chocolate – Page 3 – FoodWatcher

A Holiday-Ready Espresso Martini (& More Festive Drinks to Savor This Season)

December is like a game of Jenga. I start off strong, ready to accept every holiday invitation and family commitment. But as I attend each holiday dinner, party, and gift exchange, a little piece of me diminishes, until I finally crumple into a pile of…

One obvious way to keep it together this season is to be more mindful about drinking, not necessarily by cutting out booze, but by building in time to savor every festive drink. Re-centering yourself with a cup or glass in hand is a universal tradition: The Italians enjoy apertivo hour, Scandinavians make time each day for fika—coffee and cake—and millions of people from England to Japan have rituals around tea, be it a late afternoon cuppa or a ceremony.

olive oil brownies

I did not intend to disappear for so long! In early October I was putting the finishing touches on a cake that manages to incorporate 2.5 pounds of apples (perfect for people like me who show no self-control nor willingness to learn from the previous season’s excess at orchards) when the world went to hell, our thoughts were not with food, and by the time I emerged it was November, a month I’ve spent mostly on a mini book tour when there is never enough time to come up for air. I need my sofa, some quiet, and a window with a view of the last bits of golden leaves clinging to trees to stare through, which brings me at last to today. Please know: Life gets busy, my schedule goes off the rails, but I will always come back to this space because I like it here, I like hanging out with you, and 17 years hasn’t changed this. The longer I’m away, the more delicious the backlog — it’s going to be a fantastic December.

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Homemade Peppermint Oreos

During the holiday months, I bake A LOT of cookies. One of my favorite holiday flavor combinations is chocolate and peppermint. I love making Andes Mint Cookies, Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies, and Oreo White Chocolate Pudding Peppermint Cookies. These Homemade Peppermint Oreos are also a favorite. These cookies are inspired…

Chocolate Nutella Feuilletine Crunch

This easy and delicious crunchy candy is a textural delight: made with just 3 ingredients, this no-bake recipe comes together in under 15 minutes (plus a bit of patience while you wait for it to set, which, to be honest, is probably the hardest part of the whole process). While it may not be the […]

The post Chocolate Nutella Feuilletine Crunch first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

While it may not be the fanciest or most elegant looking treat, this homemade candy is like a gourmet version of a classic crunch bar, with a fudgy texture and a lovely, delicate crunch that comes from an ingredient you’ve probably never heard of before called feuilletine.

Bars of Nutella Chocolate Crunch Candy Bark scattered on a gray background, three bars stacked on a plate with one broken bar to show the crispy texture.

Now that you’ve made your own Homemade Feuilletine, you may be wondering, what do I do with it? Well, there are lots of ways, but I figured I’d share my absolute favorite quick and easy candy recipe that uses feuilletine. It’s basically a thicker version of the crispy croustillant base from my Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake, cut into bars.

With only 3 ingredients—chocolate, Nutella, and feuilletine (and maybe a sprinkle of flake salt if that floats your boat)—this homemade crunch candy is so simple I almost feel like I’m cheating even calling it a recipe. If anything, it’s more of a jumping-off point for your own experimentation and flavorful explorations.

The result is a textural delight: rich, dark chocolate softened mixed with Nutella for an almost fudge-like consistency, then folded with crispy flakes of feuilletine for a light and delicate crunch.

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Vegan Chocolate Cookies

These decadent vegan chocolate cookies are a dream come true for chocolate lovers! This easy recipe uses two types of chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and a hint of vanilla and cinnamon to create soft, chewy, and flavorful cookies that the whole family w…

The post Vegan Chocolate Cookies appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Scones

No dry, bland scones here: these cream scones are tender and fluffy and ultra flavorful! This particular version has dark chocolate chunks and freeze-dried raspberries mixed in, but the base recipe is ultra flexible to accommodate whatever flavors you happen to be craving! Compared to their butter-based counterparts, cream scones are a cinch to whip […]

The post Chocolate Raspberry Cream Scones first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Compared to their butter-based counterparts, cream scones are a cinch to whip up with little more than flour, sugar, cream and a fork—no finicky cold butter, pastry blenders or stand mixers needed!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Scones on a pink serving plate with fresh raspberries and a ceramic mug of coffee, pink napkin and bowl of raspberries in the background.

Trust me when I say these are not the dry, crumbly things you probably think of when you hear the word “scone”. Instead, these cream scones are tender and fluffy and chock-full of punchy freeze-dried raspberries and rich, dark chocolate.

I’d argue that cream scones are an entirely different beast, made with heavy cream rather than butter and/or buttermilk.

The high-hydration dough results in a super light and fluffy scone that’s worlds away from the dry, chalky pucks that often pass for scones (it’s sad, really). Trust me, you’ll be shocked at how not-dry these are. They’re almost more muffin-like than anything.

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Vegan Red Velvet Cookies

These decadent vegan red velvet cookies are crispy on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and have a rich chocolatey flavor you cannot resist! This recipe uses cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and a hint of vanilla to give it a delightfully sweet t…

The post Vegan Red Velvet Cookies appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Vegan Matcha Cookies

These vegan matcha cookies are made from freshly ground green tea leaves and are bursting with color and matcha flavor! This recipe combines matcha powder with white chocolate chips and a hint of vanilla to make irresistible cookies that are soft and c…

The post Vegan Matcha Cookies appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and irresistible. The warm combination of dark chocolate chips, rolled oats, vanilla, and cinnamon will have the whole family rushing to the cookie jar. Whether for a post-dinner dessert or an…

The post Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

A cozy mug of Nutella hot chocolate is quick and easy to make with 3 ingredients, full of the classic chocolate-hazelnut flavor we all love. Who else is ready to cozy up with a warm mug of Nutella hot chocolate? ♡ We’re settling in for a cold and rainy weekend ahead here in Kansas City, […]

A cozy mug of Nutella hot chocolate is quick and easy to make with 3 ingredients, full of the classic chocolate-hazelnut flavor we all love.

Who else is ready to cozy up with a warm mug of Nutella hot chocolate? ♡

We’re settling in for a cold and rainy weekend ahead here in Kansas City, so warm drinks of all kinds are on the agenda, including a round of this delicious chocolate-hazelnut hot chocolate. I actually first shared this recipe here on Gimme Some Oven over a decade ago, and all of these years later, it continues to be a favorite winter tradition here in our home.

This recipe is probably the quickest and easiest version of homemade hot chocolate that you can make, simply stirring a big dollop of Nutella into a warm mug of milk along with a sprinkle of sea salt to bring out the best of the chocolate and hazelnut flavors. It comes together in just a few minutes (and is definitely easy enough for kids to DIY their own mugs). And it always tastes wonderfully nostalgic and indulgent and perfectly Nutella-y.

On a cold winter’s night, there’s nothing better. So grab a jar of Nutella and let’s make some hot chocolate together.

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