{delightful} Gluten Free Chocolate Candy Bites

Today's recipe is a little something sweet. Who doesn't like a good chocolate candy recipe?



I know these will be gone at my house in less then 30 minutes. Enjoy! This is a great recipe to get your kids involved in. My kids love taking turns stirring...and sampling along the way of course.

Gluten Free Chocolate Candy Bites

by amy twomey

ingredients

3 packages of gluten free German Chocolate

6 c. big marshmallow's

2 c. crushed up pecans

1 T. cream

Using a double broiler melt the chocolate and marshmallow's until smooth. Add pecans and cream. Stir well. Remove from heat and begin dropping spoon size drops onto a sheet of wax paper.

Let cool and harden. I put mine in freezer to speed up process!

{delightful} Whoopie Pie

Whoop it up for valentines Day!

I first had a whoopie pie when my husband and I lived in Pennsylvania. We would go to the best farmers market there. Unbelievable! They had all flavors of whoopies - traditional chocolate, red velvet, pumpkin. The traditional whoopie is made with a more cake type cookies. But the 10 year old's didn't seem to mind my switch.

There is nothing healthy about this. But a treat now and then is good for the soul I say. So butter, sugar and chocolate chips it is. These treats go right to a kids heart. Sweet fluff sandwiched between two yummy cookies. And we have a few extra cookies to boot.

soft and delicious chocolate chip cookies by ann west and sue whiteside

(this recipe is one that sue and i perfected when we had our catering business - sweet classics! I can't even guess how many chocolate chip cookies we made???? too many to count for sure!)

4 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sweet butter - soft

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tbls corn syrup

3 eggs

2 tbls vanilla

3 cups chocolate chips

cream your butter and sugars. Add your eggs. Mix your dry ingredients and add them. Fold in your chips. Bake at 375 degree oven on parchment paper for 11 - 15 minutes depending on the size of your cookie. let cool.

Whoop - cream filling - The All American Cookie Book, by Nancy Baggett

1/3 cup shortening

1/3 cup butter - soft

1 cup powder sugar

1 1/2 tbls corn syrup

2 tsp vanilla

2 pinch salt

1 7 oz jar of marshmallow creme

With a mixer beat the shortening, butter, sugar and corn syrup, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme until blended. Fill your cooled cookies.

note: This isn't my favorite whoop. I think I would prefer a traditional butter cream. But this one is easy and the kids LOVED it!

happy valentines day!

{delightful} 13 year old's birthday cake

photo by ann west

It is my daughters 13 birthday this weekend. Do I want to cry or cheer??? Ok I am a little torn about her reaching this milestone. Our relationship is changing ... sad to see my young little girl grow but I soooo love the depth of our relationship now. A teenager. She deserves a wonderful cake at the very least. I am looking forward to spending some time making this cake. I hope I can let the memories flood in and the anticipation of what comes next excite me. She is an awesome girl... fun, creative, sensitive, loving. I love her dearly and I hope it shows. This one is for you my dear daughter of 13.

yellow cake with chocolate icing by ann west

yellow cake -

cream together :

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter soft

2 cups sugar

add & mix well:

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

sift together:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbls baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk ( I like to bake with whole buttermilk) add in 2 tsp vanilla

Alternate mixing into the butter mixture the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture and mix well. Pour into prepared cake pans. (Let the Birthday girl lick the bowl). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Don't over cook.

chocolate ganache frosting...

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbls sugar

2 tbls light corn syrup

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

I based this recipe on one that I got from epicurious. I think they said it was Chef, Ed Kasky's. I decreased the amount of chocolate for cost and added vanilla because (chocolate and vanilla make the ultimate pair). If you have never frosted a cake with a ganache... its time. It is lovely to spread - it goes on like silk. This recipe makes just enough for a 9 in double layer cake. I hope you enjoy!