The Oscar for the best hummus goes to...

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I read somewhere that February is National Snack Foods month. Apperently it was started as a marketing ploy to bump up sales of snack foods during a typically low month for sales. I assume the drop in snack food sales is caused by all those New Years resolution diets that begin in January. Maybe the marketers figure they can lure us into throwing in the resolution towel by naming February snack food month...pretty ingenious I must say! With the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, and the Oscars, all in February there's no lack of snack food worthy events to celebrate. So Happy National Snack Food month. Good thing it's a short month!
My ultimate snack food is probably chips and dip. Salty, crunchy, creamy...diet? what diet? Hand me the chips and pass that dip! This hummus is healthier alternative to traditional chips and dips. If eaten with carrots and broccoli it falls into the downright good for you category! The best part is it's delicious and doesn't make you feel like your giving up something or missing out. Feel free to dig into this snack food and enjoy National Snack Foods month without the guilt!

Artichoke Hummus

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained with liquid set aside
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts,  drained
1 tablespoon tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce

METHOD:

In a food processor, combine chickpeas, artichokes, garlic, and tahini. Blend. Slowly add olive oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Blend to a smooth consistency. If artichoke hummus is too thick, add some of  chickpea liquid, a little at a time, until you get the consistency you want. Place in serveing bowl. I like to drizzle the top with a little good quality olive oil and a dash of smoky paprika.

This makes a great party dip. If your having an Oscar party (or like me just like to munch while you watch) this hummus is perfect. I plan to snarf on it while watching uber skinny actresses strut their stuff on the red carpet. Less guilt than with regular chips and dip, which allows me to believe that I'd look just as good strutting my stuff down the red carpet!

Royal Icing or Glaze Icing?

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Happy Valentine's Day!

I've been swamped making dozens of these conversation heart cookies. One of my friends asked for a glaze type icing instead of royal icing. The rest of the cookies I made were done with royal icing. This was the first time I had done an actual side-by-side comparison of the two. So I thought I'd break down a few of my pros and cons for each. I've had my issues with royal icing in the past but we have learned to play nice with each other. (lots of practice helps!) Glaze icing is super simple to make and for the novice decorator, can be a little less frustrating than royal icing. Both are great options for making cute delicious cookies.

Pros for glaze icing:
1. you can make a huge batch of icing in about 2 minutes with just a bowl and a spoon
2. it's easy to get the right flooding consistency.
3. it stays really shiny when dry
4. doesn't dry hard, like royal icing, but hard enough to stack and bag
Cons:
1. the flooded cookies are more likely to overflow the outline
2. it's sticky, like really sticky, to work with
3. it doesn't work well for more intricate designs because it doesn't hold its shape well
4. lots of air bubbles unless it sits for a long time after mixing, even then lots of air bubbles.

Here is the glaze icing recipe I used for these cookies.

Glaze iced cookies: Shiny, but less perfect looking (writing is royal icing)

Pros for royal icing:
1. holds it's shape when piped
2. if you have the right consistency in the icing, it's easier than glaze to achieve a "perfect" looking cookie
3.It's very versatile, can be used to decorate cookies, on cakes, as glue for fondant pieces, thinned out to cover cake boards...
4. dries hard
Cons:
1.I call it finicky, because you have to be very precise when you make it. Too little or too much of anything really changes the icing and how it looks when it's dry.
2. dries matte (which isn't always a con, I liked the less shiny look better for these heart cookies)
3. getting the right flood consistency can be tricky (again lots of practice)

Royal icing cookies

A couple of tips for royal icing that have helped me:

Finding the right recipe. This one from Antonia74 is amazing, if you follow her recipe exactly. This is the only way I make my royal icing now but if you have a recipe you like then stick with it.
Weigh your sugar, unless you can be certain that you can measure it exactly the same every time. This simple step has made all the difference for me when making royal icing.
Don't over-mix the icing. Don't mix at too high of a speed. This prevents cracking and really cuts down on air bubbles.

Mostly relax and have fun, it's just a cookie!

So there you have it, my take on royal icing verses glaze. Both are a great option for decorating cookies. What is your favorite icing for decorating cookies?? I'd love hear any tips you want to share as well!
Happy decorating!

DIY chocolate heart decorations

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These decorations are super simple and don't require any special skills or equipment to make. If you can draw a heart shape then you've pretty much got the skill set needed to make these chocolate hearts. Use them as cupcake toppers or to decorate a cake. They're so cute they'll make you look like a decorating superstar!

What you'll need:

Candy melts, (any colors you want) can be found in the cake decorating section of Wal-Mart or any major craft store.

Wax paper or parchment paper

zip top baggies, or if you want you can use pipping bags and tips but they aren't necessary to make the hearts.

How To:


Place a piece of the wax paper or parchment paper onto a cookie sheet..

Put approximately 1/2 cup of candy melts into the zip top baggie. Melt them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Knead the bag and heat them for 15-20 seconds until melted.

Push the melted chocolate toward one corner of the baggie. Cut a very small tip from one corner of the baggie.

Fold the top of the bag over and squeeze as you draw some heart shapes onto the wax paper.

If you think you need a pattern, or want them to all to be exactly the same size, you can print out some hearts on paper and place the paper under your wax paper to use as a guide. Alternately, you could trace around some small cookie cutters onto parchment paper, flip the paper over and follow the pattern.

I like to do them freehand. I like making different sizes and shapes.

Get as fancy as you like. Fill in the hearts completely, make curlicues, whatever! Any mistakes are easily to get rid of, just pop it in your mouth and mistake...gone!

Let the chocolate candy heart set up for 30 minutes to an hour. They should be dry enough to pick up easily. If they stick a bit, carefully slide a spatula or off-set decorating spatula under the hearts to lift them up. Try not to handle the hearts too much. The warmth from your hand softens the chocolate and can make them break.

It's World Nutella Day

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Grab a spoon and prepare to celebrate!

Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso solemnly declare Sunday, February 5th “World Nutella Day 2013″ – a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella!

My submission to this fun event are these cute and delicious Nutella Meringue Cookies. This recipe comes from Cream Puffs in Venice one of the bloggers that first inspired me to join into the food blogging world and start a blog of my own. Thanks Ivonne! That was way back in 2007.  Which is also about the same time that Sara and Michelle started World Nutella Day. A day for flooding the internet with all things Nutella. Thanks ladies for making the internet more delicious! 

Happy World Nutella Day!

Crispy on the outside, chewy chocolaty on the inside, divine!

Nutella Meringues
Source: Cream Puffs in Venice

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup Nutella
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon, granulated sugar

METHOD:
Heat oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Warm the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals until just barely melted.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, place the egg whites. Beat on medium-high speed until they are completely foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and the salt and continue whipping at medium-high speed until when you lift the whisk attachment, soft peaks form. This will take a few minutes.
Once you have reached the soft peak stage, increase the speed to high. At this point, start adding the sugar, slowly,  a few spoonfuls at a time.
Once all the sugar is in, the meringue should be very thick. When you lift  the whisk stiff  peaks should remain.

Drizzle in the Nutella. Gently fold the Nutella into the meringue three or four times. You want the meringue to to be streaky and not to deflate, so don't so over-mix.
You can either pipe the meringues onto the parchment-lined trays using a pastry bag fitted with a large open round tip or using two spoons, drop the meringue onto the baking sheets in large dollops.
Place in the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, immediately lower the heat to 200°F and rotate the trays. Bake for one hour.
After an hour, check the meringues. They should look and feel dry. If you see any shine or moisture on them, continue baking them for another 10 minutes. Shut off the oven and leave the meringues to cool with the oven for a few hours or overnight. When you remove them from the baking sheet, they should release easily from the parchment and sound dry when you tap them.
The meringues will keep in an airtight container for about a week.

Feel free to make these into sandwich cookies with more nutella!

Sweet and Spicy Party Mix

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Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. A big day for football and partying for many. I'm not really into NFL football, (college football is another story!) I'm not even sure which two teams are playing this year. So for me the Super Bowl means two things: funny commercials and tailgate food. It's really just an excuse to break out the chips and dips, chicken wings, and see how many foods can be made into the shape of a football. I stashed this recipe away for just such an occasion. The combo of sweet and spicy make this party mix the perfect addition to your Super Bowl parties. Make a big bowl of this or it might not last until halftime. (like how I threw in that football reference?!?)  Whether or not you watch the game or just the commercials, grab a handful of this party mix and enjoy!

 *full disclosure: Hubs won't be home for the Super Bowl this year so I'll actually be munching this while watching Downton Abbey.  I'm still upset/angry about last weeks episode, so party food will be needed!


Sweet and Spicy Party Mix
Source: Hannah Klinger, Cooking Light  DECEMBER 2012

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup plain whole almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 cups mini  pretzels
1 cup crispy rice cereal squares
2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper.
Put the pecans and almonds on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown. Keep an eye on them because the nuts can burn quickly! In a medium bowl, combine the nuts with the butter ,stirring until butter melts.Stir in pretzels, cereal, and syrup. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over pretzel mixture; toss gently to coat. Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring once. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Cool completely.

White Chocolate Strawberry and Lime Cheesecake Bars

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Want to be a hero at your next gathering? Make these cheesecake bars. The combo of lime, strawberry, and white chocolate is outstanding. The bars are creamy, slightly tart, really really good, oh, and super easy to make. You don't even have to turn on the oven. Feel free to keep that info to yourself and just bask in the praise and adoration from the lucky recipients of these bars.  Big pay off for minimal effort...pretty perfect!

White Chocolate Strawberry and Lime Cheesecake Bars

printable recipe

For the filling:
6 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 2 small limes
1 cup thinly sliced strawberries

For the crust:

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Method:
Line 8x8x2-inch square baking pan with foil, extending over all sides. Mix all the crust ingredients together. Press firmly into the prepared pan. Chill for about 15 minutes in the freezer or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Place the white chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Put your bowl in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute. Stir. (Your chocolate will not look melted until you stir it.) If still lumpy, heat in 15-30 second intervals until it stirs smooth and creamy. Do not overheat or chocolate will burn and be unusable. Set aside while you make the filling.

Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until peaks form, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the sugar, lime juice, and lime peel, beat until smooth. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Fold in whipped cream in 2 additions. Gently fold in the sliced strawberries. Spread the mixture onto the prepared graham cracker crust. Smooth the top with an off-set spatula or knife. Chill until filling is slightly firm, at least 2 hours. Using the foil, lift cheesecake out of pan. Cut into 9 pieces for large bars. Garnish with chocolate curls and sliced strawberries, if desired.

These cheesecake bars would make the perfect Valentine's dinner dessert!

Rice Pudding

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I don't know if I've ever shared that I have a deep love for pudding. Not the kind that comes from a box on the Jello aisle and certainly not that goop that's in a cup and requires no refrigeration. *shudder* I'm talking about the real deal. cooked milk and eggs, kind of pudding. That's the kind of pudding that I adore. When I was about five I ate almost an entire bowl that my mom had made for our family of (at that point) five. In my defense, she did say there was pudding in the kitchen and I could have some if I wanted some. As it turned out, I wanted more than she had planned on me eating. Oops. Sorry to the rest of the family...That's one of my earliest pudding eating memories, and me love for it has carried over to adulthood.
My mom is a very skilled pudding maker. She makes all kinds and all are wonderful. She's been know to turn skeptical sons-in-laws into pudding converts. One of my favorites is her rice pudding. I've had many versions of rice pudding but my mom's is still the best one I've ever eaten. It's super easy but does cook for a long time. Trust me it's completely worth the hour and a half cook time. If you think you don't like rice pudding, give this one a try and I'll bet you'll be a convert too.

Rice Pudding
Serves about 6 (or one really hungry pudding lover!)

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup of rice
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in an 2 quart oven safe bowl or pot. Place into the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Stir the pudding after the first 25 minutes, then stir 2-3 more times until the rice is tender and the pudding has a thick, creamy consistency. If you want the skin over the top, do not stir during the last 20 minutes of baking. Allow the pudding to cool. Then refrigerate until cold through.
*I don't like raisins cooked into pudding. For me they plump up too much in the pudding and...yick, not for me. If you like them, then by all means put them in! You can eat the pudding warm, but I think it gets even better if it has a chance to chill down.