Chocolate Caramel Popcorn with Peanuts and Toffee Bits

"Camp Rock 2" was nauseating.

I tried to like it, I really gave it an honest effort. But my efforts were for naught when Ethan got home and started laughing at Demi Lovato and how she "can't back down". She is just so serious. And then I just had to laugh too. But we were both careful to hide our laughing. Jack LOVED the show. He even put a little "Camp Rock 2" poster on his bulletin board in his room. Spoiler Alert: Apparently they did back down. They don't win. Sorry.




For the big premier of "Camp Rock 2", I made Jack this popcorn. I thought he would appreciate a special treat for the show he had been counting down to for two weeks. And he definitely appreciated it. He sat on the floor, mesmerized by the movie and the popcorn was in a continuous cycle of hand to mouth. But how could you blame him. Homemade caramel popcorn mixed with peanuts and toffee bits and then drizzled with chocolate. Salty, sweet and chocolate and happy.



1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup popcorn, popped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup toffee bits
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large microwave-safe bowl (preferably glass), combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, butter, and vanilla. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and then microwave for 2 more minutes. Add the baking soda and stir well (mixture will foam). Pour the popcorn, peanuts and toffee bits into a large brown paper bag. Pour the caramel into the bag and stir to coat. Turn the bag under to close and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Spread the caramel corn mixture on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper to cool.

While the popcorn is cooling, add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until melted, about 2 minutes. With a small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate onto the popcorn. Let it set for about 2 hours. Put it in the fridge to speed up the setting process.

Once set, break apart popcorn into bite-sized pieces.

Rookie's Notes: When drizzling, I found that moving the spoon around in fast circles over the popcorn made for good drizzling. If you are going to do that, wear an apron. It will be a bit messy.

To pop your own popcorn on the stove, click here for a recipe.


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Ethan's Bruleed Peaches with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

My husband has made this for a few events in the last month or so. And according to him, people go bonkers for it. So I thought I would try it for myself. And sure enough, a juicy peach, burnt sugar and creamy cinnamon whipped cream are an excellent summer treat, especially with peaches wowing us all right now.

If you own a kitchen torch, good news- you get to use it. Kitchen torches are so fun. How often does one get to wield a blue flame? Not often enough. If you do not have a kitchen torch, consider getting one. We have two. One Ethan uses for work and one I use at home. Can you use your broiler instead? Unfortunately, no. Broiling wouldn't give you the hard sugar layer that only a kitchen torch can. It just cooks the peach.


Click here for the big daddy torch.
Click here for the little lady torch.




For the peaches:
2 peaches, halved and pitted
Sugar, for dipping

Pour a few tablespoons of sugar on a plate and spread out evenly. Press the cut side of one of the peaches in the sugar so it is completely coated. With a kitchen torch, brulee the sugared cut side until the sugar is browned and hard. Top with a dollop of the whipped cream and garnish with a mint sprig.

For the whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mint sprigs for garnishing

In a cold metal bowl, add the whipped cream. With a whisk, whip the cream until frothy. Once frothy, add the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Whisk constantly until the cream holds soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Serve on top of bruleed peaches.

Yields enough whipped cream for 4 servings (4 peach halves).

Rookie's Notes: A few things about whipped cream. 1: It isn't supposed to lumpy. Overwhipped cream looks lumpy. It should look soft and creamy. It is very easy to overwhip cream so that it looks lumpy. To avoid it, whisk it by hand. I know, I know, you think I am insane. But really, it isn't hard. Don't be a coward.

2: To have your cream whip up quick, use a metal bowl that has chilled in the fridge. And while you are at it, put the whisk in there too.

BTW, you have to serve the peaches right after you brulee them. They don't sit well. If you are entertaining, bruleeing is always so impressive, so make it an interactive dessert and let your guests brulee their own peach.

And lastly, my baby is 4 months today. She makes me so happy. She was such a good decision.


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Ethan's Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Last weekend, Ethan's sister Jacque, her husband Aaron and their children were in town and we couldn't have been more delighted.

Jacque is the type of woman that rarely wears pants. It's always skirts or dresses. And that is usually paired with heels. She serves Sunday dinners on her best Bombay Company china and sips tea during her children's afternoon naps. She has read "Wuthering Heights" a bunch of times, collects antique books and always has fresh flowers in her home. Her husband seems like the polar opposite. He writes music for a children's TV show called "Yo Gabba Gabba". He could sit with his recording equipment and diddle with it all day. He has played gigs at The House of Blues on Sunset and likes to go surfing on the weekends. He goes skateboarding with his son and just deejayed Tony Hawk's daughter's birthday party. See? Opposites. But it works, completely works. They are completely in love and are raising some of the most beautiful, well-rounded children.


While they were in town, we stayed up too late, went to Bucca Di Beppo, went to Thanksgiving Point and let our kids run around without shirts on and Ethan made them this dessert. And they were happy. Like would move to Utah to be closer to Ethan so he could make this dessert. But how could you blame them? Croissants, semisweet chocolate, heavy cream and cinnamon. Just a few of the things that prove God has not abandoned us yet. Combine them for a buttery, chocolatey, gooey, wonderful paradise, a paradise you can eat.



8 regular-sized croissants, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
Pinch of salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream

Set oven to 350 degrees. Pour croissants into a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.

In double boiler over simmering water, melt 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk until the eggs are light in color. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add half and half and heavy cream. Once mixture is steaming and slightly simmering, remove from heat. Whisk in melted chocolate. With a liquid measuring cup, pour out 2 cups of the cream mixture and slowly pour it into the eggs while whisking. Once incorporated, slowly pour in the rest of the cream mixture and whisk well.

Pour cream and egg mixture over the croissant pieces until the croissants are covered. You may not need the all of the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the liquid is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yields 8 servings.

Rookie's Notes: If you can remember to, let the croissant pieces sit out for a day or two. It just makes it better. Also, the bread pudding will rise a bit during baking. Don't be alarmed. If you are worried about it spilling over, place the baking dish on a cookie sheet.

I baked this batch in some big ramekins. Just divide the croissant pieces between some ramekins and pour in the cream and egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at the same temp.



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Easy Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

I feed a baby every two hours. We sit on the couch and either stare around the room as I scrutinize my pathetic efforts at decorating or we watch TV. Over the last few weeks, I have been keeping up with the Kardashians. Kourtney is my favorite. I have also been at home with Giada and in the emergency room with JD and Turk. But Violet seems to have terrible timing. She always has to eat along with the Neely's. I truly can't handle the Neely's. Seriously, take your ham and get a room.


One afternoon during four ounces of warm Similac, we watched Ina. She made a quick sticky bun using puff pastry. And it was then I knew that I had to make my own version. This is that version. Light, crisp, buttery puff pastry, pure maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. These are so sticky and sweet and about 1 million calories a piece.




For the sticky part:
10 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. With a rubber scraper, mix well until smooth. Divide butter mixture between 12 muffin cups. Set pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set pan aside.

For the buns:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Set oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry, with folds going left to right. In a small bowl, combine butter and maple syrup. With a pastry brush, brush mixture onto puff pastry, leave a small 1/2 inch border all the way around. Evenly sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. From the bottom up, gently roll up the puff pastry. Slice into 12 small rolls. Place one roll into each muffin cup, on top of the butter mixture.

Bake sticky buns for 30 minutes, until browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then invent sticky buns onto the parchment paper. Allow to cool for an additional 10 minutes. Eat carefully, they are fiercely hot.

Yields 12 sticky buns.

Rookie's Notes: Sometime soon, I am going to write a post about my fancy maple syrup that I don't share with my children. It is the best maple syrup I have ever had. Great maple flavor and it also sort of tastes like bacon.


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Fresh Raspberry Butter

There was an emergency on a large scale. A true red alert. Lindsey called me as soon as she heard and made sure I was aware of what was going on. She didn't want me to be misinformed or mislead. She wanted to make sure that I was kept abreast of the situation.

Fresh raspberries were $.88 at Sunflower Market.

I rushed to the scene. My heart was pounding as I walked through the doors. I walked straight back to the produce section to see the damage. And then I saw it with my own eyes. Lindsey was right. There they were, in plain site. Cases of fresh raspberries, marked down, right down to their skivvies.

I bought an entire case. A little over 4 pounds. I carefully set them on my passenger seat, tempted to buckle them in. I brought them home and they sat on my kitchen counter and they stayed there for two days. They were snacked on and thrown into smoothies. A few were called and chosen to set atop some chocolate cupcakes. The rest were carefully frozen in single layers, making their final rest in a ziploc bag to be loved and cared for through the bitter cold winter months.

Before the bulk of the berries were frozen, one container was swirled with softened butter and sugar. It was then swathed on top of warm buttermilk biscuits. What a joy. It was like raspberry jam, but butter. The berries were tart and the butter was melted, right along with my heart.



1 cup softened butter
1 cup fresh raspberries (1 6 oz container)
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Serve at room temperature.

Yields 1 1/2 cups

Rookie's Notes: This goes on buttermilk biscuits beautifully, but of course on top of all sorts of other things. Toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast, cornbread. I made this butter and then took half and froze it. I think it will be the perfect day-brightener in the cold, bitter, harsh, rotten, evil, heartless winter months.


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Chocolate Pudding

Because I know you care, guess what? I finally have internet access. You might not care, but I do. Back to knowing my schedule (Google Calender), back to reading blogs (Google Reader), back to watching "The Office" (NBC.com) and back to mind-numbing, evening-unwinding internet surfing.

While the internet guy was in and out of my house this afternoon, he noticed my basil plant in my kitchen window and we started talking about food. Turns out Digis Dude is quite the foodie. I learned so much from this man within the 30 minutes of our food conversation. Like if you take cut veggies to work to snack on, put a fresh garlic clove in the bottom of the container and it will lightly flavor your veggies. Brilliant. And he gave me some tips on where the best Thai food is in Utah Valley and where to get great fish sauce. All of this from the man who climbs on roofs in rain or shine. Speaking of that, the poor soul started the job with the sun shining and ended it with it pounding sleet.

What a downer this winter/spring/bull crap weather is. I talked to my sister in-law in Southern California yesterday and in the background, I could hear a lawn mower outside her house. A lawn mower means that grass is growing and that means it is green and that means the sun is shining enough to where the grass can grow. Sun shining, what a fantasy. While I will be happy to have warmer weather, I will be sad to let go of comforting foods until next fall. I consider chocolate pudding to be one of those comforting foods. Chocolate, smooth, cold and creamy. Sure, you eat pudding in the summer, it just makes sense, but I prefer it in colder months when one can use all the comfort and optimism available. Yes, chocolate pudding is optimistic. What food isn't optimistic? Vanilla pudding. Drab, boring and not living to it's full potential. Vanilla pudding is just not a go-getter. Why be vanilla when you can be chocolate?

If a bowl of chocolate pudding just isn't going to cut it for you, spoon it into cream puffs. Sounds tempting eh?



2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder, optional
2 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, cocoa powder and espresso powder, if using. Very gradually, whisk in milk, being sure to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low, still whisking, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.

Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding, to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 3 hours. Before serving, whisk pudding until smooth and divide among serving dishes.

Yields 4 servings.

Almond and Orange Chocolate Truffles

When I go to California, I make sure that I sufficiently pillage my in-laws citrus trees. I find an old box in their garage and toss in lemons and oranges and then listen to my husband pitch a fit about us not having enough room in the car for my fruit. I never listen to him. Although he claims that we haven't any room to spare between the suitcases and the diapers, I seem to be able to bring home a box of fragrant goodness every time. And just like dreams of sugar plums dance in children's heads, my dreams are filled with escapades of lemon curd, orange pancakes and Valencia chocolate cake. They are lovely dreams.

Before I embarked on any citrus escapades, I made sure I had a decent zester. What's a girl to do if she doesn't have a zester that can extract every bit of citrusy goodness? All of the raping and pillaging of the those trees will have been for naught. So off to Bed, Bath and Beyond I went and found a new friend. We are very close. Our first adventure together was to strip some innocent oranges of their soft orange zest. The zest then went into some melted bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream. Then that became little round balls of soft, rich chocolate rolled into crushed almonds. A beautiful arrangement of chocolate, citrus and crunch.



8 oz bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
Zest of 1 orange
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almonds
Cocoa powder

Add chopped chocolate and orange zest to a heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Let it stand for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Stir in the vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture has lightened in color and holds a soft peak, about 3 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the almonds and process until they are coarse crumbs. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

To shape the truffles, use 2 spoons (I used 1 tsp measuring spoons) to measure out a small ball of chocolate just as your would drop cookie dough. Rub your hands lightly in some cocoa powder to keep the chocolate from sticking. Roll the chocolate ball in your hands quickly and gently to form a perfect ball. Drop into the almonds and gently roll around until the truffle is completely coated. Set aside on a plate and repeat until all chocolate is used. Loosely cover plate with plastic wrap. Refrigerate truffles until ready to serve. They will keep for up to a week. Take them out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Yields 30 truffles.

Pumpkin Churros

Churros remind me of two things. Number one, Disneyland. We used to have annual passes when we lived in Southern California so we went often. I would take Jack on my own, Ethan and I would go on dates, I remember going with Amelia often and we went out to dinner a few times with Ethan's parents. When you aren't a tourist, you are able to relax and not run from ride to ride and enjoy the atmosphere. When you do enjoy it, you might find that Disneyland is quite relaxing. There is nothing quite as enjoyable as eating a churro, sitting on a bench and people watching at Disneyland.


Churros also remind me of dental work. When we lived in Southern California, Ethan would drive down to Mexico to get dental work done. And he swears by it. Said the office was nicer than any other dental office in America. The dentist went to school in America and then went back to Mexico. Ethan claimed he had never had a more pleasant experience than his dental appointments in Mexico. When he would go, on his way back through the border, he would buy a bag of little churros from someone selling them from car to car. They were his favorite part of going down there. Tiny, crispy and sweet.

Since it's probably a proven fact that everyone loves churros, I thought I would post a recipe for churros of the autumn persuasion. I had to really mess around with this recipe to get them right. What makes these autumn is pumpkin puree and some autumn spices. The exterior is crunchy and the middle is soft and almost like pumpkin pie. I found that when I fried these, they were best made small because the middle didn't cook enough when they were big. Plus, one big churro isn't as fun as a bag of small ones. I hope you like these as much as we did. They were Jack's and my lunch.



1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
4 eggs
Oil for frying

In a medium bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside for tossing the finished churros in cinnamon sugar. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk to combine and set aside. Pour vegetable oil into a large pot fitted with a clip on thermometer, having the oil come 2 inches up the side of the pan.

In a medium pan over high heat, add the water and shortening. Bring to a boil. Pour in the flour mixture and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. With a hand mixer, stir in the pumpkin and eggs until smooth. With a rubber scraper, put the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Fry the churros at 325 degrees. Pipe the dough into the hot oil, using scissors to cut each churro. Fry until the outside is browned and the inside is slightly cooked, but still soft, about 5 minutes. Once the churros come out of the oil and let drain on paper towels. Transfer the churros to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss gently until coated. Serve warm.

Rookie's Notes: When I say cut each churro with a pair of scissors, I want you to have the pastry bag in one hand and scissors in the other. Apply pressure to the bag and start piping the dough in. Continuously pipe and use your other hand to cut each churro as you go.

Baked Apples with Granola Pecan Streusel

Holy mackerel! A food post!


I couldn't resist, which is a good thing. You should see the trees where I live. Think of the color of orange construction paper and that is the color of the mountains. As I have said before, I live in a more rural area of Utah Valley. There are no street lights, there are no sidewalks. And there is no plumbing. Kidding. But since we are up in the mountains, the color show is phenomenal.

Maple syrup to finish the apples.

When I first moved back to Utah (p.s., I grew up here), I noticed that in church, the person saying the prayer would often say, "We thank thee that we live in such a beautiful place". Almost every person would say that, especially when the seasons would change. The people at church and my neighbors love these mountains and the changes they go through. My favorite has been the first dusting of snow as the autumn colors peek through.

When she is cut in half, look how pretty she is.
By all means, drop on a scoop of vanilla ice cream while this baby is still hot.

With the autumn leaves all around, I had to develop a recipe that represented this season. I think a baked apple does the trick. The streusel is crunchy from the pecans and the granola. And the butter and brown sugar make a sweet syrup for the finished apple. It's almost like eating apple crumble but in your own individual size. These apples are an autumn must.



1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup granola
1/3 cup chopped pecans
4 apples
Maple syrup for serving, if desired

Set oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the sugar, forming coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins, granola and pecans. Set aside.

With a melon baller, scoop out the center of each apple down through the core, leaving about 1/2 inch of the bottom. Pack the struesel filling into the center of each apple and pile some on top. Place apples in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Drizzle maple syrup on top if desired.

Rookie's Notes: After I developed this recipe, I thought that if you don't have granola, you could use oatmeal. It won't add the same crunch that the granola will, but it will still taste delicious. If you are in the mood for some granola, cause it seems so festive for this time of year, I have a jolly recipe for some right here.

Strawberry-filled Cream Puffs

There was a teacher I had in school, Mrs. Cluff. She was great. She would buy our class Ben and Jerry's and we would sit around a table with her and the mooching art teacher and pass around a pint. She would let me keep a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jam in the corner of her classroom so I could make PB and Js during school. She also cared. She cared about my grades and my success. She cared about me and my life. I almost felt like she knew more about the boys in my life than my own mother. Luckily, she had a good relationship with my mother and wasn't afraid to tattle on me when I cut her class too much. My mom hated when I cut class too much.

Mrs. Cluff had a recipe for cream puffs. And they were divine, especially filled with chocolate. I wish I had that recipe, but I don't. I wish I could say this recipe is hers, but it isn't. This is from Joy of Baking and it's almost as good as Mrs. Cluff's. For mine, I filled them with strawberries and whipped cream. They were light, crisp and sweet. Perfect for enjoying the last bit of summer. For way more info on how to make cream puffs, click here. Joy of Baking goes really in depth on how to do a cream puff.



For the cream puffs:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute or two). Remove pan from heat and with a hand mixer, beat on low speed for 1-2 minutes to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm, start adding the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste. Spoon 6 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes or until the shells are lightly browned and when split, are dry inside. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

For filling:
1 cup small diced strawberries (it took about 16 strawberries for me)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Combine strawberries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit while cream puffs bake.

In a medium bowl, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar. With a hand mixer, mix until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Split cream puffs in half and fill with a spoonful of whipped cream and a spoonful of strawberries.

Smores Extravaganza

Should I post on a Saturday? I think I will. This post is ready, so why not. Enjoy and Happy Weekend!

When I say Smores Extravaganza, I mean extravaGONza. You have to pronounce it that way. I was making my whole family insane because I was insisting it was an extravagonza. This is a great interactive dessert and there is a combo for everyone.

The fixings

What you will need:
Chocolate grahams
Honey grahams
Cinnamon grahams
Dark chocolate
Milk chocolate
White chocolate
Sliced bananas
Peanut butter
Marshmallows
Marshmallow cream

Good brother in-law eating good smores

Our method is making the whole thing, wrapping it in foil and then setting it on the grill. And for this method, we found that the marshmallow cream works best. When wrapping the little smores pile, fold up the sides and with the ends, fold one over the top and one of the bottom. This will make sure the bottom doesn't burn. No direct heat contact.

Wrapped up in a pretty little package

Some of our combinations:
Cinnamon graham, white chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow cream and bananas
Triple threat: white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and marshmallow cream
Chocolate graham, milk chocolate and marshmallow cream
Honey graham, dark chocolate, bananas and marshmallow cream
One side honey graham, one side chocolate graham, white chocolate and marshmallow cream

Son One with chocolate graham, milk chocolate and mallow cream

And for your viewing pleasure, a little Sandlot Smores Scene to get you inspired.

Peach Turnovers with Cinnamon Glaze

Peaches aren't quite at their peak, but we are getting close. Let me be yet another food blogger to not shut up about the great produce spilling out of grocery stores and farmer's markets. And funny I know that food bloggers talk all about produce right now because I don't even read very many food blogs. Hey man, I'm busy. Those onesies aren't going to fold themselves!

But yes, the produce is lovely right now. Gorgeous and juicy. But am I allowed to say I am already excited for soup season? Some good ol' root vegetables? I suppose I am never satisfied.



3 cups peeled, diced fresh peaches, about 4 peaches
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
2 puff pastry sheets, thawed

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine the peaches, water and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Set oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the water, making an egg wash and set aside. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.

Lay the puff pastry sheets out and cut each one into 4 equal squares. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, spoon a small amount of peach mixture onto the middle of a square. Fold one corner over to the opposite side and seal with a fork, pressing down all around the edges. Repeat with all of the puff pastry squares. Place the completed turnovers on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each turnover with the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the turnovers from the sheet and onto a cooling rack.

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp milk

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon and milk. Whisk to combine. Drizzle on top of the finished turnovers.

Rookie's Notes: If you have extra peach stuff left over, warm it up in the morning and pour it over some waffles or pancakes.

Brown Sugared Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream

I had originally planned to serve some Cafe Johnsonia vanilla ice cream with this. I e-mailed ol' CJ and asked if she had a vanilla ice cream recipe. She is the resident ice cream whisperer blogger in Utah and I knew she would have a recipe to beat all.

Have a recipe, she did.

Send it to me, she did.

Mess it up, I did.

I HATE screwing up on food. (I hate it so much that I even highlighted "hate" in red. I never highlight.) I hate screwing up on food like I hate Satan. When I mess up on a recipe, I don't want to touch it ever again. Like fudge. I tried twice and now I will never try again. I am afraid I might never make vanilla ice cream ever again. I hope that isn't the case. I will see how I feel when I recover.

To substitute the vanilla ice cream I had intended to succeed in making, I luckily had Breyer's Natural Vanilla. Next best thing to homemade.

These little bananas are decadent. Warm, sweet and delicious. I like it with coconut, but you could do almonds (my mom likes those).




1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream (Cafe Johnsonia's recipe below)
1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a medium bowl, add heavy cream. With a hand mixer on high, whisk the cream. Once frothy, add powdered sugar. Continue mixing until firm, about 2 minutes. Put in the fridge until serving time.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the bananas, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Gently stir to combine. Simmer until the brown sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately over ice cream. Garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Cafe Johnsonia Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups cold heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
4-8 egg yolks (8 will be super rich, 4 is perfect)
2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)
pinch salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)

Heat the whole milk in a pan until very hot. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and thick. Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs while whisking. Pour it back into the pan and cook over medium heat until it reaches 160 degrees F. (It will coat the back of a spoon.) Strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add the cold cream, vanilla, and salt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until very cold--about three hours. (Or you can do an ice bath. Put the bowl in a bowl full of ice & water. It will chill super fast if you use a metal bowl.) Churn it.

Make sure if you are using a Cuisinart-type maker that you freeze the bowl for at least 12-16 hours so the ice cream will churn and freeze properly.

And hey, HAPPY TAX DAY!
I like to count my blessings on tax day.
I count my two little write-offs, Van and Jack.
Ethan is a blessing. He makes our refund possible.
I count my tax guy Andrew as a blessing.
And I also count all of our medical expenses we got to write-off.

Almost makes the expenses worth it.
Almost.

Bird Nests

These are so festive and so cute.

Jack wanted to make a treat for some of his little friends and church teachers. His main job was putting the eggs in the nests. He would have helped shape the nests, but he didn't want to get his hands dirty. What 4 year old little boy doesn't want to get their hands dirty? So his job was "laying" the eggs. Oh, he also made sure the Peeps were eaten as well. Such a helper I have.

Speaking of Peeps, how do you like to eat yours? Ethan and all his family likes theirs stale and dried out. Like you buy a pack of Peeps, open them and let them sit on the counter for a week. I have also heard that some people freeze them. I like them fresh. How do you do Peeps?

There are two varieties of bird nests you can make. Chocolate peanut butter or butterscotch. I like the chocolate peanut butter better because it looks less gooey when the nests are finally set.



Chocolate Peanut Butter:
5 cups chow mein noodles
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter

Butterscotch:
3 cup chow mein noodles
2 cup butter scotch chips

Line two cookie sheet with waxed paper or a Silpat and set aside. In a large bowl, add chow mein noodles and set aside.

In a double boiler over high heat, add the chips (and peanut butter if you are making chocolate peanut butter). Melt until smooth. Pour over chow mein noodles and mix gently until all the noodles are coated.

Using your hands, scoop out mounds of chow mein noodles onto the cookie sheet. Form a hole in the middle and build up the sides. Repeat until all noodles are used. Wash hands and then add robin eggs.

Put the cookie sheet in the fridge and let set for 30 minutes. Once set, remove bird nests and set on a serving platter.

Rookie's Notes: On some of the nests, I sprinkled on toasted coconut. To toast coconut, set your oven to 250 degrees. Spread some sweetened flaked coconut onto a cookie sheet and put into the oven. Toast for 10-15 minutes, being sure to shake the pan often so that the coconut toasts evenly. Remove from oven and let cool before using on the bird nests.

Trifle alla Disaster

Have you ever made cupcakes and they come out looking like this?

Believe it or not, the Rookie Cookie makes kitchen mistakes. I am not one of those food bloggers who jumps on the blog pony saying I am going to post my kitchen triumphs and mistakes. I don't post mistakes. I am too insecure to do that. So why am I posting this mistake? Because I reworked the cupcakes into something delightful. Observe:

Why did my lovely chocolate espresso cupcakes die? Because I over-filled the tins. When you get a little crazy and try and use all your batter, the tins over-flow and the middle sinks. What a huge disappointment.

Instead of tossing them, I made a trifle. I scraped the cupcakes out of the tins and crumbled them up. Then I made some raspberry whipped cream. It was nothing more than heavy cream, powdered sugar and raspberry jam. As I was whipping the cream, I added the sugar and then added heaping spoonfuls of jam until I got the taste I wanted. I layered the whipped cream on top of the cupcakes and then added a little chocolate sauce and then repeated.

Was it good? Fantastically good. Chocolate pudding would have made it even better.

Berry Peach Crumble with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This recipes is for a crowd. And the recipe for the crumb topping makes a lot, because that really is the best part, right?



For the crumb topping:
3 cups flour
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp (generous) ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, cooled slightly

For the filling:
3 bags of frozen mixed berries, thawed in a strainer over a bowl to catch the extra moisture
4 cups canned or fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar

Set the oven to 375 degrees.

For the crumb topping, combine the flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and mix well. Using your hands works best. Set aside.

For the filling, combine berries, peaches, cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Gently stir to combine. Pour into a greased deep 9x13 pan. Spread evenly. Add the crumb topping and gently press it down, being sure to go all the way to the edges.

Bake on a cookie sheet for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup to 1 cup powdered sugar, depending on your taste
Cinnamon to taste

In a large bowl, add the heavy whipping cream. Mix with a hand mixer on medium. Once beginning to thicken (about 1 minute), begin adding powdered sugar, tasting as you go. Once the cream is as sweet as you like, begin adding cinnamon while mixing. Be sure to add the all the cinnamon you want before the cream is fully whipped (about 5 minutes), so as to avoid over whipping.

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

About a week ago, we had a Pumpkin Carving Contest. And if it wasn't for me being so good at pumpkin carving, I wouldn't have won "Scariest Pumpkin". Darn it.

For our pumpkin party, I made these. We also had spiced cider, donuts and pumpkin pie ice cream. The Fall Spirit was so strong. I keep gaining a stronger testimony of fall.



1/4 cup popcorn, popped (or one bag of microwave popcorn, buttered or not, although buttered makes it that much better)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 large package marshmallows
Extra butter for assembling popcorn balls
Waxed paper
Popsicle sticks

Add the popcorn to a large bowl and set aside. Lay a sheet of waxed paper on the counter and some butter to rub on your hands.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the brown sugar and butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn a little at a time. Stir well to combine (it's messy). Once cooled enough to handle, spread butter on your hands. Grab a handful of popcorn and make it into a ball. Squeeze it tight so it will hold it's shape. Place finished popcorn balls on the waxed paper. Allow them to set and then push a popsicle stick into them.

Chocolate Soufflé

I am figuring out that the best desserts with the best texture take work, not fancy ingredients. This is for sure not a dump-and-stir type of dessert. You have to be ready to use some different techniques. But the pay off is a dessert that has a texture that is amazing. Remember the Meyer Lemon Semifreddo? The smoothness and airiness of that stuff was amazing. Not difficult ingredients, just extra steps in the preparation.




3 Tbsp butter, plus more for greasing the soufflé cups
6 Tbsp sugar, plus more for dusting the soufflé cups
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa
2 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
4 eggs, separated

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Set a full kettle of water on to boil.

Butter six 4-oz soufflé cups/ramekins and coat with sugar. Set aside.

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cocoa to the butter and beat with a wire whisk until it forms a smooth, paste-like consistency. Reduce the heat and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly add the hot milk, whisking until smooth, then blend in melted chocolate. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in egg yolks.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until frothy. Slowly add sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Stir in a heaping spoonful of egg whites into the chocolate, then fold in the remaining egg white until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared soufflé cups. Place cups in a large baking dish and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the soufflé cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Caramel Popcorn

I made LOADS of this stuff last Christmas. I think it was something like 13 batches. I thought my microwave was going to fizzle out on me for sure. But it didn’t and neighbors and friends enjoyed caramel popcorn.

When I went on my rounds to drop off my bags of golden goodness, one stop included the Swift Family. I walked up the steps and heard what sounded like children being abused. Yelling, screaming, banging, dog barking. For sure something wasn’t right. I hesitantly knocked on the door and the beatings stopped. The door opened and a little blond 4 year old, who doesn’t favor “R’s”, said, “We are having a wumble!” Sure enough, up to the door staggers the poor dad who had obviously been the subject of the abuse. Sweaty, tired and covered in dog hair, he thanked me for my offerings, gave me a plate of their holiday sweets, and then got back to being the victim of his 4 year old and 7 year old.

And from what I heard later, the popcorn became fuel and the “wumble” kept on.



1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
8 cups popped unflavored popcorn

In a large, glass, measuring cup, combine the sugar, syrup, salt, butter, and vanilla. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the baking soda and stir well (mixture will foam).

Pour the popcorn into a large brown paper bag (think Trader Joe's. I know a lot of people have those). Pour the syrup into the bag and stir to coat. Turn the bag under to close and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Transfer the caramel corn mixture to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper to cool.

Rookie’s Notes: For the popcorn, I use a microwave popcorn. One bag is just enough. And if you don’t have plain microwave popcorn, no biggie. I used buttered with this batch and it makes it that much more rich and buttery.

Chocolate Truffles

After Jack woke up from his nap, he saw these little gems on the counter. Of course he asked for one. He scarfed it down and promptly asked for a repeat. I said, “Son, you can’t just shove it down your throat. It is a delicacy. Can you say delicacy?”

“Decalcy.”

“No, del-i-ca-cy”

“No, decalcy.”

He is so refined.



8 oz bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup cocoa powder

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Let it stand for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Stir in the vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture has lightened in color and holds a soft peak, about 3 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.

Sift the cocoa powder over a baking sheet. To shape the truffles, use 2 spoons (I used 1 tsp measuring spoons) to measure out small lumps of chocolate just as your would drop cookie dough, and drop them onto the cocoa-lined baking sheet. Rub your hands in some cocoa powder to keep the chocolate from sticking. Then pick up one of the lumps of chocolate and lightly roll it between the palms of your hands to a form a ball. Put the truffle back on the baking sheet and roll it in the cocoa powder until it is entirely covered. Do the same with the rest of the truffles. Put all of the truffles on a plate and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve. They will keep for up to a week. Take them out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Yields 30 truffles.