Category Archives: Christmas

White Chocolate Lollipops for New Year’s Eve

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Happy Boxing Day everyone!! Over the next four days I will bring you ideas for New Year’s Eve. We start off with White Chocolate Lollipops that have a more sophisticated adult appeal than for kids but the beauty of this dessert is that you can custom make them to anyone that is coming over. I can envision these treats with candy on them like candy canes, smarties, crushed peppermint candies, mini gumdrops. The list is endless. These can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. A perfect little dessert for New Year’s when you may have had lots over the holidays already.

I have left the ingredient measures open for you so you can play around with toppings and the amount you would like to make. Have fun, be creative and enjoy!!

 

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White Chocolate Lollipops for New Year’s Eve
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Recipe type: Dessert
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Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

A New Year’s Lollipop!
Ingredients
  • White chocolate good quality, finely chopped
  • Mixed nuts, coarsely chopped
  • Dried cranberries
  • Candied ginger, chopped
  • Lollipop sticks

Instructions
  1. Melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in microwave on half heat for 1 minute intervals. Stir well after each minute until completely melted. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper. Spoon the chocolate onto the waxed paper in 3″ rounds. Insert a lollipop stick. Decorate the lollipop with the nuts, ginger and dried cranberries. Let set slightly and then refrigerate until completely set. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

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Mouth Watering Mondays

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A special Mouth Watering Mondays here for you today as it is Christmas Eve. I thought of giving you all desserts today. Grand desserts that you would be proud of to serve at the Holiday Season. It is cold here and snowy, perfect for Christmas where you want to stay in with family cuddled by fires and enjoying your Christmas feasts together. The best way to finish off a meal is to have a gorgeous dessert. If you don’t want to make one you can at least drool over the pictures!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

This is a dessert I have always wanted to make and haven’t done it yet. I will have to change that!! No one has done a better job of the gorgeous Buche de Noel than Delicious Shots.

Next are cupcakes. Well there are cupcakes and then there are works of art like these little gems!!! Candy Cane Cupcakes by Pastry Affair are gorgeous!!

Smiling Snowman Cake by Spoonful made me smile and put me in the holiday mood just by looking at him. Think of how much fun he would be at your holiday table.

Look at this gorgeous Panettone by Sankeerthanam, looks so light and airy but you know it will be rich and fruity inside. Gorgeous!! If there was any left can you imagine french toast in the morning, oh I can!!

‘Cotillon Chocolat’, French Christmas Cake by Fine Dining Lovers looks like the most moist cake I have every seen, with all those layers of moose.  Melt in your mouth divine!!

And last but certainly not least is my friend’s cake Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Egg Nog Frosting brought to you by Sarah Lee from Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends. A cake that would explode with holiday flavors in your mouth and is out of this world stunning!!

 

 

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Spiced Pecans

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I love these at anytime of year but the holidays again seem to bring them out. They go great with some many appetizers or antipasto or served just by them selves. Put out some assorted cheeses and crackers and these spiced nuts and you have a crowd pleaser with little effort.

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Spiced Pecans
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Recipe type: Snack
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Serves: 5 cups
 

A great snack anytime of the year!
Ingredients
  • 5 cups pecans
  • 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cayenne
  • ¼ cup butter, melted

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheets and roast for 10 min. until fragrant.
  2. Mix salt, sugar and cayenne in a small bowl. Once pecans are roasted place into a medium bowl and toss with the melted butter. Sprinkle on the salt mixture and toss to evenly coat. Spread onto the cookie sheet again and bake for additional 4 min. Careful not to burn. Let cool on the baking sheets and store in an air tight container.

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Apple Cranberry Pies

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The “Pie Guy” is at it again. Ken had some of his wonderful pie dough in the freezer left over from a previous pie so we put our thinking caps on and came up with these rustic looking pies for Christmas. What he created is one of my favorites so far. Perfect balance of sweet and tart, with hints of citrus, amazingly good!! They are nice individual pies that you can have a whole one or share. Lovely with a little good quality ice cream too!

Try these little pies you will love them!!

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Apple Cranberry Pies
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8 pies
 

The perfect pie for the holidays!
Ingredients
Filling
  • 4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¾ cup berry sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp. berry sugar for sprinkling on top
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 tsp. orange zest
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
Pie Dough
  • 1 lb. lard
  • 2 Tbsp. vinegar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup water
  • 4-5 cups flour

Instructions
  1. In a small bowl add egg and stir with a fork. Stir in vinegar and then water. In a separate bowl add the lard and 4 cups flour. Cut the lard into small pieces using a pastry cutter. Add the liquid and continue to cut the lard into the mixture adding more flour as needed. Do not over work. Stop when the dough comes together into a sticky ball. Divide into half and wrap in cello. Place in refrigerator for 30 min. to 1 hour. If making eight pies freeze the remaining half of dough for another use.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together apple slices, cranberries, lemon juice, ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
  3. Roll out the pastry to ¼” thickness using a quarter of the dough at a time and cutting out two 8″ circles. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Continue with the remaining dough until you have 8 circles.
  4. Place ⅛ of the apple mixture into the center of each circle and folding the edges of the dough towards the center leaving a 3-3½” opening.
  5. Brush the pastry with the egg and sprinkle the remaining sugar. Just before the pies go in the oven brush the fruit with the melted butter.
  6. Bake for 25-35 min. until the pastry is golden brown and the apples and cranberries are cooked.

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Mini Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

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These cookies are a huge hit with kids. I like that they are so low in fat and they are nut free. Any easy cookie to take to school that the kids will scream for more. I like to make them in small little mounds, so this recipe then makes a lot. They look like little puffed clouds. You have to have you oven on for a long time to make meringue so you might as well make it worth it.

Try these cookies with your family, they will become a new household favorite! Happy Holidays!

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Mini Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 96
 

A delicious little cookie that is not only elegant but they kids love them!!
Ingredients
  • 6 large egg whites
  • 1¼ cups super fine sugar
  • 2 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 175F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a standup mixer with a whisk attachment beat egg whites until soft peaks form.. Add a few Tbsp. of the sugar in and whisk on low speed.
  3. Increase speed and gradually add the sugar in one spoonful at a time. Continue until the egg whites have a glossy finish and hold stiff peaks. Remove bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Using a very large pastry bag or in two batches with a plain tip, fill the bag with the meringue. Pipe small mounds about 1½” onto the prepared baking sheets about 1″ apart.
  5. Bake meringues until completely dried out, be careful not to brown them. You may want to rotate the baking pans to prevent this. Bake for 2½-3 hours.
  6. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

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Adapted from Martha Stewart

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Mouth Watering Mondays

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I know it is not Monday today but I observed a day of silence on my blog for the victims of the Connecticut disaster yesterday. I feel I have to move on now, forward. Let those poor people rest and those families grieve but we all need to get back our lives and continue with what we do and for me that is to blog.

I had already picked my choices and I still wanted to share them with you as I love them all. Yes, they are festive and traditional, a real holiday feast!!! From an appetizer and cocktail to turkey with some of the fixins down to decadent bundt cake for dessert. I think you will love all of my picks this week. ENJOY!!

What better way to start off or finish a festive evening than with The Best Hot Buttered Rum by Creative Culinary, yummy!!!

I love, love, love Brie cheese and this Baked Brie with Grape Balsamic Compote by Beantown Baker……………Adventures in a Boston Kitchen looks divine!!!

Pulling out all the stops with an eye popping beautiful Roast Turkey with Pears and Sage by Adventures in Cooking.

Orange Bourbon Cranberry Sauce by Gimme Some Oven will go perfectly withthat turkey.

Cornbread Cranberry Dressing by A Food Centric Life makes a great side that is gluten free too!!

I am sure you won’t be too full for this stupendous Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake by Tutti Dolci All Sweets

Happy Holidays and I Wish Peace To All!!!

 

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Lemon and Raspberry Thumbprints

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When Isabel asked for a guest post for her beautiful blog I was happy to help out. I couldn’t decide what cookie to make for her so I just started baking. I have made these little thumbprints before and they are so good. When I was making them I thought I would check and see who had originally made these and low and behold it is Emeril. Well if you  know Isabel you know she loves Emeril so it was a no brainer to share this recipe with her on her site Family Foodie.

I have met Isabel through her wonderful #SundaySupper and so look forward to join in every week I can. She is a kind, caring and patient person to provide you with this mission week after week. A true statement of who she is and what she cares about.

I originally got this recipe from a friend of mine as she told me they were so good. I love little thumbprints but the lemon and raspberry together was so appealing to me. I have now made them for a few years and totally love them. I hope you make them too and enjoy them as much as we do.

For the  Lemon and Raspberry Thumbprint Recipe come on over to Family Foodie.

Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse.

 

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