The Sweet Chick

In an Instagram Minute

2013-06-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

Just when I though May was busy, then came June. I have not had much time to breathe yet. Every weekend has been taken up by family events. The most important one being my daughter's birthday. So of course I was busy making treats for her. Here is what I have been doing for those that don't follow my on Instagram.

First up were some treats for her party at school. I made some cookie dough cupcake pops. You can find the recipe and the how-to here.

Then I made some cupcakes fop her party at a miniature golf place with her friends and cousins. I just used a Funfetti cake mix and made some buttercream frosting. I used some green candy melt to make the leaves. I drew the leaves on a wax paper and then peeled them off when the candy melt set.

Pink and green glittery sprinkles added the final touch. My daughter thought they were pretty, which is not bad considering she mostly likes boys stuff and her favorite color is blue.

When I asked her what she wanted on her cake for the family party we were having after her friend's party, she said she wanted an outer space theme. Yes, leave it to my daughter to make my life challenging. She has a fascination with outer space, planets, constellations, and stars ever since Santa brought her the Children's Atlas of the Universe two years ago.

I didn't want to disappoint her, so I racked my brain for a way to make it work. For the frosting, I bought a can of blue frosting and added some black frosting to it to make it darker. I swirled on some extra black frosting to give the cake more dimension and brushed on some edible glitter dust for added effect.

For the planets, I used an Oreo and cream mixture to form the balls. Then dipped them in candy melt and painted on them with gel food coloring. They were not the best looking things, but not bad for someone who does not do cake decorating for a living. My daughter was pretty impressed and thrilled that she had planets on her cake.

Of course, when she saw me adding the little pearl balls for the stars, she asked me to make some constellations. Seriously? I just busted my hump making these planets. Sheesh! I did try to make some, but it wasn't really that easy. Those little pearl candies are very slippery creatures. I also couldn't find a way to make edible rings for the planets, so I had to resort to vellum paper from my scrapbooking stash. Other than that everything was edible.

The inside was a just a white cake (from a box) that I filled with some homemade dulce de leche and strawberries. I got lots of props on the cake the day of the party. I was able to make it all the way through to the blowing out of the candles when out of nowhere, I got slammed with a stomach virus. I had to quietly slip away from the party and spent the rest of the day in bed. Not cool.

At least this time, the virus did not cause me to pass out face first and smash up my face. But it did put a kink in my Father's Day plans. I was not able to indulge in all the yummy food my mom made for brunch.

Now I am almost back to my regular eating. I am trying to keep it healthy. But I am dying to get back to baking some yummy treats. Next week is my last week of work, after that I will have more free time to do the things I love. So stay tuned!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats

2013-06-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

Well, we are still trying to sell our house. That meant another open house this past weekend. So I had a lot of cleaning to do, not much time for baking. But I still needed some pick-me-up treats to keep me going. Rice Krispies are always the easiest way to go. And you can customize them to almost any flavor. I have not yet run out of ideas of what to put in mine. This week's flavor is Chocolate Caramel Pretzel. I already had all the ingredients in the house, so it was a breeze to whip up and it made all my little taste testers happy.

I used Baker's chocolate because it was what I had in the house, but feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I also chopped my pretzels very finely in the food processor, but if you want a more crunchy bar, you can chop them more coarsely.

Due to the chocolate, you don't need to place these in the fridge to set. They will set just fine at room temperature. If you put them in the fridge they will harden too much and you won't be able to cut them or bite into them. At room temperature, they are perfect.

In case you didn't know me by now, I always have to add a topping to my Rice Krispie treats. In keeping with the theme, I added more caramel, dark chocolate candy melt, and little bits of pretzels.

I used a Ziplock bag to drizzle the candy melt, but due to the stickiness of the caramel, I just drizzled it on with a fork.

Then I added some sprinkles of pretzel bits for the finishing touch. I really love the sweet and salty taste of these bars. I bet you can't eat just one!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rice Krispie Treats

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: no bake snack dessert caramel chocolate pretzels marshmallow bits rice krispie treats bars American

Ingredients (35 bars)

For the Rice Krispies

3 tablespoons butter
5 cups mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup caramel
1/2 cup chocolate Jet Puffed Mallow Bits (optional)
1 cup crushed pretzels

For the topping

1/2 cup dark chocolate candy melt, melted
1 tablespoon caramel
1 tablespoon pretzel bits

Instructions

For the Rice Krispies

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add chocolate and caramel. Stir until completely mixed and chocolate is melted.

Then add the crushed pretzels, Mallow Bits and the Rice Krispie cereal. Mix until all is well incorporated.

Then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.

Put aside for about a 1/2 hour to set at room temperature.

For the toppings

When the treats have set, melt the candy melt wafers per directions on package and place in a piping bag or Ziplock bag with tip snipped off. Drizzle the melted chocolate in diagonal pattern across the Rice Krispie treats.

Then with a fork drizzle the caramel in thin lines over the chocolate. And sprinkle with pretzel bits.

Let the candy melt harden at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then cut and serve.

Tequila Lime Coconut Fudge

2013-05-30T21:12:00.000-04:00

So this happened the same day as my Lime Coconut Rice Krispie Treats with Tequila. I figured while I had the bottle of tequila out, I'd make good use of it. I did take a few sips of it and hoowee that stuff was strong. Don't worry, although you do taste the tequila in the finished product, it's balanced with the sweetness of white chocolate and citrus flavor of the limes. There is no burning sensation as you eat it, only an "OMG this is delicious" moment.

I ended up using two different white chocolates in this recipe due to the simple fact that I didn't have enough of the Baker's chocolate to complete the recipe and I was not going to get in the car to go get some. You are free to use whichever white chocolate you prefer.

I know that 1/4 cup lime rind does sound like a lot, I thought so at first also, but I gave the recipe a chance. And in the end, the lime flavor is not over powering at all.

I wanted a smooth fudge, so I put the shredded coconut flakes in the food processor and pulsed it a few times to get the flakes even finer.

You do have to keep a close eye on the boiling milk, or it will scorch. Just keep stirring.

Mmmm...lime zest. It smells so good. I need to find myself a lime candle to keep in the kitchen. I did find that my chocolate starting hardening up once I took it off the stove, so I ended up putting it back on the stove top on low to be able to blend everything smoothly and it worked.

It came out perfect, smooth and creamy. You can taste all the flavors in this one, the limes, coconut, and tequila. They all pay off of one another, and blend together as one flavor, without one being more overpowering than the other. If you like lime and coconut, you have got to try this.

Tequila Lime Coconut Fudge

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: stove top dessert snack coconut limes tequila fudge American summer

Ingredients (64 squares)

1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 large marshmallows
12 oz. Baker's Premium White Chocolate Baking Squares
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons tequila
1/4 cup grated lime rind
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar and salt.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.

Then cook for 8 minutes, again stirring constantly so that the milk does not scorch at the bottom of the saucepan.

Remove from heat and stir in the marshmallows, chocolate, tequila, lime rind and juice.

If you mixture begins to harden up, simply place pot back on stove top and heat on low until the mixture becomes soft and smooth.

Next add in the coconut flakes and stir until all incorporated and pour into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper and spread out evenly.

Then place in fridge until completely set, about 1-2 hours.

Cut into squares, eat, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sherry's Key Lime Fudge Recipe

Lime Coconut Rice Krispie Treats with Tequila

2013-05-27T21:57:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but the month of May is busy for me. With my mom's birthday, Mother's Day, and my husband's birthday I have been doing a lot of running around. And last week I took the week off to try to get stuff done around the house. The beginning of the week we had some nice weather, but then came the cold rain and wind. So in an effort to cheer myself up and think of the summer ahead, I made these.

Lime and coconut reminds me of summer, the beach, the ocean, and drinks with little umbrellas. So while I was thinking of drinks, I pulled out the tequila our friends brought us back from Mexico. Tequila and lime play well together, so why not have a little fun.

I found some Campfire Key Lime Mallow Bursts at Walmart that I have been dying to use. I did not find any key limes at the grocery store however. So I just bought whatever limes I found.

I did end up adding a few dabs of Wilton's Leaf Green coloring gel to the Rice Krispie Treats at the end just to give it a little more color, but it is not necessary.

My daughter was really loving the smell of the limes. She was very disappointed when I told her that she would not be able to eat these treats because they contain alcohol. I will have to make them again for her without the alcohol.

Since I didn't add a lot of tequila in the treats, I added some more to the topping. And it made the marshmallow fluff more spreadable.

In the end, the treats came out wonderful. They have a nice tart lime flavor, balanced with the sweetness of coconut. There is not a heavy alcohol presence. I couldn't add anymore liquid than I did, because the treats would have fallen apart. Although you could try replacing the lime juice with more tequila. Or you could skip it altogether and enjoy the lime/coconut party. I like that they are not too sweet and you can definitely eat more than one without having a sugar overdose. This turned out to be a great summer-is-almost-here dessert!

Lime Coconut Rice Krispie Treats with Tequila

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: no bake dessert snack coconut limes rice krispies marshmallows bars rice krispie treats American summer

Ingredients (24 bars)

For the treats

3 tablespoons butter
1 bag (8 oz.) Campfire Key Lime Mallow Bursts
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 teaspoons tequila
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
2-3 drops of green food coloring gel

For the topping

2 cups marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon tequila
1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Instructions

For the treats

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add lime juice, lime zest, and tequila. Stir until completely mixed.

Then add the Rice Krispie cereal. Mix until all is well incorporated. Then add food coloring gel if desired. Stir until completely colored.

Then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.

Place in fridge to cool and set.

For the topping

In a small bowl combine the marshmallow fluff and tequila until completely mixed.

Spread the fluff mixture over the top of the cooled treats.

Then evenly sprinkle shredded coconut on top, pressing down slightly with your hands or a piece of wax paper, so that the flakes adhere to the fluff.

Next, slice, eat and enjoy!

Mini Maple Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

2013-05-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

I ended up making these for Sunday morning brunch at my mom's on Mother's Day. They were quick and easy to make, but the night I made them was a disaster. I was finishing up my second batch of scones, so I had my husband put the kids in the tub, thinking I would be giving them a bath in a few minutes. Wrong! I went to get a glass of water from the fridge dispenser when I heard a noise and then looked down to the pool of water that was coming out from under the fridge. Not good.

So while my husband was trying to find the main water valve to turn off the water, I was throwing towels on the floor to catch the water, keeping an eye on the scones so they wouldn't burn and my kids were turning into prunes in the bathtub. Crazy night. Thank goodness there wasn't too much damage done. We are still trying to sell our house.

I did manage to save all my scones from burning. Of course, my husband was all upset I was more concerned about the scones than the water disaster.

I was not going to waste this beautiful batter. And I am glad I didn't. These came out so good. Like chocolate covered strawberries dipped in maple syrup.

They did come out more moist than some of my other scones, but I like them that way. If you want a drier scone, I would suggest you add more flour. Probably another 1/4 to 1/2 cup should do.

You really can't go wrong with a combination like strawberries and chocolate. And the fresh strawberries were bursting with flavor. In the first batch I didn't add any spices, but the second batch I added a little cinnamon and that was the missing link to bring everything together and enhance the maple flavor.

Mini Maple Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast dessert snack strawberry chocolate chips maple syrup scones American

Ingredients (30 mini scones)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon.

Cut up butter and add to flour mixture and mix until almost fully blended.

Add maple syrup and then in a separate bowl mix eggs and milk until blended and add to the flour mixture. Mix until fully blended.

Add chocolate chips and strawberries and mix until all incorporated.

Drop by spoonful on a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until tops are golden.

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

2013-05-09T22:13:00.001-04:00

Trying to figure out what to bring to brunch on Mother's Day? Well, let me help you out.

Here are some treats that are sure to be winners.

(just click on the title for the link to the recipe)

Maple Apple Muffins

Mom's Apple Cake

Maple Strawberry Banana Muffins

Lemon Cranberry Scones

Lemon Meringue Rice Krispie Treats

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

Mocha Cappuccino Bars

Almond Shortbread Cookies

Have a great Mother's Day and enjoy your sweets!

Churro Recipes 2013

2013-05-02T20:23:00.000-04:00

Looking for some inspiration for Cinco de Mayo sweets? Here are a few ideas.

Just click on the link for the recipe.

Churro Cupcakes with a Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

Churro Puff Pastry

Churro Crepes

Mini Churro Donuts

Homemade Dulce de Leche

Churro Donut Holes

Maple Strawberry Banana Muffins

2013-04-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

I kept promising my husband I would make him some banana muffins. My first attempt was a total recipe fail. The muffins tasted good, but were heavy like bricks. Then my husband suggested I make strawberry banana muffins (he wanted to make sure he got credit for that idea), so I researched some recipes I could adapt. I knew I wanted to add some maple and cinnamon flavor in there. Hubby was quite pleased with the results.

I totally forgot to take pictures of the ingredients like I normally do. I was in a rush to get the house clean before our open house this past weekend.

Well, good thing is, the house has never been so clean. My husband even dusted all the trims and doors, while I cleaned bathroom and put away stacks of laundry. I even straightened up the closets in case anyone dared take a peek. Now if it could only stay like that for more than a day.

I read somewhere that if you fold your strawberries into the flour, they won't sink to the bottom of the muffins, so I tried it. And it worked.

I couldn't wait to get these babies into the oven. The recipe makes 12 muffins, so it's a one pan deal.

I love warm muffins straight out of the oven. Plus I am always too eager to find out if they came out good.

These came out beautifully. So light, like a feather. Not like the banana bricks I made previously. They were moist, full of banana and strawberry flavor. The maple flavor was very light, not overly sweet. Perfect for breakfast or a snack. You can feel good about yourself after eating these because they have not just one, but two healthy fruits in them.

Maple Strawberry Banana Muffins

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake bread breakfast dessert snack banana strawberry maple syrup cinnamon muffins American spring summer

Ingredients (12 muffins)

2/3 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix on low speed with hand mixer until completely blended. Then add mashed bananas and mix until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a spoon until well blended, then add strawberries and gently mix until strawberries are covered with the flour mixture.

Next, add the flour/strawberry mixture to banana mixture and mix with spoon until completely incorporated.

Spoon batter into greased/lined muffin tins until about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and enjoy warm or place on cooling rack and eat later. Either way, enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pillsbury Banana-Strawberry Muffins

Churro Puff Pastry

2013-04-23T22:29:00.000-04:00

I am still looking for Spring. We saw it peek it's head out a week or so ago, but not it has disappeared again. Today was windy and chilly. The skies were cloudy all day. All I want it some warm weather so we can spend some time outside for a change. I hate being trapped in the house. But I supposed the only good thing to come out of this, is more baking for me. Last week I made six jars of dulce de leche. I had some recipe testing to do. The first two recipes didn't go so well, but this one came out just right.

I had never used puff pastry before, so I thought I would try something new. The instructions on the box seemed fairly easy. Just unfold the dough, thaw it for 40 minutes at room temperature, then bake and decorate.

I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on the dough before baking. I always keep a jar on hand. It's great to sprinkle on french toast, crepes, waffles, cupcakes, etc.

The dough only takes 15 minutes to bake. You can whip up your cream for the filling while the dough cools.

Then comes the best part, the filling. I used my homemade dulce de leche (but you can use store bought) and made some whipped cinnamon mascarpone frosting that I also used for my Churro Cupcakes, Cinnamon Chocolate Cake, and my Pumpkin Spice Crepes. It's great as a frosting or filling. I love it!

The pastry dough it so light and flaky. The mix of the dulce the leche with the cinnamon mascarpone frosting tones down the sweetness of the dulce de leche. Overall, it's like eating a cloud. A soft, fluffy, sweet cloud. You don't feel heavy or guilty after eating this. But it tastes superb. I am going to have to make some more desserts with puff pastry now.

Churro Puff Pastry

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack dulce de leche mascarpone cheese puff pastry cinnamon Cinco de Mayo puff pastry

Ingredients (6 servings)

For the puff pastry

1 box ready to bake puff pastry sheets
8 tablespoons dulce de leche, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar (see recipe below)
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

For the cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry and place on a plate. Thaw at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes, or until it is pliable.

Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut into 3 strips at the folds. Sprinkle the strips evenly with 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar.

Place the strips on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Carefully remove the puff pastry from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack and prepare cream filling.

With an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy).

In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone, cinnamon and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated.

Now that the puff pastry has cooled, cut each into 2 layers lengthwise, for a total of 6 layers.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar onto the three bottom layers.

Then spread 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche on four of the layers (keep 2 nice looking pieces for the tops). And spread the mascarpone filling evenly over the dulce de leche.

Next begin layering. You are making two "sandwiches", so each "sandwich" should have a bottom puff pastry and a middle one with filling, and the top one which is bare.

Place the two desserts in the fridge for a 1/2 hour to an hour to set before cutting.

Once set, cut each dessert into three squares with a wet serrated knife, for easier slicing. Top with strawberries or fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!

For the cinnamon sugar

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Keep remaining mixture in an airtight container and use to sprinkle on french toast, oatmeal, yogurt, waffles, crepes, etc.

Chocolate Maple Donuts

2013-04-18T21:37:00.001-04:00

Trying to sell a house is very frustrating. Especially if you really want to move. We are still waiting for the people that want to buy our house to sell their place. If they don't sell, they can't buy and if we don't sell, we can't buy. So as much as we want to move, we are still not certain we will be able to. We are playing the waiting game and I suck at it. In the meantime, I am going to stuff my face with donuts.

Chocolate and maple syrup go great together. I remember growing up, my dad would always pour maple syrup over his chocolate cake. So why not bake it into some chocolate donuts, I say.

My husband bought me these new pans last month for my birthday. Now I can make larger donuts. However, those are a lot more dangerous to have around the house. At least the mini donuts don't make you feel as guilty for eating them.

I used my favorite Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa to make it a more decadent chocolate treat. You can go ahead and lick the spoon at this point. You know you want to.

I did make one mistake by filling these pans all the way to the top. That resulted in my donuts coming out a little extra puffy.

But never fear, I am not going to waste perfectly good donuts. I just flipped them over and cut out the holes with a small paring knife.

And for the love of donuts, don't throw out those middles, just feed them to the kitchen trolls (kids or animals) that have been hovering around waiting for you to finish up and give them a donut already.

You can leave the donuts plain if you want. They are rich in chocolate and maple flavor. Yes, they are cake-like as the original recipe stated. I wanted to add a little more cinnamon flavor so I added some in the glaze. You can also make a thicker glaze if you like by adding one less tablespoon of milk.

I am going to go finish stuffing my face now. I think these are my favorite chocolate donuts so far.

Chocolate Maple Donuts

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack breakfast dark chocolate chocolate chips maple syrup cinnamon donuts American

Ingredients (12 donuts)

For the donuts

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2/3 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup Chobani plain yogurt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon maple essence (or maple extract)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the donuts

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix together the flours, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well combined.

Add the eggs, milk, maple syrup and yogurt. Mix on low until mixture is smooth and well blended.

Then add chocolate chips and mix until all incorporated.

Use a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with tip cut off, to fill each donut reservoir to about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes until toothpick inserted in the donut comes out clean.

Place hot donuts on cooling rack with a wax paper underneath and prepare the glaze.

For the glaze

In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vegetable shortening, maple essence and cinnamon until smooth.

Dip the tops of each donut in the mixture ,then place back on the cooling rack until the glaze is dry.

Then grab a glass of milk or a cup of coffee and dunk you donut! Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Chocolate Fudge Cake Doughnuts.

Maple Bacon Rice Krispie Treats

2013-04-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

So I missed the bandwagon when maple bacon treats came around. Then I must have dozed off when chocolate bacon treats were making the rounds. So I thought I'd make up for it by throwing it all together. This is by far my craziest Rice Krispie treat yet. It has cinnamon, maple syrup, bacon, chocolate and sea salt. If you think all these don't belong together, then you will just have to make some for yourself to see that oh yeah baby, it does and you can't each just one.

Yes that is a jug of wine in the picture. No it is not filled with wine, it's my dad's maple syrup. It's just a convenient container. If you can't find the Cinnamon Bun marshmallows, you can use 5 cups of regular mini marshmallows. Do try to get a good bacon though. Skip the turkey bacon, go for the real stuff.

Cook your bacon till crispy, not burnt. Otherwise you will have to pick out the burnt parts like I had to on a few pieces. Perhaps it would have been helpful if the kids had found a better place to play than in the kitchen between my legs. We have so many rooms, but they always choose the one I am in. "Sigh"

I used both pure maple syrup and maple essence. I wanted to make sure there was a good maple presence without adding too much liquid and making the bars to soft to hold together.

At this point it smelled like I was making french toast sprinkled with cinnamon along with a slice of bacon and drizzled it all with maple syrup. It smelled like Sunday morning breakfast.

Just look at all those little bits of bacon. You can go ahead and cut yourself a slice of this now or be wild and crazy like me and slather it with some chocolate.

I was trying to decide between dark chocolate and semi sweet, but the dark side always prevails.

This is my very fancy double boiler. Don't mind the scratches on my Pyrex bowl. It's had a lot of use over the past 13 years.

My husband did give me some weird looks when I was pouring chocolate over my treats. He still didn't understand the bacon part. I told him, don't worry, it will all work out.

He did believe me when he finally got to try a piece. The bacon does not overwhelm, it just blends in with the cinnamon and maple flavors to give a nice salty sweet combo. The chocolate and sea salt on top also add to the overall salty sweet taste. This is one treat to keep on the books. People may look at you funny when you tell them what is in it, but they will come back for more after they have tried it.

Maple Bacon Rice Krispie Treats

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: no bake stove top dessert snack maple syrup bacon cinnamon chocolate bars rice krispie treats American

Ingredients (24 bars)

For the Rice Krispies

3 tablespoons butter
5 cups Jet Puffed Cinnamon Bun marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon maple essence
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

For the topping

1 bag (12 oz.) Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips

Optional topping

1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

For the Rice Krispies

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add cinnamon, maple syrup, maple essence, and bacon pieces. Stir until completely mixed.

Then add the Rice Krispie cereal. Mix until all is well incorporated.

Then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.

Place in fridge to cool and set.

For the chocolate topping

Place chocolate chips in a double boiler (or a glass bowl that fits snugly over your pot) filled with water.

Bring water to a simmer on medium heat. Once chocolate starts melting, stir constantly with a rubber spatula until all chocolate is melted and had a smooth consistency.

Remove from heat and pour the chocolate over the cooled Rice Krispies and spread evenly with the spatula.

Allow the chocolate to cool a bit, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt if desired.

Place treats back in fridge to set completely.

Once the chocolate has solidified, cut into squares and enjoy!

Oatmeal Soup

2013-04-09T22:26:00.000-04:00

The warm weather is finally upon us in these here parts, but the nights are still a little chilly. So here's something to keep you warm. Oatmeal soup. Huh? What? Sounds weird? Well, that is exactly what I thought when it was introduced to me. My mother-in-law used to make it for her family. Her version was just oatmeal and beef broth. My husband says that it was his favorite soup growing up. It did take me a while to get a liking for it. After all, I was used to oatmeal as a breakfast food. Creamy and sweet.

But over time I did grow to like the soup and now I have come up my own version. I swapped out the beef broth for vegetable broth.

And I added some carrots, a scallion, and some rosemary for a real punch of flavor.

I did add a little salt because my broth was not very salty. So the addition of salt will depend on the broth you use.

For the oats, I just used quick oats. They cook up fast and they taste great. I have not tried it with any other oats yet, but it is a thought for the future. You do not want to make the soup thick like regular oatmeal, you want more of a soup consistency.

This soup is best served right away, however, it still tastes great on day two. I had stored mine in an air tight container in the fridge and warmed it up the next day in the microwave and it still had all the flavors. It wasn't watered down or bland.

I think I may actually like this version better than the one with beef broth. My husband enjoyed it also. The rosemary and scallions give it the right amount of flavor and the carrots are a great added texture.

So go ahead and try something different today. It may not be a sweet treat, but it sure makes my belly happy.

Oatmeal Soup

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Keywords: stove top soup/stew quick oats carrots scallions rosemary fall spring winter

Ingredients (4-5 servings)

4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quick oats
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a medium pot and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

Remove from stove and serve warm.

Maple Dumplings

2013-04-04T22:26:00.000-04:00

Maple season is over in our parts and I have lots of maple syrup to use to make goodies. This recipe is one that my mom used to make us all the time while growing up. It's quick, easy, and it's full of maple syrup. Of course, I called my mom for her recipe , but she was not very specific on measurements. And she calls back later to say she forgot one ingredient. Don't worry mom, I Googled it.

I found a recipe that closely resembled my mom's. In Quebec this dish is called Grand-Père dans le Sirop. I just replaced the butter with Crisco, because that it what mom uses and I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the stove-top, just like mom. Then I added some cinnamon to the dough, because I felt like it. I happen to enjoy the taste of cinnamon and maple.

The dough needs to be on the thick side, because you need to form it into balls and line them up in a 9x13 glass dish.

I used a large scoop, about the size of a scoop of ice cream. The dough will puff up and spread, so no need to be perfect.

And then the best part, pour the pure maple syrup over all the dough and bake it in the oven.

See, I told you it was easy. You'll love the smell that baking this treat brings to your kitchen.

When it comes out of the oven the dough will have absorbed a lot of the maple syrup . The top of the dough will have a slight crispness to it, but the bottom is where the treasure is. The bottom of the dough will be soft and soaked with sweet maple syrup. The remaining syrup in the dish will have thickened and you can pour it over the dough. This dish is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Just look at all that maple gooeyness at the bottom. That's where all the flavor is. And yes, the addition of cinnamon was the right choice. I even sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on the whipped cream.

Maple Dumplings

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert maple syrup dumplings casserole French Canadian spring

Ingredients (18 servings)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups maple syrup
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F

In a stand mixer combine the flour, milk, baking powder, vegetable shortening, salt and cinnamon. Mix on low until all incorporated and dough forms. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

With a large scoop, scoop dough into even balls and place in a 9 x 13 glass dish.

Pour maple syrup over the balls of dough, then pour the water over the syrup.

Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the dough comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Grand-père dans le sirop de ma mère by Au Plaisir de Bien Manger

Easter Recipes

2013-03-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't decided what to make for Easter yet, here are a few ideas for the desserts.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

Cookie Dough Bunny Truffles

Dulce de Leche and White Chocolate M&M Cookies

Honey Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal White Chocolate M&M Cookies

Lemon Meringue Rice Krispie Treats

And here are some additional recipes you can try for the meal.

Salmon Pie

Ricotta, Spinach, and Mushroom Filled Crepe

Ham, Cheese, and Vegetable Pie

Have a happy Easter, see you all after the holiday!

Lemon Meringue Rice Krispie Treats

2013-03-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

These bright and cheerful beauties came about after I found a bag of lemon meringue marshmallows at Walmart. I thought, hmmm, lemon meringue Rice Krispie treats? Yep, that sounded like a good idea. By adding fresh lemon juice and rind, I achieved a nice tartness. And the meringue balanced it off with a little bit of sweetness. If you love lemon meringue pie, you are going to love these fun, easy treats.

The Rice Krispie bars are pretty basic...cereal, marshmallows, butter, and some lemon juice and rind.

For the meringue, I made a Swiss Meringue. I kind of combined Martha Stewart's recipe and Sweetapolita's intructions. I did heat my egg whites and sugar in my stand mixer bowl over a pot of water. And I heated them to 160º F.

I did not however, have any cream of tartar, so I skipped on that. But the meringue did hold up anyway.

I did my little happy dance when it all worked out. I really didn't feel like going out to the store at night just for cream of tartar.

At this point you can spread this delicious marshmallowy goodness on top of the Rice Krispie treats and cut into squares.

Or, if you feel creative, you can pull out your cookie cutters and cut out cute Easter shapes, then spread them with the meringue.

For the bunny, I left the meringue white and I added a dab of Wilton's black decorating frosting that I used here.

For the chickie, I added a bit of Wilton's yellow gel food coloring to the meringue. And I cut a wedge of an orange candy melt wafer to make the beak. You can probably use an orange gummy candy also.

Also for added interest, if you have a kitchen hand torch, you can torch the tops of the meringue to give it that "baked"look. Don't worry , they still taste the same whether you torch them or not.

Lemon Meringue Rice Krispie Treats

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: stove top dessert snack lemon rice krispies meringue Easter bars rice krispie treats American

Ingredients (24 squares)

For the treats

3 tablespoons butter
1 bag (8 oz.) Campfire Lemon Meringue Mallow Bursts
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal

For the meringue

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the treats

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. Stir until completely mixed.

Then add the Rice Krispie cereal. Mix until all is well incorporated.

Then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.

Place in fridge to cool and set.

For the meringue

Fill a medium saucepan with about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Place egg whites and sugar in a metal stand mixer bowl and clip on a candy thermometer. Place bowl over simmering pot of water.

Whisk egg whites/sugar mixture constantly until the temperature reaches 160º F on the thermometer.

Then remove bowl from stove and attach to stand mixer with whisk attachment.

Starting at medium/low speed, begin to whisk egg whites/sugar mixture for about 2 minutes.

Then increase to a medium/high speed and whisk until mixture thickens and the mixer bowl is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Then add vanilla extract and give it one more good whisking to blend well.

The texture of the meringue should be fluffy and it should have a glossy finish. (It should look like marshmallow fluff you buy in a jar.)

With a spatula, spread meringue over the cooled Rice Krispie treats, cut into squares and enjoy!

Note: the Rice Krispies can be made ahead of time, but the meringue needs to be made the day of or the night before you plan to serve it. The meringue can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for about one day, but after that it will become dry.

Meringue Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue and Sweetapolita's Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Oatmeal White Chocolate M&M Cookies

2013-03-20T22:06:00.002-04:00

I had to make cookies for my daughter's school again the other day. So I went through my baking supplies to get some inspiration. I found some white chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and some maple butter in the fridge. Hmmm...what to make? I pulled out the can of Quaker Quick Oats and looked at the recipe for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. With a little editing, I came up with some great tasting cookies. My husband said they were the best cookies he has had yet. So I made them again, using white chocolate M&M's. And this time I made them jumbo size.

You want to make the maple butter ahead of time. It is easy to make, just cream together the butter and maple syrup, then place in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer it sits in there, the better the flavors fuse together. The recipe for maple butter makes way more than you need, but no worries, just keep it in the fridge. Maple butter can be used for lots of recipes. I even use it to saute vegetables, especially squash. Or use it to mash your sweet potatoes. It doesn't need to be used for only baked goods. You can even spread it on your toast in the morning.

Since these white chocolate M&M's are larger than regular M&M's, I decided to make a bigger cookie.

The smaller scoop is my regular cookie scoop. The larger scoop I usually use to fill my cupcake liners, but this time I used it to make jumbo cookies.

Those are some big cookies. They fill up the palm of my hand and I don't have small hands.

So be prepared to share with someone, if you don't think you can handle all this goodness. (Yeah, right.)

The maple really intensified all the flavors in this cookie, the white chocolate, the mini chocolate chips, the walnuts and the cinnamon. You are going to need a very big glass of milk to go with these!

Oatmeal White Chocolate M&M Cookies

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack quick oats chocolate chips white chocolate m&ms walnuts Easter cookie American

Ingredients (20 jumbo cookies)

For the maple butter

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup pure maple syrup

For the cookies

1 cup butter, softened
6 tablespoons maple butter
3/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Quick Oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup Nestle mini chocolate chips
1 cup White Chocolate M&Ms

Instructions

For the maple butter

Place the butter in a small microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds, until softened.

Add maple syrup and mix together with hand mixer until smooth.

Place in fridge for 1 hour to set.

For the cookies

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a stand mixer cream together the butters and the sugars on medium speed.

Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well blended, then slowly add to the wet ingredients.

Next add the quick oats and mix on low until all incorporated.

Then add the walnuts and the mini chocolate chips and continue to mix on low until completely incorporated.

Add the M&M and mix by hand as not to break the shells.

Then with a large scoop, drop by scoopful onto a greased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Grab a large glass of milk, dunk and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Cookie Dough Bunny Truffles

2013-03-18T22:57:00.000-04:00

Good stuff and bad stuff this past week. Good stuff - we finally have a contract on our house. So that means we are one step closer to selling it. Yippee! Bad stuff - my daughter had a stomach virus that knocked her out for three days last week. Then hubby started feeling not so hot. Now the little one has a fever. We will see what happens tomorrow. I do pray that the stomach virus passes over me this year. Last year when my children were so kind enough to pass it along, I ended up with a broken tooth, mashed up mouth, stitches and an ambulance ride. I'd prefer to skip the fun this year.

I'd rather show you how to make these truffles. They are really not difficult to make. If you can make a cake pop, then you can make these. The cookie dough recipe is from the My Little Cupcake Pop Blog. You can find it here. I did use the suggestions to add less brown sugar and as my egg replacer, I used Wilton's Meringue Powder, 2 tsp. Meringue powder + 2 Tbsp. Water = 1 Egg White.

The consistency of the dough is perfect for molding and the taste..well, let's just say you may be a few bunnies short in the end after multiple quality control tastings.

The last time I made these truffles I used the My Little Cupcake POP heart shaped mold for Valentine's Day. This time I wanted to do an Easter theme and I came across this Wilton's silicone treat mold. It looked like it could work.

I dusted the mold with some flour, then dump out the excess. And filled the cavities with the cookie dough.

I pressed down, so the cookie dough would be compact and removed any excess dough so that the it was flush with the mold.

Then I popped the mold in the freezer for a half hour. Next I gently turned the mold over and pressed out the bunny truffles. It worked like a charm. Then I put them in an airtight container and returned them to the freezer.

To dip and decorate, I used Wilton's pink, white, and dark chocolate candy melt; black decorating icing; and Wilton's candy dipping tools. Just dip, swirl, pull out, and tap off the excess candy melt, then place on wax paper until it sets. It does take some practice, but you have 24 tries to get it right. Actually, I ended up with 30 bunny truffles from this recipe. Note: You do want to keep them in the freezer until you are ready to dip them in the candy melt. I found that they didn't break apart that way.

I made some as just truffles, but if you are adventurous you can make bunny pops. Just dip a lollipop stick in candy melt, then insert it into the bottom of the bunny shape and let harden. Then dip and decorate. I used Wilton's Disposable Candy decorating bags to add the candy melt cheeks and the insides of the ear. I squeezed some of the black icing into one of the bags to pipe the eyes and mouth.

I found all my Wilton products at the craft store, Joann's or Micheals. So hop on over and get your stuff today to make these cute little treats in time for Easter. You can make the bunny shaped dough ahead of time and keep them in the freezer until you are ready to decorate them. Also, once finished, you can keep them in the fridge or in an airtight container since there is no real egg involved.

St. Patrick's Day Recipes

2013-03-14T21:37:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't found any good recipes for St. Patrick's Day yet, here are a few ideas for you.

Just click on the photo or the title for a link back to the recipe. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Guinness Rice Krispie Treats

Dark Chocolate Guinness Fudge

Guinness Dirt Cake Shooters

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Fluff Frosting

Ghirardelli Guinness Brownies

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

However you plan to celebrate, have a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day!

Book Review - I Just Want to Pee Alone

2013-03-13T22:20:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I don't usually post anything non-food and I don't usually post about book review, but this one is too funny. A bunch of mom bloggers got together and wrote some real life essays about being a mom and how to find humor in it. This is something I can totally relate to. I have two kids that on good days are sweet and charming, but on bad days are whiny, clingy, hard of hearing, uncooperative, and mean. Oops, I guess the bad outweighs the good sometimes. That's when you need a good laugh.

I read the first essay about one of the moms going to the spa and I couldn't help but continuously laugh out loud as I pictured myself in the same situation. So my husband had to find out what was so funny. I told him the name of the book I was reading and he looks at me and says, "Oh, I know that book." My brain tried to wrap itself around that fact that my husband knows about a book that was written by moms, when a) he doesn't read books for leisure and b) I just found out about this book myself and c) he's not a mom. So I of course asked him how he could possibly know about this book. And he replies "I saw it on NickMom". Ok, stop right there. If you are wondering what my husband is doing watching NickMom (I sure was) , his answer was that the Nickolodeon Channel was on when he turned on the TV to watch his shows. OK fine, I will give him that. The kids do watch Nick a lot. But how much did he watch to have seen them talking about this book. I didn't ask. Some questions are just better left unanswered. Perhaps he was just trying to be a good husband and figure out the psyche of a woman. Doesn't he know that we are fickle creatures and he will never figure us out?

Anyway, back to the book. If you are a new mom, mom-to-be, or a mom who's been around the block a few times, you need to read this book. A mom's life is not always easy, but it does have those funny moments. This book is full of them. With titles like "Potty Training and Prostate Exams", "The Tale of Two Vaginas", and "In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Penis", how could you not find humor. It's great to know that you are not the only mom with horror stories, inadequacies, and bad parenting moments.

Here is the link for the book on Amazon:

I Just Want to Pee Alone

Disclaimer : I was given a free copy of this book to read and review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Guinness Dirt Cake Shooters

2013-03-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

Come on, let's get dirty! This ain't your mama's dirt cake, this one is downright sinful. If you are hosting a party for St. Patrick's Day, you are going to want to add this recipe to your list. It has twice as much Guinness as my last two recipe (Dark Chocolate Guinness Rice Krispie Treats and Dark Chocolate Guinness Fudge) and even more rich in taste.

I just found this Hershey's Special Dark pudding at the grocery store the other day and had to buy it. It comes in regular chocolate and white chocolate also. For this recipe I wanted dark chocolate.

I pulled out the recipe for Dirt Cake someone gave me many years ago and adapted it to my needs. And my needs were very chocolaty. I still can't believe how lusciously flavorsome this came out.

Go ahead, grab a spoon and get down and dirty. You'll love it! (Just a reminder, this is NOT for kids.)

Guinness Dirt Cake Shooters

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Keywords: no bake dessert snack dark chocolate guinness beer Hershey's Special Dark pudding cream cheese trifle shooters American

Ingredients (36 servings)

1 package (14.3 oz) Oreo cookies
1 box (3.56 oz) Hershey Special Dark instant pudding mix
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup whipped topping (ex. Cool Whip)
1 can (14.9 oz) Guinness beer
1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bittersweet baking chips
1 container (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Crush the Oreos (cream and all) in a food processor until they are all fine crumbs.

In a medium bowl, mix pudding and milk. Beat with a whisk or hand mixer until pudding thickens. Then fold in whipped topping until all incorporated.

In a medium saucepan, bring the beer to a boil on medium/high heat. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup.

Remove from heat and and stir in baking chips until completely melted. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until smooth.

Then add in the beer mixture and continue mixing until all incorporated. To this add the pudding mixture and gently mix until well blended. (Don't worry you can sneak a few spoonfuls)

Now take out your shot glasses and start layering. Add about 1 teaspoon of crushed Oreos first, then add about 1 teaspoon chocolate cream mixture and continues layering until shot glass is full, ending with the crushed Oreos on top.

Note: for the chocolate cream mixture, I did find that piping it in with a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with tip cut off, works best.

Pâté au Saumon (Salmon Pie)

2013-03-06T23:35:00.000-05:00

My grandmaman always made the best pies. Maple sugar pies, blueberry pies, raisin pies, etc. She always had a freezer full of homemade pies. But the one I used to ask her to make the most when I was younger is this dinner pie. It's a simple pie, just mashed potatoes and a package of salmon. Of course grandmaman made her pie crust from scratch. That is on my bucket list of things to learn how to make. One day, when I have more free hours in a day, I will conquer it. For now I keep it simple and buy the ready made pie crusts.

Grandmaman used to make this pie around Easter time, for those meatless Fridays during Lent. But this pie is great for any day of the week. It's easy to make and it tastes great.

You can boil your potatoes on the stove-top, but I actually boil mine in the microwave with my Pampered Chef Rice Cooker. Only 10 minutes and they are fork tender.

You want the mashed potatoes to be moist, but not watery. You don't want a soggy pie crust.

I did end up adding a light egg wash over the crust before putting it in the oven to to get it to have a golden glow.

Typically in Quebec, they just slap on some ketchup and call it a meal. And I am ok with that. That is how I grew up eating it. But, this time I wanted to fancy it up a bit, so I made a a creamy lemon dill sauce to accompany it.

Since Chobani was kind enough to send me some of their tasty Greek style yogurts to sample, I wanted to incorporate them into the sauce. If you haven't tried their yogurt yet, I highly recommend you try it. And no they didn't pay me to say that. I have been eating their yogurt for a while now and like it better than the Yoplait I used to eat. It does have a slightly sour aftertaste, but the the texture is smoother and the flavored ones don't have that overly sweet taste that the other yogurts have. I have used it in smoothies and some of my desserts with great results. Even my little ones like Chobani.

I was really pleased at how creamy this sauce came out. I think it would make a great veggie dip also. I just put it on my slice of pie cold, but you can warm it up a little in the microwave if you like.

You can serve this up with a side of veggies, or a salad. Either way, it makes for a delicious meal. And for those of you that are curious, yes my grandmaman is still alive and very healthy. She just happens to live in an assisted living type facility and does not have a kitchen in her small apartment, so she doesn't cook anymore. I miss her pies.

Pâté au Saumon (Salmon Pie)

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Keywords: bake entree salmon mashed potatoes greek yogurt lemon Easter pie French Canadian

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

For the pie

4 or 5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 (5 oz.) package pink salmon (skinless, boneless)
2 - 9inch ready made pie crusts
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce

1/2 cup Chobani greek yogurt, plain
1/3 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

For the pie

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Peel and cut potatoes into halves, place in a medium pot and cover with water.

Bring water up to a boil over medium high heat on stove top and boil for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Mash potatoes until no longer lumpy.

Add butter and milk and mix by hand until completely blended. Then add salt and pepper to taste. (I am usually a little heavy on the salt.)

Add in the salmon and mix until all incorporated.

In a 9 1/2 inch pie plate, place the first pie crust at the bottom and fill with the potato/salmon mixture.

Next, place the second pie crust over the mixture. With your hands or a fork, go around the entire pie and press the two pie crusts together at the edges to seal. Cut off any excess crust with a knife.

Cut 3 or 4 small slits in the top crust to vent.

In a small bowl whisk the egg and with a pastry brush, brush a thin layer over the top pie crust.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is a golden color and flaky.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

For the sauce

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well blended, then serve with the pie. If you want you can warm up the sauce in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until desired temperature is achieved.

Sauce recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Lemon Dill Sauce

Dark Chocolate Guinness Fudge

2013-03-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

Come on and join me over on the dark side. It's been heaven over here lately. I can't get enough of dark chocolate. I will let you in on a little secret..this is my first attempt ever at making fudge. And you know what? I nailed it! I am really proud of this fudge. It is moist, rich, and chocolaty smooth. It has just the right essence of Guinness beer. Even had my sister-in-law who doesn't like beer, but loves dark chocolate, loved it. It doesn't taste like alcohol, just a really good dark chocolate.

After my post about Dark Chocolate Guinness Rice Krispie Treats, I went back to look at all my pictures from Ireland two years ago and found this picture. Let me tell you, this was some good chocolate. I wanted to bring those tastes together again. That's how the idea of the fudge came about. Then I found an easy chocolate fudge recipe online and manipulated it to what I wanted.

This recipe is so easy and doesn't have that many ingredients. I used the same method of boiling down the beer, that I used in the other recipe. Except this time I wanted more of that Guinness flavor, so I used a whole can. I know that leaves you with no left overs to drink as you make this, but you can always pop open another can.

I boiled the beer down to 1/4 cup, twice as much as I used in the Rice Krispie Treats. And I used two different chocolates for an intense flavor. The walnuts are optional. I didn't add that much, so they don't interfere with the other flavors.

After the fudge was cooled off, I drizzled a generous amount of caramel over the whole thing and sprinkled it with sea salt. I only had fine grain sea salt, but it worked just as well. It melted into the caramel after awhile, but the flavor was still there. It just tastes like a salted caramel. The salt cuts down a little on the richness of the chocolate.

A box of these makes a perfect gift for those Irish loved ones in your life or those dreaming about going to Ireland. Or even those who just love chocolate and beer. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Guinness Fudge

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: stove top snack dessert dark chocolate semi sweet chocolate caramel Guinness beer fudge American

Ingredients (64 pieces)

For the fudge

1 3/4 cups Guinness beer (14.9 oz. can)
1 1/2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate baking chips
1 1/2 cups Hershey's semi-sweet baking melts
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the toppings

1/4 cup caramel or caramel topping
1 teaspoon sea salt (fine or coarse grain)

Instructions

For the fudge

In a medium saucepan, bring the beer to a boil on medium/high heat. Boil for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup.

Remove from heat and set aside.

In another medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and milk.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, beer, and walnuts.

Then spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment paper lined 8″ x 8″ pan or glass dish.

Place the container in the fridge and chill until set (about 2 hours).

Remove from fridge and gently lift the parchment paper to remove the fudge from the pan.

For the toppings

Place the caramel in a Ziplock back with the tip cut off and drizzle it over the fudge in any pattern you like.

Then sprinkle with salt.

Cut the fudge into even squares. To get clean cuts, I recommend that you clean your knife in between cuts.

Then go ahead and pop one in your mouth.

Recipe adapted from Chocolate and Carrots Easy Dark Chocolate Fudge

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

2013-02-28T21:16:00.001-05:00

Sorry, but I was in a dark place this past week. Dark chocolate place that is. I love, love, love dark chocolate. Whenever I eat a piece of milk chocolate, I always feel like something is missing. Then I eat a piece of rich, flavorful dark chocolate and my taste buds do a happy dance. There is this little deli near the office that I frequent when I need a snack and they carry the best dark chocolate bar with pistachios. It is to die for. I wanted to try to incorporate those flavors into a cookie. I think I got it right.

I was lucky enough to find a bag of shelled pistachios so I didn't have to sit there and open them up one by one. Of course having that bag in the house is very tempting. Pistachios are just so tasty. I usually only eat a hand full at a time because it takes so long to open the shells, especially the ones that don't have a crack in them.

For theses cookies, I used the same basic recipe as the Dark Chocolate Cherry M&M Cookies, just changed the chocolate a bit and added pistachios instead of M&M's.

I baked up one batch and did a taste taste. They were good, but lacking something. So I added a pinch of sea salt to the tops of the second batch before popping them in the oven. Oh boy, that was it. The sea salt really brought the dark chocolate and pistachio flavors together. My taste buds were very happy.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack dark chocolate dark chocolate chips cookie American

Ingredients (32 cookies)

2/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% cocoa bittersweet baking chips
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's Dark cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Hershey's Dark chocolate chips
1 cup shelled pistachios

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Place the baking chips in a glass container and microwave at 30 second intervals until fully melted, stirring in between. Set aside.

In a stand mixer combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix on low until well blended.

Add butter and sugars and mix for 1 minute.

Pour in the melted chocolate, then add egg and vanilla and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips and pistachios and mix on low until fully incorporated.

Place by cookie scoop full on greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

Bake at 325º F for 10 minutes or tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs.

Place cookies on cooling rack and let cool completely.

Dark Chocolate Guinness Rice Krispie Treats

2013-02-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

Funny thing...I actually didn't acquire a taste for beer till the last two months of pregnancy with my son. Now don't get any silly ideas in your head that I was pounding back beers while carrying precious cargo. It was summer time, my husband had just brewed a nice light cerveza and I took a few sips and enjoyed the taste for a change. So after I gave birth and was done breast-feeding, my husband, the beer connoisseur, started bringing home different beers every week for me to try. He was all excited to have a new beer partner and eager student.

When he brought home some Guinness one night for me to try, he didn't have any high hopes that I would like it. But surprisingly, that was one of my favorites. I liked the smooth dark, slightly bitter taste. Well, that just started the ball rolling. Next thing I knew, he and I were boarding a plane headed to the lush emerald green island of Ireland. It was an incredible trip of pub-hopping in downtown Dublin, touring the Guinness factory, taking a train ride out into the country passing by beautiful farms, cozy little towns, and seeing lots of ruins of ancient castles. And of course, eating some spectacular food. If you ever get a chance to go to Ireland, do it. All the locals were extremely friendly and their is so much to see and do.

Anyways, I digress. Back to the recipe. I have used Guinness in baking before in cupcakes and brownies. But I was looking for something different. How about a crunchy Guinness treat? Yeah, that's the ticket. Guinness goes great with chocolate, so I paired it up with dark chocolate. I boiled down a cup of Guinness to less than 1/4 cup, then mixed it with Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chips before adding it to the marshmallows and Rice Krispies. And on top of that , mixed in some Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips.

As if that wasn't enough dark chocolate for you, I topped it off with some Guinness dark chocolate frosting that is to die for. I boiled down another cup of beer and again mixed it with some bittersweet chocolate before adding it to a dark chocolate frosting. Oh. Em. Gee. I was eating the frosting by the spoonful. You really don't taste any beer in either the treats or the frosting, but the boiled down syrup does bring out all the goodness of the dark chocolate.

The frosting is light, fluffy and not overly sweet. It is a perfect pairing for the treats, but I think it would be great for cakes and cupcakes as well. If you don't want to make the Rice Krispie squares with frosting, you can cut them out into shamrock shapes and cover them with some almond bark or candy melt and decorate. I even got a little silly and traced out a pint glass shape and decorated it with white almond bark and chocolate candy melts.

You can have as much fun as you like, but for the love of Guinness, don't waste any beer while making these. You will need to open two cans of beer, just make sure there is someone there to drink the rest. And in case you didn't figure it out already, these are NOT for children. Although I did burn off most of the alcohol, I still made sure to keep these far away from my children. They can wait till they are 21 years old to eat them.

Dark Chocolate Guinness Rice Krispie Treats

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: stove top dessert snack rice krispies dark chocolate dark chocolate chips marshmallows St. Patrick's Day bars rice krispie treats American

Ingredients (24 bars)

For the bars

1 cup Guinness beer
1/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa baking chips
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Cocoa Krispies
1 cup Hershey's Dark chocolate chips

For the frosting

1 cup Guinness beer
1/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa baking chips
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Dark cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons milk

Optional toppings

sprinkles

Instructions

For the bars

Place beer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 15 minutes, until beer is reduced to a little less than a 1/4 cup of liquid.

Remove from heat and add the Ghirardelli baking chips. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Then put it aside to cool off a little and thicken.

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add the beer/chocolate mix. Stir until completely mixed.

Then add the Rice Krispie cereal and the Hershey's chocolate chips. Mix until all is well incorporated.

Then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of waxed paper.

Place in fridge to cool and set.

For the frosting

Place beer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 15 minutes, until beer is reduced to a little less than a 1/4 cup of liquid.

Remove from heat and add the Ghirardelli baking chips. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Then put it aside to cool off a little and thicken.

In a stand mixer, place the powdered sugar and cocoa. Mix on low until well blended.

Then add the shortening, vanilla, and beer/chocolate mixture. Mix on medium speed until frosting starts to come together.

Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Spread the frosting evenly over the chilled Rice Krispie Treats with a spatula and add sprinkles if desired.

You can keep the treats refrigerated if you are not eating them right away. However, they can be left out at room temperature.

Churro Donuts Holes

2013-02-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

I watched a documentary about Johnny Cash last night and now I am listening to his music as I write this post. He songs remind me of driving up to Canada in my dad's Oldsmobile Regency with my parents and oldest brother. Dad had Johnny playing on the 8-track. There is just something about his voice that is haunting. While Elvis is still my number one singer, Johnny comes in a close second. I was definitely born in the wrong era. None of this has to do with churros or donuts, I just like good music and thought I would share. Don't worry I'll still share the recipe for these finger-lickin' treats.

Now I have made Churro Donuts before and they were quite tasty. This time I decided to make them a little healthier by adding Chobani yogurt. The first time I used Chobani was in my Maple Apple Muffins and they came soft and moist, so I was aiming for the same texture with these donuts. I just replaced some of the oil and buttermilk from my original recipe with yogurt. Chobani has this great chart on their blog if you want to replace butter, oil, buttermilk, or sour cream in one of your recipes. Okay so the dulce de leche and cinnamon sugar are not good for the diet, but you don't need to eat all the donuts by yourself. (I won't tell anyone if you do.)

I made these donuts holes using my Babycakes Cake Pop Maker. The machine I bought came with an injector to add filling, so it was perfect to fill my donuts with my homemade dulce de leche. You can probably use the Wilton cupcake filler tip to do the same. You want to make sure that if you make your own dulce de leche or buy it, you want it to be thick, otherwise it will just seep out of your little donut holes. Another tool that is great for this project is the Tovolo pancake pen. It is so much easier to use it to fill the wells of my machine with batter than to try to do it with a spoon.

After you fill them, you just glaze them and roll them around in some cinnamon sugar. I like to use brown sugar and cinnamon. I find granulated sugar to be too gritty for me. Only after you finish all these steps can you pop one in your mouth. Yeah, right. I lost a few before I even got to fill them to my little kitchen troll that wouldn't stop saying "donut" until I threw him at least three.

These guys are a little messy. You may need a napkin or two, but they are worth the trouble. A moist cinnamon donut with a burst of dulce de leche, coated with cinnamon sugar. If you aren't drooling yet, you will be once you start baking. Now get to it.

Churro Donut Holes

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes per batch

Keywords: bake dessert snack cinnamon dulce de leche Chobani yogurt donuts

Ingredients (55 donut holes)

For the donuts

1 cup Chobani yogurt (vanilla or plain)
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the filling

1 1/4 cups dulce de leche

For the glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

For the coating

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the donuts

Preheat your Babycakes Cake Pop Machine.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together yogurt, milk, oil and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients and slowly add to to the wet ingredients, making sure to have a nice smooth mixture. The batter will be thick.

Use a Ziplock bag with tip cut off or pancake pen to fill each donut reservoir with about 2 tbsp of batter.

Bake for about 4 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of donut comes out clean.

Place hot donuts on cooling rack.

For the filling

With the Babycakes injector or a cupcake filler, make a hole in each donut and fill with dulce de leche.

For the glaze

In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. You want the consistency to be runny, not thick.

Dip each donut in the mixture and flip it around by hand or with a fork until the whole donut is covered.

Then place back on the cooling rack until the glaze is dry, but tacky.

For the coating

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Dip each donut into the mixture and roll around until all covered. Then pop one in your mouth an enjoy the ride.