Chocolate Macaroons

I have recently discovered a little corner of heaven on earth called macaroons. I don't know why I'm so late in the game, but I have now arrived.

For Christmas last year, my brother got me the Bon Appetit: Fast, Easy, Fresh cookbook. I was leafing through it this afternoon, and kept coming back to the chocolate macaroons recipe. Oh a whim, I decided to make them (I've never made macaroons before) and OH. MY. GOSH. they are SO GOOD. 

I signed and oohed and ahhed my way through two of them (What About Bob style) and then helped myself to a third. And maybe ate another while writing this post. Maybe. Here's the recipe:

• 1 1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Melt one cup of chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring frequently. Cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. 

Gradually add in the sugar and vanilla, beating until the whites are thick and glossy.

With a spatula, fold in the melted chocolate, coconut, and remaining chocolate chips.

Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets.

Bake at 325 for 18 - 20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through.

Then try to only eat one. 

Cake Pops

Yum! I learned how to make these last week at my homemaking group (part of our church's Titus II ministry) and wanted to give them a try.

Here's what you need:

• Box cake mix and required ingredients (water, oil, eggs)
• Store bought frosting
• Almond Bark Chocolate (or basically any quick melting/quick setting up candy chocolate)
• Candy sticks
• Embellishments (sprinkles, white chocolate drizzle, crushed up candy, etc.)

Make the box cake according to the directions. After it cools, slice it up into tiny pieces and scoop them into a large bowl. Stir/chop the cake until it is very crumbly.

Mix in approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of frosting. The amount of frosting depends on how moist your cake is. I used about 2/3 of a cup. You'll basically be rolling the cake/frosting mixture into cake meatballs, and want just enough frosting for the cake to hold together (but no more).

Freeze the cake balls for 20 - 30 minutes until firm. Make a pilot hole in each cake ball with your candy stick, dip the tip of the stick in melted chocolate, and put it into the hole. (The melted chocolate on the end of the stick acts like glue). Put back into the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes to harden the chocolate.

Melt the almond bark chocolate according to the directions on the package.* Dip each cake ball in the chocolate, making sure it's entirely covered.

Decorate, and you're done!

*FYI: If you're tempted to use regular chocolate chips, don't do it. They'll take a long time to set up and harden (ie. you'll be sitting at the table holding each cake pop for 20 minutes until the chocolate shell is hard enough to set down without denting/smudging). Also, I am chocolate chip melting impaired. I couldn't do it- I kept ending up with a large, hardened, smelly, burnt ball of unmelted chocolate. Does this happen to you? So chocolate chips were a no go.

Cookies? Meatballs?

Yesterday, my grandma and I made a recipe of Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies. Isn't that a mouthful? So are the cookies! My wonderful chef of a friend made them a few weeks ago, and I just had to give them a try as well.

The the recipe calls for 1/4 of a cup of dough for each cookie. Yum! The dough balls are so huge, that they look more like chunky meatballs.

Isn't that crazy?

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

I ran across this recipe for homemade strawberry freezer jam (yum!) and just had to give it a whirl. I'm taking a gamble by posting this, since the jam hasn't gone in the freezer and has yet to set. But my hopes are high! :)

I followed the recipe, but did a thing or two differently.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

•  Approximately 3 cups strawberries
• 4 cups sugar (this amount was staggering to me; I put slightly less in and it still tastes great).
• 3 tablespoons Real Fruit Pectin*
• 3/4 cup water

*This is the part I'm a little iffy about. I used Ball RealFruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin. And I bought it by mistake... since I obviously like my jam sugary. After much panicked web research, I think it'll turn out okay. There are a lot of other brands/amounts of pectin- just follow the amount on the label.

1. Wash and hull your strawberries.

2. Mash the strawberries into fine chunks.

3. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and the strawberries together and let them sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Mix the pectin and water together and bring to a boil. Boil one minute, stirring constantly.

5. Mix the pectin mixture into the strawberries and sugar. Stir 2-3 minutes, until well combined.

6. Ladle into jars and store in the freezer. You're done! :)

Enjoy your yummy homemade jam!

Valentine's Day Dessert

For some reason, Valentine's Day screams chocolate and raspberries to me. I don't know why. It just does. I received an "All-time Favorites" mini cook book along with my February issue of Better Homes and Gardens, and just HAD to try the cheesecake recipe on the front cover. We're having this for our dessert tonight- yummy! Here it is:


Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Mix the crackers, powdered sugar, and butter together in a medium bowl until just moistened. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside

Mix 1 cup of the raspberries with sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and milk together until well mixed. Add in eggs and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Divide the batter in half. In one portion, stir in the raspberries and sugar mixture. In the other portion, mix in the melted chocolate.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the crust-lined pan. Spoon the raspberry mixture on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until at least 2 1/2 inches around the edge is set when gently shaken.

Cool the cheesecake in the pan for 45 minutes, then removes the sides of the pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours until firm and chilled. Top with remaining raspberries and serve.

Happy Valentine's Day!