Tag: chocolate

Chocolate Cookie Bark

This is one of my favorite dessert / candy recipes.

I hereby command you: Get chocolate.  Get Oreos.  Make it.  Today, if possible.

You can click here to visit the original recipe (complete with a “how to” video) on the Kraft foods website, but for your general reading convenience, I will also repost it here.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
1 pkg.  (6 squares) BAKER’S White Chocolate, melted
10 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed, divided
1 pkg.  (8 squares) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
INSTRUCTIONS

ADD peanut butter to white chocolate; mix well. Stir half the crushed cookies into each bowl of melted chocolate.

DROP spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto waxed paper-covered baking sheet, alternating colors of chocolates. Swirl with knife.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Couldn’t be easier, right?  Chocolate + lack of cooking labor = YUM.

Enjoy!

[Images are courtesy of a general Google search.  I have no images of my own.  This bark doesn’t last long enough to be documented on film.  True story.]

My Tuesday

This is my day today.  Cleaning out the clothes.  More specifically, cleaning out and passing on all my girl clothes [sniffs].  I’m okay, really.  I’m just fine with the nine million boxes of boy clothes I will have.  I’m down with all the blue.  I am totally cool with being “the mother-in-law”.  [sob]  Oh man, I gotta stop going down this road …

Moving on …

To help me deal with the clothes angst, I am in super cool mode today.  Special thanks to Carrie for the sweet tie-dye apparel.  Being this cool somehow helps with the clothes sorting … or something.

Note to self: when you’re this much of a nerd, never “strike a pose”.

So, this is my Tuesday!  What’s yours?

Oh!  I almost forgot!  Later today, I will be spending some time in the kitchen for a killer recipe that will include dark chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, and oreos.  Stay tuned.  It is sure to be epic.

Weekend Projects: Potential Addiction

Rejoice, it’s the weekend again!

I had so much fun with my little project last weekend, that I’m thinking of making this a regular part of my weekends. (if and when I can)

I won’t say too much about the project now, but let’s just say it’ll be using a little of this …

By the way, I love this fabric so much!  It’s hard to tell with the faux “I think I’m a photographer so I use cool techniques on my phone” coloring, but the background is a minty yet vintage blue color and the design reminds me of the brown in chocolate.  Yum.

I’m sure there will be a dramatic post on Monday (or thereabouts) with a complete crafting update.

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend!

Chocolate Mint Layer Cake

Chocolate … ah, chocolate.  Chocolate makes me happy.
My sister made this fabulous chocolate cake for us last weekend and it was A-Maz-Za-Zing!  The recipe comes from Epicurious.com (there’s a link below), and I would have posted gorgeous pictures of the beautiful finished product, only … well, it’s gone.  Already.  Don’t judge me.  Make this cake.
Cake
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup corn oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) mint-flavored chocolate chips

Frosting

  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 tablespoons (about) milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (about 6 ounces) mint-flavored chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup red-and-white striped peppermint candies or candy canes (broken into pieces)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Mix 2 cups cold water and sugar in large bowl until sugar dissolves. Gradually mix in corn oil and vanilla extract. Whisk in dry ingredients. Divide cake batter among prepared pans. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mint-flavored chocolate chips over cake batter in each pan.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

For frosting:
Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat frosting until smooth. Thin with more milk by tablespoonfuls, if necessary.

Place 1 cake layer, chocolate-chip side up, on platter. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Top with second cake layer, chocolate-chip side up. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Top with remaining cake layer, chocolate-chip side down. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.)

Place striped peppermint candies in heavy plastic bag. Crush with hammer. Sprinkle candies over cake.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Mint-Layer-Cake-1572#ixzz1MXb3tnFw

 

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