Hot Chocolate Bombs

This is such a fun way to do a Hot Chocolate Bar! My boys love a good cup of hot chocolate and I love that they can just heat up milk and drop one of these babies in!  I found the recipe here. 

Hot Chocolate Bombs

(about 15 balls)

2 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T sugar

1/4 t salt

2 t vanilla extract

cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows for rolling

Place all ingredients in a pot (except the items for rolling) and melt together on low heat until smooth.  Stir constantly.  

Let cool in the fridge until stiff enough to scoop (I left mine over night).

Make small scoops, about 2 Tablespoons each.  I used my cookie scoop. Place on wax paper and freeze for an hour.

Roll each scoop into a ball and then roll in your choice of decoration.  Crushed candy canes, cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows or anything you want! You will need to push the bigger things in to make them stick.  

Keep chilled until ready to use. (I leave mine in the freezer)

When ready, drop 1 hot chocolate ball into 1 1/2 cups of hot milk and stir until completely dissolved.

Yum!

Candied Pecans

I made these for the previous salad post but lets be honest, I ate most of them NOT in my salad!  I just LOVE these!  They are so easy, so good and will be made often in my house! There are lots of recipes for these, they are all pretty much the same.  So here is what I did...

Candied Pecans

(2 cups of pecans)

2 cups unsalted pecans (or walnuts or almonds) 

2 T butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 t vanilla

nutmeg or cinnamon (or both)

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.  Add the sugar, nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg or both.  Stir constantly over medium high heat until the sugar melts and turns a golden brown color.  Once the sugar has melted and turns brown remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Mix well. Dump the candied nuts onto the cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and spread out as much as possible.  Let them cool completely. 

Use the nuts in salad or keep in an airtight container for munching! These would be great over ice cream as well!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and was so excited to try it.  First off, homemade hot chocolate is divine!  Not to mention Mexican hot chocolate!  I whipped up a batch to take to my kids teachers and am already dying to make more for myself!  It is quick and easy and so great to have on hand!  This recipe will take the place of any instant hot chocolate that is now in my house!  I altered the original recipe to fit my liking.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix

(about 25 servings)

3 cups non fat instant dry milk powder

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 t salt

2 t corn starch

1 t cinnamon

1/8 t cayenne pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

In batches, pulse through a food processor until smooth and well combined.

Store in a sealed container in a dry, dark place.  

To make the hot chocolate, mix 1/3 cup of the mixture into a mug of hot milk or water.  Serve with fresh whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.

Peppermint Oreos

Over Thanksgiving we had some great friends stay with us.  On one desperate trip to Wal-mart we came across Candy Cane Oreos.  They were amazing and gone within minutes (desperate times call for desperate measures!) So, the next time we were at a store, we searched them out only to come up empty handed.  That got me thinking, why not just make our own.  Homemade is ALWAYS better.  Well, the days went fast and the nights went faster and we never got back to those Candy Cane Oreos.  But I have been thinking about them ever since and have FINALLY gotten to them.  I wanted to take my homemade Oreos to another level. So I found this recipe over at Smitten Kitchen.  I, of course, had to alter it to make it Peppermint (and a couple of other adjustments) but I made a few the original way too.  Let me just say, these are the real deal! A true homemade Oreo. So go ahead and skip Wal-mart (I know we all have a secret love/hate relationship with it anyway) and just go for the REAL thing!

Peppermint Oreos (and original too)
(25-30 sandwich cookies)

For the chocolate cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T butter, at room-temperature
1 large egg

For the filling: (peppermint)
1/4 cup butter, at room-temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract*
1 t peppermint extract
1 crushed candy cane (or 5 small candy canes)

*For original Oreos increase the vanilla to 2 teaspoons and omit the peppermint extract and candy canes.

Preheat oven to 375.

In a food processor, or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.  While on low speed, add the butter and then the egg. Continue mixing until  the dough comes together in a mass.

Place rounded teaspoons of dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Flatten the dough balls slightly.  Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops look cracked. Cool completely.

To make the filling, place butter and shortening in a bowl and on low speed gradually add the sugar and extracts.  Once these are all incorporated, turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until the filling his light and fluffy.  Stir in the crushed candy canes, if using.

To assemble the cookies, place teaspoon sized blobs of filling in the middle of one cookie and top with another.  (I used a baggie with one corner snipped off to pipe the filling on.) Press down gently until the filling comes to the edges of the cookie.  Continue with the remaining cookies.  Now, go grab yourself a huge glass of cold milk and dip away!

Eggnog Bunt Cake

This is one of the best Holiday desserts ever! I absolutely love it! It is the perfect combination of eggnog, caramel and cinnamon without being over bearing on any one of these flavors. I got this recipe from the Sister's Cafe.

Eggnog Bunt Cake

1 yellow cake mix

3 T flour

2 cups eggnog

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 t rum extract

1/8 t nutmeg

Beat together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for presentation.

Caramel sauce:

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 T cinnamon

1/2 qt. rich vanilla ice cream (I used Haagen-Daz vanilla)

Melt all together over medium heat, until it just boils. Pour warm over individual servings immediately before serving.

Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

I love soft gingersnaps, so when I saw this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod, I was totally excited to try them. The white chocolate chips are the perfect compliment to these. I altered the recipe slightly to fit my liking.

Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

(makes about 3 dozen cookies)

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 T canola oil

1 t vanilla

2 1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 1/4 t cinnamon

1 1/4 t ground cloves

1 t ground ginger

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup sugar - for rolling cookie dough in

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses, oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the flour. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough into balls and roll in the sugar. Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, the cookies should still be soft. Let cool on pan for five minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Turtles

These are my husbands favorite (I know, I say that A LOT! I guess he has a lot of favorites!) Anyway, these are from Abby's blog. I always know that I can count on Abby for great food and these are great! Oh, and super easy. It is highway robbery that candy stores can get away with charging so much for ONE of these!

Turtles

1-14oz bag of caramels, unwrapped

6 oz whole pecans

1 bag chocolate chips (I used 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate)

1-2 T cream or evaporated milk

Melt caramels in a sauce pan with the cream, stirring until they are smooth. Add the pecans and mix until the pecans are coated. You want there to be LOTS of caramel around the nuts. Put little dollops of the nuts and caramel onto foil sprayed with cooking spray. DO NOT use wax paper, the caramel won't come off. Once they are cooled, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (this is what I always do). Do this over low heat and don not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Stick a tooth pick into the top of a caramel/nut cluster and dip it into the chocolate until coated. Shake off the excess chocolate and place on wax paper. Repeat with the remaining caramel/nut clusters. Let the chocolate get hard and then try not to eat them all in one sitting!

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Oh WOW! These are so good. When I saw the name of these cookies over at Tasty Kitchen, I just knew I couldn't go wrong. I guess I know what kind of cookies Santa is getting this year!

Hot Chocolate Cookies

(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

(makes about 4 dozen)

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

4 packages (1 ounce each, NOT sugar free) Hot chocolate mix

1 t salt

1 1/4 baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon (optional)

1 cup each milk, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, hot chocolate mix, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry to the wet in 3 or 4 parts, mixing after each. Stir in the chips. Chill dough for about 1 hour. Scoop dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on pan for a few minutes before removing.

Peppermint Bark

This was such a fun Holiday treat to make. My boys think it is the best thing EVER! I saw this recipe at a couple of different places, all the same, with some different toppings, so be creative. Or just use candy canes... nothing says Christmas like the cute red and white stripes!

Peppermint Bark

12 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate

12 ounces white chocolate

4 t vegetable oil

1 cup crushed candy canes

Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with foil, smooth out any wrinkles. Mix the semi-sweet chocolate with 2 t oil and melt in a double boiler. I used a pan of simmering water (on low) with a glass bowl set on top. Do NOT let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Stir until completely melted. Pour into the prepared 9x13 pan, making an even layer and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Repeat with the white chocolate mixed with the other 2 t of oil. Immediately after pouring the white chocolate in an even layer over the semi-sweet, sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top. Lightly press the candy canes into the white chocolate and then let set completely for about 1-2 hours in the fridge. Once set, break into uneven pieces. Store in the fridge in an air tight container.

I saw on a couple of sites that if you try and set the chocolate in the freezer the two layers don't stick together. I put mine in the freezer once it was totally set because I found it easier to break into pieces when it was frozen.

Cinnamon and Sugar Almonds

These are my husbands most favorite. So when I saw them over at My Kitchen Cafe, I of course had to give them a try. I love everything about these from smell of my house while they cook to the sweet crunchy flavor. These are such a great holiday treat, ok, maybe an anytime treat!

Cinnamon and Sugar Almonds

(about 2 cups)

1 egg white

1 t cold water

1/2 t vanilla

2 cups unsalted almonds

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large 11x17 rimmed pan with foil and lightly spray it with cooking spray.

In a large bowl beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Add the water and vanilla and beat again until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the almonds until they are coated with the egg mixture.

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add this to the almonds and stir until mixed well. Spread the coated almonds into an even layer on the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the almonds look and feel dry. The coating should be crunchy. Let cool completely before serving and packaging.

Lion House Rolls and Honey Butter

I have always heard that Lion House Rolls were the bee's knees, so I figured I would see for myself. Now, I have never tasted a bee's knee but these rolls were super yummy and when you put honey butter on them, lets just say they turn magical! So next time you want to impress someone, bring out the big guns and whip up a batch of these.

Lion House Rolls

(18 BIG rolls)

2 cups warm water

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)

2 T yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 t salt

1/3 cup butter, softened, but not melted

1 egg

5 to 6 cups flour

In a large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder. Stir until the milk dissolves. Add the yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low until the ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add 2 more cups of flour, mixing on low speed, then for 2 minutes on medium. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough is soft, not overly sticky, and not too stiff. (You may not need to use all the flour.)

Coat a clean bowl with oil and place dough in it to rise. Turn the dough over in the bowl so the dough is coated (this will prevent the dough from drying out). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until double in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and flip the dough once to flour both sides. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 18 inches long and about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough in half length wise so you have two very long strips each about 4 inches wide. Cut the strips every 2 inches to make 18 pieces of dough.

Starting with the short end, roll up one piece of dough with the butter on the inside. Place the roll on a parchment lined pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all the rolls face the same direction on the pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double. Bake rolls at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the tops of hot rolls with melted butter.

Honey Butter

(1 cup)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup honey

Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and honey gradually. Beat for 10-20 minutes or until whipped and light.

Caramel Corn

Now there are 2 different kinds of caramel corn. The soft, sticky, gooey kind and the crunchy, melt in your mouth kind. I love them both and I have favorite recipes for both of them. Here is my favorite for the crunchy, melt in your mouth kind. I got this recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. During the holidays I like to drizzle this with melted chocolate chips and sprinkle red hots on the chocolate before it gets hard. So, so good!

Caramel Corn

15 cups popped popcorn (I use my air popper)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

Heat oven to 200. Heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles form around the edges. Continue cooking for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda until foamy. Pour over popped popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Spread the caramel corn onto 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 1 hour at 200 stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Oreos

 

I got this recipe from my friend Summer years ago. They are always a fun one and kids think they are great! I loved them as Christmas cookies, so many possibilities. Next time I think I will add peppermint to the frosting and sprinkle the edges with crushed candy canes. Let them set for a while after frosting though or the frosting oozes out of the sides. Not a big deal to me, I just licked the edges like an ice cream cone, but not so good for kids!

Oreos

2 boxes devils food cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil

Mix all together until there are no lumps. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. They should start to crack on the top. Put a spoonful of your favorite icing on one and top with another cookie. Here is my favorite icing.