Tag: Chocolate

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Note: I received a bottle of Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterYourBake

How is it already nearly October? Every fall, time seems to speed up and the months for the rest of the year just fly by! With so much happening in the fall, it makes sense that it feels like things are in fast forward. But it’s important to take the time to step back and do something you enjoy amid all the chaos.Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Nielsen-Massey was nice enough to remind me of that, and sent me a bottle of their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract to do what I love: bake! Recent studies have shown that creative activities, such as baking, help people feel more relaxed and happier in their everyday lives.

But in order to benefit from the mindful nature of baking, basic techniques must first be mastered. To help learn some new baking tricks, Nielsen-Massey has developed “Better Your Bake,” which delivers technique-based videos, tips and tools to help home bakers learn and master the basics of baking with the help of Nielsen-Massey products.

I was asked to show off my newest learned skill after watching some of Nielsen-Massey’s videos: how to temper chocolate. It takes some effort, but it’s easier than an initially thought!

  • Tempering chocolate is typically used for special occasions and results in a smooth, glossy chocolate coating that dries shiny and has a crisp snap
  • The process involves divvying and melting a portion of the chocolate, stirring in the reserved chocolate and heating the whole batch to the required temperature
  • Tempered chocolate is great for cake pops, fruit, candy molds and more

So, what could be better than chocolate covered bacon? This recipe, from Nielsen-Massey’s website, originally developed by Pastry Chef Jessica Ellington, is for Maple Bacon Cupcakes, topped with a maple buttercream frosting, crumbled bacon, and a half slice of chocolate dipped bacon. And yes, they are every bit as delicious as you are imagining!

Nielsen-Massey has a bunch of videos that are helpful for this recipe, so I’ve linked to them throughout the post.

Ingredients:

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

  • 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crispy
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • 1 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup whole milk

Chocolate-Covered Bacon

  • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided
  • 9 slices of bacon, cooked and crispy

Maple Buttercream Frosting

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
  • 1 ½ cups pure maple syrup
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • ¾ teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Continue reading Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I had the opportunity to try a featured milkshake at Bassett’s Ice Cream using Tastykake’s new Cookies and Crème Mini Donuts.

The donuts are the first offering from Tastykake Scoop Shop™, an ice cream-inspired line of sweet snacks. Scoop Shop Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts are available everywhere Tastykake is sold for $2.99 per 9.5oz bag or $1.79 for the six-count single serve option.

The Scoop Shop line features fan favorite ice cream flavors in sweet snack form and will be launched in two phases, the first already available, with phase two planned for late April. Leveraging trends in the snacking category, Tastykake Scoop Shop explores the crossover of two sweet snacks by borrowing flavor and forms from different categories. The first Scoop Shop item, Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, blends one of the brand’s top-selling product types with a proven favorite ice cream flavor. And they really nailed it, the donuts really do taste like cookies and cream! Phase two combines mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor with a creme-filled cookie for the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (um, YUM), so be on the look out for those in late April. The new treats create a fun snacking experience that ice cream and sweet snack lovers will appreciate.

To help celebrate the launch in its hometown, Tastykake partnered with another Philadelphia icon and the nation’s oldest ice cream company – Bassetts Ice Cream – a full-service frozen dessert distributor. I was thrilled to try this partnership from two brands with tons of Philadelphia history, more than 250 years of combined history in Philly! I headed over to Reading Terminal Market (fun fact: my husband and I were actually married in Reading Terminal) to try the limited-edition milkshake item. Kirby the Krimpet, the Tastykake mascot, even made an appearance!

The milkshakes are made with Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, chunks of Tastykake’s Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and garnished with a Cookies & Crème Donut. The shakes are sold at Bassetts’ original retail location in Reading Terminal Market for a limited time.

I swear they made these Donuts and milkshakes just for me, Cookies and Cream is my favorite! So naturally, I wanted to try to make my own version at home, this recipe for Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes. I picked up two pints of Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, a bag of Tastykake Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, milk, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, and I was ready to go!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups Bassetts Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 6 Tastykake Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, divided
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
  • Whipped cream, to taste

Continue reading Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes

Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach

I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin together. So when I was trying to think of an update to a traditional cookie, my mind went right to these flavors, which brings me to this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach.

Rugelach are the perfect cookies for this combo. Traditional rugelach uses an apricot spread that is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, and raisins, and then rolled into a spiral. The pumpkin butter takes the place of the apricot spread, and mini chocolate chips are substituted in for the walnuts and raisins.

 

I based this recipe off the recipe I used in my Apricot and Raisin Rugelach post last month, based off a recipe from American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations.

 

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room  temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough

Pumpkin Butter:

  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice if you have it)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 (10 oz) bag mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pumpkin butter (recipe above)

Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon water

Continue reading Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach

Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding

I have such a sweet tooth. Seriously, if I could get away with eating ice cream and only ice cream for the rest of my life, I probably would. So, I am constantly looking for ways to satisfy my sweet tooth without, well, eating a pint of ice cream.

Cue this recipe for Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding — its dairy-free, gluten free, and vegan. And, it tastes amazing!

The Coconut Almond Whipped Cream really puts it over the top. But the pudding is pret-ty darn awesome on its own!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chia Pudding:

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (check the label to make sure they are vegan)
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Coconut Almond Whipped Cream:

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Continue reading Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding

Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread

Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post and recipe for Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread. All opinions are mine alone.

My husband and I were recently invited to go down the shore with our friends, and I wanted to bring something as a thank you for a weekend at the beach. Luckily, I had some overripe bananas sitting on my countertop, so I made this chocolate cherry banana bread to bring with us.

As I mentioned in my recent post, I have quite a few cherries in my house at the moment, so I decided to snazz up the banana bread with some fresh chopped cherries and chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Continue reading Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread

Devils Food Cupcakes

These super chocolatey Devils Food Cupcakes are most certainly going to be a favorite of the chocoholic in your life.

There isn’t anything that specifically determines a chocolate cake as devil’s food cake, but they do tend to be a bit more airy and have quite a bit of chocolate in them!

This moist and fluffy recipe for Devils Food Cupcakes also uses coffee extract to further enhance the chocolate flavor.

Ingredients (makes approximately 30 cupcakes):

  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon coffee extract
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  •  1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • chocolatey buttercream frosting

Continue reading Devils Food Cupcakes

Chocolatey Buttercream Frosting

I make more frosting (and desserts!) than I probably should. Luckily, I have friends, family, and coworkers more than willing to help me out with my baking experiments, and this recipe for Chocolatey Buttercream Frosting is definitely a favorite!

I love making fun frosting flavors, like cinnamon cream cheese, vegan peanut butter, key lime, and bourbon-orange cream cheese. But, my absolute favorite frosting is, and always will be chocolate.

So it’s about time I shared my ultimate chocolatey buttercream frosting!

The secret to this frosting is a hint of coffee to really enhance the chocolatey flavor. I use Nielsen Massey’s Pure Coffee Extract to bring out the best chocolate flavor.

Ingredients (makes enough for 12 cupcakes):

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 (16 oz box) confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon coffee extract
  • 1/4 cup milk, plus more as needed

Continue reading Chocolatey Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Every year, I have two responsibilities for Thanksgiving: make Bloody Mary’s as everyone arrives and show up with a dessert that is chocolate and/or pumpkin.

This year, I decided to make a dessert that is both pumpkin-y and chocolatey: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake!

This recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is adapted from a Country Living recipe, and uses my cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake:

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ tablespoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¾ cup low fat buttermilk
  • 1 (15 oz can) pumpkin purée
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2.25 sticks), at room temperature
  • 1½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1½ cup granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 (8 oz) packages of Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 (16 oz) packages powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Optional Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Dark Chocolate Dipped Lemon Almond Sugar Cookies

Note: Bob’s Red Mill and OXO provided items for this giveaway. All opinions are mine alone. 

Seven years ago today, I started this blog. How crazy is that? It started as a way to archive recipes I tried and what I liked about them, and eventually morphed into a way for me to learn how to cook and experiment along the way. 780 posts later, I’m still at it!

Bob’s Red Mill and OXO are helping me celebrate this milestone in style. They were generous enough to provide some goodies for a giveaway! Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite company for grains, flours, beans, and baking mixes. Their commitment to quality products makes any recipe better. Similarly, you can find OXO products throughout my kitchen. They are my go-to for kitchen and household gadgets.

Naturally, I used a bunch of OXO and Bob’s Red Mill products to produce this recipe. With the holidays fast approaching, this giveaway is filled with all the goodies you need for your holiday baking!

This giveaway includes baking ingredients from Bob’s Red Mill:

and baking supplies from OXO:

Details on how to enter the giveaway are at the end of this post.

I decided to make a very “me” cookie to also celebrate. These cookies are made with some of my favorite flavors – lemon, almonds and chocolate! Meet Dark Chocolate Dipped Lemon Almond Sugar Cookies!

Ingredients: (makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies)

Continue reading Dark Chocolate Dipped Lemon Almond Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?? This year has just flown by!

 

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It’s a day spent with family and friends over good food, just enjoying each other’s company.

 

We spend Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house. Every year, I bring a little something up to contribute to the meal. For the past few years, I’ve done desserts. My sister put in a request for a chocolate cake this year because in her words, “there’s not enough chocolate at Thanksgiving.”

 

 

We usually have quite a few desserts for the taking, so I decided to make the cake with less added sugar with the help of SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.

 

SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend works just like regular brown sugar, but with half the calories. I picked up a bag at Walmart (it can be found in the baking aisle with the other sweeteners, or on Walmart.com).

 

I love the flavors of Hazelnut and Chocolate together, so I tested out a recipe for chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate frosting this past weekend.

 

The cake uses ground hazelnut in the batter to add a nutty, buttery flavor as well as a really nice texture to the cake.

 

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup ground hazelnut (hazelnut meal)
  • 1 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut extract
  • 1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature

Chocolate Frosting:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
  • 5 tablespoons milk

Continue reading Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

I can’t believe I’ve never tried to make a flourless chocolate cake before. This oversight will happily be corrected with the help of #Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar!

This Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache is a dense, rich, chocolate cake. Because there is no flour in the recipe, it is also gluten free!

Because this is #Choctoberfest and you can never have too much chocolate, this cake is finished off with a yummy dark chocolate ganache topping.

If you haven’t entered the #Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar Giveaway yet, be sure to head over to Monday’s post to do so! The prize is worth over $350!

Ingredients:

Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • 1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups Imperial Sugar

Ganache

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 10 oz dark chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon espresso granules

Other

  • powdered sugar, for dusting
  • raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
  • whipped cream, for serving

Continue reading Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Indoor S’mores Bar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsMakeSmores #CollectiveBias #sponsored

 

There is nothing quite as nostalgically delicious as biting into a s’more. The gooey, chocolatey, crunchy dessert reminds me of campfires, childhood, and summer camp. But living in Philadelphia means roasting s’mores over an outdoor campfire is a bit unlikely. I was having friends up for the weekend and I thought it would be fun to roast s’mores indoors like the urbanite I am, because who says s’mores can only be done around a campfire out in the woods?

Making a s’mores bar is really simple and doesn’t take long to set up. You just need your main ingredients and a heat source and you’re good to go!

I set up a little s’mores bar in the kitchen, with s’mores ingredients and a s’mores roasting station made from a planter box with sternos and filled with rocks. I added some wire netting on top so that the marshmallows didn’t come into direct contact with the flame.

 

For the tablescape, I used a gingham tablecloth, wood rounds for the s’mores ingredients, and a chalkboard for a truly awful (amazing?) pun. I also printed out a quote from one of my favorite movies (The Sandlot) about how to make s’mores. A little owl made an appearance as well to finish off the outdoors-indoors theme.

The bar included all of the traditional fixin’s – Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares, and Kraft’s Jet Puffed Marshmallows.

I then snazzed it up a bit with a few different options to give more selection – Reese’s, Hershey’s Mini Candies (Krackel, Mr Goodbar, and Dark Chocolate), Banana Chips, and fresh Strawberries and Bananas.

I found all of the ingredients I needed at Walmart; they currently even have a display with all the traditional goodies you need! (The Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares are exclusively found at Walmart and are the perfect size for s’mores making.)

To make indoor s’mores, first add a Honey Maid Graham Cracker Square to a plate.

Top the Graham Cracker Square with Hershey’s Milk Chocolate (or another chocolatey candy bar). If you’d like to add fresh fruit or other ingredients, place them on top of the chocolate.

Add a Jet Puffed Marshmallow to a skewer and hold the marshmallow over the flame and roast, turning occasionally to brown evenly.

Once browned to your liking, place the marshmallow on top of the chocolate and use a second graham cracker square to pull the skewer from the marshmallow.

I love how the warmed marshmallow slightly melts the chocolate making a gooey, crunchy, and oh so tasty little snack.

We naturally had a taste test to see which options were the best. Favorite combinations from the group included Reese’s and Banana slices, Krackel and Strawberry slices, and Mr. Goodbar and banana chips.

 

You could go really crazy and make a “double decker” s’mores: graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker, another chocolate, another marshmallow, and a final graham cracker!

Or if you didn’t want to work with an open flame, melt the chocolate in a bowl, dip the marshmallows in the chocolate, and then sprinkle with crushed graham crackers for a s’mores pop on a stick!

My friends and I had so much fun toasting marshmallows around our “campfire,” and it was really simple to set up! The indoor s’mores bar would be a great addition to any get-together, or rainy day gathering. As a winter baby, I will probably set this back up again for my birthday to get a taste of summer in the cold months!

What s’mores combo is your favorite? What other ingredients would you include in your s’mores bar?

 

Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars

If you follow my Instagram, you may have seen what “tough” research I had to do this weekend for this post. With the 3rd Annual South Street Spring Festival just days away (Saturday, May 2), I visited Sweet Life Bakeshop at 7th and South to try their signature Banana Pudding.

This. Pudding. Is. Fantastic. I gobbled up the whole thing in minutes, so I’m surprised I even was able to get a photo of it beforehand!

Sweet Life Bakeshop’s banana pudding will be available at the South Street Spring Festival, along with nearly 30 other eateries, bars, and food trucks, so come hungry! From 11am to 8pm this Saturday, 8 blocks of South Street (between Front and 8th) will be shut down and turned into a huge (and free) block party!

Headhouse Plaza will also be in on the fun, so be sure to check out 2nd Street between South and Lombard. The plaza will be transformed into a giant lawn concert complete with grass, lawn chairs, games and beach balls!

Along with all of the delicious food, South Street will feature more than 40 bands on three stages and seven performance areas. Over 100 boutiques, small businesses and other other retailers will cater to your style, beauty, health, fitness and other shopping needs. In conjunction with the Festival, Brauhaus Schmitz will host the third annual German Maifest on the 700 block of South Street, with German beers, dancers, music, food, flower headbands and even a Maypole.  Outside of Atomic City Comics (638 South Street) look for free giveaways and character appearances during Free Comic Book Day.

Whew!  Ok so, to highlight one of the amazing offerings, I decided to make a spin on Sweet Life’s banana pudding — Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars! This recipe is adapted from a Southern Living Banana Pudding Cheesecake recipe, but adds in some peanut-buttery goodness and then is topped with a drizzle of chocolate and some fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 22 vanilla wafers
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

optional garnishes:

  • whipped cream
  • 1 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • vanilla wafers

Continue reading Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Earl Grey Cakes

We are coming up on Mother’s Day again! Every year, I make my mom a little treat that almost always include citrus and/or bergamot, and this year is going to be no different! (Previous years treats: Lemon Tart with Raspberry Shortbread Crust, Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes, and Lemon Earl Grey Squares; I even made her a Grapefruit Bergamot body scrub!)

 

 

I thought I’d try something a bit different (and chocolatey) this year, while still including Bergamot in the recipe (bergamot is what gives Earl Grey it’s signature flavor). This adapted recipe from Real Simple is for Mini Chocolate Earl Grey Bundt Cakes. Aren’t they cute?

 

 

This year, I am taking it one step farther and pairing a dessert with actual brewed tea to highlight one of the many awesome options for Mother’s Day Gifts from UncommonGoods (which you can find here and here). Wouldn’t this make an awesome Mother’s Day basket — Mini Chocolate Earl Grey Bundt Cakes, Loose Tea Leaves, and this gorgeous Glass Teapot with Stand?

 

 

UncommonGoods is one of my go-to sites for cool gifts that can’t be found just anywhere. It’s an online marketplace offering creatively designed, high-quality merchandise at affordable prices.  Offerings include handmade goods  (half of what is sold on the site is made by hand) and personalized gifts.  All merchandise is produced without harm to animals or people, and about one-third of the collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. UncommonGoods also donates a portion of each order to a non-profit of your choosing including:  American Forests, Women for Women International, City Harvest, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

 

 

This beautiful Glass Teapot with Stand would make an amazing Mother’s Day Gift for any tea-loving mom, like mine.

 

 

The Teapot holds 30 oz of tea and comes with a removable glass tea infuser so you can make a perfectly brewed pot of tea using loose tea or tea bags with ease.

 

 

The bamboo stand includes room for a little tea light to keep your beverage warm as you enjoy it.

 

 

I used DavidsTea Glitter and Gold black tea, which is why you may notice a little shimmer to the tea. So pretty!

 

 

On to the recipe!

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Continue reading Chocolate Earl Grey Cakes

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests

Every Easter, my fiance’s mom makes peanut butter nests for her sons to take home. They are made with chow mein noodles, mixed in a melted peanut butter sauce, shaped into little nests and topped with egg-shaped chocolate candies. And I absolutely love them! I look forward to eating more than my share of them each year, but this year I just couldn’t wait.

 

I had a craving for something chocolatey and peanut buttery so, I decided to make mine with semi-sweet chocolate as well as peanut butter. We were visiting my fiance’s brother and his wife last weekend, so I used them as an excuse to make the recipe!

 

They try to eat vegan as much as possible, so when I began assembling the ingredients for this recipe and realized how simple this recipe would be to make vegan, I did so! You can easily make these Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests non-vegan if you so choose.

 

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) package chow mein noodles
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
12 oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup creamy peanut butter
~12 oz Jordan almonds or dark chocolate covered almond “eggs” (or any other candy that is egg-shaped if not making vegan) — you’ll need roughly 85 egg shaped pieces

 

Continue reading Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests

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