Peppermint Bark

In addition to all my favorite traditional holiday treats, such fudge, divinity, & truffles, I wanted to try something new this year. While peppermint bark is certainly a classic treat to most this was the first year I ever made it. And it definitely won’t be the last. This bark is just the taste of the season! Normally I‘m not even a huge fan of peppermint but when it’s paired with chocolate (cause my philosophy is that everything is better with chocolate) I make an exception. Plus, how pretty and festive does it look?!

I also made this for my churches Christmas dinner and the tin was empty before I knew it! Definitely a new Christmas staple!

Peppermint Bark –

(Recipe adapted from Honeysuckle Catering)

Layers of chocolate and white chocolate infused with peppermint extract, topped off with pieces of peppermint candy.

This bark couldn’t be simpler to make and takes very few ingredients. The refreshing taste of the peppermint pairs perfectly with the chocolate layers.

The only problem I had with this bark, which I hear is pretty common, is that the first time I made it the chocolate and white chocolate layers separated as I broke it apart. But the second time I made it, I let the bark sit out on the counter and soften for like 15 minutes before I broke it apart. I don’t know if that’s what made the difference but it stayed together that time. If you are a peppermint bark pro would love to hear your tips on this!

If you’re looking for a last minute gift or a simple and delish treat to take to Christmas dinner I can’t think of anything better than a tin full of this Christmassy peppermint bark!

Ingredients:
10 ounces of dark, semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 ounces of white chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract
3 candy canes (I used Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips)

Directions:
Start by spraying the back side of a baking pan with cooking spray and then covering it with a piece of parchment paper.

Next melt your chocolate. You could do this by using a double boiler; just place a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, add your chocolate, stir till smooth, then remove from heat. Or you could melt it in the microwave for 10 second increments.

Once your chocolate is melted, pour it on to the parchment paper, using an off set spatula to spread it into a smooth and even layer. Place it in the fridge and let it harden for 10 minuets.

Take another bowl and melt your white chocolate. Now as I talked about in my last blog, melting white chocolate is a tricky thing. The way that I did this was by first measuring out my white chocolate and adding the peppermint extract before I melted it. I found if you add it after it's melted it will cause the white chocolate to seize. Next I took a small amount of the white chocolate along with a little bit of vegetable oil in a small bowl and melted it in the microwave for 10 second increments, stirring until smooth. Do this till all your white chocolate is melted.

Once the white chocolate is melted, pour it on top of your chocolate layer and spread it with your off set spatula. Sprinkle your candy cane pieces on top. Set it back in the fridge to set for another 10 to 20 minutes.

Finally take your baking sheet out of the fridge, lift up your parchment paper, and break up your peppermint bark into pieces.

Espresso Walnut Toffee

Christmas baking is in full swing in my kitchen! I don’t know about you but holiday baking is kind of my favorite so it’s easy for me to get a little out of hand. Tell me I’m not the only one out there that has a list of treats I have to make before the season is over. It’s admittedly a little crazy. But it hasn’t all just been for me… so that makes me feel a little bit better. I’ve been baking up a storm for my church, to give as gifts to family, and to fill orders I’ve gotten. And with Christmas just days away it’s about to get a little crazier (& I love it).

This Espresso Walnut Toffee…ah, where do I start? I swear to you this is hands down the very best toffee you will ever eat in your life. No, I’m not being over dramatic… it really is that good! This is one thing I’ve been making a lot of this season. I had been searching for years for a really good toffee recipe. For some reason every recipe I had tried came out “chip your tooth” hard and barely edible.

But last year for Christmas I was given blogger/author,  Molly Wizenberg’s book “A Homemade Life”.  For starters, if you love to cook & bake, if you’re a foodie… you will fall in love with this book! It will make you want to race in the kitchen and cook and bake your heart out. It’s really part memoir part recipe book. “Food literature”, if you will. Molly shares beautiful stories of her life and how cooking and baking became such a huge part of it. And at the end of each chapter she shares a recipe or two.

This toffee is a recipe that her mom made every Christmas when she was growing up. She said that her mom would give out tins full of goodies every Christmas and how this toffee was always raved about. After making it, it’s easy to see why. I made it for the first time on New Years Eve last year and was amazed at how delicious and beautiful it turned out.

I also made it for my churches Christmas dinner last week and got rave reviews on it. Thank you Molly for sharing this recipe with us! It has become a Christmas staple in my home and something I will be making for years to come.

Espresso Walnut Toffee -

(Recipe from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg)

Toasted walnuts fill this toffee that is infused with the warm flavors of espresso, cinnamon, and notes of caramel. It’s topped with decadent swirls of bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate and finished off with finely chopped toasted walnuts.

Candy making can be very intimidating (I hate anything I have to use a candy thermometer for), but really I found this recipe to be pretty easy. But you could always use this method to tell when it’s at soft crack stage if you don’t want to use (or don’t have) a candy thermometer.

I have to say though that the worst part of this whole process was melting the freakin’ white chocolate. Which became the bane of my existence. The recipe says to layer rows of chocolate and white chocolate on the still hot toffee and let it melt for a minute before swirling. Well the chocolate melted but the white chocolate never did. So I decided to melt it, drizzle it on, and then swirl it.

Well I tried the double boiler method, I tried the microwave…nope. All I was left with was a scorched lumpy mess. Has white chocolate (which is really just a fraud seeing as how it isn’t even chocolate at all) always been this hard to melt?! Though after doing a little research I finally figured how to do it. The way that worked best for me was melting a little bit at a time with a small amount of vegetable oil in the microwave for 10 second increments. Yes, it takes a while but it’s worth it. Click here for more on melting white chocolate.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this toffee has the most perfect texture! A nice crunch, especially with the walnuts, but is not going to chip your tooth lol. Because you know, it’s always good to have all your teeth still intact after eating candy.

I could really eat this all year round but it’s definitely even more special during the holidays. Whether you’re going to give it as a gift or keep it for yourself, I hope you give this lovely toffee a try this holiday season! :)

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp. unsulfured molasses
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
4 1/2 ounces white chocolate, very finely chopped
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Put the walnuts on a baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer, and bake until they are fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not allow them to burn. Set them aside to cool, about 10 minutes, then coarsely chop them. Transfer 1 1/2 cups to a small bowl. Then finely chop the remaining 1/2 cup, and put it in a separate bowl.

Prepare your ingredients and equipment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the water and molasses. Put the chopped chocolate into their own separate bowls. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or butter.

In a heavy, 2 to 3 quart saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add sugars, espresso powder, cinnamon, salt, water, and molasses and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the mixture registers 290 F (and no less), stirring frequently at first, and then slowly and constantly scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula, about 20 minutes.

When the mixture is up to temperature, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts. Quickly pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; do not scrape the saucepan. Tilt and gently shake the baking sheet so that the toffee spreads to a 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chocolates by the generous tablespoonful's onto the hot toffee, alternating rows of bittersweet and white. Allow them to melt for 1 minute. Using the back of the spoon, spread the melted chocolates, taking care not to mix them. Then drag the tip of a small knife or the tines if a fork across the chocolates, swirling them to create a marbled look. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.

Slide the pan into the refrigerator, and chill until the toffee is firm, about 1 hour. Break it into pieces of whatever size your like.

NOTE: Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, toffee will keep for up to 2 weeks. Serve it cold or at room temp. Yields about 2 pounds.

Best Brownies w/ Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I honestly can’t believe in all my years of blogging I have yet to post this brownie recipe. I have no idea why it’s taken me this long. This was the very first recipe I ever baked all on my own and basically the one that got me into baking in the first place. So it’s kind of special.

My mom use to make these brownies for my sister and I all the time when we were kids and we loved them! I don’t know why but I never really helped her make them until I was in my teens (maybe around 16). And soon the torch was passed down to me and I was making them all by myself.

It’s such a simple recipe that it’s perfect for the newbie baker. I really started to love the process of baking them. It was relaxing and therapeutic. So much so in fact, that I became so good at making them that I probably could’ve done it with my eyes closed. Just goes to show how often I made them, ha! And even though I don’t make them half as much as I used to it’s still a recipe I know by heart.

Best Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

(Recipes adapted from here)

These brownies are rich and fudgy all on their own but the addition of the fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting makes them a little more decadent. They are also so quick and easy to whip up.

Over the years I have tried many brownie recipes on a quest to find the perfect brownie. But somehow I always come back to this one. Now I know that some people feel really passionate about how they like their brownies. There are some that turn their noses up at a brownie with frosting and wonder what you are trying to hide. Some people like them super gooey and under baked while some like them cakey (that’s a pet peeve of mine actually, it’s like, just make cake! Brownies are meant to be fudgy! Ok, rant over).

Fudgy, cakey, chewy, with frosting or without… oh what’s a baker do do?!

This is the great brownie debate, my friends. It’s a debate that is as polarizing as politics and religion. Well at least to crazy obsessed bakers and foodies like myself. For me personally, it just depends on my mood. In the interest of full disclosure, I really think that Starbucks makes a great brownie and it would just be wrong to frost it. But when I make them at home and I want something a little rich and extra chocolaty, I need the frosting.

But you have to do what is right for you. These brownies are just as good without the frosting really. So which ever side of the great brownie debate you land on I just hope you give these a try! These are the brownies that started my love of baking and it’s a recipe that will always be my go to. Finish them off with some pretty sprinkles and you will be in brownie heaven! :)

Ingredients:
1 stick butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan. In a large bowl cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. In a small bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until incorporated. Add in chocolate chips, if desired. I never measure the chips but I probably add in maybe a 1/4 cup. Spread into pan and bake for 20 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely and spread on frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Hands down my favorite go to chocolate buttercream. It’s always so creamy, rich, and fluffy. I want to put it on everything.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter (room temp)
3-4 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream or half & half

Directions:
In a medium bowl beat butter till light & fluffy. Add in cocoa and beat till incorporated. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add in vanilla and heavy cream and beat 2-3 minutes till fluffy.

Red Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownies

Hey friends & foodies! I feel like I have been MIA from my sweet little corner of the world lately and I’m missing it! So what better way to attempt to get back to the blogosphere (yet again) than with a yummy recipe!

A couple weeks ago I was in the mood to try a crazy and fun new recipe. Maybe something slightly over the top. And where else do you go but the # 1 source for crazy over the top recipes but Pinterest, right? I stumbled upon this lovely recipe for Red Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownies and thought they were perfect! And they really were… totally fun, totally over the top, and pretty freakin’ delish!

In all honesty, I’ve never been a huge fan of red velvet cake. That may be very anti-southern of me but it’s just never been my cup of tea… err slice of cake, so to speak. But red velvet in brownie form with chocolate and Oreos? Now you're speaking my language!

Red Velvet Oreo Truffle Brownies -

(Recipe from http://pizzazzerie.com)

Moist red velvet brownie with a layer of crushed Oreos mixed with chocolate, topped with a layer of melted chocolate and a generous sprinkle of chocolate chips. Yes, make no mistake, this is one decadent dessert but it was truly love at first bite. All the layers compliment each other perfectly. It’s the first time I’ve ever had red velvet with anything other than cream cheese or buttercream icing…but this dessert breaks all the rules of red velvet cake. And I must admit, I like this crazy rebel of a brownie better!

I don’t know if you’ve ever made those Oreo truffles before but if you have, picture eating one of those with a slice of red velvet cake, and you have these brownies!

I had a little trouble getting the brownie done, but an extra 5 to 8 minutes in the oven seemed to do the trick! I also didn’t take the brownies out of the pan like the recipe says to do, I just didn’t really see any need for it. And being all out of mini chips, I used the regular sized semi-sweet chips along with some white chocolate chips as well.

Give this recipe a try when your in the mood for a decadent fun treat! :)

Ingredients:
1 Duncan Hines box Red Velvet cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 package Jell-O instant white chocolate pudding (3.3 ounces)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package Oreos
8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 package (1/2lb) chocolate bark (CandiQuick) (or about 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips)
mini chocolate chips for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine cake mix, melted butter, eggs, pudding mix, vegetable oil and mix well until thoroughly combined (2-3 minutes on medium of electric mixer).

Spray a 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray. I like the baking variety that has flour in it. Then spread the red velvet brownie layer into the pan. It will be VERY thick, use the back of a spoon (or clean hands) to help spread it into all edges of the pan.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (ovens vary so watch closely). Let cool completely before flipping out.

Crush package of Oreos in a food processor (or in a large plastic bag and rolling pin). Melt cream cheese for 15 seconds in a microwave to soften. Stir together crushed Oreos and cream cheese until blended smooth. Carefully spread out Oreo truffle mixture on top of baked red velvet brownies. Use your hands to help press it down instead of spreading to avoid tearing the brownies.

Melt chocolate candy bark (or chocolate chips) and pour over top Oreo truffle layer. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips while still warm. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.