Tag Archives: white chocolate

Jun 7

White Chocolate Coconut Butterscotch Bark

Ever meet one of those people who claims he or she doesn’t like sweets? That’s exactly the type of story a friend of mine tried to stick to recently when I offered her a piece of my latest concoction.

“No thanks,” she had answered. “You know me; I don’t really go for sweets.”

My response? “Um, okay, more for me then.”

And so I proceeded to help myself to a piece (or three) of candy as we sat in my living room chatting, and at some point during the conversation, she suddenly had a change of heart and decided she wanted a taste. I of course obliged, and 10 minutes later, I found myself prying the plate of confections out of her hands for fear that Miss I Don’t Like Sweets would singlehandedly devour my entire supply in a single sitting (or at least that’s the scenario that played out in my head…in reality, all I could do was sit there and watch in horror as she took down piece after piece).

Anyway, the fact that my adamantly anti-sweets visitor couldn’t stop herself from eating this candy is a testament to how good it is. And the best part about this concoction is that it’s so incredibly easy to make. Just toast some coconut, mix in some melted chocolate, and wait (not so) patiently as it sets in the fridge. Then bust it out and get ready to convert even the biggest non-believers in all things sugary sweet.

cocobark

White Chocolate Coconut Butterscotch Bark

Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted and divided into 4 equal parts
1 and ½ cups white chocolate
1 cup butterscotch chips

Method:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Toast coconut in the oven or microwave; set aside.
3. Heat the white chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Once melted, stir ¼ of the toasted coconut into the chocolate. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it around. Top with ¼ of the coconut.
4. Heat the butterscotch chips in the microwave using the method described above. Once melted, stir in ¼ of the coconut. Pour over the white chocolate and coconut layers and use a spoon to swirl it around. Top with remaining coconut and let set in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Once set, use a sharp knife or your hands to break into pieces.
5. Be careful when offering to friends—your supply may start to dwindle too rapidly for comfort.

Apr 22

Vanilla Cardamom Shortbread Bars with White Chocolate Caramel Glaze

Just when it seemed like the weather was finally starting to get a bit warmer around here, bam—another cold front hit. Okay, it wasn’t exactly a cold front, but after several days of temps in the 60s and 70s (you know, actual spring weather), it went back down to the low 50s with a vengeance. Now I realize that 52 degrees isn’t actually freezing. But throw in cloudy, gray skies, a bout of rain, and, oh yeah, the fact that it’s late April, and all it took was a couple of cooler days to make me want to curl up in a blanket the moment I put the child to bed.

Of course, no couch potato moment would be truly complete without something freshly baked to accompany it, and so I decided to whip up some shortbread cookie bars. The base is very similar to that of the Samoa bars I made last week, only it incorporates a bunch of fall spices that jack up the flavor and work well with the caramel and white chocolate topping.

Now I have to say, I really love the way these babies turned out. But more so than that, they smelled absolutely amazing while they were baking up. Had I been able to somehow capture the smell and mass-produce a line of household products and candles to feature it, I would’ve found myself sitting on a goldmine. But alas, all I could do was enjoy the sweet aroma of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom wafting through the air as the rain kept rapping against my windows and the wind howled in protest of spring.

vanshortbread

Vanilla Cardamom Shortbread Bars with White Chocolate Caramel Glaze

Ingredients:

For the shortbread cookie base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups Ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

For the topping:
1/2 cup Kraft caramel bits (or a half cup’s worth Kraft caramel candies, unwrapped)
1 tbsp whole milk
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted

Method:

To make the shortbread cookie base:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
2. Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually beat in flour, salt, and spices at low speed until mixture is crumbly.
5. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding the topping.

To make the topping:
1. Combine caramel bits, milk, and white chocolate in a medium bowl.
2. Heat in the microwave for 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring the mixture in between. You’ll find that the caramel will melt before the white chocolate, so it’s important to keep stirring. When the white chocolate is mostly melted, vigorously whisk the mixture together to eliminate the lumps.
3. Drizzle the mixture over the shortbread base.
4. Allow to set in the fridge for an hour before cutting into bars.

 

Apr 11

Funfetti Cake Batter Bark

When it comes to candy, I’m a total kid at heart. Sure, I can indulge in a box of sophisticated truffles. But sometimes I like my candy to be bright and fun. Case in point: cake batter bark. I was in the mood for something different and decided to whip up a batch of fun, sprinkle-infused candy.

This stuff is sweet and tasty, and it’s incredibly easy to make. The bad news is that it’s also incredibly easy to eat…

cakebatter

Funfetti Cake Batter Bark

Ingredients:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate
12 ounces white chocolate
3 teaspoons Funfetti cake mix
¼ cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for topping

Method:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Once melted, pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until set (approximately one hour).
3. Once the semisweet chocolate has hardened, melt the white chocolate using the same method in the step above. Once melted, stir in the cake mix and ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles until well-combined.
4. Pour the white chocolate mixture over the semisweet chocolate. Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly (or, if you don’t have one or get lazy, just use the back of a regular spoon).
5. Scatter additional sprinkles over the white chocolate layer as desired.
6. Return to fridge and let set for at least an hour before breaking up into individual pieces.

Mar 12

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

A lot of people I know don’t like white chocolate. “It’s too sweet,” they’ll insist. Well that’s fine, but I think white chocolate is utterly delicious. (And since when did “too sweet” become a problem?)

For those of you who find white chocolate to be a bit too sweet on its own, consider these fabulous blondies. The rich, chewy cake captures that classic blondie flavor, and the addition of the macadamia nuts helps offset the sweetness of the white chocolate by introducing just the right amount of saltiness.

Best of all, these blondies are quick and easy. The most time-consuming part of the process for me was chopping the macadamia nuts, and even that didn’t take very long (plus, I got to snack on some as sort of a pre-blondie treat).

Enjoy these blondies on their own, or go crazy and drizzle a little bittersweet chocolate sauce over them to jazz ‘em up even more.

IMGP1709

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies
Recipe very slightly adapted from Beantown Baker

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar (I used half dark and half light)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, divided
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
2. Heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat or in your microwave on low power until melted. Let cool to room temperature before continuing.
3. Beat the vanilla and eggs into your sugar mixture.
4. Beat in flour and baking powder on low speed.
5. Stir in half of the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.
6. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan, and then sprinkle with remaining nuts and white chocolate chips.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The tops of the blondies should be slightly browned—but not too brown—before you remove them from the oven.
8. Let the blondies cool completely in their pan before cutting into them.

 

Feb 14

White Chocolate Coconut Brownies

Sometimes, if you’re me, you find yourself in the mood for something insanely sweet yet easy to whip up. These brownies totally fit the bill. They took almost no time to throw together and didn’t require me to bust out the gadgets.

Now I will warn that the sweetness factor is intense. You’ll probably want to cut these into bites more so than bars or squares…unless you’re me, in which case you’ll want to stuff your face with way too large a piece for your own good.

I got the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. If you haven’t visited this site yet, stop what you’re doing and check it out. This is definitely one of my go-to sources when I need a new dessert idea. Take a look and you’ll see why.

badpicbrownies

White Chocolate Coconut Brownies
Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
11 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 and ½ cups white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk the flour and salt together.
3. Melt the white chocolate and butter. Since I didn’t have a ton of time, I cheated and did this by putting the mixture in a glass bowl and microwaving it for 30-second increments at 50% power until it was ready. The original recipe suggests setting the white chocolate and butter mixture over a saucepan of simmering water to melt it properly.
4. Whisk in the white and brown sugars.
5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time
6. Stir in the vanilla extract.
7. Stir in the flour mixture and coconut using a rubber spatula—not a whisk.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use the spatula to smooth the top.
9. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top looks nice and crispy.
10. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled completely, you can lift the brownies out using the parchment paper and then cut them into small bites or squares.

 

Jan 21

Chocolate Chip Blondie-Topped White Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

Sometimes I have a hard time deciding what I want. This applies to life in general, but also dessert. Hence my dilemma earlier today: Was I in the mood for blondies? Or did I want to go the chocolate route and bake up some brownies?

I decided I simply didn’t have to choose and instead opted to whip up a crazy but deliciously indulgent concoction that took a surprisingly short amount of time to prepare. I call them chocolate chip blondie-topped white chocolate marshmallow brownies. I know that’s a mouthful, so feel free to call them whatever you like. Just have a tall glass of milk on hand when it’s time to bust into these bad boys.

IMGP1493

Chocolate Chip Blondie-Topped White Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

Ingredients:
For the brownie layer:
1 stick melted butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup AP flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup chopped marshmallow bits (you can cheat and use miniature marshmallows—it’ll save you time—but I opted to quickly chop up some full-sized marshmallows because I wanted really small pieces)
For the blondie layer:
1 stick melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup AP flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips

Method:
For the brownie layer:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8×8 pan.
2. Combine the melted butter and cocoa.
3. Add in your sugar and mix well.
4. Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
5. Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla, then whisk to combine.
6. Stir in the white chocolate chips and the marshmallows.
7. Pour brownie mixture into the prepared pan; set aside.
For the blondie layer:
1. Combine the melted butter and brown sugar.
2. Whisk in the egg, followed by the vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour and salt, then whisk to combine.
4. Stir in the semisweet and white chocolate chips.
5. Pour the blondie mixture on top of the brownie mixture; use a spatula to smooth the top.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack.