Giftable Goodies! Chocolate Dipped Cookies and "Stir-In" Spoons

Hooray for some more giftable goodies! Today's featured yummies are Chocolate dipped sandwich cookies (like Oreos), and "Stir-In" spoons. Basically it's a bunch of stuff dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with more sugary stuff. Haha.

These really are pretty easy to do, but be prepared to get slightly messy. It's amazing how melted chocolate seems to get everywhere. It wasn't too terrible, and most of it was on my hands, so it all worked out. ;)

The "stir-in" spoons are basically just spoons dipped in chocolate, and you stir them into either coffee or hot chocolate to flavor the hot drink. I did chocolate and white chocolate, but you can be creative. Caramel dipped spoons would be fun, and adding certain types of candy like peppermints can add another dimension of flavor (think peppermint mocha). The possibilities are endless.

So without further ado...giftable goodies!

Dipped Cookies
Ingredients:
-1 package sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
-1 package chocolate chips (you might need a little more than 1 package, depending on how many cookies you do)
-sprinkles, crushed candy, or whatever other topping you'd like (you could also melt some white chocolate and drizzle...)

Directions:
Melt the chocolate chips, either in the microwave or with a double boiler. In the microwave...dump the chips into a microwave safe bowl (I used my large Pyrex glass measuring cup). Heat the chips for 1 minute, then stir to get the chips all mixed up. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until the chips are JUST melted. If you over heat the chocolate, it will get nasty. I know this from experience. Be very careful. Haha. In a double boiler, heat the chips, stirring frequently, until just melted. Remove from the heat.

Dip one side of the cookie in the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip off.

Next, drop the whole cookie into the chocolate, non-dipped side down, so the already dipped side is facing up out of the chocolate.

Using a fork, make sure the bottom and sides of the cookie are covered in chocolate. Scoop the cookie out of the chocolate pool with the fork, letting the excess chocolate run off through the tines.

Place the dipped cookie on a waxpaper lined baking sheet.

While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with whatever sprinkle or crushed candy you have to decorate the tops.

When the cookie sheet is full of dipped cookies, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the chocolate set. When the chocolate has set, package the cookies in whatever fun packaging idea you have, and give away! (If you can manage not to eat most of them yourself...)

I packaged mine in clear plastic bags with some pretty ribbon and a tag. :)



"Stir-In" Spoons
Ingredients:
-Plastic disposable spoons (you can use nicer non-disposable spoons if you want the gift to be a little nicer)
-1 package chocolate chips (I did some chocolate and some white chocolate), which will dip between 10 and 15 spoons, depending on how generous you are
-Fun sprinkles, crushed candy, etc for decorating/flavoring

Directions:
Melt the chocolate chips, either in the microwave or with a double boiler. In the microwave...dump the chips into a microwave safe bowl (I used my large Pyrex glass measuring cup). Heat the chips for 1 minute, then stir to get the chips all mixed up. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until the chips are JUST melted. If you over heat the chocolate, it will get nasty. I know this from experience. Be very careful. Haha. In a double boiler, heat the chips, stirring frequently, until just melted. Remove from the heat.

Dip each spoon into the chocolate, making sure to cover both sides well. Let the excess drip off, then set on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

While the chocolate it still wet, sprinkle with your decorative/flavoring fun stuff.

When the sheet is full,

place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to let the chocolate set up. When the chocolate is set, package the spoons for gifting!

I used some long, skinny clear plastic bags I got at a craft store. They were labeled pretzel bags, and I also use them for my dipped pretzel rods. They were the perfect size for this.

I will say that whatever packaging method you choose to use, they should probably be air-tight so the chocolate doesn't start to look odd. Sometimes as chocolate dries out, it starts to look spotty or weird. Not great for gifting.



Just as an aside, I'm posting pictures of my little goodie bags I'm giving away to friends. They include a Cookie Tower (a stack of three types of cookies in a clear plastic bag), my dipped pretzels, the stir-in spoons above, the dipped cookies above, previously posted peppermint bark and turtles, and a candy cane. I included a little Christmas card as well, so they know who it's all from and that we wish them a Merry Christmas! :)

Here's my table covered in goodies waiting to be packaged up,

and here is my table with all the goodies in cute little gift bags, ready to go!

And here's a look inside!

So excited to see how they are received. Enjoy your giftable goodies!

Giftable Goodies! Peppermint Bark and Turtles

These two Giftable Goodies are awesome, and pretty stinking easy to make. But they look so much more complicated than they are. And they're kinda pretty. Haha.

The first is Peppermint Bark. It's literally two ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to make, plus some chilling time in the fridge.

The second goodie is called Turtles. They kinda look like turtles, and they are typical "turtle" flavors, as far as caramel-y, chocolate-y, nutty goodness is concerned. I'm not talking about green reptillian creatures that mutated into ninjas. Sorry, I had to do it. Hehe. There are several ways to make these, and my method involves caramel chips and chocolate chips with pecan halves. My mom makes these with Rolos candies instead of the chips. Either way is fine...use what you can find at the store. :)

I usually make things like this, as simple as they are, and make them special with packaging. It's pretty amazing what a clear plastic bag and ribbon can do. I sometimes add tags, as well, and that makes it even more fun. Don't be limited by my examples...go for your own creative solutions! It's amazing the fun stuff you can find to package goodies in...cute printed tins, clear "paint buckets," special boxes made for goodies, and endless other possibilities.

But before you can package the goodies, you should probably make them, huh? So here we go!

Peppermint Bark (This makes approx. one 9 x 13 inch sheet of bark)
Ingredients
-2 packages white chocolate chips
-approx. 1 cup crushed peppermint candy (put the candy in a sturdy plastic zipper bag, and bang them with something hard until they smash into a million pieces. Good stress relief, but don't make the pieces too terribly small)

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

Melt the white chocolate chips, either in the microwave or with a double boiler. In the microwave...dump the chips into a large microwave safe bowl (I used my Pyrex glass mixing bowl). Heat the chips for 1 minute, then stir to get the chips all mixed up. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until the chips are JUST melted. If you over heat the white chocolate, it will get nasty. I know this from experience. Be very careful. Haha. In a double boiler, heat the chips, stirring frequently, until just melted. Remove from the heat.

Once the white chocolate is melted, stir in most of the peppermint candy pieces, reserving about 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top. Spread the chocolate/peppermint mixture onto the wax paper lined baking sheet in an even, thin layer, approximately 1/4 inch (you don't have to be perfect...).

While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the reserved peppermint candy on top.

Stick the whole shebang into the fridge for about 45 minutes to let the chocolate set and harden.

Once the chocolate is set, remove the baking sheet from the fridge. Gently break apart the sheet of pepperminty chocolate into chunks.

Place a few chunks together in your fun packaging and give away

...or serve for friends and family at Christmas get togethers. They'll think you're extremely talented in the treat making department. Haha. Enjoy this festive goodie!



Turtles (This makes approximately 100 turtles)
Ingredients:
-1 package mini pretzels
-1 package caramel bits or chips (2 cups)
-1 package semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
-2 bags pecan HALVES (NOT chopped pieces)

-Substitute 2 packages of Rolos candies (one Rolo per turtle) for the caramel and chocolate chips, if you'd rather. It's slightly less labor intensive.

Directions:
I make these in two batches of fifty each.

Line a baking sheet with foil or oven safe wax paper/parchment paper. Turn on your oven to the broiler setting.

Lay out the pretzels in a single layer, leaving a little room between them.

Place three caramel chips on the pretzels.

Continue by adding three chocolate chips to the pretzels.

Place under the preheated broiler for no more than a minute...you just want to the chips to melt a bit. Take the sheet out of the oven, and IMMEDIATELY start placing the pecan halves on top of the melted chips, so they'll stick.

Work quickly, because as the chips cool, the pecans will no longer stick to them. Place these in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to set the caramel and chocolate.

When the caramel and chocolate are set, remove the sheet from the fridge. Repeat the process for the second batch of fifty. When all 100 are ready to go, melt some of the remaining chocolate chips. In the microwave...dump the chips into a microwave safe bowl (I used a Pyrex glass measuring cup). Heat the chips for 1 minute, then stir to get the chips all mixed up. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until the chips are JUST melted. Be very careful not to overheat them. If using a double boiler, heat the chips, stirring frequently, until just melted. Remove from the heat.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the turtles.

If the chocolate isn't "runny" enough, put it into a piping bag and use it like icing, drizzling the turtles that way. Return the sheet of turtles to the fridge to once again let the new chocolate set. When they're all set and ready to be packaged, place a few turtles in a cute package and gift to your favorite people.

These are also great snacks for holiday parties. Hope you enjoy!

In the Spirit of Christmas...Giftable Goodies!

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a little while. Things have been a little crazy around here. But never fear! I'm about to post a bunch of super fun holiday snacks that are perfect for giving away.

To start us off, I'm linking you to some previous posts of things perfect for gifting...Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Trail Mix! They are super fun, and everyone will think you are awesome for making these and giving them away. Look out soon for more giftable goodies!

Click here for Chocolate Dipped Pretzels!

Click here for Trail Mix!

Valentine's Day Treats- Cupcakes!

As we all know, it's Valentines Day, the holiday set aside to indulge our sweet tooth and honor our sweet heart. So on this special day, I decided to share a special cupcake.

Ok, enough of that fluffiness. For those of you sharing this day with a significant other, this is a great little treat to whip up for them. For those of you that aren't really celebrating this holiday, for whatever reason, it's a yummy dessert that you could make for fun.

I made two versions; Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes, and Vanilla Cherry Cupcakes. They're made pretty much in the exact same way, except one uses chocolate cake batter and one uses vanilla, so you might see pictures of one or the other. Easy cheesy. And guess what else...I used boxed cake mix. Oh my word. I know. But it works. And while I don't mind baking from scratch, I also don't mind using a couple convenience items occasionally. The "icing" is actually chocolate ganache, so it's not the really sugary-sweet frosting most cupcakes come dressed in. I'm not huge on frosting, so this works for me. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
-1 box cake mix, chocolate or vanilla
-whatever ingredients specified on the cake mix (eggs, water, and oil, usually)
-1 large can cherry pie filling
-paper/foil baking cups
-1/2 cup heavy cream(for ganache)
-1 cup chocolate chips (for ganache), I used regular semi-sweet for the chocolate cake and white chocolate for the vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to temperature given on cake mix.

Place the baking cups into a muffin tin. Prepare the cake batter according to package directions.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners in the muffin tins, about 2/3 full.

I think most cake mixes will yield 24 cupcakes. Next, spoon three cherries from the pie filling can into each cupcake.

Bake as specified by cake mix package.

When cake is baked, remove from oven and let cool. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the ganache. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium/low heat.

When the cream is heated through, add the chocolate chips

and stir frequently until the chocolate has melted into the cream, creating a thick sauce texture. Remove from the heat and let cool just enough that it's not runny but still very spreadable. Spread on top of the cupcakes as icing.

I topped mine with another pie filling cherry,

but you could sprinkle it lightly with cocoa powder or powdered sugar as another way to make it look pretty. Or you could just leave it alone and let the ganache be shiny and pretty on its own.

Yummy!

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

I love salty and sweet together. Trail mix with peanuts, chocolate candies, pretzels, raisins. French fries dipped into a chocolate milk shake (trust me. it's amazing). Chocolate and peanut butter in all forms. It's just yummy. So obviously, chocolate covered pretzels are right up there. They can also be an amazing and easy gift to give people for the holidays. Just dip pretzel rods in chocolate, sprinkle on some cute candy or sprinkles, and put into some plastic pretzel bags (you can find them at craft stores that sell confection containers and such). Tie a few together with a festive ribbon, and there you go.

So I'm just showing you what mine turned out to look like. I forgot to take pictures while I was dipping them, so you just get to see the finished product. Oops. But at least the directions will help guide you, and the pictures of the finished pretzels will help let you know you got it right. Haha. Have fun!

Ingredients:
-2 cups (or more) of chocolate chips or candy melts
-2 tablespoons of shortening
-various sprinkles, candies, etc to make them pretty (you can also use a different type of chocolate or candy to drizzle them, as I did for some of mine)
-lots and lots of pretzel rods (I used about 1 and a half bags)

Directions:
Lay out some wax paper on a baking sheet. This will be where your pretzels will rest to harden the chocolate.

In a small-ish microwave safe bowl (I used my 4 cup pyrex measuring cup), melt the chocolate with the shortening. To do this, pour the chocolate chips into the bowl, then add the shortening. Microwave for about a minute, then remove and stir. Continue heating this way until the chocolate is melted and the shortening has been well incorporated. It may take a few minutes, but DON'T OVERHEAT THE CHOCOLATE. It will be NASTY!

Once the chocolate is melted, dip a pretzel rod into the yummy goodness about half way to 2/3 of the way up the pretzel. You may need to tilt your bowl to allow the chocolate to come up that far, twirling the pretzel toward the side of the bowl so you get the coverage you need. Remove the pretzel from the chocolate and allow the excess to drip off. Lay the pretzel carefully on the wax-paper lined baking sheet, and sprinkle with your candy or sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. Repeat this process until the baking sheet is full. Place the whole thing in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove he pretzels from the fridge and place them individually into the pretzel bags.

I used the twist-ties that came with the bags to seal the pretzels in their little individual bags, then used a pretty ribbon to tie three of them together.

Aren't they cute? I printed out little sticker labels to put on them too.

So fun!

You could adapt this to any holiday-do pink and red sprinkles for Valentines day, do pastel colors for the spring and Easter, red white and blue for 4th of July and other patriotic holidays, black and white for formal occasions(or just do the different colors of chocolate drizzle trick). The possibilities are endless. I used white vanilla flavored candy melts for about a third of my pretzels, if you're not a huge chocolate fan. So have fun! I hope this gives you a great idea for the future. Yum.

Cranberry Relish

Ok, so...it's about to be Thanksgiving, so I've been seeing cranberry stuff everywhere. It made me crave it. Seriously. I.love.cranberry.sauce. The jellied kind, mind you. I know, some of you are going to claim blasphemy, but meh. It is what it is. Haha. Anyway...I was at a restaurant the other day, and they were selling cranberry relish. They had samples. And it was amazing. I then decided I must make some and figure out a way to use it, because, well...it was amazing. Haha. So here is the recipe I made. I'm just going to go ahead and say that the pictures aren't the best, but you can get the general idea. I will be posting a few recipes over the next few days about how I used it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-4 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen), rough chopped if desired (you can leave them whole if you want)
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup orange juice
-3/4 cup sugar (I don't really know how much I used...I just added it until it tasted good, and I think it was about 3/4 cup)

Directions:
In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients. Heat over high heat until it boils, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium and let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the berries to "pop" and become tender, and will start to thicken the "sauce" as some of the liquid is cooked off.

Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency you like. It will never turn into a jelly-like substance because there is no gelatin, but it can get decently thick. And it is yummy. Once it's cooked to your desired consistency, you can use it immediately or put it in the fridge to cool. I used it as a glaze on chicken (recipe to come soon) and used it immediately, but if you're using it for a cool application, I would put it in the fridge first. Hope you like it!

Easter Dinner

Hello everyone. Happy Easter (a day late)!

As I was making my meal plan, wondering what to do for Easter, I was looking at some of my favorite food blogs for ideas. I came across a wonderful idea on a blog I've mentioned on here several times now-My Kitchen Cafe, which has recently switched over to Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She had an Easter meal on there, and I'm using a couple parts of it and then adding my own. :) The link to her original recipe is: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/03/easter-dinner-delights.html

I will now let you know what I did. Hehe.

Ingredients:
For Pork Tenderloin-
-Pork tenderloin (Mel uses a 5 lb one, mine is about 2.5lbs. I don't need that much meat. :) )
-Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Garlic powder (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Black pepper (a "dash" or "pinch")
-rosemary (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-1 cup water

For Potatoes-
-Red New Potatoes (I would say 2-3, if they're small, per person)
-3 tablespoons butter
-garlic powder (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Italian seasoning, or whatever seasoning blend you like (I'm using a spice blend by McCormick, similar in flavor to Italian)

For Asparagus-
-Asparagus, enough to feed everyone
-olive oil, for drizzling
-salt and pepper, to taste, but probably 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of each depending on how much asparagus you have
-garlic powder, to taste, approximately 1/4 teaspoon
-parmesan cheese (enough to sprinkle over all your asparagus), around 1/4-1/2 cup

For Apples-
-Baking apples, one per person
-brown sugar, about 2 tablespoons per apple
-cinnamon, about 1/4 teaspoon per apple
-butter, about 1-2 tablespoons per apple
-raisons and nuts, optional

Directions:
For Pork Tenderloin-(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with a few minor tweaks to the seasoning for preference)
Mix together all the herbs and spices. Place the pork tenderloin in a lipped baking sheet pan, or a roasting pan. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the pork. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, when then meat will be a little brown on the outside. Reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Add the cup of water to the roasting pan. Cover the meat with foil, and return to the oven. Continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through. (Mine was PERFECTLY done using this method. Still juicy, no pink in the middle. Wonderful). Let the meat sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. I left mine in the foil until we were ready to eat, about 20-30 minutes later, and it was still hot.

To make a pan gravy for the meat, drain all the meat drippings/juices from the baking pan to a sauce pan. Mix together about 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup corn starch. Heat the juices over medium low heat. Add the corn starch slowly, stirring continuously, until the gravy begins to thicken. Start out with just a little cornstarch, and add it until it's the right consistency. And don't forget that it will thicken a little as it cooks, so don't over do it. Serve with the meat.

For Potatoes- (my own "recipe")
Wash the potatoes, then cut them into large bite size chunks, about 1 inch pieces.Put them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder and herb seasoning. Cut up some butter, about 3 tablespoons, and sprinkle it over the potatoes. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and tender, stirring up the potatoes and seasonings with the melted butter as it cooks (I did this about 2 or 3 times during the entire cooking time. It just helps all the potatoes to cook evenly, and have equal amounts of flavor). Serve while still hot.

For Asparagus-(from Ina Garten via Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with my addition of garlic)
Rinse the asparagus, and trim the rough stalk ends off. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, preferably a lipped one. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until asparagus is cooked but not mushy. It will be "soft" but still have a bite to it. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another minute or so. Serve hot.

For apples-(my own "recipe")
Rinse the apples. You can peel them if you want. I like to leave the peel on. It helps keep the wedges together as you cut them, and as they cook. Cut the apple into thin wedges, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (You're basically cutting the apple into 16ths). Remove the seeds and core. Lay all the apples into a baking dish. If using raisins and nuts (I didn't this time), sprinkle them over the apples. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, then cinnamon. Finally, "sprinkle" the butter over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and cooked, but not falling apart mushy. Do the same as with the potatoes-stir up the apples and sugar and cinnamon and butter as they cook, making sure every apple is coated in yummy goodness. I probably did it 3 times total. Serve while still hot. Mmm. My mouth is watering.

Serve everything together for best wow factor and dining pleasure. :)

For my dinner, pictured, I also "baked" some frozen parker house rolls, a friend brought a Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (which was AMAZING), and for dessert we had red velvet cupcakes (not pictured), also brought by a friend. It was a WONDERFUL Easter dinner. I'm so ecstatic to have leftovers to eat. Yummmmmmmmm.