SacFoodies

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

by SacFoodies

By: Laurel Harrison 
If you forgot to make reservations, buy flowers, or write your S.O’s name in the sky today, don’t fret. Instead, head to Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, located on 18th and L. Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates features signature and seasonal creations sure to satisfy any sweet tooth, and is holding extended hours today from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. SacFoodies decided to stop in and ask Alison, the executive pastry chef, a few dessert-related questions to help us hone in on the perfect Valentine’s dessert. Valentine’s Day procrastinators – this one’s for you!
If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ice cream. There are endless possibilities for flavor combinations and textures you can add. I will never tire of eating it.

If someone was having Ginger Elizabeth chocolates for the first time, what would you recommend they try?
Our bon-bons and macarons. We have 24 flavors of bon-bons, and always have special flavors rotating. The bon-bons are my babies and we have spent years perfecting them. The macarons are delicate, not overly sweet and are an extra special treat as well. We have 7-8 different flavors at a time.
What’s your favorite dessert to make for Valentine’s Day?
I love making our Valentine’s Day entremet cake every year. It is a different flavor each year, and the recipe developing and testing is one of my favorite things to do. This year it is a salty caramel cupcake entremet that has a caramel custard, salted butter caramel, devil’s food cake, and 62% Valrhona bittersweet chocolate mousse.

You can see more dessert options at Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.
Need more sweet treat ideas? Check out past SacFoodies Valentine’s features below:
Where to Get Something Sweet for your Sweetie in Sacramento 
Sweets for the Sweet
More Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
 

National Chocolate with Almonds Day

by SacFoodies

Bark Thins

By Vanessa Sapino 
I’ve discovered a new treat: bark THINS. It was a secret obsession, until now. And, as if I needed a reason to eat the best sweet and salty combination ever, it seems like today is the perfect day to share this obsession with you all, in honor of National Chocolate with Almonds Day (who knew we had a day for that, but seems there’s a day to celebrate everything). I’ve been a bark THINS Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt purist, until I tried the bark THINS Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut with Almonds combination this past weekend. It’s a toss-up now on which one is my favorite. Either way, you must try these. And, hint, they go great with a glass of red wine. I’ve brought them camping and they can even be added to a graham cracker and marshmallow combo, to add a new twist to an old snacking favorite, if you know what I mean. Good times and even better snacking.

For a full list of products and where to buy, visit http://barkthins.com/

Grasshopper Pie

by SacFoodies

Since the SacFoodies 5th Anniversay Potluck was at my house this year, I needed a recipe that I could prepare in advance and not have to fret over. With the theme of “colors” for this year’s potluck, I chose green and the first recipe that popped into my head was Grasshopper Pie.
It’s been years since I’d had this icy minty dessert, and who doesn’t love the chocolate-mint combo? I read more than a dozen different recipes and decided to go out and try my own concoction. I made a few twists on the classic recipe that I think may have actually worked. The first was substituting the traditional cookie crust for brownies. I loved the richness and texture it brought (it’s especially good if the brownies have chocolate chips in them). The second change I made was doing individual servings. At a potluck, it’s very easy for a frozen treat like this to fall apart on the countertop, so I opted for individual containers so that I could put out a couple and once those were gone, a few more went out. Overall, definitely a recipe I’d make again.
Grasshopper Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
1 box fudge brownie mix, prepared according to directions on box
Filling:
1 7-ounce jar of marshmallow cream
¼ cup Crème de Menthe liquor
Green food coloring, as necessary
2 cups whipping cream
Prepared whipped cream
Cool Mint Oreos, crumbled
Directions
Prepare brownies according to instructions on the box and let cool. Once they are cool, cut brownies and crumble into large bowl. Place crumbled brownie on the bottom of individual bowls or cups and press down lightly. Freeze for 15 minutes.
To prepare filling, use an electric mixer to blend together marshmallow cream and Crème de Menthe. The mixture will be a very light green color, so if you want it darker, add food coloring (note: I added about 4 drops). In a separate bowl, whip cream until slightly stiff. Fold into the mint marshmallow mixture and then spoon blended mixture on top of brownie crumbles in each individual bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and freeze overnight.
To serve, leave on countertop for about 5 minutes to soften. Top with whipped cream and Cool Mint Oreos.

Busy Mom Dessert

by SacFoodies

I have always had a sweet tooth and as a new mom, my window of opportunity to sit down and bake something elaborate is no longer a reality. When I found this fun, simple recipe that was a cute riff off of the classic rice krispy bars, I couldn’t wait to give it a shot! As an added bonus, I can’t wait to make this ooey-gooey mess with my son once he is older. Meanwhile, he enjoyed being my little helper as you can see below.

Smores Bars
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons butter
1 (10.5-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1 (12-ounce) box Golden Grahams
1 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Crush the Golden Grahams. I like to have a good mix of rubble and bigger pieces. It helps if you have a good assistant.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the marshmallow and cook until they melt completely.  You can also do this in the microwave.
3. Mix in the Golden Grahams. Coat completely with the marshmallow. Careful!  It gets really sticky here.
4. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 pan coated with cooking spray. You can sprinkle in some of the chips now, but they start to melt. I like my chips to stay whole, so I add them later.
5. I spray a piece of wax paper or parchment with a little cooking spray and press it into the pan.
6. Sprinkle with milk chocolate chips and enjoy!


More Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

by SacFoodies

Last week, we posted a chocolate-covered strawberries recipe from Pinterest, and this week, another SacFoodie shares her version of this classic, sweet treat!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
I’ll be the first to admit it – I don’t spend as much time in the kitchen as I’d like to. But let’s be honest, with only 24 hours in a day and at least 36 hours worth of to do’s daily (whether they’re wants or needs), you have to cut corners occasionally. That’s why chocolate covered strawberries have become my go-to for a quick and easy crowd-pleaser. This Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do something nice for the lovely people I work with (get it?), but knew I couldn’t afford to spend time slaving over the stove.
Now talk to most dessert lovers, and they’ll say the one essential component to any good chocolate covered strawberry is a double-broiler for the chocolate. I say double-broiler, double-shmoiler! The truth is, it’s easy to make decadent strawberries using store-bought chocolate chips and your trusty old microwave. The key is not to over-cook the chips.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
20 strawberries
1 bag chocolate chips (my preference is milk chocolate, but any will do)
Directions
Rinse strawberries and lay out to dry on paper towels. Pour chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat for 45 – 60 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave. While the microwave is going, gently pat the strawberries with another paper towel, ensuring that they are dry. Remove bowl of chocolate chips from microwave and stir gently. Note: the chips will often appear un-melted at first, only to melt together upon stirring, as the warmer chocolate will be closer to the bottom of the bowl. If needed, microwave in additional increments of 15 second each, removing and stirring after each until completely melted. Dip strawberries one at a time, twirling each to ensure full coating. Lay dipped strawberries on waxed paper atop a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight.