Chocolate Salted Truffles
I really have very little to tell you about these truffles. Just a few adjectives will have to do:
Amazing. Decadent. Heavenly.
Nah. That’s not cutting it. How about a few exclamations:
Oh! My! Gosh! Oh, baby! I’m in love!
Nope.
Expletives? Oh, c’mon, this is a G-rated blog. My niece will be reading this. {Hey there, Evie! xoxo}
I guess all I can do is tell you to make these. Nothing I say can possibly do them justice. They are so easy and so incredibly delicious. But please use the best quality chocolate you can. I was lucky enough to have won a giveaway before Christmas at Family Fresh Cooking. My prize was some Scharffen Berger chocolate, and it was absolutely perfect for making these truffles.
Recipe: Chocolate Salted Truffles
(first drooled over at Pioneer Woman Cooks)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
8 oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. milk chocolate
sea salt
Heat semisweet and dark chocolates and condensed milk in a double boiler over low heat until chocolate is melted. Chocolate will have a slight marshmallow texture. Stir in vanilla.
Remove from heat and cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Melt milk chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Stir until smooth.
Once chilled, scoop small spoonfuls of chocolate and roll into balls. Dip into milk chocolate. Sprinkle with sea salt. Chill to set.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Let me set the scene…
We’re snowed in this morning, with at least 20 inches of snow so far, and still more falling. It’s gorgeous. That’s saying a lot coming from me because I was so ready to track that groundhog down and do him some serious harm when I heard about this storm. But now that it’s here, it’s kinda nice. A deep blanket of snow makes everything beautiful. Not that I’m going to be feeling like this by Monday. Next week I want to see crocuses popping through the ground, darn it. For today, though, this is okay with me.
Jim’s made me feel so self-conscious about this post. He said I’m going to make it sound picture-perfect. A snowy day… big family breakfast… him and Sam cooking together… a Norman Rockwell morning.
I offered to let him write the post, but he won’t, so I guess I’m gonna have to give you the real story. We are snowed in. That’s the truth. Sam and Jim did start out cooking together, but Sam got tired of it after measuring out the ingredients and quit. Jim burned the first brown sugar mixture, so I made the second batch. The rest of the meal went something like this: Sam didn’t like the pancakes… Claudia ate them but insisted on glaze and syrup, but no apples… Jim’s lovely stack of pancakes were cold by the time I got done taking pictures of them… I ate mine standing in front of the counter… And the kids were wrestling around in the living room for a large portion of that time.
So there you have it. I’d like to see the painting Norman Rockwell could have made of that! {he he} As for the pancakes, they were wonderful. Definitely a special treat and something you could make for guests that would knock their socks off. All on their own or with plain old syrup, these pancakes were pretty ordinary. But topped with the apple and walnut mixture and drizzled in frosting? Just delicious!
Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
(adapted from Inn Cuisine)
Pancakes:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk (can substitute with milk)**
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
Drizzle:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3-4 tsp. milk
Pancakes:
Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl; whisk. In another bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients for the pancakes. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring gently until just combined. **(If using buttermilk, batter may be too thick. Just add additional regular milk by the tablespoon to thin. If using regular milk, batter may need to rest and thicken for about 10 minutes.)
Topping:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add apples; cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside while you cook pancakes.
Drizzle:
Combine all three ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Start with 3 tsp. of milk and add more milk as necessary to achieve desired consistency.
Cook pancakes by dropping 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto hot griddle. To serve, top with apple/walnut mixture, then drizzle with icing. Makes 8 pancakes, but doubles easily.
Nutella Mocha Hot Chocolate
So today is World Nutella Day. Until a year ago, I’d never even tasted Nutella so I didn’t really know what all the fuss was about. Since then, I’ve become a fan. This is some seriously good stuff! I mean, c’mon… if you can have chocolate for breakfast, then this has to be a good thing, right?
We are heading into a weekend of crazy snowfall amounts here in PA, and that calls for something warm to drink. I think Nutella hot chocolate is the perfect way to celebrate World Nutella Day, Friday, and a weekend that will probably contain no basketball. (Not that I don’t love seeing my boy play ball, but 5 times a week has tired us out. A weekend off would be really nice right about now.)
Recipe: Nutella Mocha Hot Chocolate
(This is for one serving…. simply double, triple, etc. to accommodate your chilly family.)
1 c. milk
2-3 heaping Tbsp. Nutella
1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules, optional
Whisk ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over low heat until desired temperature. Don’t forget the marshmallows or whipped cream!
Need more ways to enjoy Nutella? Here are more recipes I’ve posted:
Sweet Potato with Kale and Ricotta
Yes, I said loaded sweet potatoes, but they aren’t loaded with what you might think. No butter. No maple syrup. No marshmallows. Nope. Instead, this is a healthy alternative and a darn fine way to eat your sweet potatoes.
Now I have to tell you that I’ve never been a giant sweet potato fan for the simple reason that just about every way I’ve ever had them has been too sweet. Instead of kicking up the sweet factor, this recipe brings in the savory yumminess of garlic, ricotta cheese, and kale. And it’s really great together, trust me! This is definitely my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes!
I’m sending this recipe over to the Big Red Kitchen for Robin Sue’s healthy heart round-up. Head over there to check out some other foods that make your heart happy. Friday, Feb. 5 is Go Red for Women Day. Get your red out, folks, and learn more about protecting your heart and keeping it healthy at the American Heart Association.
Recipe: Sweet Potato with Kale and Ricotta
(slightly adapted from Whole Living)
4 sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and diced
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves torn into pieces, and washed with water left clinging
coarse salt and ground pepper
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes, then dry and prick all over with a fork or poke a paring knife in here and there. Rub with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. (You can also spray them with cooking spray instead.) Place on a baking sheet and cook 1 hour.
Near the end of the cooking time, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Transfer garlic to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon.
Using the same pan, add as much kale as will fit; season with salt and pepper. Continue to add kale as it cooks down. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender. This will take approximately 3-5 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes. Transfer kale to bowl with garlic and toss to coat.
Remove sweet potatoes from oven. Open and fluff the insides with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with ricotta cheese and kale.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Being the ever-thoughtful wife, I …
Hang on a minute. I have to stop laughing and catch my breath. Oh, come on. I’m just kidding. I really am thoughtful, but if Jim reads this post, he might have something to say about the “ever” part.
So anyway, Jim’s been asking for hearty soups for lunch. It’s convenient to make a big pot of soup, then dole it out into single portions and freeze them for another time. At work, he just pops one in the microwave and gets a nice filling lunch. And healthy too.
I haven’t made this before, but he really liked it. It’s a bit spicy for me, but if you’d like to do a less spicy version, just use a green pepper instead of the chipotle peppers. Squeezing a little lime juice on at the table really adds a nice touch.
Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup
(adapted from Back to the Cutting Board)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro leaves (I didn’t have any fresh, or I would have tossed in a handful of freshly chopped cilantro.)
1 large can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (or 1 large green pepper for a less spicy version)
4 c. chicken broth
12 oz. frozen corn
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Mexican cheese blend and tortillas, for garnish
lime wedges, optional
fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the spices (except cilantro) and heat for an additional minute. Next, add cilantro, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, chicken broth, frozen corn, black beans, and shredded chicken. If soup is too thick, add up to 1 c. water to thin it a little. Simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour.
When ready to serve, place tortilla on baking sheet and broil until brown and crispy. Cool slightly and break into pieces. Ladle soup into bowl, top with tortilla pieces and Mexican blend shredded cheese. Squeeze a wedge of lime over soup just before eating.
Soft Pretzels
I made pretzels! Woohoo!
I baked these delicious pretzels along with two wonderful ladies ~ Ingrid from 3 B’s and Monica from Lick the Bowl Good. I got to choose our first recipe, and I chose a recipe I’ve had bookmarked for a while now. Soft pretzels! Yeast recipes haven’t ever worked out terribly well for me, but I’ve had success. Pretzels have been made!! And devoured!! In fact, if it’s possible to eat your weight in pretzels, then that may be what I’ve done.
This is a pretty easy recipe with a great tutorial. Being a novice, I don’t think the dough rolled out perfectly for me, and most of my pretzels fell apart during the boiling process. No big deal though – they are very easy to reshape once they’re on the cookie sheet. After making a few pretzel twists, I decided to just cut some into small pretzel bites. So much faster and easier, and every bit as delicious as their bigger counterparts. Maybe a little too convenient though. I swear, once you start popping these in your mouth, you’re really wishing for a bottomless bowl of them. The pretzel bites were definitely my Sam’s favorites, and I’ve promised him that we’ll make them again soon.
The only place I deviated from the original recipe was by using melted butter instead of the egg wash to coat the pretzels before baking them. I recommend doing that for the subtle butter flavor and the gorgeous golden color. I did a couple with the egg wash too, so I could compare the two. Butter wins, for sure.
It’s hard to beat a homemade pretzel straight from the oven, I’ll tell ya. When you combine that wonderful aroma with the yeasty goodness, there’s no way you could go wrong with this snack. We’ll definitely be making them again and again.
Recipe: Soft Pretzels
(an Alton Brown recipe first seen at Macheesmo)
1 1/2 c. warm water (110-115 degrees, and warm to the touch)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted (Plus an additional 2-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, for later.)
vegetable oil, for pan (I used canola oil.)
10 c. water
2/3 c. baking soda
1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash (I melted that extra butter and preferred that over the egg wash.)
sea salt for sprinkling
Combine the warm water, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes so mixture can begin to foam. Add the flour and melted butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until combined. (Macheesmo has tips on kneading this dough by hand too.) Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4-5 minutes. Place ball of dough in a clean bowl that has been coated well with oil. Turn dough to coat, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and sit in a warm place for 55-60 minutes. The dough will double in size.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil. Turn the pretzel dough out onto your work surface and divide into 8 even sections. Roll each piece into a 24″ rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, cross the ends over each other, and press onto the bottom to make a pretzel shape. (Again, Macheesmo comes through with great tips.) Place the pretzels, one at a time, in the boiling water for 30 seconds on each side. Remove each from water with one or two large spatulas, and place on baking sheet. Reshape as necessary. Brush pretzels with egg wash (or that extra melted butter!!), sprinkle with sea salt, and bake until golden brown, approximately 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
(If you want pretzel bites, just roll your 24″ piece of dough and snip it into bite-size pieces. You can place one batch at a time into the boiling water, then continue as you would making regular pretzels.)
Chili Lime Popcorn
I know, I know. Popcorn again. I can’t help myself, really. I love popcorn.
This time I went for total summer flavors. In fact, I can picture a backyard bbq with something tasty on the grill, some cold Coronas with lime wedges (or maybe a margarita?), and a big bowl of this popcorn on the table for snacking while we hang around the deck. Sound good?
Summer can’t get here soon enough for me, and that might be one of the reasons I enjoyed this popcorn so much. The lime brings a great zing to the whole thing, with a nice background flavor of butter, salt, and chili powder. It was different, but it was a really good kind of different.
Recipe: Chili Lime Popcorn
2/3 c. unpopped popcorn kernels (or about 8 – 10 cups of popped popcorn)
3 Tbsp. butter
generous sprinkling of salt
1/2 – 1 tsp. chili powder
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 – 1 lime
Pop popcorn in air popper. In the meantime, melt butter with lime zest over low heat. When popcorn is popped, toss with butter mixture. Squeeze some of lime over popcorn and toss; repeat until you’ve added as much lime juice as you’d like. Sprinkle generously with salt. Pour popcorn onto a rimmed baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. This will help the popcorn get crunchy again, after it’s little butter and lime juice bath. Enjoy!
350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Roasted Chickpeas
I have tried to make roasted chickpeas more times than I care to count, and for whatever reason, I never bothered to actually look at anyone else’s recipe to see what oven temperature to use or anything. I just wing it every time, and every time, my roasted chickpeas end up in the trash. Okay, lesson learned. This time, I actually looked around at a bunch of different recipes, and I finally got it right.
Recipe: Roasted Chickpeas
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and dried
1 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss rinsed, drained, and dried chickpeas with olive oil. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Check on chickpeas every 10 minutes and give the pan a shake so chickpeas are cooked evenly. Remove from oven after 30 minutes and toss with a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Best enjoyed a little warm from the oven.
Cowboy Cookies
I’m a fan of cowboys – the old time kind, not the Dallas kind. I love ‘em. (I also have a thing for vampires, but we’ll save that one for another time. hehe) Ever seen or read Lonesome Dove? Ay, God, but that’s a good one. Anyway, I read yesterday that Pernell Roberts passed away. For those of you who don’t know, he played Adam Cartwright on a little show called Bonanza. I was hooked on Bonanza reruns growing up. I’ll admit that Adam wasn’t my favorite Cartwright boy. Neither was Little Joe. I was all about Hoss. Big ‘ole loveable Hoss. I even used to tell my mom that I was gonna name my son Hoss and we’d all call him ‘Lil Hoss. Drove her crazy. {Remember, Mom?} Instead, I grew up, and when my little boy arrived, we named him Sam Austin. Now he gives me a hard time for naming him like a cowboy. I couldn’t help it, it just kind of happened.
Okay, I’m kind of getting off my topic here. When I read about Roberts yesterday, I thought it’d be a fitting tribute to the last of the Cartwright men to whip up a big ‘ole batch of cowboy cookies. And when I say big, I’m not kidding around here. Each of these cookies is a whopping 1/4 c. of dough and they bake up bigger than your hand. They are nothing short of awesome. Chock full of peanut butter, oats, chocolate, nuts, and raisins. A real man’s cookie.
And speaking of real men, I’m shipping these bad boys off to a special young man I know – my godson, Jeff. (Lauren’s baby brother, for those of you who are regulars.) He’s stationed at Fort Huachuca, AZ right now and I figure that a bunch of manly ARMY boys will surely enjoy a cookie as formidable as this one.
Before I post the recipe, I have to pay proper homage to Bonanza. This tune’s been running through my head all day. Did you know there are words to it? Yepper.
Recipe: Cowboy Cookies
(adapted from Southern Food)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. old-fashioned oats
2 c. chocolate chunks or chips
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 c. raisins
Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy. Beat in vanilla and one egg at a time until smooth.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir into butter mixture. Add oats, chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins. Drop cookie by 1/4 cupful onto baking sheet. (I baked 4 at a time, but 6 would likely work nicely too.) Bake for 13-15 minutes, until edges are beginning to become golden. Cookie should be a little under-baked. Remove from oven and cool on baking pan for 1-2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 18 cookies.
Cake Mix Cookie Bars
We woke up to no electricity this morning, and can I just say that I would have made a horrible pioneer woman? I absolutely hate when that happens. Not to mention that it was still dark out, a Monday morning, and I was volunteering in the school library today. Good grief. That is just not a great way to start the week. I finally get us all to school… on time and everything. Their power went out 4 times while I was there. Not a great way to start their week either! The wind has been crazy here, and I guess it’s knocked out power in lots of places, so we are just one of many. The kids were all loving it at school though. Lots of oohs and ahhs. Goofballs.
I was thankful when I got home that our power had come back on and I was able to bake something for book club. And get my hair properly taken care of!!! But that’s just a side note, and I have to say a big thank you to Sam’s sweet friend, Adam, for telling me I looked like a teenager with my hair in a headband. What a charmer. That’s kinda nice to hear when you’re in the middle of a major freak-out.
So back to my baking. Tonight is book club and those folks expect a sweet treat, but I was short on time today. Instead of starting from scratch, I grabbed a box of cake mix and made these cookie bars in less than 20 minutes. {Ingrid, are you listening? teehee}
This recipe is totally versatile, and you could top the bars with whatever goodies you have in your pantry. Nuts, chocolate chips, candy. I used peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips, but some pecans or walnuts would have been good with the caramel-y topping. Sadly, it sure isn’t a very pretty dessert!! Would I make this again? I don’t think so. My kids weren’t big fans of the “sticky” topping, but I appreciate that I was able to throw it together in a pinch. Here’s the original recipe if you’d like to give it a try.
Recipe: Cake Mix Cookie Bars
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 box (2 layer) chocolate cake mix
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. white chocolate chips
2 c. chopped pecans or coconut
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and cake mix in large bowl. Mix with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over bottom of a jelly roll pan and press to form crust. Sprinkle with semisweet and white chocolate chips and pecans or coconut.
Melt milk chocolate chips in microwave on medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until melted. Stir sweetened condensed milk into melted chocolate. Spread mixture all over the top of the cookie bars. Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
