Every Christmas I look forward to these Spiced Rum Balls at my brother's house. Luckily, his wife is not only a fabulous cook, but also a great recipe blogger! These no-bake goodies take 30 mins to prep, 30 mins to make, and are fun to roll and eat! Click here for the recipe on CookingSF! Enjoy :-9
According to this poll, chocolates are your second favorite treat to receive this holiday season, just behind cookies. Below are my TOP 5 Best Chocolates to gift (and receive!) this magical season.
1) K Chocolatier not only makes some of the highest quality chocolates, like the truffles that Jacky O loved, and the Vodka Balls that I love, but also they package them in the most beautiful boxes with paper mache roses. I still have a box from years ago that I use for keep-sakes.
2) John Kelly Chocolates won the Golden Cherry last year and with one luscious bite, you'll see why. These truffle-fudge bites melt in your mouth and will send you directly to heaven. You'll hear angels singing.
3) La Maison du Chocolat gets their chocolates shipped in from France daily, which explains their European sophistication. These graceful treats are simple yet divine.
4) Sprüngly makes some of the most delicate and delicious chocolates that I've ever had. Small in stature, but large in experience, these treats would make the perfect stocking stuffer for that special someone.
5) ChocolatiQue If you like gooey centers, colorful designs and exotic flavors (Madagascar Vanilla Cola anyone?!), then ChocolatiQue is for you. These delightful morsels are a must-try.~
I hope this guide helped you! I'd love to know if you've had any of these chocolates before and what your thoughts are!
best,
While 'tis the season to indulge in delicious desserts, they don't all have to be decadent calorie clusters to pack a festive punch. Take these Peppermint Marshmallows from Stonewall Kitchen, for example. They're simply large marshmallows, dipped in delicious chocolate, and rolled around in some crushed peppermint bits. Yummers! These Peppermint Marshmallows were a huge hit with my family over Thanksgiving and I think they'd make the perfect cameo appearance at your holiday parties.. that is, if you don't eat them first!
For more information on Stonewall Kitchen, click here.
The holidays are officially here and if you're anything like me, you've already been bombarded with hordes of catalogues in the mail! While I don't enjoy giving out poor reviews, it's my job to guide you through the mound of options.
Harry and David's feels rather corporate and 1970s-ish to me. Their star dessert, Mousse Munch, is only so-so and you could break a tooth on their "fresh" sugar cookies that fly in from Oregon. Oddly enough though, I've always loved their pears.
At the end of the day, a gift from Harry's and David's is a totally fine package to send someone, or some office, that you must dutifully commemorate during the holidays. Just don't be shocked if it somehow makes its way back you in the cycle of re-gifting. You'll know then what karma is... a box of mediocre goodies that you may or may not eat over the next 6 months.
For more information on Harry and David's, click here.
First, I have to say if you didn't already know it, I Love Trader Joes. With their free samples, low-prices, and happy Hawaiian-shirt clad employees, it's one of the most joyful grocery experiences that a girl can have.
That said, the Pumpkin Pies at Trader Joe's are a Fail. While my expectations weren't high, I thought I'd have an alternative for people who don't have time to bake this year. Bake people, Bake! Or better yet, order something home-made and delicious from Bountiful Desserts (click here for review).
And if you must grab a pumpkin pie at TJ's, go for the tart. At 3-cherries, it's way better than the bland pie (that I wanted to spit out), which earned a sad one-cherry from me. On average, 2 Cherries for Trader Joe Pumpkin Pie desserts!
These ginger-spice Halloween cookies from the Williams-Sonoma catalogue remind me of the German "peppernut" cookie, Pfeffernusse. They bubble out and have a soft consistency, with a thin, mild, and hardened glaze that somewhat tempers the strong spices and cloves in the cookie. With only 2.5 grams of fat for five little cookies, these are a very low-fat and forgiving treat. While these Gingerbread cookies aren't quite the way grandma made them, they're cute to put out in a bowl or tray for Halloween festivities. Kids would surely love the fun and colorful options and they're just the right size for little hands. Just don't buy these cookies in hopes of total decadence, otherwise, you'll be tricked expecting your treat.
For more info on ordering these cookies from Williams-Sonoma, click here.
Wow- now these cake pops were stop-in-your-tracks-throw-your-head-back-and-gasp Amazing. I recently attended a book signing at William-Sonoma for the book tour of Bakerella's fabulous compilation on making and decorating cake pops. Perhaps more exciting yet, I actually got to try one of her creations! These pops were perfection. I learned that the cake was made with Sprinkles pumpkin mix and I could see that the shells were made with orange candy melting discs like these. Mmmm! Completely, completely Amazing.
To make these cake pops yourself, check out Bakerella.com or buy her darling book here!
And here are pics of Bakerella meeting all of us!
Ok, I just took down a whole bag of gourmet kettle corn by POPS A LOT, which kind of makes me mad at it. But can I fault a brand for concocting popcorn so addictive-ly delicious that I can't put the bag down??
I've actually always found kettle corn to be supremely addictive by nature. With its hint of sweet and savory, it makes me dig through the bag in search of more flavor! POPS A LOT scratches your itch by adding a substantial amount of sugar and salt, thus yielding a more flavor-packed item than what you'd find at a street fair. For most people, this addition should be the satisfying touch that prevents them from downing the whole thing (..clearly, I'm not most people).
I appreciate how fresh and crunchy this popcorn tastes. Furthermore, it's made with 100% all natural ingredients, which is always a huge bonus in my book. POPS A LOT popcorn has a varity of tasty flavors, including a perfect caramel corn that you must try as well.
POPS A LOT also sells popcorn tins which would make the perfect gift to send this festive time of year. I've even heard that POPS A LOT is Julie Andrew's favorite treat to send! Yes, Maria from the Sound of Music sends POPS A LOT popcorn as her gift of choice. Um, need I say more?!
For more on information on POPS A LOT popcorn, click here.
