Valentine’s Treats: Red Velvet Bonbons

I love Valentine’s Day. And I love making treats for Valentine’s Day. When I think of Valentine’s, my mind immediately turns to Chocolate Truffles. I adore truffles. For a few years, I’ve been trying to get up the courage to start working with chocolate. This year I decided to take the plunge and make my own truffles…The only thing was that I wanted to turn them into Red Velvet Truffles–something different, something red. (VERY red.) […]

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Orange Spiced Nuts

Orange Spiced Nuts | CafeJohnsonia.com

These crunchy, buttery, sweet, spiced nuts have a hint of orange. They are completely irresistible and are sure to be a hit at any party! Let’s see…it’s only taken me over a year to finally post this recipe! I wanted to wait and take how-to photos. The weeks turned into months and suddenly it was Thanksgiving again. I’m going to make another batch or two for Christmas. They disappear quickly. These nuts would be a […]

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Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

It’s good to be back and baking! Thank you to everyone for the sweet comments. I am feeling almost back to normal. And we have almost settled into our new place. My baby is six weeks old today and for me that is a huge milestone! We made it! We love, love, love malt at our house. LOVE IT. We were excited to give these a try–even with Whoppers. (Maltesers are sooooo much better, but […]

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How To: Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade Marshmallows

I don’t know why I haven’t made homemade marshmallows until now. I’m a huge marshmallow fan, for one. And for two, I’m a pro at making meringues. (Wink, wink) Actually, I am a marshmallow lover, but making marshmallows has been a little intimidating. (My work table.) I had planned on making homemade marshmallows for the neighbors during the holidays. But as it turns out, when you are in the throes of morning sickness, even marshmallows […]

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Malt Ice Cream

Malt Ice Cream | CafeJohnsonia.com

We’re huge fans of malt in our home. HUGE fans.  And we love ice cream, of course. What better way to enjoy malt and ice cream than to combine them into the best malt ice cream you’ll ever taste? This has got to be in the Top 5 of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes. It’s definitely my husband’s favorite ice cream. I try to surprise him at least once a year with a batch […]

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How To Make Candied Nuts

How To Make Candied Nuts | CafeJohnsonia.com

One of the number one questions I get from friends is how to make candied nuts for salads. I confess that candied nuts are one of the reasons I am the salad lover I am. The sweet, salty crunch of candied nuts is irresistible nestled among leafy greens, and coupled with cheese, fruit, and veggies. Mmm… The recipe I’ve used for years is from a beloved cookbook that I’m pretty sure your mom has on her […]

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Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce

Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce | CafeJohnsonia.com

For those times when you want some yummy hot fudge sauce, but don’t have any more chocolate on hand to make it, use cocoa powder. And for times when you do have chocolate, substitute it or add it to the cocoa powder for the creamiest, dreamiest hot fudge sauce imaginable.  I grew up eating hot fudge sundaes at my grandmother’s family parties. She is the best hostess – the food is always incredible, and her […]

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How To Make Homemade Caramels

I originally posted this back in November of 2006, but I figured if you are a new reader, you may not have seen it, and it’s that time of year again! Every year my mom would make homemade caramels. If I was lucky, she would let me stir it while it cooked. I loved the smell of melted butter mingling with the sugar as it bubbled away. Since I left home, there hasn’t been a […]

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Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Mint Filling and Whipped Ganache

A Minty Variation on Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Cake Ingredients: 2 cups white sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup very hot water 1/2 cup vegetable oil White Chocolate Mint Filling (recipe below) Whipped Ganache Icing (recipe below) 1 package of Andes Mints, chopped, for the top (optional) Heat oven to […]

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