A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
This is the Ultimate Malted Milkshake. Made for lovers of extra maltiness! This is a childhood treat. In my humble opinion, a malt is so much better than a regular milkshake. It has more flavor and complexity than just ice cream and milk. Made with malted chocolate candy, extra malted milk powder, homemade whipped cream and a mini ice cream cone garnish – this the ULTIMATE malt!
I loved this malt. It was surprisingly not too sweet, it was perfectly malty and oh so delicious!
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This week, Betsy from Desserts Required is doing a guest post! I love Betsy and I know you will too! We’ve been friends for a few years now and I must tell you, when you are around her – a good time will be had, whether you like it or not! 🙂 She is a ball of energy, a ray of sunshine and has a serious sweet-tooth just like your truly. Betsy is a “girl’s girl”, a cheerleader & champion of her friends, the kind of friend everyone should have.
Hello Pook’s Pantry readers!
I am so excited to guest blog while Cheryl takes some much needed time to recover from her surgery. I met Cheryl at Food Wine Conference a couple of years ago and last year she was my roommate. To say that I love and adore her would be an understatement. I mean, seriously, you already know how fabulous her sense of humor is in addition to her talent in the kitchen but I got to see it firsthand. Cheryl was on team Betsy’s Balls in the Chopped competition and, holy moly, can that woman cook!
My blog is Desserts Required and I live by the mantra, “Without desserts, life would not be as sweet.” If there is a delicious dessert within reach, driving distance or flying distance, I am always up for giving it a try. That goes for candy, too.
Since Thanksgiving is two days away, I thought it would be best to offer a quick and delish option to make; Holiday Candy Bark. I love the idea of making something that is as easy to serve at home as it is to take to someone for a hostess gift.
The key is to use high quality chocolate. I love bittersweet chocolate but Holiday Candy Bark will work just as well with semisweet, milk or even white chocolate. When I was at Whole Foods buying dried cranberries and unsweetened shredded coconut, I had trouble locating dried apricots. I was directed to a bin of very dark, almost black, apricots. I thought something was wrong with them but learned that they were Turkish apricots and, as such, did not contain sulphur, which gives that very bright unnatural orange color. Although, initially, I wanted that bright orange color, I opted for the natural dried fruit. Feel free to use whichever dried apricot you prefer.
Assembly is a breeze. It’s just a matter of adding layers of dried fruit, coconut and toasted pecans over most of the melted chocolate and then drizzling more melted chocolate over the top to keep the goodies in place.
Best of all, Holiday Candy Bark is great throughout this holiday season. I’ve even heard a rumor that Santa loves a batch with his milk and cookies!
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A delicious, no-bake treat perfect for hostess gifts and holiday gatherings!
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually a blur for most of us, which is why I’ve complied a dozen recipes that could come in handy for this time of the year. There are cookies, cupcakes, homemade sanding sugar, hot chocolate and an adult beverage or two to enjoy.
Happy Holidays to you & yours! Thank you so much for stopping by!
I try, I mean I REALLY try to eat a healthy diet about 90% of the time… but, there is this issue I have with sweets. I don’t limit myself to candy a few times a year like most reasonable people… I limit myself to chocolate a few times a month (ok, a WEEK!), it’s a problem but honestly I don’t care. Chocolate Bark is one of the easiest treats to pull together and this one has fruit and nuts in it, so it’s practically health food.
We have all seen the peppermint bark for sale around the holidays. Why limit yourself to peppermint and why limit this deliciousness to only the holidays? While we’re on the topic, why pay $20 a pound when you can double that amount for half the price?
This treat is perfect for those times when you want a little something (which for me, is always), but you just don’t feel like turning on the oven, or getting the big stand mixer out, or cleaning up a huge mess (does anyone ever want to clean up a big mess?!). During the summer months, I’m especially inclined to make something that allows me to have my sweet fix without having a 400 degree box of heat cranking in the kitchen.
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Break out the fat pants… It’s Super Bowl Party time. Oh, don’t give me that face! You know as well as I do that no matter what, you and I will be eating more than we should. I love football parties; a gathering of friends, yelling at the television in unison, eating, drinking and being merry… until of course there is a fumble or an interception. Then the merriment seems to dissipate.
This year, I will have my very first Super Bowl Party. I love throwing parties and I will use any excuse to have friends over and feed them. The fact that there will be a football game on is a bonus! The smile that creeps across their lips as they taste something heavenly (or sinful)… that’s the stuff I live for. Seriously.
Here are some of the things that will be on our Super Bowl party menu:
photo courtesy of Cravings of a Lunatic
http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2014/01/jalapeno-bacon-poppers-appetizerweek-savorx-giveaway.html
She had me at bacon… Dang. You know those (GASP) frozen jalapeno poppers that people seem to be a fan of?! Make these and they will NEVER think those are a good idea, ever again. These little babies pack a punch and leave you reaching for more!
Who doesn’t love a corndog?!
https://www.pookspantry.com/guilty-pleasures/
This is serious. I don’t recommend eating these often, but once in a while… You need a corndog. Especially if they are mini size! These are so much fun! They are a taste of childhood for me. It was a special treat that we used to get and that sweet corn batter, deep-fried to golden brown delicious makes me smile every single time. A tray of these will make your friends very happy.
photo by: Alex Farnum
coutesy of: Leite’s Culinaria
http://leitesculinaria.com/87995/recipes-soft-pretzels.html
These little gems are on my menu. I love a soft pretzel more than any reasonable person really should… If I am somewhere that has them, I’m not walking out without one. I’m making a BIG batch of these and stashing some for those nights when the craving strikes. These are absolute snack perfection.
photo courtesy of: Pastry Chef Online
http://pastrychefonline.com/2014/01/23/turtle-graham-crackers-candy/
Tell me your brain isn’t thinking “how do I get some of that?!” After all the snacks have been devoured, your guests are going to need something sweet. Jenni has come up with something that fits the bill quite nicely.
photo courtesy of: Pass the Sushi
http://passthesushi.com/huli-huli-bacon-chicken-bites-captainstable/
If these don’t scream “SUPER BOWL PARTY”, I don’t know what does… Check them out & tweet with #captainstable to help donate a buck to ending hunger! Chicken wrapped in bacon… that is all kinds of right.
photo courtesy of: Foodie with Family
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2014/01/29/garlic-parmesan-stadium-style-baked-steak-fries/
Is there ANYONE on the planet who doesn’t love fries? These are not just ordinary fries… Look at that cheesy, herb-laden goodness. These would be good for a party, movie night, dinner, a random Tuesday… You get my point.
Sweet Corn Fritters & a Cold Beer= Perfection
https://www.pookspantry.com/445/
Sweet Corn Fritters. What else is there to say? A plate of these & a cold beer and all is right with the world. There are so many ways to dress these up. You can leave them plain, as I did here, or mix in some bacon or crab. Wanna keep it vegetarian? Roasted red peppers, chipotle in adobo for a little kick or scallions would be nice.
Thanks to all of my generous friends who allowed me to use their images & links! Please check them out… And a big THANK YOU to all of you who take a few moments to read this blog!
#SuperBowl #GameDay #Food
Growing up in the buckeye state, I have had a buckeye or two (thousand) and while the recipe is indeed very simple, not all buckeyes are created equal.
Buckeyes represent home to me, maybe that has something to do with my affection for them. Ohio is the Buckeye State, the state tree is the Buckeye and even our football team has the same name.
The very basics of this recipe are peanut butter and chocolate. Perhaps you’ve heard of this teensy little company that makes a candy based on that very flavor combination?! I mean, yours truly may have used a chocolate bar to scoop peanut butter out of the jar a time or two but I’m not confirming that. Whether someone got chocolate in your peanut butter or peanut butter in your chocolate, just be thankful they did.
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