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Santa’s Popcorn

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by G.H. Cretors. All opinions are 100% my own.

Santa's Popcorn

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season involves making delicious goodies for the people that I care about. Family, friends, coworkers…you name it. After all is said and done, I typically make 300+ cookies, as well as various other homemade goodies. However, for the first time in years, I decided to not do the grand bake-palooza.

The simple why is that I just haven’t found the time to do it. As you guys can tell, my blog has become more of a back-burner project. It’s a bit sad, since I love spending time in the kitchen, and I look forward to sharing my big bake-palooza post with y’all every single holiday season. However, this is the first season without it, and hopefully the last. 🙂

This year, I’ve focused on easier homemade goodies, like this popcorn mix. Within half an hour, you have a tin-full of this delicious mix, which I’ve lovingly named Santa’s Popcorn. I imagine if Santa had a favorite popcorn, it would be something like this. 🙂

One of the biggest time-savers is using pre-made caramel popcorn. One of my favorite pre-made caramel popcorns is G.H. Cretors “Just the Caramel Corn”. The popcorn is still crunchy, the caramel is rich and flavorful, and it’s affordable!

Santa’s Popcorn
Source: a Nifty Foodie original

Ingredients:

  • 1 8 oz. bag “Just the Caramel Corn” popcorn
  • 1 cup M&Ms
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
  • various sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pour the bag of caramel popcorn onto the lined baking sheet, in one even layer. Pour the M&Ms over the popcorn in one even layer.
  2. Drizzle the semi-sweet and white chocolates over the popcorn and M&Ms. Immediately sprinkle the popcorn mixture with as many sprinkles as you’d like, being careful to finish this step before the chocolate hardens. Wait for the mixture to cool.
  3. Enjoy!

 

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Thick & Chewy CC Cookies

A while back, I realized that quite a few of my recipes lost their pictures when my previous website hosting company lost a bunch of my photos. I’m making it a mini goal of mine to update the pictures. I’m going to try my hardest not to edit the original wording on the posts (so you may see fiance in there…we’ve been married for almost 8 years now haha!).

I do have to admit that this recipe is STILL my go-to recipe years later, and I’ve passed it to many friends as well. 🙂 Give this recipe a try, if you’re looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. I sometimes add in M&Ms to add something extra to these cookies (pictured above).

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I’ve read a lot of great reviews about this recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies. The only reason I made these (since they are SO not diet friendly) is because our over-generous neighbors were landscaping at the same time as my fiance and I. They gave us ALL of their leftover top soil (which was more than what we needed.we didn’t even have to open any bags that we purchased at Lowe’s). So, my fiance suggested that I bake them something. Any excuse to bake works for me! AND it felt good not to use applesauce haha!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Brown Eyed Baker from Baking Illustrated

Makes about 18 large cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
  • 1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions:

  1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
  4.  Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
  5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

I will admit, these are some crazy procedures on this recipe (jagged edges on top, what?). However, follow them to the T! The cookies will come out a little gooey, but if you leave them on the baking sheet, they will finish baking into a perfect cookie! The jagged edges do bake into a neat looking top as well.

Dessert for Valentine’s Day & Gift Ideas (+ GIVEAWAY)

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by JORD. I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

IMG_9516

I love Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s because it’s another fun opportunity to throw together a gift for my husband (after the holidays), but I’m also a hopeless romantic. I love the idea of giving something meaningful to that special someone and spending quality time with them.

Some years, we’ve done small gifts (like favorite snacks) and then there are some years that are a bit more of a splurge. When it comes to my husband, I find that I have to really keep my eyes peeled for gifts for him. He typically purchases what he wants, but there’s always something he doesn’t think of. 🙂

When I first heard of JORD, I thought that these wood watches would make a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. I have never seen such a unique watch like this before. Their men and women wood watches are completely stunning, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in stores! So many of their watches caught my eye, but the product I decided to review was their Frankie 35 watch.

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Besides the beautiful watch, I was really impressed by the packaging. The watch comes in a gorgeous wooden box, with the watch surrounding a small burlap pillow. It’s gorgeous and definitely gift-worthy!

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The watch was custom-fitted to my wrist as well. I have really small wrists, and while I know you can have watches resized, it’s a nice added touch to have it fitted to your wrist already when you gift it to someone. The wooden watch band that I received was rich and beautiful…the pictures hardly do it justice! I feel like this is a wonderful idea for a Valentine’s Day gift. It’s beautifully packaged, completely unique and I can completely appreciate the range of prices that JORD has available in their watches!

Are you interested in JORD watches? JORD is generously offering a contest through The Nifty Foodie. One winner will receive a $100 e-gift code, and EVERYONE who enters will receive a $25 e-gift code. All e-gift codes will expire on 3/31/2017.

Enter Here!

Note: This giveaway is supplied by and coordinated through JORD, and is open to readers in the continental US only over the age of 18. Entries will be accepted until January 29th, 2017. JORD will receive your email address, and it may add you to a mailing list. Winner will be contacted by JORD. All e-gift codes will expire on 3/31/2017.

When it also comes to Valentine’s Day, I really enjoy making a nice dinner for my husband and me. I’m not a fan of waiting 2-3 hours in a restaurant, and since I’m a fan of cooking and baking, it’s a no brainer to DIY a Valentine’s Day dinner! One of my favorite indulgences around Valentine’s Day is chocolate, and while I enjoy making a nice, elaborate dinner, I try to keep dessert on the easier side (to where it’s prepared ahead). This flourless chocolate cake is not only indulgent, it’s very quick to throw together. If your special someone is a lover of chocolate, I’d highly encourage you to give this a try. It’s super rich and there’s no shortage in chocolate flavor here!

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Flourless Chocolate Cake
Source: slightly adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces, add the butter, and melt the chocolate mixture (by double-boiler or microwave). To melt in the microwave, melt the chocolate mixture in a glass bowl in 30 second increments at 50% power, stirring after each cooking cycle, until melted. To melt in a double boiler, either use a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring well until smooth.
  3. After the chocolate mixture has melted, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract & salt and whisk the mixture well. Sift in 1/2 cup of the cocoa powder over the mixture and whisk until just combined (do not overmix).
  4. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake has formed a thin crust. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.
  5. Dust the cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet or ice cream. Enjoy!


Wooden Wristwatch

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

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Double Chocolate Cookies

A couple of weeks ago, I had the itch to bake. Life has been a bit crazy since the flood happened out here, but when work brought up that there was going to be a Halloween potluck, I just needed to bake SOMETHING.

Baking is one of those things that just makes me stop thinking about the other stressors in life. When it comes to baking, I just need to follow a recipe…no other thoughts required. 🙂 Also, the end product is usually something delicious.

I was flipping through my Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book, and this recipe just stood out to me. It calls for one full pound of chocolate, which to me, is always a winner. I just happened to have one of those pound bars of Trader Joe’s chocolate, so I think it was fate. These cookies had to happen. 🙂 In this recipe, there’s the option to make them triple chocolate, by mixing in chocolate chips, but I decided to add in some M&M candies instead.

These cookies were almost like fudge-y brownies in cookie form. They were soft/chewy and super rich, which always makes for a good cookie! You definitely need a glass of milk with a cookie like this, and I really couldn’t eat more than one. It is jam-packed with chocolate! I imagine these are going to be added to my holiday baking list, since they were such a hit with coworkers. How festive would these be with holiday M&Ms?

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
Source: Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. table salt
  • 16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 10 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 ¼ sticks), softened but still firm
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup M&M candies

Directions:

  1. Melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave, by heating the chopped chocolate at 50% power for 2 minutes. Then, stir the chocolate, and heat the chocolate again at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir again, and if it isn’t melted, heat the chocolate for an additional 30-45 seconds at 50% power. Allow to cool, while completing the next steps.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set the dry mixture aside. Place the eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl and beat the mixture lightly with a fork. Sprinkle the espresso/coffee powder over the egg/vanilla mixture and set it aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for about 5 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the light brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until combined, for about 45 seconds (the mixture will look granular). Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and gradually add in the egg mixture, beating for about 40 seconds (or until incorporated). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula. Putting the mixer back on low speed, add in the melted chocolate in a steady stream and beat for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula once again.
  4. With the mixer on low speed again, add in the dry flour mixture and mix the dough for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Be careful not to overbeat the dough. Carefully fold in the M&M candies. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to stand at room temperature until the dough appears to be scoopable and fudge-like (about half an hour).
  5. While the dough is resting, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  6. Once the dough is ready, scoop the dough using a 1 3/4 inch diameter ice cream scoop and place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, being sure to leave about 1 1/2 inches between each dough ball.
  7. Bake the cookies until the edges have begun to set, but the centers of the cookies are still very soft (about 10 minutes), being sure to turn the cookie sheets from front to back and switching from the top rack to the bottom rack about halfway into baking the cookies.
  8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the cooling sheets, and allow the cookies to finish cooling until they reach room temperature. Enjoy!

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle

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Disclosure: I was sent this cookbook at no cost to me for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle

A few years ago, I went to IFBC when it was held in New Orleans. It was my first blog conference, and I had no idea what to expect. I gained so much from that conference, from inspiring sessions to meeting wonderful bloggers like Andie. Andie stood out to me, because her weight-loss journey inspired me, and after meeting her, I can’t even begin to describe how awesome she is. When I introduced myself (in probably the most dorky way possible), she was just so sweet and genuine. She’s just such a wonderful person, and her positivity is contagious.

If you haven’t read her blog before, I urge you to take a minute (or a few hours haha) to check it out. She’s a fantastic writer with an inspiring story. Her memoir, It Was Me All Along, was the first book that I read in a long time, and I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I read her memoir again recently to inspire me on the start of my weight loss journey.

When Andie announced that she was writing a cookbook, I knew it would be perfect for someone like me. Her book, Eating in the Middle, features the perfect combination of recipes for enjoying a healthier life without sacrificing the foods that most people crave (in moderation, of course). From Greek Yogurt Pancakes to Jerk Shrimp Salad with Mango & Avocado to these lovely cookies, there’s a huge variety of recipes in this book! If you have yet to read her memoir, I feel like this book is beyond recipes…she relates her recipes to different aspects of her life and experiences that make you feel like old friends. 🙂 Also, the photography is just drop-dead gorgeous. Because of Andie’s book, we’re going to have several new dinner ideas to try.

Eating in the Middle Cover
Source: Andie Mitchell

Now, these cookies. When I was flipping through the book, of course the dessert section grabbed my attention. These cookies have a little bit of everything delicious in it…sweetened coconut, oatmeal, walnuts, chocolate chips, and of course…caramel! When I brought these to share them with my coworkers, I was shocked that all 36 cookies (ok, 35…quality control haha!) disappeared. 🙂 I even had a couple of emails asking for the recipe (well here it is, y’all)! These were a home-run, Andie! I can’t wait to try other recipes in the book. 🙂

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle

 

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Caramel Drizzle
Source: Eating in the Middle

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

  • 1 1/4  cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup unsalted walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 10 tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the drizzle:

  • 12 soft caramels, unwrapped
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until combined.
  3. In another medium-sized bowl, stir together the oats, walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until whipped and smooth. Scrape the bowl, and add in the egg and vanilla. Mix for about a minute, until combined.
  5. Change the speed on the mixer to low, and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until the dough is just combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, add in the oats mixture and stir until just combined, being mindful not to overmix.
  6. Using a medium cookie scoop (or 2 tbsp.), scoop out the dough and place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Using your hands or the bottom of a glass, gently flatten the dough balls.
  7. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets halfway (front to back and top to bottom) until the edges of the cookies are crisp, the cookies are a golden color, and the centers are still soft and underdone (about 13-15 minutes). Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack.
  8. Once the cookies have completely cooled, prepare the caramel drizzle. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave the mixture on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until the caramels have melted and the mixture is smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Drizzle the caramel over the cookies, and allow the caramel to cool completely until the caramel is set. Enjoy!

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

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Disclosure: OXO sent me an illuminating hand mixer, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Today, I went to our local party/baking supply store to stock up on holiday gift packaging. I honestly can’t believe it’s December. I know I say that a lot, but the whole house building process has just thrown me off, time-wise. My life is measured by the house countdown, because well…I’m pretty darn excited about it!

This year, I’m not going to do my usual bake-palooza. Since we live with relatives while the house is being built, I just don’t feel right taking over their entire kitchen for a full weekend (which is what I usually do). I’m going to scale back and make some candy (fudge, caramels), as well as these cookies.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie

I love the combination of dried cranberries with white chocolate. The chewy, tart berries, combined with sweet white chocolate works so well together, and to top these cookies off, I rolled part of the dough in a cinnamon/sugar combination to add a little crunchiness to the cookies. When I brought these to work, I kept getting compliments on how great they tasted, which made me think that I definitely have to make these again for holiday gifts. 🙂

To make these cookies, I put away the stand mixer and used OXO’s Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer.

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

While I love using my stand mixer for baking, this hand mixer is pretty awesome. It worked like a dream when I was mixing this cookie dough, and the illuminating feature is something I would have never thought was handy until I used it. I also love the digital control….it’s a simple up or down button to change the speed of the mixer. OXO also took care to make sure that storage was a cinch. The cord wraps around the unit, and there’s a special cap for you to snap the beaters into. It just goes neatly into the cabinet, which is a nice added touch (at least it is to me). I’m definitely going to use this hand mixer more often, especially for quicker baking recipes like this one!

Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Source: an original

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

For rolling:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl.
  3. Using a mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together until well-mixed. Beat in the egg/egg yolk and vanilla extract until well-mixed.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low until just combined. Using a spoon or spatula, mix in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
  5. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl for rolling. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tbsp. in size) and dip one half of each dough ball into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
  6. Place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart, with the un-sugared side down. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown, being sure to turn the pans halfway through the baking process. After the cookies have cooled for about 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to fully cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Halloween Candy Muddy Buddies

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Halloween Candy Muddy Buddies
Last week, our Trick or Treat night was moved to Friday night. We’ve been having some crazy rain lately, so they wanted to allow the families to enjoy Halloween with nicer weather (which Friday night was forecasted to be rain-free).

I had some grand plans of sitting out on the patio, and giving the neighborhood kids fun little treats. However, by the time the work week was over, and I had fought crazy Friday afternoon traffic, I was pretty much done. We picked up dinner, and turned off the front porch lights. LOL.

So, needless to say…leftover Halloween candy is a biggie this year in our house. I’m probably going to throw quite a bit of the chocolate in brownies for our coworkers (as usual), but I also thought that chopping it up and adding it to a batch of muddy buddies would be an easy way to get the leftover candy out of our house.

I’m surprised that I’ve never shared muddy buddies with y’all before. They’re a great, simple party food/snack, and each batch makes a LOT. With the addition of leftover Halloween candy, this batch filled up a huge party bowl, and almost all of it was gone by the end of the day. 🙂

Halloween Candy Muddy Buddies
Source: mildly adapted from Chex

Ingredients:

  • 9 cups of Chex cereal (rice, corn, and/or chocolate)
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1-2 cups of chocolate candy, chopped

Directions:

  1. Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl, add the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute on high. Stir the mixture well, until smooth. If you need to heat up the mixture more, microwave the mixture for 30 more seconds and stir (repeat if necessary). Stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the cereal, as well as the chopped chocolate candies, and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated in the mixture. Add the mixture evenly to two 1-gallon plastic resealable food-storage bags.
  4. Add half of the confectioners sugar to each bag, and seal each bag well. Shake each bag until the mixtures in each bag are well-coated.
  5. Spread the muddy buddies evenly onto the baking sheet, and allow the mixture to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Marble Cupcakes

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Disclosure: I wrote this post as a part of OXO’s Bake a Difference for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (#OXOGoodCookies) campaign. I received no compensation for this post, but was given OXO products to use to make this recipe.

Pumpkin Marble Cupcakes

I have never been much of a stereotypical Halloween person. Costume parties make me cringe, because my cheap self refuses to purchase a costume that I’ll just wear one day out of the year. Haunted houses….well, you couldn’t pay me enough to go to a haunted house. Scary movies? Um…no.

I’m in the minority here. The only side of Halloween I like is the whimsical “Merry, Not Scary” side of Halloween. I like cute jack o’ lanterns, boo-ing neighbors/coworkers, Hocus Pocus (on repeat!), and ok…Trick or Treaters are pretty much adorable. So, when it comes to making something festive for Halloween, I always lean towards the cute side.

When I went to Hobby Lobby a while back, I saw these adorable jumbo candy eyes in the cake decorating section. I thought they would be perfect for a festive Halloween cupcake! And what’s more festive than pumpkin right now? These cupcakes are basic pumpkin cupcakes swirled with chocolate flavor and topped with a simple vanilla buttercream.

I made these cupcakes to Bake a Difference with OXO for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This fall, keep your eyes peeled for certain OXO products with this sticker on the tag.

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Source: OXO (Image used with permission)

OXO sent me some of their latest cupcake products, including:

When I received the OXO products, I was so impressed, especially with the cupcake pan! The cupcake pan is heavy duty…like, really heavy duty. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use my regular pans again! The cupcake icing knife was nice to use. It’s perfectly sized for frosting cupcakes. Now, while the silicone decorating kit is really great, (especially since it’s dishwasher safe) I sort of wish it was double the capacity. I like to use a lot of frosting for cupcakes, and refilling this for every other cupcake was sort of a pain. However, I think it will work perfectly for filling cupcakes or it may be better suited for cookies, where you don’t use a ton of frosting.

Pumpkin Marble Cupcakes
Source: an original

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
  • 3 tbsp. cocoa powder

For the buttercream:

Optional: Jumbo Candy Eye sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice Whisk the ingredients together until well-combined and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the sugars, butter and eggs together until fully mixed. Add in the dry ingredients, and mix on low until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the bowl. Add in the can of pumpkin puree, and mix until everything is well-combined.
  4. Place half of the cupcake batter in another bowl, and mix in the cocoa powder.
  5. Fill each cupcake liner about halfway full, alternating the pumpkin and pumpkin chocolate batters, and then, using a toothpick, carefully swirl the batters in the cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes, rotating once after 10 minutes. You’ll know the cupcakes are done baking when  a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Pumpkin Marble Cupcakes

To decorate, there’s two ways to go about it (which are pictured above). The quicker/easier method to frost them is to spread on a thick, even layer of frosting, using a cupcake icing knife. If you wanted to go a little more detailed, first spread on a thin layer of frosting, using the cupcake icing knife. Then, using the baker’s silicone decorating bottle kit (with the star tip), pipe on little dollops of frosting all over the top of the cupcake. After the cupcakes are frosted, top each cupcake with two jumbo candy eyes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes:
  • Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.
  • OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this campaign in October (up to our $100,000 commitment*.)
  • *In 2015, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through product proceeds, bake sale matches and other fundraising efforts

Chocolate-Dipped Cocoa Marshmallows + GIVEAWAY

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Disclosure: I was sent a review copy of this book from the publisher at no cost to me for a fair and honest review. The giveaway book is also supplied by the publisher. All opinions are 100% my own.

Chocolate-Dipped Cocoa Marshmallows

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time for me to start brainstorming for homemade holiday gifts. I usually make dozens of various cookies, but this year, since we’re in the process of building a house, things will be scaled back a bit.

Sure, I’ll probably bake up a few things, but I want to try to branch out a little bit. So, when I was approached to review a book about candy-making, I was totally eager to try it. Sally of Sally’s Baking Addiction just released a new cookbook: Sally’s Candy Addiction.

Chocolate-Dipped Cocoa Marshmallows

Now, while candy-making can be fairly intimidating, I’m noticing that most of these recipes are fairly approachable. There’s a section which explains candy-making basics, to help you understand the supplies that are needed, as well as the different stages of cooking sugar. As far as the recipes go, there’s a nice variety of recipes included…from fudge to caramels to truffles and taffy. I think it would be an awesome cookbook to have if you want to get started with candy-making, especially with the holiday season coming up!

While sifting through the cookbook, these chocolate-dipped cocoa marshmallows caught my eye. I thought that they would be perfect to try before the holidays, since you can pretty much top them with any candy or sprinkles after you dip them in chocolate. For the upcoming holidays, I thought it would be festive to crush up some peppermint candies!

Chocolate-Dipped Cocoa Marshmallows

Chocolate-Dipped Cocoa Marshmallows
Source: Sally’s Candy Addiction
(Recipe shared with permission from the publisher.)

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup natural unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder, divided
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 1/3 cups cold water, divided
  • 3 x 1/4 oz. packages unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • sprinkles or crushed candies (for topping)

Directions:

  1. Prepare a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking pan by lining it with non-stick foil or parchment and spraying the inside with non-stick cooking spray (just an added step to make absolutely sure that nothing will stick). Set the pan aside. Sift half of the cocoa powder (1/3 cup), confectioners’ sugar, and cornstarch together in a small bowl, and using a fine sieve, very lightly sprinkle some of the mixture around the prepared pan. There will be a good bit of the mixture left for later on in the recipe.
  2. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and 1/3 cup of water in a heatproof bowl or mug. Microwave the mixture on high power for 90 seconds. Stir the hot mixture very well until combined and set aside.
  3. Place the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture on low speed for 1 minute to briefly combine. Add the hot cocoa powder/water mixture to the gelatin mix and whisk on low speed for another 30 seconds. Allow the mixture to sit in the mixer as you cook the sugar syrup, being sure to stir the mixture for 20 seconds every 3 minutes or so.
  4. To cook the sugar syrup, place the last 1/2 cup of water, corn syrup, granulated sugar and salt in a 3 quart heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then, attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Make sure you don’t let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan, as that can give a false reading. As the sugar syrup begins to cook, brush down the sides of the pan with a water-moistened pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Cook the sugar syrup, being sure not to stir the mixture, until the temperature reaches 240°F (116°C; soft ball stage).
  5. Turn the stove off and remove the pan from heat. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and slowly (and carefully, since the syrup is extremely hot) pour in the hot syrup to the gelatin/cocoa mixture.
  6. Gradually increase the mixer speed until the mixer is on high speed. Whip the marshmallow mixture for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown, thick and appears to be shiny.
  7. Working swiftly (since the mixture cools down and sets fast), pour/spoon the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered at room temperature for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
  8. Once the marshmallows are completely firm and set, get a work station ready for cutting the marshmallows. Cover the surface of your counter with wax or parchment paper. Sprinkle the cocoa/confectioners’ sugar/cornstarch mixture on the surface, as well as on top of the marshmallow.
  9. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife coated with some of the cocoa/confectioners’ sugar/cornstarch mixture, cut the marshmallow into 2 inch squares. If it starts sticking even more, run the blade of the cutter under hot water and wipe dry with a paper towel. Roll the cut edges of the marshmallows in the cocoa mixture to ensure that they will no longer be sticky.
  10. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Melt/temper the chopped semi-sweet chocolate, and dip each marshmallow halfway into the warm chocolate. Lift out the marshmallow and gently shake off the excess chocolate. Carefully place the marshmallow onto the prepared baking sheet and top with the toppings of choice. Repeat with the rest of the marshmallows, and allow the chocolate to completely set before serving. (If you don’t eat the marshmallows immediately, layer the marshmallows between sheets of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container and store at room temperature in a cool/dry place. They will keep for about a week.)

Would you like to win a copy? The publishers of this book are offering ONE lucky reader of The Nifty Foodie a copy of “Sally’s Candy Addiction”!

To enter the giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter widget below.

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Note: This giveaway is supplied by the publisher and is open to readers in the continental US only. Entries will be accepted until October 20th, 2015 at 11:59pm (central standard time). Winner will be emailed (make sure you leave an email address in the form), and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Chocolate Glazed Tart with Strawberries

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Disclosure: I received a gift card and coupons for ingredients used in this recipe, in exchange for this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Chocolate Tart with Strawberries

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s hard not to think of the classic chocolate covered strawberries. It’s just the perfect, simple treat to enjoy for the holiday. You simply clean/dry the berries, melt chocolate over a double boiler, dip, allow to dry (if you can wait) and enjoy! If you’d like to make things more festive and decorative, Driscoll’s has a few ideas here.

I wanted to make this treat even more indulgent, by placing chocolate covered strawberries on top of an indulgent, chocolate tart. While this may look intimidating, the recipe is fairly simple. With a chocolate sandwich cookie crust, truffle-like filling and a chocolate glaze, this heavenly dessert would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert! Topping this dessert with chocolate covered berries and white chocolate drizzle is just the cherry on top of the sundae. 🙂

Chocolate Tart with Strawberries

As much as I love chocolate, I have to confess something to y’all. My husband does not like chocolate. I know…I KNOW. I like to joke that while it’s a bummer, I absolutely know for a fact that no one else in our house is touching my chocolate stash haha!

Chocolate Glazed Tart with Strawberries
Source: slightly adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 25 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely ground in a food processor
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

For the glaze:

  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 3/4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. light corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp. warm water

For the topping:

  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. canola oil, divided
  • 12 medium to large sized Driscoll’s strawberries, cleaned and dried
  • 2 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

  1. To make the crust, adjust an oven rack to the middle rack, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Stir together the ground chocolate sandwich cookies and butter. Then press the mixture evenly into the bottom and 3/4″ up the side of a 9″ fluted tart pan. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until firm. Allow the crust to cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes.
  3. To make the filling, bring the heavy cream to a boil, and pour the hot cream over the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, allowing the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir the mixture until smooth. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and salt together in another bowl. Add 1 tbsp. of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, mixing well (this is to prevent the eggs from scrambling once the egg/chocolate mixtures come together), then add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture.
  4. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Place the tart pan in a baking sheet (just in case there’s leaks). Place the tart pan in the oven, baking for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set about 3 inches from the edge, but the center is still jiggly. Allow the tart to cool completely in the tart pan on the cooling rack, about 1 hour.
  5. To make the glaze, bring the heavy cream to a boil and remove the cream from heat. Stir in the chocolate, until the mixture is smooth. Then, stir in the corn syrup and warm water.
  6. Pour the glaze on top of the tart, and then gently tilt and rotate the tart to allow the glaze to coat the top evenly. Allow the glaze to stand until the glaze is set, about 1 hour.
  7. To make the berries, while the glaze is setting, place the bittersweet chocolate and 1/4 tsp. of the canola oil in a double boiler, stirring often until melted. Set a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking pan on the side. Dip each berry in the chocolate, up to about 1/4 from the top of the strawberry. Place the dipped berries on the parchment/wax paper lined baking sheet, about an inch from each other. If you’d like, you can add sprinkles on top of the chocolate. Allow the strawberries to set for about 10 minutes (they will still be slightly wet).
  8. Arrange the berries on top of the tart. If you’d like to stack the berries, they will still be slightly wet to allow them to stick to each other. Melt the white chocolate and 1/8 tsp. of canola oil in a double boiler, and then drizzle the white chocolate over the tart and berries. Enjoy!