This past summer I bookmarked a project on A Merry Mishap on how to jazz up white porcelain dishware with a paint pen. Yes, as in those things you can buy for a few bucks at the craft store. Wouldn’t it be great to personalize a platter or large bowl with a design all your own for someone on your gift list? After completing your design you bake it in the oven at 300º for 35 minutes and presto change-o, instant one-of-a-kind.
Hi there, this is Kate from Framed Cooks. Framed Cooks started as a two week photography project, and two years later here I am, still trying to cook with teenagers and dogs constantly underfoot, still taking pictures of my supper, and still writing about my kitchen escapades for anyone who wants to listen to me! My basic rule of thumb is this: everything I cook needs to be easy enough to make when you only have about 30 minutes to get dinner on the table… AND it needs to be something you haven’t made a million times before, because suppertime is so much happier when the food is interesting.
I’ve been happily cooking away for days now testing holiday “gifts from the kitchen” recipes.” My kitchen is a cheery, sticky mess of sugar, chopped nuts, and more chocolate than the eye can see. The Southern husband and the teenager keep drifting in and out to test things, and I keep having to explain to the dog that, incredibly unfair as it may seem, dogs are not allowed to eat chocolate, even if it falls on the floor. Even if she is wearing a completely adorable Christmas collar with a jingle bell on it. Sorry, pooch.
And out of all of this merry chaos, out of all the sweet treats I have mixed up, this one is my hands-down favorite. Sweet and salty, peanut butter and chocolate, smooth and crunchy, this one could not be easier to make or more addictive to have on your counter. Or to have HAD on your counter, because the bowl I had on my own counter is now sadly empty.
Here’s what you need:
A bag of what they call “fountain and fondue chocolate,” and before you panic, they have giant bins of this stuff at Michael’s craft stores. I bought several bags, just in case I can’t stop myself from making MORE of these.
You also need a couple of bags of those little pretzel peanut butter sandwiches (I used the Snyder’s brand. Two 8 ounce bags.
Plus peanuts, peanut butter chips, shortening and some bittersweet chocolate chips.
Okay! You melt up the two chocolates in the microwave, and then dump in the pretzels. Swirl them around until they are good and coated with melted chocolate. Then scoop them out with a fork (which lets the excess chocolate drip off) and lay them in a single layer on cookie sheets that have been lined with wax paper. Now sprinkle them with chopped up peanuts. So far so good…but there’s MORE. Melt the peanut butter chips with a little shortening in the microwave and pour it into a ziploc bag. Now snip a corner of the bag and drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the pretzels. Now pop them in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened and then break them apart.
You have now achieved perfect chocolate and peanut butter happiness. Now all you have to do next is decide: are you REALLY going to wrap them up and give them away? I’ll leave that entirely up to you.
1. Microwave both chocolates in large bowl for 2-3 minutes or until melted, stirring at 1 minute intervals.
2. Pour pretzels into bowl of melted chocolate and stir gently until coated. Lift out with fork, allowing excess chocolate to drip off, and lay in single layer on cookie sheets lined with wax paper.
3. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over pretzels.
4. Melt peanut butter chips and shortening in microwave for 30 seconds or until chips are soft. Stir until smooth and spoon into ziploc bag. Snip tiny corner off off bag and squeeze peanut butter mixture over pretzels.
5. Put cookie sheets in the fridge until chocolate has hardened, about an hour. Break into pieces.
I have a serious artist crush on Erin Dollar. She has a keen eye for modern abstract and carries her talent across different mediums, which I absolutely adore. Oh, she also makes beards.
Seems like there’s been a resurgence of love for Bill Murray recently, and I’m not complaining. Check out these giclee prints from Derek Eads, all are based on Murray’s characters in Wes Anderson films. They’re available as either one print (seen above) or individuals.
I don’t know about you, but I make it through the holidays a little better with some social lubrication. So many friends, so much family, and so much to be grateful for. Which coincidentally means lots of talking and lots of socializing in a condensed amount of time, something I can’t say I excel at. Here are a few adult beverages that just might be perfect for your tree trimming party or Christmas Eve dinner. (As always, click on the image to go to the recipe source.)
