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Kid-Friendly: Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

March 30, 2012 in Candy, Chocolate, Holiday, Kids

When Austin and Travis came to visit a couple of weeks ago, they grabbed one of these little egg nests off the counter and asked if Lily made it at school. That’s how easy these are to prep. They thought that a 17-month-old could do it. And maybe she could, but no, we don’t let the baby handle foods that are hot enough to be in liquid form and candy eggs that are the exact size of her airway. Mommy made this batch.

Mini Cadbury Eggs are my FAVORITE candy in the world (Jake’s mom bought me a 10 pound bag and it lasted… well… not as long as it would have if handed to a pack of hungry school children), so why wasn’t I the first to think of this adorable nest idea? Alas, I just copied it. If you ever have an extra 12 hours and a need to smile, then start clicking through the archives of Cute Foods for Kids. I’m not kidding. Do not go there if you aren’t prepared for a time investment. (See what I mean with the cute factor?)

Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

4 spoons
1/3 cup chocolate chips
12 mini chocolate eggs
chocolate sprinkles

Melt the chocolate either over a double boiler or on the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Dip a spoon in the chocolate, coat it, and let the excess drip off. Set on parchment paper and put three eggs into the middle. Sprinkle the chocolate sprinkles around the eggs. Do the same with the other spoons and let them cool completely in the fridge. You can either eat them directly or eat the eggs off and stir the spoon into coffee. Either way is tasty!

Source: Cute Food for Kids

The best part of making melted chocolate treats? Leftover chocolate makes great bark!

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Sugar and Spice Candied Almonds

February 27, 2012 in Candy, Snacks

My dad sends Heggy’s chocolates to me at work because they are absolutely the best chocolates in the world. But he doesn’t send them for me to eat. He sends them to help me make friends. Yes, I am that awkward and strange that my father feels a need to bribe people to like me. (The obvious flaw being that as soon as the candy is gone, so are my friends.)

If you don’t happen to have a parent to send you bribe treats, make these. They are easy and quick to prepare, and are ridiculously addictive. If I had known that candied almonds were so easy to make, I wouldn’t have wasted so many years of my life not making them! All of the ingredients are staples that most people already have in the house, and there was less than 10 minutes of active prep time required (which is good when you have a sick, sleepy baby). Jake needed to have his hand physically removed from the bag to stop him from finishing them off. Yes, you should be getting off the couch and moving to the kitchen right now.

This recipe is just one example of why I love The Secret Recipe Club. I would have never made candied almonds had I not been been assigned Cookin’ With Cyndi in the random blog selection. And these have a spicy cayenne kick that isn’t overwhelming, but makes you stop and ask what that mystery taste is. Then, of course, you eat 27 more almonds to investigate. Thanks for the great recipe, Cyndi!

Sugar and Spice Candied Almonds

⅓ cup brown sugar
⅔ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pound almonds
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 300˚. Mix together the sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until frothy but not stiff; add water and stir until combined. Add almonds and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle the nuts with the sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated. Spread the sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper (trust me, you don’t want to do the pan scrubbing from this!). Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed. Remove from the oven and separate the nuts as they cool. Let cool completely before serving.

Source: Cookin’ with Cyndi

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Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

February 23, 2012 in Candy, Chocolate, Gifts

Jake, a man who loves Ferrero Rocher candies and had never tasted Nutella, proclaimed that there was no possible way that he could like Nutella. It sounded “gross.” Clearly, there is a disconnect here. Chocolate and hazelnut are the primary ingredients in both treats. So, I made him try it one day and, to his amazement, he liked it! Imagine that! So you can imagine the happiness that Nutella fudge brought to our house. We also took a batch to my in-laws’ house at Christmas and the word “heavenly” was used once or twice. (Also heavenly: Elmo punch.)

This fudge is super sweet, so please don’t skip the sea salt on top. It makes a huge difference, and somehow the flavor diversity makes you think that there is less sugar in the fudge making it less of a sweet overload. Which, of course, means that it isn’t as bad for you. Logic, people! Use your heads! I should totally start a healthy living blog.

Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

1 (14 oz. ) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. bittersweet (approximately 60% cacao) chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella, room temperature
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Sea salt, approximately 1/2 tsp

Spray the bottom and sides of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides (the spray keeps the paper in place while you are working).

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter.

Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5- 7 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread the top smooth and sprinkle with the sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Source: Cookin’ Canuck

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Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

December 26, 2011 in Candy, Caramel, Condiments/ Dips/ Sauces, Dessert, Gifts

Christmas is over! How was it? Too much food? Too much family time? Too many presents to unwrap? (Is that possible?) Read the rest of this entry →

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Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix

December 19, 2011 in All Posts, Beverages, Candy, Chocolate, Dessert, Gifts, Holiday

I know for a fact that you need to give small gifts this time of year to all kinds of people (neighbors, coworkers, daycare friends). I also know for a fact that those people don’t want another scented candle. Trust me on this one. They don’t. And you also need to keep a little stash of gifts on hand at the house in case an old friend that you forgot about shows up with a present and you don’t want to have the “oh thanks, your gift is in the mail” conversation. This peppermint hot cocoa mix is the key to your holiday success! It’s easy to make, tastes great, and is a wonderful homemade gift. And for the scented candle fans out there, it smells good, too. Read the rest of this entry →

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Life and Kitchen