Chocolate Covered Gumdrops and Snow-Capped Gumdrop Mountains

This deliciously fun recipe came from a simple mishap while baking Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies for a holiday party my family and I recently attended.  While reaching for my peppermint extract, I accidentally grabbed the mint extract from my spice cupboard.  Without realizing it, I added it to the cookie batter and noticed it smelled like mint which is quite different from peppermint.  It was too late to fix the mishap, so I went ahead and continued mixing, hoping they wouldn't taste like chocolate-mint flavored toothpaste (I'm now wondering why haven't they marketed that flavor yet?)  Once they were baked, I took a bite and surprisingly they tasted like how I would imagine a chocolate covered gumdrop would taste!  

That's when the idea came to me-Chocolate Covered Gumdrops-Yummy! 

 

 The Recipe

1 Bag Spiced Gumdrops
(I found 2 lbs for $3 at Big Lot's in the holiday candy section)

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Melt chocolate chips for one minute at a time, stirring after each minute until chocolate is melted.  Using a toothpick, gently pierce the side of a gumdrop and dip in melted chocolate until completely covered.  Lightly tap against edge of bowl until extra chocolate has dripped away.  Place gumdrop right side up on parchment paper which has been placed on a cookie sheet.  When parchment is filled, transfer to freezer for about 10 minutes, or until chocolate has set.

Snow-Capped Gumdrop Mountains

Dip top of gumdrops into melted chocolate and place right side up on parchment.  Freeze for about 10 minutes, or until chocolate has set.

Smart Little Cookie Tip:

Try using milk chocolate or white chocolate.  I'm sure each would be delish-and look very pretty at your holiday party!

I hope this Christmas Eve you have sweet sugarplum dreams along with chocolate covered gumdrops of course!

Smart Little Cookie Tip-Cooking with Butter Substitute vs. Real Butter

I don't have anything against butter, if it's 100% Real Butter.  It definitely has it's place in cooking and baking and is a great flavor in many foods! 

I'm sharing with all of you my long time baking light secret-I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light Spread (ICBINB-Light Spread) in my baking recipes; Light being the keyword. I love using this spread, it already has the creamy consistency of softened butter, and it lightens up my recipes with only 5 grams of fat and 50 calories/T, as opposed to 11 grams of fat and 100 calories/T in butter. And if you've heard or read, like I have, that you shouldn't use butter substitute spreads in baking recipes, don't listen! They work great!

I use real butter when baking breads, rolls and occasionally when cooking; but I use half the amount called for in the recipe. When baking, I substitute all of the butter in the recipe with ICBINB-Light Spread. Sometimes, I like to substitute all of the butter minus 1 T with ICBINB-Light Spread and add 1 T Real Butter, melted. When used in cookie recipes, they come out dense and chewy-my favorite! 

You can have your cakes and cookies and eat them too!

Maple-Walnut Cupcakes with Spiced Maple Frosting and Honey-Candied Walnuts

 Fall is in the air and I had an undeniable craving for maple this afternoon.  I could actually smell maple throughout my home and thought the scent was being carried in by the breeze through my windows! Summer is coming to an end and graciously handing the season over to Fall, like good friends.

I love the Honey-Candied Walnuts on top, they look like lovely little candied flowers.

The Recipe

2 3/4 c unbleached flour                                         1 c sugar plus 1/2 c pure maple syrup

1 T baking powder                                                  1 large egg plus 2 egg whites

1/4 t salt                                                               1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 t cinnamon                                                    1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t nutmeg                                                          1 c milk

1 c I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread                   1 1/2 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat sugar with butter until creamy.  Add egg and egg whites, one at a time and mix.  Add applesauce and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture alternating with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Stir in chopped walnuts.

Scoop batter into muffin cups until 3/4 full, bake until top bounces back when touched, about 18-20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Frost with Spiced Maple Frosting and top with Honey-Candied Walnuts.

Spiced Maple Frosting

4 c powdered sugar

1/2 c pure maple syrup

1/4 c milk

1/4 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Mix all ingredients until combined, add more powdered sugar, as needed until thick and creamy.

 Honey-Candied Walnuts

1 c whole walnuts

1/4 c honey

Place walnuts in a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, drizzle with honey, bake in oven at 350 degrees F, until honey is bubbling and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Let candied walnuts cool on parchment paper on a flat surface.

Smart Little Cookie Tip:

I love adding vegetable purees into recipes when I can, so my kids get extra nutrition without some of the fuss.  They happen to love sweet potatoes, so I like to add 1/2 c sweet potato puree into the batter, along with 1/4 t ginger.  So Yummy!!

I hope you enjoy these wonderful treats with a good friend 
while welcoming this lovely season!

Smart Little Cookie Tip-Hulling Strawberries

I love late summer; the sun is still out, the temperature is dropping a bit at a time and strawberries are everywhere! But oh, the daunting task of hulling the strawberries, what's a girl (or guy) to do?

I found this great tip on how to hull strawberries in a 

Real Simple magazine, one of my favorites! 

The Basics

All you need is a simple straw.  After washing the strawberries, insert the straw into the bottom center of the strawberry and push up to the stem.  So simple!

Coconut "Shortbread" Cookies

These scrumptious cookies were created by making a cookie that had the flavor of a shortbread cookie, made with honey in place of sugar, used oat flour in place of all-purpose flour and real dairy butter for my husband.  He loves cookies, but only when they're wholesome little goodies.  This is how they turned out, pretty good I'd say by the picture below...

He was very happy, and so is the little hand reaching up 

to grab her cookie at the bottom left of the picture.  

A happy family is baking at it's best.

Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen

The Recipe

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour                              1/2 c butter

2 1/2 c oat flour                                                    1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 t salt                                                               2 t vanilla extract

1 t baking soda                                                      1 t almond extract

1 t baking powder                                                  1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c sugar                                                            1 c raisins

3/4 c honey                                                            1 c shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flours with salt, baking soda and baking powder, mix well.  In a separate medium bowl, combine sugar, honey and butter, mixing well until combined.  Mix flour mixture into butter mixture in two parts, adding walnuts and raisins with the second addition of flour mixture.  Pour shredded coconut into a small bowl.  Scoop cookie dough into balls and drop into shredded coconut.  Coat each cookie dough ball evenly with coconut and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake around 10 minutes, or until coconut and bottom edge of each cookie are golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack and watch them disappear!

Smart Little Cookie Tip:

You can easily make your own oat flour by pouring rolled oats into a blender and grinding it.  You can use this two ways: Substitute oat flour for all-purpose flour, or, use half all-purpose flour and half oat flour in any recipe.
Also, try different mixes of your favorite raisins! We love to use Trader Joe's Jumbo Raisin Medley.  It's a combination of seedless golden light raisins, flame raisins, and jumbo raisins.  Delicious!

Chocolate Bavarian Creme Cupcakes

These scrumptious little goodies are a take on two of my favorite childhood donuts, Chocolate Bavarian Creme and Chocolate Old Fashioned.  Mmm...I've lightened them up and put them in cupcake liners for the yummiest, creamiest, chocolate treat.  

You won't be able to eat just one!
Makes 2 dozen

The Recipe

                                                  

Cake:                                                                   Filling:

2 c unbleached flour                                              1 pckg french vanilla

3/4 c cocoa                                                             instant pudding mix

1 t baking powder                                                 1 1/4 c skim milk

1 t baking soda                                                    

1/2 t salt                                                             Frosting:

1 c I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread                 basic chocolate frosting

1 3/4 c sugar                                                        chocolate sprinkles

2 t vanilla
4 large egg whites                                

1 1/3 c skim milk

Prepare french vanilla instant pudding according to package directions and chill in refrigerator.  When set, scoop into a pastry bag fitted with a small circle tip, refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare muffin tin with cupcake liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg whites two at a time and mix until combined.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture, while mixing.  Scoop into prepared cupcake liners and bake about 20 minutes, or until tops are firm.

As soon as cupcakes come out of the oven, insert tip of decorating bag into the center of each cupcake and fill pudding to the top of hole in each cupcake.  Scoop away any pudding above the surface, if needed.  Refrigerate cupcakes.

When cupcakes are chilled, frost with basic chocolate frosting and dip in chocolate sprinkles until completely covered.

Smart Little Cookie Tip:
You might like to add chocolate chips into the cake batter for an extra chocolatey treat!

Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy your Bavarian Creme.

Happy Fourth of July!

I love this vintage picture of a Lady Liberty.  There is something very comforting to me when I see her waving the American Flag, beside the fact she's not messing around with that sword! 

A BBQ, s'mores, ice cream, fireworks and family.  What could be better on Independence Day?
Thank you to our brave forefathers and soldiers, my love and gratitude always.