Monthly Archives: February 2015

The Chocolate I Dream About

Chocolates

Hey friends! Happy almost-Valentine’s Day! I’m sure some of you are making plans with your sweeties to celebrate, and I wish you a very happy holiday with your loved one! My fiancé will not be around for Valentine’s Day, sadly, so I decided to treat myself to some yummy chocolate. That decision morphed into a new creation, namely a chocolate that I just made up that I’m calling Nutty Bark. It is so simple to make this chocolate bark, and it’s heavenly! Here are the ingredients:

  • 2, 4-ounce boxes of Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate bars
  • 1/2 cup chopped cashews (or peanuts, or really any nut)
  • 1/2 cup Reese’s Pieces

First, chop the cashews if they’re not pre-chopped. Sprinkle the cashews and Reese’s Pieces on a non-stick baking mat or on wax paper in a baking sheet.

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Next, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the semi-sweet chocolate. Hint: Heat it for 30 seconds, then stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir again. Continue heating in 10-second increments after that until it’s fully melted. This chocolate melts perfectly into a silky smooth liquid. Pour the chocolate over the chopped nuts and candies and, using a rubber spatula, spread the melted chocolate out so there is one uniform layer.

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Put the pan in the fridge for about 1 hour or until the chocolate has completely hardened. You should be able to pull it off the wax paper or baking mat in one heavenly chocolate brick.

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Now, break the chocolate slab up! I suppose you could also just eat it all right then, and that would be perfectly acceptable too. I plan on sharing this bark with my family, so I had to break it into smaller pieces. You can break it up with your hands, a knife, or however you prefer.

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Now, dig in! This chocolate bark is the perfect balance of a sweet chocolate (but not too sweet!) and a creamy salty-sweet peanut bite, and it’s delightfully crunchy but melts smoothly on the tongue. If that doesn’t say “Happy Valentine’s Day”, I don’t know what does! Happy eating!

Gameday Sweets and Savories

Miscellaneous

Hey all! Who’s excited for the Superbowl?!? I know I am (although my favorite team isn’t in it this year)! I’m also really excited for the Superbowl snacks– and this year I have two fantastic gameday recipes for you! This is a double recipe post, with a great recipe for quick cinnamon rolls and easy pizza rolls! Here are the ingredients:

Cinnamon Rolls

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 sheet puff pastry, very cold (you can find this in the freezer section at the store)
  • Butter or margarine, to spread over pastry

First, combine the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Unfold the puff pastry and roll it out on a floured pastry board until it’s about 18 inches long and wide. Then, butter the pastry lightly. Pack the brown sugar mixture onto the pastry.

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Gently, roll the pastry into a log.

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Cut the log into small circles, and lay the circles down on a greased baking sheet (or a silicon baking mat, like I did). Hint: Make sure the pastry is super cold while you’re doing this, or else it will fall apart. If it gets warm, stick the log in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap for a few minutes until it’s cold and firm again.

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Bake in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Then, let the pastry cool on the baking sheet.

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Now for the pizza rolls!

Pizza Rolls:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, very cold
  • 3/4 cup marinara sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped pepperoni, to taste (I used turkey pepperoni)

Basically, same drill as the cinnamon rolls. Roll out the pastry on a floured board, and then spread the marinara sauce the sheet. Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the sauce, and then sprinkle the pepperoni on top.

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Roll the pastry up. Warning, this log will be much thicker than the cinnamon one! Cut the log into small circles, and bake in a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Then, let the pastry cool on the baking sheet.

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And there you have it! Two delicious snacks that are huge crowd-pleasers, just in time for the big game! I would recommend serving these fresh and hot, so pop them in the oven just a few minutes before the guests show up and you’ll be all set. Happy baking, and may the best team win!