Allergy-Friendly Fruit and Seed Chocolate Bark

Time and time again, it happens.   I'll have my schedule planned out for all the goodies I want to bake for my friends and family.  I'll have my kitchen set up like an assembly line, with cookie sheets taking up every counter space available.  Gift boxes, treat bags, tissue paper and ribbon are scattered haphazardly all over the kitchen table.  If I'm ahead of the game, I'll have an early start in the morning and be finished by dinner.  But most of the time, I'm baking late into the night.  And then it happens.  Something always happens.  I run out of an ingredient and it's too late to go run to the store.  I burn a batch of cookies (or two) because I had my headphones on with my music too loud, and I didn't hear the oven timer (yes, I realize now I should be using my phone timer instead).  As a result, I don't have enough cookies to fill all the boxes.  And the biggest thing that happens...I run out of time.

But don't worry, I've got a backup plan...

Allergy-Friendly Popcorn Balls

Halloween would not be complete without this quintessential holiday treat.  These caramel-coated popcorn balls are just the right combination of sweet, salty and crunchy. Not only are they perfect for your little ghouls and goblins to enjoy, they're also so quick and easy to make.

Allergy-Friendly Chocolate-Covered Coconut Patties

This was supposed to be my ticket out of "Worst Wife Ever" jail.  I really thought I was gonna score major points when I made these.  I was soooo sure it would work!   Well, it did...ummm...sort of.

Classic Chocolate Truffles

Over the years, I've slowly come to realize that when it comes to making holiday treats,  I need to simplify things.  As much as I'd love to make all my favorite desserts for everyone, it's physically impossible for me to do it.  I've tried!  Oh boy, have I tried! And it was not pretty.  All those late nights baking all sorts of cookies and making two or three or four different candies.  Not sleeping!  It was crazy!  And I was crazy for putting myself through it!  

Saltine Toffee Candy

"Oh...my....GOSH!  These are soooo gooooood!!!"  

Yup! That pretty much sums up what everybody says after they've tried this saltine toffee candy.  Ever since I've rediscovered how insanely delicious this is, I can't stop making it.  No seriously, I've been making this toffee every week for the past month now.  I've brought it to playdates, given it to my kids' teachers... Heck!  I even brought a big box to my dentist!  Yeah.  I'm not too sure if that was a great idea though.  I mean, it's like bringing all the food from the state fair to your doctor.  Oh well.  But I think her staff really loved it and I'm pretty sure they brushed and flossed afterwards. 

Reindeer Chow

"When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings..."

- Bing Crosby

Brigadeiros (Brazilian Chocolate Candies)

Oh...my...goodness! I have these adorable candies to share with you! They're so quick and easy to make that I guarantee, once you take a bite of this fudgy confection, you'll be back for more.

Golden Champagne Truffles

Aren't these truffles absolutely gorgeous?  I thought I'd take some Champagne Truffles and dress them up for New Year's Eve.  I coated them with white chocolate and brushed them with some shimmery gold luster dust. They look almost too pretty to eat!

Holiday Candy Ideas

My kitchen has turned into a mini chocolate factory. It's candy making time! For the past few days, I've been filling these boxes with all sorts of mouthwatering candies to give to my friends and family. Yes, it's been a little crazy in the kitchen and I'm sure my lack of sleep has contributed to my loopy mental state, but I think it's all worth the effort in the end. I just couldn't think of anything more special to give to my loved ones than these homemade candies.

Sunbutter and Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats

I haven't had a chance to post anything lately.  I've been on this never-ending merry-go-round called the cold and flu, thanks to my adorable little kids.  Don't know when we're getting off this crazy ride but I thought I'd share a simple and easy treat I made recently.  It definitely put a smile on their cute sniffly faces :-)

El Diablo Chocolate Truffles

If you love my Mexican Hot Chocolate Truffles but wanted more heat, I've created these fiery hot truffles just for you.  El Diablo (Spanish for "the devil") has three times the amount of cayenne pepper in them and I've sprinkled a generous amount of cayenne pepper on top, just in case it's not hot enough for you :-)

Colorful Rice Krispie Egg Treats

Photo Credit: Ryan Rivera

You know what I love about Springtime?  Everywhere I look, there's a delightful array of vibrant colors.  The bright blue sky makes such a great backdrop for the warm yellow sun and soft white clouds.  There's fresh green foliage covering the landscape and beautiful blooming flowers everywhere.  All these cheerful, pretty colors instantly put me in a happy mood.  If that colorful image doesn't put a smile on your face, then I don't know what will.  Well...maybe a rice krispie treat covered in rainbow sprinkles will do the trick :-)

Egg-Free Gingerbread House (with dairy-free alternatives)

My family and I made some gingerbread houses this week so I thought I'd share with you what we made and how we made them. This is such a fun activity to do with my kids and I'm so happy that it's now become a family tradition during the holidays :-)

Egg-Free Funnel Cakes

Summer is just around the corner and with Memorial Day being the unofficial start of the summer, I thought why not have a little fun and make some oh-so scrumptious funnel cakes for this weekend. Oooooh....YUM!

Bird's Nest Cookies

When I was a little girl, I bought my very first cookbook at a book fair. I remember how excited I was when I got home from school.  I couldn't wait to try out one of the recipes and proudly declare to my parents that I can cook.  The funny thing was most of the recipes in the cookbook didn't require any actual cooking or baking.  After all, it was a kids' cookbook. Nevertheless, I was still excited to try out a recipe. As I was thumbing through the pages, I saw a picture of these adorable little bird's nest cookies and was completely enamored by them. Who knew several years later I would be inspired to make these cookies again.

Cobblestone Fudge

Back in pastry school, I learned how to make cobblestone chocolates, which were little discs of chocolate topped with dried fruit and nuts. They were a bit tricky to make but they looked so amazing and they tasted absolutely divine.

Jackfruit-Coconut Macaroons

Here's an exotic twist to the Egg-Free Macaroons I made last year. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit commonly found in Southeast Asia. It has a spiky green exterior, similar to a durian, and the seeds inside are surrounded by a yellow fleshy fruit that is sweet and crunchy.

Fruit S'mores

Strawberry S'mores

Okay, so this isn't exactly revolutionary, but I thought since it has become a family favorite, it was worth mentioning. This is a quick and easy treat that I like to put together when I'm short on time and need something sweet to eat. Basically, you add slices of fruit inside a s'more and voila ... you've got fruit s'mores. Just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and you're done.

SunButter Cookie Candy

Here's another peanut-free treat for my peanut-free son. I took Paula Deen's recipe for Georgia Cookie Candy and replaced the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter. On a previous post, I mentioned how delighted I was when I discovered SunButter at my local grocery store. I recently found it at my neighborhood Target store as well. This is truly a perfect alternative to peanut butter and unlike other products I've used, Sunbutter is made in a peanut-free facility. If you don't have any nut allergies, you might want to experiment and try this recipe with almond butter or cashew butter (Clotilde from Chocolate and Zucchini has a quick and easy recipe for cashew butter that's worth trying).

A Sea of Salted Caramels

This is my first attempt at making salted caramels. I guess the whole idea of standing by the stove and stirring a pot of hot sugar just didn't appeal to me. I'd much rather bake cookies or dip chocolate truffles. But my encounter with a french macaroon made me reconsider.