It’s been a while since Claudia and I actually sat down to bake together, which is fairly contradictory to my actual goal of this blog. Therefore, we made it our mission to set some time aside and get our bake on this past weekend. We also had Christmas movies on in the background. (more…)
Cadbury Mini Egg Fudge
Remember the time I decided to go on a Smoothie Diet? Yeah. Let’s pretend that never happened. I blame drinking smoothies 3 times a day for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. It actually wasn’t all bad. I lost a few pounds and learned that I could drink spinach and not gag. It actually tasted pretty darn good! But boy, did I miss chocolate (and pretty much any food that wasn’t in liquid form). At one point, I was even craving a salad. A SALAD! The world works in mysterious ways, my friends.
Well, I survived and I decided to make my triumphant return to you by featuring the most decadent, rich, chocolaty dessert on the face of the earth. That’s right, screw you smoothies! This recipe is an adaptation from a recipe my future Mother-in-Law gave me over Christmas. It was given to her a few years ago by her friend who sadly is no longer with us. My future Mother-in-Law was nice enough to give us some fudge over the holidays and I quickly fell in love (with the fudge…well, and I guess with her too!). She was kind enough to give me the recipe and I had to adapt it to include one of my favourite candy’s ever – Cadbury Mini Eggs! The original recipe called for chopped nuts, but I figured Mini Eggs were crunchy too – so why the heck not? I cannot begin to describe how unbelievable this fudge is. It’s seriously the best fudge I’ve ever tasted. Like, EVER. And that’s not the 2 week smoothie diet talking. It’s soft, sweet and oh, so rich. A little square goes a long way. Topped with the fact that there are delicious morsels of Mini Eggs inside, well my taste buds simply can’t handle it! I actually went into a mini chocolate coma yesterday. Truth.
Butterscotch Fudge Guinness Brownies
I don’t have many Irish tendencies. Being Ukrainian, I pretty much have no real reason to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I think I tried once. I own one of those gigantic hats that is green, white, and full of shamrocks. I honestly have no idea where I even got it from!
I’m always looking for excuses to bake. With Claudia still out of town on vacation, I figured I would play around with a new recipe. I wanted to something for St. Patrick’s Day because it was an easy theme. However, I didn’t want to bake something normal with green food colouring and call it a day – not that there is anything wrong with that! I wanted to do something I’ve never done before. I wanted to bake with beer. But not any type of beer. I wanted to bake with the king of Irish beers – Guinness.
This recipe is adapted from the little epicurean. These brownies are very moist, chewy and flavourful. The Guinness adds a richness in the brownie that could not be replicated by any other ingredient. This is the perfect (sober) way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day…or any day!
Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “I ate three times my body weight in holiday baking a mere month ago. Why would I want to bake and eat any more – especially when my New Years Resolution is to eat healthy?!” I hear what you are saying and feel the same way. Except when I am faced with these amazing chocolatey treats (like last night when I went over to my parents for dinner) and throw all my good eating intentions out the window.
Claudia has made these little treats for Christmas for as long as I can remember. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I seem to fall further and further in love with them every year. They are probably one of the simplest desserts to make and fulfill even the biggest chocolate cravings. Sweet with a hint of salty, these crunchy gems are a must try. You will thank me – I promise!