Chocolate Marshmallow Crumble Bars

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup (6 ounces) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, walnuts, cocoa and baking powder; Stir into butter mixture and spread in the bottom of prepared baking pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until center is set. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over top; bake for 3 minutes to melt. Remove from oven and let it cool down.

Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter in a medium saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in cereal and salt and mix gently to combine. Spread the mixture over the marshmallow layer; let them cool down before cutting into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 18 bars.

Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Wontons

16 wonton wrappers

1 egg, beaten

1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

2 bananas, cut in 1/3 inch sliced

Vegetable oil

Powdered sugar

Mint leaves and seasonal berries for garnish

 

Brush edges of each wonton wrapper lightly with egg. Put 1 tablespoon chocolate hazelnut spread in center along with 2 banana slices. Fold wrapper diagonally in half over filling to form a triangle and thoroughly press edges together to seal. Preheat oven to 200. Add oil to large skillet to depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350. Carefully put a few filled wontons in pan and cook until golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Transfer fried wontons onto paper towels to drain then to a baking sheet to keep warm in oven while frying the remaining wontons. Arrange 2 cooked wontons on each plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with mint leaves and berries. Makes 8 servings

Wooden Spoon Cake

1 German sweet chocolate cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 jar caramel ice cream topping (warm a little)

Cool whip

3 Heath bars (broken into crumbs)

Bake cake in 9x13 pan according to box. While warm poke holes

in it with the end of a WOODEN SPOON right to the bottom. Pour

1/2 of the can of milk into the holes. Into the same holes drizzle the

caramel topping.

When completely cool, spread lavishly with Cool Whip. Top with

crumbled Heath bars. Refrigerate!

Cappuccino Biscotti With Chocolate Chips

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee,
cooled slightly
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole almonds, chopped coarse
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Blend the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt briefly with an electric mixer.
Stir the milk into the espresso along with the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix well and then add to the dry ingredients. Beat until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Grease and then flour a large baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log that measures about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between the logs.
Bake until the logs are firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Wearing an oven mitt to hold the logs in place, use a serrated knife to cut them crosswise on the diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick cookies.
Lay the cookies on one side and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until the biscotti are crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool the biscotti on racks and store in an airtight container. Makes 24 long biscotti.

Exploring Etsy *Neopolitan* Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry

In my house, we are a neopolitan family.  My little boy is a vanilla lover, my little girl, strawberry (because it's pink) and as for me, it's chocolate all the way.  Instead of having three different cartons of ice cream in the fridge, neopolitan is the obvious choice.  Neopolitan always reminds me of my family.  Different tastes, styles,  and blends coming together to live in a delicious harmony.  Cheesy, but true.