
Start by putting your heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over low-medium heat
Bring the cream to a light boil and add chocolate
Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in chocolate until completely melted
When well-combined, whisk in butter until smooth
Then, chill mixture in refrigerator for two hours or until it is firm
Once firm, use a small teaspoon or small ice cream scoop to form small ball-shaped truffles (approximately the size of thumb-tip)
Dip each truffle into topping of choice
Store finished truffles in refrigerator for up to a week

Notes:
Source: Lindt Chocolate Passion Recipe Book
*When using white chocolate, do not add butter
My flavor/topping combinations were dark chocolate + chopped peanuts, milk chocolate + unsweetened cocoa powder, and white chocolate + non pereils

Chocolate Truffles - 3 ways!  a rich chocolate treat that happens to be gluten-free

What would you use to coat your truffles?

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

There is a place at the Jersey Shore (not that Jersey Shore) that sells the most amazing chocolates.  Every summer I look forward to a few trips for chocolate clusters filled with high quality fillings like caramel, nuts and marshmallows.  On a good day, my grandfather will leave a box of them out in the kitchen with a knife.  (Calories don’t count when you cut off a little piece each time you walk by)  Without a doubt, by the end of the day, the box would be empty.

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

Jagielky’s has an incredible variety of chocolates with unique items like Double Dip Mints, essentially peppermint patties dipped in ANOTHER layer of chocolate – milk on dark or dark on milk.  A couple of summers ago they started selling chocolate covered blueberries.  These were large clusters of blueberries coated with a wonderful rich dark chocolate.  It is heaven biting into the creamy dark chocolate and then having a huge blueberry burst in your mouth.  Unfortunately, the chocolate covered blueberries are so popular that they are often sold out by the afternoon.

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

A few times I considered making my own but didn’t get around to it until now.  And rather than stick with just the basic chocolate and blueberry mix, I added pretzel pieces to mine.  These Blueberry Pretzel Clusters have a wonderful balance of sweet and salty flavors in addition to the contrast in textures from the crunchy pretzels, the juicy berries and the creamy chocolate.  With the right dark chocolate, you can create a rich high quality candy.

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

Put these clusters out for your friends but make a secret stash for yourself because you will crave them once they disappear.  Just be sure to refrigerate the chocolates so that the berries don’t spoil.

Start with some of your favorite dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (I used Trader Joe’s 72%)

dark chocolate

Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in-between; once chocolate is completely melted, add blueberries and pretzel pieces

add blueberries and pretzels

Stir to coat berries and pretzels completely

blueberries and pretzels mixed in 1

Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

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Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

Makes 14 clusters

Ingredients:

  • 9 ounces high-quality dark chocolate
  • 3/4 cup salted pretzel pieces
  • 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

Instructions

  • Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring in-between
  • Once chocolate is completely melted, add blueberries and pretzel pieces and stir until completely coated
  • Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper
  • Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm

Notes:
Store chocolates in refrigerator for up to 3 days[/print_this]

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

What is your favorite chocolate candy?

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

You know I have a weakness for holiday candy.

peeps

These weren’t even on sale but I had to buy them.  My sister pointed out how pretty the color was and I agreed.  Plus, when was the last time I had a Peep? Trust me, it’s been too long.  Never mind the fact that I don’t celebrate Easter.  Details.  Candy is candy and when it comes in pretty colors it doesn’t matter what religion you are.

making cookie 8

So after picking up a few packages of Peeps, I realized I didn’t actually want to eat them.  I wanted to take advantage of the innocent marshmallow candies and use them in something so gooey and delicious you would forget that you were deprived of baskets full of chocolates, jelly beans and stuffed animals every spring as a child.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

But I digress.  After buying these lovely little Peeps, I decided I wanted to put them inside of a cookie.  Jenny has already showed us that there are no limits when it comes to stuffing cookies, so why not?  And what would go well with warm chocolate chip cookies filled with gooey melty marshmallows?  A crunchy salty pretzel of course.  That is how I came up with these Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

I was so excited about this cookie idea that I didn’t even bother to make my own cookie dough.  There is a time and a place for Nestle pre-made cookie dough and this is one of those times.  Using the pre-made dough makes these so easy that within 25 minutes you will find yourself licking melted chocolate and sticky melted Peeps off of your fingers.  When was the last time you ate a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven?  If you can’t remember, do it now.  And stuff it with a Peep and a pretzel.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

To make these cookies, start with a layer of cookie dough (about an ice cream scoop’s worth)

making cookie 1

Top that dough with a mini salted pretzel and push it into the dough

making cookie 2

Top the pretzel with a Peep

making cookie 3

Take a heaping scoop of cookie dough and top the Peep

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Use your hands to mold the dough around the Peep and pretzel, making sure the filling is completely covered with dough; It will look like a large egg-shaped cookie

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a CrunchOoey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Place cookies at about 3 inches apart (further than as seen here!) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a CrunchOoey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Allow to cool for a couple minutes and dig in

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

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Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Ingredients (Makes 1 dozen X-large cookies)

  • 2 packages chocolate chip cookie dough (16.5 ounces each)
  • 1 package Peeps (should have 12 peeps)
  • 1 dozen mini salted pretzels

Instructions

  • Start with a layer of cookie dough (about an ice cream scoop’s worth)
  • Top that dough with a mini salted pretzel and push it into the dough
  • Top the pretzel with a Peep
  • Take a heaping scoop of cookie dough and top the Peep
  • Use your hands to mold the dough around the peep and pretzel, making sure the filling is completely covered with dough; It will look like a large egg-shaped cookie
  • Place cookies at about 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges
  • Allow to cool for a couple minutes and dig in

Notes:

Make sure the dough is very cold; it will be easier to handle this way

These would be amazing topped with ice cream when they are straight out of the oven

Don’t be afraid to make a mess; it is SO worth it

I ate 2 cookies when they were still melting and barely ready to come off of the pan. They may be the size of my head, but hey, 2 cookies is still 2 cookies;-)[/print_this]

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch disappearing cookie 8

What is your favorite Easter candy? I love the big milk chocolate Hershey’s eggs with the candy shell.

*The Hot Blondies Giveaway is open through Wednesday (4/6)  at midnight (est)*

Twix Gone Wrong

For Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun for Matt and me to make a homemade version of one of his favorite candies, Twix Bars.  I’d seen a ton of great-looking recipes around the blog world and thought it would be a good idea to take ideas from them but make my own version.  You can see different examples of homemade Twix Bars on Mangio Da Sola, Hoosier Homemade, Chocolate and Carrots, and Not Without Salt.

I started with the Mangio Da Sola shortbread crust, easy enough

shortbread crust

I thought that using packaged caramels would be a really easy shortcut for the middle layer; I guess I forgot how hard they get so quickly

caramels

Topped the caramel with salt, because I am kind of obsessed with that combination

caramel salt layer

And then melted milk chocolate; here you really can’t go wrong

chocolate layer

The first problem was getting the bars out of the pan; the shortbread was too crumbly and cutting through the caramel was tough

done 1

I think a foil-lined pan would have been better

done 8

These would have been so much better with a layer of caramel sauce or filling, instead of melted caramel candies (unless breaking a tooth is your goal)

done 5

We tried to eat them but it just wasn’t worth it, I may have eaten the entire layer of milk chocolate off the top… wasting chocolate is just wrong!

done 6

Have you had any desserts gone wrong recently?

How do You Define the Perfect Cookie?

Who doesn’t like a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie?  No one I know.  At the same time, if you put 100 people together in a room and had them each describe their perfect chocolate chip cookie, you would get 100 different answers.  My dad, for one, LOVES crispy cookies.  He likes to bite into a chocolate chip cookie and have it crunch and crumble inside his mouth.  My mom would take half-baked if you had them.  Who needs to wait for cookies to bake and cool when you can take them out of the oven after a few minutes when they are gooey, warm and delicious?  My sister will take her cookie and eat around the chocolate chips (who is she?).  And the Husband, he is happy as long as you give him a glass of milk to dunk into.

cookies 5

I am somewhere in between.  While I don’t love extra crispy cookies, I can recognize their appeal.  And really, who can resist warm and melty cookie dough?!  There is a time and a place for all forms of chocolate chip cookies, and yes that includes a plain old Chips Ahoy in times of desperation.

However, right now, I am on a quest to reinvent the most delicious chocolate chip cookie I have ever had.  Every year someone sends the most amazing cookies to our office, and let me tell you, I don’t eat office treats unless I think they are really worth it.  These cookies, worth it.  They are dense and chewy with the perfect hint of salt and a lot of chocolate chips.  Something about them is so addicting.  I’ll go into the kitchen and grab one, because look at me, I can eat just one cookie.  But about two seconds after I take that last bite, I am back for more, because who am I kidding, I can’t eat just one cookie.

baked 2

On my way to figuring out a recipe to recreate this “perfect” cookie, I found something quite different, but quite tasty.  These Doughy Chocolate Chunk Cookies are about as addicting.  To me, they exemplify the flavors of freshly mixed cookie dough in baked cookie form.  Moist, chewy, doughy and slightly underbaked with the perfect amount of big chocolate chunks.  I used Christmas colored dark chocolate M&M’s to give them a festive appeal and chunks of milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses for the sweet contrast.  Any form of chocolate chip would work just as well.

kisses and M&Ms

To begin, lightly chop your Kisses and set aside

chopped kisses

Combine flour with the other dry ingredients

dry ingredients

Whisk together and set aside

whisked dry ingredients

Next, combine the butter and sugars until light and fluffy

butter and sugars

Then, add your eggs and vanilla and combine well

add eggs

Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients

adding dry ingredients

Scrape your bowl a couple of times to make sure flour is fully mixed in

dry ingred mixed in

Stir chocolate pieces into your batter

adding chocolate

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnightchocolate mixed in

Use a cookie dough scoop or tablespoon for cookies

scooped

Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

dough on sheet 1

Once done, allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack

cookies on rack 2

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Doughy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate M&M’s

1 cup milk Hershey’s Kisses, lightly chopped

Directions:

Lightly chop Hershey’s Kisses; set aside

Combine flour with the other dry ingredients and whisk together; set aside

Next, combine the butter and sugars; beat well until light and fluffy

Then, add your eggs and vanilla and combine well

Reduce the speed of your mixer to low and gradually add in the dry ingredients

Stir chocolate pieces into your batter

Chill your dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight

Once ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper

Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges; cookies will not change color much

Set the cookies aside on cooling racks

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cookies 9

Any tips for me on making this “perfect” cookie? I am having trouble finding that dense chewy texture that was so enjoyable.

Mix and Match Chocolate Candy Bars

Often in the blog world, I find really exciting new foods that are much more expensive than their regular counterparts.  Sometimes I give in, but usually I remind myself that spending $15 plus for nut butter is a little bit insane.   Ahem, unless they come to me as gifts:-) However, there are occasions when I realize I can make the same item myself at a fraction of the cost.

Have you seen these websites where you can build your own chocolate bar?  The companies have all sorts of fun ingredients from dried fruit and nuts to cereals and spices.  I’ve checked out this website and this one too, but the high cost has kept me from ordering anything.  Lucky for me, and you, this is something fairly easy to do on your own!    Here is a very easy recipe for Mix and Match Chocolate Bars.

toppings on choc

 

Step 1: Pick out your ingredients.

The most important part is to pick a good tasting chocolate.  If the chocolate you start with doesn’t melt in your mouth and give you that rich satisfying flavor, the final result isn’t going to either.  I found Pound Plus 72% Belgium dark chocolate at Trader Joes for just a few dollars!  Note that you could make almost a dozen large chocolate bars for this amount of chocolate!  You could use white or milk chocolate as well.

TJs choc

As for toppings, feel free to use those websites for inspiration.  Go with whatever flavors you like.  I knew I wanted to have contrasting flavors and textures so I went with pretzels and peanuts for a crunchy and salty as well as a selection of dried fruits for chewy, tart and sweet.  You probably only need about 3 cups total of toppings per pound of chocolate.

all ingred

Step 2: Set up your space.

You will need 1 medium pot or microwavable bowl for melting your chocolate and a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper.

For ease of working, you will want to lay out your toppings so that they are easy to access once the chocolate is ready to decorate.

toppings 1 toppings 2

Step 3: Melt the chocolate.

choc in pot

melting choc

If you do this via microwave, take it slow.  Once the chocolate is about 75% melted stir it to eliminate any remaining clumps.

On the stovetop, work with low heat and stir constantly.  Again, remove the pot from heat a little before the chocolate is completely melted and stir the rest.

Step 4: Make your chocolate bar!

Spread the melted chocolate out on parchment paper to be about ¼ inch thick.

choc spread in pan

As soon as it is smoothed out, decorate it with your toppings.  Lightly push the nuts/candies/cereal pieces, etc. into the chocolate so that they will stay when it gets hard.  Imagine what you want to get in one bite and let that be your inspiration for how dense you want your toppings to be.

toppings on choc 2

Once you finish, let the chocolate cool and harden.  Cut bars to desired size.  I actually made mine more like bark because I thought it would be better for serving.

pieces 1

pieces 4

pieces 5

Store finished product in an airtight container (5 days) or refrigerator (up to 2 weeks).

Oh, and buy yourself something nice because you saved money on fancy candy bars!

Notes:

Don’t let the chocolate get wet at any point.  Your chocolate will discolor.

You can customize this recipe to do as much or as little as you want at a time.

This could make a great gift for the holidays .  Use crushed candy cane or ginger snaps for a festive theme.

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Mix and Match Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

1 pound of chocolate of your choice

3 cups of fun toppings

Directions:

Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Layout toppings to be easily accessible.

Melt the chocolate on stovetop or in microwave, being careful not to burn.

Spread the melted chocolate out on parchment paper to be about ¼ inch thick.

As soon as it is smoothed out, decorate it with your toppings.  Lightly push the nuts/candies/cereal pieces, etc. into the chocolate so that they will stay when it gets hard.  Imagine what you want to get in one bite and let that be your inspiration for how dense you want your toppings to be.

Let the chocolate cool and harden.  Cut bars to desired size.

Store finished product in an airtight container (5 days) or refrigerator (up to 2 weeks).

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What is an expensive food product that you refuse to buy even though you REALLY REALLY want it?