S'MORES TRAIL MIX: National Trail Mix Day!

Going on a hike today? Mix up a batch of S'mores Trail Mix for National Trail Mix Day. Perfect for the Trail, an afterschool snack, or a lunch box treat.

Teddy Grahams, bear shaped graham cracker snacks, come in chocolate flavor, but the regular honey grahams cereal work best for a contrast of tastes and will make your trail mix more 'S'mores' tasting. There are all kinds of wonderful natural graham cereals, too.

S'mores Trail Mix

Ingredients
15 ounces Golden Grahams cereal (Teddy Graham cereal or a natural Graham Cereal)
16 ounces miniature marshmallows
12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions:
Empty all ingredients into a LARGE bowl or bag and mix.

Happy Trail Mix Day! Enjoy!

TOASTED MARSHMALLOW FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE: National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Of course, you can make S'mores--and all the variations thereof. 

But how about something other than Smores? Something easy and great for the Gluten-Free Folks? The following Flourless Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Topping is fabulous!

You can use your favorite flourless chocolate cake recipe or try the easy Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe below. For the Marshmallows, I recommend using high quality marshmallows or make your own. Here's a link to Michael Recchiuti's Marshmallow recipe.  If you only have 'regular' marshmallows, that will work, too.

Toasted Marshmallow Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 
8 ounces dark chocolate 70-75% cacoa
1 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs (room temperature)
3/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa
25 marshmallows 

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F
Butter 10-inch spring form round baking pan. Line bottom with buttered wax paper.
Break chocolate into pieces.
In double boiler or metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.
Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture.
Add eggs and whisk well.
Sift cocoa over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 35-40 minutes, or until top has formed thin crust and toothpick comes out moist but not wet.
Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
Remove springform sides. Leave cake on bottom of pan.
Put cake (still on springform base) on cookie sheet.
Top with marshmallows while still warm (leave an inch around edge free-they spread).
Put cake back in oven at 375 for 5 minutes--until marshmallows are 'toasted'.
Remove from oven.
If they're not toasted enough, use a mini-torch (one of my favorite kitchen tools) to toast.
Cool on rack.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES SECRET INGREDIENT: Lemon Juice!

Today is National Lemon Juice Day. I have several lemon trees, mostly Meyer lemons, so I could make lemonade, but since it's National Lemon Juice Day, I thought I'd share a secret. Lemon Juice is a secret ingredient in making chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. So if you're given lemons, make Chocolate Chip Cookies! You're not going to taste the lemon juice, but it will make for a chewier cookie. And, the reality is that since you only use a teaspoon in the batter, you can make lemonade with the rest of the juice to go with these cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Secret Ingredient: Lemon Juice

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground to fine powder in blender or food processor
2-1/4 cups flour  (if you have bread flour, give it a try.. it will make an awesome cookie)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (do not microwave)**
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice 
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chopped into chunks

Directions
Grind rolled oats in blender or food processor until very fine.
Measure flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in blender jar and use blender to combine all dry ingredients.
Cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir after each addition. Beat until fluffy.
Combine dry ingredients with wet stuff, and mix until fully combined.
Add chocolate chips and stir by hand or fold in chopped chocolate chunks (or chips).
Refrigerate dough for an hour.
Drop dough by large spoonfuls or using an ice cream scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Allow room for cookies to spread as they cook.
Bake in preheated  350 oven for approximately 16 minutes, or until barely golden and still slightly raw.
Cool cookies in pan for five minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY TURNOVERS: National Cherry Turnover Day

Today is National Cherry Turnover Day.To celebrate, I will be making Chocolate Cherry Turnovers.

A turnover is a type of pastry made by placing a filling on a piece of dough, folding the dough over, sealing, and baking it. Turnovers can be sweet or savory. They are usually baked, but may be fried.

You can always buy turnovers in the market or bakery, but I've adapted this recipe from Pillsbury Baking. To make it even easier, I use prepared pie crust dough rather than making my own. Quicker! You can also make turnovers from puff pastry--either your own or store bought. I love cherry turnovers, and once again, you can make your own cherry preserves (lots of cherries in the market right now), but I like Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves for their tartness, and I always have a few jars in the pantry. And, as always, use the very best dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate).

Chocolate Cherry Turnovers

Ingredients
1/2 cup Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves
Double Pie Crust (I use Trader Joe's)
1 - 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
Powdered Sugar

Directions
Heat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment. Coat with no-stick cooking spray.
Use two pie crusts. Divide in half. Roll each half to 1/16" inch thick. Cut four 5 1/4 circles from each half for a total of 8!
In small bowl, stir together cherry preserves and cornstarch. Spoon 1 Tbsp in center of each dough circle. Sprinkle with 1/2+ tsp chocolate chips. Moisten edges with water. Fold in half over filling. Crimp with fork to seal. Put on prepared baking sheet. Prick tops with fork to allow steam to escape.
Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.