Valentine’s Day Pesto Cracker Chips

These tasty little things can pass as a chip or a cracker. Either way try them. These are super fast and easy to put together. These would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day lunchbox or as part of a cheese or charcuterie board to have with wine. You can change up the shape to suit whatever occasion you are celebrating.

Take a package of wonton wrappers and use a cookies cutter to cut out the shapes you want to use.

Place the shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with pesto and just a very light sprinkle of salt.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes, until golden at the edges.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Lasts for a few days, but ours did not last to make it into a container.

As you can see, we tried a few tree shapes that we could use for Christmas and pumpkins for Halloween.

One note about the pesto, if you are putting in a lunchbox check the pesto for nuts. Both pesto types that I bought contained nuts. Our school is nut free so I couldn’t put them in the lunchbox. I have to find a nut free commercial pesto or make my own.

You could also just brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle of salt to make a plain cracker-chip. That is how I will use the rest of my wontons for the valentines lunchbox.

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Bakewell Hearts & Happy Valentine’s Day

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We don’t generally do much for Valentine’s Day, but for Evie it is a full out reason to make everything in the shape of hearts!  I found this recipe which is a shortbread cookie take on the traditional British bakewell tart. I thought it sounded interesting and unique and we decided to give it a try.  I did everything exactly as it is indicated in the recipe in the above link and they worked out perfectly, great with a cup of tea on a freezing cold weekend. Yesterday it felt like -42 °C, today it is a few degrees warmer.

I will definitely make these again with one minor change, next time I will chop the cherries a little smaller.

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The dough smelled amazing  with a cherry and almond scent, Evie said it even smelled like Valentine’s Day.

We cut out a few other shapes as well just to have a little variety.

Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥

 

Caramilk Brownies

I thought this would be a good recipe to post for Valentine’s Day recipe. I rarely post what I intend to for a particular holiday. I usually make things in a hurry and forget to take pictures, or get busy and do not post. This is my valentine post, early!! This never happens. It is only happening now because I was going to the gym, instead I decided I should make brownies with pieces of Caramilk bar inside. Maybe I will make it to the gym tomorrow and run a little while longer.

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Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9″X13″ pan.

1 cup of pecans (optional).  If you are using the pecans spread them on a cookie sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes.  Coarsely chop.  I didn’t use pecans this time but they are very good with the pecans.

Coarsely chop 4oz of unsweetened chocolate, combine with 2/3 cup of butter.

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Microwave until melted.  Keep an eye on it and stir every now and then.  Should take about 2 minutes.

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(I love taking pictures of chocolate)

Cool chocolate until lukewarm, and then stir in 1 & 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs and 1 & 1/4 tsp vanilla.

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Gradually stir in 1 cup of all purpose flour.

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Break up 2 family size Cadbury Caramilk Bars (I think that is about 200g total).  Give or take a square or two (maybe 3), ok I ate a few.

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(more pretty chocolate pictures)

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Stir the Caramilk pieces and pecans, if using, into the batter. Spread evenly into pan.

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Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  DO NOT OVERBAKE!  Keep checking on it, very important that it doesn’t over bake.  I baked for about 22 minutes and I think that was a little too long.

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Melt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips with 1/2 cup table cream, stirring.  Once all melted and creamy spread over the warm brownies.

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Let cool completely.  Then cut into squares.  Try not to eat too many at once.

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