Flickr user Balakov has created a Wii remote set out of white chocolate! He used the packaging from an actual Wii set as molds and put sponge cookies in the middle to help fill it out a bit. The kids and I could have a lot of fun with this, but only if I had a Wii Fit already waiting for me! [Read more]

Fresh Functional Food Composite, a venture firm in Japan, has come up with an interesting twist on chocolate and fruit: They’re infusing white chocolate into freeze-dried fruit without compromising the texture of the fruit. Take for example one of FCOM’s products, a strawberry infused with white chocolate. On the outside it’s an everyday garden-variety dried strawberry, but break the surface and it looks like the fruit contains white chocolate in its fibers. The trick is to first freeze-dry the strawberry to remove the water, and then infuse the white chocolate into the spaces left behind. The company started started off infusing tuna oil into tuna fish to make it more fatty, and evolved into infusing apples with wine and fruits... [Read more]

These peanut butter cup cookies are another inclusion in my cookie tins this year and they couldn’t be easier: ~ Your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe or refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough ~ Unwrapped Reese’s mini peanut butter cups Make your cookie dough and roll into about one inch balls. Either grease a mini muffin tin or line with mini liners (I chose to use liners since these are going into tins, otherwise I leave them bare) and plop each ball of dough in. Gently push in one mini peanut butter cup so the dough rises up around the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Make sure you leave the cookies in the tin for about five minutes after you pull them out of the oven so they... [Read more]

This is one of the easiest chocolate recipes around, and one of my newest inclusions into my little cookie tins I give to neighbors and friends! White Chocolate Peppermint Bark - Crushed peppermint candy canes or starlight peppermints, about 1 cup - 2 pounds white chocolate - Peppermint flavoring, optional Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.) That’s it! If you’re... [Read more]

2 c boiling water 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder 2 3/4 c all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 c butter, softened 2 1/4 c white sugar 4 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 3 – 9 inch round cake pans, or 13×9 cake pan. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans or cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool. [Read more]