Tag Archives: desserts

Travel/Food

Peanut Butter Blossom recipe review

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By: Norah Hoglund

Peanut butter blossom cookies are one of my favorite types of cookies. I really like the taste and I also think they are super cute! I am going to be reviewing a recipe from preppy kitchen.com

Here is the link to the recipe: link

Review

Taste

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is perfect in these cookies. Peanut butter adds saltiness and the chocolate adds the perfect flavor to complement it. It is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I find it best to eat these cookies fresh out of the oven so that the chocolate is still melted. I also like how these cookies are rolled in sugar because it adds a nice texture on the outside. I would rate the taste a 10/10.

Baking Process

These cookies were quick to make and they didn’t have to bake for very long. You can also fit quite a few of them on a pan since they are small and they don’t expand too much. The only tricky part is that you have to have all the Hershey Kisses you need unwrapped so that you can put them on the cookies right after they come out of the oven. I would rate the process an 8/10

Overall, I would rate this recipe a 9/10 and would definitely make these cookies again.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (188g)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling (100g)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 36 Hersey’s Chocolate Kisses unwrapped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter, unsalted butter, sugars and salt. Cream together by beating on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour and baking soda and beat on low speed just until combined.
  3. Scoop the dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Coat in additional granulated sugar if desired. Place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies look puffy and cracked and the bottom just start to turn brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. (The cookies will crack and that’s okay!) Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan, until the chocolate is set. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Travel/Food

Brownie recipe review

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By: Norah Hoglund

Brownies are one of my favorite desserts. I love chocolate pastries and a good brownie is one of my favorite things ever. I have made many different recipes and today I am reviewing a recipe from Baker by Nature.

Link to the recipe: here

Review

This recipe made really good brownies all around. The top was crackly, just like it was advertised. They were very fudgy in the middle, but not undercooked. The edges were very crispy, which is good for the edge piece kind of people. I really enjoyed the chocolate chips that were mixed into the batter. They added a very nice texture to contrast the pastry texture. The chocolate flavor was strong, but it was still very sweet. As the brownies cooled, the edges got a bit more crispy. I personally prefer softer edges, but some people like them crispier. These brownies were really great overall and would go great with vanilla ice cream. I would rate them a 9/10 overall.

Recipe

  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (43g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional (don’t use if you don’t like coffee)
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons (28ml) oil canola, vegetable, or coconut will work
  • 1 and 1/3 cups (265g) granulated sugar divided
  • 2 large large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract optional, but recommended
  • 3/4 cup (128 grams) chocolate chips

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) (175 degreed C). Line an 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside until needed.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla (if using) and remaining sugar. Whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.
  5. Slowly, pour the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture, adding it very gradually (a little bit at a time) and whisking constantly until completely combined.
  6. Add in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and, using a rubber spatula, slowly stir until just combined.
    • *Do not over mix! Stop stirring when you see the last trace of dry ingredients. Over mixing will give you cakey brownies.
  7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake for 28 (to 30 minutes) or until the edges are firm and the top is shiny and slightly cracked.
  9. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Travel/Food

Homemade Tru Fru recipe review

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By: Alice Rapacz and Evie Beaumaster

If you’re anything like us, you have tried Tru Fru and loved it. Like Tru Fru, other frozen chocolate dipped fruits are very good but they leave quite a dent in your pocket! We decided to try to make our own and to see if we could make something comparable, but for a smaller price.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of raspberries (or other fruits we used strawberries)
  • 1 cup of white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup of dark chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons of coconut oil

To make the homemade Tru Fru, we chose to use strawberries as our fruit. We started by cutting the stems off our strawberries, coring them, and cutting them in half. You want to make sure that your strawberries are completely dry because when you freeze them, they will stick together if they are wet.

After the strawberries are all cut and washed, we put them on a baking sheet to freeze. We covered the baking sheet with parchment paper and made sure that the strawberries weren’t touching each other.

After about 3 hours, the strawberries were fully frozen. We kept them in the freezer while we prepared the chocolates. In two microwave safe bowls add the chocolates (separately) and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Microwave the white chocolate chips first, before doing the milk/dark chocolate, we chose dark. Microwave in 30 second intervals mixing in between each one.

Once fully melted we pulled out the frozen strawberries and added them into a bowl so we could put our dipped strawberries on the baking sheet. We used a fork to dip the strawberries in the chocolate and shook off the extra chocolate so that there would only be a thin layer of chocolate on each strawberry.

After half the strawberries were coated in white chocolate, we had to melt more chocolate to finish the rest of the strawberries and continue dipping the strawberries.

Once they all were coated in white chocolate, we moved onto the dark chocolate. We used the same process of melting, and because the strawberries were frozen to start, the chocolate hardened onto the strawberries so we did not have to put them back into the freezer. After they were all dipped, they were ready to eat!

In the end, the strawberries were really good. Since we used a fork to shake off extra chocolate, there was a nice and thin layer on the strawberries. If it was thicker, it would have been really hard to bite. If you leave the strawberries out for around 3 minutes before eating, it makes the strawberries thaw just enough so they are easier to eat.

The dark chocolate evens out the sweetness from the white chocolate, and the two pair well with the strawberry. Since they are frozen, they would be a perfect sweet treat for on a hot summer day. The strawberries are sweet and fresh, with the chocolate added, they are really good. We made the strawberries when some of our friends were with us. They all really liked them and thought they were a perfect treat to end the night.

Overall, the recipe was pretty easy to follow and the strawberries tasted really good. We think that this recipe is a great way to save some money if you also like Tru Fru. We made around 40 strawberries and the total cost was around $11.78. A typical Tru Fru bag comes with around 16 strawberries for $6.99. For the homemade strawberries it cost around 30 cents per strawberry, the Tru Fru cost around 43 cents. While this is not that big of a difference, we both thought it was worth it. Not only was it fun to make, but we also got to have a delicious treat too. If you ever want a fun and delicious treat to make, we definitely recommend this homemade Tru Fru recipe.

The original recipe!

https://www.liveeatlearn.com/frozen-chocolate-raspberries/

Travel/Food

THE BEST CHRISTMAS DESSERTS TO EAT

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By: Grace Lopez

1. Gingerbread cookies

Photo by Damir on Pexels.com

These cookies have a really good cinnamon, strong and sweet flavor. This is such a good snack to have every Christmas and whenever you want. This type of cookie is also really popular to make and use to make gingerbread houses and decorate them with frosting and small candies.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies/

2. Brownies

Brownies are an awesome chocolate, gooey snack. A lot of people really like to snack on them daily. Brownies are also a really popular snack for any occasion. A lot of people also like to put different toppings on the brownie like sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, frosting, etc.

https://www.loveandlemons.com/brownies-recipe/

3. Sugar cookies

Sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookies to have on Christmas. They are really good and amazing to eat and a lot of people also like them with frosting. Sugar cookies are also really popular for Christmas and the holiday seasons.

https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/

4. Pecan pie cheesecake

Pecan pie cheesecake is also an absolute favorite to have on Christmas. A lot of people really like the sweetness of the cheesecake combined with the taste of the pecans and it is really good to eat.

https://www.thekitchn.com/pecan-pie-cheesecake-22956001

5. Peanut butter snowballs

This dessert is perfect if you really like a peanut butter and chocolate combined flavor. This is a really popular dessert for the peanut butter lovers. This snack tastes really good with any type of chocolate dipped in it. I personally like it with white chocolate but you can choose any type of chocolate.

https://lilluna.com/peanut-butter-snowballs/

Travel/Food

Top 5 Christmas desserts

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By: Isabel Strack

Image created with Pixabay:https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-christmas-8400419/

There are many dessert options for Christmas, but these are the most popular ones and here’s why.

Peppermint bark

Peppermint bark is a very popular Christmas dessert, and here is why. Many people like peppermint bark because it is very easy to make and tastes delicious.

You can bring it to family gatherings or even just to have in your house when you’re wanting something sweet.

To make it, all you need to do is melt a white chocolate bar, cut up some candy canes, and then you just chill it and it’s ready to eat. Peppermint bark is a big crowd pleaser and you will get many compliments on your baking skills.

Here is a link to a recipe for Peppermint bark: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a41534277/peppermint-bark-recipe/

Gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies are also another big Christmas treat, and here is why. Many people enjoy these types of cookies because they just look and taste like Christmas.

These gingerbread cookies have been a popular dessert for awhile now, so many people will assume someone will bring it to a gathering.

These cookies started when Russian bakers would make these cookies as a replica for the people attending the party that day or evening.

These cookies will be very easy to bake as long as you have a cookie cutter.

Here is a link to a recipe for Gingerbread cookies: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies/

Frosted sugar cookies

These cookies are very fun and easy to make. You can make these cookies into fun shapes, and cool designs that you can frost on.

Many people already have their own recipe for these cookies, and enjoy baking them with their family for the holidays.

These cookies are pretty easy to make and are a fan favorite.

Here is a link to a recipe for Frosted sugar cookies: https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-sugar-cookie-recipe/#recipe

Mint brownies

These brownies aren’t as popular as the desserts I talked about before, but still taste delicious and everyone will enjoy them. They are a little bit more hard to make than the others but are still pretty easy to make, and will be worth it in the end.

Many people don’t know about this dessert, but once you bring it to a gathering people will be telling you how delicious they are and asking what the recipe is.

Here is a link to a recipe for Mint brownies: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/classic-mint-chocolate-brownies/#tasty-recipes-74358

Caramelized pecans

This also isn’t as popular as the other desserts, but it is one of the easiest and best tasting desserts you can make.

If you aren’t a very good baker or just don’t enjoy baking that much these pecans are the way to go.

Although it is very easy to make, it is still very good and will make your whole house smell like Christmas.

Here is a link to a recipe for Caramelized pecans: https://stripedspatula.com/stovetop-caramelized-pecans/#wprm-recipe-container-11234