2 bars (3.52 oz. each) TOBLERONE Fruit & Nut, finely chopped
3 Tbsp.flour
3 Tbsp.powdered sugar
Directions
HEAT oven to 300°F. BEAT egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 to 5 min. or until soft peaks form. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until stiff peaks form. Mix chocolate and flour; gently stir into egg whites. DROP tablespoonfuls of egg white mixture, 1 inch apart, onto 2 parchment paper-covered baking sheets. BAKE in top and bottom thirds of oven 24 to 26 min. or until light golden brown, rotating baking sheets after 12 min. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Kitchens Tips
Storage Know-How
While these cookies are best if eaten right away, they can be stored in a tightly covered container in cool dry place for up to 2 days.
MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Kitchens Tips
How to Melt Chocolate
Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.
How to Easily Dip Truffles
To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
How to Store
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator
This is such an easy chocolate chip cookie. No special equipment, no creaming -- a perfect cookie to do with kids. We love how versatile this dough is, too. It makes an awesome rocky road bar cookie.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
Directions
Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
For a Rocky Road Bar:
Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make the batter as per cookie recipe and fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until the edges are light brown and the batter sets, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and cover surface with 4 cups marshmallows and 1 cup chocolate chips. Broil at least 8 inches from the heat until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on the marshmallows, and turn the pan frequently--they go from golden to char in a wink.) Cool, cut and serve.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil.
For the crust: Process the chocolate wafers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee, and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)
Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.
For the Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.
Cut into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cook's Note: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pea-sized pieces, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drape a 9 by 13-inch pan with overlapping pieces of aluminum foil, creating handles for easy removal. Butter the paper, and reserve.
In a food processor add the flour, oats and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Add the 2 sticks of butter, the cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture forms clumps when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, reserve the other half. Bake in the preheated oven just until slightly golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and vanilla in an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or with an electric hand mixer until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Spread evenly over the baked and cooled oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture over the cream cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.
Cool and chill before cutting. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and using the foil handles, transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve.
Call yourself a superstar!!!
Cook's Note: For a delicious and healthy variation of this recipe, try replacing the butterscotch chips with tasty dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square glass baking dish with enough foil so there is an overhang on 2 sides.
Mix the cookie dough with the lemon extract, kneading to combine. With damp fingers, press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the jam over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top of jam. Scatter the pecans over top. Bake until browned around the edges and cooked through in the center, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan. Lift edges of foil to remove the bars. The bars are soft, so carefully cut into 2-inch squares or diagonally into pennant shapes.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup salted pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the hazelnuts in a pie plate for 12 minutes, until the skins blister. Transfer to a towel and rub to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.
In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 1 pound of the bittersweet chocolate with all of the unsweetened chocolate. Let cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar until sandy. Beat in the eggs, then beat in the melted chocolate. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Fold in the pistachios, cherries, hazelnuts and the remaining bittersweet chocolate.
For each cookie, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll into a ball; space them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in batches for 15 minutes, just until the tops are lightly cracked; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. Transfer the sheets to racks to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cayenne and sea salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with both sugars at low speed until creamy. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth, then add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead gently until it comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax paper to about 1/4 inch thick. Slide the wax paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until very firm.
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible. Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart on the parchment paper–lined baking sheets and sprinkle with some Maldon salt.
Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until they are just firm; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make AheadThe rolled-out frozen cookie dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept frozen for up to 2 weeks. The baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Each cookie looks
like it has stained glass windows, beautiful and perfect for the
season.
Stained Glass Window Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4
rolls mult-colored lifesavers candy
Directions
Beat sugar, vanilla, butter, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on
medium speed, or mix with spoon.
Stir in baking powder, flour, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for one hour
until firm.
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/3 of dough at a time to 1/8 inch
thickness. Cut into shapes.
Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Cut out window pane designs from
cookies. Place partially crushed pieces of candy in cutouts, mixing colors as
desired.
Bake 7-9 minutes. Immediately spread any unmelted candy with a knife. Cool
completely on pan.
Roasted Chestnuts, Without The Open Fire!
Recipe from:Yummly
1 lb chestnuts
14 cup butter
salt (taste)
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2
Cut a 1/2 inch crisscross on the flat side of each nut. Be sure to cut through the shell to prevent the nut from exploding.
3
Place the nuts in a shallow baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
4
Allow to cool and peel off the shell.
5
Place nuts in a skillet with butter and saute over high heat until the butter is melted and the chestnuts are well coated. Place skillet in oven and roast until they are golden on top. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.
In 4 days it will be Christmas Day!! Have you chosen your Christmas Day cookie yet? Let us help you out. I was working hard trying to find that PERFECT Christmas cookie and I think I found it!
If there is any holiday I truly love, it is
Christmas. I love the weather, wrapping, baking, and all the decorations. There is
a joy that can be felt in the air. Baking for the holidays has always been a
favorite Christmas activity. In past years, things have been so chaotic, I don't know where I found time to bake and enjoy it. I have decided I will make it a family tradition. I will block out time every Christmas Day to do some baking with my family, everything else will have to wait! My family has some holiday traditions such as Christmas Eve Oyster Stew and Christmas Morning Brunch! But I attempt
to try something new each holiday just for fun. And this year I will be making these swirly sugar cookies. Look for a blog about the making of these cookies shortly after Christmas!
Ingredients2 cups flour, plus possibly a few more tbsp 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2/3 cup
unsifted powdered sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 1/2 sticks unsalted
butter (cut in chunks) 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp of food coloring of your
choice(and/or 1/2 tsp of any desired extra extracts) 1 1/2 cup holiday
sprinkles
Directions1. In a stand mixer, combine flour, baking
powder, salt, and sugars with paddle on medium until well blended.
2. Add
butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. At this
point, your dough will form a ball on your paddle.
3. Remove all your
dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer
and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. I used Wilton gel food
coloring in leaf green and vanilla extract for this batch. You could coordinate
your colors and flavors, for example green food coloring matched with a mint
extract or yellow with a lemon extract, etc. Also, if you are using liquid food
coloring, you will need to add a few tbsp of flour to keep the dough from
becoming too wet. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.
4. Roll out
each portions of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until is reaches
about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and
chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
5. When firm, remove the
top sheets of wax paper from both. Brush the uncolored vanilla dough lightly
with water using a pastry brush. Then flip the colored dough onto the vanilla
uncolored dough so they are stacked atop each other and even. Press the edges
lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small pairing knife,
trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.
6. Pour out
sprinkles onto a large platter and set aside. Be sure your dough is still cold,
but flexible. Once it's ready, begin rolling the long side of dough into a
swirl, jelly-roll style. Now, don't get nervous if the outer layer of uncolored
dough tears a bit. It's no problem, just pinch and pat those tears and voila,
then just keep rolling.
Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar WELL. Add eggs and beat well.
Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring. Add to creamed mixture. Mix salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and buttermilk together. Add alternately the flour with the milk mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar and FOLD INTO CAKE BATTER. DON'T BEAT OR STIR NOW.
Bake for 30 minutes. To Make Icing: Cook 5 Tablespoons flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. LET COOL THOROUGHLY! While cooling, cream 1 cups sugar, butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat this well till light and fluffy. Add to flour mixture and beat until of a good spreading consistency. DON'T ICE CAKE TILL COOL.
Fresh baked cinnamon rolls are the quintessential breakfast bread. Because this recipe's make-ahead directions let you mix and shape the rolls the night before, even late-risers can enjoy them fresh from the oven.
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Combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour and yeast; set aside. In a saucepan heat milk, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, and salt until warm (120 F. to 130 degrees F) and butter is almost melted. Add to flour mixture along with egg. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (1 to 1-1/2 hours).
Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. Roll dough into 18x10-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle onto dough. Sprinkle with raisins and nuts. Tightly roll up into a spiral, starting from a long side. Pinch seams to seal.
Cut dough crosswise into 12 even slices. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in the prepared baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly double (about 30 to 40 minutes).5
Brush rolls with half-and-half or light cream. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Invert rolls onto a wire rack or serving platter. Cool slightly. Makes 12 rolls.
Make-Ahead Tip
Up to 24 hours ahead, make and shape rolls. Cover with oiled waxed paper; then with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours. Before baking, let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. Uncover and puncture any surface bubbles with a greased wooden toothpick.
2. Christmas Morning Casserole
A hearty brunch dish that is lightening fast to make!
Ingredients
2 cup Smithfield Ham, diced
1 pkg hash browns
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup smoked gouda cheese, grated (can substitute cheddar)
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using Smithfield country ham)
3/4 cup butter melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a casserole dish, layer hash browns, ham, and cheese until all gone.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together green onion, eggs, milk, sour cream, pepper, salt and butter.
Pour mixture over casserole and bake for an hour.
3. Apple Butter Hotcakes
These mini hotcakes are a classic favorite. Flavored butter and cherry sauce add a special twist; both are easy to made ahead
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 12 ounce package frozen pitted light or dark sweet cherries
For flavored butter, in a small mixing bowl, use a small whisk to combine butter, honey, and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
For cherry sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine frozen cherries, cherry jam, and orange peel. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Cover and set aside; keep warm.
In a medium bowl, stir together pancake mix, milk, oil, eggs, and apple butter. Stir just until moistened (batter should still be lumpy). For mini-size hot cakes, spread about 1 tablespoon batter into a 1-1/2-inch circle onto a hot lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. (For standard-size hot cakes, spread about 1/4 cup batter into a 4-inch circle.) Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until hot cakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when hot cakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm with flavored butter and cherry sauce. Makes 32 to 40 mini-size or 8 to 10 standard-size hot cakes.
4. Champagne and Grape Jelly
In this jewel-toned jelly, grapes and champagne form a natural team. Great tasting on toast, it's also dressy enough to star on an hors d'oeuvres platter along with sharp cheese, crisp crackers and seasonal fruit like fresh figs.
Ingredients 1bottle(s) champagne
2cup(s) white grape juice
11cup(s) sugar
2teaspoon(s) unsalted butter
4tablespoon(s) lime juice
2package(s) (3/4 cup) liquid fruit pectin
1 1/2cup(s) red grape juice
Zest of 1 lime
Directions
Make the champagne jelly: Combine 2 cups champagne, white grape juice, and 7 cups sugar in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and add 1 teaspoon butter, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 pouch pectin. Boil for exactly 1 minute and remove from heat. Sterilize ten 1/2-pint jars. Ladle the hot mixture into the hot jars so that each jar is half full. Cover until set -- 2 to 12 hours.
Make the grape jelly: Combine remaining champagne, sugar, lime juice, red grape juice, and zest in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and stir in the remaining butter and pectin and cook for exactly 1 minute. Carefully pour over the top of the champagne jelly, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Securely cap each jar and process using the boiling-water canning method (see Related Links) for 5 minutes. Store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year.
5. Orange-Honey Arborio Rice Pudding with Toasted Granola
1/2cup(s) Arborio rice
3cup(s) milk
Zest of 2 medium oranges (cut into large strips)
1cup(s) heavy cream
1/4cup(s) sugar
1/4cup(s) honey
1large whole egg
1egg yolk
1/2teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/4teaspoon(s) salt
Directions
Combine the rice, 2 1/2 cups milk, and zest from 1 orange in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a large pot of simmering water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the orange zest and set rice aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the remaining 1/2 cup milk and zest until just simmering. Beat the sugar, honey, and egg and yolk together and add the hot milk mixture in a slow stream while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook, while stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a custard and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately strain the custard over the rice. Discard the zest. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to mix. Cool and store refrigerated in an airtight container. Let pudding warm slightly at room temperature before serving.
Toasted Granola
Ingredients
2 1/2cup(s) granola
1/4cup(s) honey
3tablespoon(s) melted butter
1/4teaspoon(s) cinnamon
Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Toss all the ingredients together and spread on a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on the pan.
