Dear Betty Crocker

Dear Betty Crocker,

What's up with your weird preparation instructions?

Today, I bought a box of your Triple Chunk Brownie mix to prepare as a snack for my husband and I. You see, I have been making these brownies for YEARS, but today I noticed that on your box, you completely neglected to tell me the baking time for a 13"x9" dark pan. I was confused.

This explains why my brownies were thin, and after two hours of sitting, were hard as a rock.

You explain how to bake them in a 13"x9" dark pan at a high altitude, but I don't live in an area of high altitude.

Please improve your instructions, otherwise, I will have to pass.

Thanks,
Jessica

P.S. I want my brownies to look like this:






























I found the picture here.

Pretty or Chocolate?

A cake auction at work will be held next week, and I'd really like to bake something. A cake, cheesecake, brownies, really any dessert is acceptable.

Thanks to Martha Stewart, I found two desserts I adore. One reason is because of the appearance, the other, purely because it's chocolate. Check out my favorites:









































1) Ruffle Tower Cake 2) Chocolate Roulade

chocolate mousse cups

As I sit here, typing this post, I am having a major chocolate attack. It's a big attack, too.I don't really keep chocolate in the house, quite frankly because I can't resist it, so... instead of eating chocolate frequently, I must blog about it.

About 13 years ago, I saw my very first edible chocolate cup. I was just so amazed by the little creation. Sad to say, but over the years, I have never taken the initiative to make them myself. Today, I found this picture online, and it might just be the key motivator in getting me to try my hand at chocolate mousse cups.

Woman's Day has the recipe if you are interested.






























♥ Have a good weekend!

i ate a mouse!

What a week!

I have not been blogging because I have been designing some Christmas cards for my co-workers. I finally completed them on Sunday night, and passed them out on Monday morning. I was thrilled with how they turned out, and I plan on posting the final products here this week.

On the other hand, my co-worker, Susie, made something adorable for everyone in our department. A CHOCOLATE MOUSE! The face is made of a Hershey Kiss, the body of a chocolate covered cherry, chocolate bark for the eyes, almond flakes for the ears, and chocolate sprinkles for the... you know... droppings! I immediately took a picture of the mouse and sent it to my friends and family. The reactions ranged from "Too cute" to "Eeeeew!"


I found this picture on line to show you...

chocolate chip cookies

One of my favorite kitchen aromas is the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven {not to mention the taste}. Recently, I realized that I don't have a chocolate chip cookie recipe in my recipe box! But now, thanks to Honey and Jam I have something new to add to my little box.










































































Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 with oven rack in the middle.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. Beat butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in bowl of a stand mixer on Medium-High speed until creamy, scraping down bowl once or twice.
Add vanilla and egg and mix well.

4. Reduce mixer speed to Low and add the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat until dough forms. By hand, stir in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans.

5. Drop dough in rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are brown along the edges.

Yield: 4 dozen

non-traditional smores

Several years ago, I stumbled across a non-tradition recipe for smores that I still use to this day.

You see, I have never been a fan of warm, melted marshmallows. Sure, as a kid I loved to cram 3 marshmallows on a stick and wave them around in the campfire, but it stopped there. I simply prefer marshmallow at room temperature.

This non-traditional smore recipe that I use is very simple, and to me, it is the best way to prepare a smore.

Ingredients:

• Hershey bars
• Graham crackers
• Marshmallow Creme
• peanut butter

Directions:

1. Top 1 Graham cracker with the desired amount of peanut butter, chocolate, and Marshmallow Creme.

2. Eat and enjoy.

























Picture located in Silverday's Etsy shop.

oreo truffle recipe

A couple of years ago, I took my first bite of Oreo Truffles and immediately had to get the recipe. Now, I want to share the recipe with you, and trust me, you will love these!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Oreo cookies
• 1 (8 ounce) package of Cream Cheese, softened
• White chocolate or Vanilla bark (you will need to buy enough for 32 servings)

Directions:

1. Crush the entire package of Oreos using a food processor. Cookies should be very fine, not chunky.

2. Combine the crushed Oreos and the package of cream cheese in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands, mashing the cookies and cream cheese together.

3. Roll into 1" balls, and place on a wax-covered cookie sheet.

4. Freeze Oreo balls for 1 hour.

5. Remove Oreo balls from the freezer.

6. Melt the bark as instructed on the package.

7. Stick a toothpick into the frozen Oreo ball, to allow for easier dipping method.

8. Dip the Oreo ball into the bark, covering all areas of the ball. Place the truffle back onto the wax-covered cookie sheet. OR, for a decorative drizzle appearance like the picture above, use a spoon to drizzle the melted bark over the Oreo ball.

9. Refrigerate all Oreo truffles until coating is firm and cool (I usually refrigerate mine for a minimum of 3 hours).

10. Eat and become addicted!


Photograph is the property of Make a Whisk.