Local Review: PHILLYDIPPED

I recently had a work party for Halloween. Didn’t want to bring the normal chips and dip and tried to think out of the box. Came across this company based in my hometown, Phillydipped, where they make chocolate dipped creations … from  hand crafted and dipped Oreo’s to gourmet rice crispy treats! I only brought 2 dozen to work but wish I brought more! They were a huge hit by everyone! Everyone loved the crazy toppings they had from Reese’s Cups to mints and jimmies! They were fresh, unique and personalized! This company will make you love Oreo’s more, I’ve had dipped treats before but not like this. I’m always down to support a local company so I will definitely order from them again!

For any catering, delivery or holiday gift ideas go ahead and check out their official Facebook page! They are posting pictures daily of some of their menu items!

All photos are courtesy of Phillydipped’s official facebook page!

RECIPE: Maple Baked Apples

I love fall. Everything about this season makes me smile – the fall foliage, the smells of pumpkin and apples, campfires, my birthday. The food during the fall season gives a cozy warm feeling. This tasty treat is perfect for the fall. Healthy, Vegetarian and only 150 calories per serving. Serve this a la mode or just with a cup of tea!

What you need:

4 medium apples, sliced in half, and core taken out

1/4 cup of raisins and dried cranberries

1 tablespoon of maple syrup ( I used light)

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut apples in half. Scoop out any filling to create a whole for the mixture to go.

2. Combine raisins, cranberries, butter, syrup and Cinnamon in a bowl .

3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture into apples. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are soft.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Cupcakes & Coffee Bar!

Its my favorite thing when  a new restaurant opens up in Chester County. The newest addition to downtown West Chester is a cupcake and coffee bar featuring Dia Doce cupcakes and coffee from Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters ( also hand crafted smoothies, juices to go along with Dia Doce’s cupcakes)

Combining two delicious treats in one convenient location is like music to my ears. For those fans of Food Network, you might know Dia Doce as competitors and winners on the show Cupcake Wars.  For the last two years,  Dia Doce has been serving up their sweet treats from a vibrant green food truck and in small markets. But now you can get the tasty gourmet treats store front without following around their food truck!

The shop will cater to those who want to relax for a moment at our cupcake bar

Dia Doce has a family run garden in which many of her cupcakes are made from those fresh ingredients, therefore all of their cupcakes have no artificial flavors.  I loved the rustic feel that this place had.

The hardest part…picking which cupcakes to buy in the end!  I ended up purchasing” Black Magic” that has chocolate cake filled with creamy vanilla bean cream and topped with decadent chocolate buttercream frosting and “White Velvet ” which was Moist vanilla cake filled with delicious chocolate fudge and topped with vanilla bean frosting

Both mouthwatering AMAZING! Check out Dia Doce for more awesome flavors if you are interested in purchasing some online

ORLANDO TRIP

I recently just got back from a quick vacation to Orlando, FL which is why I took a little break from the blogging world. This was my first time going to Orlando. I was super excited to experience the roller coasters for the first time and try out the new Transformers 3D ride, but one thing I couldn’t hold my excitement for was the harry potter world and EPCOT. This posting is just to give you a snapshot of my favorite meals I had while in Orlando. With the amount of walking I did this trip in the parks I didn’t feel so bad eating these foods 🙂

First up, HARRY POTTER WORLD. Speechless, phenomenal, breathtaking are just a few words to describe this magical land. You don’t have to enjoy the movies or the books to get the full experience behind the Harry Potter World.  As I walked up to the entrance of Hogwarts, I literally had chills up and down my body. The architecture was perfectly replicated as if you were standing in the movie.

For Food, We stopped at ” Three Broomsticks” for a traditional English Breakfast. I am not a fan of many mixed foods on my plate but the flavors of the meats with the potatoes were delicious. The smokey sausage paired so well with the savory buttery potatoes and croissant roll. The eggs were fluffy and the stewed tomato had a Parmesan breadcrumb crust. Not sure what is in a full English breakfast, this website describes all the ingredients that compose of this meal.

Cant go to Harry Potter World, without a tasting of the famous Butter Beer. ( Sorry unfortunately there is no alcohol in it) But still has an amazing flavor. Hard to explain the flavor of this cold creamy drink and the true recipe has yet to be released but one can describe the flavor as butterscotch mixed with a shortbread cookie with the texture of a root beer float.

Next up is EPCOT. The land of countries where you need to go on an empty stomach because you will be tempted to eat something from every country. Epcot features a handful of countries from around the world and features dishes, crafts, restaurants, products and environment, just as though you were in that country.

GERMANY- For lunch we had brats and beers!

UNTIED KINGDOM- We stopped at a little english pub for some english cider ( Strongbow) and a classic Fish and Chips to share. The fish and chips were flaky, buttery and cooked to perfection. Went so well with a cold glass of cider.

FRANCE- One of the last stops we made was in France at a bakery for some french pastries and danishes. WOW. I couldn’t even decide which I wanted. I ended up getting a chocolate caramel tarte.

For any of my bloggers who have not experienced this place- PLEASE GO! Save up! You will not be disappointed. Just make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes because you will be walking for hours upon hours!  🙂

Homemade Cookie Crumble Donuts

The smell of homemade donuts from the jersey shore makes my heart and my tummy smile. Wanted to tackle my own homemade donuts. Little did I know that I could easily make them with one simple ingredient… Pillsbury Biscuits.

 

What you need:

1 can of Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits

1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

crushed cookies- I used chips ahoy.

Directions:

1. Take each biscuit and create a small hole cut out. Place in a pan of hot oil. One minute on each side.

2. Take donuts out of pan and let cool for 5 minutes. In a small microwave safe bowl melt butter and chocolate chips. As shown above dip one side in the chocolate glaze. Sprinkle with your favorite cookie crumbles!

Three Layer Fudge Brownies

Fudge, Chocolate, Peanut butter, Chocolate Chips..what more could you want in a brownie! Craving chocolate and sweet peanut butter all wrapped up into one indulgent bar? Start with a no-fail brownie mix, then add layers of peanut butter and melted chocolate chips.

What you need:

1 box of fudge brownie mix

1/3 cup of butter, softned

1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of milk

3/4 cup chocolate chip and peanut butter mix mixture. I used Nestle!

Directions:

1. Prepare and brownies as directed to the box. Cool for 30 minutes

2.  After cooled make the second layer ( peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar and milk mixture). Cool for 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle of Nestle chocolate and peanut butter chip mixture. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool

4. Mix together chocolate chips and butter for frosting. Spread onto brownies. Then place in fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

Double Chocolate Caramel Cookies with Sea Salt

 

Yes I do have a sweet tooth and cookies are definitely my go to snack but there is a lot more to why I keep blogging about cookies I have been making lately. I have decided to start making a cookie company in my town and proceeds will go to the “ Brain Aneurysm Foundation“.

Why the Brain Aneurysm Foundation? When I was about 2 years old, my 36 year old aunt randomly and quickly died from what we were told was a blood clot in her head that burst without any notice or symptoms. Then in my freshman year of high school, my aunt was at the gym, collapsed, was rushed to the hospital and again we were told a blood clot had burst. There are methods out there to repair a blood clot called coiling and clipping but it leaves the patient unable to eat, talk, write and do daily activities.  My mom and her sisters all decided to get tested to see if it was a common trait within are family. My other aunt was tested and they did find a aneurysm but it was not fully formed so she was able to get surgery and today is still okay. My mom thankfully was aneurysm free. The battle did not end there, since 3 members on my moms side of the family had these clots, we were put into a study at John Hopkins University to see if all of this is genetic based. After all the children received extensive testing- it was found two of my cousins 30 and 32 years old also have small clot starting to form. Today it is still a mystery whether or not there is a link between these aneurysms and generations within the family. Which is why I am pushing testing and studies towards this foundation so my family and I can get answers. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I am 🙂

 

 

Ooey, Gooey, Fudgey cookies! These are a must try if you are craving a rich chocolate cookie! Trust me when I say you wont be able to just take one cookie!

What you need:

2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup of bread flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

sea salt

1 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup of cocoa powder

bag of caramels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper

2. In a mixer, beat the sugars and butter until well mixed. Add eggs and vanilla . beating well

3. Place flour, baking soda, salt in bowl. Add to wet ingredients, along with cocoa powder and chocolate chunks.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes, take out of oven. Using the bottom of a spoon, create a mini indent to place the caramel in. Then place back in oven for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Chocolate Chip M&M Pretzel Cookies

Cant decide if you want a sweet or salty snack? Try these cookies that are packed with both flavors! I have been experimenting with ingredients in cookies seeing what makes chewy, not flat cookies and I think with this recipe I have finally received my answer…using bread flour instead of all purpose flour! The cookies stayed fluffy well after they were baked and still had the same great flavor!

For these cookies I made them two different ways- one way I put the pretzel on  top and the second I mixed it in with the batter. I personally feel that when the pretzels are mixed in the batter it tasted a whole lot better.

What you need:

3 3/4 cup flour – I did one 1 cup All Purpose Flour and the rest Bread Flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened at room temp.

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup of M&Ms

1 cup of min pretzels chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside

3. In a stand mixer, combine the butter, and both sugars until smooth. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla and scrape the sides as need. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips, M&M’s and pretzel pieces

3. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Be careful to not over bake, cookies do cook as they cool.

Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cookies

Lets just say I am on a cookie kick! I try to eat “healthy” as  possible but when a recipe involving peanut butter and chocolate comes along, I just cant resist! My go to comfort food for sure! Ever since I watched the “Parent Trap”, I feel in love with the snack Lindsay Lohan was eating Peanut Butter and Oreos. Why not combine the two and make a delicious cookie.

What you need:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter- Tip: Soften at Room Temp, do not melt in microwave.
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (creamy)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Reeces Cups broken and crushed

Directions:

Mix together butter, sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs, flour, baking soda and vanilla extract mix.  Fold in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Put in fridge for about a half hour.  Roll dough into 1 inch  balls or use a ice cream scoop and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes . Take out and add  half of a oreo on top! Put back in oven for 3 minutes. Let stand and cool for 5 minutes.