Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

IMG_6383My motive for this drink…get rid of a few candy cane…..  And maybe make a little kid happy, but that was just a bonus... I would have made him drink this even if he didn't like it. (I am awful like that)

I have noticed lately people are really into peppermint in their hot drinks and  I have an excess of candy canes in my house, so  this was the perfect drink to make. I was initially just going to make hot peppermint milk but added the cocoa for an extra treat. If you want, omit the cocoa and just make peppermint milk.. Or you might want to replace 1/2 the milk and add coffee! Or for those adults out there..maybe add a spash of vodka.. my version of .a hot black and white peppermint Russian(I just made that a thing)

A little advise ….check the temperature of the drink if you are giving it to a kid..What I thought was not too hot turned out to be a too hot. My little niece took a big gulp, and instantly sprayed the drink all over the kitchen and my clean hat, scarf and mittens… and then proceeded to cry….Hot chocolate is supposed to make the kids happy….so yeah...

IMG_5475All you need is a cup of milk(cow, soy, rice..whatever) a tablespoon of cocoa powder, a tiny pinch of salt and a candy cane. We don't need to add any extra sugar because the candy cane is sugar. 

Peel plastic off candy cane and place in a baggy and smash with something hard (rolling pin worked great)IMG_6374Stick all ingredients into a pot on medium heat and whisk until the candy cane is melted and the milk is as hot as you like it.

IMG_6379It you want(we did) top with a dollop of whipped cream(or whipped coconut cream) and sprinkle with a little more crushed candy cane…..Best served after a long afternoon of playing in the snow!

Go for it, watch your tongue and enjoy!

 

Ingredients (Makes one serving)

  • 1 normal sized candy cane
  • 1 tablespoon powdered cocoa
  • 1 1/4 cup of milk(cow, soy, rice, hemp…what ever milk you want)
  • pinch of salt

Place unwrapped candy cane in baggy and smash.  Place all but a sprinkle of the candy cane, the milk, and the cocoa in pot on medium heat  and whisk until candy cane is fully melted and the cocoa is you preferred temperature.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

IMG_6241I needed something quick, something everyone would like and I needed it to come from food I had in the house……Pretzels, peanut butter and chocolate chips turned into little nutty nuggets. A last minute christmas treat.  I have stumbled apron something that I am sure to make many more times to come. People were really into them and for real, so easy and  took so little time to make.. Fast, happy, peanut butter and pretzels dipped in chocolate, I mean, do you know anyone that would say no to that? And just because I made them for Christmas does not mean that we cannot make these for any occasion, like New Years,  maybe a birthday party or even laundry day. You can even make these as a fun afternoon activity with the kiddos.…Make them whenever you need a fun little treat!  Note….This is one of those treats that is vegan, gluten-free (just get gluten-free pretzels) and doesn't have a ton of sugar..Eveyone can eat them! Hooray!!!!!! (Maybe don't feed them to a child with a peanut allergy)

IMG_6207Simple as this….Half a bag of pretzel rods(any shape would work)… A big scoop of peanut butter and some chocolate chips…

.IMG_6214 IMG_6215                                      Pretzels go into the food processor and pulsed until a mostly fine crumbly crumble. Now in goes the big ol scoop of peanut butter. Pulse until mixture comes togetherIMG_6217Go ahead and take a bite……so good right?..Start turning the mixtures into small balls..think grape sized.

IMG_6221Once the mixture is all rolled out, stick into the fridge or freezer for a little about a 1/2 hour to set up.

IMG_6229Right before you take the balls out of the fridge…melt down the chocolate.  Like my make shift double boiler? I know….jealous. If you have one, use it, but if not, a big pot with water and a smaller thin metal or a glass bowl works.. The pot or bowl should fit onto the big pot, but I was having a hard time and couldn't find any of my bowls…..so i did what I could. Bring water to a boil then turn to simmer. Place chocolate in small bowl on big pot and stir until chocolate is melted, silky and smooth. Remove bowl from boiler and start to dip those balls! Reheat chocolate if needed but be careful to not get any water into chocolate or else it will seize up and you won't be able to melt it anymore.

IMG_6234Drop a few balls into the melted chocolate. I was doing 2-3 at a time. Take a spoon or spatula and gently roll  or coat entire nugget. Remove and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

IMG_6240

That's it...Imperfect little perfect candy nugget truffle thingys….I sprinkled the tops with colored sugar.. you know, for a little holiday fun.. 3 simple ingredients( oil doesn't count).. and 10 minutes of hands on time…can't get much better then that. 

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
  • 10-12 Pretzel rods
  • 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • tablespoon coconut oil

Pretzels go  into food processor and pulse until a fine mealy constancy.. Add peanut butter and pulse until combined and is easily handled. Add a bit more peanut butter if the mixture seems to dry or another pretzel if mixture is too loose.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Roll mixture into small grape sized balls. Pace in the fridge or freezer for 1/2 hour.

After the balls have chilled, place chocolate chips and coconut oil into  a double boiler and heat until chocolate is fully melted. Place balls 2-3 at a time into melted chocolate, roll around to completely coat, then transfer back  onto wax paper. Once all balls are chocolate coated, sprinkle with something( if you want) and place back in fridge to set up.

Share(if you feel like it) and Enjoy!!!

 

 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

IMG_5963 Those are some for real chocolate chip cookies…….for real.

This is probably one of the first recipes that I ever really knew by heart. Some recipes I can bring up in my head, but if I haven't used it in a while, I usually have to check to make sure I got it right… Not these… Chocolate chip cookie are forever imprinted in my brain.

Chocolate chip may seem like a simple cookie, but trust me, its more complex then one may think. There are so many little factors that really affect the over all cookie: The baking temperature, the exact perfect time to pull the cookies out of the oven. Weather the butter is hand mixed or beaten, softened or melted. The color of the baking sheet and how long you leave the cookie on the sheet before placing on the coloring rack…….This cookie is as much about method as it is about ingredients. ….But don't let that scare you..you got this. Just don't think that these are a mindless act of baking. You have to be committed, keeping on the oven the whole time these cookies are baking………….. It's so worth it.

Full disclosure here…I have been making these cookies the same way for so long so I am not exactly sure, but this might actually be the same recipe as toll house. I haven't looked….Either way…I have tried out other chocolate chip recipes and this one has always come out on top.

IMG_5908 As usual, I forgot an ingredient in the line up…the  chocolate chips, oh and the pinch of salt.. But rest assure, even though not pictured, there are indeed chocolate chips in these cookies!

IMG_5912        IMG_5915

Pre heat the oven to 375.

Room temperature butter creamed with both the white and brown sugar. Before  you add the butter to the sugar, smash any of the big chunks of brown sugar. The key to my recipe is not melting butter or using an electric beater, it's all hand mixin, no electric mixing(you could use a kitchen aid, but I don't have one so I think you should use a wooden spoon too), plus it's a good arm work out. Mix mix mix. I find smearing on the side of the bowl helps too. Mix/smear until both sugar and butter is a unified color and consistency, Once that happens, add the two room temperature eggs, the vanilla and mix a little more,

IMG_5921                                          When everything is mixed, add the dry ingredients and mix that until fully incorpaerterd….

Take a minute here and sniff……I love the smell of cookie dough, it's a happy smell.IMG_5926Now for the chocolate chips. I use only 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips… You want just enough in each cookie, but don't want to overwhelm it with too much chocolate. The cookie is as much of the star as the chocolate. IMG_5933 See how may cookie sheet is nice and silver and clean? For a long time I used a very dirty and dark baking sheet. I would make cookies and they always seem to come out slightly burnt. Got myself a new baking sheet and……perfect cookies. If your baking sheet is dark, I would recommend using parchment paper.

Your ready to scoop and bake….my suggestion. Make 2-4 cookies for your first batch, or what I call the tester batch. I swear, there is some law of the universe that says the first batch always is overcooked. I have excepted that and  learned to only make a couple for the first batch Scoop mounds of your preferable size(I do a spoonful) and place on sheet with each mound having good amount of spreading space. Place in preheated oven..

Now here is the really important part!!!!Baking time is essential to how your cookie turns out.  If you want a more soft and chewy cookie, bake for about 7-9 minutes or until the cookies are just barely turning  brown…just barely. They might seem a little undercooked, but the cookies will cook a bit more once pulled from the oven  Trust…I know what I am talking about. .Let them cool for about a minute on sheet  before transferring them to rack. If you like more crunchy milk dipping cookie..bake for 9-11 minutes or until they are golden brown.

IMG_5960 Lovely right…

IMG_5951

Now you have gone and done it…Made fantastic cookies!!! Maybe you are going to share? No pressure, but it is the holiday season. For real, you can't go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie, every loves it. and then will in turn love you too.

Get people to like you with Cookies!!!! hahahaha… but you know its true!

 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 white sugar
  • 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda

In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, cream together the brown and white sugar with the  room temperature butter. Add eggs and vanilla and stir. Now add the dry ingredients and….. then the chocolate chips.

On a light-colored baking sheet to a parchment line sheet, use a spoon and drop a constant size mound of dough, leaving room for expansion. Place in oven for 7-9 minus until cookie is barely turning brown. Remove and let sit on sheet for another minute before transferring to cooling rack. Keep doing this until all of you dough is gone…

COOKIES!!!!