~ Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons at Brownies for Dinner

~ Chocolate Chipotle Brownies from The Dog’s Breakfast

~ Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bars at Savory Sweet Life

~ Peppermint Patty Cocktail from Life’s Ambrosia

~ Rocky-Road Brownies at The Novice Chef

~ Chocolate Pecan Tarts from Whitney in Chicago

~ Chewy Coconut Chocolate Pinwheels at Blue Ridge Baker

~ Homemade Pocky from Wild Yeast

~ Gingerbread Blondie S’mores Panini at Panini Happy

~ Chocolate Christmas Mince Pies from Pease Pudding

~ Rolo Pretzel Bites at The Girl Who Ate Everything

~ Chocolate Meringue Mushrooms from East Village Kitchen

~ Chocolate and Candy Cane Cookies at Spicy Ice Cream

~ Dark Chocolate Drizzled Mints from Gimme Some Oven

~ Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans at No Fear Entertaining

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This recipe for chocolate driedel brownies comes from Hersheys.com and couldn’t be easier — the only special ingredient you’ll need is some blue icing or icing gel for the decorative details.

Chocolate Dreidel Brownies
from hersheys.com

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) white baking chips, divided
1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)
1 tube royal blue decorating icing

~ Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9x2-inch baking pan completely with foil, leaving extra on sides for handles.

~ Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

~ Bake 30 to 35 minutes or just until brownies begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Invert brownie onto serving tray; peel off foil.

~ Shape into dreidel: About 3-inches from bottom of each long side, cut triangular pieces to bottom center, forming point of dreidel. Cut about 1-inch from top edge; cut in half and attach 1 piece as handle.

~ Place 1 cup white chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir until mixture is melted and smooth when stirred. Spread on dreidel, about 1-inch from top and 2 sides, forming 7-inch square. Decorate with remaining white chips and decorating icing, if desired. Cut into bars. About 3 dozen brownies.

[image: hersheys.com]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

A box of Leonidas Belgian Chocolates comes in 1 lb, 1.5 lb and 2 lb sizes. The pretty box already comes wrapped and with a bow!

If this Chocolate Gift Basket were the only thing under the tree for me this year, I would be one happy camper! It comes complete with Ghirardelli chocolates, truffles and truffle cookies, hot chocolates and candies.

Produced by Scharffen Berger, the Essence of Chocolate cookbook would be a fun addition to any chocolate lover’s cookbook collection.

One of my most favorite movies, Chocolat starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche is one I never get tired of watching. Check out the novel, too.

Who wouldn’t love a box of candy bars? This package of 30 bars from M&M’s/Mars could be divvied up for stocking stuffers or just wrapped and put under the tree!

Timothy’s has a box of White Hot Chocolate made specifically for the Keurig coffee brewer. The two-pack comes with 22 K-cups each.

Chocolate-covered pomagranate seeds would make a perfect stocking stuffer. I didn’t even know these existed but it’s been added to my wishlist!

I could totally make room on my counter for a hot chocolate maker. I’ve already got an electric kettle, though, so I don’t know if I could justify another similar appliance!

You don’t have to drink chocolate to keep warm! How about a Snuggie in chocolate brown microfiber?

Every day can be delicious, even if you’re kicking off 2010 with a diet! This 2010 wall calendar features a decadent chocolate treat for every month.

[images: amazon]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

The addition of dark chocolate in these cookies, as well as egg whites and very little sugar make for a cookie that’s tasty, chocolaty, and satisfying, with only 52 calories per cookie.

Dark Chocolate Christmas Cookies
from suite101

6 oz dark chocolate (preferably 60% or greater)
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely ground almonds

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two large cookie sheets with nonstick spray.

~ Melt dark chocolate in microwave at 30-second intervals on 70% power until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

~ Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating, adding in sugar and vanilla slowly, until mixture forms stiff peaks.

~ Gently fold in chocolate and almonds until fully incorporated. Drop teaspoons of batter onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving one inch between cookies.

~ Bake 10-12 minutes, switching racks (put bottom cookie sheet on top rack and top cookie sheet on bottom rack) halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

~ Cookies are done when there is a light crust on the outside, but they are soft on the inside. Makes 36 cookies.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

~ Holiday Fudge Ring at Dinosaur Dishes

~ Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything

~ French Chocolate Cake at Happee Monkee

~ Chocolate and Green Tea Truffles from Diet, Dessert and Dogs

~ Caramelized Almonds Dipped in Chocolate at Eddy Van Damme

~ Chocolate Covered Coffee Toffee from Moje Wypieki

~ Nutella Swirl Poundcake at The Cutting Edge of Ordinary

~ S’mores Cookie Bars from Beantown Baker

~ Candy Cane Mint Chocolate Fudge at Cookin’ Canuck

~ Chili Con Carne with Chocolate from The Winter Guest

~ Chocolate Dipped Florentine Shortbreads at Food People Want

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

These Double Ginger Cocoa Cookies with White Chocolate came from Canada.com, and have made themselves a spot in the tins I’ll be giving to friends and neighbors this year.

Crystallized ginger can be found in the spice section of your baking aisle at the grocery store in jars similar to what the other spices are sold in. You can probably find it in larger quantities (and possibly cheaper) at a health foods store or similar, but we don’t have one of those close by yet, so the grocery store aisle it is!

Double Ginger Cocoa Cookies

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, very finely chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses

~ Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

~ Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger and cloves into a bowl. Mix in the crystallized ginger and white chocolate chips, set aside.

~ Place butter and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Beat sugar and butter until light and well combined. Beat in the egg, vinegar and molasses. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

~ Gather the dough in your hands and knead and press into a large ball. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the baking sheets, spacing each cookie 2 to 3 inches apart.

~ Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 minutes for chewy cookies, and 18 minutes for crispy cookies.

~ Cool to room temperature on a baking rack.

~ Makes 36-40 cookies.

[images: flickr; amazon]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Pylones USA has now introduced another fun chocolate (but not really) gadget just in time for the holidays. If someone on your list has an iPhone, this will make the perfect stocking stuffer: A protective iPhone case made to look just like a thick bar of milk chocolate.

The iPhone slips right into the silicone case, which keeps it protected in your purse or bag. Just don’t let anyone go snooping or they might think they’ve found their after lunch snack.

At only $15 a pop, it’ll fit perfectly, both size-wise and financially, into anyone’s stocking this Christmas!

[image: pylones usa]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

~ Chunky Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle from Kacey’s Kitchen

~ Egg-Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies at Art of Dessert

~ Toffee S’mores Candy Cup from Timeless Gourmet

~ Cocoa Meringue Cookies at Inn Cuisine

~ Nanaimo Bars from Playing House

~ Just Fudge at Inside the Kaganoff Kitchen

~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte from Pennies on a Platter

~ Spicy Chocolate Bacon at Culinary Escapade

~ Tart Chocolat from Fresh New England

~ Chocolate and Candied Ginger Cake at Flagrante Delicia

~ Chili-Choco Sweets from Green Kitchen Stories

~ Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake at Mike Lesiuk

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

However, Dove sent me some samples this past week and I’ll admit, I’m very glad they did! I hadn’t realized that it was white chocolate and dark chocolate, with bits of peppermint candy in the white chocolate half which provides a bit of a nice little crunch.

Like the rest of the Dove Promises chocolates these have little quotes on the inside of the foil wrapper, though these have holiday entertaining tips from Martha Stewart instead of the usual uplifting or inspirational thoughts.

These are great as little treats on their own, of course, and while I snacked on one I thought they’d also be great chopped up into chunks for cookies or brownies. Like any Dove chocolate I’ve had, they’re smooth with a real chocolate taste, which is more than I can say for the majority of chocolate you can pick up at the grocery store!

[image: dove]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Though Thanksgiving doesn’t usually have a lot to do with chocolate (it’s all about the pumpkins and turkey!), you can always sneak some in anyway. I made a batch of glazed pumpkin chocolate chip cookies yesterday to take to my daughters’ classes at school. If you’re looking for a quick, delicious treat to serve to guests today, make sure you check those out. They’re always a huge hit.

And after the festivities are over, family and friends have left and the cleaning is done (or waiting patiently in the sink until tomorrow), you can relax on the couch with a nice mug of hot chocolate and a good movie or book!

[image: chocolate.com]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes