Healthy Chocolate Cookie Dough (by Chocolate Covered Katie)

 1/4 cup cashews
2/3 cup pitted dates (no extra sugar added)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Grind it all up in your food processor or vitamix until it forms into a ball of dough.  Eat it as is by the spoonful or smear it onto crackers or bread. 

Chocolate dipped cappuccino caramels

A friend of mine made these delicious caramels last time we were in Auburn. They are so yummy! The recipe is tweaked from a Better Homes and Garden cookbook.

1 C butter
1 16-oz. pkg brown sugar (2 1/4 C)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 C light corn syrup
3 Tbsp. instant coffee
1 C chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2-1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel (I omit this)
dark chocolate chips

Line an 8x8x2 in or 9x9x2 in baking pan with foil (the nonstick kind works best). Butter the foil; set aside.
  In heavy 3-qt saucepan melt butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, and coffee.
  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reaches 248 degrees or candy reaches *firm ball stage. The mixture should boil at moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. Reaching firm ball stage should take 15-20 min.
  Remove saucepan from heat. Immediately stir in walnuts, vanilla, and orange peel. Quickly pour caramel into foil lines baking dish. Allow to cool thoroughly. I put mine in the fridge for a while.
  When caramel is firm, cut caramels into bite size squares. Makes about 3 pounds...60-80 pieces depending on how big you cut them.
  I melt dark chocolate chips and dip the caramels. It is easiest to use two skewers to hold the candy so that you don't leave finger marks. A touch of sea salt on top adds a yummy salty taste to all this sweetness.

*To test firm ball stage: drop a few drops of caramel mixture into cold water. Shape the drops of caramel into a ball. When the caramel is removed from water, it will be firm enough to hold its shape, but should quickly flatten at room temperature.

Wrap and store the caramels for up to 3 weeks in a cool, dry place or up to 9 months in the freezer. These make great gifts!

MY PIE

I have officially changed this recipe SO MUCH, that this is now My Pie. :) It's a pecan pie with Kahlua and dark chocolate in it. I could die, I love this pie so much!

1/2c white sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1c light corn syrup
1/2c butter(1 stick)

4 eggs
1/4c Kahlua
1t vanilla
1/4t salt
1c chopped pecans

2 frozen pie shells(I buy them in the freezer aisle, or you could go with one deep dish)
6oz dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 325

2. In a saucepan, combine sugars, corn syrup, and butter. Heat over medium heat, until butter is melted and sugars are dissolved. Set aside to cool a bit.

3. In a large bowl, beat four eggs. Whisk in the Kahlua, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour in the sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Fold in pecans.

4. Spread the dark chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie shell(s). Pour mixture evenly into the pie shell(s).

5. Place pie(s) on a baking sheet(in case of spillover), and place in oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until set and crust is golden.

6. The hardest part. Let it cool and set. I make this the night before and hae a really hard time not eating that night! :)

I hope you all love it! I am making two right now.