Boomf: Instagram Marshmallows

As much as I love fancy, elaborate desserts, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for simple, classic sweets. It should come as no surprise then that I’ve fallen in love with these fun marshmallows from Boomf! Taking the squishy campfire treat and putting a unique spin on it, British company Boomf will turn your favorite Instagram photos into delightful gourmet marshmallows! That’s right, just select nine images from your Instagram account and Boomf will send you nine printed marshmallows in return. The marshmallows, which are vanilla flavored, measure about an inch and a half in size and cost roughly $20 per set. The service is currently only available to UK residents, but they plan to start shipping worldwide early next year. While it may be a little creepy watching your favorite snapshots melt away in a S’more or in a cup of hot chocolate, I still really like this idea. It would make a really fun gift or party favor! Click here for more info. ~Erin

Sweet Testing: S'more Nut Bars with Smoked Chocolate Chips

Nothing says summer like grilling. Traditionally a meat centered event, grilling has expanded over the years to include everything from lettuce to pizza to chocolate. Chocolate? Yep, that's right. Autumn Martin from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in Seattle has created her own line of smoked chocolate chips! The semisweet chips, which are cold smoked over alder wood for ten hours, actually taste and smell like a campfire. After I finally managed to get my hands on some, I couldn't stop opening the jar and inhaling the warm woodsy aroma inside. What was I going to make with my new discovery? S'more bars, of course! There are many creative ways you could use these chips, but I felt that a dessert that is already known for being smoky would be the perfect way to showcase the chocolate.

You can order Smoked Chocolate Chips via the Hot Cakes website, right here. If you would like to try making the chips on your own, check out Autumn's cookbook, Malts and Milkshakes, which contains instructions on how to smoke the chips, along with tons of unusual milkshake recipes, including Smoked Chocolate and Scotch Shake, Salted Black Licorice Shake, Tamarind Shake, Passion Fruit Creamsicle Shake, and Blackberry Lavender Shake.

You can find the complete recipe for the S'more Bars after the jump.

Choccywoccydoodah

I can't stop looking at these seriously decadent designs from British chocolatier Choccywoccydoodah. I was just thinking that these desserts look like something straight out of a Tim Burton movie, and then I discovered that Choccywoccydoodah actually did a lot of the chocolate work in Burton's remake of Willy Wonka! They also crafted delicious treats for one of the Harry Potter movies as well. Makes total sense. Their work conjures up such images of fun and fantasy that would work perfectly in those movies. Even their name makes you smile! Click here to view more of their work and here to order online.

The Mixing Bowl: Holiday Fudge by yellowlion

Nothing says happy holidays like fudge! Homemade fudge was a family tradition when I was a kid, so I was so pleased when Sarah at yellowlion sent over this delicious (and easy!) recipe for marshmallow/walnut/chocolate chip fudge! It's the perfect holiday treat and, as Sarah told me, a must for any chocolate lover!

Based in Chicago, Sarah creates beautiful screen prints that are inspired by her love of nature and, of all things, the patterns of Rorschach tests! Personally, I've always been fascinated with the look of the Rorschach inkblots. There's something about their surreal, dreamlike quality that I can't resist, so I love how Sarah takes that concept and kicks it up a notch with gorgeous colors and interesting designs.

I hope you all enjoy your holidays! Click here for more information on Sarah's work and to shop online! Thanks, Sarah! More fudge and prints after the jump.

The Mixing Bowl: Toffee Mallow by Emily Hogarth

I'm so in awe of papercut artists. I can barely cut a straight line with a pair of scissors, so it amazes me that people can create such beautiful and intricate work with just a piece of paper and an exacto knife! That said, I was so excited when Emily Hogarth agreed to share her Toffee Mallow recipe with us. It's an easy, yummy version of the classic Rice Krispie Treat. Quick and easy comfort food. What's better than that?

From Emily: This is a really simple recipe that my grandma used to always make for me when we went to hers. I love it and I hope your readers will to! You certainly don't need to be a great cook to pull this sweet treat off.

Inspired by natural beauty of her native Scotland, Emily's incredible work is quite magical to look at. Whether appearing as an art print, on a dress, or as a greeting card, her designs are always telling a story.

It's really fun to look at all the little details that she creates or you can just appreciate the entire design, in total, from a far. Lovely work, Emily! You can see more of Emily's designs here and purchase her work here on Etsy. You can also visit her blog right here. Thanks, Emily!

Momofuku Milk Bar: My Latest Bakery Obsession

It started innocently enough, a coworker of mine recently had dinner at Momofuku Ko in NYC and sent me the link to their site. Of course, one of the first things I did was to click on the site for their bakery and what did I see?? Arnold Palmer cake! Cornflake-marshmallow-chocolate chip cookies!! Crack pie!!! Crack pie??

I want to go there.

I quickly searched Google, desperate for a recipe for Arnold Palmer cake (iced tea jelly, lemon mascarpone cream, almond tea crunch), but came up with nothing. Has no one tried to copy this yet?? Happily, my crack pie search yielded better results, leading me to a demonstration from Martha Stewart's show, along with recipes for Momofuku's cereal milk and blueberry-and-cream cookies!! Woo hoo!

I am now officially obsessed. I wish more bakeries thought this creatively! I haven't made the crack pie yet, but it's on top of my baking list. I also can't wait until the day that I actually get to step foot inside the Milk Bar, although there are so many choices that in the process of making a decision, I may completely freak out. Oh, and don't tell me their desserts suck or I'll punch you in the arm! Okay, if it sucks, I would like to hear your opinion, but I'll still be mentally punching you in the arm. :-)

To watch Martha's visit to the Momofuku Milk Bar, click here. (The link takes you to the beginning of the show, so you'll have to scroll over to the video titled Momofuku Milk Bar.)

Did I mention the Lucky Charms soft serve???

(Arnold Palmer cake photo by Kathy Chan.)

Little Circles of Heaven

When I started this Web site, my friend Nancy asked me if I was familiar with her chocolate chocolate chip cookies. When I replied that it wasn't ringing any bells, she said "ask Dean about them." Curious, I asked Dean if he remembered Nancy's cookies, thinking that there was no way he would still remember, considering that it was years ago. Here is his reply:

OMG. How could I ever forget those cookies. They were the absolute BEST!!! They were little circles of heaven.

After that endorsement, I knew that I had to have the recipe!

Here are the specifics. Straight from the source:

1 box Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix (yes, the brand does make a difference!)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

I usually end up eating half the batch as they come out of the oven.

Mix it all together, bake in oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes. The cookies look wrinkly.

Also extremely tasty with peanut butter chips and, separately, teeny tiny marshmallows for smores cookies. I also like them with the standard chocolate chips and loads of shredded coconut.