Bites from other Blogs

Everyone is in baking mode this time of year, since it is the week before Christmas. Cookies, cakes, pies and other goodies are coming out of ovens faster than bloggers can write about them – which is to say that there were a lot of good looking recipes out there this week. I went with a little bit of a chocolate theme, since it seems like chocolate is one of the most popular flavors of this holiday season.

• Culinary Concoctions by Peabody‘s Chocolate Fudge Peppermint Hybrid Cookies are part brownie, part peppermint patty, and all delicious. The cookies are made with a very rich fudgy cookie dough that is made with more melted chocolate than you will find in most brownie recipes. That dough is then packed with peppermint baking chips (or chopped peppermint bark) and more chocolate chips before baking. The result is a very decadent cookie that melts in your mouth and leaves the flavors of chocolate and peppermint behind.
• Chocolate and peppermint meet again in Crazy for Crust‘s Peppermint Chocolate Chess Pie, which is the pie version of a mug of chocolate peppermint hot chocolate. The pie is made primarily with cocoa powder, sugar, eggs and milk. It has a slightly brownie-like center due to all that cocoa powder, which sets it apart from the more custard-like traditional chess pie. It is packed with peppermint baking pieces (you can use peppermint bark) for a good dose of mint with every bite of chocolate.
• The Double Chocolate Biscotti with Sea Salt from Blogging over Thyme are an elegant addition to a holiday cookie plate and a lovely treat that you can pack up and give to friends and family as an edible gift! The biscotti are made with chocolate and almonds, which bake up to be a perfectly tasty combination in this crunchy cookie. They’re glazed with dark chocolate and generously sprinkled with sea salt to give them a very gourmet flavor and beautiful finished look.
• A mug of hot chocolate is always a treat on a winter evening, and a slice of this Hot Chocolate Cheesecake from Food Fanatic would be a perfect pairing. The cheesecake is actually made with hot cocoa mix, not regular cocoa powder. Since hot cocoa mix usually includes ingredients like powdered milk, vanilla and sugar, this really captures that same flavor that you’ll find in a mug of hot chocolate – only the cheesecake is also very rich and dense, thanks to two pounds of cream cheese. It is made in a chocolate crumb crust and topped with marshmallows, to complete the hot chocolate theme, after baking.
• Dessert for Two‘s Indoor S’mores aren’t a treat that is limited to the holiday season. S’mores are traditionally made outdoors in the summertime, but this version is made in a skillet in the oven – and it couldn’t be easier. Fill the skillet with chocolate chips and top with marshmallows. When the marshmallows are toasted, the s’mores are ready to eat by dipping graham crackers right into all that sweet, gooey goodness. It’s a dessert that might get a bit messy, but it is also one that both kids and adults will absolutely love.
• I am a fan of the seasonal eggnog lattes that you can find at Starbucks this time of year, and at Brewed Daily I made my own Homemade Eggnog Latte. Store bought eggnog is easy to work with and already comes sweetened, so it is a great base for a homemade coffee drink. The vanilla and nutmeg in the ‘nog blend perfectly with both coffee and espresso, and I know that I’ll be serving these as after dinner drinks this holiday season. And if you want some chocolate with your eggnog, try my Eggnog Hot Chocolate, too!