I’ve had my eye on Easter for the last couple of days and am counting down the days for the Easter Bunny to hop through town, so my boy can take photos with his furry friend. In the meantime, I have been decorating my house and building my son’s Easter basket behind closed doors. He was napping when this photo was taken. Click over to Babble where I show how I built this Easter basket and bought EVERYTHING at Target! Happy Easter.

 Snackas of the day:  I am such a huge fan of all candy Kinder.  Being a lover of toys and chocolate, I fell head over heels with the Kinder Egg many many moons ago.  So it came as no surprise when I stumbled on it’s cute cousin called Kinder Happy Hippo.  This cookie candy hybrid in it’s playful hippo shape entices the kid in me but satisfies my adult palate.  It’s crunchy crisp wafer like shell is filled with a creamy hazelnut and milk filling, then dipped in white chocolate and meringue crumbs.  So yummy.  They make a chocolate cream version too….. I heart them both.  They are hard to find here in the United States but when you run across them, grab with both hands.  Or if you find yourself in Europe, load your suitcase up and bring them home to your friends and loved ones.

Side note: Kinder Happy Hippo is made by Ferrero SpA, they also make Nutella…. That’s what I’m talking about.

Photos taken by: Mando Lopez

Here’s what the packaging looks like:

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post…. Just a candy/cookie I love wholeheartedly and purchased with my own dough. 🙂

In the words of Annabella from Bow Wow Wow…. “I Want Candy!” Aside from wanting candy all the time, I also want my favorite nut, pistachios. Why not combine the two for a perfect pairing and take my sweet nutty cravings to a new level of BIG LOVE.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley and Mando Lopez

Ingredients for pistachio toffee:

1 – cup butter (melted)

1 1/3 – cups sugar

1 – tablespoon corn syrup

2 – tablespoons cold water

1/2 – teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 – cup salted Wonderful Pistachios

12 – ounces chocolate chips (melted)

First line a cookie sheet with a non- stick baking mat or wax paper. I use both, but I’m a freak… One method is good enough.

Then take your bag of Wonderful Pistachios, cut it open and GET CRACKIN! I like to shuck my pistachios before I start making the toffee.  Once done removing shells place 1 cup of pistachios to the side, and with the remaining 1/4 cup coarsely chop.

Let’s get the toffee rockin and rollin…. In a big pot over a medium flame with a candy thermometer attached to the side, drop in butter and allow to melt. Mix with rubber spatula.

Then add in sugar, and mix in completely before adding in corn syrup and water. From this point forward you will be mixing constantly.

Keep stirring your buttery sugar mixture until your candy thermometer reads 300 degrees fahrenheit.  This will take about 15 to 20 minutes and your mixture will go from pale brown to deep golden brown. Then remove from flame and add vanilla. Your mixture will bubble and pop. This is good news!

Add 1 cup of Wonderful Pistachios, and mix well.

Then pour onto prepared cookie sheet and top with melted chocolate.

Spread chocolate carefully over top of toffee to coat it!

Then if your anything like me…. you’ll run off and hide somewhere and eat the chocolate off the spatula.

Okay back to work…. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios on top of chocolate, and place in the fridge overnight or for at least an hour.

When ready to eat. Break it into pieces or eat the whole slab! Enjoy!

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a sample of  Wonderful Pistachios to aid this recipe. The recipe and opinions are my own.

Makes my mouth water.