Scotcheroo bites

As someone who has been blogging about my baking for nearly four years (JulieBakes' birthday is 10/16!!), I've read a lot of other food blogs to find the best recipes to make for you guys. Lately, there have been lots of Scotcheroo recipes. Which is funny because I had never really heard of tem before, but once I started reading them, I realized they were the same as the 'peanut chews' we get as gifts at work sometimes (and which I cannot, for the life of me, stop eating, no matter how diet unfriendly they are).  So I knew I kinda had to make them.  It was only a matter of time...

Scotcheroos are usually made into bars, like Rice Krispie treats, and are topped with a milk chocolate or a milk chocolate-butterscotch topping.  Then I saw this recipe for what they called Scotcheroo Millionaire Nuggets. Or basically a Scotcheroo truffle - the peanut butter-Rice Krispie mixture is shaped into balls and allowed to harden before being dipped in the same chocolately topping as is used on the bars.  And I even made some like that.  But because I don't love butterscotch and because I found a caramel flavored milk chocolate, I used a mixture of regular and caramel milk chocolate, but it ended up being too soft and started melting the minute B held one to take a bite.  So instead I drizzled some of the bites with the chocolate mixture to add some delicious flavor but to also make them less messy to eat!  But honestly, it's because I personally prefer them sans chocolate (which is weird for me, a self-proclaimed chocoholic!).

I have to say that these are so tasty that I was snacking on them all day while I baked some other treats for you!

Scotcheroo Millionaire Nuggets
From Oh, Sweet Basil

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal (Mine were a bit runny, so I added an extra 1/2 cup of cereal)
6 oz milk chocolate (or 12 oz if not using butterscotch, see below)
6 oz butterscotch chips

Directions:

In a sauce pan over medium heat, pour in the corn syrup and sugar.
Allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until clear and the sugar is totally dissolved.
Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.

In a large bowl, add the cereal and pour the peanut butter mixture in.
Gently fold to combine.
Set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool (or a bit longer, hot sticky peanut butter syrup stuck on your hands is not pleasant....trust me!).

Lay wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Begin rolling the cereal-peanut butter mixture into balls.
Set aside on cookie sheet to cool entirely.

Meanwhile, in a glass measuring up or bowl, melt the chocolate and butterscotch (if using) until smooth.

One at a time, drop the balls into the chocolate mixture.
Using a fork, roll it around to coat it and then lift it out, tapping the sides gently to allow excess chocolate to drip off.
Place on cookie sheet.
Repeat until all are coated in chocolate.
Store in a cool place to allow the chocolate to harden.

Store in airtight containers (if they last that long!!!). 

Edible (host and hostess) gifts

The holidays are upon us!

For most of you, this means the holiday parties are upon us.  What better gift to bring to the host or hostess of a party than a delicious edible gift?

I've compiled a list of some of my favorite edible gifts from the blog, and listed them for you based on the type of treat (for easy reference).  They're great for any host or hostess, or any other foodie friends you have!

Cookies:

Chewy Ginger Cookies (pictured)

Dried Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruggelach Pinwheels, in assorted flavors (pictured)

World Peace Cookies

Macarons 

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with White Chocolate Chips (pictured)

Triple Ginger Cookies

 

Bars & Brownies:

Peppermint Bark Brownies (pictured)

Cappuccino Brownies

Cranberry Bliss Bars (pictured)

Nuts:

Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts
Candied Espresso Walnuts
Candied Cinnamon-Sugar Nuts (pictured)

Candies:

Peppermint Bark (pictured)
Cheesecake Truffles
Oreo Cake Balls
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (may want to leave the sticks off of these) (pictured)
Festive Chocolate Covered Pretzels (pictured)
Cake Balls
Caramels
Chocolate Pretzel Treats (pictured)

Other:

Olive Oil and Maple Granola
Lovin' Spoonfuls (in a holiday theme) (pictured)

Irish whiskey truffles

Remember those car bomb cupcakes I made last week?  They were drizzled with an Irish whiskey ganache.  I had leftovers (a lot of leftovers), so I just threw -- ok, so I gently placed -- the bowl in the fridge when I was rushing out to meet B for dinner.  It stayed in the fridge overnight, the following day when I went out to Long Island for the party, while I was at the party, and then I spied it when I was putting things in the fridge late that night/early the next morning.

The ganache had been so thin when I made it for the cupcakes that I actually ended adding in some more chocolate, which I had melted in another bowl in the microwave and then mixed in bit by bit until I got the desired a slightly thicker consistency (it was still pretty thin).  When I saw the bowl in the fridge that night, I ran my finger through it to taste it.  Shockingly, it was actually thick -- the consistency that I think of when I think "ganache" and what I have made in the past when making truffles.

So what to do with the leftover Irish whiskey ganache?  Why not make truffles?

All I did with the ganache was scoop it into balls (you can roll them into more rounded balls with your hands, but I personally find it really messy (it melts a little), and I recommend using a little cocoa powder or oil to help out a little.  Every time I've made truffles in the past, I've stopped after about 7-12 since its just an insane mess).  Then, I tossed them in some plain cocoa powder and let them set up in the fridge.  I recommend keeping them in the fridge or even the freezer until ready to serve.

I'm pretty sure that these would be awesome with any liquor.  I'm not a huge fan of Irish whiskey, but since I had the leftovers with the whiskey in them, I kept them as is.  The next time though, I might try some Bailey's (I had to buy a whole bottle in order to make the cupcakes) or Kahlua.  Rum might be good, too.

Irish Whiskey Truffles
Recipe originally from the Robicelli's Cupcake Cookbook, modified slightly and turned into truffles by yours truly (although I'm sure the Robicelli's mentioned it somewhere in their cookbook, and I subconsciously saw it and that's why I had the *brilliant* idea to make truffles).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate -- I used a little extra
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup Irish whiskey, or any other liquor -- If making this ganache just to make the truffles, I urge you to use less alcohol, probably about 1/8 cup.  For two reasons: (1) when I scooped these into balls, they were still super soft -- like melt-when-your-warm-fingers-touch-them soft -- and I'm convinced its because of the excessive amount of liquor, and (2) when I tasted these they tasted like a shot of whiskey.  I couldn't even taste the chocolate.  Perhaps whiskey is stronger than the other liquors I suggested above.

Chopped chocolate, chopped nuts, and/or cocoa powder to coat

Directions:

Add the cream and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it.
Let stand for 2 minutes while the chocolate melts.
Add the whiskey and stir with a heat-proof spatula until completely smooth.
Mine was super duper thin, and I ended up adding a little bit of melted chocolate just to thicken it up a bit.

Let the ganache set up in the fridge until firm.  It will take at least a couple of hours.

When firm, scoop into small truffle-sized balls.
Roll into cocoa powder, some chopped chocolate, or some chopped nuts.

Chubby Hubby truffles

Chocolate + pretzels + peanut butter = delish.  I thought that that went without saying.  Case in point:

See, a few days ago I went grocery shopping for the ingredients for these.  I bought a bunch of other things, but among the goodies I bought were pretzels to make these truffles.  Of course I used those pretzels to make the 4 flavors of chocolate covered pretzels and the chocolate pretzel treats before I even sat down to make these.  Luckily I had enough pretzels leftover from those two treats in order to make these truffles!

 

Chubby Hubby Truffles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pretzel pieces
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
(I chose to use CandiQuik chocolate coating instead of the chocolate chips and shortening)

Extra peanut butter and crushed pretzels for decoration

Directions:

Put the pretzels into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this) - I found this part confusing.  I wasn't sure if it was 1.5 cups of pretzel pieces, or 1.5 cups of crushed pretzels....my filling mixture was a bit dry and I wonder if it's because I used the 1.5 cups of crushed pretzels

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt.
Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth.
Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
Line a small baking sheet with wax paper.
Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips.
Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture.
Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening together in a small bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.

Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, making sure that it is completely coated with chocolate.
Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet.
Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.

Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes.
Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired (I desired.)
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cheesecake truffles

Turtle flavored desserts have been all the rage lately.  I, however, don't love pecans.  Or nuts in my desserts, in general.  So I took a recipe that I found for turtle cheesecake balls, altered it a little, and renamed them cheesecake truffles.  Because truffles just sound tastier.  And fancier.  This is another great no-bake summer treat, however I don't know that it's good to serve in the summer.....unless there is some air conditioning on!  I think they'd just melt into a blob.  And blobs don't sound all that tasty.  Or fancy.

The original recipe called for coating the cream cheese-graham cracker mixture in chocolate, sprinkling with chopped pecans, and drizzling them with caramel sauce.  But as I mentioned earlier, I don't like pecans.  And the caramel sauce just sounded messy.  So I made half of the recipe with the cream cheese and graham crackers, and then added a tablespoon of caramel sauce to the mixture.  Way less messy!

I froze them overnight without the chocolate coating, but then got worried that the chocolate would crack if I dipped them straight from the freezer, so I let them "warm up" in the fridge for a little while before dipping them.



Plain on the left, caramel on the right                                                        

Now, being that I'm not a huge cheesecake fan, these truffles are great because they have a bite-sized cheesecake punch with a chocolatey coating.  Not that huge slice-of-cheesecake heaviness, just a little taste.  And the fact that the cream cheese is mixed with the graham cracker crumbs also cuts the heaviness a little more.

Cheesecake Truffles
(adapted from these Turtle Cheesecake Balls)

Ingredients:

 

8oz cream cheese

1/2 - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I ended up using 1/2 cup plus about 2 Tbsp)

8 oz bittersweet chocolate cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used chocolate chips)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

 

Optional:

 

1/4 cup caramel sauce (or melted caramel squares) - I added 1 Tbsp caramel sauce to half of the cream cheese and graham cracker crumb mixture instead of drizzling them

3 tbsp chopped pecans, finely chopped (I left this out completely)

Instructions:

Combine the cream cheese with 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs. Taste and add more graham cracker crumbs as desired.  (Keep in mind that the chocolate and caramel add plenty of sweetness, so you want the cream cheese mixture to still have some tang.)

Use a melon baller to scoop up 1 1/4" sized balls to a wax-paper lined baking sheet (I used my mini scooper, so mine were smaller than 1 1/4 inches).  You should have about 15 balls (but I got a lot more).

Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

While the cheesecake balls are being chilled, melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the vegetable oil, stirring until smooth.

Using 1 or 2 forks, dip each cheesecake ball into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip away between the tines. Place the chocolate covered balls back on the wax paper on the baking sheet. Repeat for all cheesecake balls.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Best if served within 24 hours.

If using the pecans and caramel drizzle, Top each truffle with pecans. Drizzle caramel over each truffle before refrigerating.

Chocolate chip cookie dough truffles

Occasionally.  Sometimes.  Often when I bake, I don't have an occasion that I'm baking for.  Last night was yet another example of that.  Yesterday I came across a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, but this particular recipe called for an egg-less cookie dough.  While I am not opposed to eating raw cookie dough (raw eggs and all!), I don't know that serving it to others is a good idea.  Nor do I think making them ahead of time and letting them sit (in the fridge) with raw eggs is a good idea, either.  So this recipe appealed to me.  The fact that it did not involve baking was also another drawing point, since my apartment is already pretty hot and turning on the oven would just exacerbate it.

Then I went searching for wooden popsicle sticks, since the recipe I found had served them on popsicle sticks.  You would not believe how hard it is to find wooden popsicle sticks on the Upper West Side of Manhattan!  Bed, Bath, and Beyond didn't carry them.  Nor did the several grocery stores or drug stores that I went to.  Luckily for me, working in a doctor's office finally has it's perks...and I settled for tongue depressors cut in half lengthwise.
What is better than balls of homemade cookie dough, you might ask?  When said cookie dough is then dipped into chocolate, allowed to harden, and a truffle is formed!  However, while these might just be the best summer dessert to make (no oven/baking), I doubt they're the best summer dessert to eat, since the dough and chocolate would get soft and runny if left out in the heat too long.  Best bet is to keep them in the fridge and then remove them a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
chocolate coating
popsicle sticks, cut in half (or you could use tongue depressors....I know, it sounds weird)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Mix in milk and vanilla.
Add flour and salt and mix on low until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Chill dough in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm enough to roll or scoop into 1-inch balls.
Place rolled balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. (I kept mine in the fridge overnight and they seemed to be fine when dipping them)
Melt candy coating following instructions on the package. Remove a couple of balls from the freezer (or fridge) at a time and insert the cut stick into the ball. Dip in candy coating and let any extra coating fall off back into the bowl.
Add small sprinkles (or mini chocolate chips, or none of the above) on top and place on wax paper to set.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.

*If you check out the link above, you'll see the cutest little chocolate squares that she used.  I WANT those squares, but alas, I don't have them, so if you don't either, you can use mini chocolate chips on a few or just leave them "naked"*