The game, which is playable, actually has chocolate pieces wrapped up to look like the wooden Scrabble tiles, and though it doesn’t have a full cardboard game board, the poster that takes its place is a good stand-in.

Not only are the tiles edible, but there’s a chocolate medallion for the winner as well.

The game/stocking stuffer retails for about $10 and can be found with the Christmas and holiday gifts.

[image: gadgetvenue.com]

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You can serve it with crackers just like you would a regular savory cheese ball.

Chocolate Cheese Ball
from allrecipes.com

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

~ In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips.

~ Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

~ Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

~ Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Balls
from dailyherald.com

1 box (18.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1⅓ cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons pure peppermint extract, divided
1 container (16 ounces) prepared fudge frosting
1 package (about 24 ounces) chocolate almond bark

~ Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.

~ In a large bowl, stir cake mix with eggs, water, oil and 11/2 teaspoons peppermint extract until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 33-38 minutes.

~ Cool slightly and crumble while warm into a large bowl; stir in the frosting until well blended.

~ With a small cookie scoop, form balls (smooth with hands if desired) and place on wax paper. Chill 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.

~ In a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate bark in the microwave set on HIGH for 90 seconds. Stir and heat at 30-second intervals until melted; stir in remaining extract until smooth.

~ With a fork, dip balls into chocolate, shaking gently to let excess dip off. Return to wax paper and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Let sit at room temperature until coating hardens. Store in an airtight container.

~ Makes 36-42 cake balls.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

With this week’s batch of chocolate links, I’ve got several bookmarked that I’ll be trying out over the next few days if I can get my rear to the grocery store first!

~ Cobblestone Fudge at Art of Dessert

~ Peanut Butter Balls from One Ordinary Day

~ Caramel Chocolate Macchiato Cookies at The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

~ Mint Chocolate Puddle Cookies from Une-Deux Senses

~ Ginger Carrot Dark Chocolates at Desserts for Breakfast

~ Chocolate Toffee Wedges from The Recipe Girl

~ Peppermint Mocha Truffles at My Kitchen Addiction

~ Chocolate Chip Shortbread from Not Without Salt

[image: flickr]

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“Little Chocolatiers,” which airs at 9 p.m. on Monday, introduces Steve and Katie Hatch, little people who own a chocolate shop in Salt Lake City. Though it’s premiering as a special, it’s already got six episodes lined up for 2010.

Also on Monday at 10:00 p.m., TLC rolls out “World Chocolate Championship,” a one-hour special that goes behind the scenes as 19 of the best chocolatiers in the word compete in Paris for the title of World Chocolate Master. They will compete in five categories, including hand-dipped praline, layered cake, gastronomic dessert platter, chocolate decorated haute couture hat, as well as incorporate the theme of the 2009 competition in a final showpiece made entirely of chocolate.

Sounds like a delicious night to me!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 cups white, all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar

~ Place the flour on your work space and make a well in it. Add all the other ingredients and kneed the mixture with your hands until it forms a ball of dough.

~ Divide the dough in two equal parts. Place the first half on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s less than 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough with cookie cutters. Repeat with second half of dough.

~ Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

These would also be great with a basic buttercream frosting, or some melted, drizzled white chocolate and sprinkles.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Well, there’s really nothing much in it for the consumer, aside from the fact that the candy bars you continue to buy will still be benefiting the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but that should give you some warm fuzzies (especially if you check out some of the videos and stories from alumni on the site).

However, in recognition of the school’s 100 anniversary, starting this January you’ll get it in writing with a special “thank you” on the backs of the king and regular sized milk chocolate and almond bars. The thank you says: “Every Hershey’s product you’ve enjoyed has helped support children in need through Milton Hershey School. Thank You for making a difference!”

[image used with permission from hershey.com]

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This year, while perusing other Christmas cookie ideas, I came across a similar cookie that uses chocolate and is iced instead of rolled in powdered sugar. Though it’s not a shortbread cookie like the snowballs, the similar shape would make it fit in well with some snowballs in a treat tin.

Iced Chocolate Christmas Cookies
from nytimes.com

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (about 2 cups) chopped walnuts
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons milk, as needed
1/2 cup decorative sprinkles

…..

For the cookies:

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a mixing bowl, add walnuts, and mix again.

~ In a small saucepan, combine shortening and milk. Place over low heat until shortening melts. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir to blend.

~ Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until well blended.

~ While warm, roll dough into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on one or two baking sheets, and bake until surface is no longer shiny, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For icing and decorating:

~ Place confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and mix in enough milk to make icing just thick enough to coat the top of a cookie. Dip top of each cookie into icing, then into sprinkles, and set aside to dry. When cookies are completely dry, store in an airtight container.

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If you want to give something a little out of the ordinary (and I can think of a few brothers-in-law who wouldn’t even think twice about it), you could try your hand at some chocolate covered bacon, which, truth be told, is actually quite delicious. If you’re packaging it up, make sure you put parchment paper between the layers so the chocolate doesn’t all stick together.

There’s also always the old standby of chocolate covered strawberries, though these might do best as something to serve at a party as opposed to packaging up for gift giving.

And who says the whole chocolate covered treat had to be edible? Try these chocolate dipped spoons for a great and easy stir-in for coffee or hot chocolate — the chocolate melts into the hot liquid with no muss, no fuss, and they’re great for gift giving with a tin of hot chocolate and some cute mugs.

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There are many variations of the trifle, with no one being “the only way” to do it. Traditionally they’ve been made with sponge cake, pudding or custard, and fruit, though more contemporary trifles also contain gelatin, liquor and whipped cream.

One of the more modern methods of creating a trifle uses the convenience of prepackaged cake mixes and whipped topping. If you don’t have a lot of time but still want to “wow” your guests or family, try this easy version of a chocolate trifle the next time you’ve got a dessert assignment:

Easy Chocolate Trifle
from cooks.com

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. strawberry preserves
1 c. sliced strawberries
1 (4 oz.) container Cool Whip
1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. chocolate instant pudding

~ Heat oven to 350 degrees.

~ Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13 x 9 inch. Bake and cool cake. Cut into halves. Freeze half for future use.

~ Cut remaining cake half into 1 inch pieces. Arrange half in 3 quart glass serving bowl.

~ Spoon 1/4 cup preserves over pieces; sprinkle with 1/2 cup strawberries. Spread with 1 cup whipped topping.

~ Repeat with remaining cake pieces, preserves, strawberries, and whipped topping.

~ Refrigerate until chilled. Prepare pudding. Spread over trifle. Refrigerate 4 hours. Serve cold.

[image: flickr]

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