I could so go for an ice cream sundae today! We’ve had some rain which, sadly, doesn’t cool anything down, it just adds some humidity to the mix!

These two videos show how to make a basic one scoop sundae and a Swiss top sundae.

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I know it’s not really the time of year for hot chocolate, but the recipe for this one intrigued me and I wanted to share.

Rob, owner and chocolatier of Kingsbury Chocolates in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia shares his recipe for lavendar hot chocolate (complete with chopped pistachios on top!). I like that you can use any kind of milk, from whole to soy, and anything from dark chocolate to white chocolate!

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Melting chocolate isn’t rocket science but it is something you need to pay attention to! The above video gives you tips and different techniques for melting chocolate (with more attention paid to microwave melting).

This video shows you how to add the melted chocolate to buttercream frosting. Who needs canned when you make the real stuff yourself?

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I’ve spent a lot of time over at MonkeySee, which was recommended to us by Sandy. It’s so much more professional than Youtube, and a lot of the videos are split up into segments so you can see just the parts you want or need to!

Anyway, I came across these quick videos on how to make and assemble “dirt cups.” With summer break starting next week I want to start spending some more time in the kitchen with my daughters to get them started on some of the basics, and I think something fun like this will really appeal to them!

I think these would also be yummy after ten or so minutes in the freezer on an especially hot day!

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Those are four words I would have never expected to see together. Yes, grilled chocolate coffee steaks!

The video above walks you through the preparation and making of the dry rub to the grilling (and even what to do while you’re waiting for the meat in the fridge):

* Equal parts ground coffee & cacao beans (not processed chocolate)
* Season with chipotle, chili powder, garlic, mustard, ginger, salt & pepper
* Apply as a dry rub, and let sit 3+ hours
* Grill over hot coals

I kind of really want to try this, but I’d have to sneak in the “extras” because (and I don’t blame him) my husband might not be too open to the idea if I told him about it beforehand. Maybe showing him the video will help.

Would you try this?

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This just is not the week for Oreos.

(Before I go on, let me reassure you that the driver escaped unharmed and there were no other injuries reported.)

So that being said, what a tragedy. As you can see, a semi hauling 20,000 pounds of ill-fated Oreos overturned on a freeway in Illinois yesterday morning.

They’re not sure yet what caused the accident (they think the driver fell asleep), but I know where they can send the damaged packages!

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Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

NCCD always falls on May 15th and is intended to celebrate the wonderfulness that is chocolate chips and their popularity in our cooking and baking. While there is no congressional record or proclamation that today is officially a “national” anything, it’s still a valid holiday in my book! And of course, there are ecards.

The above video gives you some great tips on how chocolate chips should be added to baked goods. I’ve always kept my chocolate chips in the freezer by default (they get too melty in the cupboard), so I was glad to see that mentioned!

What’s your favorite recipe involving chocolate chips? What is your favorite brand of chocolate chips to use?

My favorite recipe is my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and I prefer the Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips.

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Dreena Burton hosts an episode of Everyday Dish: Vegan Cooking and demonstrates how she makes her easy vegan chocolate chip cookies!

The recipe is below the cut:

Vegan Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (see note)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄3 cup pure maple syrup
1⁄4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1 – 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup canola oil (a little generous)
1⁄3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not over-mix). Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little. Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack.

Note: Unbleached all-purpose flour or spelt flour produces a more classic cookie taste and texture, but you can use whole-wheat pastry flour and still get a delicious cookie. For a wheat-free version, use spelt flour, but add an extra 2-4 tablespoons of the spelt flour to the dry mix (the amount needed varies with brand of spelt flour and whether you are using a refined spelt flour versus a less processed spelt flour).

Note: If, as you are mixing together your batter it appears quite floury and thick, simply mix together a couple of teaspoons more canola and maple syrup and incorporate it into the batter. Sometimes humidity, type of flour used, and other factors can affect the density of the batter and so a touch more liquid may be needed.

Makes 9-12 large to average sized cookies

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It doesn’t get fresher than this – a tour through a chocolate factory in Mexico that culminates in a taste straight from the machine!

I can’t seem to find any info on how much significance chocolate holds for Cinco de Mayo celebrations, but why should that stop anyone? Do you do anything special for Cinco de Mayo?

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Arguably one of those most popular comedy bits of all time, the 39th episode of “I Love Lucy” featured Lucy and Ethel working at a chocolate factory, wrapping chocolates as they came down a conveyor belt. The episode is technically titled “Job Switching” but is better known as “Candy Factory.”

It was filmed May 30, 1952 and entails Ricky and Fred thinking that housework is much easier than earning money. Lucy and Ethel feel the opposite so the boys try doing the housework while the girls attempt to hold down a job at a candy factory.

[info via Lucy Library]

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