white chocolate-pumpkin fudge truffles

These little gems are a flavor explosion. I was searching for something festive yet different for the pumpkin season but couldn't find anything that tickled my fancy. By chance, at Whole Foods, they had samples of these to-die-for pumpkin truffles. They also had little cards out of the recipe, so I took recipe home, changed it around a bit, well, a lot actually. Wanted the truffle to look different than your average white chocolate truffle, so I put the melted white chocolate "in" the mix rather then coat the outside. See where I'm going here?
The orginial recipe is here: Whole Foods Pumpkin Truffles, and my changed around recipe is below.

I wonder how these would be with a milk chocolate? Anyone up for trying that? Let me know how it tastes if you do decide to try it out. These truffles are definitely different tasting and definitely melt in your mouth. Plus they we really easy to make. And can be used for any upcoming holiday parties, house party or as a gift for your friends, family and/or business clients.

white chocolate-pumpkin fudge truffles
Adapted from Whole Foods Market
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Makes about 30 – 50 truffles (depending on size)

3 - 11.5 ounce bags of good quality white chocolate chunks
1/2 cup+ gingersnap cookie crumbs, *plus more for garnish
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix, just pureed pumpkin)
1/2 cup+ cinnamon graham cracker crumbs, *plus more for garnish
3 TB confectioners’ sugar
2 ts orange zest
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
2 big pinches of sea salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Pumpkin pie spice mix, optional
Melted white chocolate for drizzling, optional

A few things to note: I recommend using those really hard, all natural ginger snaps. Whole Foods has a good selection of them; gluten-free is even better; the harder the ginger snap the better for a good hearty, thick-like texture for inside the truffle and one that stands up to grinding them done to a fine crumb. White chocolate does NOT melt good in the microwave, please use a double-boiler. And if you can, use a good quality white chocolate. Again, Whole Foods has the best selection for this. Ghiradelli brand is good too. Go easy with the pumpkin pie dry spice as it's strong.

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat; make sure to stir it often to keep the chocolate from burning. Note: white chocolate burns faster than milk or dark chocolate. (I melted the chocolate right before using it so it didn’t have to sit)
In a large bowl mix gingersnap crumbs, pumpkin, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, zest, cinnamon, salt, and softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and mix well. You can do this over the double boiler if it makes it easier. I then put the bowl in the fridge for about 45 minutes to an hour. I didn’t want this to completely set as I want to roll it into balls first then a complete chill.
Get a large shallow bowl and fill it with the remaining *crumb mixture and a couple dashes of Pumpkin Pie Spice mixture if desired; this is for rolling the truffles in. (you may need a bit more crumb mixture, I did).
Once the mixture is chilled, line a large sheet tray with parchment paper. Roll a large heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin truffle mixture into a ball in your hands, then drop it into the crumb mixture and coat, then transfer to parchment paper.
Repeat truffle-ball making process with remaining pumpkin mixture. Truffle balls should be chilled for at least 4 hours until very firm.
You can decorate the truffle balls with melted white chocolate if desired. Or white confectioners sugar.
(I got the Halloween ribbon from Target in those little .50 cent and dollar bins...they are crazy tiny ribbons, but adorable for small foods. I hope they have some for Christmas time)

monster cookies

Surely you've all heard of monster cookies?
Everytime I see them in the food blogging world they are always meant for kids or kids themed events.
Cookie junkie" add in" peeps like myself LOVE these .
You can literally add anything to them; chunk them up with lots of goodies. There are just so many takes on the monster cookies that technically everyone could have their own version. Add in's include: cc chips, semi-sweet chips, white chocolate chips, pb chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, toffee, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, Reese's, M&M's (whichever flavor), candy chips, potato chips, pretzels, etc... You get the idea.

So, with all that said, it begs the question: what would you add?

I'll post the recipe, but you add in whatever you want to add in; I didn't include all the add in's as space is limited, but the list is endless.


monster cookies
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2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ts of vanilla extract
1 ts of baking soda
½ ts baking powder
1 ts of salt
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

For the mix-in’s you can choose: (I chose mini M&M’s, pecans, milk choco, Reese’s)
1/2 cup of butterscotch chips
1 cup of mini M&Ms
1 cup of Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup of milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
1 cup of chopped Heath bar bits
1 cup Reese’s PB Chips
Endless options for add in's

Cook notes:
As tempting as it may be to add in all the mix-in’s I wouldn’t as it would cause the cookie to break because of the weight, but you could all add the ingredients and make bars out of them, baking them in a pan.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; mix and set aside.
Beat the butter and the sugars at medium speed until well incorporated and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed.
Add half the flour mixture mix 30 seconds. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure all the butter is well incorporated. Then add the other half, mix, but don’t over mix.
Fold in the mix-ins, then mix. Put in fridge to chill at least 30 minutes. When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I made golf ball size dough balls and put on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake about 10 – 15 minutes, turning sheets halfway during cooking time. Depending on your oven this may take longer or shorter to bake.
Be sure to let them cool on the baking sheet before you move them. If you do make them larger like I did then let them cool completely before picking them up as the middles are always softer and might break on you.
Made about 19 giant cookies.
If you don’t make them giant then you’ll probably get 35+ regular size cookies.

white chocolate rice krispie treats

Remember those rice crispy treats you used to devour as a kid? I have found an adult version of sorts, that makes them tastes even better. I saw this over at David Lebowitz food blog, but wanted to kick that recipe up a few more notches. A recipe that even Emeril would be proud of and my friends would devour at first sight.


David added candied peanuts and melted white chocolate.
I changed it by adding salted peanuts, peanut butter chips, sea salt and extra butter.
These are the best combo of sweet & salty I've had by far (well except for my chocolate covered potato chips). You really must try these, and the best part? They are so easy to make.

white chocolate rice krispie treats
recipe adapted from David Lebowitz
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6 TB salted butter
5 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
A pinch of sea salt
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
½ Reese’s peanut butter chips (the kind used for baking)
10 ounce bag marshmallows, snipped in half
5 ½ cups Rice Krispies
Melted frosting for decorating (optional)

Spray a 13 x 9-inch (approx 30 x 22cm) rectangular pan with Pam.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
Add the white chocolate and stir until melted; add a medium sized pinch of sea salt, stir.
Add the marshmallows and stir constantly over the heat until completely melted. (If they start to scorch on the bottom, remove from heat and continue to stir, placing the pan back on the heat occasionally, stirring until smooth).
Remove from heat and add the peanuts, Reese’s peanut butter chips and Rice Krispies until well combined. A rubber spatula or flexible pastry scraper works best.
Transfer mix to the prepared pan and smooth over. (I used my hand to push them down evenly into the pan).
Let cool before cutting. I went ahead and frosted them with some basic frosting that was piped on using a Ziploc bag.

chocolate shortbread fingers

More chocolate. Love baking and creating with chocolate; so diverse. Ok, this is a brand new recipe for me. At first I was a bit skeptical because I am accustomed to shortbread being buttery, crisp and rich. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how you can incorporate chocolate into this. And then I thought, how can you not? You know? This chocolate shortbread is buttery, is crisp and has a different chocolate flavor; different in a good way. It's does not taste like milk chocolate, nor a brownie chocolate (and it does look like a brownie), but more of a rich baking type chocolate with loads of creamy hints to it.

Hard to explain, but really a very tasty type of chocolate indeed. I know the flavor lends itself from the dutch process cocoa that you have to use. (have to being the key word).
These were surprisingly very easy to make. And yet so pretty, delicate too. You could easily make these for a holiday gift which I might just do. If packaged right, they would look gorgeous in a long sleeved plastic bag with a red or silver ribbon wrapped around the top.
The recipe is from: Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.
The picture lends itself to looking like a brownie; trust me they taste nothing like a brownie, nor have the texture of a brownie, but rather an enjoyable new type of shortbread taste.
You must try these if you are a choco-connoisseur like myself.



chocolate shortbread fingers
by martha stewart
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3 sticks (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pan
2 ½ cups plus 2 TB all-purpose flour
4 ½ TB Dutch-process cocoa powder
Heaping ½ ts ground cinnamon
½ ts salt
¼ ts baking soda
1 cup superfine sugar
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 12 by 8 inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the long sides; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and baking soda until combined.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and superfine sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 – 4 minutes, scarping down the sides of the bowl. Add flour mixture, and beat on medium speed until just combined.
Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread dough in prepared baking sheets. Chill in the freezer or refrigerator until dough is firm, about 15 minutes. Prick dough all over with a fork; bake until just firm to the touch, about 20 – 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool a bit. Then while still fairly warm, use a large knife to cut shortbread into 4 by 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cool.
Can be kept in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
Note: I forked the dough before going into the freezer. I let these cool a while before cutting them, and waited for a complete cool before putting the decorative sugar on them since the heat of the bars only melts the sugar.

caramelized onion & bacon quiche

I love quiche. But I like quiche that has flavor to it. Quiche Lorraine is ok, but really low on the flavor meter, unless a good ham was used, not a processed one.
This quiche recipe is full of flavor, so much so that a small slice will satisfy. There is a layer of caramelized onions in this quiche that will have your tastebuds come alive! So tasty, gently rich and the best part? The leftovers get better--meaning when all these flavors have time to sit and meld they taste so good you can even eat them cold. And cold I do! I adore cold leftover quiche.



There is a touch of balsamic vinegar to kick those caramelized onions up a notch (Emeril would be proud and there would be no onion police coming to my house). Gruyere cheese has the best flavor, but I added some strong sharp cheddar to it to enhance it even further.
I also added another notch to this by adding a double crust. I hate quiches that have thin, weak crusts; a strong flavorful, hearty quiche like this one needs a thick and hearty crust to support it.


caramelized onion & bacon quiche
semi-adapted by Simply Recipes
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1 recipe pie dough, pate brisee or you can use store bought pie crust
1 - 2 TB olive oil
3 large sweet onions, chopped in long strips, medium size
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1 ½ cups half & half
3 large eggs
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
¾ cup of sharp cheddar, shredded
4 - 5 slices of cooked bacon (I used thick sliced), crumbled/chopped

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9 inch pie dish pressing dough into corners and around the edges. Transfer to freezer to chill for 30 minutes. (note, I made a double crust, since I like a thicker crust)
Preheat oven to 350°. Place parchment paper on pie shell then fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or aluminum pie weights. Bake first for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork holes are for any air to escape.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool while making filling. (Note: I did not poke holes)
Cook bacon to well cooked, place bacon on paper towels to drain. Remove all bacon grease from pan (do not clean the pan) and add in onions (I did not clean the pan as I wanted the onions to absorb some of the flavor of the bacon). Keep pan on medium heat, add on the olive oil then add the onions. Season with salt & pepper. Caramelize the onions, this should take about 45 minutes +/-; stirring onions every 10 minutes
On the last ten minutes of caramelization add in the TB of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, combine thru. Remove from heat, set aside.
In a bowl combine the 2 cheeses. Sprinkle half the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread onions over the cheese, then the crumbled bacon and then top with remaining cheese.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the half & half and eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese. Transfer to oven, and bake at 350 degrees until just set in the center, 45 - 60 minutes (this all depends on your stove, mine took about 48 minutes).
Cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serves 6-8.