Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge (gluten free)

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Ever had a recipe that combines chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk?  Heaven, right?   This recipe makes it even better by swirling together both chocolate and peanut butter.  The two flavors pair together perfectly.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheels
PREP TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
2 hours 30 mins
These no bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinwheels are easy with only 3 ingredients! They are made up of two layers of fudge, rolled together into a pinwheel shape!
Serves: about 24-30 candies
INGREDIENTS
  • 1½ cups peanut butter chips
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips
  • 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
 INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Line a 15×10″ baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non stick spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium, microwave safe bowl, combine peanut butter chips and half the can of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir. If not completely smooth, microwave again for 15 seconds, and stir until smooth. Mixture will be thick like fudge.
  3. Spread into prepared pan, using your hands to smooth it out if you have to (it’s not sticky, so it will spread easily!).
  4. In another medium, microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and the rest of the sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir. If not completely smooth, microwave again for 15 seconds, and stir until smooth. Mixture will be thick like fudge.
  5. Spread on top of the peanut butter mixture carefully.
  6. Let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Starting at the long side, roll up carefully and tightly, making sure to leave the foil behind. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before slicing.
  7. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe found at  http://www.thereciperebel.com/no-bake-chocolate-peanut-butter-pinwheels/

SEE RELATED POSTS

Milk Chocolate Fudge

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HAPPY BAKING!

 

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Hope you take advantage of the “holiday” and indulge.  Today, I served a light chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips and a bit of chocolate ganache.

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As seen in a previous post:

CHOCOLATE GANACHE is the BEST add-in ingredient for ice cream!

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Here’s a bowl of peppermint ice cream with swirls of chocolate ganache.  Peppermint is a great flavor for the winter time holidays, but the chocolate ganache could just as easily and tastily be added to vanilla, coffee, mint, cherry, peanut butter, or any other flavor ice cream.

Chocolate ganache is better than chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and hot fudge!

  1. The taste is rich, creamy, and delicious
  2. The texture is smooth, not hard chocolate chips or magic shell
  3. It stabilizes in the ice cream and doesn’t inhibit the flavor of the ice cream – like adding chocolate sauce that is runny and eventually overtakes the flavor
  4. Doesn’t ruin the texture of the ice cream by melting it

How to add chocolate ganache to the ice cream

  1. make the ganache, see directions below (allow to cool while making ice cream)
  2. make the ice cream, any flavor you choose, see video below
  3. Add 1/3 of freshly made ice to a serving bowl that can be placed in the freezer, drizzle about 1/3 of the ganache over the ice cream, add another layer of 1/3 of ice cream and 1/3 of the ganache over the ice, repeat again with final 1/3 of ice cream and 1/3 ganache
  4. Take a knife and cut through the drizzled ganache (do not blend entirely, you want to leave ribbons of chocolate – see photo)

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How to make chocolate ganache:

Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a large size bowl.  Heat 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream in pot on stove on high temperature. When the cream is boiling, pour the cream over chips and stir with a whisk until all the chips have melted and smooth texture has been attained.  (allow to cool while making the ice cream)

Here’s a video on how to make 2 ingredient ice cream.

See Related:

Screen Shot 2015-07-26 at 6.06.39 AM Brownie A La Mode

ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

Jello Eggs for Easter

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Happy Easter to all that celebrate.  And, to those that don’t but like jello, here’s a fun dessert idea.

This is my daughter’s absolute favorite dessert.  I only make it on Easter; not only because of the shape but because it takes 6 hours to make.  It’s easy, but timely.  Setting aside 6 consecutive hours at home isn’t easy.

Besides finding the time, you need to have the appropriate molds.  I bought mine years ago.   Here’s what one looks like (I have 4):

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If you can’t find a place to purchase these molds, you can make your own.  All you need is an a left over egg carton and basic plastic egg containers.  The full directions for making the molds can be found at this website

http://robbygurlscreations.blogspot.com/2012/04/diy-easter-egg-jello-molds.html

When I make these I like to go for the full rainbow effect.  I start buy purchasing small boxes of instant jello: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  Depending on store availability, I vary the actual flavors.

Step 1 – prepare molds by coating with cooking spray or vegetable oil

Step 2 – close molds completely

Step 3 – Prepare Jello Flavor: boil 2/3 cup of water and mix with one flavor of jello, whisk for 2 full minutes.  Carefully pour liquid jello into the molds.  One small box is sufficient for 24 egg molds.  (If doing the full rainbow)

Step 4 – Chill for exactly 1 hour

Step 5 – Remove molds from fridge and repeat Step 3 and Step 4 again for each flavor of jello

Step 6 – Chill the full molds for 3 hours.  Remove from refrigerator, and carefully separate the mold halves.  ENJOY

*Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator

It’s just about time to add my next layer of jello.  Gotta Run.

HAPPY BAKING!

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Ganache – BEST Add-In Ingredient for Ice Cream

There are a lot of different flavor ice creams; BY FAR, CHOCOLATE GANACHE is the BEST.

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Here’s a bowl of peppermint ice cream with swirls of chocolate ganache.  Peppermint is a great flavor for the winter time holidays, but the chocolate ganache could just as easily and tastily be added to vanilla, coffee, mint, cherry, peanut butter, or any other flavor ice cream.

Chocolate ganache is better than chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and hot fudge!

  1. The taste is rich, creamy, and delicious
  2. The texture is smooth, not hard chocolate chips or magic shell
  3. It stabilizes in the ice cream and doesn’t inhibit the flavor of the ice cream – like adding chocolate sauce that is runny and eventually overtakes the flavor
  4. Doesn’t ruin the texture of the ice cream by melting it

How to add chocolate ganache to the ice cream

  1. make the ganache, see directions below (allow to cool while making ice cream)
  2. make the ice cream, any flavor you choose, see video below
  3. Add 1/3 of freshly made ice to a serving bowl that can be placed in the freezer, drizzle about 1/3 of the ganache over the ice cream, add another layer of 1/3 of ice cream and 1/3 of the ganache over the ice, repeat again with final 1/3 of ice cream and 1/3 ganache
  4. Take a knife and cut through the drizzled ganache (do not blend entirely, you want to leave ribbons of chocolate – see photo)

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How to make chocolate ganache:

Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a large size bowl.  Heat 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream in pot on stove on high temperature. When the cream is boiling, pour the cream over chips and stir with a whisk until all the chips have melted and smooth texture has been attained.  (allow to cool while making the ice cream)

Here’s a video on how to make 2 ingredient ice cream.

See Related:

Screen Shot 2015-07-26 at 6.06.39 AM Brownie A La Mode

ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Christmas Treats

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Light Meringue Cookies 

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These are a truly light meringue cookie as compared to almost every other meringue recipe that I’ve ever tried.  Most meringue cookies are very solid throughout and have a powdery taste.  These, on the other hand have a lot of air throughout the cookie and the chocolate chips and nuts add a lot of flavor.  This is a recipe that has been in my family for a long time, but I’ve decided that it must be shared.  Too many people are seeking gluten free desserts and this is one of the best.

Ingredients: 3 egg whites , 1 1/8 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 12 oz chocolate chips (I used colored chips for the holidays), 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350.  Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.  Whip egg whites until fluffy, keep whipping and SLOWLY add sugar (I pour it so that it appears to be a slow constant rain of sugar – should take a couple of minutes to add sugar), add vanilla and whip until incorporated.  Stir in pecans and chocolate chips by hand.  Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookies sheets.  TURN OFF OVEN! Place cookie sheets in the oven for at least 10 hours (I usually keep it in overnight)  DO NOT OPEN OVEN!  Gently remove from cookie sheets.

Note:  I only make these cookies during the winter when the humidity is low.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark

IMG_0275This isn’t a fancy dessert, but it tastes delicious and  is festive looking for the holidays.  Whether or not someone is gluten free, they are sure to enjoy the flavor.

 

Ingredients: 2 lbs of chopped chocolate, 1 tsp of peppermint (not mint) extract, 1 1/2 cups of chopped peppermint candy canes,

Directions:  Place wax paper over a jelly roll size cookie sheet.  Melt chocolate in the microwave, stir in peppermint extract, mix in 1 cup of chopped candy canes, spread onto prepared cookie sheet, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of chopped candy canes.  Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.  Break into serving pieces and enjoy.  As long as you live in a cool area, the bark can be kept at room temperature.

See Related Post:

Gluten Free Halloween Treats

Gluten Free Halloween Treats

HAPPY BAKING!

Brownie A La Mode

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1 Picky Eater + 1 Picky Eater = 1 Awesome Dessert

My daughter informed me last weekend that it was National Ice Cream Cream and she decided we needed to make some coffee flavored ice cream.  I’m a bit partial to mochas so I decided to throw in some chocolate chips for flavor and texture.  However, my son doesn’t like anything coffee flavored.  I couldn’t very well do a dessert for only one child.  That’s when this idea came to me – brownie a la mode.  Seemed like a perfect solution: my son eats the brownie and my daughter enjoys the ice cream.  I wasn’t neglecting either one of my kids.  The result was beyond all expectations!  It was a sensational flavor and texture combination.

ICE CREAM RECIPE

This ice cream is ridiculously easy to make.  It doesn’t require an ice cream maker.  And, it tastes amazing.  I simply added 7 Tbls of vienna coffee power and 1 cup of chocolate chips (chopped to 1/4 original size)

Here’s a video on how to make it …

BROWNIE RECIPE (really any favorite recipe would work)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c cocoa powder

1 c flour

1 Tbls vanilla

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease 8×8 pan

2.  Beat eggs until fluffy

3.  Add sugars, beat until mixed

4.  Add cocoa powder, flour, vanilla, butter, salt.  Beat until mixed.

5.  Stir in chocolate chips

6.  Pour into greased 8×8 pan

7.  Bake 40-45 minutes, until middle doesn’t jiggle

8.  Allow to cool thoroughly before slicing and serving

 

 

 

 

French Hot Chocolate for Bastille Day

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Here’s another recipe curtesy of my teenage daughter’s inspiration.  She absolutely loves studying French and decided that we must celebrate Bastille Day.  This French Hot Chocolate is unbelievably decadent.  Unlike hot chocolate in America, this drink is very thick.  A little goes a long way.

French Hot Chocolate

The most decadent dark hot chocolate recipe that tastes just like the French hot chocolate found in Paris cafes. Intense, rich, and absolute heaven for any chocolate lover. Recipe based off of the famous Cafe Angelina in Paris.

YIELD: 2 large, intense cups of hot chocolate or 4 more reasonably-sized cups

PREP TIME: 3 minutes

COOK TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but delicious. Will intensify chocolate flavor)
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, at least 72%, chopped*
  • Giant bowl of whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
  2. Remove from saucepan from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, returning the sauce to low heat if needed for the chocolate to melt completely. Serve warm, topped with lots of whipped cream

*Choose the best quality chocolate you can, as the flavor really carries the drink. I love Guittard for a splurge or Godiva, but the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% dark bar is quite good too. I do not recommend chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers and do not melt as well.

Leftover French hot chocolate can be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated in an airtight container (empty mason or jam jars work particularly well). Reheat gently the in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.

Recipe based off of Cafe Angelina’s Le chocolat chaud à l’ancienne dit “l’Africain,” as interpreted by several sources, including Tastebook and Cooking by the Book.

Recipe (taken from http://www.wellplated.com/french-hot-chocolate/ )

Buttercream Truffles

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What do you do with your extra buttercream after decorating a cake?  Eat it with a spoon?  Lick the bowl?  Those are always worthy options.  If you want to turn that extra buttercream into a new dessert then try whipping up some buttercream truffles.  It’s easy, tasty, and makes for a presentable new dessert.

Directions:  Take the extra buttercream and place it in a sealed container.  Store in the refrigerator overnight.  Spoon out about a tablespoon of frosting and roll it into balls.  Place the balls of frosting in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  Melt enough decorating chocolate for whatever amount of buttercream that you have.  Remove the frosting from freezer and dip and cover with melted chocolate.  Allow to cool and dry on wax paper.  Keep at room temperature so that when you bite into these truffles it has a soft gooey inside.

Other ideas:  If you are starting with vanilla buttercream, try adding other flavors to the frosting before placing it in the refrigerator overnight.  The ideas are limitless: coffee, mint, Bailey’s, Rum, chocolate, lemon, or almond extract (just to name a few).  Also, altering the color of chocolate used for dipping can help make these truffles appropriate for any holiday or festive occasion.

HAPPY BAKING!