Sunday, December 18, 2011
Oh No, not my oven
That's right folks, I've had an oven malfunction. My oven is caput and unfortunately I'm not going to be able to finish my 12 treats of Christmas series. Lucky for me, I should be back in business just in time for Christmas but not in time to finish my blog series. Please check back in with me in 2012 and see what new and fun recipes I try for the new year. So until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!
Friday, December 16, 2011
12 Treats of Christmas Part 1
So I know that I promised to share my 12 treats of Christmas and now I'm a little behind. Not only is it the Christmas season but in my household it seems like it's the season of sickness. Everyone in my house (except me so far) have had a really bad cold and instead of baking, I've been taking care of my patients. Well now, everyone seems to be back on the mend and I can focus on my treats for Christmas. So here goes.....
Treat 2- The Gingerbread House
I cheated on this treat and it's not actually a treat we give away as a gift in this house. My daughter and I just love to decorate it and put it out for all to see. I picked up a "pre-assembled" house at Target and we got to work. The set game with the house, the frosting, and the candies and we designed it all ourselves. This is a great activity to do with your kids and they will just get a kick out of it!!!!
Treat 3- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
This is an easy but beautiful treat to give away to friends and family in a goodie bag. Seriously, who doesn't love the combination of sweet and salty and with a chocolate covered pretzel you get both in one bite. So simple to make, you just need pretzel rods, white and dark chocolate candy melts (I used Wilton) and then whatever type of decoration you want on the pretzel. We used Christmas sprinkles and crushed candy canes. Once you melt down the chocolate, spoon chocolate over the pretzel then place on wax paper until set but not hardened. Once set, drizzle with your decoration of choice and place back on the wax paper and put on the fridge until hardened. Can't get much easier than that can it?
Treat 4- Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
Again, I cheated a little bit on this one. I used a red velvet cake mix but did make the frosting on my own. These little two bite cupcakes are fun to eat but can be used for an elegant gathering. I used the leftover crushed candy canes to top the cupcakes to give them that holiday feeling. It also gives a nice hint of mint flavoring that takes the dessert to another level.
Treat 5- Dark Chocolate Oreo Fudge
Another easy treat to make,(are you starting to see a pattern here?),fudge. I asked my daughter what would be tasty to put into our fudge mixture and she decided on crushed Oreo's and it really worked. What I like about this fudge recipe is that it isn't overly sweet because of the semi-sweet chocolate. I'm not a big fan of overly sweet desserts but if you prefer a little sweeter fudge, by all means add a little milk chocolate to this recipe to get the desired taste.
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup crushed Oreo cookies
In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the milk in and add the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is completely coated by the milk. Add the salt and vanilla and cook until chocolate has melted. Take off the heat and add the cookies. Poor into a 9" baking dish covered with foil, making sure there is enough foil to hang over sides. Let mixture come to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for 3hrs. Once chilled, remove foil from pan using the overhang and the peel fudge from the foil. Slice and pack for holiday gifts!!!
Treat 6- Peanut Butter Kisses
Okay, one of my favorite food combinations is the peanut butter and chocolate. Again, I think it's the mix of salty and sweet that I love. So why not top a simple peanut butter cookie with a yummy chocolate kiss. It makes a really pretty cookie and it couldn't be tastier.
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.
Treat 2- The Gingerbread House
I cheated on this treat and it's not actually a treat we give away as a gift in this house. My daughter and I just love to decorate it and put it out for all to see. I picked up a "pre-assembled" house at Target and we got to work. The set game with the house, the frosting, and the candies and we designed it all ourselves. This is a great activity to do with your kids and they will just get a kick out of it!!!!
Treat 3- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
This is an easy but beautiful treat to give away to friends and family in a goodie bag. Seriously, who doesn't love the combination of sweet and salty and with a chocolate covered pretzel you get both in one bite. So simple to make, you just need pretzel rods, white and dark chocolate candy melts (I used Wilton) and then whatever type of decoration you want on the pretzel. We used Christmas sprinkles and crushed candy canes. Once you melt down the chocolate, spoon chocolate over the pretzel then place on wax paper until set but not hardened. Once set, drizzle with your decoration of choice and place back on the wax paper and put on the fridge until hardened. Can't get much easier than that can it?
Treat 4- Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
Again, I cheated a little bit on this one. I used a red velvet cake mix but did make the frosting on my own. These little two bite cupcakes are fun to eat but can be used for an elegant gathering. I used the leftover crushed candy canes to top the cupcakes to give them that holiday feeling. It also gives a nice hint of mint flavoring that takes the dessert to another level.
Treat 5- Dark Chocolate Oreo Fudge
Another easy treat to make,(are you starting to see a pattern here?),fudge. I asked my daughter what would be tasty to put into our fudge mixture and she decided on crushed Oreo's and it really worked. What I like about this fudge recipe is that it isn't overly sweet because of the semi-sweet chocolate. I'm not a big fan of overly sweet desserts but if you prefer a little sweeter fudge, by all means add a little milk chocolate to this recipe to get the desired taste.
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup crushed Oreo cookies
In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the milk in and add the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is completely coated by the milk. Add the salt and vanilla and cook until chocolate has melted. Take off the heat and add the cookies. Poor into a 9" baking dish covered with foil, making sure there is enough foil to hang over sides. Let mixture come to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for 3hrs. Once chilled, remove foil from pan using the overhang and the peel fudge from the foil. Slice and pack for holiday gifts!!!
Treat 6- Peanut Butter Kisses
Okay, one of my favorite food combinations is the peanut butter and chocolate. Again, I think it's the mix of salty and sweet that I love. So why not top a simple peanut butter cookie with a yummy chocolate kiss. It makes a really pretty cookie and it couldn't be tastier.
48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar
1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
It's Time For Christmas Cookies!!!
This truly is the most wonderful time of the year, in my humble opinion of course. I love Christmas movies, Christmas decorations, Christmas cartoons and music, but most of all I love baking goodies for Christmas. Decorated sugar cookies, chocolate dipped wonders, peppermint scented treats, they're all so tasty. So this year, I thought I would write a new installment on the blog. I'm trying for a 12 days of Christmas treats theme. Some might be cake pops, some might be cupcakes but all should be perfect for a holiday treat basket to give as a gift. So here goes.
Treat One: The chocolate chip cookie reboot
I asked my daughter the other day, what would be the perfect cookie to leave for Santa. Her suggestion was a little twist on the chocolate chip cookie. She wanted a cookie with a little bit a peanut butter, chocolate chips and M&M's candies. Lucky for me I had all of the ingredients on hand so I went to work creating a recipe. I took the basic recipe for chocolate chip cookies and added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a cup of holiday plain M&M's. They were just what she wanted and she exclaimed they were the best cookies ever!!!! You can't beat that.
Chocolate Chip/M&M Cookie
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks unsalted) softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1 cup plain M&M's
Preheat oven to 375
In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Using either a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and peanut butter together. Be careful not to over beat the butter. Add eggs and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture and mix. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the chips and M&M's. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Enjoy & stay tuned for the next Christmas treat!!!!
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