Valentine Chocolate Toffee Crackers

I can't believe Valentine's Day is this Saturday! This year is flying by already. If you're looking for a quick and easy treat to make for the ones you love, or to share with co-workers and friends, this recipe for Chocolate Toffee Crackers is perfect. I have shared this one before for Halloween and wanted to show you how versatile it is for any occasion, just by switching up the sprinkles. How cute are these heart and ball sprinkles I used for Valentine's Day?

I recently made a batch of these for the Super Bowl and the entire plate was consumed in under 20 minutes. They only take about 30 minutes to make and truly are like candy on crack.

Now that we've gotten the chocolate part of the holiday covered, let's talk love. My Mom and her friend Bonnie have been delivering Valentine cards to the elderly couples in the senior community by our old neighborhood, for the past 11 years. Last year was the first time I got to go with them and participate. It was so much fun to hear about all of the stories that have taken place over the years and to see how much this kind gesture of love means to the residents. I'm looking forward to joining them again this Saturday for the twelfth year running. I'll be sure to take pictures and update this post accordingly.

What fun Valentine's Day traditions do you have? Leave a comment below with your favorite Valentine candy and tell me your favorite way to celebrate. My favorite treat are my Mom's famous sugar cookies. I'm looking forward to breaking my meal plan to enjoy a few this weekend.  I'd love to hear your stories, memories and traditions. Here's wishing you lots of love and reasons to smile.  XOXO

Naughty Or Nice? Devil's Food Coal Cakes or Candy Cane Kiss Cakes?

I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Eve! Have you been naughty or nice this year? Well I have the perfect solution for the little devils or angels in your life... Naughty or Nice Cupcakes! Devil's Food Chocolate Coal Cakes for the naughties you know and Candy Cane Kiss Cakes for the saintly angels who are sugar sweet.

If you are looking for a last minute dessert idea for tonight or tomorrow, I have included both of my "Naughty or Nice" cupcake recipes for you. Both recipes are made with boxed cake mix for an easy and quick last minute bake-a-ton. They are so festive and cute! Look for last minute Christmas cupcake papers at your local grocery store, or just use a standard white or silver liner, as the frosting is colored red and green to make for a Christmas themed cake.

I want to let you in on a little secret I've used with boxed cake mix. I try to avoid cooking with oil at all costs and use baking substitutes as often as possible. I have found that Greek yogurt is a perfect replacement. It makes the cakes extremely moist and gives a beautiful spongy, light and fluffy cake texture. You're saving a few calories, using natural ingredients and also making for a much better cake finish out of a box. I think you'll have a hard time baking cupcakes with oil again after trying the recipe with yogurt.

Devil's Food Coal Cakes

1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix
1 cup water
1 cup plain greek yogurt
3 eggs

Christmas sprinkles or toppings of your choice

Add to basic buttercream frosting:
Green food paste or coloring
peppermint extract*

Mix cake mix, water, eggs and yogurt together in a medium bowl until well combined. Dispense into cupcake liners, filling half way. Bake according to box directions. Remove when done, cool completely before frosting.

After your Devil's Food Coal Cakes are cool and your frosting is made, do yourself a favor and make the frosting a little easier on yourself. Invert half of the piping bag inside a large glass. Now you can fill the bag with frosting without having it slip or move around on you. Make sure to tightly wrap the top of the bag to seal in the frosting and hold with one hand to secure closure while you frost. Decorate the frosting with crushed Christmas candy, sprinkles or cute paper signs as shown in my photos. Have fun, be creative and mostly, enjoy.

Candy Cane Kiss Cakes

1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup water
1 cup plain greek yogurt

3 eggs

water 

greek yogurt
1/2 cup of crushed candy cane

Christmas sprinkles or toppings of your choice
Hersheys Candy Cane Kisses for cupcake topper

Add to basic buttercream frosting:
Red food paste or coloring
peppermint extract

Mix cake mix, water, eggs and yogurt together in a medium bowl until well combined. Dispense into cupcake liners, filling half way. Bake according to box directions. Remove when done, cool completely before frosting.

After your Candy Cane Kiss Cakes are cool and your frosting is made, do yourself a favor and make the frosting a little easier on yourself. Invert half of the piping bag inside a large glass. Now you can fill the bag with frosting without having it slip or move around on you. Make sure to tightly wrap the top of the bag to seal in the frosting and hold with one hand to secure closure while you frost. Decorate the frosting with crushed Christmas candy, sprinkles or cute paper signs as shown in my photos. Have fun, be creative and mostly, enjoy.

Basic Buttercream Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks room temp. butter
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream

2-4 tablespoons extract flavoring of your choice*
red food paste or coloring

Mix the powdered sugar,  butter and cream in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment and splash guards in place on low, until combined; about one minute. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the coloring* flavor extract, beat mixture until fluffy; about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides again. Check for consistency, add an additional tablespoon of cream, one at a time until frosting is creamy, but firm. Taste and adjust flavoring or color as needed. 

*If you are making multiple colors of frosting, divide into separate bowls after frosting is well mixed, add color and whisk by hand until color is well combined.

This batch will frost approx. 24 cupcakes. Double recipe if you are making both recipes of cakes. 


I hope you all have a safe and very MeRrY ChRiStMaS! I would love to hear your holiday plans or family traditions in the comments below. Happy holidays and may the festivities begin!

Lemon Zucchini Bread (gluten free/vegan)

I've recently started playing around with gluten free flours as a healthier alternative to the usual baked treats that I love. With the fall harvest coming to an end, I had a lot of zucchini left over. One can only eat so many "Zoodles" before that carb craving kicks in and something with more texture is required. Zucchini bread is always a great option for the piles of squash that seem to be endlessly growing larger and larger and larger from a fall garden, but I feel it is time for a new twist. That twist comes in the form of zesty and citrusy lemon with a sweet lemon glaze on top. The added benefit of being gluten free is just a bonus. Trust me when I tell you that you will not miss the wheat flour in this bread. I used my dad as a taste tester  and for a man who loves sweets and repels anything overly nutritious, he wasn't the wiser. In fact, he came back for thirds. This recipe is just that good!

 I found a great deal on a bag of gluten free blended flour at my local Costco. If you have a Costco nearby, I highly recommend you stock up on supplies to last through the long winter months and try your hand at some new and creative baking at home. Leave a message for me in the comments below and tell me what other gluten free baking items you enjoy.

• Lemon Zucchini Bread

• Ingredients:
• 
  
•  1 cup of grated zucchini (squeeze out the excess liquid in a paper towel, then fluff with a fork)
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour blend
• 1/4 cup almond flour (substitute regular all-purpose gluten-free flour if you have a nut allergy)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already has it)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil (or other light oil)
• 2 extra large eggs*
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk 
• zest of one lemon
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  
• Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
• 2-4 Tbs. milk (almond or coconut)
• Combine the above, starting with 2 Tbs. of almond milk until desired consistency of the glaze is met.
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
   Spray 2 medium sized loaf pans with cooking spray. (Make sure it's gluten free like canola or olive)
2. Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt in a medium bowl until blended. 
3. Add the brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice and vanilla to your mixer.Mix until blended.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, a little at a time until combined and blended. 
5. Fold in the grated zucchini and mix just until combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
7. Place in the center oven rack and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It's best to slightly undercook, vs overcooking which will cause your loaf to have a very dry texture.
8. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes and carefully turn out onto a cooling rack that has been placed over a cookie sheet.
9. Make the lemon glaze while the loaves cool.
10. Drizzle the glaze over the loaves after they are cool. The cookie sheet will catch any drips, making for easier clean up.
11. This bread will store for about 3-5 days. Serve and enjoy with additional glaze, or toast with butter.

• *This recipe can be made vegan by substituting the eggs with the following:
• 1Tbs. ground flax seeds + 3 Tbs. water = 1 egg

This method may change the density and texture of your bread, depending on the current environmental conditions in your kitchen.

• 
  

Chocolate Toffee Crackers

Today is National Chocolate Day, which gives us all an excuse to start the Halloween candy binge early! The average American adult consumes 24 pounds of chocolate annually. No wonder chocolate was voted as our favorite flavor. During Halloween, Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy, 90 million of this in chocolate form is sold just the week of. That's the equivalent of 16 billion fun sized Snickers bars. Side note: I keep my chocolate bars in the freezer. I love the crunch and coolness of frozen chocolate.

 Chocolate is king during Halloween with $1.2 Billion in sales and today, October 28th, is the biggest contributor. So quit reading this and go buy some chocolate!

You're back? I may or may not be snacking on a chocolate toffee cracker while I type this... 

You've probably heard of this recipe before. It's all over Pinterest in different varieties. This version is my favorite. I read several recipes and played around until I got just the right combination. You might know this recipe as "Christmas Crack" or "Saltine Toffee". I prefer the version with chocolate and love the idea of adding sprinkles to dress it up for the current holiday celebration. The whole thing only takes 15 minutes to make and most of you will already have all 4 ingredients, just needing the right color of sprinkles. You could also add crushed peppermint candy on top for Christmas or crushed cinnamon candy for Valentine's Day. If you come up with a great combo, leave a comment below. I love to hear your ides!


Chocolate Toffee Crackers

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1-2 sleeves of saltine crackers
1 12 oz bag of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
sprinkles of your choosing


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil, making sure to create an edge to prevent leaking.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over med-high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Let the mixture stand and boil for 3 minutes.

While the toffee cooks, line the cookie sheet with saltine crackers to create a solid, single layer.

Pour the toffee mixture evenly over the crackers and spread out with a silicone spatula.

Place the sheet onto the center rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the sheet from the oven and rest on the stovetop.

Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the toffee. Place the sheet back in the oven for one minute to melt the chocolate chips.

Remove the sheet and gently spread out the melted chocolate until you have a smooth, even layer of shiny chocolate. To finish, shake sprinkles over the top for decoration. Place the sheet in the fridge for 10  minutes to cool, remove and break into individual squares. 

Done! Wasn't that easy? Now the hard part is letting the batch make it to the serving table. I bet you can't eat just one...

Tea Party Wedding Shower

I wanted to share a fun family moment from my cousin's wedding shower the other night. My cousin Bryce is marrying his adorable fiance Clair this Friday, so my Mom had the cute idea of throwing them a tea party themed shower.  My Mom is the reason I enjoy cooking so much today and has inspired so much of my passion for good food and entertaining. She's the best at organizing and planning the cutest details for a perfect event. 

We both decided to break out her Fine China and silver for the occasion. This is a suggestion I would recommend for everyone keeping theirs locked up in a dusty cabinet. These treasures should be given life and used! It's ok to be selective, but realize that they are made to be eaten on and your guests will feel extra special that you trust them with your family heirlooms. It is a tea party after all, bring out the China!

Mom ordered scone mixes in a variety of flavors from King Arthur Flour and baked up a storm that morning. They turned out amazing! She served them with flavored jams and marmalades, and I picked up a jar of clotted cream to give the tea an authentic English touch. As this was my first time ever trying clotted cream, I did a little research before and found out that depending on where you live, there are strict rules on the order that the cream is applied to the scone. This article from The Guardian gives insight to the clotted cream and tea feud between Devon and Cornwall on the issue, I found it an interesting read.

It took some searching, but I was lucky enough to find some at my favorite gourmet shop, Pirate O's. If you don't live in Utah, you're still in luck and can order from them online! Check them out. They have yet to let me down on an ingredient or rare find and have the largest variety of selections that I've ever seen. From oils to spices to a wall of chocolate bars, they have it all!

The cute couple, Bryce & Claire who are getting married this Saturday! So excited for them!

The punch is a combination of limeade and Sprite with fresh lime and cucumber slices. You could also use Ginger Ale as a festive option for the holidays.

Look how beautiful the scones turned out! My Mom sprinkled sanding sugar over the top to add a little sparkle and sweetness.

I conjured up my inner Audrey for this Breakfast At Tiffany's look. I was lucky enough to find this Ted Baker dress a few days before and thought I would arrive to the shower in my London best.

Bryce, my Mom Dianne and yours truly.

This was my plate before I garnished the scones with jam and cream in the Devon fashion. Sorry Cornwall! I think the assembly holds up better for eating with jam first, then a large dollop of cream.

*Hibiscus flower and Mango herbal tea

I hope this post inspires you to plan a tea party for your next book club gathering, or just as a way to get your girlfriends together to reconnect and converse. You could turn this into a full luncheon with tea sandwiches and a light soup as well. 

*I shot at night in poor lighting, but still wanted to share how cute everything turned out. Here's the jams and clotted cream.

I really enjoyed seeing my family and welcoming Claire into ours. We don't get together as often as we used to, but always enjoy catching up when we do. I've always been especially close to Bryce. He's the oldest male cousin and has always been a great influence on me growing up. Our Dad's were thick as thieves as the two oldest boys out of 8 kids. They were full of mischief as little boys usually are.  It amazes me that my grandparents decided to have 6 more, knowing they might duplicate Mark (Bryce) and Steve (me)! But I'm glad that they did! Mark passed away in 1984, but I know he is a proud papa of his son and will be there with them on Saturday. I'll be sure to update this post with a few wedding photos to share.

 

Candy Corn Pretzel Melts

Fall is such an amazing time of year! The leaves are changing, the air is cool and crisp, pumpkins are on a rampage to take over the world.. pumpkin spice... everything! Not that I'm complaining, I love the flavor of pumpkin spice and look forward each year to seeing all of the new creative ways it's incorporated into food. Pumpkin Spice Oreos are a game changer. 

As are Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses, and I showcase them in today's recipe for Candy Corn Pretzel Melts. I got the idea to make these adorable candies for Halloween from Sallys Baking Addiction on Pinterest and decided to play around with a few seasonal flavors and colors of candy corn and chocolate.

I used three flavors of candy corn; S'mores, Caramel Apple and Pumpkin Spice. I also used two flavors of Hershey's kisses; Hugs and Pumpkin Spice. Mix and match to your liking. As for the pretzels, I used butter pretzel snaps for their flavor and the square shape works as a perfect platform to place the chocolate kisses snuggly in the middle.

This little man is my nephew McCoy. He sat and tugged at my leg the entire time I made these candies and waited for his turn to taste them. With a face this cute, how could I resist?

After all the photos were taken, I had had my fill of chocolate for the day and let this cutie go to town! I'm sure my sister was thrilled to take home a baby who was just given a sugar rush before bed, but that's what aunts are for! :) McCoy approves and recommends you try these ones out on your little ones at home. Enjoy!


Candy Corn Pretzel Melts

Ingredients:

Candy corn
Pretzel squares or circles
Hershey's Kisses or Hugs

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 250°

2.Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

3.Place pretzels on the sheet in a uniform grid, taking care to leave room between to ensure they don't touch and melt together.

4. Unwrap the Kisses and center on each square. Place in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until the tips of the kisses curl and the chocolate is softened. Don't over melt as the chocolate will spread out too far on the pretzel and run down the sides when you place the candy corn on top.

5. Open the candy corn packages and place on the counter or in a bowl for easy access. You'll need to move quickly once the chocolate is melted.

6.Remove the melts from the oven, carefully push each candy corn into the center of each kiss as shown. 

7.Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool and set the chocolate. Remove from the fridge, they are ready to eat!

Play with multiple flavor combinations. This recipe works for a variety of candies and holidays. I'm going to whip up a batch for Christmas with mint and peppermint Kisses and the Christmas M&M's. This would also be a fun after dinner snack for Thanksgiving.

Tropical Paradise Grilled Pineapple

Now that BBQ and grilling season are in full swing, I've been experimenting with grilled desserts. I came up with the idea for this light and tropical dessert after having grilled pineapple at a Brazilian steakhouse recently, which is one of my favorite treats. This version is so easy and will really wow your friends and family. 

Ingredients:

2 20 oz cans of pineapple rings

1 C dried coconut 

1 C dark rum 

1/2 C brown sugar

1 pint of Haagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream (you may substitute vanilla) 

1 lime or a handful of key limes for garnish 

Bosco Sea Salt Caramel Syrup

In a large bowl, drain the pineapple juice from both cans. Mix in the rum and brown sugar until well combined. Layer the pineapple rings as shown above. Cover and soak for at least 6 hours, but the best flavor comes from soaking overnight. 

Use tongs to place the rings side by side on a hot grill. The rings brown quickly, so watch them carefully. Once grilled on both sides, place on a serving platter to assemble later.

Brown the coconut on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 30 second increments, stirring after each increment for even browning. This will take about two minutes total. 

To assemble, place two rings on top of one another in the center of the plate. Top with a quenelle of ice cream right in the center. Drizzle with the caramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Garnish with a thin quarter slice of lime and serve. This can be a fairly healthy dessert if you serve with frozen yogurt, or indulge in some creamy Haggen Daas Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream.

 

On Wednesdays we wear PINK...Cupcakes

Today marks the ten year anniversary of the release of the movie Mean Girls. I can't even count how many times I have seen this film. My friends and I still quote the one liners often and giggle as if we have some secret inside joke with each other. I think that's why I love it so much. Everyone who survived high school knows a mean girl and was tortured by a Regina George clone at some point. And if we were really honest with ourselves, we all know we have had a little of the Regina sass from time to time as well. We aren't proud of it, but the truth is everyone can relate to parts of this film. Tina Fey did a remarkable job of writing the screenplay. You want to hate Regina so much, but end up feeling sorry for her and even liking her in the end.

So in honor of this landmark anniversary, I watched Mean Girls again today while I made these treats that are perfect for an all carb diet. You are guaranteed to loose 3 lbs after eating just one. And the color choice? Well today is Wednesday, after all. On Wednesday's we wear PINK. 

Here's a fun trivia link to 25 facts you didn't know about the film.

Normally I make my cupcakes from scratch, but as it's a weeknight, I came up with this semi-homemade option. It's healthier than store bought and tastes like you spent hours instead of minutes. Frosting is the longest process and even then, I cheated.

What you'll need:

1 box of cake mix

1 C. of diet soda

1 container of low fat greek yogurt

2 containers of flavored and colored frosting

2 tsp. of vanilla extract (add to the frosting for a more homemade flavor)

1 egg

This master recipe is so versatile, mix and match flavors to create endless possibilities. Today I used Funfetti cake, Diet orange soda, creamsicle yogurt and vanilla frosting. Pick flavors that compliment each other. Devils food cake, cherry coke zero and black cherry yogurt with chocolate frosting is another favorite of mine. Think light cakes with light or bright colored colas and dark cakes with dark colas for your best flavor bet. Or use basic white cake as a blank canvas for any flavor. Grape or strawberry soda go well with white cake.

 Mix all ingredients together in a large bow. For easier clean up, use the empty yogurt container to measure your soda. Fill it up for the equivalent of one cup.

Using a non-stick cookie sheet filled with liners, drop one large tablespoon into the center of each liner. You'll get about 16 cupcakes out of this batch. Fill the remaining empty slots half way with water for even baking.

Bake @ 450 degrees for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Set aside to cool on a baking rack.

A tip on filling frosting bags; set the bag over a tall glass and then fill with frosting. Now you don't have to juggle the bag and gooey mess.

Frost and decorate as desired.  Make sure to add sparkles. SO FETCH!!!