Ultimate Pretzel Bark (with bacon!)

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I made a batch of Oreo truffles today for a co-worker and had some leftover chocolate. In my eyes it is a sin to let perfectly good chocolate go to waste, so I did a mental scan of all the stuff I had in my cupboards. I had some pretzel chips, craisens, and almonds, so I knew I could make something very yummy.


So this is what I did:

I poured some pretzel chips into the mixing bowl with the melted chocolate and stirred the mixture up until the pretzels were completely covered with chocolate.

I then poured the mixture out on some wax paper. I spread it out so it would dry in one piece, but it wasn't in a thick clump.

Then I sprinkled craisens on top.

I had toasted the slivered almonds on a cookie sheet in the oven until they were slightly browned. I then sprinkled the toasted almonds on top of the craisens.

Now get this.....I had some crumbled bacon in my fridge that was left over from dinner, so I sprinkled that on top of half of the bark. Oh weird....but yummy!



Then I melted some white chocolate in a baggie, cut off the tip and drizzled the white chocolate over all of the bark. BEAUTIFUL!

Put the bark in the fridge to harden, break it up and serve!

I also made some white chocolate bark with toasted almonds, craisens and broken pretzel chips on top.

Weigh in Week 4 and Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

It was weigh in day today and I was happy with my two pound weight loss. That makes 14 pounds for the month! This week I really need to focus more on strength training. I need to build muscle to really wake up my metabolism.

Enough about that! Today was weigh in day, but do you know what that means? It is also CHEAT DAY!!



For my cheat day I made one of my favorite cakes. A Mint Chocolate Bundt Cake. One slice is all it takes to satisfy me and that is saying a lot! You have got to try this!

Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1 chocolate cake box mix
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sour cream
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. mint extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the pan properly before baking the cake. Using a pastry brush, coat the Bundt pan with solid vegetable shortening. Make sure that you have greased the entire pan thoroughly, including all of the nooks and crannies.

2.Dust the pan lightly with flour. Tap the pan with the palms of your hand to distribute the flour evenly throughout the Bundt pan. Turn the pan over to remove any excess flour. Regrease and reflour any areas of the pan where the flour did not stick.

3. Combine chocolate chips and mint extract in a small bowl. Stir until chocolate chips are covered with extract. Let sit.

4. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat with mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in minted chocolate chips. Pour into prepared bundt pan.

5. Place pan in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

6. Just before the cake is finished baking, place a folded bathroom towel in the kitchen sink. Saturate the towel with steaming water. When the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on top of the towel, pan side down, and let it sit for 10 seconds.

7. To unmold the cake, immediately invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Use care as the cake will be very hot.

If the cake starts to break apart before it's out of the pan, allow the cake to cool in the pan for an additional 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a rubber spatula or plastic knife. Try to unmold the cake again, using the same steam-removal method.

8. Let cake cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Hershey With Almonds Pie

This is how I show my love.....chocolate. This is rich, creamy and decadent love.

Hershey with Almonds Pie

3 Big Hershey with Almonds bars (you know, the ones that are super sized)
12 oz. of Cool Whip
Oreo cookie crust

Melt the chocolate bars and let cool slightly. Fold 12 oz. Cool Whip into melted chocolate. Mix until it is fully combined. Pour into prepared Oreo cookie crust. Place in freezer and let set for at least 4 hours.

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Pretzel Scotchmallow

I grew up in Southern California. I now live in the East. Do you know one of the things I miss?

I miss going to the mall with my parents and them saying that they "need" something at See's Candies. Have you ever tried See's? Oh....it is perfection!

We would go in the bright white and black shop and choose a piece of chocolate to take home. When I was much younger, I would always get a chocolate or butterscotch lollipop. But as my taste buds matured and I branched out, I discovered the Scotchmallow. Chewy caramel and fluffy marshmallow enveloped in thick dark or milk chocolate. Heaven!

So, since I don't get to See's very easily anymore, I decided that I better learn to make my own scotchmallows.

What you need if you want to make the whole recipe: (100 +)

I just made the caramel and made the pretzel scotchmallows, chocolate caramel pretzel bites, and with the extra caramel I cut it in bite size pieces and wrapped them in wax paper. This caramel goes a long way!

caramel ingredients

small pretzels (1 bag)

2 bags of big marshmallows cut in half (stood them up and cut with scissors through the middle)

(5 bags) chocolate candy coating like Wilton or melted chocolate chips

Decorations to put on top

Here is how it is done:

1. Make a batch of this caramel.

2. Pour it into (2) 9"X13" glass casserole dishes and put in refrigerator to cool completely.

3. Place pretzels on wax paper on cookie sheet.

4. Cut a piece of caramel to fit on top of the the pretzel. The caramel is soft, so the pretzel is needed to corral it and keep it from spreading as it softens.

5. Place a cut marshmallow on top of the caramel topped pretzel.

6. Repeat with as many pretzels and marshmallows as you need.

7. Place cookie sheets in freezer or fridge to firm up again.

8. Melt chocolate until smooth in a deep bowl. I use my Pyrex 4 cup class measuring cup.

9. Use a toothpick to pierce the top of a marshmallow and pick up the candy. Dip in the melted chocolate. Don't worry about getting the top completely covered.

10. Have some wax paper laid out on another cookie sheet.

11. Use another toothpick to help free the candy and place it on the waxed paper to harden.

12. Dip a spoon in some chocolate and use it to cover the top of the marshmallow.

13. Decorate immediately if you are using sprinkles so the chocolate doesn't harden.

14. Store in the refrigerator.

This looks like a lot of steps, but believe me. They are worth it! It's nice too, to be able to use one recipe to make a variety of things. I'm going to make the caramel one more time to make this awesome gooey popcorn.

Happy candy making!!!!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

I just love this basic caramel recipe.

Caramel

1c. Karo syrup
1c. Brown sugar
1c. White sugar
1 stick of butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Put ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium heat and stir until melted and combined. Bring to a boil and stir for five minutes. Be careful to keep stirring so that it doesn't start to burn on the bottom of the pan.

Here is a variation on these chocolate caramel pretzel rods. Instead of rods, I sandwiched the caramel between two of the "snap" pretzels that look like rectangles.


I put the caramel in a squirt bottle for condiments to make it less messy.

After loading the pretzels with caramel, put on a top pretzel and place the cookie sheets in the fridge to set up for at least 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate and dip the pretzel sandwiches and place on wax paper and set.

This batch of caramel will make A TON of pretzel bites! You can also use it to make gooey popcorn balls.

And see those other candies with the red, white and green candy discs on top? I'll show you those in a day or so. They are worth the wait!

Thanksgiving M&M Turkeys

I have many memories of making these cute turkeys for Thanksgiving. They look so bright and cheerful on the table as place settings. Just put the names on the feet so everyone knows where they are sitting.

Using one big handful of M&Ms for each, I was able to make 22 turkeys. You can make the turkeys much bigger if you like. I think everyone likes fat turkeys!!!!


Here is what you need:

3 medium bags of M&Ms- I do a mix of peanut and regular
orange card stock or construction paper
orange netting found at fabric stores (1 yard)
pipe cleaners
googly eyes
thread
scissors
hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Combine M&Ms into a bowl. Try not to eat. :)
2. Cut netting into 8 inch by 8 inch squares. Make them bigger if you want the turkeys fatter with more M&Ms.
3. Put a big handful of M&Ms in the center of the toile square.
4. Gather the corners and hold tightly close to the M&Ms. The tighter the better.
5. Have a partner double some thread and tie a tight knot at the base of the gather. Make sure that it is nice and tight so that there isn't much give around the candy. Now the body is done.

6. Take a pipe cleaner and at about an inch down, bend it and twist. Open the hole that you just made. This is the neck and head.
7. Take red pipe cleaner and cut an inch off. Twist that red pipe cleaner around the bottom of the hole that you made with the other pipe cleaner. This is the red hangy thing.
8. Apply googly eyes above the red red pipe cleaner. Yeah! The neck and head are done!

9. Now, just cut the long pipe cleaner so the turkeys neck is about 4 inches long and put the end close to tied part of the body and push in in through the netting.

10. Get your orange paper and make a foot pattern similar to the one I have shown. Place your turkey on top to see if it is proportional. Is so, cut it out with scissors and use it as a pattern for as many feet as you need to draw and cut out.
11. Cut the feet out and apply to the bottom on the turkeys with a dot of hot glue.

You're done! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Be sure to visit my review blog, Cheat Day News and Reviews, for my review of Pepperidge Farm New Petite Treats and the recipe for my guilt free, deconstructed apple pie. Leave a comment for your chance to win a $150 spa gift card!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Bars

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine and had to try it. They are still kind of a splurge, but I guess it could be worse!


I love that these started with a cake mix. My daughter loved helping and especially patting the chocolate layer into the dish. This recipe comes together very quickly and it is creamy and soft.

These bars got 10 thumbs up at my house!


Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Bars

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) German chocolate cake mix
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• FILLING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, oil and egg. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set.
• For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg; beat well. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 bar equals 187 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

I started off innocently wanting to make Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I had a "drizzle" relapse and ended up making Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I am off the wagon, but if the result is making these soft, thin mint tasting, cookies..... I never want to get back on!

Make these for your Christmas cookie platters and they will be sure to please!



Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

Drizzle Instructions:

1/2 bag of Hershey's mint chocolate chips
1/2 bag of White chocolate chips

1. Place mint and white chips in individual sandwich zip bags. Place mint chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove bag and squeeze the bag to melt the chips. Place in microwave for another 15 seconds and squeeze until the chips are melty. If the chips are not completely melted, microwave for 15 seconds until all the chips are melted.

2. Cut a small hole in the corner of the zip bag and drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies. Place in fridge to harden. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with with the white chips.

Be sure to visit my review blog, Cheat Day News and Reviews, for my review of Pepperidge Farm New Petite Treats and the recipe for my guilt free, deconstructed apple pie. Leave a comment for your chance to win a $150 spa gift card!

Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Rods

I decided to repost this awesome treat since many of us are starting to plan the special homemade gifts we would like to give for holidays. Your friends and family will sing your praises when you make them these!

I have had some questions about the Candy Quick that I used to cover the pretzel rods. Candy Quick is a big hunk of chocolate that is great for melting. I found mine at Wal-Mart above the chocolate chips. It is in red packaging. You could also use any other chocolate to cover the pretzels such as chocolate chips or Wilton candy melts which is found at craft stores. If you use chocolate chips or the Wilton candy melts, I would buy two bags to be safe.

Also, if the chocolate seems kind of thick after it is melted, you can add a tablespoon of vegetable oil or shortening to thin it out. Just add the oil or shortening, put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and then stir. If you want it thinner, add a bit more.

I hope that clears up any questions! :)




Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Rods

Things to get:
Pretzel rods (recipe makes about 50!)
Whole package of Chocolate candy quick (found at Wal-Mart)
Vanilla candy melts to drizzle (optional)
Caramel ingredients

First make a batch of caramel:

1c. Karo syrup
1c. Brown sugar
1c. White sugar
1 stick of butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk


Put first 5 ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium heat and stir until melted and combined. Bring to a boil and stir for five minutes. Be careful to keep stirring so that it doesn't start to burn on the bottom of the pan. Take caramel off the burner after 5 minutes.

Put the hot caramel in a deep container. I used my Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup.

Prepare a couple cookie sheets lined with wax paper.

Dip pretzel rod in caramel, about 3/4 of the way and let it drip off any excess caramel. Then lay the rod on the cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining pretzels.

Put cookie sheets in the fridge to help set up caramel.

Once caramel is set, lift up each pretzel rod off the wax paper and mold caramel around the rod since it will puddle on the sides as it cools.

Prepare the cookie sheets again with new pieces of wax paper.

Melt chocolate in a deep container and dip caramel covered pretzel rods.

Place chocolate covered pretzel rods on cookie sheets and place in fridge to set up.

In a zip lock baggie, melt the vanilla candy melts in the microwave. When completely melted, cut a tiny hole in the corner and drizzle the chocolate on the rods.

Place back into the fridge to set up.

Tip: I ran out of pretzel rods before I ran out of caramel and chocolate. So I put the caramel in a greased glass 8x8 and made some yummy soft caramel squares. I also put some dry roasted peanuts in the leftover melted chocolate and spooned in out on wax paper for some yummy peanut clusters. I'm just like the Indians. I don't let anything go to waste. Especially chocolate!


Well, I hope these turn out for you. They are a lot of work but so very worth it! Enjoy!

Oh-So-Good Oil-less Cake

This looks like a normal, law abiding chocolate cake at first glance. But what you don't know is that no oil was used to make this moist and amazingly AMAZING cake.

So, next time you make a cake from a box mix, try this out!

Oh-So-Good Oil-less Cake

1 box cake mix (I used Devil's Food cake)
1 small box of instant pudding (I used fat free/sugar free chocolate)
2 cups of warm water
2 eggs (next time I'll try just egg whites)

Mix together according to cake mix package. Pour into prepared 9 x 13 pan or cupcake papers in muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Note: The cake will be nice and fluffy when it comes out of the oven and then it tends to fall a little. Don't worry, the frosting will cover the top and it will be beautiful! I promise!

I used a chocolate buttercream which is NOT low-fat, but it was perfect.

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c. cocoa
6 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter; add cocoa, mixing well. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, adding milk as necessary until spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla and dash of salt.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Kid's Corner: Chocolate Covered Spider Legs

Who here loves Halloween?

Meeeeeeeeeee!

And it has nothing to do with the candy, and the treats and the caramel apples...

Not. A. Thing.

Who am I kidding? I have to wait to buy Halloween candy until the 31st so that I won't be tempted to eat it!!! Give me strength!

Here to kick off October is a fun little activity to do with the kids. I'm sure they will love making these little chocolate covered delights!

Don't they look like tarantula legs? Yuck! Kids love gross things though. I'm always reminded of that when they want to buy candy that you squirt out of a tube. Maybe I should buy some of that to pass out as Halloween candy this year. You'd never catch me sneaking that stuff!



Chocolate Covered Spider Legs

Here is what you need:

Chocolate: white, dark, milk or a mix of all three
thin pretzels (tied, not sticks) broken into large peices
peanuts (optional but a great addition)

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in an electric skillet on low heat or in the microwave in a large mixing bowl. Stir the chocolate as it melts. You can add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil or shortening to the melted chocolate to thin it out.

2. When the chocolate is completely melted, add the pretzels and peanuts. Stir until it is all coated. Continue to add pretzel pieces and peanuts until the chocolate is evenly distributed.

3. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

4. Place in refrigerator until hardened.



Happy Haunting!

Happy Birthday Milky Way Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting

I found this recipe for a Milky Way cake in a long, lost idea folder that I used to keep. I was really curious about how it would turn out so I decided to make it for my birthday cake!

It was originally a layer cake but I decided to make cupcakes because cupcakes are the new cake! Don't you agree?

I hadn't made a cake from scratch for probably 7 years! I'm just never in love with cakes made from scratch. And this cake was no exception. It was a little dry and crumbly. Am I alone here? Maybe I just haven't found "the one."

You know who I have just learned to relate to with this cake? Those weird people who say that the frosting is too sweet. I have never met a frosting that was too sweet until I met this one. Don't get me wrong! It was delicious, but it was "make your fillings hurt" sweet. I was glad that I had some vanilla ice cream on hand to kind of mellow out the sweetness.

Will I make this again? Probably not, but a thin layer of the frosting would be great on some sort of apple cinnamon roll. Wheels are turning......



Milky Way Cake with Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Cake:
3 (2.05-oz) Milky Way candy bars
2 TBSP + 1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Frosting:
50 caramels
1/2 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish:
Chocolate candy coating (optional)

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt candy bars ad 2 TBSP milk over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 30 seconds and scraping bowl with spatula after each addition. Beat in melted candy bars. On low speed, beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture and 3/4 cup milk, scraping down the side of bowl. Beat in remaining flour mixture and milk. Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake holders. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Frosting: In medium saucepan, melt caramels over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Remove from heat: let cool to room temperature, 1 hour.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until blended. On medium-high, beat 3 minutes. Beat in caramel mixture and beat 2 minutes more, until light and fluffy.

4. Spoon frosting in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cut tip off and frost tops of cupcakes.

5. Garnish: Put a layer of wax paper on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Melt chocolate candy coating in a small resealable plastic bag in microwave. Cut a tiny hole in corner of the bag. Make designs with the chocolate on wax paper, place in fridge until hardened and then garnish the cupcakes with your designs.

South Dakota

As if that is your real name.......

Yes, South Dakota is the real name of this amazing simple yet unforgettable dessert. The only reason I can think of for this ridiculous name is that it reminded someone of the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Now I've got that song stuck in my head from Doris Day's movie Calamity Jane. I am a big fan of classic movies and musicals and this is one of my favorites. Enjoy this little tribute:


Funny name aside, this is an all time favorite dessert of my growing up years and now. I remember helping my mom in the kitchen, breaking up the angel food cake and sneaking a few morsels here and there. Ahhhh, memories.....

I better stop now before I post a video from "Cats!" Enjoy!

South Dakota

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

3T. sugar

2 T. water

4 eggs

1 c. heavy cream

1 large angel food cake

Melt chocolate chips, sugar and water on low heat and let cool. Add four egg yolks, one at a time and beat well after each addition. If you are afraid of using raw egg yolks, this step can be omitted. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into chocolate mixture. Whip cream and also fold into chocolate mixture.

Break angel food cake into medium sized peices and spread 1/2 in 9 x 13 dish.

Spoon 1/2 of the chocolate mixture over 1st layer.

Top with remaining angel food cake peices and pour remaining chocolate over top.

Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Can be cut into squares or made individually in parfait glasses.