"Gluten-Free Copycat Nabisco Chocolate Snaps"

March 6, 2017 Rich at Definitely Delish

Every once in a while, I'll have this—I don't know, this deep seeded sense of nostalgia..

It doesn't happen too much, I'm not that old yet, but when it does I can get to reminiscing about the things of my youth—when things seemed fresh, new and so much simpler by far..

Often it'll be food that gets me to dreaming about days gone by—when TV Dinners were in aluminum trays you heated in the oven, Ring Dings came in foil wrappers and Nabisco made their Snap cookies..

It was this last one that hit me recently. First, I wistfully thought of the cute little box with the tiger on the cookie and then it was trying to remember that taste—there was really no other cookie like it and I can remember eating them for years growing up..

Sadly, like so many things from my childhood, these had disappeared long ago from store shelves..

Being somewhat handy in the kitchen and after imagining the wonderful simple plain chocolate cookie taste with just the tiniest bit of snap to it—I decided I could wait no longer, so I set about attempting to discover again that sweet memory of flavor..

As I gathered myself to bake, and after tweaking a few ideas to fit my thought of what it would take to create this long gone snack, I decided that since I have been on such a Gluten-Free cooking kick lately—well, I would just try and continue with this recipe..

I'm not exactly sure why, I don't have Celiacs or a gluten intolerance, but I know some who do—so I guess I've been wanting to see what I can make for them that isn't out there like it should be..

A few ingredients, just a little bit of work and before you know it they started flying out of the oven needing a quick squish—then set aside to cool till done..

They were perfect..

Just like I remember..

Thin, chocolatey and with just a little snappy bite to them..

So if you, like me, remember that tiny rectangular box with the tiger face drawn on the cookie from the 70's and 80's then you will fall in love with these simple, plain, wafer'ish cookies—because without a doubt they are "Definitely Delish"

"Gluten-Free Copycat Nabisco Chocolate Snaps"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups Light Brown Sugar
1 cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/4 cup Special Dark Cocoa
1/3 cup Milk
3 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. fine Pink Himalayan Salt
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
4 cups Gluten Free Baking Flour (I use King Arthur Brand)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream 1 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat..
3. Add 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/3 cup milk and 3 tsp. vanilla and beat.
4. Add remaining ingredients of 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 teaspoons of Himalayan salt, cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. soda and 4 cups of gluten free baking flour..
5. Form in balls size of walnut and place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet..
6. Bake 12 minutes. Smash flat when they come out of the oven while still warm.
7. Repeat until all dough is used up. Makes about 100 cookies, or more, depending on how big you make them..

"Frosted Pumpkin Nutella Pop-Tarts"

October 28, 2016 Rich at Definitely Delish

It's fall, the leaves are finally changing colors and Halloween is almost upon us—and with that, also, there has been the kids return to school and everything that entails...

After school activities, sports, tournaments, projects, homework and a million other little things to keep the parents as busy as the kids—especially when you take into account work, family dinners and packed lunches...

With that in mind I wanted to make a recipe with a few easy over the counter items, that could be made ahead of time and saved for when you need it for the little crumbsnatchers gallivanting about your homes...

What better snack could fit this than a Fall take on a toaster classic—the "Pop-Tart"

Using pre-made store bought pie crusts, canned pumpkin, Nutella and some tubs of buttercream frosting—an what you end up with is an incredibly delicious treat that can be fridged or frozen for days or weeks in advance...

Heat it in a toaster oven, frost it and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar on top for good measure and yum, just yum...

Truly can't beat it for a quick fix before your kids youth tournament or for that next play date...

Try it out for yourself one day; I truly think you'll find it, like me, oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Frosted Pumpkin Nutella Pop-Tarts" with "Cinnamon Sugar"

Ingredients:
Pies:
4 packages raw pie crust
1 cup pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie mix)
1 egg
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (use 1/3 cup if you want it sweeter)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light cream
1 cup Nutella, melted
2 tubs store-bought Buttercream Frosting

Glaze: (If using glaze, follow glaze directions)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light cream, if needed
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F...
2. In a bowl beat together the pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and milk until smooth...
3. On a floured surface, roll the dough out into an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles, roughly about 4 x 3 inches. Place a heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling on one of the rectangles, smoothing the pumpkin out to just before the edge of the dough...
4. Drizzle the melted Nutella over the pumpkin and use a toothpick or knife to lightly swirl the Nutella into the pumpkin...
5. Lay the another rectangle of dough over the filling and seal the edges by crimping with the back of a fork. Repeat until all the dough has been used, saving the scraps and re-rolling to make more rectangles...
6. Bake the pop tarts for 20 to 25 minutes, then let cool completely on the counter...

Glaze: (If freezing leave un-glazed and use frosting instead after reheating-see Notes)
1. While the pop-tarts cool make the frosting. Melt the butter on medium heat until frothy and then whisk in the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla...
2. If needed, whisk in the milk to thin. If the frosting seems too thin, add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar at a time until the frosting is thick, but pour-able...
3. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pop-tarts and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. The glaze will harden after 5-10 minutes...

Note:
1. Store in an airtight container for up to 4-6 days in the fridge. If desired these can be heated in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes to warm them before eating, BUT the glaze will melt slightly on the pop-tart.
2. Un-glazed pop-tarts can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw and then heat in the oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes..
3. If saving Pop-Tarts for later, after reheating, frost with pre-made store bought buttercream frosting and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. (I used Pillsbury but any brand is as good)

"Dark Chocolate Popcorn Granola Bars"

May 15, 2016 Rich at Definitely Delish

I'm always fiddling around the kitchen playing with this or that recipe and though not everything is a home run the first time out, more often than not, I will still make something worthwhile and delicious to nosh on...

This one though was a definite hit; mixing the slightly buttery & salty taste of fresh made popcorn with the crunch of granola, the sweet tang of dried cranberries and nuttiness of chopped pecans enrobed in dark chocolate and honey to create something not unlike but so much better than a rice crispy treat...

Decadent, Delectable & Delicious—truly this on the go snack, or late night treat, tastes almost to sinful to eat—but it's full of so much organic, healthy and natural goodness that you can most definitely give yourself a pass and enjoy it no matter whether you're in full on fit mode or not...

I know I'm going to love snacking on this in the days ahead and I think you would too; because it is, oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Dark Chocolate Popcorn Granola Bars"

Ingredients:
7 cups Organic Popcorn, popped
1 cup Organic Pecans, chopped
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Cinnamon Granola (I used an Organic fresh mix from a Organic Market, but Bare Naked and other brands are good too)
3/4 cup Dried Cranberries (natural no sugar added)
2/3 cup natural, unfiltered & organic Raw Honey
1/2 cup fresh made ground Almond Butter (Natural Almond Butter is okay as well)
2 teaspoons natural Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt, finely ground

Directions:
1. Make the popcorn fresh and then mix together with the pecans, chocolate chips, granola and cranberries in a large bowl. Stir, then set aside...
2. Place a generous amount of raw honey in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium-low heat. Bring it to a gentle boil, adjusting heat if necessary...
3. After the honey is boiling then stir in your almond butter, and let it bubble for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, vanilla, ground cloves and cinnamon...
4. Carefully pour the hot mixture over top of the popcorn and other ingredients, then mix together thoroughly...
5. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with a nonstick butter spray, then scoop out and evenly press the mixture into the pan...
6. Let it cool in the fridge for 15 minutes or more (loosely covered); then, when ready, remove it from the pan and slice it into squares or bars to serve...
7. Store in a covered container for up to 5 days—or up to a week, or more, when refrigerated...

"Irish Coffee Fudge And St. Patrick's Day - A Match Made In Heaven"

March 17, 2016 Rich at Definitely Delish

St. Patrick's Day is Thursday and that means corned beef and cabbage will soon be boiling up, in pots, in homes and homesteads from one side of the Atlantic to the other...

So besides this classic staple of culinary corned beef perfection, green beers and soda bread what other Irish inspired indulgences might you partake of...

For me, a connoisseur of all things coffee, I turn to that wonderful staple the "Irish Coffee"

*"Whiskey and Fudge"-what a combination...*

This hot drink has long been a favorite in Irish pubs with a popularity that could be said to rival a great stout (as tough as that may be).

Joe Sheridan, it's creator, had the right idea when he first combined a robust Irish whiskey with rich, black coffee and created the original Irish Coffee Cocktail...

Despite some common shortcuts that have been taken in the past, a great Irish Coffee is not as simple as adding a shot of whiskey to a cup of coffee. No, this is a well-planned, carefully constructed coffee drink that should be mixed with the care of any modern latte or cappuccino...

For this sweet and indulgent recipe I took the incredible essence of my favorite Coffee Cocktail and worked it into a wonderfully decadent, mildly intoxicating, batch of deliciously sweet fudge...

Truly Saint Patrick and my wild Irish ancestors were with me on the day I decided to play around in my kitchen creating this...

So in honor of my Ó Céileachair (anglicized to Kelleher) ancestors, who immigrated here during one of the many famines to strike the heart of that beautiful Emerald Isle, I give you this addition to your next St. Paddy's celebration...

Trust me; just as Ó Céileachair means a "lover of company", your friends will be feelin' the luck of the Irish and loving you too after enjoying a few of these sinfully tasty little devils- because they are, oh so "Definitely Delish"

*"Cutting up something yummy for Family"*

"Irish Coffee Fudge"

Ingredients:
Coffee layer:
2 bags Semi-Sweet Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips (12 oz. each bag)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz.)
8 tablespoons Jameson Irish Whiskey (½ cup)
2 tablespoons Espresso Powder (Nescafé Instant coffee is also a good alternative)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Irish Cream Layer:
1 ½ bags of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips (11 oz.)
1/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup of Bailey's Irish Cream
2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Other:
Nescafé Instant Coffee, for dusting (2 teaspoons)
11x7 or 8x8 deep sided pan lined with plastic wrap

Directions:
1. Mix Jameson Whiskey, Cornstarch and Espresso powder in a microwave safe measuring cup. Then heat in the microwave for 40 seconds, stirring halfway through...
2. Set aside in fridge to thicken; then in a separate cup repeat with Bailey's Irish Cream and Cornstarch, also setting it in fridge to thicken slightly...
3. Meanwhile in 2 separate (large) Microwave safe bowls add the chocolate chips; both bags of dark chocolate to one, and the white chocolate in the other...
4. Add a full 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk to the dark chocolate chips, and a 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk to the white chocolate...
5. At this time pour the Jameson and Espresso mixture into the bowl of Dark Chocolate and heat in the microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between heating’s until the chocolate has just melted—set aside and stir until a thick consistency is reached...
6. Pour and evenly spread the chocolate mixture into the plastic wrap lined baking dish or pan-then dust sparingly with Nescafe instant coffee...
7. Now add Bailey's Cream mixture to the white chocolate and heat in the microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring, until chocolate just melts...
8. Continue stirring on the counter till smooth and then pour into prepared dish, overtop the dark chocolate—then spread smoothly covering the dark chocolate...
9. Dust sparingly with Nescafe Espresso powder, cover and cool in the refrigerator overnight—cut into 1 inch squares the next day and serve cool…
Note: Keep refrigerated until ready to serve; depending on pan size, makes between 60 and 80 pieces...