Ma Whats For Dinner?» chocolate

Holiday Gift Week Holiday Bark

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:00:37 +0000

Do you have as many gifts to give this year as I do?

The kids have friends, teachers, and coaches galore…

Not to mention all the neighbors, mailmen, trainers, etc.

How many coffee gift cards can I possibly give out?

Well here’s the answer…

This one comes together in a snap and it’s super delicious to boot!

Holiday Bark

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes

Cool Time: 1-2 hours

What you need:

2 11 ounce bags white chocolate chips

1 T walnut oil

¾ cup dried cranberries

1 cup shelled pistachios

gift boxes or bags

ribbon or raffia

What to do:

In a large microwave safe bowl combine chocolate and walnut oil. Heat on high at 30 second intervals stirring in between until just melted.

Remove from microwave and stir quickly to finish melting. Pour in cranberries and pistachios and stir to combine.

Pour out onto a greased sheet pan into a thin layer.

Refrigerate until cool. Break up into jagged pieces.

Place into gift boxes tied with ribbon and raffia. Perfect festive holiday gift for anyone on your list!

Easter Week- Brady’s Carrot Patch

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:20 +0000

This is a fun and quick craft for the kids this easter.

These little puppies are sure to bring on the Easter Bunny!

WHAT YOU NEED:

One package each of…

Orange Jelly Beans or Mike and Ikes

Green Twizzlers

Sugar Wafer Cookies

Chocolate Frosting

Oreos, crushed

WHAT TO DO:

Place two sugar wafer cookies on a green plate. Cover with chocolate frosting. Build your carrot patch by lining up two more wafer cookies on top of the frosting along the side of the cookie on the plate. Build the ends by breaking a wafer in half and closing your patch.

Mix some of your chocolate frosting in a bowl with 4 crushed oreos. Set some more oreos aside. Fill your patches with the frosting and cookie. Then sprinkle additional cookie on top.

With a sharp knife (Mom or Dad’s job) cut a slit in the top of your jelly bean. Cut a small slice of Twizzler off and stick into the slit. Then tuck the carrot into the patch.

Passover Week – Chocolate Covered Matzos

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:28 +0000

Best thing about Passover?

Matzoh!

Best thing about Matzoh!

Chocolate covered matzoh!

Make this! It’s amazing.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 lb matzos

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 t vanilla extract

½ t cinnamon

1/8 t kosher salt

8 ounces chocolate chips

WHAT TO DO:

Line cookie sheet with foil OR

Lightly oil a cookie sheet or spray with Pam.

Lay matzo on pan – place whole matzo then need to break pieces to fit the pan.

Melt brown butter and sugar in saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and you have a smooth toffee. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

Brush matzo with toffee mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 3-4 minutes until it bubbles.

Watch closely – burns easily.

Cover with chocolate chips – put back in oven until chips start to melt.

Remove from oven and and spread the chocolate until matzo is completely covered.

Place cookie sheet in freezer until hard then remove, break into pieces and store in tupperware.

OPTIONAL – Sprinkle chopped nuts on top before freezing.

I usually do 1/2 w/nuts…1/2 without.

Cupid’s Arrows

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:00:42 +0000

Happy Valetine’s Day!

Here’s a sweet treat for your honey today.

These are perfect for you Valentine’s party!

Serves: 12 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

24 pretzel rods

2 11 oz white chocolate chips

24 caramel candy squares

1 T vegetable oil

red colored sugar sprinkles

WHAT TO DO:

Pour white chocolate chips and oil into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes stirring once halfway through, set aside.

Using the heat from your hands roll a candy square between them until it is pliable. Once easily workable wrap the caramel around the top of the pretzel rod and wind around leaving a 2 inch space at the bottom. Dip the caramel covered part of the pretzel and roll in the white chocolate to coat. Then sprinkle with red sugar sprinkles. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet to set. Cool in fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining pretzels.

While those arrows are cooling, head over to Fitness Magazine to see Alex’s Cupid’s Arrows featured as a great Valentine’s Day treat, as well as Alex’s advice for working off all of those Valentine’s calories.

Magic Wands

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:30:12 +0000

Fairy Wands

Serves: 12 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

24 pretzel rods

2 11 oz white chocolate chips

24 caramel candy squares

1 T vegetable oil

colored sugar sprinkles

chopped nuts

mini chocolate chips

Pour white chocolate chips and oil into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes stirring once halfway through, set aside.

Using the heat from your hands roll a candy square between them until it is pliable. Once easily workable wrap the caramel around the top of the pretzel rod and wind around leaving a 2 inch space at the bottom. Dip the caramel covered part of the pretzel and roll in the white chocolate to coat. Then sprinkle with sugar sprinkles, chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet to set. Cool in fridge for 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining pretzels.

Tasty Tidbit: Decorate these with green and red sprinkles or blue sprinkles for Christmas and Hanukkah, or the pink, green and yellow you see here for easter. Or you can make them in your kid’s soccer team colors. Everyone will ask you to bring this one to parties for years to come!

Meaty Morsel: They also make a great gift wrapped up in cellophane and a ribbon! Or they’d be a best seller at your next bake sale!

This recipe is always a huge hit. My sister in law got this idea from her sister in law and around holiday time none of us can go a party without the hostess asking us to whip up a batch of “THE pretzels.” You’ve been warned, be careful who you make them for because they’ll be asking for them all the time too.

Snyder’s of Hanover Taste Test

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:00:21 +0000

Well first off I’d like to thank the nice folks at Snyder\’s of Hanoverfor sending us not one…

not two…

but three yummy pretzel treats to try.

Some how in my world chocolate isn’t quite as bad for you if accompanied by the healthy snack alternative, pretzels. Even when it’s sandwiching some peanut butter and dipped in yummy milk and white chocolate goodness!

So the boys got up from their naps and I told them they had a special treat to try.

We started out with the basics…chocolate covered pretzel nibblers. Man these things are great. Small little crunchy chocolate bites. The boys gobbled them up….

Next we moved on to what I was really excited about. It’s a little sad, I admit, but I couldn’t wait to try these next ones.

Ohhh, these are the best! They may not look like much, but inside that Hershey chocolate goodness is 2 pretzels sandwiching a delicious dollop of peanut butter love. These are like girl scout cookies on crack!

And the boys were quite thrilled too…

Brady gives the pretzels a big thumbs up….

Keegan was a fan too….

Cooper and I liked the white chocolate dipped ones as well but to be honest, we’re a dark chocolate household. That’s just how we roll, but I still managed to polish off the bag.

So go and check out these yummy treats. You can find all sorts of pretzel treats and cool recipes on the Snyder’s website.

Pretzel Recipes

We’re going to try some as soon as we get settled in our new kitchen. Stay tuned to see what we come up with.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:00:57 +0000

Serves: 12 (but if my hubs is involved then it serves 1)

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes

Butter, for greasing pan, plus 2 sticks butter, melted and divided

1 package store bought chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

3 T cocoa powder

1 16 oz box powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 x9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1^ststick of melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside. In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder.Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:00:39 +0000

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 ¾ c All Purpose Flour

3 1/2 t Baking Powder

¾ t Kosher salt

3 T Granulated sugar

1 1/4 c Milk

1 large Egg

1 t Real Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 T butter

In a medium size bowl combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, being sure not to overmix, this will toughen the pancakes. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside and allow the batter to sit for 15 minutes. This will make your pancakes fluffier.

Preheat your frying pan to medium heat. You’ll know it’s hot enough when a drop of water skips along the surface. Melt a bit of butter on the pan. Using a ladle drop about 1/3 cup batter onto your buttered pan for each pancake. When you see bubbles all over the top of the pancake, it’s time to flip. Flip only once and don’t press down on your pancake or they won’t be light and fluffy. When the second side is browned pull them off and keep them warm under some tinfoil on a plate.

Serve ‘em up slathered with butter and syrup or sprinkled with powdered sugar. Toss on a few berries and some bananas and sneak some yummy fruit into the kids at the same time. Oh, yeah, you’re going to need a big glass of milk to go along with these! Trust me!