sweets

The Best Chewy Caramel Corn Plus 5 More to Crunch On

Chewy bites of homemade caramel make this easy five ingredient caramel corn recipe a favorite snack or sweet treat for every age.

I think you’re going to find two camps on this one.

First camp: Chewy. Second camp: Crunchy. Count me on ~~Team Gwen~~ Team #1. Chewy all the way.

Just like my favorite granola bars, I favor a chewy, buttery bite to my caramel corn instead of a crack-the-crown-off-your-tooth type of caramel corn.

Call me crazy but my mom and dad didn’t spend all that money on these pearly whites for nothing. I need all my teeth!

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Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Almond Streusel

Things around here have floated back into a familiar groove.

Smudge is back in school so sleeping in is saved for the weekends and random mommy daughter excursions during the day have come to a halt. The one thing that stays constant is my little girl’s request for an after school snack as soon as her backpack hits the floor. I wish she’d learn to pick that up. But then, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

We have our routine when she walks in the door. I tell her to wash her hands. She heads straight for the kitchen in search of sustenance.

This sweet after school treat is a mash-up of two food bloggers’ recipes I’ve had the luck to taste for myself straight from their sugar laced ovens.

The result? I think you can tell for yourself by Smudge’s reaction below.

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Spicy Chocolate Bark with Chipotle and Almonds

Sweet treats don’t have to be time consuming. They just have to be good. In my book there’s nothing quite as simple, and definitely not as good, as a decadent, rich chocolate. Hit it with a little Chipotle spice and a salty crunch and man oh man, I go weak in the knees. Sounds like every Valentine’s dream, right?

I’ve had a thing for chocolate bark ever since I featured Gerry of the food blog Foodness Gracious in my Holiday Issue of FoodieCrush magazine. Not only does the guy do savory, he also knows his way around the sweet side of the kitchen.

But that wasn’t the first time I fell hard for his confections. The first time I met Gerry was at The Big Traveling Potluck when he handed me one of his luscious specialty caramels. Let’s just say we started off on a very good foot which left me licking my fingers clean.

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German Chocolate Cake

Homemade German Chocolate Cake and it’s easy sweet and gooey coconut and pecan frosting is my birthday cake favorite that’s an easy recipe to make from scratch.

There’s nothing more traditional in my long-legged life than the cake I have every year for my birthday.

It may be made by someone who loves me, or purchased from a bakery to add to the celebration.

And because I love it so much, I am totally a-okay if I make this coconuty, nutty, frosted cake myself because this cake is one amazing cake. Just like me :)

January is birthday month for me. Time to take a look, evaluate and see who and what I am and what challenge I see in my future. Sometimes I love what I see, sometimes, not so much.

But if I don’t take a look at myself, and cross check my perception versus reality, then where is the next challenge to conquer, the next mountain to climb? Or even a reason to get out of bed?

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Meyer Lemon Bars

Earlier this week I asked my friends on Facebook which holiday recipes they wanted to see (you’re following FoodieCrush right?!!?.) It came to a tie between Meyer Lemon Bars and a slow-cooker Christmas Eve dinner. So I made you both. We’re starting with dessert first, as every meal really should. That slow-cooker dinner? Look for it on Sunday, a little bonus holiday post.

I took on a gardening adventure this year. See, I live in the mountains at the edge of a desert. Some wouldn’t think of Utah as a desert, but it is. The summers are so hot the chickens lay hard boiled eggs and the winters are colder than a witch’s kiss. (You can thank my mother in law for that vision.)

So when I decided to attempt to grow my favorite Meyer lemon tree in this non-Florida/Southern California landscape, I was pretty much tempting fate.

My two little trees/shrubs/bushes did produce about 6 lemons. Which makes each lemon worth about $34. Which makes for some rather expensive Meyer Lemon Bars. But totally worth it going from MY farm to MY table. And of course, you can find them a lot cheaper in the grocery store.

Now, thanks to snow on the ground and that darn witch and her kiss, I’ve moved these babies indoors and I must say, they are happy, happy, happy. I even have a new greenie on the stem just hoping to one day meet it’s destiny with a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred thank you very much.

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{ Sponsored Video } Peach Ice Cream with Brown Butter Pecans

This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic. Thanks for supporting companies I believe in and allows me to create more unique content for you and enjoy my Peach Ice Cream with Brown Butter Pecans.

I don’t know that I’ve ever been called “thin-skinned.” I can pretty much take the punches and roll with them. Sure, once in a while you’ll see me in a mess of tears but usually it’s after watching an episode of Parenthood rather than rebounding from an insult or feeling bad about being left out.

But thin-skinned can be a good thing too. Like when the nurse is on the hunt to find that elusive vein to poke a needle into or possessing the empathy for others in the same emotional predicament—like when those poor Bachelorettes are dismayed to discover the Bachelor has chosen someone else to be the love of their lives.

I guess I’m just thick-skinned. Maybe it’s because I come from strong stock? Okay, maybe it’s not strong stock (although I do have those characteristic German genes), but I do know it’s taller stock, that’s for sure. My mom and dad are both tall, my sister is tall and our cousins are tall.

I married a hunk-a-tall, dreamboat manly-man—admittedly he’s no Marlboro man out on the range, but he’s got it all going on in my book—and we made what we knew would be a tall daughter. There was no escaping it for her.

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S’mores in a Jar and Friday Faves

Looking down at my calendar, I’m stunned to see it’s already Friday. The week has flewwwn by, thanks to lots of catch up after a great trip to Monterey earlier in the week with a group of other bloggers to tour the fields of Dole Salads (I hope you didn’t miss the Instgrammed hairnet shots? Just lovely.)

I almost didn’t want to come back, Monterey is one of my favorite spots in the world. More on my trip to come next week.

What else was on my dance card? I had Mother’s Day in the mountains, I ate lettuce in a field, watched a man make art at the ocean and was dubbed the solo coach this week for Smudge’s soccer team. Please Lord, let us play our best. And a win wouldn’t hurt either.continue to the recipe… about S’mores in a Jar and Friday Faves

Dessert Nachos with Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Salsa

This is the thing I like about nachos. If you agree, you’re invited to the party. If you don’t, I’ll be the first to pass along an elementary-style lunch tray to ensure all of your primary food groups stay at arm’s length of one another.

Nachos. They’re layers upon layers of my favorite tastes. A little bit of salt, a lot of spice, maybe a little bit of protein—if I’m feeling the urge to act like a well-rounded adult—all blanketed in cheese, aka the glue that melds this flavor bomb together.

Last week I asked my friends on Facebook for help on what recipe they wanted to see this week: spring pasta or salsa? By the looks of today’s post I think you can see which dish came out as the clear winner.

The confirmation that this recipe was the clear winner came from my Smudge who declared it would had judiciously been added to her birthday party menu. This is serious stuff folks. Maybe it received this exclusive validation because she had become invested in the recipe as my scribe, studiously practicing her cursive skills as I dictated the ingredients and portions. By the way, I DO know there is no “t” in avocado. Most of the time. Can you even tell the difference between my handwriting and a 3rd graders? Aye—yi—yi. Scary.

Cinco de Mayo is on the calendar for this weekend’s celebrations replete with menus full of chunky guacamole, tacos (you gotta try this fried avocado version), enchiladas and a serious round of salsa. I thought about adding to the Mexican madness by recreating a standard savory affair, but headed off on a bender, pointed South and conquered the sweeter side of the border, thanks to mangos in my refrigerator in dire need of a destination resulting in this Mango, Strawberry and Avocado Salsa.

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Stout Chocolate Brownies Plus 20 More Great Stout Recipes

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

As you’ll find out when you ask me over for dinner sometime—which I’m hoping you certainly would consider because on a good night I can be a pretty darn entertaining dinner guest and just might clear the dishes from the table if I’m feeling generous—and you ask me to bring a little something sweet to our potluck dinner—say for instance an Irish celebration that is happening this coming weekend—my dessert of choice usually veers from the frilly and delicate sweet treat variety to something a bit more sturdy and craveable. Macarons? Not. so. much. It will be a long, long time before I try my hand at making a macaron. I’m afraid I don’t have the patience or the skill to pull them off.

Basically, macarons scare me.

No, I’m definitely more of a hearty dessert type of gal, baking up something a bit more forgiving and a tad more freeform. Chocolate Stout Brownies in all of their fudgey glory are right up my dessert alley.

So are you staring at your computer right now thinking to yourself, “What the, whhhhaaat? Why would someone waste a perfectly good beer to ruin brownies, or any other recipe by dumping it into a recipe?”

Oh honey. Hold your horses and let the heads of your brews settle down. I have a selection of 20 great recipe reasons to add beer to your favorite recipes. But first we need to get to the bottom of these brownies.

Whenever I make chocolate brownies I find myself adding that little something extra to deepen the flavor and enhance the taste of the brownies. Most of my brownie making escapades involves the addition of instant espresso powder and kosher salt to add to the chocolateness. This time it’s the stout that does the trick. You won’t taste the beer taste at all, it’s merely a richness that enhances my love of chocolateness.

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Cyber Monday Deal: NEW Holiday Cookie Cravings eCookbook for just $.99

** CYBER MONDAY PRICES NOW CLOSED, THANKS FOR PURCHASING THIS GREAT COOKIE PACKAGE AT OUR REGULAR PRICE

I’ve been teasing about it for a few weeks, and the day is finally here. The release of Holiday Cookie Cravings.

To kick off the holiday season, Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod and I are joining the Cyber Monday fray and offering our brand new Holiday Cookie Cravings, filled with 10 favorite brand new Holiday cookie recipes in a gorgeous, full-color ebook, FOR JUST $0.99!

This super special price is available today only—Cyber Monday—and will return to the regular price tomorrow.

I got so excited about sharing all of these cookies with you I knew you’d want to see how it all came about, so here’s a behind-the-scenes video to show you how we created this sweet tasting project.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/54215189 w=600&h=340]

We know you’re going to want more, more, more, because who doesn’t love cookies?continue to the recipe… about Cyber Monday Deal: NEW Holiday Cookie Cravings eCookbook for just $.99

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies and Friday Faves

The turkey has been carved, the last bits of gravy have been slurped up with a soft white roll and the last few pieces of pie have been doled out to departing family as the last memories of yet another thankful Thanksgiving.

Now let’s get to the good stuff: Christmas cookies!

While this recipe for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies may not scream holidays, it is a really taaaaaasty cookie and should absolutely be relished thanks to its super dunking abilities. But if you’re looking for peppermint, coconut or biscotti I have the recipes for you.

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Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup butter 1 ½ sticks, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup peanut butter
1 cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter, and sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix to combine.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together and slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Add peanut butter chips and chocolate chips and gently combine with fingers. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet topped with parchment paper. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until cookies begin to brown on edges but still soft in center. Remove from oven and let cool.

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you’ve seen a few teases of a new ebook I’ve created with Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod. Oh yes it is time my friend for more sugar, chocolate and cookie dunking!

On Monday, November 26th, our NEW cookie ebook will go on sale, Holiday Cookie Cravings. Maria has created 10 brand new, never before published holiday cookie recipes that we’ve packaged in a gorgeous ebook with full-color photos in an easy to read format. And you’ll see on Monday a super fun bonus a very talented contributor added to the festive flair.continue to the recipe… about Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies and Friday Faves

Announcing > Cookie Cravings Cookbook and Nutella No-Bake Cookies

Yep, it’s been one of those weeks. As in: Awesome.

It started off with a fantastic weekend when we surprised Smudge and her 7 y.o. bestie with a trip to Vegas for the Tour Concert Debut of her fave Nickelodeon band Big Time Rush. I think I liked the concert as much as she did—hello boy crush? It was hilarious when she put two and two together and figured out—and was SHOCKED—to learn that her “teen idols” were all of 23 years old. Oh, show bizness.

Our visit to the Neon Boneyard was beyond our expectations and a weekend stay at the incredible Loews Lake Las Vegas was followed by an amazing food buffet—and I mean GOOOD as in crab legs, shrimp and champagne galore—at M Las Vegas—a Best-Of suggestion from one of my L.V. resident besties. Thanks Chan!

And then it was straight hone to the big project that’s been filling my weekends and night-times with even more love, more food—definitely not the diet kind—and more laughter.

I’m so excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Maria and Josh of Two Peas and Their Pod to photograph, design and co-publish their first e-Cookbook, Cookie Cravings.

Maria, who the Pioneer Woman herself affectionately calls “The Cookie Queen”, and I met over three years ago and we’ve done several fun projects together, including Maria’s contributing editor duties for Foodie Crush magazine. And I can verify first-hand that the girl can bake cookies.

Maria and Josh have been asked to do cookbooks before but for some reason or another it just didn’t work out. But now they’re sharing their very favorite cookie recipes as well as some delicious, never before published cookie creations.

And lucky me! Maria curated her favorite cookie recipes, and then created some amazing, brand new recipes, and I got to take pics of all of them, design the e-Cookbook and lend my years of publishing expertise to get the project rolling.

We’re so excited to share Cookie Cravings with you. And of course, Maria’s first cookbook is all about cookies, SHE IS THE COOKIE QUEEN, RIGHT?

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