These kits come beautifully packed in a brown and teal box with a brown satin ribbon. Inside is literally everything you need to decorate: two cookie cutters, five dyes, frosting bags, couplers, decorating tips, rubber bands, cookie scrapers, a guidebook and more. There is even a color chart to help you find the right shades (and how to get them).  I was surprised, however, to find the cookie cutters to be old school metal ones. On the positive, sometimes metal does cut better than plastic. Sometimes.

I love this cookie kit. It really does have everything you need to decorate cookies. As a cookie decorating novice, I also appreciated the step by step guides and reference cards that are included as well. This would be a fantastic hostess gift. And don’t worry if you can’t get this in time for Thanksgiving. Chic Cookies offers dozens of kids commemorating many occasions from the holidays to just because.

The kits retail for $25 and is available on the Chic Cookies website. 

*This kit was originally reviewed on The Voice of Mom.

The GOOD: Where do I begin? This is the smoothest, creamiest ice cream I have ever eaten. E-V-E-R. It’s got chunks of equally smooth and creamy chocolate throughout. The flavor is decidedly raspberry (though, it is more raspberries and cream than just raspberry, but that should be expected). It’s made with cane sugar (take that high fructose corn syrup!).

The BAD: At 270 calories per 1/2 cup serving, it is very important to remember not to eat the whole pint yourself. Also, pricing is based on where you live, so it can get pricey. Here in Connecticut, having a six-pack shipped will cost me a little over $13 a pint. You must order a 6- or 12-pack if shipping. If you can’t find a Graeter’s store in your local area, or the ice cream in your grocer’s freezer, then a shipped 6-pack will cost between $60 and $80 depending on shipping distance.

Oprah is known for having good taste, so when she said that she and Stedman like Graeter’s, their sales went through the roof. And man, she wasn’t wrong. This is bar none the best ice cream I have ever, ever, ever had. The chocolate bits are soft, not hard, and the creamy raspberry flavor is perfect. If you like raspberry ice cream, you will swoon for this. Of course, it does have a high pricepoint if you need it shipped, but as a treat, this is worth the cost. Yes, I mean it. I would pay the $80 to have a six-pack shipped to Connecticut. It’s just that good.

*This review was originally posted on The Voice of Mom.

It all started with the beautiful marble cake that Shawn bought for me. It had this delicious creamy frosting and was decorated with a firm, rich buttercream that melted in my mouth. I loved it. Loved every part of it. It was so sensuously smooth that it made my tongue dance with glee . . . Except when I went to eat the last sliver of cake, something was missing: the scalloped buttercream edging from the bottom of the cake.

Yes, folks, my last bit of buttercream was stolen out from under me. Surely you can understand my devastation. It’s been all I could think about since then. I’ve been driving Shawn crazy with my musing about the delectable taste of that buttery buttercream . . . Like a jilted lover, it haunted me with conviction and certainty until he finally went and bought a little more for me to enjoy . . .

Oh, the sweet sensation of buttercream on tongue . . .

That’s why when I read this post on Smitten Kitchen about making Swiss buttercream, I just knew . . . I had to do it. I haven’t yet, but it’s coming . . . perhaps even for the birthday Will shares with his grandmother.

In the meantime, I did what any sensible person would do: I sent Shawn back to the store for a little more cake.

Do you have a favorite frosting?

Here’s a snippet:

-Peanut butter cups

Mitchell suggests using a double-boiler or microwave to melt Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for a sauce over cake or ice cream. Werner presses the mini cups into the middle of cupcakes or on top of thumbprint cookies (in place of the jam).

The plant, at Keynsham, is scheduled to close by 2010.

Cosmo Fry’s grandfather, Cecil, was the last Fry to run the factory before it was taken over by Cadbury’s in 1936.

“I would like to think that I could propose an alternative future in which the memory of Fry’s and Cadbury’s can live on in the West Country,” he said.

What do you think? What should happen to the old factory?

So, love candy and want a sweet vacation that really zeros in on that love? Perfect! Here are the top 10 vacation destinations for candy lovers, as ranked by the National Confectioners Association:

10. Kansas City, Mo. — Home to Russell Stover headquarters and Andre’s Confiserie Suisse’s elegant Andre’s Tearoom

9. Las Vegas, Nev. — Not quite getting the candy connection here, but apparently they have M&Ms World and some other stuff in addition to the more famous Sin City attractions

8. New Orleans, La. — Home to a number of local confectioners including Evans Creole Candy Factory, Laura’s Candy Shop and Aunt Sally’s Praline Shop

7. Boston, Mass. — Known for revolutionizing Halloween

6. Los Angeles, Calif. — Home to Disneyland’s Candy Palace, Godiva Chocolatier, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and See’s Candies factory

5. Chicago, Ill. — There are more than 100 chocolate manufacturers and attractions here (and tours dedicated to introducing you to them)

4. San Francisco, Calif. — Home to Ghirardelli Square, the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory, the Jelly Belly factory and the world’s largest Pez dispenser

3. Orlando, Fla. — Apparently Disney has a great replica square that copies San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square (and have cute soda shops and whatnot)

2. New York, NY — Home to M&M’s World, Jacques Torres Chocolate cafe and Dylan’s Candy Bar

1. Hershey, Penn. — Home to Hersheypark, Hershey’s Chocolate World, etc

Well, it might not be lunch, but it is free and it is good — Cybele at Candy Blog is giving away candy from the All Candy Expo. How cool is that? All you have to do is tell what your three most favorite candies are of all time, and what new candy piques your interest the most. Easy, right? You have to enter by Sept. 30 so hurry! HURRY!

Well, Krispy Kreme has joined forces with Taste of the South magazine to sponsor a recipe contest that challenges participants to create an original recipe using Krispy Kreme donuts.

“We are excited to partner with Taste of the South in search of a dessert as delicious and unique as Paula Deen’s celebrated Krispy Kreme bread pudding,” said Ron Rupocinski, executive chef for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. “The Krispy Kreme Ultimate Recipe Contest is a chance for everyone to get creative and share their own unique recipes featuring their favorite Krispy Kreme doughnuts.”

The contest will be judged by a panel of five including Rupocinski and Taste of the South Editor Lorna Reeves. The judges are all geared up to taste the fanciful creations . . . “I can’t wait to sample the many delicious ways clever cooks and bakers will use Krispy Kreme doughnuts in their recipes. Let the tasting begin!” Reeves said.

 According to the press release:

The Ultimate Krispy Kreme Recipe Contest will accept entries September 4 through October 15. Entries may be submitted by visiting www.krispykreme.com, http://www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com, http://www.pauladeenmagazine.com and http://www.southernladymagazine.com. There is no purchase necessary to enter or win.

The Ultimate Krispy Kreme Recipe Contest is open only to legal residents of the forty-eight contiguous United States or the District of Columbia who are 18 or older at the time of entry

Fortunately, there are low-cal options out there like Smart Ones desserts. I came across these at the supermarket over the weekend and decided to give them a try. At less than 250 calories a piece, and coming in a single serve portion, these really fit my “I want something” dessert style. There are several flavors, but I started off with three: New York Style Cheesecake, Double Fudge Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae.

Double Fudge Cake
220 calories/7 grams of fat
If I could have licked the bowl without feeling weird, I would have. This was quite tasty. The cake was moist and had a yummy fudge sauce over it. Even better, it was just the right size portion to satisfy my sweet tooth. I finished it and was done, rather than wanting more like sometimes happens.

New York Style Cheesecake
150 calories/5 grams of fat
This one was a disappointment. The cheesecake has a hearty swirl of (blech) black cherry jelly-like stuff. Definitely not my thing. Also, the taste of the cheesecake itself wasn’t as creamy as I like. I wouldn’t purchase this flavor again.