.hot cocoa krispie treats.

after the rave reviews from these hot cocoa cookies, i decided to take the same concept and apply it to the classic rice krispie treat.

for this dip into sticky, chocolatey, cocoa-y sweetness, you'll need 6 cups of cocoa krispies, 4 tablespoons of butter, one 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows, 3 packets of hot cocoa, 1/4 cup each of white chocolate, milk chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips...because the cocoa krispies and hot cocoa just weren't enough chocolate. if you're wondering, "why not chocolate marshmallows?" then we should be good friends.

with a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter and marshmallows together. you will end up stirring a gooey blob. to that blob, add your hot cocoa packets one at a time and continue stirring. turn your heat down a little bit so you do not burn your cocoa glue.

once you have a cohesive mix of cocoa powder and marshmallow stickiness, add in your chocolate chips and keep the stir alive.

now start pouring in those famous rice krispies with a chocolate punch. it might appear at first like it will be impossible to coat every last krispie with your marshmallow conglomerate, but you can do it!

now spray a baking dish to prepare it for a whole lotta stickiness. i prefer to use a 9 X 13 so that i can cut more squares. if you like your treats thicker, use a smaller dish. go ahead and put your mass into the dish and press it all around until you have an even spread.

all you have to do now is let it cool for about half an hour and then spray a knife and cut your squares. i double dog dare you not to eat one before you have them all cut.

the best thing about these hot cocoa krispies is that while they maintain the classic feel of the original, they are packed with a comforting flavor of hot chocolate that hits a new taste bud nerve. they are a big hit with the kid in all of us.

hot cocoa krispie treats
what you need
4 tbs butter
1 10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows
1/2- 3/4 cups of mixed chocolate chips (i used white, semi-sweet and milk)
3 packets hot cocoa mix
6 cups cocoa krispies cereal

what you do
melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. stir in marshmallows until they become smooth and creamy. add hot cocoa packets and continue stirring. turn the heat down a little and add in your chocolate chips.
next, pour in the cereal and stir until everything is a cohesive mixture. in a sprayed baking dish, press in the krispie treats. let cool for 30 minutes and cut into squares. store in an air tight container.

.blueberry unstuffed french toast.

at 9:37 a.m. on a saturday morning, nothing starts off a lazy weekend quite like blueberry unstuffed french toast. or at least that's true for me.

grab your bread, some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and nutmeg for slathering, blueberries and cream cheese for the starring role and butter and powdered sugar for good measure.

french toast is traditionally bread dipped in beaten egg and then pan fried. well, maybe that is the american version of it, but it is how i grew up. we're going to add a few more flavor elements to really make it out of this world. for 5-6 pieces of french toast, beat together 3 eggs and add in 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. to that, stir in a pinch of nutmeg and a couple splashes of milk.

if you have fresh blueberries, bleautiful! forgive me.

cream together 4 oz of cream cheese and your blueberries to serve as your unstuffing. we've all heard of stuffed french toast, but why not just lather and pile it on top for all the world to see?

heat your griddle or skillet on the stovetop to medium high and then rub some butter around on it to prevent sticking. and who am i kidding? to add that rich flavor to your french toast.

after taking each piece of bread for a swim in your egg mixture, a completely head-under-the-water-for-5-seconds kind of swim, let it drip dry just a second over the bowl and then place it on your griddle.

each side takes between 3-5 minutes to turn to a deep golden brown. can you smell it cooking?
(note- if you by any chance have breads without seeds in your kitchen for sweet breakfasts, you are luckier than i am)

when your french toast is primed and ready to go, lay it on thick, baby. take a spatula or spoon and coat each piece of your french toast with heaps of blueberry dotted cream cheese. if you're feeling saucy, put a little more butter on your toast too.

now, oftentimes, i squirt syrup right out of the bottle because i was born without my patience bone. this time though, i heated it up in the microwave first and hoo boy am i glad i did. drizzle your syrup right on top of all that goodness you've got going.

if you don't feel you have enough calories in this recipe yet, sift some powdered sugar on top. i can almost guarantee you that the first bite will have you wondering why you didn't make this at 8:37 a.m. instead.

this blueberry unstuffed french toast will leave you stuffed and satisfied.

why not start your weekend off with a dish that's berry, berry good? forgive me again.

blueberry unstuffed french toast
what you need
5-6 pieces of bread
3 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch of nutmeg
few splashes of milk
2 tbs butter
1/2-1 cup blueberries
4 oz cream cheese, softened
syrup

what you do
beat your eggs and then mix in vanilla, nutmeg and milk. preheat your griddle or stovetop skillet to medium high.

rub butter on your griddle and then dip each piece of bread into the egg wash. soak it and then let it drip a little over you bowl before tossing it onto the griddle. cook each side for 3-5 minutes.

cream together the softened cream cheese and blueberries. some blueberries may remain whole and that is just fine.

add a little more butter to your finished french toast, lay the cream cheese and blueberry mix on thick and then drizzle with warm syrup. feel free to sift on some powdered sugar for added sweetness.

.baked black bean ravioli.

want to throw a flavor fiesta? then, try this scrumptious black bean ravioli dish for dinner. it feels like a gourmet dish, but is really made with simple ingredients and a flare for the delectable.

heat up a skillet with a little olive oil and then toss in 1/3 cup of chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic. cook over medium heat until they are both tender and aromatic.

in a separate bowl, mix together one can of black beans, 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1-2 tablespoons of taco or fiesta seasoning, and shred 1/3 cup monterey jack cheese in. do the cha cha.

once your garlic and onion is ready, mix that in as well. sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. cha cha cha.

preheat your oven to 350 and spray a pan so that your ravioli doesn't stick when you bake it. now, lay out half of your wonton wrappers. for those of you who don't love math as much as i do, half of 24 is twelve. see, that was really fun. place a spoonful of your mixed ingredients into the direct center of each wrapper. to adhere the top layer of the ravioli, dip your finger into water and run it around the perimeter of the ravioli. it will act as a paste and you can press another wonton wrapper right on top. press all around the edges to make sure it sticks.

with your black bean ravioli ready to go, put them in the oven to bake for between 10 and 15 minutes. while the ravioli bakes, create a sauce to drizzle on top. i used a poblano alfredo sauce (from a jar thank you very much) with a smidgeon of red enchilada sauce as well. any queso or white sauce would be delicious on these.

when the black bean ravioli is ready and you've got it drizzled with your own sauce choice, top with sliced avocado and serve with pizzazz. this dish is top-notcha cha cha!

black bean ravioli
what you need
makes 14-18 raviolis (is there an s?)
24 wonton wrappers
1 can black beans
olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
3 tbs thinly chopped cilantro
1-2 tbs taco or fiesta seasoning
few pinches of salt, one pinch of pepper
1/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (feel free to substitute a cheese of your liking)

what to do
heat up a skillet with a little olive oil and then toss in 1/3 cup of chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic. cook over medium heat until they are both tender and aromatic.

in a separate bowl, mix together one can of black beans, 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, 1-2 tablespoons of taco or fiesta seasoning, and shred 1/3 cup monterey jack cheese in.

once your garlic and onion is ready, mix that in as well. sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.

preheat your oven to 350 and spray a pan so that your ravioli doesn't stick when you bake it. now, lay out 12 of your wonton wrappers. place a spoonful of your mixed ingredients into the direct center of each wrapper. to adhere the top layer of the ravioli, dip your finger into water and run it around the perimeter of the ravioli. it will act as a paste and you can press another wonton wrapper right on top. press all around the edges to make sure it sticks.

with your black bean ravioli ready to go, put them in the oven to bake for between 10 and 15 minutes. while the ravioli bakes, create a sauce to drizzle on top. i used a poblano alfredo sauce with a smidgeon of red enchilada sauce as well. any queso or white sauce would be delicious on these.

.clementine cake.

oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my darlin' clementine...you are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry clementine. phew, i had to get that out right away because i sang it obnoxiously on repeat the entire time i made this clementine cake.

i am going to make a disclaimer right away. while i love clementines and the fresh taste of citrus because it mainly reminds me of my homeland- florida, this cake is nothing to write home about. so instead, i'll write to all of you instead. unfortunately, it turned out too dense, but we'll talk about how to maybe fix that for the next time as we go.

start by cooking your 4-5 clementines whole in hot water for a couple of hours. do you know how many times you can sing a couple lines of a song over and over and over again in two hours? neither do i. (wink)

now, you're going to use every single, dadburn little part of the clementine; except for the seeds. and i'll be honest with you here, i was hard-pressed to find any seeds after they cooked for that long.

after setting your oven to 375 degrees and you have sprayed a springform pan, whisk your 6 eggs.
to your eggs, add 2 and 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour (maybe), 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder and a heaping cup of sugar. now, this is the part that i believe led to the super density. if you're going to make this cake, i highly recommend trying cake flour instead of all-purpose.

after allowing your clementines to cool for a bit, take them for a few spins in your food processor. add the fruit to the cake batter and gently fold in. you could even do it by hand if you so desire.

pour into your cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. for me, this took about 35 minutes. while it is baking, i highly recommend whipping up a simple glaze to add some sweetness to the cake. the steps are down below.

after your cake cools, ice it with the glaze. now, the taste is fresh, citrusy and light; regardless of the texture. my hope for you is that yours doesn't turn out dense and you can enjoy every bite of the wonderful flavors with a moist cake as a bonus.

oh my darlin' clementine.

clementine cake
from some kitchen stories

ingredients
4 to 5 clementines (about 1 lb.)
6 eggs
1 Cup plus 2 TBsp of sugar
2 and 1/3 Cups of ground almonds or substitute all-purpose flour (OR BETTER YET, CAKE FLOUR)
1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

directions
1. Place the gorgeous little beauties (clementines) ever so gently in a pot with cold water, enough to cover our amber gems. Look on lovingly as they glisten in the pool of water.

2. Bring pot to a boil and cook for 2 hours. Patience is a virtue. Be strong. Cake is coming.

3. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

4. Drain pot and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and gently, ever so lovingly, remove the seeds.

5. Finely chop the skins, pith and fruit in the processor. Yes, it’s true. All of it. Don’t be afraid.

6. Butter and line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper. Use a springform pan if you have one.

7. Beat the eggs into submission.

8. Add the sugar, almonds and baking powder. Mix well.

9. Add the chopped clementines by hand. It’s just some light stirring, you won’t miss the processor.

10. Pour the cake mixture into the pan and bake for 1 hour (took me 35 minutes) or until the skewer comes out clean. If the top is getting too brown, cover with foil and continue until baking is complete.

11. Remove from oven and leave to cool, then remove from pan.

simple glaze
Melt 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of butter in a saucepan or microwave.
Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a medium size bowl.
Add the melted butter to the powdered sugar.
Add 2 tablespoons of milk.
If desired, add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla for flavor.

.white bean roasted red pepper dip.

if you're looking for a flavorful dish to take to a gathering or just want something delicious for your own refrigerator, look no further my friends. with just a few ingredients and one sentence worth of directions, this couldn't be easier. well, picking up a ready made dip at the store is in fact easier, but it won't be as scrumptious.

plop one can of cannelini beans, drained and also rinsed to get all the muck off, into a food processor along with a small jar of roasted red peppers, drained. the colors are so vibrant next to each other.

dice up a clove of garlic and sprinkle that in. i can almost guarantee that anything with garlic in it will be so yummy. spoon into the food processor 3 ounces of softened cream cheese and give half of a lemon a good squeeze. don't let any seeds get in there if you know what's good for you. add a little salt and pepper and puree away. the color spins together into a deep orange.

with the rich smokiness from the roasted red peppers and the heartiness of the white beans, this is a crowd pleaser. serve it up with chips, pita points, veggies, or go ahead and dig in with a spoon.

i took mine to a friend's birthday party and got lots of compliments. it is unique, simple and yum.

white bean roasted red pepper dip
from smitten kitchen
ingredients
1 15-ounce can of white cannelini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 small jar roasted red peppers, or about 1 cup, drained
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice from half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

directions
Puree everything in a food processor until smooth.

.rice krispie pops.

when i first saw some adorable sprinkled rice krispie treats on pinterest, my interest was immediately piqued. i followed a link back to a blog i already like and discovered these were not just rice krispie treats sprinkled with sprinkles, but were also infused with cake batter. irresistible. here's the line-up of kitchen treats you'll need.

begin by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over low heat and then add in your bag of teeny tiny marshmallows. stir it up, little darlin', stir it up.

then, add 1/4 cup of yellow cake mix, a little at a time. i added it by the tablespoon and continued to stir all the while.

no rice krispie treat would be complete without the star of the show, the cereal. you've gotta think kellog's was beside themselves when these treats exploded back in the 80s and probably haven't slowed down in sales much since. add 6 cups of the snap and crackle. we're saving the pop for later.

once those four ingredients are well mixed, the party really begins. like confetti on new year's eve raining from the sky, let the colorful sprinkles fly. and by fly, i mean carefully put about half of them into your ooey, gooey pot and stir.

after everything is thoroughly mixed, turn the heat off and pour your mass into a sprayed baking dish. you'll thank me for the sprayed part later. press and mold the mixture into a nice neat rectangle or square, depending on your dish. i prefer a 9 X 13 pan so that i can get more treats out of the deal. sprinkle your remaining rainbow sprinkles all over the top and basque in the beauty.

once it has cooled for at least half an hour, take a knife and cut away. it helps to either spray or butter your knife; so that it doesn't get caught up on the marshmallow glue. to make the krispies into pops, cut small squares, about 1 to 1.5 inches around each side.

stick a popsicle stick into each individual square and voila, you have rice krispie pops! these are great for kids and birthday parties because of the fun look and easy to hold format. now, i promised you we'd save the pop for later and i haven't forgotten my promise. here it comes...

melt your candy melts in either a microwave safe dish or a double boiler according to the package directions. dip each of your rice krispie pops about half way into the melted goodness. try your best not to use too much; as it will weigh down the treat and cause it to fall off of the stick. keep a light hand as you dip. add a few more sprinkles if you have them to the tops. let the candy melt dry. if you have a styrofoam block, i find this to be the best method for drying any kind of dessert on a stick.

now, when you go to bite into these, there will be a snap of the hard candy shell, a crackle of the rice krispie treat itself and a massive pop of flavor on your tongue. these are really simple to make and still make a great impression.

rice krispie cake pops
adapted from how sweet eats
ingredients
1 10-ounce bag of mini marshmallows
1/4 cup yellow cake mix
6 cups rice krispies cereal
3 tablespoons butter
1 1.75-ounce container of sprinkles (i bought a bigger container and went overboard throughout the recipe)
white candy melts

directions
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting.

(how to make them into pops)
after cutting them into small squares, insert a popsicle stick. using a microwave safe bowl or double broiler, melt candy melts and gently dip each rice krispie pop into it. try not to put too heavy of a coat on them because it will weigh the krispie treat down and off the stick. let dry in a block of styrofoam and then store in a tightly sealed container.