What a fun riff on conventional brownies.

Brownie Brittle was invented by Sheila G. Mains, who liked the crispy, crunchy edges the brownies made in her bakery, decided to make things even crisper.

She worked on the recipe until she had crispy square—the same rich chocolate taste as the brownies, but wafer-thin with an amazing crunch. They’re brownies turned into cookies.

Today, Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle snacks are available in:

 
A piece of Brownie Brittle is delicious by itself, with ice cream and with hot and cold beverages. As a stocking stuffer, the richly-hued bags are suited for festivities.

You can punch hole in the top of the bag and add a ribbon.

You can find Brownie Brittle at retailers nationwide, or at Shop.BrownieBrittle.com.

Five-ounce bags are $3.99, one-pound bags are $8.99. There are gift boxes, samplers and variety packs.

—Steven Gans
  

Serve it with cocktails or as a TV snack. It will impress everyone, and it’s not hard to do. Starting with frozen rolls makes it a snap!

Prep time is 3 hours (most of the time is for the bread to rise), cook time is 45 minutes. You can substitute a Baby Brie for the Camembert (the difference between Brie and Camembert is largely the size).

The recipe is courtesy of Président Cheese, which has many ideas of what to do with cheese at its website, ArtOfCheese.com.

RECIPE: CHRISTMAS WREATH BREAD

Ingredients For 8-10 Portions

1. COVER a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. USE the Camembert as a guide to mark the center of the baking sheet; temporarily place it in the middle of the sheet. Arrange the frozen dough rolls in two circles around the cheese. Leave a 1/2” space between the rolls and between the circles (the rolls will expand as they bake). Remove the cheese and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. BRUSH the frozen rolls with melted butter. Thaw for 1 hour in a warm, draft-free area, then allow an additional 2 hours to rise until they have doubled in size. Once the dough has formed a “wreath,” par-bake it at 325°F for 7 minutes.

4. USE a sharp knife to carefully remove the top layer of rind from the Camembert wheel. This will allow for easy dipping.

5. REMOVE the par-baked rolls from the oven and fit the Camembert in the center (remove any wrapping). Bake an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Dip the rolls into the baked Camembert. Photo courtesy ArtOfCheese.com.

6. USE the parchment paper to slide the wreath off of the baking sheet and onto a serving platter or board. Brush rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with flaked Maldon sea salt. Sprinkle the Camembert with minced rosemary.

7. GARNISH the wreath by inserting small 1” long pieces of fresh rosemary and clusters of pomegranate seeds between the rolls. Serve immediately.
  

It’s National Hot Chocolate Day, or National Cocoa Day if you prefer (the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate). Today we’re making this adults-only version.

The recipe comes to us from Baileys Irish Cream, using the company’s Original Irish Cream with a hint of Mint Chocolate.

 
RECIPE: BAILEY’S PEPPERMINT CREAM HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation
1. CRUSH the candy cane with the back of a spoon. Set aside.

3. TOP with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top and garnish with the mint leaf.