Chocolate Pizza and Pretzels: Edible Treats to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

America loves pizza and pretzels. From mini bites to loaded versions, it seems like we can never get enough pizza or pretzels. Now it is time for both of them to be elevated to superstar status. You can substitute your favorite chocolate and include other toppings for the ones I have listed below. Kids can also get involved in making their custom treats. This is also a great way to keep older kids entertained at birthday parties.

Start with a pre-baked sugar cookie crust. I like to use a homemade sugar cookie instead of the refrigerated cookie dough found at most grocery stores. Freshness counts here. You can vary the sizes of your sugar cookie crust for the number of people you want to serve. Place the sugar cookie on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Spread a mixture of broken pieces of milk chocolate and white chocolate over your sugar cookie. Take some miniature sized marshmallows and spread them over the chocolate. Slice up some bananas and add those to the top of the marshmallows. Add your favorite chopped nuts.

In a preheated 400 degree oven, place your cookie sheet and heat for 3-5 minutes, depending on the cookie size, or until marshmallow melts and is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Melt some peanut butter candy coating in the microwave at 10 second intervals until smooth and then drizzle it over your chocolate pizza.

To make chocolate covered pretzels, you start with miniature pretzel rods. These are easier to work with than the larger variety. In a microwave-safe bowl, add a regular sized bag of caramel bits and two tablespoons of liquid whipping cream. Stir together and then place into the microwave for 10 second intervals until the caramel mixture is completely smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Use parchment paper sprayed with butter spray to cover your counter. Dip a miniature pretzel rod into the caramel mixture at a angle. You want to cover two-thirds of the pretzel rod. Twist the pretzel rod to remove the excess caramel and then place it on the butter spray covered parchment paper. Repeat until all of the caramel mixture has been used. The caramel mixture will start to get hard and can be placed in the microwave again at 10 second intervals until softened and smooth again. Let caramel set until completely cool. If the caramel has spread out from the pretzel, you can gently wrap it around the pretzel to smooth it out, or you can use kitchen shears to remove the excess and smooth the caramel to get ready for dipping in the chocolate.

In another microwave safe bowl, melt mint chocolate wafers at 10 second intervals until smooth. Remove the miniature pretzel rods from the parchment paper one at a time and dip them into the melted chocolate mixture at an angle. Twist them to remove the excess chocolate and then place back on the parchment paper to cool. Make sure that you set them down on the flat side or they will roll over and mess up the chocolate coating. Allow to completely cool before eating. If you want to add nuts, coconut or any other topping, you can add it immediately after you dip the caramel covered pretzel rods into the chocolate coating.

Either of these chocolate treats would make a great gift for someone you love. Smile and enjoy.

Debra J. Mosely is the author of The Cake & Cookie Closet: All Dolled Up in Sugar and The Cake & Cookie Closet: Mini Wedding Treats (release date August 2011). She's out to teach the world how to "dream in sugar" with simple techniques and great tips that teach you how to become a sugar star. Check her out and tell your family and friends about her. http://www.thecakeandcookiecloset.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Mosely

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Buying Bulk Candy Online to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Who could ever resist the sweet temptation of chocolate candy? Or, the smell of butterscotch candies in a candy bowl? Candy is a sugary treat known throughout the world. It comes in many different varieties, shapes, and sizes. Candy canes, gum drops, bubble gum, and more are a favorite of many, from kids to adults. If you like to eat candy, and spend a lot of money on candy, consider buying bulk candy.

Why You Should Be Buying Bulk Candy

Buying bulk candy is cheaper than buying candy individually from the store. If you go to a convenience store or a wholesale store, you would notice that individual boxes and bags of candy would sell for over one dollar. With the economy being in such a poor condition, you have to save each penny that you earn. If you work with a candy wholesaler, you can save your hard earned money.

Working with wholesale candy suppliers is very easy. If you are with an organization that consumes a lot of candy, such as a church, a school, or a non-profit organization, you can receive a discount from the wholesaler for buying bulk candy. Discounts are great if you or your organization is on a tightly strapped budget. If you would have bought candy straight from the store, you would have had to sell double the cost in order to cover your expenses and to make a profit.

Various manufacturers carry certain brands of candy in bulk. Chocolate covered candy can contain nuts, caramel, coconut, and other types of flavors, and are a popular choice. Other popular types of candy are bubble gum, peppermints, sweet tarts, and butterscotch. You can even have candy personalized for an event, such as a sporting event or a wedding. This will have your customers or your guests to keep a momento of your event.

Another reason to buy bulk candy is that it is a good fundraising activity. Kids and adults love candy, especially chocolate bars. You can order packages of chocolate bars in bulk to give to your teachers at school. The teachers can give the children an order form for the children to keep track of the candy bars. The children can take the candy bars home and sell them to family, friends, neighbors and church members. As a fundraiser, you can have prizes for the children who sell the most boxes of candy in the entire school. Prizes, such as a pizza party for the person who sells the most candy would be exciting to younger children. For older children, a day at the amusement park would be exciting. The fundraiser could go to help to fund a school's band trip, specific club, or another type of expense.

Finding a candy wholesaler is not difficult. In fact, it is relatively easy. Search online. Many reputable ones exist around the world, specializing in many different types of sweet treats. If you search for a bulk candy company wholesaler, be sure to contact them through telephone or through e-mail for any special types of deals that they can offer. This will save you money in the long run.

RoyalCandyCompany, the leading online wholesale candy retailer, offers the top Bulk Candy and Bulk Chocolate at highly discounted prices. Their price guarantee keeps customers coming back as they will match and beat any competitor's price.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bran_T_Smith

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Stop Your Sweet Tooth Craving With Chocolate Smoothies

Most people have cravings for certain food at certain periods, be it sugar, carbohydrates or alcohol. This is felt as an urge to reach for that bar of candy or that bag of potato chips to snack on, or to drink that glass of wine after dinner. The cravings are signs that the body gives. When someone is tired or depressed, brain chemicals react and tell the body to eat something. The brain signals are the cravings.

Sugar cravings are very common, especially among women. For some, eating sweets have become a habit after a meal or during certain periods of the day. Others are used to the feel-good effect that sweet treats provide and they feel irritable when avoiding them. In short, sugar can be addictive. Fortunately, there are healthy ways to give the body what it needs and one of these is by drinking a chocolate smoothies.

Chocolate, by itself, is not unhealthy. In fact, it has been touted as a health food because it contains anti-oxidants that are also found in green tea. Anti-oxidants provide many benefits for the body such as improved circulation, better digestion, lowered risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and defense against free radicals that can cause many types of illnesses. This does not mean that people can have their fill of the chocolate bars available everywhere. The benefits can only be obtained when eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, and not from the more common ones containing processed cocoa that has been mixed with sugars, milk and artificial flavors.

Since the aim is to make the chocolate smoothies as healthy as possible, only dark chocolate of good quality should be used. Milk can be added but others have suggested using nuts, coconut, avocados and oatmeal to make their drinks creamy. Smoothie drinkers are encouraged to experiment with ingredients when it comes to mixing them with chocolate because it is very versatile and goes well with many types of flavors. Who knows? One might stumble into a mixture that tastes amazingly great.

As most of us would attest, what is chocolate without the sweetness? Although refined sugar can be added, it should be avoided as much as possible because it will only add empty calories to the chocolate smoothies. A good alternative is to use dates that have been soaked in water. Dates are naturally sweet fruits that are very rich in vitamins and fiber. They will not only make the smoothie taste better, but will also make it creamy. Bananas are also excellent substitutes for sugar. They are rich in potassium that promotes normal blood pressure and heart functions. Adding nuts will make the smoothie tastier and more protein-rich and good for boosting energy.

Chocolate smoothies not only provide great taste but great nutrition as well. Amazingly, despite the benefits that it gives, it does not add extra pounds to the body. Anyone can now satisfy sweet cravings without feeling the guilt.

Chocolate smoothies really make deliciously healthy desserts. You can find more smoothie recipes for other dessert smoothies by clicking on the blue links today! Remember, dessert doesn't always have to be unhealthy!

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