chocolate - Around My Family Table

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars

April 15, 2013 · by amft · 4 Comments

I love a good bake sale, don’t you? I almost always make cupcakes. They are easy for me to throw together and they turn out beautiful. I decided to change things up a bit and create an allergy friendly candy bar. These homemade chocolate peanut butter candy bars are super delicious and easy to make that you will have to keep yourself from eating the whole pan. {Don’t ask me how I know!}

Crunchy!

Peanut Buttery!

Chocolaty!

Seriously….is there anything better in this world? It’s the perfect balance of all things good!

I’m working on a series of projects with Fleischmann’s Yeast and Karo Syrup, so I’m so excited to share this second recipe with y’all. (Make sure you check out the first recipe….Gluten Free Bacon Herb Foccacia Bread.) I think you will totally love it. I had no idea that Fleischmann’s Yeast has been around for over 140 years! Yep, they have been giving home bakers confidence in their scratch recipes since 1868. I know my mom used it when I was growing up, so it’s a product that I have been using since I moved out on my own….along with Karo Corn Syrup. My mom always used it to make pecan pie at the holidays and so it’s really the only brand I buy. Luckily, it’s the only leading national brand of corn syrup that contains 0 grams of high fructose corn syrup.

So, what do you think? Do you see these homemade chocolate peanut butter candy bars at your next bake sale? Trust me….everyone will think you are the best for bringing these. {Promise}

Homemade Candy Bars

6 cups gluten free cornflakes cereal

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (dairy free) white chocolate chips

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (most are dairy free, just double check)

Place cornflakes in a ziptop bag and crush with rolling pin or hands until fine; set aside. Line 13 x 9-inch pan with foil; spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, just until bubbles form around edges. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate chips until melted. Add crushed cornflakes and mix well.

Spread into prepared pan, pressing into corners. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until chips have melted (or place under hot broiler for 60 seconds). Evenly spread chocolate over the peanut butter layer.

Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes to set the chocolate. Lift foil out of pan and cut into bars.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/04/homemade-chocolate-peanut-butter-candy-bars/

Adapted from Believe It or Not Candy Bars on the Karo Syrup site! And check out the Fleischmann’s Yeast virtual bake sale on their Facebook page (make sure to create your own virtual bake sale while you are there).

Disclaimer: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for ACH Food Companies Inc. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

Filed Under: brownies/bars, candy, desserts, df desserts, ef desserts, gf desserts, spon · Tagged: chocolate, dairy free, desserts, gluten free, peanut butter

Espresso and Sea Salt Cookies

April 12, 2013 · by melissa · 12 Comments

Espresso and Sea Salt cookies are the perfect sweet and salty treat. My name is Melissa and I am so excited to be a new contributor here at Around My Family Table. I am the owner of The Baked Equation in Phoenix and have a passion for nutrition. I can’t wait to delve into a new area of recipe development. More and more as a baker I am being asked if I make treats that are gluten-free, dairy-free, or egg-free. This can be quite the challenge.

Allergies are becoming quite the plague in our culture. Many people have to change their diets radically. Many parents and adults scramble to find little treats that they can indulge in once in a while. While allergies to food can be difficult, it is causing people to ask good questions about the ingredients in the foods they are eating. Food is the fuel for our bodies and our bodies were never meant to handle the chemical overload that is being placed on them today.

When making gluten free desserts, I love to add cinnamon. I think the cinnamon helps cut the after taste that you can sometimes get from gluten-free flour combinations. Don’t be afraid to change up the recipe. For example, if you do not like a strong coffee flavor in desserts, change the Via amount from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon. Did you know that coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate?

Enjoy!

You can find Melissa here as well: The Baked Equation, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter

Espresso and Sea Salt Cookies

You'd never know these delicious Espresso & Sea Salt Cookies were gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. Moist and full of flavor!

2 Cups Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic earth balance spread

2 tbls. Starbucks Via {I used the Tribute blend}

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips {dairy free}

½ tsp vanilla

¼ cup mashed banana

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with Silpat mat or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl combine banana and vanilla.

Using a stand mixer, beat earth balance with Via powder until well combined. Add powdered sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined. Mix in the flour mixture in small amounts until fully combined. Mix in chocolate chips on low.

Place in an airtight container overnight. **Don’t sample dough late at night, you might find yourself wide awake!

Remove container from refrigerator and let in come to room temp. Using an ice cream scoop, make cookie balls. Roll the dough in organic sugar. Place on the cookie sheet. With the palm of your hand, flatten the cookie dough.

Cook for 10-14 minutes depending on the size of the cookies and oven.

©Around My Family Table

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/04/espresso-and-sea-salt-cookies/

Filed Under: contributors, cookies, dairy free, desserts, df desserts, ef desserts, egg free, gf desserts, gluten free · Tagged: chocolate, coffee, cookies, dairy free, desserts, egg free, gluten free

Pistachio Cupcakes

February 27, 2013 · by amft · 4 Comments

Can you believe that I had never had a pistachio until a couple weeks ago?!?! I thought they looked weird. Well, I got a hankering to give them a try after taking a photography class that ended with a photo shoot in a pistachio grove. Who knew we even had one in Phoenix? I sure didn’t. So to ease myself into the pistachio world, I decided on Pistachio Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.

Come to find out the vast majority of pistachio cupcakes aren’t even made with real pistachios! <I was shocked> They are made with pistachio pudding. I can’t add that to my cupcakes for several reasons, so I started to research the best way to impart all that flavor into a cupcake.

Enter Pistachio Nut Paste. Basically it’s just ground up pistachios with a bit of sugar. I thought about making my own nut paste in my Vita-Mix, but couldn’t find raw, shelled pistachios…so this worked out great (although it is a tad pricey, but so worth it in my opinion). I can see using this wonderful paste in all sorts of desserts, it was really good.

The day after my photography class, I took my kids back out to the pistachio grove and played around with my new new knowledge and let the kids run and play. It ended up being really fun and <I think> the pictures turned out great. I can’t wait to see what the grove looks like in the spring, summer, and fall this year. Here are a couple of my favorites from the day…

Little Miss

Okay, enough of my kids…back to cupcakes! These cupcakes are gluten free, dairy free, and egg free (which makes them vegan), but they are so moist and delicious that you’d never know.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Moist, delicious, and tons of pistachio flavor! These cupcakes are gluten free and can easily be made dairy free and egg free too with great results!

1 1/2 cups white rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsps baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

4 eggs (or equivelent egg replacer)

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2/3 cup mayonnaise (or egg-free mayo)

1 11oz can Pistachio Nut Paste

1 cup milk of choice (I used plain soy milk)

2 tsps vanilla extract

1/2 cup salted pistachios, shelled and lightly crushed

chocolate frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners in 24 cupcake tins and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum together and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine eggs (or egg substitute), sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk, and vanilla and mix well. Add pistachio nut paste and gently stir until combined. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup shortening

1 lb powered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/8-1/4 cup water

Combine shortening, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl using a medium speed on a stand mixer. Beat in cocoa powder. Slowly add in powered sugar. Beat slowly and add a tablespoon of water as needed to allow frosting to mix well. Add in water one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is a good consistency for spreading on cupcakes.

Top with crushed pistachios.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/02/pistachio-cupcakes/

Looking for more Pistachio Recipe ideas? I was, so I asked some friends to share their recipes. YUM!

Olive Oil Granola with Dried Persimmon & Pistachios
Raspberry Pistachio Thumbprints
Oatmeal Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Watergate Cake
Pistachio Chocolate Frozen Mousse
Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Pistachio Pesto & Dried Cranberries
Strawberry Cannoli Parfaits with Pistachios
Cranberry Pistachio Energy Bites
Pistachio Shortbread
White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Dukkah Spice Blend
Pistachio Cake in 30 Minutes

Filed Under: cakes/cupcakes, desserts, df desserts, dye free, ef desserts, egg free, frosting, gf desserts, gluten free · Tagged: baking, chocolate, cupcakes, dairy free, egg free, frosting, gluten free, pistachios, vegan

Dangerous Candy

February 23, 2013 · by amft · Leave a Comment

About a year and a half ago, I was asked to contribute a recipe for Makobi Scribe. I ended up sharing my recipe for Dangerous Candy, but for some reason I never shared it with y’all! Silly me! I know how much y’all love your sweets around here and this one is super easy.

You know that candy dessert made with saltines, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate? Well, this one is almost like it but made with graham crackers instead of saltines. And it is to-die-for….that’s how it got it’s name.

This piece of candy heaven, is so addictive that all my friends have dubbed it “Dangerous Candy”. Someone always asks me to bring it to family potlucks and because it’s so easy, I happily oblige.

Want all the details for making this amazing dessert? Check it out over at Makobi Scribe.

Filed Under: candy, desserts, ef desserts · Tagged: candy, chocolate, desserts

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

February 18, 2013 · by amft · 10 Comments

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies….oh yeah! I love the flavor combination of chocolate and coconut together. Add in the oatmeal and it’s a match made in cookie heaven.

I made these cookies for a potluck so that I knew there would be something I could eat and for an acquaintance that I knew was celiac and would also be attending the potluck. Well, wouldn’t you know it, everyone loved them and had no idea they weren’t just regular ol’ cookies.

In fact these were the first cookies I attempted to make with my new dietary restrictions. I was overwhelmed with all the new flours, additives, restrictions to even attempt a regular cookie…who knew these were my gateway cookie to even better gluten free, dairy free treats.

The oats, coconut, and vegan chocolate chips go nicely together . Everyone will love these cookies..if you decide to share.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Easy and tasty gluten free, vegan cookies! The oats, coconut, and vegan chocolate chips go nicely together and even non-vegan and non-GF friends will love these cookies..if you decide to share.

1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats

3/4 cup gluten free oat flour

1 tbls cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or butter subsitute (I like Earth Balance sticks), softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg or egg replacer

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup (vegan) chocolate chips

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix the oats, oat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugars with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add in egg replacer and vanilla; mix until well combined.

Add the wet mixture into the oat mixture and stir until combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and coconut.

Scoop out about 1 1 /2 tbls of mixture, form into a loose ball, and place cookie dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350° F for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the cookies and place them on a cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/02/coconut-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/

Filed Under: cookies, desserts, df desserts, ef desserts, gf desserts · Tagged: chocolate, cookies, dairy free, desserts, egg free, gluten free, vegan

Dark Chocolate Orange Pudding

December 27, 2012 · by amft · 23 Comments

I have a huge sweet tooth. I will try just about anything in the dessert department, especially anything chocolate. What I really love is dark chocolate. It’s my go-to…I always have some stashed away for “emergencies”. And last week, I was having a chocolate emergency and whipped up with Dark Chocolate Orange Pudding.

I love chocolate and orange together, it’s such a great combo. What made it even better was that I had some great quality chocolate in the pantry to whip up this pudding. Chocolate was the star of this party and I wanted it to shine in my pudding recipe.

Santa Barbara Chocolate Co. sent me several bags of chocolate to play around with. They were very generous and sent plenty of dark chocolate. Honestly, I had never heard of Santa Barbara Chocolate company before and was a bit intrigued. How could it even compare to some of the other names in premium chocolate. Let me tell you, it’s definitely a contender.

What I find fascinating is that the founder of Santa Barbara Chocolate has had chocolate in his blood since the beginning. His family has been in the chocolate business for over 100 years and SBC was founded 20 years ago in 1992. They pride themselves on organically grown and fair trade chocolate and their attention to every detail shows in the quality of their products! My favorite has to be the 75% cacao from Peru! It is perfect in every way! Although in this recipe I used a 72% cacao, I think next time I will try it with my favorite! Use whichever you have!

Back to my pudding….it’s the first time I’ve ever made pudding from scratch. I guess I’ve read too many super complicated recipes with crazy ingredients that it just scared me half to death. Besides that little packet that costs about a buck is so easy, so why not just use it?!?! Because after having this Dark Chocolate Pudding, there will be no other chocolate pudding in my house.

It’s also just happens to be vegan. Wait…Don’t Run Away! It’s good and no one will know and your friends that are vegetarian or vegan, or with dairy allergies or whatever reason they are eliminating dairy will love you if you make them this. And even your dairy loving family and friends won’t notice anything but the amazing chocolate and hint of orange.

Pinky Swear…yes, it’s that good!

Dark Chocolate Orange Pudding (Vegan)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 cups vanilla soy milk

6 ounces 72% chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

4-6 drops pure orange essential oil*

1 tsp instant coffee (*opt*add if not using premium chocolate)

Combine the coffee (if using), cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium low heat. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to fully incorporate the dry ingredients. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk to work out any lumps if they begin to form.

After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and orange.

If your pudding is a bit lumpy, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a spout (and then pour into individual serving dishes).

Cover with plastic wrap. To prevent pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently on the the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Notes

Note: This pudding is best if made a day in advance. It will keep several days in the fridge if you can keep yourself from eating all of it!

*Not a fan of orange and chocolate....just leave the orange oil out!

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/12/vegan-dark-chocolate-orange-pudding/

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this recipe. All opinions, recipes, and photos are my own.

Filed Under: allergy friendly, desserts, df desserts, ef desserts, foods, gf desserts, other desserts, review · Tagged: chocolate, dairy free, dessert, vegan

Creating Holiday Traditions

December 14, 2012 · by amft · 1 Comment

I love tradition! There is something very comforting and exciting about traditions. There are a few things we do as a family for each holiday every year! I think it’s important to build these fond memories for our kids.

I have wonderful memories of the traditions from when I was a little girl and hubbyman often speaks of his traditions. We used some of the ones we grew up with to pass down to our kids, but we are also creating new traditions that are unique to us. Some are religious, some help others, some are crazy, and some are just plain fun! I’ve come up with a list of Christmas traditions to consider. We do all of these and we really try to make this a magical time of year for the kids!

1. Open one present on Christmas Eve. We let the kids open one present on Christmas Eve. It’s always new pajamas. ALWAYS. It’s fun, but it also ensures that the kids look decent in the photos the next morning during the present opening madness!

2. Read the Christmas story in the Bible (Luke 2:1-20) and The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. We read these two stories and then sing a couple Christmas caroles before tucking the kids in bed (in their new pjs).

3. Visit ZooLights at the zoo and then driving around town to look at other lights with family!

4. Donating food to shelters either through a program, the grocery store, or our church. We actually do this several times a year and it’s always so nice to give so other’s who are struggling can have something to eat!

5. Participating in a program such as Angel Tree, Operation Shoebox, or Adopting a Family in the neighborhood.

6. Baking lots and lots of cookies! These Peppermint Red Velvet Cookies with Kisses from Cooking Classy look amazing!!!

7. Limiting the number of gifts that we give our kids. We only give our kids 4 gifts each. We do this for religious reasons, but there are other meaningful ways to reduce present overload. See the post on Celebrating Family for a great summary on how to do this.

8. Fill the stockings after the kids are in bed with an assortment of candy, toys, and an orange! Stockings, for us, are a way to spoil the kids with all the little treats that we don’t keep around the house all the time. I love the variety of Hershey’s candies I’ve seen this year and I think I went overboard. EEK. I just love the new snap apart snowman chocolate bar and my daughter is loving the snowflake shaped York Peppermint Patty!

What are some of your family’s holiday traditions? Do you do any of these? I would love to hear about them!

Disclaimer: Hershey’s sent me a box of goodies. I was not compensated for this post; all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: christmas, foods, holidays and activities, review · Tagged: chocolate, review, traditions

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

December 3, 2012 · by amft · 8 Comments

This year, I’ve been on a total peppermint kick. So buckle your seat belts….I have a week of wonderful peppermint recipes for your holiday baking and giving needs! First up Chocolate Peppermint Cookies!

One of my favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and peppermint. Seriously, who doesn’t? This cookie offers the perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint and cookie!

Honestly, I took a super shortcut with these cookies…I needed a quick holiday cookie for a party and I was out of butter (shocking, I know)! But I did have a package of sugar cookie dough in the fridge that was supposed to be for the kids to decorate, so I used them!

Hold on though…the secret to using the sugar cookies in the fridge case for something like this…gently rolling about 1 1/2 tbls of dough into a ball and then placing on your baking pan. It helps them bake into a perfect round cookie. If you want to make your sugar cookies from scratch for an extra special touch, try my Sugar Cookie recipe.

I always buy way too many candy canes this time of year. We hang them on our tree, attach them to gifts, give them to friends, bake with them, swirl them in my hot cocoa, and of course just plain ol’ eat them! I’m not 100% sure, but I think peppermint candies taste better when they are served in a cane shape as opposed to the little mint shapes. Don’t they?!?!

These cookies ended up going to hubbyman’s office…gotta keep up morale. And they were devoured before lunch. Hubbyman said that everyone loved them!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 10-12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbls shortening

8-10 mini candy canes, crushed

Preheat oven according to cookie package instructions and prepare a pan with non-stick cookie spray. Drop dough onto pan in about 1 1/2 tbls sized scoops. Gently roll each scoop into a loose ball, return to pan. Bake according to package. Remove from oven baking rack and let cool completely.

Line a pan with parchment paper and place crushed candy canes in a shallow dish.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Return to microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted.

Dip half of a cookie into melted chocolate, sprinkle with crushed candy canes, and place on parchment to dry. Repeat until all cookies are done. Let sit for several hours to dry.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/12/chocolate-peppermint-cookies/

Filed Under: christmas, cookies, desserts, holidays and activities, kid friendly, kids in the kitchen, kitchen gadgets, review · Tagged: baking, chocolate, Christmas, cookies, peppermint

Decadent Caramel Hot Cocoa

November 19, 2012 · by amft · 3 Comments

One of my family’s favorite winter treats is hot cocoa. I’ve made hot cocoa mixes for gifts, bought super premium cocoa packets, but nothing beats homemade cocoa….it’s just two simple ingredients. Last night, I was craving caramel and chocolate, so I figured…what the heck…and added some to my dessert!

Several years back, hubbyman and I used to watch QVC every Sunday morning for In the Kitchen with Bob. We loved that show and sometimes recorded it when we wouldn’t be home….crazy, I know! One Sunday, they were showcasing a hot cocoa maker…just had milk and chocolate chips and use their little gadget to mix it up. Yep…I was suckered in. In less than 7-10 days I was the proud owner of this gadget.

Well, the gadget totally didn’t work and I wasted my 25 bucks! Lesson learned! Except, in the process, I realized how easy it is to make my own without fancy gadgets or cheap store bought mixes.

Add peppermint, use premium chocolate chips, add caramel, add spirits….it’s wonderful and eye-opening once you start doing it!

I’m sharing my recipe as part of my relationship with the AZ Milk Producers. I have a wonderful post coming soon about my time at a local dairy farm. It was so fascinating and not at all what I was expecting.

Decadent Caramel Hot Cocoa

2 cups milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup caramel sauce

Place all ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Heat for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove from microwave and stir using a wire whisk until the ingredients are fully combined.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/11/decadent-caramel-hot-cocoa/

Disclaimer: This recipe was written as part of my partnership with AZ Milk Producers. I was compensated for my recipe; however, the recipe, content, and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: beverages, desserts, non-alcoholic, other desserts · Tagged: beverages, chocolate, hot cocoa