Orange Creamsicle White Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 19, 2015January 18, 2015 / Jodi / 15 Comments

As promised yesterday, today I am sharing the other orange cookie recipe that I made this weekend: Orange Creamsicle White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And they really taste like Orange Creamsicles! Remember that yummy ice cream treat we used to get as kids? A little orange citrusy tang, but oh so ice creamy!!

I have never made a cookie recipe that called for cornstarch before, but I love how tender these cookies turned out – just a tiny bit crispy on the outside, but softbatch-like on the inside.

They also get their intense flavor from using three extracts: vanilla, almond, and orange, as well as a couple tablespoons of freshly grated orange zest.

The creamy flavor comes from the addition of half and half and from the white chocolate chips.

I took both these and the Orange Slice & Oatmeal Cookies to our Chinese New Year’s Party yesterday, as oranges are supposed to bring good luck.

Come back tomorrow to see some highlights from that great celebration. (Here’s a little sneak peek – appetizer time with tender teriyaki beef on skewers.)

Here’s today’s cookie recipe:

ORANGE CREAMSICLE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS: (As adapted from Averiescooks.com)

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 tablespoons half-and-half
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
12 ounce bag white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

With electric mixer,cream together butter, sugars, egg, and extracts on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the cream, zest, and mix on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and add the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Do not overmix.

Add the white chocolate chips, and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Form heaping two-tablespoon mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not overbake because cookies will firm up as they cool. Baking longer than 10 minutes could result in cookies with overly browned undersides.

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months.

Orange Slice & Oatmeal Cookies

January 18, 2015January 17, 2015 / Jodi / 14 Comments

Looking for a way to take your oatmeal cookies to the NEXT LEVEL? How about add orange slice candies?!

We are going to a Chinese New Year’s Party this weekend, and oranges are meant to bring good luck.

In looking for recipes that included orange that wouldn’t interfere with the meal I knew our hosts would have planned, I came across a couple of orange cookie recipes.

I was looking for something different, so I tried two different recipes. Today I am featuring the Orange Slice and Oatmeal Cookies.

It’s kind of like substituting chopped candy orange slices for the raisins in your oatmeal cookies.

If you’re a fan of these sweet jelly gum drops, you’re gonna love these cookies.

And if this doesn’t strike your fancy, or even if it does, tomorrow’s post is going to kick it up a little bit more with Orange Cookie #2: Orange Creamsicle White Chocolate Chips Cookies! oooooo laaaa laaa!

Happy Baking!

ORANGE SLICE & OATMEAL COOKIES (as found on AllRecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups orange-flavored fruit slice jelly candies, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
In large mixing bowl, cream together sugars and shortening till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.

Stir in the oats and chopped orange slice candies (Hint: dip a pair of kitchen shears into a glass of hot water or spray with a non-stick spray to make snipping the orange slices easier)

Using about one tablespoon of mixture for each cookie, roll into one inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheets.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Breakfast Energy Bars – Getting Back in the Groove

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 / Jodi / 23 Comments

My glorious two-week holiday “vacation” has come to an end, and it is time to get back to work – – – and back in the groove – of a structured work schedule – and a better eating and exercising habit too after a month or so of glutenous indulgence!

So yesterday, I made a batch of breakfast energy bars to have a go-to breakfast or protein and energy-packed snack. I have made a similar version of these before and blogged about. The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever you have on hand (within reason) to create a unique bar each time.

I received several gorgeous sets of measuring utensils as Christmas gifts, so I was excited to get to use some of them for photographing below. (Really don’t need to measure these things precisely…. but it made for a fun photo to share 🙂 ). I gathered some creamy peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, oats, shredded coconut, a variety of seeds (pumpkin and sunflower), dried cranberries, and chopped some dates and some beautifully healthy English walnuts.

To begin, melt the peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey in a good size saucepan.

When melted, remove from heat and add your chosen dry ingredients.

Mix all ingredients until incorporated.

Then spread in a 13 x 9 pan and chill for several hours until firm.

Once completely chilled, cut into bars.

I packed them in pairs in Ziploc bags and placed in the freezer – ready to grab for a quick breakfast at home…

or on the go…

Here is the recipe you can use to tweak with the ingredients you like:

Breakfast Energy Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil (solid form)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

Melt peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a saucepan.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
Spread in a 13 x 9 pan.
Refrigerate approximately 2 hours.
Cut into bars and wrap or bag individually.
Return to refrigerator or freeze.

Feel free to substitute other dried fruits (golden raisins, dried blueberries or cherries) or nuts (slivered or chopped almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts) or even chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, white, peanut butter, butterscotch).

I am going to share this recipe as my first at Fiesta Friday #49. Fiesta Friday is an online ‘party’, where bloggers share posts in a link up. Everyone ‘brings’ (shares) a recipe, photograph, craft, memorable story, etc. to the party I have been hearing about it from several others and decided to join the party this year. Gotta love a good party – right? 🙂

Groovy Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

New

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 / Jodi / 20 Comments

This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is ‘New.’

So why strawberries you ~~might be~~ are probably asking?!

Well – I got a new camera, a new lens (telephooooooootooo!), a new (my first first) tripod, and a new (another FIRST!) light box between Christmas and my birthday, and I couldn’t wait to play with them after the holiday festivities had settled down.

I set things up on Saturday, and I played…. With my breakfast…

and with my lunch 🙂

Another new…. went to the gym in between breakfast and lunch 🙂

And trying to eat healthier too! Another new. (But I assure you I will still be baking and sharing!)

I know – it all sounds so cliche! Everyone starts diet and exercise routines this time of year… But you have to start sometime! And maybe publicly discussing it will help hold me more accountable… 😐

Hope you enjoy these new pictures.

Happy NEW Year!

Cheers & Old Hugs,
Jodi

Tired, Blocked, Blessed…

January 3, 2015January 2, 2015 / Jodi / 26 Comments

How is it that is is January 3rd, 2015 already?!?!

What a busy, wonderful, joy-filled holiday season it has been.

I have been a bit lazy in my posts lately, but only because I have been so busy simply enjoying life!

I have taken two full weeks off from my full-time job to just relish in and enjoy the holidays, and boy has it been lovely!

I spent the first few days of my vacation baking and shopping and last-minute preparations for the upcoming 4-days in a row of hosting festivities.

We started on Christmas Eve by sharing dinner and the evening with our boys and and our sweet daughter-in-law. We made our first prime rib dinner, exchanged gifts, and played games.

On Christmas Day, we hosted extended family for a hunky styled feast of halupkis and pierogies, ham, and lots of other goodies.

The day after Christmas was our special McHendy Christmas celebration with our “best friend family,” followed by Saturday with my Dad and “Mom II,” brothers and their families, Aunt and Uncle.

Sunday was spent with hubby’s 91-year-old Aunt who was in need of a little TLC.

Monday was an effort to get back to some normalcy and a bit of time in the gym.

Tuesday was prepping for New Year’s Eve celebrations, and Wednesday brought friends and family to celebrate New Year’s Eve (and my birthday!).

We were fortunate to have friends stay over and enjoy New Year’s brunch.

Friday brought my first “free” day, so Marty and I took a ride to the city and I got to take some photographs with my new camera from Santa 🙂 .

Two more days of vacation, and I’m thinking, “where did the time go?”

I’m glad the weekend is still in front of us! Then it is time to get my groove back. 🙂

For now, it is cheers and hugs from a tired, but very content, very blessed, completely humbled, extremely grateful, but briefly blocked blogger who is so grateful for all of you and your “likes” and “comments” and love!

Jodi

Making Homemade Polish Pierogies

December 30, 2014December 29, 2014 / Jodi / 26 Comments

We revived another one of Grandma’s Christmas traditions this year. We made her homemade Polish pierogi recipe.

I don’t know how Grandma did all this work herself every year for our holiday meal. She never asked anyone else to bring anything. She did all the cooking, all the baking, hosted, and did all the clean up. Occasionally I was asked to dry dishes…. and I complained! UGH! How could I have?! If only we had the wisdom of experience and could turn back time to show our gratitude and appreciation…

I am fortunate enough to have my hubby, Marty, help with these little buggers. There are not a lot of ingredients, but there are a few tedious steps, and the dough is a bit “tight” to roll out. pierogi 1

In fact, you would laugh if you would have seen me climbing on a chair and kneeling on the kitchen counter to roll it out easier! Much less strain on the back that way! 🙂

We made the filling the day before and refrigerated overnight so it was easy to roll into little balls for the filling.

It is really important to seal them completely so the filling doesn’t seep out when boiling.

I use a little bit of water on my fingers to help seal, then pinch with tines of a fork.

Boiling only takes a few minutes, and they are done when they float to the top.

When ready to serve, fry the pierogies in a skillet with butter until golden brown.

Then the really yummy part comes when you caramelize sweet onions in butter and layer in between your pile or bowlful or pan full of these wonderful little pasta pockets of cheesy potato goodness.

Pierogies are a Polish tradition and a Pittsburgh tradition. There are even several stores/restaurants that strictly sell and serve pierogies. They can be made with a variety of fillings. Our favorite is potatoes and cheese, but we also love them filled with homemade saurkraut sauteed in pork. Others fill them with a cottage cheese or prune filling. Grandma always pronounced them ‘pee dough gee‘. Some people spell them ‘pieroghi’.

Whatever way you pronounce it or spell or fill it, pierogies are a wonderful treat and another fond memory of my dear Grandma, my Stella star.

Here is Grandma’s Polish Pierogi Recipe:

Dough:
4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 pint sour cream
2 Tbsp melted butter

Potato & Cheese Filling:
2 lbs. potatoes (I like to use Yukon Gold) Peeled, Boiled and Mashed
1/2 lb Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp butter

For Filling: Mash potatoes, add rest of ingredients, and blend well. Chill until ready to use.

Assembling the Pierogies:
Mix all dough ingredients together and knead until dough is smooth.
Roll out to approximately 1/4″ thickness and cut into 2-3″ circles with a drinking glass.
Add about a tablespoonful of filling to center, then fold over, seal, and crimp.
Place pierogies in boiling water and boil until they rise to the top, then remove.
When ready to serve, fry in butter in a skillet until golden brown.
Sauteed onions – the more the better are excellent served with pierogies.
We also love a dollop of sour cream on top.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Apricot Kolaches & Christmas Cookie Baking

December 22, 2014December 21, 2014 / Jodi / 14 Comments

I finally got around to some Christmas cookie baking this weekend, and the highlight for my gang is the Apricot Kolaches.

Mine are not quite as perfect and beautiful as Grandma used to make, but they are getting thumbs ups around here. Apricot Kolaches are a traditional Polish tender cream cheese pastry cookie with a sweet-tart apricot filling. Grandma was 100% Polish, and her cooking and baking were like none other!

I remember Grandma painstakingly measuring each 2 inch by 2 inch square so that every singly one looked exactly the same. I don’t have nearly the patience, but I smile remembering those days in the kitchen with her. I can also now relate to the aching back and feet she had at the end of the day after rolling, cutting, filling, folding, baking, cooling, packing up… And I wish I had a young Jodi to rub my feet and massage my legs with Jergen’s cherry almond lotion like I did for Grandma in the evening after an all-day baking session.

But the joy on Marty’s and Nick’s faces and the “Mmmmm’s” that escape their lips between bites make it all worth it!

(and then I have to hurry up and freeze some or they would be gone quicker than it takes me to clean up the dishes!)

I also made some of my Jodi’s Almost Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies – a perennial favorite around here…

…as well as some with dried blueberries and white chocolate chips using the same recipe (another of Marty’s faves).

And it wouldn’t be Christmas without some Peanut Butter Blossoms…

And gotta have some Pittsburgh Thumbprint cookies too. I made a batch with chocolate fudge and another with colorful sprinkles and green icing centers.

Here is the recipe I use for the Apricot Kolaches.

(The Chocolate Chips and Pittsburgh Thumbprints can be found by following the links to previous posts.)

APRICOT KOLACHES

2 8-oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups apricot preserves or apricot filling (I use Baker’s)
1 Egg, beaten
Confectioner’s (Powdered) Sugar, for dusting

Beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed of stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer on low, and gradually mix in the flour until a smooth dough forms.

Knead dough on lightly floured work surface, and gently form a ball. Divide dough into fourths, flatten, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet or baking stone with parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time (after bringing back to room temperature from refrigeration), roll out to approximately 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Trim edges and cut dough into 2 inch squares.

Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of apricot filling into the center of each square.

Fold one corner into the center, dab with the beaten egg, then bring the opposite corner into the center and press firmly to seal.

Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar and cool on wire rack.

These cookies freeze well, and thaw quickly.

This recipe makes about a million …. or at least feels like it when you are making them! 🙂
I hope you and your family will try these and enjoy them as much as we do.

Cheers & Sweet Hugs,
Jodi

Chocolate Caramel Crisp Cookies

December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 / Jodi / 9 Comments

Chocolate + Crisp, Salty, Buttery Ritz Crackers + Rolo Candies = PURE BLISS in my book…
Do you agree?

Oh THANK YOU, Ruthanne at easybaked.net for sharing this super easy, wonderfully delicious recipe!

It is literally THREE (3) ingredients + any embellishments you want to add – or not.

Ritz Crackers
Rolo Candies
Chocolate

Now seriously – anyone can do that – right?

And according to Ruthanne’s Dad, they are the BEST cookies he’s ever eaten…

Here is Ruthanne’s recipe from her awesome website: easybaked.net:

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 50 cookies)

One box of Ritz Crackers
One bag of Rolo caramel candies
Two bags of Wilton’s Candy Melts in dark (or milk) chocolate – ( I used one of each)

DIRECTIONS:

Unwrap all those little Rolos…this is the hardest part of this recipe….booooring!
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Place Ritz Crackers, bottom side up, on a cookie sheet and set one unwrapped Rolo on each one.
Put these into the oven and leave them for one to two minutes until the Rolo is soft enough to press flat with another cracker- I actually just kept checking until they were soft enough.
Remove them from the oven and use another Ritz cracker to make a little sandwich of that soft Rolo.
Allow these to cool completely.
Melt Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until they are completely melted and smooth.
Cover each cookie with melted chocolate and use a fork to lift the cookie up. Tap the fork against the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drain off, slide bottom of cookie along edge of bowl to remove extra off bottom, and tip gently off fork and allow cookie to slide onto parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle/ decorate as desired and allow cookie to harden completely.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Chocolately Hugs,

Jodi

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

December 15, 2014December 15, 2014 / Jodi / 43 Comments

One of my favorite things to bake (and eat) for the holidays is my Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.

For me, it is like spending a little time with Grandma – even though she’s been gone for 20 years now. The smells that fill the house… using her recipe card – complete with stains from baking episodes past… using her old tin measuring cup, snipping apricots, chopping nuts… To me, the holidays aren’t truly here until I make Grandma’s Apricot Nut Bread and spend a little time with her through this ritual.

When I was young, I spent Christmas vacations (and every other moment I could) with Grandma. We spent a lot of our time together in the kitchen. While we were cooking or baking, Grandma would tell me stories about her childhood. It was sadly a pretty short one, because she had to become Mama to her baby brothers at only 9 years old when her mom died at a devastatingly early age. We would talk about her early married life with outhouses, coal furnaces, and washboards. And some of my favorite stories, especially when I was young, were the ones she would tell about me when I was a baby and how she danced in the hospital hallway with the doctor after I was born and how she fed me her homemade chicken soup on my first day home.

We laughed while we worked, and I never felt so loved.

One of the things Grandma made every year was Apricot Nut Bread. Growing up, it really wasn’t my favorite. I much preferred the lady locks or nut horns or nut roll – even the chocolate chip cookies. This bread is not overly sweet. It is not overly moist. But as an adult, it has become my absolute favorite. A slice with a swirl of creamy salted butter or a schmear of rich cream cheese and a cup of coffee might just be my favorite way to start the day.

This weekend, I made my annual batch of Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread.

I started with some dried apricots, which I snipped with scissors into large chunks. (I cut most of the apricots into fourths.) Sharp kitchen shears work much better than a knife given the stickiness of the apricots while cutting. And – it’s how Grandma did it…

After the apricots are coarsely snipped, they are placed in a bowl of hot water to further plump and soften. Equal parts of apricots and water are used.

The dry ingredients are mixed together next in a separate bowl: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a third bowl, eggs are beaten, and sugar is added.

Next is time to coarsely chop some walnuts – 1 cup per batch (unless you are my son, Nick – then no nuts are added!)

To combine everything, alternately add the apricots with water and egg/sugar mixture to the dry ingredient bowl.

At this point, you could place the batter in your greased and floured bread pans if you are not adding nuts.

Or gently fold in the nuts.

It is important to thoroughly grease and flour your bread pans. I use a paper towel to generously smear Crisco into every corner and crevice of the pan and then dust thoroughly with four. If done well, the bread will roll right out when you tip the pans once out of the oven.

You can use a number of small bread pans or one large bread pan for a single recipe. I tripled the recipe this weekend and made eight smaller loaves.

I fill them about 3/4 full to get a nicely risen loaf.

Baking time varies depending on the size of the loaf, so watch carefully and check with a toothpick. If you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, the bread is done.

I immediately pop them out out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. These loaves freeze beautifully if wrapped in saran wrap and foil or in freezer Ziploc bags.

Slice and serve warm or cold and with or without butter or cream cheese. In my opinion, this is best served as breakfast or brunch fare with a steaming cup of coffee (with Italian Sweet Cream of course!). Sometimes we even toast a slice of it, and then the edges are crisp and the center is warm and gooey and the butter just melts into it.

Here is Grandma’s well-loved and stained recipe card:

I remember typing these on index cards for Grandma as a young girl. I wish I had more of her handwritten copies, but they are long gone…

Some beloved people and possessions in our lives may no longer be around, but memories can never be erased or replaced.

May cherished memories of your loved ones and holidays past fill you with warmth and happiness.

Here is the recipe for you to try:

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Mix together 1 cup chopped apricots and 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until the rest of the ingredients are ready.

In another bowl, beat two eggs and gradually add 1 cup of sugar.

In a third large bowl, stir together:

2-3/4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Add the first two mixtures to the dry ingredients – alternating as you incorporate. Fold in chopped nuts.

Bake one large loaf at 375 degrees F for approximately 50 minutes, then 350 degrees F for 25 additional minutes.

For smaller loaves, bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

I hope you enjoy.

Cheers & Nostalgic Hugs,

Jodi

Killer Chocolate Making Tips

December 13, 2014December 14, 2014 / Jodi / 17 Comments

I got a new nickname Thursday night… “Killer”

It all started out quite innocently. (Isn’t that what they all say?!)

I’m pretty sure Mary, the instructor at the Chocolate-Making Class I attended at our local community college Thursday evening, dubbed me this because of my “killer” chocolate ~~tasting~~ making skills. Or – maybe it was because she recognized my “killer” charm, wit and personality. Or it could have possibly been for my “killer” fashion sense (I mean who doesn’t envy an aging 50+ in jeans, pink Keds, and an Old Navy funnel neck fleece?!).

But alas, I’m not sure any of the above apply. I actually was a bit of a hot mess Thursday night…

Colleen, my daughter-in-law, and I were texting about something earlier this week, when she asked, “Hey, don’t we have some kind of chocolate-making class coming up soon here in December?”

I had completely forgotten!

Several months ago when the local community college published their “Fall/Winter Continuing Education” pamphlet, I had registered us for this as something fun to do together. It was this Thursday evening.

Thursday started out like many others these days with rising early and every intention of jumping in the shower before jumping into my work (from home) day. But, as is more often the case than not lately, that didn’t happen. Dang if I didn’t open my laptop first to start working, and next thing you know, Marty is home, and I am still in my pajama pants and hoody, bed head, yesterday’s mascara, and with a half cup of cold coffee on my desk – – – at 5 o’clock!

Colleen was coming at 5:30 for our 6:00 class. YIKES!

Jump in the shower, slap on some makeup, gargle with a bit of Listerine, and come out smiling. Ready with two minutes to spare. Score!

As we were driving to class, and I was secretly praying that I was heading to the correct campus location, my friend and neighbor, Tracy, called. I answered (on speaker – hands free!) trying to be witty with, “Do you have a visitor?”

(You see, Tracy is Mikey’s and my walking buddy – and when I leave and he is left to his own accord with doggie door freedom – my little 37 lb furry son likes to take the beaten path through the woods to Tracy’s house and whine at her door until she lets him in for some “poor little ole’ me” ear scratches and belly rubs.)

But Tracy said, “No… Did you forget we have a chocolate-making class tonight?”

I looked at Colleen. OH YEAH! Tracy is the one that told me about this class, and we were meeting her and her sister there. Sometimes I seriously think I am developing early onset Alzheimer’s! (But then one of my boys will charmingly question: “Early? onset?” GRRR! Some day they will be 50+, and I hope their kids remind them often how ancient they are too!)

We showed up for class, with another amazing two minutes to spare, after choosing the farthest parking lot from the Arts & Hospitality Building we could find just so we could ~~run~~ walk briskly through the ~~freezing cold and dark~~ charming campus paths and arrive ready to ~~rumble~~ create magnificent sugary confections.

Mary was wonderful – and so was her daughter and chocolate-melting assistant, Ashley. Mary has been making homemade chocolate for over 30 years and works professionally in the food industry. At first, reserved and professional, her true wit and humor unraveled as the evening progressed. We learned some great tips for melting and molding and filling chocolates, while making new friends and laughing along the way.

TIP: Mary taught us to completely fill the plastic mold with melted chocolate (i.e. for chocolate covered cherries) to thoroughly coat all sides of each individual mold. You then turn it over onto parchment paper and let the inside drip out. Place in refrigerator or cool spot to let set, then repeat a second layer. Fill it full again and turn over and dump. Let harden again, then place a cherry inside and fill to top with chocolate. (Roll in fondant if you like.)

TIP: Use a squeezie bottle to fill molds. In the past, I had always spooned into the mold and made a bit of a mess. Squeezing it in is a breeze and much neater…….

Unless you are “Killer!”

I think I must have been showing off and trying to finish filling my molds first. I was humming along smiling and laughing and squeezing and filling, when SPLAT! – the lid popped off the squeezie bottle and all the chocolate was splattered atop the mold!

I was so embarrassed I forgot to take a picture (imagine that!?)
If Mary ~~wanted to kill me~~ was frustrated, she sure didn’t show it. She simply instructed me to grab a spatula to scoop it off onto the parchment and kindly refilled my squeezie bottle. (THANK YOU MARY!)

I continued on, and my chocolate covered caramels turned out quite yummy – you never would have known if I didn’t tell you here what a total mess I made!

This photo is AFTER the cleanup!

The next time Mary made her rounds checking on all of our progress, she politely and slyly asked,

“How are you making out, Killer?”

She said it so sincerely and innocently and quietly, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing!

And being one to “not let it go,” I continued on all night with my new nickname. I also dubbed my sidekick chocolate-making aficionado, Colleen as “Killer Junior.”

TIP: Use “melting” chocolate – not chocolate chips (i.e. Nestle). Mary mentioned they put something in chocolate chips to help them keep their “chip” shape that prevents them from melting completely and smoothly. I have found this to be true, and there is a big difference in the end product when using “melting” chocolate!

TIP: We used Merckens brand chocolate, and it was pretty good. I would give it a medium/average rating. It’s not the cheapest, but far from the most expensive also. It did melt beautifully, but the taste was not as creamy and milky as I personally like if I am going to indulge in chocolate treats such as this. I look forward to trying out some other higher quality chocolates, but this was not too shabby. (Marty and Nick were pleasantly surprised at what I brought home!)

Mary showed us how to make peanut and coconut clusters.

TIP: Use FREEZE-DRIED coconut as opposed to the typical sweetened, flaked coconut you might typically use for baking. It turns out much better! Less moisture content to “confuse” (for lack of a more technical term) the chocolate and result in a delightful treat.

While Colleen was busy making her favorite white chocolate covered peanut butter cups, I was flitting around being disruptive to everyone taking pictures and offering my own tips….

While Colleen was making our dark chocolate covered fudge fondants, I took a few more photos, offered a few more tips, and did accomplish a bit of chocolate making too! (note those beautiful caramels on the right in my spot below… though Colleen did do the white drizzle part… I know I know – I have the best D-I-L ever!)

TIP: Once all of your chocolate and filling is in the mold, tap it lightly a few times on the table or lightly shake back and forth horizontally a few times to even and smooth out the chocolate before it sets. It makes the WORLD of DIFFERENCE in the finished product!

I did manage to make chocolates, and look at what we ended up with!

TIP: A great way to melt chocolate and keep it melted is to do it in a crockpot. Who would’ve thought?

Not too shabby – eh?

We had a BLAST! We learned some great TIPS… We made chocolate (which Marty and Nick are thoroughly enjoying)…

But most of all – we made memories!

TIP: Clean-up is much easier if you let the chocolate cool and harden. Place the squeezie bottles that are all but empty, but coated with chocolate, in the refrigerator for several minutes. When the chocolate hardens, all you need do is squeeze the bottle several times and the hardened chocolate cracks and releases from the sides into a pile of broken up pieces in the bottom of your bottle. This can be saved and remelted. Much more cost-effective than washing and throwing out all of that delicious chocolate – and A LOT less messy too!

And after all that fun, Colleen and I were both thinking candy making and cookie baking the next day. I found the 40+ molds I had boxed up in the attic from about 20 years ago when Marty’s Mom and sister and I used to do all this together and texted Colleen to see if she wanted to come borrow to use for her baking and cooking this weekend. It brought back a flood of happy memories….

and I hope Colleen will remember our day and many more to come as we enjoy spending time and making memories!

Killer, Jr. & Killer

Of course she is the cute one on the left!

Cheers and Sweet Hugs,

Jodi

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the creative life in between

cherishing the moments and exploring my passion for creativity… through art, photography, food, and writing

Food

Orange Creamsicle White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Slice & Oatmeal Cookies

Breakfast Energy Bars – Getting Back in the Groove

New

Tired, Blocked, Blessed…

Making Homemade Polish Pierogies

Apricot Kolaches & Christmas Cookie Baking

Chocolate Caramel Crisp Cookies

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread

Killer Chocolate Making Tips

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