Tag: california gourmet

Ice Cream Sundae Cookies

It’s been a while since I made real cookies. Well on the blog at least (chocolate chip cookies are a regular around here, who can live without them?!). So many of you loved my healthy cowboy cookie dough bites, as do I. But there is no substitute for real crispy, chocolatey, chewy cookies, am I right?!

With Purim just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to come up with a cookie that could work both in a shalach manot basket, as well as a fun dessert for the festive Purim meal. Filling the cookie dough with fun ice cream sundae toppings makes this “kitchen sink” cookie a must have for the whole family!

The only thing better than the cookies themselves might be the raw cookie dough, or better yet, creating an ice cream sandwich with my favorite Neapolitan ice cream in between. Lets not count the calories, ok??

These cookies make the most out of California Gourmet’s new mini chocolate chips, which I might just love more than the original (if that is even possible!).  I’m a big supporter of their brand because it was started by a fellow momtrepreneur who has a passion for bringing amazing quality, kosher, vegan, allergy-friendly chocolate to the masses. She is basically my hero.

So how can we support this brand? Well it doesn’t take much – eat lots of chocolate! And once you try their rich, clean flavor, you’ll never go back. Trust me.

Now California Gourmet is available in over 300 stores in the U.S. and Australia, but if you live under a rock, you can STILL get it because it’s now available on Amazon (soon to be available on Amazon Prime)! And if your local store runs out, don’t forget to ask them to reorder so there’s enough to go around for all of us.

Now back to the cookies. Crunchy. Chewy. Chock full of sprinkles, chocolate chips and sugar cones – yes please! I think they’d make the cutest mishloach manos in a little box with a tub of ice cream and a jar of sprinkles or maraschino cherries. Don’t you?

What have you got planned for shalach manos this year? I’d love to hear your ideas! Share them with me in the comments below!

And in the meantime, go buy some ice cream, because you’re gonna need it!!

Ice Cream Sundae Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
3 sugar cones, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup California Gourmet mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup colorful sprinkles
ice cream, optional

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. Add sugar cone pieces, mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. Using an ice cream scoop, place scoops of cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet (6 per sheet). Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before serving.

VARIATION: For a fun variation and crispy exterior, instead of putting the sugar cone into the cookie dough, roll the scoops of batter into the crushed cone and bake as above.

Yield: approximately 16 cookies.


This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   View the list of over 300 stores that carry the brand here).

Other Mishloach Manos Ideas:

Purim deviled eggs
Terra Stix white chocolate bark
Pretzels with raspberry honey mustard dip
Sushan sushi salad

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S’mores Corn Flake Clusters

I can’t let summer go by without a s’mores recipe. I mean, what’s summer without s’mores, right? I’m a huge fan of the classic, and so are my kids. I try and whip them up whenever we have a BBQ. I just wrap up my s’more sandwich in foil and throw it on the grill for a quick and easy dessert everyone loves.

I don’t know what it is with me and breakfast s’mores, but here I am at it again, trashing up my most important meal of the day. OK, so these are not exactly breakfast munchies, but they are made with cereal, and one of my favorite ones at that. Corn Flakes are my all-time-favorite coating for so many things, from shnitzel to ice cream. I use Corn Flake crumbs in my homemade kishke, throw them into patties instead of bread crumbs, and sprinkle them over kugels and quiche for some sweet crunch. One of my favorite snacks are those chewy Corn Flake crunchies made with corn syrup and that’s what inspired these S’mores Corn Flake Clusters.

Like Jerry Seinfeld, I’m a total cereal fanatic, and I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. After Pesach, when everyone is out getting their pizza fix, I just go to my nearest supermarket and have an all-out cereal party! I buy like 4 or 5 kinds, and I get to skip the whole pizza-line-around-the-block thing to get my chometz fix.

Cereal doesn’t have to be a bowl-only food, but these marshmallow-infused Corn Flake clusters do sorta taste like Corn Flakes and milk. Enrobe them in chocolate and it just takes it to a whole ‘nother level! And I don’t use just any chocolate either. I am legit obsessed with the California Gourmet brand. It tastes like the finest Belgian chocolate that’s not too sweet, just how I like it.

How much do I love California Gourmet chocolate? Let me count the ways…

1. it’s vegan
2. it’s got 45% cocoa
3. it’s got the nicest packaging (hey, I was trained in graphic design so that matters, ok?!)
4. it comes in red or blue bags, soy-based and soy-free, respectively.
5. it’s kosher pareve
6. it’s gluten free
7. it’s allergy friendly
8. it’s got great recipes on the back of the bag (amazing chocolate chip cookies on the red one and my chocolate ganache tart on the blue one).
9. it’s available in 100 stores!
10. it’s rich and chocolatey with few ingredients that I can recognize and pronounce.

What have I done with my all-time favorite chocolate? Well, I made this chocolate ganache tart with a macaroon crust that is so decadent, guilt-free and delicious, that they printed it on back of the bag! I also made this easy homemade nutella with just 3 ingredients! I also showed my love for Israel with these halva krembo’s that are the ultimate remake of the classic kid snack.

You can never have too much chocolate, so while I add these chips to my homemade trail mix and I melt some up for homemade fondue, I don’t mind just eating ’em straight from the bag, no recipe required!

What’s your favorite way to use chocolate chips? Share it with me in the comments below!

S’mores Corn Flake Clusters

5 cups lightly crushed Corn Flakes cereal
8 oz. marshmallows
2 tbsp butter, margarine or coconut oil
1 cup California Gourmet chocolate chips
4 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed

Method:

Over medium heat, melt the butter and marshmallows and stir in the cornflakes, mixing until they are well-coated. With damp hands, roll the corn flake mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze the clusters until they are set and no longer sticky.

Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. Dip the corn flake clusters into the chocolate, and then into the graham cracker crumbs. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

VARIATION: Try using Rice Krispies instead.

QUICK & EASY: Spread the Corn Flakes mixture into  a 9×13 pan. Cover with a layer of chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. Refrigerate until set and cut into squares.

TIP: If your chocolate is too thick for dipping, add a bit of oil to thin it out.


This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   View the list of stores that carry the brand here).

Related Recipes:

smores oatmeal
s’mores cookies
s’mores chocolate toffee bark
corn flake crunch ice cream
leftover cereal bar treats

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Chocolate Ganache Tart with Macaroon Crust

I don’t know about you, but chocolate is about the only way I make it through this holiday. Growing up, my family was pretty strict with our Passover customs so we didn’t eat many processed foods. There was some dairy and OJ for the kids, a stash of lady fingers, and chocolate. Lots and lots of Shmerling chocolate.

We didn’t have it that bad. I had friends who couldn’t use oil, just shmaltz (yes, I know it’s delicious, but not when you’re trying to dress a salad!), who swore off dairy and processed food, and who couldn’t eat chocolate. Even Paleo people (who swear off dairy and processed foods, and who load up on shmaltz) eat chocolate. Me? We ate lots of eggs, chicken and potatoes, and any veggies that could be peeled, like eggplants, cucumbers and beets. We used only kosher salt for seasoning (no spices!) and liquid sugar for sweetening (no homemade Pesach cookies!). Still, my mom made the most delicious Pesach food, and we survived 8-days of gluten free eating. Largely in part due to chocolate.

Nowadays, I don’t think 8 days of gluten free eating is that difficult. Maybe it’s because I’m used to eating Paleo and zoodles are one of my favorite foods. I definitely miss the spices though, and the natural sweeteners like maple syrup. But back to the chocolate. It’s what got me through Passover when I was a kid, and it’s what gets me through it now. And now that California Gourmet has come out with kosher for Passover chocolate chips, my Passover’s are complete. I’ve got homemade nutella, nutella banana ice cream, and now THIS.

‘
And by this I mean the most decadent, indulgent, GUILT-FREE chocolate ganache tart with a macaroon crust. The recipe is so good that it’s actually PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE BAG. That’s right, my first back of the bag recipe!! It’s hard to believe that such few ingredients could turn out such a delicious treat, but I tested this recipe on a few people who swear off coconut and they were licking. their. fingers. If there was ever a vegan, gluten free, nut free, raw, Paleo recipe that you should try – it’s this. Trust me. Your Passover’s will never be the same again.

Thanks to California Gourmet for allowing me to share this back-of-the-bag recipe!

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Macaroon Crust
raw, vegan, nut-free, gluten-free

7 oz. sweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut
9 oz. medjool dates, pitted (about 11 dates)
1 cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
8 oz. bag California Gourmet KFP chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt

For the crust, spread out the coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Add the dates and toasted coconut to a food processor and blend until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, or is well blended.

Line a tart pan (see note) with parchment paper, so that it hangs over the sides of the dish. Press the dough out onto the pie dish, spreading it out and up the sides like a pie crust.

For the ganache, pour the chocolate chips into a medium heatproof bowl and set aside. Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and let stand for a few minutes, until chocolate softens. Stir the mixture until smooth and add in the vanilla and salt. Pour the ganache into the pie crust and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until firm.

Lift the tart out of the pie dish using the parchment paper. Slice and serve.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: coconut whipped cream, shredded coconut, fresh raspberries.

NOTE: You may use a smaller or larger tart pan (7″-9″). The smaller pan will have more ganache, and the larger one will have it more spread out (in which case you might want to consider making more).

STORAGE: This tart freezes beautifully. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you cannot find kosher for Passover canned coconut milk, you may use heavy cream (dairy), pareve kosher for Passover whipping cream, or, you can make your own coconut milk.

To make your own coconut milk, place 4 oz. unsweetened shredded coconut in a blender and pour 2 cups of hot water over it. Blend on high for a few minutes until thick and creamy. Pour the mixture through a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth (or a kitchen towel). Squeeze to extract as much of the milk as possible. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The milk will separate so just shake before using. Continue as per the recipe using your homemade coconut milk.

This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   View the list of stores that carry the brand here).

Related KFP Recipes:

raw date and almond hamantaschen
gingerbread date truffles

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Homemade Nutella

Making my own nutella has been on my list forever. It’s just one of those things that I’ve always wanted to make, but I never got around to it. Now that I finally made a batch, it’s going to be a regular here – it’s just that easy and that good.

If you’ve never made your own nut butter, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s so much better than the store-bought stuff that’s loaded with additives! You can make nut butter out of just about any nut, and there’s nothing to it! You just let it go in the food processor until it’s creamy. It goes from chopped to a sort of greasy chop, then it turns to a creamy consistency with lots of pieces in it, and finally it reaches the beautiful consistency of butter.

There are so many things you can add to nut butter too. Maple syrup, honey, molasses, cinnamon, gingerbread spices, pumpkin spices, and of course….CHOCOLATE.

Chocolate nut butter is definitely my nut butter of choice. Last year, I made chocolate walnut butter for Passover and put it on just about everything. Now that California Gourmet has come out with soy-free kosher for Passover chocolate chips, I’m so excited about all the chocolate nut butter possibilities!

This incredible new brand has 48% cocoa for a rich chocolaty flavor that’s not too sweet. It’s non-GMO, gluten free, nut free, dairy free and with just 3 ingredients, you know you are eating clean. The kosher for Passover chips are made with just cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa butter – that’s it!

I love that California Gourmet’s new product makes eating nutella feel guilt-free! You can eat it with fruit, drizzled over yogurt, mixed into cookies or cake, and smeared over matza (if your custom allows). Me? I eat a spoonful right out of the jar for a decadent treat!

Now if you want to pick up a bag of kosher for Passover California Gourmet chocolate chips, they’re making it into stores nationwide (view the list here). If your store carries the red bag (which contains soy and is not kosher for Passover), you can ask them to bring in the Passover variety as it is available through the same distributor. If you are unable to get the chocolate at a store near you, you can also order it online here or replace it with some good quality chocolate instead.

Now that we’ve got our nutella ready, stay tuned for some banana nutella ice cream, coming to the blog real soon!

Homemade Nutella

8 oz. skinned* and roasted hazelnuts (unsalted), about 1 1/2 cups
1 8 oz. bag California Gourmet KFP chocolate chips
½ tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Method:

Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler. While they are melting, add the hazelnuts to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla and salt and blend until incorporated. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or refrigerate for up to 1 month.

*If you cannot find skinned hazelnuts, purchase raw nuts and roast them at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, until the skins begin to crack. Remove from the oven and add to a kitchen towel. Rub the nuts vigorously to remove the skins and set aside to cool.

NOTE: When the nutella comes out of the food processor, it will be liquidy, like the consistency of melted chocolate. As it sits, it will firm up to the texture of nut butter, as pictured on the matza. If you refrigerate the spread, it will harden, but you can just bring it to room temperature so it’s easier to spread.

EQUIPMENT NOTE: You will need a powerful food processor in order to create the hazelnut butter. If your machine is not that good, the process may take longer, just be patient and let the machine do the work.

TIP: if your nutella is difficult to spread, place your sealed container in a bowl of very warm tap water to soften.

This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Related Recipes: cinnamon honey walnut butter

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Halva Krembo’s

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know about my recent trip to Israel. I posted lots of droolworthy pics of all of the delicious foods I was eating! And there was no shortage of that. Israel is the land of milk and honey – overflowing with the most amazing bounty. A single trip to the Machane Yehudah market will prove just that. You’ll find the sweetest seasonal fruits and perfect large, robust vegetables that are all farm fresh and (mostly) locally grown. The stands piled high with fresh baked pastries, the artisan breads and fluffy pillows of pita, and the hidden gems of culture at every turn are awe-inspiring.

One thing the shuk is known for is it’s halva. “Mamlechet HaHalva”, or “The Halva Kingdom” is famous for it’s amazing array of halva flavors. It is so hard to pick a favorite but the espresso, candied pecan and cinnamon are all up there!

And any of you that have walked passed the halva stand have been nudged by the famous “Halva King” to try a piece. He’s become a fixture in the shuk, gold crown and all! See my pic with him below!

The Halva Kingdom recently started making a line of flavored tahini as well. I tasted the freshly ground paste (which tastes like peanut butter) and then sampled a selection of sweet and savory flavors like tomato, pesto, nougat, chocolate, and more. The nougat was so good, I brought home a bucket!

All of the amazing flavors and aromas of the shuk inspired me to create a twist on a classic Israel snack – the KREMBO. Krembo is hebrew for “There’s Cream In It”, referring to the fluffy cream hiding under it’s chocolate coating. Krembo’s have a round biscuit base and are available in vanilla and mocha flavors. They’re wrapped up in thin foil packaging, blue for vanilla and brown for mocha.

With tahini being just about the most popular food of Israel, I was surprised they never came out with a halva flavored krembo – so I decided to do just that! I started with a sesame-flavored cookie and topped it with some tahini-flavored whipped cream. I coated it all in chocolate and decorated it with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.


Creating a beautiful chocolate glaze came together easily with the amazing new brand of kosher vegan chocolate chips – California Gourmet. Their 45% cocoa chips are rich in chocolatey flavor with just the right balance of sweetness. I love how easily it melts, perfect for dipping, and it hardens quickly too. I stir in some coconut oil to create the perfect chocolate magic shell, and we use the leftovers to have a little after-school fondue dipping party!

California Gourmet chocolate chips help me keep my krembo’s pareve, without sacrificing on richness and flavor. And boy are these rich and flavorful! Halva flavored Krembo’s, here we come!

And while we are talking about homemade krembo’s, I must give a shoutout to the Balaboosta cookbook. In it, Israeli Chef Einat Admony recreates one of the favorite snacks of her childhood, you guessed it….krembo. Her homemade version of the classic (which looks incredible, by the way), gave me the push I needed to make these happen.

You see, I’m not much of a pastry girl. In fact, I don’t own a single pastry bag. When I say to fill your pastry bag with whip cream, I mean Ziploc. And I cut the corner with a scissor, the old fashioned way. That’s how I pipe people. So let me tell you – If i can make these, you most definitely can. They might look intimidating, but they are anything but. And that, my friends, is just the way I like to do things. Happy Halva-ing!

Halva Krembo’s

sesame cookies, recipe follows
tahini cream, recipe follows
chocolate magic shell, recipe follows
sesame seeds, for garnish

Method:

Place the tahini cream in a piping bag with a wide tip. Pipe the cream onto the cookies, creating a mound of cream. Place the cookies into the freezer for 20 minutes.

Pour the chocolate magic shell into a large mug. Dip the cookies into the chocolate and place on a rack set of a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and set aside to harden, or freeze until set.

If you have extra cookies, dip half of the cookie into your leftover magic shell and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place on a rack to harden.

Sesame Cookies
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the sesame seeds out onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and coconut oil until creamy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until incorporated. Stir in the sesame seeds.

Spread the dough out into a log on a sheet of parchment paper and roll the paper tightly, twisting the sides, to form a tight cylinder, about two inches wide. Refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes.

Slice the dough into half inch slices and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely.

YIELD: 18-20 cookies

Halva Cream
16oz. nondairy whip topping
3/4 cup tahini
honey or silan, to taste

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the tahini until incorporated. I prefer my cream not to be too sweet, but if you’d like, you may fold in a bit of honey or silan, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

NOTE: for dairy, use heavy cream. Will require additional sweetener.

Chocolate Magic Shell
1 10 oz. bag California Gourmet chocolate chips
3 tbsp coconut oil

Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (water should not touch the bowl). Pour the chocolate into the bowl with the coconut oil and stir until melted into a smooth sauce.



Here are some photos of the things that inspired this recipe! With the Halva King, eating freshly ground tahini and surrounded by the many flavors of tahini, halva, and of course, krembo!

This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Related Recipes: halva & ricotta stuffed figs

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