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Archive for ‘chocolate’

October 26th, 2011

easy chocolate toffee squares

I found this recipe on Pinterest and immediately posted it to my NomNom board, it originally came from here.

Last year I had tried this recipe at a friends house and had been meaning to get the recipe from her – she had told me it was ridiculously easy, but it wasn’t until I tried to make it that I realized she was not exaggerating!  I whipped this up in no time at all and then began sharing the wealth; there was no lack of satisfied palates, this recipe is a winner!

saltine chocolate toffee squares

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: approx. 40 squares

Ingredients

  • 40 (or enough to line the pan) saltine crackers (I used salted tops)
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup or more slivered almonds (or any other nut)

Cooking Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Line up saltine crackers in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
  2. In a small pot combine sugar and butter and bring to a boil. Once mixture is at a boil, continue boiling for 3 minutes. Mixture should be a deep caramel color. Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let sit a couple of minutes to melt. (You could also melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for about 1 minute then spread it on.)
  5. Spread melted chocolate evenly over crackers.
  6. Top with chopped nuts if desired (I made 1/4 of the pan with chopped nuts and the other 3/4 plain).
  7. Cool completely and use pizza cutter to cut into squares.

 

Who knew that simple, common staple saltine cracker had it in ‘em to be the foundation for such a treat as this?!  Obviously a handful of people because this little “secret” has been floating around the internet for some time now; I’m kind of surprised that I only now just tried it. It’s quick and easy for an impromptu get together or you can tweak the ingredients and gussy it up for a dinner party.

Are you going to make these tasty toffee treats?

Categorychocolate, recipe, sweet | Comment9 Comments »

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September 20th, 2011

white chocolate island bars

It’s like a Blondie, but better.

It’s like a macadamia nut cookie, but better.

White Chocolate Island Bars!
They are a delicious marriage of brown sugar, coconut, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts…and they are bar-shaped!  I like to make these for hubs on special occasions, they are very sweet but oh, so good!

Ingredients

  • 1-2/3 c. all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. butter (softened)
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. (or more) vanilla extract
  • 1 egg (large)
  • 2 c. white chocolate chips (I used Nestle brand)
  • 1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
  • 3/4 c. macadamia nuts (chopped)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and whisk together to blend.  In a mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium until creamy.  Beat in egg until well blended.  Gradually add and beat in flour mixture.  By hand, stir in white chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.  Use an ungreased bar pan (seen here) and fill each cavity with about 3 Tbsp of batter. Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until edges are golden and dry.  Remove from oven when toothpick comes out of center clean.  Remove bars from pan and place on to cooling racks until cooled completely.  Yeilds: approximately 12-16 bars, depending on how full you make the individual cavities.
Coconut, macadamia nuts and simple pleasures always make me think of island life…what about you?

Categorychocolate, food, recipe, sweet | Comment6 Comments »

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September 10th, 2011

chocolate whoopie pies with banana peanut butter filling

Whatever you call it: whoopie pie, gob, black-and-white, bob, or “BFO” for Big Fat Oreo, just make sure you call it GOOD.For my birthday my friend Jes sent me a cookbook for whoopie pies!  She and I made homemade marshmallows once, back when we were experimenting with ideas for my black and white wedding.  I mentioned whoopie pies, but we never did make them. I guess this was her way of filling her obligation to cook with me. She sends the book, I cook it.  Getting the book in the mail is a whole other story…let’s just say that somewhere there is a postal worker making whoopie pies in secret. After a re-purchase and a re-ship, the book finally arrived.

Not wanting to wait until I had time to go to the store, I surveyed the book quickly to see which confection I could make with what I had on hand. The winner?

The Classic Chocolate Whoopie

Ingredients

  • 1-2/3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable shortening
  • 1 c. packed, dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-1/4 c. milk (I used lactose-free skim milk)
Position the rack in the center of the over and preheat to 375 F.  Line your two baking sheets with parchment paper (NOT the same as wax paper).
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt on a sheet of waxed paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium; beat for 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat 2 more minutes.

Add half of flour mixture and half of milk to batter; beat briefly on low. Beat in remaining flour mixture and milk.

Using a spoon, drop batter 1 Tbsp at a time onto one of the baking sheets, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, or until pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from oven; let pies cool on sheet for 5 minutes; transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
And now for the filling…

I had one very ripe banana on the counter, so I opted for the Banana Buttercream filling. Except I kicked it up a notch with some creamy peanut butter…because, well, why not?!

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp (1/2) stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c. very ripe banana (about 1)
  • 1/4 tsp fresh lime juice (isn’t that a fun surprise!?!?)
  • 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-1/2 to 4 c. confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
In a stand mixer beat the butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed, until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the salt, banana, peanut butter, lime juice and vanilla and beat on medium until smooth through and through.
Add the confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat on low until incorporated. Increase speed to medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add more confectioner’s sugar until you get the consistency you want.
Now, plate them up…and enjoy!  These stay fresh in an air-tight container and they are an awesome dessert to take to picnics or pot lucks – they travel quite well! Plus, if you’re trying to portion control, one is perfect size for that!

My favorite thing about the book is that it not only encourages you to make sweet whoopie pies, but savory ones too! I can’t wait to try the jalapeno cornbread whoopie with bacon-chive goat cheese. Yum!

 

Categorychocolate, food, peanut butter, recipe, sweet | Comment5 Comments »

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September 7th, 2011

chocolate speckled peanut butter pie

This classic first appeared over on She is Dallas (back when it was BurbMom) after I visited the in-laws and learned about it.  After all, it is one of my hubs’ fave desserts.

I dressed it up a little with chocolate shavings and raw peanuts since hubs was taking it to his fantasy football draft get together with the dudes; although it was later relayed to me that they could care less about what it looked like – they just wanted to grub on it!  One guy brought beer, one guy brought pizza, and my hubs walks in toting two gourmet-esque style peanut butter pies. Gotta love him for that.

This recipe is very simple – you could whip it up (pun intended) in no time and then freeze it until you are ready to serve it.  I made the pies they day before since I was leaving for the weekend and they were perfect for the draft party.

Bex’s Chocolate Specked Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 containers Cool Whip Whipped Topping
  • 1/3 c. chocolate shavings (plus more for decorating top) – I used Scharffen Berger‘s Milk Chocolate Nibby Bar I got at BlogHer Food 11′.
  • 2 graham cracker crusts (I use the pre-made ones from Keebler)
  • 1 Tbsp. dry roasted peanuts (optional, for decorating)

Directions

Beat cream cheese in an electric mixer on low/medium until it’s light and fluffy.  Add peanut butter to the cream cheese mixture and continue beating til fluffy (about 4 minutes).  To the fluffy cream cheese – peanut butter mixture, add two containers of Cool Whip and about 1/3 cup chocolate shavings and beat on low just until the Cool Whip is mixed in.

Divide the mixture evenly between two graham cracker crust pie shells (or you could use mini pie shell crusts to make several single-serving portions. Smooth the mixture on top and decorate with dry peanuts and chocolate shavings.

Freeze until set, about 2 hours.

What’s your favorite treat to take to sporting get-togethers?

Categorychocolate, food, peanut butter, recipe, sweet | Comment2 Comments »

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