Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies

As the New Year approaches we all start thinking about change, what will we aspire to accomplish? what we hope to give up? what we want to begin?  So many aspirations, hopes and rules we place on ourselves starting on the same day. January 1st for many is "El Dia de Esperanza" The Day of Hope, a fresh start, a day of endless possibilities. 

I am guilty of coming up with lists of changes and goals destined to be completed before the New Year, many of which.......actually ALL of which I think I may have given up on or forgot about by the second week of January ( the 13th of January which is actualy Make Your Dreams Come True Day, which when I read this I thought it was ironic and kind of a pathetic thought to think it only took me two weeks to forget about my goal. 

Anyway I reassured myself that we're all human and rules are made to be broken....Besides there were also things that I accomplished that weren't on my list of "resolutions" which had to account for something....Right?  However for the very first time in my history of New Year's Resolutions I actually followed through with one for the whole entire year.  You want to know what it was?........

Well it was actually keeping up with my blog, and with more than 50 new entries each spanning through every month of this year I happily realized that I had finally succeeded in my goal of actually following through with my resolution and it felt AMAZING! 

Although hurricanes and holidays slowed down my posting a little at the end of the year, it never did stop me. So I plan to go into 2013 muy feliz with my accomplishments from last year, and eager to see what's in store for this one! So while your waiting to ring in the New Year, why not have a spicy sweet treat by your side?!  I know I will........ these Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies make great company!

These cookies are really super simple and easy to make if you use any ready made gingerbread and chocolate chip cookie dough found in your grocer's freezer.  Or you can give these recipes a try, or use your own if you some!


This gingerbread recipe actually yields more dough than you need, you can always freeze and save the left over dough or mix it into ice cream for an extra yummy treat!


                                                                               Ingredients

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


                                                                          Recipe

In a large bowl mix the shortening, sugar, and molasses together thoroughly, either by hand or with a mixer. Then stir in the water.

Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until well combined.
Cover the bowl, and chill the dough for at least two hours (or overnight).

                                                          Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

                                                                        Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips                                                                        Recipe

	Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
	Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
	In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wood spoon.   Once done refrigerate with the other cookie dough for two hours or overnight. Once you have both cookie dough prepared you can either roll both doughs equally into one ball or you can do it the way I did. Which was roll each cookie dough into a ball and kind of smoosh one on top of the other. Next place the balls of cookie dough on cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart.  Bake 12-15 minutes and take them out when the look a light golden brown color. Leave them to completely cool, then grab a great big glass of leche (milk) and ENJOY!

 

Gingerbread S'more Boys

When I found out that the ladies from confessions of a cookbook queen and cookies and cups were hosting a Holiday Recipe Contest, I just knew I wanted to join in! I must be honest, I am a chica with a true "sweet tooth" I would much rather sink my teeth into a ooey gooey, caramel sweet Caramello Bar than a plate full of savory vitamin enriched peas and carrots.


 Once upon a time,I may have even been faced with a choice between the two as a meal choice and conceded to the one with the rationalization that I wasn't "that" hungry and I wanted something quick and light! Ummm I think my idea of " light" that day was relative to how heavy the package was and not the calorie packed muffin top making guilt enriched reality of my choice, or better yet my downfall. So if your one of those calorie hunting, unable to take a bite without thoroughly examining the nutritional label for fiber count and sugar levels, than I'd like to say that I admire you......but these Gingerbread S'more Boys are not for you! 

These are like s'mores turned inside out, upside down and smothered with everything that rains down from heaven, so do you want to know what's in them?!.....

Well of course you do! It is two rich, milk chocolate  shaped gingerbread boys, slathered with creamy gingerbread cookie dough, covered with refreshingly sweet red peppermint ice cream, than topped with super jumbo campfire marshmallows! 

Is your mouth watering yet? Well it should be because these boys are so good that they should change the saying from " visions of sugar plums" to visions of gingerbread s'more boys dancing in your head!

These are like a super cool frozen treat that are perfect for the little chicos and even the adults at your holiday party.  I love the idea of having a little ice cream treat instead of just the standard oatmeal cookies and vanilla pound cake around for the holiday's. 

I am still not completely happy though.....I really would love to find a way to place a stick in the middle and dip the whole thing in chocolate.....mmmmm...Now that's pure bliss!

                                                                Ingredients

1 bag of gingerbread cookie dough
1 bag of milk or dark chocolate candy melts
1 bag of campfire jumbo marshmallows
1 pint of peppermint ice cream ( I used Edy's Limited Edition Holiday Peppermint)


                                                              Directions

First, you will need to prepare your gingerbread cookie dough, I purchased the Betty Crocker bagged gingerbread cookie dough and eliminated the egg so that the dough was edible raw.

Then you will need to melt around 3 cups of chocolate melts in order to make 4 chocolate gingerbread boys and pour them into molds. You can purchase gingerbread candy molds online or in your local craft store. Once the chocolate is in molds, place them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes.

Once chocolate is set you can start to spread the gingerbread cookie dough all over the chocolate, then add another layer of peppermint ice cream, next you need to place on your jumbo marshmallows.  I placed mine in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them so that they fit better in between the chocolate chicos (boys).

Once you've placed on the marshmallows add the top chocolate gingerbread boy and place in the refrigerator to set for about 20 minutes.  Since these are meant to be eaten frozen you can make them ahead of time and they will continue to be perfectly delicious!  Whenever you ready take them out and enjoy!

                                                           

My Borrachito Rico- Rum Tres Leches Cake Milkshake

So even though it's been a little while since I had a chance to blog, it doesn't mean that blogging wasn't on my mind.......It kind of was like always on my mind, especially since my relentless desire to bake and create never seems to disappear.

Now that I blog there is just one more step added to my routine which is sharing the process. When I was unable to do it, I kind of missed it...a poquito bit!  Especially since I was experening a little slice of milkshake heaven, in a Dia de Los Muertos glass! 

Since I had a few slices of that super rico  El Boracho Rum Tres Leches Cake I decided to dunk  some in a blender filled with milk and very vanilla ice cream give it a whirl and see what pops up!

One sip was a sweet swirl of a creamy rich vanilla ice cream stuffed with chunks of Tres Leches Cakey goodness with a rico Rum finish!

Ingredients

 

 

1 to 2 slices of Tres Leches Cake

 

2 to 3 grande scoops of vanilla ice cream

 

1 to 2 cups of milk ( the amount is based on how thick or thin you prefer your shake)

1/2 tsp of Rum or Rum extract

 

 

Directions

 Put either one or two slices of cake (depending on your preference) into a blender and add a few scoops of ice cream. Add about a cup to two cups of milk (less or more depending on preference) 1/2 tsp of Rum and blend.  Swirl with whipped cream, sprinkles and a plump red cherry!



Makes 1-2 servings.

 





Gratitude & The Nose of La Bruja That Bit You- Boogered Witches Noses

As the saying goes " You never miss something until it's gone", these words have never rang more true to me than they have in the the last few weeks.  Living in New Jersey I've always seemed to yearn for the fast paced life of style savvy and culture enriched New Yorkers, dreamed of waking up every morning to the warm California sun.


And even though I pride myself on being a quote, unquote " indoors type girl"there is something about the beauty of the snow covered rocky mountains in Colorado that had me thinking of packing up my pink North Face jacket and hitting the snowy trails of Denver.



 Living on the Jersey Shore does have it's perks: beautiful beaches, great boardwalks, casinos in Atlantic City in addition I used to think nothing ever affected New Jersey. We have no mudslides, snow avalanches, tornadoes, or devastating earthquakes,maybe a couple of hurricanes but they never amounted to anything other than a little flooding.



However, all of this was true until a few weeks ago when Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey Shore. This super storm virtually devastated and destroyed the coastline taking parts of Atlantic City, leveling Seaside Heights and destroying thousands of homes and leaving millions without power in the process.





I was among those millions who lived almost 9 days half-near frozen without heat, lights, phone, computer, hot food, and for a few of those days even without water ( water main break) going half loca from the isolation and wondering when life would go back to 2012. All the while I was praying for those who lost so much more than I and hoping that they receive the help they so desperately needed.






 Eventually the lights came back on and my family attempted to ease our way back into to normalcy ( it took me a while to reprogram myself from mentally categorizing foods that I could possibly eat semi-cold and one's that I would never touch frozen, to the realization that everything could be eaten piping hot again). When the lights came on  once again a lot of things that we suffered without were restored, but one thing I had lived so long with was gone forever.




 Twinkies.......I loved them as a young chica but after many years without them, a few weeks before the announcement I found amor with them once again.  I also realized their creative potential and decided to turn them into a ghoulish little, bright green witches'( or las brujas is how you call them in Spanish )noses with gummy, rubbery , slimy boogers all over them!

 Disgusting I know but despite the " grossness" of them they were pretty yummy and they went over pretty well with the neighborhood kids with whom I surprised with at least half a dozen of them out of nowhere!  I know Halloween is now well behind us yet another casualty of Hurricane Sandy......Too bad I couldn't predict that in the weeks to come, one single box of Twinkies would sky-rocket to the value of $70 or more on EBay, little did those kids know I was offering them a delicacy! ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Twinkies

Green Chocolate Wafer Melts

Paper Straws or Lollipop Sticks

Gummy Boogers ( you can buy some) here

Parchment Paper or Wax Paper

 

 

Directions

Melt Green Chocolate Wafers in microwave or candy melter, for the microwave make sure to lower power to at least 70 percent and cook at 30 sec intervals and stir until chocolate is completely melted

 

Next, unwrap your Twinkies and insert paper straws or lollipop sticks, now they are ready for the chocolate.

 

Once chocolate is fully melted, the Twinkies are ready for dipping, be sure to dip and coat each Twinkie one at a time and place on wax paper.

 

Sprinkle gummy boogers on each Twinkie as you go, so that the chocolate doesn't harden making it difficult for the boogers to stick.

 

After boogers are generously sprinkled on each Twinkie place them in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes than they are ready to package or simply enjoy!

 

El Borracho- Rum Soaked Tres Leches Cake

Some things in la vida ( life) are so good, it would be a shame if they were missed.  That's exactly how I feel about Tres Leches Cake, it is a sweet, moist sponge cake soaked to the gills in three milks. Hence the name Tres Leches, which is Spanish for just that - three milks.

If the saying goes " American as Apple Pie, then the saying for our vecinos ( neighbors) below the border would be Latin as " Tres Leches Cake".

That is where this yummy cake originated.  The actual birthplace of this Latin dessert is disputable between tres paises diferentes ( three different countries). Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico. All three lay claim for this Queen of Pastel ( cakes) being native to their countries. 

The jury may still be out on who invented this cake, but I give mil gracias ( a million thanks) to my amigo Chulo who introduced this pastel delicoso to me!  Although I'd like to believe that I already knew a lot about Latin culture before him, me being a " Gringa-Latina" ( American girl with an amor for everything Latin). 

Chulo really opened my eyes to so many more awesome traditions, arts and culture within America Latina.  There is nothing like spending time with someone who grew up within a culture , to help give you a taste of what it's really like and bring you closer to yummy, dulce, out of this mundo (world) cakey goodness like Tres Leches Cake!

 

adapted from : Marcela Valladolid, Mexican Made Easy

My version of this cake has a little rum, a traditional tres leches cake does not contain alcohol. In many Latin American countries the addition of alcohol to the cake changes the name to a

" Pastel Borracho" meaning drunken cake.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for the cake pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the cake pan

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

2 cups heavy cream, divided

3 tablespoons Bacardi Gold Rum

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

 

optional:

maraschino cherries

strawberry jam

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch high sides and then line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the whole milk in 2 additions.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake slightly, about 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter with 1-inch high sides.


Pierce the top of the cake all over with a thick skewer. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1 cup heavy cream and  the Bacardi rum in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the cake while warm. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or overnight.

Combine the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream onto top of the cake and garnish with maraschino cherries, strawberries or even peaches.

 

Optional: I wanted a little filling in my cake, so I made a little extra whipped cream mixed with strawberry jam to create an extra sweet center to the cake. You can use any flavor jam that sounds yummy : passion fruit, guava or mango sound pretty delicioso to me as well!

Salsaghetti & Eyeballs- Halloween Chocolate Apple

As a little chica I was what I like to affectionately call myself a "scaredy gato (cat) there was a song that had me scared out of my cabeza.

Every time I heard it, there wasn't many places in my casa that I could go alone for at least 2-3 hours.....True Story! I scurried down the halls, as soon as I walked into my bedroom I would take a flying leap from the doorway onto my bed. You don't even want to know how many lights would be required to even think about entering the bathroom!







  I had a top 5 list of the most scariest things ever invented, these were things that from the age of 5 years old I never, ever, ever, wanted to see and or do. Are interested to hear my list?....Well here it goes: 1. The Incredible Hulk 2. Elevators 3. Daddy Long Leg Spiders 4. The movie Carrie and I lost endless nights of sleep on this one 5. Freddy Kruger.

Oh and this song, it always seemed to keep me alert as I turned corners. I don't know if it was the moving creatures on the wall in the back round or the fact that it reminded me to heighten my already super sense of awareness. This song sent chills up my little 5 year old spine. Obviously now I'm all grown up and I realize that all these things are truly not " that scary" and these fears have left my mind....ahem, well I'm technically still scared of one of these things. I'll leave it up to you to guess which one.

Anyway as I was gently submerging orange moon colored eyes into the softened chocolate dipped apple,swirled with mango flavored gummy spaghetti ( obviously, this is not real spaghetti, but it is a mango flavored licorice with a hint of spicy yumminess, with a side of tamarindo "spagehtti sauce") I could hear that spooky song playing in my head. And for just a split second I thought about peeking over my shoulder, but I shook my head...nahhh, nothing to be scared of anymore....Right!

Ingredients

4 Granny Smith Apples
1 bag of melting chocolate ( Wilton, Merckens, or you can also use a bag of semi-sweet chocolate)
2 packages of Lucas Salsagheti Mango or Watermelon Candy( I purchased mine at my local Mexican tienda, you can also purchase them online here .
1 package of gummy eyeballs
4 cookie pop or Popsicle sticks
1 package of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (these were used as warts)


Recipe

Wash apples, remove stems, and insert wooden craft sticks into the area where you removed the stems. Press firmly to fit the craft stick into the apple.
Melt chocolate wafers or semi-sweet chocolate. Melt the chocolate using the double-boiler method, or via microwave making sure to cook at no more than 45 second intervals or chocolate will burn. I have a chocolate candy apple maker that melts both chocolate and caramel. Of course you can use this maker as well if you have one. Stir the chocolate to make sure that it's fully melted.

Take an apple by the stick and dip it into the melted chocolate, rolling it in a circular motion until the entire apple is coated. Continue this process until you have coated all apples with chocolate.

 

Allow chocolate to set and cool for about 3-4 minutes and then roll the chocolate covered apple in mini- chocolate chips. Place the gummy eyes where you'll think they'll look the scariest, I liked mine all in a row. Then string on the salsagheti around your gummy eyeballs.

 

 Next place the apples on a Crisco sprayed cookie sheet or piece of wax paper to set for about 30 minutes.

 

When apples are set you can wrap them individually in cellophane and tie with a cute decorative bow!

Finger Lickin Good - Creepy Halloween Chocolate Apples

Nothing like severed bloody body parts, wrapped in cellophane stuffed in cardboard coffins happily stacked on store shelves to let us know that the ghoulish days of Halloween are among us! 

Halloween is one of those holidays that just screams for a fiesta, the themes for a Halloween fiesta are sin fin ( without end): pumpkins, witches, scarecrows, ghosts, black cats, mummies and please let us not forget our beloved vampires! ...... Go Team Jacob!, Is there really a choice? Edward will just ruin your whole life forever.

(Uh...umm, okay back to the fiesta)........ I mean c'mon do you really want to spend all that money for your little diablos costumes just to use them one time?!  I actually look forward to the extra invites that my chicas receive from their amigos for a wickedly fun party filled with ghouls and goblins.

I also await the paper from school announcing the date and time of their Halloween party, their school holiday party treats are almost as important as the one's I bring in for their own cumpleanos ( birthday).

It's so much fun choosing between cupcakes with neon vampire teeth and red hot butter cream tongues sticking out the middles or  midnight black ooey gooey chocolate graveyard cakes with nutter butter peanut butter cookie tombstones.

The fact that I have three chica's who still are young enough to party during school hours is a super plus, not to mention the fact that I get three chances to create separate goodies unique to each one of them! 

When I spotted these severed body parts , I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. Visions of dark brown chocolate dipped apples surrounded by bloody fingers and bloody feet and toes splattered with red chocolate "blood" danced in my head. Despite the scary massacre look of it all, I think they came out eerily cute! What do you think? ♥

Ingredients

4 Granny Smith Apples
1 bag of  melting chocolate ( Wilton, Merckens or you can use chocolate chips)
1 bag of  Red melting chocolate
1 bag of bloody severed fingers and feet
4 cookie pop sticks ( I prefer wooden you can use paper or popsicle sticks)


Recipe

Wash apples, remove stems, and insert wooden craft sticks into the area where you removed the stems. Press firmly to fit the craft stick into the apple.

Melt chocolate wafers or semi-sweet chocolate. Melt the chocolate using the double-boiler method, or via microwave making sure to cook at no more than 45 second intervals or chocolate will burn. I have a chocolate candy apple maker that melts both chocolate and caramel. Of course you can use this maker as well if you have one.  Stir the chocolate to make sure that it's fully melted.

Take an apple by the stick and dip it into the melted chocolate, rolling it in a circular motion until the entire apple is coated. Continue this process until you have coated all apples with chocolate.

 

Place the severed limbs all around the base of the apple and let set for about 5 minutes, next melt a cup of red chocolate wafers, once melted place in piping bag and pipe the red chocolate  with an up and down motion to resemble dripping blood.

Place the chocolate dipped apples onto a flat baking pan or cookie sheet lined with wax paper. I sprayed a little Crisco onto the wax paper for extra ease of removal.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Take out and enjoy!  To make the apples fiesta ready wrap them individually in cellophane bags, tie with a decorative ribbon.

 

Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day- September

Well another month has flown by, which means all the waiting, suspense and excitement that surrounds the group I joined called Foodie Pen Pals has taken me over once again!

Seriously I had no idea when I joined that this would be so exciting, and I have to say it is just as exciting receiving my package as it is preparing my package to send away. Actually, I think the sending part is a little more exciting, it's like Christmas Day when you think you've chosen your carino ( loved one) the most perfect gift ever!


You can't wait to see the smile and surprise on their face when they finally get to open their package. I have to be honest I kind of squealed like an 9 year old muchacha when I opened my package this month.I was pretty thankful last month but this time I was completely over the Luna (moon) with what was inside.


It was as if I was walking right there along with my pen pal and I had chosen everything myself!  Karen who has an incredible blog all about being healthy, you should check it out by the way right here.  Karen let me know this was her first month as a foodie pen pal. In her letter she said she may have gone a little overboard, ahem....I'm not saying that she didn't, but I am super happy she had so much fun shopping for me!




This package was filled with so many cool things, would you like to hear what?!  Well here it goes!

♥ Bear Naked-vanilla almond crunch granola, which I have been putting in my yogurt every morning, a nice addition.

♥ Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Dark Chocolate Almonds- ummm, did you read the name of these I think that perfectly describes how delicioso these were!

♥ Justin's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups- I am saving these for a midnight chocolate craving, since their organic they have to be healthy right?

♥ A Bottle of Pure Virginia Clover Honey- have I mentioned that I absolutely love honey and only honey on my buttermilk biscuits. How did she know ?

♥ Peeps Halloween Pumpkins- they were sugar free, my kids dug right into them and had no idea they were sugar free! Ha!....oh and Karen they wanted to say thank you for thinking of them.

♥ Baking Cups in Halloween colors- perfect for the treats I will be sending into my chica's class this Halloween!

♥ PB2- powdered peanut butter, this was by far the coolest stuff I've ever seen! I had no idea that they had powdered peanut butter. I 'm thinking of sprinkling some on the top of chocolate cupcakes just to give it a try.

♥ Casa Mexicana- Chicken Chipotle Tacos and Beef Taco Seasoning- So these are two of the three things that evoked one of the biggest squeals. I am always looking for new Mexican cooking products and they have nothing like this where I live. I can't wait to use them, I've been waiting for
"Un Dia Muy Especial" ( a very special day)

♥ Green & Blacks  Maya Gold- chile and orange spiced dark chocolate- okay no cue in the last and final squeal!  This was like the most perfect gift I could have received, during a recent trip to Atlantic City I saw this chocolate but somehow passed it by. I had regret that I didn't buy it, but it was destined to be mine! ♥

Now you can see how and why I was so elated with all my goodies.

 Gracias, Karen for everything you really did make my day! ♥

Best Ever Chocolate Mexicano- Mexican Hot Chocolate

Parting is such sweet sorrow......no truer words were spoken, especially if you are part of a ultra fun cooking club.

 I found the I heart cooking club by chance, what are the odds that a cooking club that features many different chefs at any given month was featuring the chef I idolize as a " culinary rock star" during the month I stumbled upon it?! I have no question that it was meant to be, especially since I've been meaning to give Rick Bayless' recipes a try but somehow other recipes have gotten in the way. So now the end is here and the cooking club is moving on to a new chef, I will continue my lance de amor pron: lohn-say day- ah-more ( love affair) see doesn't lance de amor sound so much sweeter than just a plain old love affair!



Upholding my belief that everything sounds so much better en Espanol! Okay with that said, here are a few of my favorite Rick recipes so far. This last one is my final entry, which is hands down my favorite one. It's simple and sweet, no fuss no muss just a super easy recipe that leaves you thirsty for more.......literally.

I have always heard how rich and delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate was, but perhaps the fact that I didn't own a molinillo (a traditional turned Mexican wooden whisk) was a deterrent.

I felt like to make an authentic cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate the molinillo was a must, but I finally conceded and decided to give it a try. With my wooden spatula in hand, I stirred the huge cinnamon infused chocolate tablet until it transformed into hot froththy wonderfulness.

Estoy tan feliz(I'm so happy)that I did, my chicas couldn't stop drinking it and giving me praise for all my hard work!

With the last drop sipped, and the chill of fall in the air,we as a familia dubbed Mexican Hot Chocolate our official winter drink...but not until one my chicas suggested that we add a few marshmallows and a splash of cinnamon..leave it to my chicas to add a little American flair! Maybe their on to something.....next time perhaps I will add a little American spirits! Salud ♥

Mexican Challah Grilled Cheese, this was so rich and creamy, I can see this sandwich showing up muchas veces ( many times) in my casa!

Raspberry Rosita- Raspberry-Lemonade Corona helped sweeten my relationship with beer, a refreshing summertime sipper you won't want to put down!

I love the taste of this Dulce Cajeta, it's suave (smooth), dulce (sweet) and perfect on almost anything!

Adapted from Rick Bayless’ Mexico One Plate at a Time (Mexican Hot Chocolate)

  Ingredients

2 1/2 cups milk or water

1 tablet 3.3oz Mexican Chocolate -( Ibarra or Abuelita, found in the Hispanic grocery aisle)

Optional- Marshmallows and sprinkle of cinnamon


Recipe

Combine 2 ½ cups milk or water and 1 tablet 3.3oz of coarsely chopped Mexican chocolate, such as Ibarra, in a 2-quart saucepan; stir over medium heat until mixture is steaming hot and the chocolate more-or-less dissolved (there will still be small pieces). Pour into a blender or you can usea hand held immersion blender and tall pitcher. If using a blender, loosely cover or remove lid’s center piece to eliminate pressure build-up; blend until mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds. Pour into cups. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 1/2 cups approx or four 6-ounce servings.

Chocolate Chip Cajeta Pretzel Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookies solitas ( all alone) are unquestionably my absolute favorite dessert.....ever. If I'm at a party with one of those super cool, absolutely delicious buffet style dessert tables, my eyes always scan the length of it looking for a soft and chewy brown sugar chocolate chip studded yumminess.

Somehow my feelings about chocolate chip cookies have advanced into a new kind of  amor (love) just by adding two simple ingredients....... Salted Pretzels and Cajeta. Now you may remember a few weeks back I made my own homemade  Mexican Cajeta, if you've never seen it you can find the recipe here. 

So believe it or not as enticing as it was, I still had a little bit of cajeta left  over. I couldn't bare to see it go to waste so I came up with a quick recipe to put it to good use, the result was a rich bar of, sweetness with a creamy gooeyness in the middle, spiked with a salty crunch.

Ummm and did I say all of this was stuffed in the middle of a chocolate chip cookie. No mas palabras necesario ( no more words needed) just a boca ( mouth )full of happiness!

This time I kept it super easy and used my most favorite ready made cookie dough in all the land!  This cookie dough tastes so good, it has been known to cause epic arguments in my casa about who ate the last batch....true story!


If you have a go to chocolate chip cookie recipe feel free to use it, if not here is one that sounded pretty good to me!

Ingredients

1 batch of chocolate chip cookie dough

1 cup of crushed salted pretzels

1 jar of Mexican Cajeta, dulce de leche or caramel sauce


Recipe

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees , grease brownie bar pan and set aside ( you can see a picture here)

2. Place a spoonful of cookie dough in the bottom in the bottom of your brownie pan.

3. Next sprinkle a handful of crushed pretzels, then a spoonful of cajeta, another spoonful of cookie dough, spoonful of cajeta and a final handful of crushed pretzels.

4. Bake for 12- 15 minutes, remove from the oven right before it's golden brown

5. Cool completely, than carefully remove from brownie bar pan, I like to lay down a piece of wax paper and turn my pan upside down and give a little tap on each cavity to assure easy removal from the pan.