Merry Christmas! Wishing you all the best!
May your Christmas be filled with sweets & goodies.
xoxoxox
Tracy
Easy Peppermint Bark
I was in such a zone while making this, that I forgot to take pictures along the way! When does that happen? Oh holidays, I love you—but please hurry up and be over soon!
So here’s a peak of what they *looked* like:
They are incredibly easy, light & tasty…..with the perfect crunch!
It’s like mixing a rice krispy treat with a candy cane!
Peppermint Bark
(makes about 35 pieces)
Recipe from Everyday Food
- 1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
- 2 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1 bag (7.5 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies in a Ziploc bag—strain out the powder.
- Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).
- Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.
They are just as good as those Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s!
Make your own Truffles!
I can’t believe that Christmas is only a few days away.
I now have a pounding headache to prove it. *joy*
I stayed up til midnight making these babies:
In this batch you will find…..
Peppermint Infused Truffles Rolled in Candy Cane Bits:
Bourbon Infused Truffles rolled in Trader Joe’s Sweet & Spicy Pecans:
and those same bourbon truffles rolled in Chopped Roasted Pistachios….
Plain Truffles smothered in Cocoa Powder:
And something festive, cuz you know-it’s that time of year- or something:
ok so on with the recipe….
Chocolate Truffles
(Makes about 30)
Recipe from the back of Martha Stewart Treat Packaging
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter-unsalted & softened
- 2 tablespoons of flavored liquor (optional)
- 1-2 cups of the chopped topping of your choice
1. Heat chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture smooth. Remove from heat, add butter and liquor/flavoring if your heart desires (do it). Stir until butter is melted.
2. Pour mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for about 2 hours.
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a very small (about 1 inch diameter) ice cream scoop (or melon baller), drop balls of chocolate in whatever coating you wish. Roll to coat.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to serve. They keep for up to 2 weeks.
For the Bourbon Truffles, I poured in 2 heaping tablespoons of Maker’s Mark.
For the Peppermint Truffles, I poured in 2 heaping tablespoons of Peppermint Oil.
Each one of the Martha Stewart Boxes I bought fit 4:
Adding something festive….
Stay Tuned for the Peppermint Bark recipe!
Blueberry Muffins
“How To” Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2
(Makes 12)
Ingredients
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
Place the sour cream, eggs, lemon rind and oil in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir the sour cream mixture through the flour and sugar mixture until just combined.
Sprinkle over the blueberries and stir once. Spoon the mixture into 12 x 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) capacity nonstick muffin tins until two-thirds full. Bake for 16 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
For tender muffins that rise well, stir the mixture evenly and only until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.
***husband approved. will be making these again. next time i will be putting some sugar on top for a nice crispy crust***
To Do List (typed on Friday)
-mail the rest of the xmas cards (yes,done)-sleep in! (Saturday-not really/Sunday-yes!)
-make a dessert? (made blueberry muffins from a Donna Hay cookbook)
-post a recipe (hold your horses- i’ll do that in a sec)
-figure out which cookies to make for xmas (umm good ones? gingerbread ones?)
-take some photos (well yes of course, but here are a few more)
-finish laundry (3 loads down, two more to go)
-wrap xmas presents (almost done)
-squeeze cats (yes- but maybe more before bed)
-buy xmas presents for the dudes in the family (one dude down, three dudes to go)
-have a cocktail (i’ll get on that now)
-go to grandmas house for lunch/dinner on Saturday (yes and here’s proof)
-watch the season finale of Dexter (done! wow! I will miss you, dex!)
– go to Target (yup! what a zoo! frightening!)
-watch some Flight of the Conchords (watched 3 episodes)
-straighten up craft room (doing so now)
-work out (yes! feeling the burn, baby!)
Not on the list:
-went to Borders
-made a yummy Potato Leek Soup with croutons (recipe soon)
Now, it’s time to finish straightening up my craft room, wrap some presents with a cocktail, post a recipe, take care of laundry and unwind….. Happy Sunday everyone.
The calm before the storm
Started off this past weekend with a bang (food wise).
I had a long Lunch at Slanted Door with co-workers:
Turkey, Pesto, Sando
Today’s Lunch:
Turkey Pesto Sandwich with Parmesan Cheese
Take your leftover pesto:
Spread a LOT of it on two pieces of sourdough toast:
Top each slice with a little bit of parmesan cheese:
Roll up some slices of turkey and put that on top:
Place one slice on top of the other slice:
Cut in half (or not) and EAT:
