Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Here's a piece of advice you'd think no one would need: when you make these cookies, don't forget that the melted chocolate is unsweetened and lick the spatula after transferring it to the batter.  Yuck.  But these cookies, on the other hand, are a far cry from yuck.  I'd place them more in the yummy to delicious part of the spectrum.  These cookies are amazing.  Soft and chewy on the inside and the cinnamon sugar outsides have a twist, with added cocoa powder. Of course, these cookies were worthy of sharing, which is why I sent them to my foodie pen pal this month!

Skinny Coleslaw

Summer time means cookouts, gatherings and making things easy and delicious.  We hosted a bunch of friends for fun evening last weekend and picked up takeout from a local restaurant that makes crazy good BBQ.  Needing a healthy side, coleslaw was the clear choice for a veggie, but I didn't want a typically heavy on the mayo version.  Plus Dave is super picky about his coleslaw.  This one was a definite win.  Lots of crunch from cabbage and carrots, but a light and tangy dressing that hit all the right notes.  This coleslaw is perfect for summer and I'll definitely be making it again for our summer parties and pot lucks.

Mojito Marinade

Sneaking alcohol into my food is never a bad thing.  So of course this marinade is perfect.  We let some chicken sit in this happy flavor bath over night and then Dave grilled it up to juicy yummy for slicing and stuffing in fajitas with sauteed peppers and onions.  The mint and rum pairs really well with the pepper and spice, making this a perfect marinade for fajitas.  We're looking forward to trying this with some flank steaks.  Yummy.

Avalanche Bars

What happens when everything in your pantry falls into what would have been plain rice krispies treats?  It's an avalanche and you just have to roll with it.  White chocolate, peanut butter, mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (which are not melted!) snuggle up with crispy cereal to make an awesome bar, perfect for end of school parties, cook-outs and any occasion when you want a quick and tasty no-bake treat.  Soft and packed with everything good, these bars are one of my new favorite treats.

Pomegranate Chipotle Pretzels

A little sweet with a spicy finish, these pretzels are super fun and really tasty.  They were a crowd pleaser during a recent get-together with friends.  And Dave enjoyed the leftovers for afternoon munchies. The flavors are really interesting, starting out as a sweet, almost candy coated pretzel and then finishing with a flavorful heat that's just a touch spicy, but not overly seasoned and hot.

S'mores Waffles

Do I really need to say it twice?  It's a campfire breakfast (and it's dessert for breakfast--my personal favorite) without the campfire.  Regular waffles are kicked up a few degrees with chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallows for a new twist on waffles and a new delivery method for a favorite summer dessert.  Dave and I both enjoyed a few of these waffles on a Sunday morning and I'm so glad I felt a need to make waffles.  These are such a fun flavor and a perfect for lazy summer breakfasts.

Beer and Bacon Pancakes

Father's Day is on Sunday and if I didn't live so far from my Dad, I would totally be making him these pancakes for breakfast.  Pure, unadulterated man food, these pancakes have both beer and bacon right in them.  What's more to love?  And what other dish is quintessentially the perfect man's breakfast?   Dave and I loved these and they were super simple to make.  Candied bacon and Yuengling lager (or some other beer with a bit of flavor) put a new, manly spin on pancakes.

Buffalo Pretzels

I've been wanting to make flavored pretzels for a while.  I snack on pretzels all the time--more than potato chips and I grew up in a serious potato chip house.  So I finally got around to trying these buffalo flavored pretzels for a recent party.  They are delicious.  A little spicy with a kick of heat at the end, these pretzels are great for snacking with a beer during the game, any game.  Or just while watching TV.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

It's no secret that we love Mexican food.  One of my favorite things about Mexican is that it's simple to make (easy for throwing together after work) and I generally have all the components in the fridge or pantry.  So these chimichangas, baked up with seasoned beef, beans, veggies and cheese, are so delicious and were easy to make.  As a weeknight meal, I came home, cooked the meat and veggies, then assembled them.  Once in the oven, I had some time to hang out and since the whole thing came together pretty quickly, we still ate at a reasonable hour (one of my requirements if I'm going to cook from scratch when I get home from work).

Oatmeal Creme Pie Truffles

I'm wrapping up Truffle Week with a fun, super delicious and by far the easiest truffle ever.  So tasty and easy I almost felt guilty hearing people gush about them.  Rachel's uncle could not contain himself, raving about how much these treats, dipped in almond bark and topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar, taste just like Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies.  Why would I feel guilty upon hearing this kind of praise?  Because the third and final ingredient in these amazingly simple candies are, in fact, Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies!

Muddy Buddy Truffles

These were so messy to make.  But ended up being super tasty and worth the extra clean up.  And the powdered sugar that end up everywhere, including on my computer and my face.  I vacuumed my computer.  Then I had to wash my face for fear Dave would lick me.

But beyond that, these are so much fun.  Muddy buddies are one of those treats I keep meaning to make but just haven't.  So of course I jumped at the chance to make a truffle version.  The center is a creamy peanut butter cookie dough. Then it's dipped in milk chocolate and rolled around in powdered sugar twice for a sweet coating.

Snickerdoodle Truffles

Yes and please.  These truffles are amazing.  Like I was super duper excited to find the recipe, then make them, then eat them.  And I ate a lot of them.  The truffle inside is a creamy cookie dough seasoned just like a snickerdoodle, and the white chocolate coating is flavored with ground cinnamon.  Add a drizzle of chocolate for texture (and in this case color), flavored with cinnamon oil. Then, just to make it the most authentic of snickerdoodle treats, it's dusted with a bit of cinnamon sugar.  Positively amazing and delicious.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

These are one of my favorite truffles.  I love the salty sweet combo of the pretzels and chocolate paired with the peanut butter creamy center.  It's just so stinkin' good.  This quick treat is perfect for when you want something to satisfy the sweet-salty cravings but don't want to bake or spend a lot of time on them.  There is the chilling component which means you can't just make these and eat them right away, but they don't require a lot of hands-on work.  So you can just use those hands to pop them into your mouth.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Confession: I'm not a cookie dough fan.  Meaning, I never felt compelled to eat the raw chocolate chip cookie dough straight from the mixing bowl.  And cookie dough ice cream never intrigued me.  Even though I worked at homemade ice cream shoppe in high school, with access to buckets fool of the chocolate chip cookie dough balls that other scoopers would eat by the handful, I just didn't understand.  So I was a little ho hum about these truffles.  But when I decide that this week I would deliver five days of different yummy truffle recipes, it was inevitable that I include these.  But of course I'm glad I did.  So is Dave.  And my friends Rachel and John, who were the lucky recipients of this beautiful tray sampling all of this week's truffles.  Pretty, no?