Chocolate Chunks

½ bag chocolate semi sweet chips

½ teaspoon of olive oil

½ cup roasted, unsalted almonds

½ cup cups raisins

Chocolate Chunks

In a small sauce pan heat semi sweet chocolate chips and olive oil over low heat.  Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in almonds and raisins.  Place wax paper on cookie sheet and using a teaspoon place the chunks on to the wax paper.  Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes (if you can wait that long).  Be sure to have a napkin near by…no wax on this candy.  See how long it takes before you eat them all!

Total time from prep to ready – 25 minutes

Cost: $6

Our youngest once asked for a fruit platter instead of a cake for his birthday.  It was easier and far cheaper to make one of those packaged cakes with the frosting in a can.  Every birthday he gets freshly sliced fruit including pineapple.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Washed, rinsed and dried strawberries*

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

¼ teaspoon olive oil

Add olive oil to chips in a small sauce pan and melt over low heat.  Once the chocolate is melted, dip strawberries in to chocolate and place on cookie sheet that has been lined with waxed paper.  Place in refrigerator to set.  We usually can’t wait more than 30 minutes. 

Time: From prep to ready – 20 minutes (including refrigerator time to set.)

Cost:  Depends on the strawberry season

*Living in the Northeast our access to organic strawberries is very limited.  I purchase only organic strawberries when they’re in season as this is typically a fruit that is heavily treated with chemicals and pesticides.

Cinnamon Swirls

 Made with previously frozen (vegan) pie dough

Our daughter came up with this recipe.  We would take the leftover pie dough from apple pies and do what my mom had taught me...make cinnamon swirls.  She said, “why make the pie?  Let’s just take all the dough and make the cinnamon swirls." This are best hot out of the oven but please be careful.  They are hot!

This is a terrific dessert for kids to help make. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 previously frozen pie dough that has been thawed sitting on the counter

¼ cup organic cane sugar

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Mix sugar and cinnamon together.  (Add more cinnamon if you like.)  Roll pie dough on to cookies sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Cut in to ribbons and roll.  Place in pre heated oven until brown.  Approximately 10 minutes.  We like to pop them in the oven after we’ve finished dinner and serve them when they are still piping hot right out of the oven.