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Sea Salt Mania & Chocolate Dipped Caramels

by liz · Dec 11, 2016

Chocolate Dipped Caramels with Sea Salt Recipe — Photo by Meals.com

This season it seems everywhere I look, I see chocolate topped with sea salt, caramel made with fleur de sel, or salted candies of some kind. And it tastes so good; that combination of salt, sugar and chocolate! I looked through our holiday recipes, and found a really easy sea salt, chocolate and caramel version. It looked easy enough for a kid.

So I enlisted the help of a very savvy 9 year-old in the kitchen. And I was right. My Little Assistant followed the directions, melted chocolate, dipped caramels and consulted on salt-chocolate flavor combinations. We ended up with 3 kinds: dark & mint chocolate with black lava sea salt, semi-sweet chocolate with Hawaiian clay sea salt and cinnamon, and semi-sweet chocolate with bamboo sea salt and lemon zest.

They were all delicious, but the ones with lemon zest added a lovely citrus twang, and reminded me of summer. So they were my faves (shown above).

Chocolate Dipped Caramels with Sea Salt by Meals.com

Ingredients:

1 cup (6 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
1 pkg. (5.5 oz.) about 25 pieces, soft & chewy rectangular caramels, unwrapped*
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions:
LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

MICROWAVE morsels and vegetable shortening in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted; cool slightly.

DIP caramel pieces, using a fork, into melted chocolate. Shake off or scrape excess chocolate against side of bowl. Place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set.

* 25 square caramels can be substituted for the rectangular caramels.

Merry (Minty) Holiday Cookie Wreath

by liz · Dec 5, 2016

When December rolls around, I love to play holiday music, deck the halls of my little abode, and make some holiday treats. So, when I came across Jenny’s Holiday Baking video featuring this Very Merry Cookie Wreath, I wanted to try my hand at it.

I followed the recipe in the video, but made a few changes. I wanted to make my own cookie dough, because I love chocolate mint morsels during the holidays, which are sometimes hard to find. So, I dug up this Nestlé recipe to create your own flavor-infused morsels – just use peppermint extract in place of raspberry. Then, I wanted to make my cookie wreath a little healthier (that way I can eat more holiday treats!), so I used half the butter in the cookie dough and added 1 cup of chopped nuts.

Finally, I wanted to use real butter in my icing, so instead of buying something premade, I used this recipe for cinnamon butter cream frosting (from one of our Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Deconstructed bloggers), halving the recipe and replacing the cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract.

Putting the wreath together and decorating it was easy! I made my wreath with only 2 rows of cookies, only used half the icing to put it together and replaced the candy toppings with dried cranberries, shown above. Now, this was a minty festive holiday treat I could really feel good about.

Watch the video above to see how to make Jenny’s Very Merry Cookie Wreath step-by-step. Also included in the video are step-by-step instructions for another holiday favorite: Gingerbread Cutout Cookies.

Best St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

by liz · Mar 11, 2016

1. “Lucky You” Mint Pie

Feel extra lucky (even if you’re not Irish) with this refreshingly decadent mint and chocolate pie, shown above.

2. Irish Crème Brûlée

Just use Irish Cream coffee creamer flavor instead of the vanilla caramel and you have instant Irish flavor!

3. Chocolate Shamrock Bread Pudding

Topped with fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa, celebrate St. Patty’s Day (or any day) this year with the delectable chocolately delight shown above!

4. Leprechaun Rainbow Party Punch

This flavorful beverage features a mix of sparkling water and 100% all natural fruit juice topped with a scoop of tropical or berry rainbow sherbet.

5. Big Shamrock Cookie

Celebrate the ‘eatin’ of the green’ on St. Patrick’s Day with the edible shamrock above.

6. St. Patty’s Day “Green Eggs and Ham”

Topped with a delicious pesto spread and sliced prosciutto, this tasty delight adds a flavorful twist to a morning classic.

7. Irish Soda Bread with Raisinets

This sweet version of the traditional Irish favorite above features a taste of chocolate-covered raisins in every bite.

8. St. Patty’s Day Mud Balls

Who said playing in the “mud” wasn’t a good idea? Made from a combination of chocolate cake, chocolate milk and frosting, these St. Patty’s Day delights are dipped in colorful candy sprinkles and shamrocks for added luck – a festive twist kids will love.

Top Ten Easter Sweets Recipes

by liz · Mar 8, 2016

1. Egg-Ceptional Easter Nests

Get ready for the Easter Bunny’s visit with this unforgettable treat shown above. Nestled in delicious butterscotch or chocolate nests, the unforgettable taste of these elegantly wrapped candy eggs will leave kids hopping for more.

2. Strawberry Mousse Pie

Bring in the spring with this adorable Easter-themed fresh strawberry cream pie. Topped with nests of coconut and jelly beans, kids will love to help decorate.

3. Bunny Bottom Cookie Pops

Spring has sprung with these cute bunny cookie pops from Elise Strachan of My Cupcake Addiction. They are almost too cute to eat!

4. Egg-Ceptional Easter Cookies

These egg-shaped chocolate chip cookies can be festively decorated with colored frosting for a sweet Easter treat.

5. Chocolate Chip Easter Baskets

These little Easter baskets above are sure to delight everyone in your Easter celebration.

6. Toll House Easter Basket Fudge

Who wouldn’t be thrilled to discover rich, creamy fudge in his or her Easter basket? Especially if they’re colorfully decorated. So quick and easy, you can treat your little ones with all three varieties.

7. Chocolatey NestEgg Shortbread Cookies

Nestlé Crunch and raspberry jam combine to make these tasty Easter cookies shown above. Perfect for surprising that special someone.

8. Mini Spring Cheesecakes

You don’t have to search the backyard for this hidden treasure. Sandwiched between mini graham cracker crusts and topped with chocolate Easter eggs, these personal size delights are a delicious addition to springtime festivities.

9. NestEgg Macaroons

These are the perfect Easter cookies to serve on that special “hoppy” day, shown above.

10. Premier White Lemony Cheesecake

Premier white baking bars give this elegant and lemony cheesecake a smooth and creamy consistency. Try this in the Spring, Easter or a bridal shower…to rave reviews.

I Love Oatmeal Month! Thin Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

by liz · Jan 14, 2012

Written by Liz –

I love oats. They are one of the healthiest foods, and you can enjoy them at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also add them to desserts to help make the best part of the meal heartier, crunchier and better for your heart.

Oatmeal in cookies are my favorite way to make cookies a bit healthier, and icing them using Bliss makes them even more naturally delicious. And if you like a super soft cookie, you can bake them a little less or bake them longer for a more crunchy treat. Enjoy National Oatmeal Month!

Thin Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
4 tablespoons Vanilla Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Low Fat Coffee Creamer, divided
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; stir.

BEAT butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium mixer bowl at medium-low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium; continue to beat about 1 minute longer or until light and creamy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and 1 tablespoon Coffee-mate; beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix just until incorporated and smooth. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oats; mix until well incorporated.

SCOOP dough by level tablespoon, then roll between palms into balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4-inch thickness.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and edges are crisp. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

COMBINE powdered sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons Coffee-mate and orange peel in medium bowl; stir well. With fork or spoon, drizzle over cookies. Allow glaze to set for 15 minutes before serving.

Links:

More oatmeal cookies recipes:

Deluxe Oatmeal Raisinets Cookies	Oatmeal Coconut Crunch Cookies
Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies	Oatmeal Scotchies

This Week: National Blueberry Pie, Oatmeal Cookie & Raisin Days

by liz · Apr 28, 2011

I love food holidays. There is a food holiday for everything, and it gives me direction on what to eat and cook. Today for instance, is National Blueberry Pie day, so I promptly started searching for blueberry pie-ish recipes. I found this Perfect Match Blueberry Lemon Pie; it would be even better with a little Meyer lemon added.

Next I found this Red, White and Blueberry Torte, which adds a chocolatey cake-like crust and more berries. Another great option for Blueberry Pie day. And if you really want something different, try these Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes or Corn Blueberry Muffins.

Saturday April 30 is Oatmeal Cookie day, which means cookies for breakfast. I just love oatmeal cookies with coffee and what better way to eat oatmeal? This Oatmeal Crunch Cookies recipe is great for an after-Easter treat: something to do with that leftover Easter candy. Or check out the rest of our oatmeal cookie recipes.

Saturday is also National Raisin Day. There are many ways to use raisins, especially if they are chocolate-covered. But, I think I’ll try this recipe for Pork Chops in Tomato Raisin Sauce for something savory.

Then, for a real chocolate-covered treat, I’ll try these Chocolate Chocolate Raisinets Cookies. Baking cocoa plus chocolate-covered raisins in this recipe really doubles the fun!

Links:

Related blueberry recipes:

Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes

Corn Blueberry Muffins