I realize I recently did a review on a lunch I had at Aspiration’s Bistro in Amherst, but I received an email this morning from Donna Hunt at Aspiration’s, letting me know they have extended their hours and added a breakfast menu. The cafe is now open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is now featuring New England Coffee, including the flavor of the month, Gingerbread. Other additions to the new breakfast menu include French Toast Sticks with Syrup ($4.50), Homemade Muffins ($1.99) and Yogurt with Fruit & Homemade Granola ($2.99). The purple bistro even has scones and gourmet-style breakfast sandwiches, such as the Proscuitto, Egg & Provolone ($4.99), served on a homemade croissant or Brioche.

For a special edition, longer blog entry this evening, I am letting all you readers with serious sweet tooths know about the upcoming, 12th Annual Inn to Inn Cookie and Candy Tour. This festive event is happening from December 13th through 14th, where the Country Inns in the White Mountains offer guests sweet treats and amazing holiday decor. The tour spans from Hart’s Location to Chocorua to Fryeburg, M.E. No inn is more than fifteen minutes from the next, assuring a steady buzz from the sugar injection you received from the previous inn.

Each of the fifteen inns participating this year will offer original holiday cookies, as well as allowing tour goers to take home holiday decorating ideas (and even some of the cookies and candy). Each inn will also be sharing new recipes for sweet and savory dishes, which are also available for take-home. In addition to the baked goods up for taste-testing, the tour, for the third year in a row, will also have a gingerbread house display where local businesses create gingerbread sculptures in honor of their favorite non-profit organization. Cookie and Candy Tour goers can then vote for their favorite cookie sculptures, and the winning treats receive $500, $350 or $250 donations for their non-profit organization of choice.

Other bonuses: tour goers, who visit each property, will receive a keepsake brass collector’s ornament, and also have the chance to win a $250 gift certificate for a future stay at one of the participating inns.

Tickets for the tour are available in advance by reserving a lodging package with one of the participating inns. Not looking to stay overnight? You can purchase tickets from now until December 10th for $27 per person by calling 800-233-8309. For more info., visit www.countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com.

Finally, a sample of the recipes being featured in this year’s tour are below (courtesy of Marti Mayne, Media Contact of BedandBreakfast.com, Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce and Historic Inns of Rockland, M.E.):

Candy Cane Bark from

1785 Inn & Restaurant, North Conway, NH

8 ounces of candy canes

12 ounces of dark chocolate chips (we use Callebaut) melted

¹/₈ teaspoon of peppermint oil

8 ounces of white chocolate chips melted

Put the candy canes in a plastic bag and crush them with a mallet.  Mix the melted dark chocolate with the peppermint oil, and spread this mixture evenly into a 12-inch by 16-inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the baking sheet in a refrigerator to harden the candy quickly.  Once the dark chocolate mixture has hardened, spread the melted white chocolate evenly over the top of the hardened dark chocolate mixture and then quickly sprinkle the crushed candy canes uniformly over the white chocolate.  Refrigerate the baking sheet again to quickly harden the candy.  Break the candy into pieces and store it in an air tight container in a cool place until you are ready to serve it.

The Covered Bridge House’s Double Chocolate Delights

2 cups flour                                                                                     

½ cup cocoa powder                                                         

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt                                                                 

½ pound butter, cut into pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

In a sifter combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Sift onto a large piece of wax paper and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together until soft.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.  Gradually add in the sifted dry ingredients until incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips and mix on low.

Spoon dough onto nonstick baking sheet to make 12 evenly spaced cookies.  Use your fingers to slightly flatten each portion.  Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. Yield: 36 cookies.