‘Sweet’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Five Minute Fudge {Wreath}

January 4, 2018 · Narrative

A fudge recipe that is delicious AND doesn’t require the use of a candy thermometer is pretty much the only kind of fudge recipe I make.

A million years ago (thirteen to be exact!), I was in a Supper Club. We would rotate houses and meet once a month over a potluck meal. Sometimes there was a theme, and sometimes it centered around a particular cookbook or cook. I first discovered this recipe for a Five Minute Fudge Wreath when someone brought it to one of our supper club gatherings, and I’ve been making it ever since. In fact, I even taught how to make it in one of my December kids cooking classes.

Although the traditional recipe is for a wreath form and shape, you are certainly not obligated to make it that way. Because why should you miss out on this deliciousness the other eleven months of the year?! Just put it in an 8×8 square pan and it’s all good.

My oldest kid still loves to lick the dregs from a can of sweetened condensed milk, so the fact that this recipe uses it is a bonus! Just a few other ingredients, mix it up, pour it into the pan, decorate, and let it sit.

If you use just the red cherries to decorate it, it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, and a sweet treat to cut up and distribute to neighbors, teachers, bus drivers, and the like.

Are you familiar with Chunky bars? I swear I lived on them during my teen years, and this recipe reminds me of the taste of Chunky Bars.

So good!

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Recipe: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies

July 5, 2016 · Narrative

A subtle little twist on a from-scratch brownie recipe, these Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies are a little taste of summer sunshine.

With a teenage boy in the house, having an assortment of snacks is a given, and for the most part, he snacks pretty healthily. He does, however, have a thing for brownies, so every once in awhile I bake up a batch for him, and he usually knows they’re coming before I’ve even taken them out of the oven.

The nose knows.

This is a super simple, made-from-scratch brownie recipe, with one subtle difference. One of the ingredients is blood orange olive oil. Unique, right? The original recipe also calls for vanilla extract, but to bump up the orange flavor and scent just a tad more, I swapped that out and added orange extract instead. Check your local specialty grocery store for the blood orange olive oil. If you can’t find out, regular olive oil will do.

A delicious, sweet treat for teenagers and sweet tooth non-teens alike.

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Visit: Sweet Bakery {Boston, MA}

June 3, 2016 · Narrative

When I was compiling a completely unrealistically long list of Things to Do for our quick trip to Boston during Spring Break, someone mentioned Sweet Bakery was a must-visit.

And, of course, I was all ears.

Because, cupcakes.

There are several locations in the Boston area, so I quickly put each address into the Waze app to see which one made the most sense and had the best hope of parking, and the Charles Street location was it.

We amazingly found a parking space right in front of the store, which I decided was fate. Or that, despite the fact that I obsessively read all the street signs looking for why I shouldn’t be parking there, I would come out and my car would be towed.

Luckily the worry was for nothing.

#dodgedbullet

As soon as we opened the door to the bakery, it smelled like sugar and baked goods all at once, swirling around our heads and inviting us into the storefront. Which is exactly what I want to smell when I go into a bakery. Just absolutely divine.

Their display case was full and everything looked so good. There are many seasonal flavors and traditional favorites to choose from, even frosting shots. Fancy schmancy flavors like Madagascar bourbon vanilla and plain old awesome chocolate. Yes, please. We each choose a mini and got them packed up to enjoy later that evening.

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Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Syrup

December 29, 2015 · Narrative, Sweets

Easy, delicious, and made using ingredients you likely have on hand already. Make some homemade chocolate syrup and you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff again. Guaranteed.

I made that.

“No, you didn’t,” he said in disbelief. “Wait. Did you?”

Yes.

He tastes it.

“Wow. You did. It tastes so much better.”

Otherwise known as … How to Impress Your Teenager in Fifteen Minutes.

Just make homemade chocolate syrup.

Although I next-to-never use the stuff, chocolate syrup is a staple in our home because Nick is a fan of chocolate milk and ice cream sundaes.

#teenageboy

To be quite honest, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of things you can make from basic pantry staples … mayonnaise (will never go back to the store-bought stuff after this), ketchup, and a myriad of other things. And, of course, chocolate syrup.

Have you ever read the list of ingredients on a bottle of chocolate syrup from the grocery store? Filled with unpronounceable junk. Although you are still making something with sugar (read: not exactly clean eating), this is most definitely a better version of it for you. Just a few regular ingredients, fifteen minutes of your time, and you will be rewarded with pure deliciousness.

For awhile I have just been keeping ours in an old Nesquick bottle, which compounded Nick’s confusion about whether or not I had made it, but after a recent trip (and sale) at Cost Plus World Market (love that store!), I found a cute glass bottle that I have been using instead. Although the bottle was likely originally intended for pancake syrup, it works just as well for this chocolate syrup … and I love being able to SEE what’s inside.

Homemade chocolate syrup. I daresay, you need this in your life.

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