Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee

Both toffee photos: iStock

Although I cook and bake, I'm not a candymaker. Making candy is more precise and sometimes more dangerous than either cooking or baking. The mixture of ingredients gets very hot, 1st degree burns hot if it accidentally splatters on your skin! Because making candy is more exacting there's also a higher degree of disappointment and failure!

That said, I like toffee and will make this recipe if nobody else steps up. Sometimes called Christmas Crack, my family never consumes it for Christmas, but at other times of the year:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee

Ingredients:

40 Saltine Crackers

2 sticks of butter (= 1 cup)
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (= 6 ounces)
16 ounces chocolate chips

A garnish of your choosing - See below.

Directions:

1) Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Before parchment paper, a greased sheet of aluminum foil was used). Lay the saltine crackers side by side on top of the parchment paper. Set aside to make the toffee.

2) In a saucepan melt the butter and sugar on medium heat on the stovetop. Stir until the mixture begins to boil. Next, let it simmer for 3 minutes without stirring.

3) Pour and spread the very hot toffee mixture evenly over the crackers then transfer to bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

4) Remove the toffee from the oven, then spoon dollops of the peanut butter evenly over the toffee. Place the tray back inside a hot oven for a minute to help melt and spread the peanut butter over the mixture.

5) Top with chocolate chips. Place the tray back in the oven for another minute to melt and spread the chocolate.

6) Sprinkle the top with any of the following if you wish: white chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, or a sprinkle of sea salt.

7) Freeze the mixture for 1/2 hour or refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up the toffee.

8) Break the Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee into pieces. At last, it's ready to eat!

I don't know who added peanut butter or re-named the confectionary treat Christmas Crack, however, it bumped the toffee up a notch to decadence! I prefer it topped with chopped peanuts, but many others like a sprinkle of sea or kosher salt. You decide.

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Brownies From Scratch For My Friend's Birthday

Brownies From Scratch For My Friend's Birthday

Brownies are a friend's favorite treat. Since I'm not a brownie fan, I've never made them until I wanted to surprise her with a thoughtful gesture on her birthday. I've always disliked brownies because they're usually too gooey and sweet. However, if I do say so myself, my brownies came out perfect, so, of course, I'm going to share the recipe here with you, my awesome readers, and if I ever make brownies again they'd be as delicious:

Dark Chocolate Brownies From Scratch

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 1/4 cup of regular white sugar

3 eggs (work best at room temperature)

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon of instant coffee

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or almost any vegetable oil you have)

3/4 cup of cacao powder (or substitute Hersey's dark cocoa powder)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I buy unbleached.)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt [If you use salted butter leave the salt out.]

1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's brand.)

Directions:

1) With an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time mixing them in. With this recipe be careful not to overbeat, just mix enough to combine the ingredients.

2) I added the ingredients in the order listed, so next toss in the vanilla and instant coffee. Instant coffee enhances the chocolate flavor of the brownies.

3) Mix the rest of the ingredients into the batter, except for the chocolate chips. Those fold in with a spatula.

4) I lined a 9" by 9" pan with aluminum foil and sprayed the foil with cooking spray. If you only have an 8" by 8" pan, it works too, but a bigger pan than 9" you'd need to double the recipe and possibly increase the baking time.

5) Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan on a table and use your specula to even out the batter.

6) Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes and then turn off the oven. You don't want to overbake the brownies.

7) While the oven was still hot I put a few squares from a huge Trader Joe's Belgium dark chocolate bar on top of the batch of brownies and let it melt, then spread it evenly over the top.

8) Let cool completely before you cut the brownies into squares. I didn't cut my brownies so I could pick up the aluminum foil and pack it into a box to surprise my friend. When we cut it to eat, the squares cut clean.

The brownies were just the right amount of sweet, reminding me of European confections. A lot of flavor, not overly sweet.

The brownies came out exactly as I had hoped, moist with a nice crumb, yet not gooey and very flavorful. My friend loved them. She used the word gourmet to describe them, and I like them also. Bullseye, a mission accomplished!🎯🤎

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Chocolate Was Once A Beverage For the Rich

A Sugarless Chocolate Milkshake

Photo: Unsplash

I've been making some version of a chocolate milkshake for years. If consumed as a quick meal, I'll toss a scoop of whey chocolate protein powder into a cup of skim milk with ice and drink it. 

Today let's make a healthy, thick chocolate milkshake as a snack. It has the protein of milk and potassium of a banana but for a meal, I need additional whey protein. 

Ideally, a healthy snack should be 100 to 200 calories and not more. The banana gives the milkshake its thickness, but the unsweetened cocoa powder will dominate its flavor. Here's the recipe:

Healthy Thick Chocolate Milkshake

Ingredients:

1 - 1 1/2 cups skim milk - Start with 1 cup and test the thickness. If you think ahead to use frozen banana slices, you'll need the extra milk.

2 tablespoons of cacao powder, or dark cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 large banana - If you want to slice and freeze your banana ahead of time, you can skip the ice cubes. But who always thinks ahead when you crave a snack?

4 ice cubes

Directions:

Toss the milk, cocoa powder, banana, and ice cubes into a

blender and mix until you get a rich, thick, and delicious milkshake. At this step, you can add the extra 1/2 of milk if the shake is too thick. Pour into a tall glass. If you need to gain weight lucky you, you can garnish with extras like nuts, seeds, chocolate shavings, or whipped cream. I drink my milkshake as is. It's still tasty!

Yes, you can make this milkshake with oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk. My favorite is cow's milk, which has 8 grams of protein per cup.  

Skim milk is 90 calories per cup, the banana is about 100 calories (usually I use a medium banana so 70 calories) and the cocoa powder is 50 calories, so our milkshake is over 200 calories but not by a significant amount, and they aren't empty calories. Personally, I'm mindful, yet not obsessive when counting calories. My aim is to stay in the ballpark. When hungry, I consider vegetables, fruit, or skim milk -- free food, never fretting over the few extra calories they contain. 

Enjoy!

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Eat Chocolate Chips To Beat Inflation

A practice of mine started off as a way to eat dark chocolate in moderation, but now that inflation is upon us, it's also a good way to save money on chocolate. I don't understand why chocolate bars in the candy aisle are $3.59+ for 5 - 6 ounces depending on the brand (how much smaller will a chocolate bar shrink?) while a 12-ounce bag of dark; semi-sweet; or milk chocolate chips in the baking aisle costs only $1.95 - $1.99 depending on the store. 

Rarely will I buy a chocolate bar, instead I stock a bag of dark chocolate chips, that I open and try to pour out a one-ounce serving as a treat. I don't always succeed, but I have a better chance of stopping with one or two pours of chocolate chips that I pop into my mouth than stopping after eating a strip of chocolate. I mean, once you unwrap a candy bar, you eat nearly the entire bar, right? We rarely stop at a square or strip of chocolate.

The brands of chocolate chips that taste as good as chocolate bars come from Aldi (dark) or Target (semi-sweet). Walmart's semi-sweet chips are good too, but just a tad below in flavor compared to Target's and Aldi's house brands.

What started off as annoyance directed at the forever shrinking chocolate bar (too costly for the puny size), as well as, portion control is also a money saver that adds up over time. And it's easy to toss a few chocolate chips (rich in flavanols like epicatechin and catechin) into plain Greek yogurt or a bowl of oatmeal for healthy eats that are low in sugar.

When economizing keep tabs on your repetitive, small purchases. Use your stash of cash😉 to pay for bigger expenses! Chocolate chips are a good deal and with inflation, let's hope they remain so.

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Black Forest Cookies

I'm still busy away from blogging but I'll jump on as time permits. Today for the first time ever I tasted a soft, chewy, and ultra chocolatey cookie that I never knew existed! The rich dark chocolate (like an Oreo) cookie is filled with chunks of white chocolate (or substitute dark chocolate chips) and maraschino cherry pieces. I think both the taste and texture make the cookie delectable. Here is the recipe:

Black Forest Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar (I try to cut the sugar a tad without a resulting cookie failure😏)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons good cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt

1 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped

1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or chopped and feel free to substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips)

1) In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2) Next add the egg and vanilla and beat with the mixer.

3) In a 2nd bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in portions until just combined.

5) Mix in the white chocolate and maraschino cherries.

6) Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.

7) Scoop the cookie dough (into tablespoon-size balls or globs) and deposit onto a buttered or parchment-lined prepared cookie sheet.

8) Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 9 - 11 minutes or until the edges set.

I like Black Forest Cookies even better than the cake. Delicious paired with a cup of milk or coffee. Down the hatch or freeze a batch!

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Valentine's Day Truffles

All photos: Wallpaper unless noted

Mostly I stick to baking and skip candy making. Making candy is tricky ... more precise. You need a candy thermometer to control temperature. It's easy to end up with messy, uneditable goo, or ruined pots and pans due to how blazing hot melted sugar gets. I don't want 1st degree burns either. But featured today is a candy we can make without all the hazards, fuss or failure. 

Luscious Valentine's Day truffles are ultra easy to make, and the ingredients are few! My kind of homemade candy, lets's get stared!:

Ingredients:

Photo: Gina Mork

12 ounces of dark chocolate (semisweet or bittersweet)

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or half vanilla/half rum, your choice)

Directions:

1) Break up (if needed) chocolate into small pieces and toss into a saucepan along with heavy cream. Add the butter.

2) On low heat, melt and whisk together the chocolate, heavy cream and butter until uniform and creamy. If you have a double boiler, use it; if not, follow my slow, low-heat, in a pan, on a stovetop, with continued whisking method.

Photo: wallpaper

3) Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. If you want to add some rum or bourbon for flavor, now is the time.

4) If you select the right sauce pan, you can cover and place it directly into your refrigerator without having to transfer the chocolate mixture into another dish that needs to be washed. Hey, it pays to think ahead!🙂

Photo: Gina Mork

5) Refrigerate for 2 hours. If you allow it to get too hard (because you forget the time), let room temperature soften it some so you can scoop and form into balls.

6) Use a tablespoon or small scooper to make 1-inch balls.

7) Roll the truffle balls in (1) rich cocoa powder, (2) crushed nuts, (3) shredded coconut, (4) crushed peppermint, (5) crushed English toffee, or (6) candy sprinkles ... whatever you like. Some of each looks lovely.

8) Plate your truffles and keep cool in the refrigerator until ready to eat!

Hugs and kisses, xoxo.

Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies!💋

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Champorado, or Chocolate Rice Pudding

Photo: Food Network

Whenever possible -- sometimes it's not -- I try to lighten up desserts, making them a tad healthier. It turns out there's a Pilipino chocolate pudding called, Champorado, usually containing butter and cream that you can make creamy and tasty by using condensed milk. More protein with less fat is an ideal substitution. I got the idea to make pudding with condensed milk from Goodcook ... this is a tweaked version of their pudding. You could even use regular milk, however, a can of condensed milk makes a richer pudding.

Many recipes suggest using sticky sushi rice, but I use regular supermarket (or Target) white rice -- that is to say, whatever is easy to get, and it's still delicious. I have no trouble eating it!🙂

Here is the recipe:

Champorado (=Chocolate Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:

3/4 white rice
1 1/4 cups of water 
12 ounce can evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cacao powder, or dark cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup dark chocolate pieces (I use a Lindt candy bar.)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
My optional ingredient: 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee (brings out the chocolate flavor) 

Directions:

1) In a saucepan, toss in the rice, water, evaporated milk, cacao (or cocoa) powder and sugar.

2) Heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes to tenderize the rice. The mixture should still have liquid so there is sauce for pudding.

3) After the rice is tender, turn off the heat and add the rest of the flavors: dark chocolate pieces, salt and vanilla extract. Toss in the optional instant coffee here if you wish. 

4) Pour into dessert dishes. I say 2 portions, but you could get 3 to 4 still ample servings if you wish. Top with chocolate shavings, or whipped cream.

Eat warm (if it's nippy outside), or chilled (if not). Now you can expand your culinary horizons by switching back and forth from traditional rice pudding to chocolate rice pudding. Enjoy!


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All About Cocoa Powder

Photo: kingarthur.com

The word cocoa is a derivative of the word cacao. Cacao seed-like beans are roasted and dried, then formed into cacao bars, or ground into cacao (a/k/a cocoa) powder.

When shopping for cocoa, there are several varieties that may have you starching your head over which to buy. Here is a handy guild from King Arthur Flour that I will summarize. You're welcome!:

1) Natural cocoa - is solid unsweetened chocolate that's had most of it's fat removed before being ground into a powder. Baker's chocolate is an example. Use this one for cake frosting, brownies and hot chocolate.

2) Dutch process cocoa - is natural cocoa that's been treated with an alkalizing agent to lower it's acidity. This lets its pure chocolate flavor shine through, making it ideal to use in baked goods like chocolate cake.

3) Black cocoa - is new to me as my otherwise excellent supermarket doesn't carry it. It is a cocoa that's been strongly Dutched giving it a very dark color and intense flavor. Homemade faux-reos cookies (think Oreos) owe their nearly black color to this ultra-strong cocoa.

You are wondering what is in that can of Hersey's cocoa in the back of your cupboard (the same one your mother bought over the years) aren't you? Its classic natural cocoa powder, although nowadays you have a 2nd choice: Hersey's Special Dark, a blend of natural and Dutch process cocoas.

These are the main 3 cocoa powders sold at the supermarket, the ones most of us use. Chocolate connoisseur bakers can click the links to read about the history, as well as, special blends of cocoa powder. Home bakers, you now have enough information to head to the supermaket!


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Happy Valentine's Day To You

Give us some of your candy little bear.😍

Perhaps it's the vivid red color, or falling in mid-February with not much else to compete with it that's appealing, but getting yourself a little treat for Valentine’s Day seems like a great idea, no?

If you work and save up your money, why not be good to yourself once in a while? If I don't crave chocolate on any other day, I will succumb to temptation on Valentine's Day. And when I receive gifts nowadays, they often aren't exactly what I'd pick for myself, so why not get a little something for myself that is precisely what I want? See how easy it is to justify buying yourself a gift? xoxo

A large department store should help us find the right something. The following selection is available at Macy's, both in-store and online:
 
An assortment of chocolate covered Oreos, or a box of  Godiva chocolates that you can share with family and friends.

Fine jewelry to match your budget and tastes ... something you've wanted for a long time! Pearls are always lovely and affordable!

There is no shortage of cute hearts whether it is fine, or Kate Spade fashion jewelry. A Macy's sale makes them budget friendly, and any of the choices can be worn beyond Valentine's Day.

Lancome Monsieur Big Eyeshadow Palette, or Borghese 3-Piece If Lips Could Thrill Gloss Gift Set, if you are a makeup maven.

I tend to be very practical when buying things for myself, even a splurge, yet I don't enjoy it any less! Sometimes we need a new pair of flats for our wardrobe, or a warm cashmere wrap that endures, or Ugg slides to keep our feet warm around the house. A useful article to fill a need brings much joy!

These last 2 items: a Kate Spade New York Watch and Deny Designs Wonder Forest Kiss Lips Coffee Mug are super adorable! Fun to wear, or use every day of the week. Daily mood lifers, it's unlikely you'll get tired of either!

Don't hesitate this Valentine's Day to get a little something for yourself!♥


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Sweets And Treats As Holiday Gifts

Some people are difficult to buy gifts for because they really don't need anything, or we are unsure of their tastes. For these folks I select delicious treats I'd be delighted to receive. If I don't know what you want, I'll get you what I want, (and ha, maybe you'll share it with me!😋) Here are 5 additional gifts to consider:

1) Dark chocolate Belgium truffles (see above↑) would probably top my list. A special treat at Christmas when visions of sugar plums are dancing in our heads!

2) Dark chocolate is also perfection combined with a thick layer of white chocolate and pieces of peppermint. Williams-Simona offers their peppermint bark starting in November. Select dark, or milk chocolate.

A refreshing and irresistible candy; and this year you can personalize the tin, if you wish. Putting a name on the tin adds an $8 charge.

3) With cookies and sweets in abundance, a gift of deluxe nuts is a lovely change ... and healthy. This salty snack may last into the New Year.

4) A box of chocolate covered Oreos is another holiday gift idea. You can either purchase them finished; or buy Oreos, dip them into melted Baker's chocolate and box them yourself for less money, depending on how busy and industrious you are. Cheapest price/but for 5 lbs at CandyStore.com.

5) The last gift idea is a box of good ole American Russell Stover Chocolate Covered Nuts selling at your local drugstore. As a child, I often got a box for Christmas. A winning combination of milk chocolate and nuts, and the quality of the chocolate is good (which unforturnately isn't always true of American chocolate).

All are gifts people can share with family and friends during the holidays. A hostess needs refreshments to welcome extra people into a home, so thoughtful gifts, indeed!


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