Yummy Snacks! The Devil’s Own Party Food…

I’m looking over the shopping list for Tuesday’s Worldwide Book Launch Party and it seems to be a little bit chocolate-heavy.

By now, you DO know that there is a huge Twitter launch party for James Rollins’ new book, The Devil Colony, right? If not, click this link and read the post. Be sure to click on the links to the other sites too…it’s good times around the blogosphere this week.

So back to the massive amounts of coca bean products on the list… I know what you might be thinking: Jenny, you gotta lay off those party snacks…

But the truth is, I’m not the Chocolate Hound in this house!

(I know, I know…I’m an embarrassment to my gender…)

It’s not that I don’t get a yen for food that is bad for me. I dream of chips, angel food cake and pie (oh, glorious pie!) with the best of them. However, chocolate is something I can usually pass by. I promise to do a blog on why at a later time.

Nope, it’s my Honey who is the Chocoholic over here at our pad, hence THE LIST:

1. Trader Joe’s – Half & Half, frozen foods, stock up on chocolate (those pimps at TJ’s have special chocolate by the check-out stand)
2. Run by See’s for a 1 lb box (yep a POUND of Dark Chocolate Nuts & Chews is coming to our Launch Party)
3. Costco – Milk, Steak, Veggies, Cheese, Chocolate Chips
4. Ralph’s – M & M’s, Devil’s Food cake mix

I could go on but you get the picture. There is some healthy food buried in there but not all that much. And hey…did you catch that last bit of the Ralph’s list??? My honey put Devil’s Food on the Devil Colony Party shopping list!!

You do know what this means, right? He DOES listen to every word I say. Maybe that Nothing Box business isn’t as bad as it sounds. (See the bottom of yesterday’s post if you missed that joke.)

The Devil’s Food recipe is really easy by the way, if you’re in the mood to bake. I make these cookies every Christmas and they are scrumptiously chewy and gooey – they’d be a fabulous addition to your array of yummy snacks!

Chocolate Crackles

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
• 2 eggs – slightly beaten
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• ½ cup of Crisco (usually I buy sticks)

DIRECTIONS:

• Beat all ingredients in a mixer. The dough becomes somewhat dense and easy to mold.
• Roll the dough into balls (maybe a little bigger than an inch around) – don’t plan to answer the phone or type…your hands will be a mess.
• Have a pan filled with powdered sugar nearby – roll all the balls in the powdered sugar
• Put each ball on a cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart
• Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes
• Press an M&M into the top of each cookie while it is still on the cookie sheet.
• Use a spatula to gently remove from the sheet to cool.

Hint: You want these cookies to still be soft enough that they will still scrunch up a bit when you use the spatula to remove them from your baking sheet.

Enjoy! I’m famous for my holiday baking so I promise, you are in for a special treat.

What food are you planning to make for your #DevilColony Launch Party? Do you have any easy recipes to share?

What is it about a party that compels us to throw the diet to the coyotes and dig into some YUMMY SNACKS? Maybe all that chattering and dancing and yelling across the room burns up all the calories we eat? I don’t know…what do you think?

~Jenny