Good Press

At the risk of rushing past Thanksgiving to get right to Christmas goodies, I'm posting a gingerbread recipe. I got this from McCormick in a press kit back when I was a newspaper food editor. It comes out moist, scrumptious and flavorful. As the press materials say, "Chocolate pudding, mini chocolate chips, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice transform basic chocolate cake mix into an extraordinary flavor sensation." TRIPLE CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD  1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix  1 package (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix  4 eggs  1 tablespoon McCormick® Ginger, Ground  1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground  1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Allspice, Ground  1/2 cup sour cream  1/2 cup vegetable oil  1/2 cup molasses  1/2 cup water  1 cup miniature chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, s...

In the past month I've made two kinds of cupcakes -- both to rave reviews. I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for the concession stand at a theater production. My daughter had a small role in "The King & I." I packed them in adorable cupcake boxes made from scrapbook paper. To see that technique, visit my scrapbooking blog . They sold for $2.25! I made them again for a scrapbooking crop and I had four requests for the frosting recipe. Recently, I needed a snack for a Girl Scout meeting. I had a lot of quickly ripening bananas and a yellow cake mix. I remembered a recipe for banana cupcakes with a caramel frosting. I made them and most of the Girl Scouts liked them. I took leftovers to the scrapbooking crop the next day and they went fast. The frosting reminds me of a candy I've blogged about before: January Thaw . They are similar in ingredients and cooking method. This is a perfect cupcake to make this time of year. "The Cak...

Well, I don't cheat at all cookies, but close readers will see my Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich cookies from an early post start with a boxed cake mix. And this Christmas cookie, rugelach, which I have never attempted to make from scratch, starts with a storebought pie crust. I saw it on the Rachael Ray TV show and had to try it. If I ever make it again, I'll try different jams for the filling or use Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread instead of fooling with the melted butter and cocoa. This isn't bad tasting but it's not spectacular either. But it's a good way to get a little visual variety on your cookie tray, which is what I was going for. For Rachael Ray's recipe and a video demonstration, click here .

"Gobs" is such an ugly word. But the cookie called by any other name is just as sweet. And if you get the commercially made ones...you know, spelled Gobz and sold at Sheetz convenience stores...they taste like nothing but sweet. These, ahem, chocolate-peppermint sandwich cookies I started making last year have distinct flavors besides just sweet. And the texture of the cookie is distinctly chewy and crackly compared to the soft creaminess of the buttercream filling. Divine. I recommend using more schnapps than milk when thinning the frosting for optimum punchiness. I prefer King Leo peppermint sticks for the same reason, plus they crunch up better, but I couldn't find them this year and had to settle for some generic bulk candies that are just OK. It's OK if the frosting is a little stiffer than you'd use on a cake because you are not spreading it, it's a filling and you want it to be able to hold up the weight of the top cookie. DEVIL'S FOOD COOKIES 1 18....

This Easter, my daughter got her weight in sugar (not from me, I assure you.) A week later I was staging an indoor "campfire" for a sleepover and instead of buying milk chocolate chips to concoct these indoor S'mores, I raided her Easter haul. Two solid chocolate crosses and a Dove rabbit were sacrificed for the good of the project. I didn't think about it until later, but possibly Peeps could be used in place of the mini marshmallows. But those never last around my house as long as the solid chocolates. Indoor S'mores Copyright 2007 General Mills 8 cups Golden Grahams cereal 5 cups miniature marshmallows 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips 1/4 cup light corn syrup 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 additional cup miniature marshmallows, if desired I made the stovetop version; microwave directions follow. Into large bowl, measure cereal. Butter 13-by-9-inch pan. In 3-quart saucepan, heat 5 cups marshmallows, the chocolate chips, corn syrup and butt...

Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper Thank goodness it's only a limited edition. Dr Pepper debuted a cherry chocolate version of its diet cola for the holidays. It's supposed to tasted like chocolate-covered cherries, which is why I keep typing the chocolate before the cherry. I tried one bottle of Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper and I don't care to have more. I didn't think it was disgusting, like the checker who rang me out did. I just couldn't taste any chocolate flavor. All I could taste was fakey, mothbally flavor characteristic of all diet sodas. My husband, however, had the best description of Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper after just one drink. He said Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper tastes like a stale Tootsie Roll. To which I add only: Avoid. Pizza Hut's Pizza Mia I'll be sad when Pizza Hut's limited-edition Pizza Mia reaches the end of its run. It is really yummy. The Pizza Mia crust is hand-tossed and lightly topped with a sweeter, less herby tom...