With February comes thoughts of chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Take one look around and you’ll see that chocolate means love and love means chocolate. One of my favorite things to do is experiment with dipping my favorite foods in chocolate to create new combinations of chocolate-y bliss. It’s easier than you think and oh so fun. All you need is a simple recipe for chocolate dipping and a few helpful tips.

Chocolate Dipped Anything

12 ounces of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, depending on your preference)
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions
Fill a small saucepan halfway full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place a medium-sized glass bowl on top with the chocolate chips and cream inside. Stir frequently, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth in appearance. Remove from heat and dip your favorite foods (washed and thoroughly dried) into it. Place dipped foods on a sheet of parchment paper to cool and dry completely before serving.

TIP: Choose a high-quality chocolate chip for best results. The chocolate is the star of this show, so it’s worth a little splurge to take it over the top.

TIP: When dipping fresh fruits, pat them down with paper towels to make sure they are thoroughly dry. Moisture will keep the chocolate from sticking, and will also change the texture of the chocolate.

TIP: Allow excess chocolate to drip off before placing on the parchment paper. Too much chocolate will result in a strangely shaped pool of chocolate at the base.

TIP: Add extra wow factor by drizzling melted white chocolate (use 4 ounces of white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of cream) over your completely cooled chocolate dipped items.

My list of favorite foods to dip in chocolate grows longer by the year. Here’s where it stands today:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Thick, kettle-style potato chips
• Clementine wedges
• Cheesecake bites
• Pretzels
• Cinnamon bears
• Pineapple wedges
• Oreos
• Raisins
• Craisins
• Brownies
• Marshmallows
• Soft caramels
• Frozen key lime pie
• Chocolate chip cookies

TIP: If you don’t have time or interest in dipping your own treats in chocolate, I’ve got you covered. My chocolate enrobed cookies are incredible. You, your valentine, and everybody on Planet Earth will go ga-ga for them.

Sweet & Chic Box

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Here’s your chance again to win another amazing gift of FREE cookies from Mrs. Field

Enter the contest by leaving a comment on our blog.  If we pick you as our winner, we will contact you via the email you’ve provided.

We will draw 1 name from the correct answers given and that person will receive a FREE Mrs. Fields Loveable Valentine’s Tin ($44.00 Value, with shipping). Answers will be accepted until midnight (February 2^nd, 2012). Limited to one win per month per entrant. Winner will be notified via email.

Prize Details:

This week we’ll be giving away one of our Loveable Valentine’s Tins – item #12B501, a $44.00 value, including shipping. It contains 60 Nibblers® bite-sized cookies. Perfection!

Question:  What saying is revealed on our Owl Box once his wings are open?

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Pigs in Pretzel Blankets
adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

24 Lil Smoky weiners

Pretzel Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer add the yeast, sugar, and warm water together and allow to sit for five minutes. Add in the salt and flour and knead until you have a soft, smooth dough that is slightly sticky to the touch. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for an additional 5 minutes. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag. Close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand to double the size, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 24 equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about six inches long), and wrap it around one of the hot dog weiners, pinching the ends into themselves to hold firm. Next, immerse each one in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Serve with ketchup and mustard.

Super Roast Beef Sliders
adapted from No Biggie

24 dinner rolls
Deli-sliced roast beef
24 slices sharp cheddar or swiss cheese
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

Directions
Slice dinner rolls and stuff with slices of roast beef and cheese. Place snugly in a baking dish. (I use two 9 x 13 baking dishes.) Melt butter, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, mustard, and seeds in a microwave-safe dish. Stir and then drizzle or brush evenly over all the rolls. Cover dishes with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with horseradish sauce.

My Mini Pizza Appetizers are so fun and simple to make. You could even have guests create their own.

Party guests will love these Frosted Brownie Bites. They are perfect party fare!

My Baked Cake Donut recipe is the long standing favorite on this blog. Probably because these are absolutely delicious, and completely perfect for your party.

If you don’t have time in the kitchen, no need to worry. There’s plenty of great party fare available to order online. Check out my favorite Big Cookie Cake (frosted with your team’s colors) and the best party-ready basket, filled with cookies and brownies.

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Inviting friends over to watch the big game on Sunday? Here are a few tips to keep your party high scoring and fumble-free:

Utilize different watching zones. Some people are there for the game, some are there for the commercials, and some are there for the food. Keep everybody happy by spreading things out in different rooms and keeping like-minded party goers together.

Supply face paints. Everybody loves to show team spirit on game day, so grab some simple poster paints and let your guests decorate their faces (or bellies). It’s a great way to keep the kids entertained, too.

Provide your own halftime entertainment. There’s no need to rely on a superstar rocker to entertain your guests. Turn the TV off or mute it during halftime while you gather everyone for karaoke, competitive eating, or a crash course in cheerleading. (Wouldn’t you love to see your husband and his buddies creating the human pyramid?) Everyone can be together having a few laughs before the second half of the game begins.

Cast votes for the best commercial. Supply guests with a slip of paper to cast their vote for the best commercial. At the end of the evening, tally the votes to see which commercial scored big with your crowd.

Have a treat as big as the game. Our Big Cookie Cake is a perfect game day dessert decorated with your team’s colors, ready to entice (or taunt) your guests. Customize your own message and colors of frosting. It’s my favorite game day fare, and a total crowd pleaser.

Share your own ideas in the comments section, and check back later this week for fabulous finger foods to serve!

{Image via Pinterest.}

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When it comes to finding true love, most of us have to encounter a few bumps in the road. Today we have a fun giveaway, where you get a chance to step up to the mic and share your best “Worst Date” moment ever. So, come on, tell us. Was it the time your blind date showed up at your doorstep with his mother? Or when you had an allergic reaction to your date’s perfume and your face swelled up like a balloon? We know you’ve got something terrifically terrible to share, so ‘fess up.

But don’t think this is all for nothing. I want to help turn your sour experience into a sweet one. Three lucky (previously unlucky) winners will be chosen to receive a freshly delivered gift from Mrs. Fields Gifts, shipped just in time for Valentine’s Day!

First prize is our Perfect Valentine Basket, loaded with two dozen of our mouthwatering new frosted cookies. That’s worth the time you broke your nose in an awkward goodnight kiss, isn’t it?

Perfect Valentine Basket

Having your date dump a plate of spaghetti on you was completely worth qualifying for our second prize, Little Bit of Love Trunk, right?

Little Bit of Love Trunk

And finally, our third prize of Classic Heart Frosted Cookies Tin, will heal the old wounds (though maybe not the scars) of the his-and-hers tattoos date night you came to regret. Don’t you agree?

Classic Heart Frosted Cookies Tin

Let the stories come rolling in! (And don’t forget—our early bird discount is still available on all Valentine’s Day gifts until Wednesday, February 1st! Use code 12BEB at checkout.)

Enter to win by leaving your story in the comments section or emailing it to mrsfields[at]mrsfieldssecrets[dot]com before midnight, February 8, 2012. One entry per person, please. Winners will be selected and notified via email. Winning entries will be shared on a future blog post.

{Image via Pinterest.}

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Here’s your chance again to win another amazing gift of FREE cookies from Mrs. Field

Enter the contest by leaving a comment on our blog.  If we pick you as our winner, we will contact you via the email you’ve provided.

We will draw 1 name from the correct answers given and that person will receive a FREE Mrs. Fields Holiday Memories Tin ($44.00 Value, with shipping). Answers will be accepted until midnight (January 26^th, 2012). Limited to one win per month per entrant. Winner will be notified via email.

Prize Details:

This week we’ll be giving away one of our Classic Mrs. Fields Tins – item #10025, a $44.00 value, including shipping. It contains 60 Nibblers® bite-sized cookies. Perfection!

Question:  What is the name of our newest Valentine’s Day stuffed animal?

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Melted Snowmen Cookies

Cookie Dough
1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing
3 pasteurized egg whites
3 cups powdered sugar

Accessories
24 marshmallows
Black edible ink marker
Orange edible ink marker
Black gel icing
Colored confetti for buttons

Directions
For Cookies: Cream the shortening and add the sugar gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture, stirring in by hand. Cover and chill dough overnight or at least four hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use a cookie scoop to divide dough. Mold each ball into a puddle-like shape, about 1/4-inch thick. Place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie has a golden appearance. Remove to a rack and cool completely before icing.

For Icing: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip egg whites until light and frothy. Add powdered sugar slowly, mixing on low, until completely incorporated and shiny in appearance. Turn speed up to high, and mix for 5-7 minutes, or until frosting develops thick, stiff peaks. Divide 1/3 of frosting into a pastry bag with a fine tip, then outline each cooled cookie. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the remaining icing, mix well, then transfer to to another pastry bag and fill in the remaining surface of each cookie. Use a toothpick to spread it out and fill in any holes.

For Accessories: Use the black and orange edible ink markers to draw eyes, mouth, and carrot nose on each marshmallow. Cut a small wedge out of the bottom of each marshmallow, so that it will sit with the head tilted up. Place each marshmallow on a still-wet iced cookie. Use confetti sprinkles to create buttons, then pipe black gel to create arm branches. Allow to dry completely before serving.

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Remember when you used to stand outside in the snow and catch snowflakes on your tongue? Well, these beautiful snowflakes are just as fun to savor in your mouth, and a great activity to do with the kids on a snowy day. No two snowflakes are alike, but every one is delicious!

Tortilla Snowflakes

Large flour tortillas
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Sharp, clean kitchen scissors

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Fold a tortilla in half, then in thirds. (If the tortilla is stiff, try microwaving it for 10 seconds to make it pliable.) Use kitchen scissors to cut shapes into the tortilla, then carefully unfold it to reveal a snowflake. Place it on a baking sheet, then brush it lightly with butter, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

HINT: This isn’t just a fun activity for kids. I love to serve these to guests with a large scoop of cinnamon ice cream on top, with a drizzle of caramel and chocolate. It makes a fantastic dessert display!

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2012 is the Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year 2012 begins January 23 with the Year of The Dragon. It’s a time to celebrate with family and friends, eat good food, and enjoy fun customs and traditions. You don’t have to be Chinese to join in the fun, so gather your friends and family and put together a great party with the following ideas.

1. Sweet & Sour Chicken is a crowd favorite. This recipe is easy and delicious, and much of the prep work can be done ahead of time. For dessert, make your own fortune cookies. (It’s easier than you think.)

2. Print and post a Chinese Zodiac so that all party guests can find out which animal they represent based on their birth year. According to the zodiac, some animals are more compatible than others. Find out if it’s true!

3. Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with this simple craft that is fun for kids and adults too. Have a parade around the house and light fireworks outside!

4. Simple labels over bottled drinks add a finishing touch and offer your guests traditional Chinese wishes of longevity and prosperity.

5. Decorate your home with colorful Chinese Lanterns. Let the kids help and hang them down the hallway, above the dining table, or in the entry way.

6. Have guests write fortunes, then tuck them in paper cookies made out of cupcake liners (genius!). Add them all to a jar or bowl, mix them up, then distribute them among your guests.

{Dragon image via Pinterest.}

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Here’s your chance again to win another amazing gift of FREE cookies from Mrs. Field

Enter the contest by leaving a comment on our blog.  If we pick you as our winner, we will contact you via the email you’ve provided.

We will draw 1 name from the correct answers given and that person will receive a FREE Mrs. Fields Holiday Memories Tin ($44.00 Value, with shipping). Answers will be accepted until midnight (January 19^th, 2012). Limited to one win per month per entrant. Winner will be notified via email.

Prize Details:

This week we’ll be giving away one of our Classic Mrs. Fields Tins – item #10025, a $44.00 value, including shipping. It contains 60 Nibblers® bite-sized cookies. Perfection!

Question:  What cookie did we recently re-invent and is getting rave reviews?

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