White rabbit

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods aren’t just for Christmas anymore! Give them a spooky makeover and turn them into Monster Pretzel Rods – colorful, fun, kid-friendly, and perfect for any Halloween party!

I will openly admit that American buttercream and I are not best friends. I want to like it. I’ve tried hard, but it’s just too sweet for my curmudgeonly nature.

Swiss meringue buttercream, on the other hand, is light, luxurious, easy to make, and perfectly pipe-able. It’s far less sweet than American buttercream and has an irresistible silky texture. I used it to frost this Chocolate Layer Cake—a crowd favorite in my family.

If you’re looking for a frosting to smooth over a cake or pipe into rosettes, a Swiss meringue buttercream is the answer to your cake decorating prayers.

This chocolate version of Swiss meringue buttercream is easy to make, is more stable than American buttercream, and stores well. You can completely frost a cake days in advance, keep it in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature just before serving for a beautiful result every time!

Red velvet cake is an eye-catching brick-red colored cake flavored with subtle chocolate and a hint of vanilla with a pleasant tanginess.While it’s an American classic that dates back almost 100 years, it wasn’t until recently that the cake rose to fame. Now it’s a popular flavor for everything from cupcakes to cookies.

For some, the snap of peppermint bark or a sip of eggnog is the classic holiday treat, but for me, it’s warm soft gingerbread! Once November hits, I’m all over gingerbread in its many forms. I love its spicy-sweet and deep rich flavor with a hint of earthiness from the molasses.

And though I love gingerbread cookies, often I need a hit of gingerbread without the fuss of cookie cutters. That’s where gingerbread cookie bars come in! They’re easy to make in one big pan, yet still have the classic gingerbread flavor that everyone expects during the holidays.

One of my favorite things to eat as a kid was an open-faced peanut-butter and honey sandwich.

These days I don't even need the bread. Just a large spoonful of peanut butter, a glob of honey, a little stir in a bowl, and I'm good.

Given how much I love the flavor combination, I thought I would try my hand at making some granola bars with these favorites.

A little oatmeal, a little butter, a little peanut butter, a little honey, a 350° oven, and presto, hey these are good!

I've been eating a couple bars for breakfast every morning and a couple for afternoon snacks. Who knew? Easy.

If you make your own granola bars and have a favorite, please tell us about it in the comments.

Please welcome guest author, my good friend and neighbor, master baker, and fellow food blogger Evie Lieb, who shares a recipe for a favorite treat—no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars—with easy substitutions to make them kosher for Passover! ~Elise

These chocolate peanut butter bars are a classic treat, and so easy to make—no baking required! They hold a popular place on my holiday cookie platter, and with just a couple of substitutions, they can be easily made kosher for Passover too.

Graham cracker crumbs are mixed in with the peanut butter to give the base structure and crunch. For a Passover substitution for the graham crackers, we use either ground up toasted matzo, or ground Passover crispy cereal. Confectioner's sugar and a little honey provide the sweetness in the base. When observing Passover we make our own confectioner's sugar by grinding granulated sugar with potato starch.

This recipe makes a delicious confection (a cookie? candy bar?) whether preparing them the classic way, or Passover-friendly. In any case these goodies are a great choice for dessert after a meal and they make a perfect snack anytime. My husband has given the matzo version the ultimate compliment: they do not taste like a Passover dessert!

I was experimenting in the kitchen with milk and sugar, when suddenly the idea of chocolate came to my mind. I looked in the cabinet and saw a fresh bottle of chocolate syrup. I added it to my hot cup of milk and sugar and ta-da! Secret simple hot chocolate! Add marshmallows, whipped cream, or Cool Whip® to make even tastier.

Step 1
Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Quickly brown pork chops in the skillet, seasoning with garlic salt, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a slow cooker and pour French onion soup on top.

Step 2
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Step 3
Remove the chops and keep warm. Add sour cream and flour to the slow cooker, mix well, and warm until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sauce over the chops.

Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion and Italian seasoning.

Step 2
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until slightly crisp. Drain and stir into the pot.

Step 3
In the same skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until brown. Drain and stir into the pot.

Step 4
In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until brown. Drain and stir into the pot.

Step 5
Stir the barbeque sauce and chili powder into the pot; taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the kidney beans and chocolate and simmer until flavors are well blended. Serve.