Merry Christmas 2014!!

Well Christmas is upon us once more a year is ending and a new one will begin!!  The #1 thing that I am grateful for is my parents, I love them dearly and they always have been there for me through everything, I am truly blessed!!

An of course I am thankful that I have a job (s) 🙂 a house to live in a car to drive and I have many friends, friends that I have know forever it seems, co-worker friends and you, yes you blogger friends.  Many of you I feel like we’ve known each other for years, I love reading your blogs about food, recipes, family, gatherings, trips, parties I love reading it all.  And to ALL of you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Okay so below are some recipes from my Holiday Open House, just a few, if there is something your looking for let me know I will get you the recipe.  Of course while making some of the most recent treats, I have been rushing home from work and get started and then forget to take pictures so there are few 🙂
Oh and at the end there are couple a cute funny photos 🙂

Fudge, this recipe is so easy, its out there, and I use it for all of my flavors, just use 3 cups of chips, whatever combo or flavor, same with extract whatever flavor and you can fold in anything, I did the recipe below, also used white chips and peppermint with crushed candy canes, one I did dark chocolate and folded in chopped andes mints so you can be creative.

Rocky Road Christmas Fudge

1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips**
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Christmas décor sprinkles

Line an 8×8 square pan with plastic wrap and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a non stick medium sauce pan add all chips, condensed milk, extract, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, once chips are almost all melted remove from heat, continue to stir until all is melted.  Stir in walnuts and marshmallows, then pour into spray pan, smooth out evenly.  Sprinkle with Christmas candy décor sprinkles, press down lightly.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours to set before cutting into squares.  Store in an airtight container.
**Can’t have nuts, use Butterscotch chips instead of PB, and use not walnuts.

Chocolate with marshmallows, peanut butter with chocolate swirl and dark chocolate mint.

Bark is so easy, you put chocolate in a double boiler with crisco shortening, at least that is what I do, I also use the microwave too, you just have to watch it, and then once its melted and smooth pour on to parchment smooth out and top it with what ever you want 🙂

White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Bark

2 pkg. white chocolate chips
2 tsp. Crisco
1 cup each craisins and shelled pistachios

Add chips and Crisco to a double boiler, melt chocolate, pour onto a lined baking sheet and top with craisins and nuts. Let set then break into pieces.  Store into an airtight container.

I have white chocolate with craisins and pistachio’s and did dark with mixed nuts and marshmallows and milk with the same.

Easy Holiday Muddy Buddy Mix, this way is too easy

Quick & Easy Muddy Buddy Mix

2 bags Chex Muddy Buddy Mix
4 cups Chocolate Chex Cereal
4 cups mini pretzels
1 bag Christmas M&M’s
Mix all together, store in an airtight container.

With out the M&M’s, when I put it into containers I pour some mix, then a few M&M’s then more mix, otherwise the M&M’s sink to the bottom.

The easiest bar treats, with coconut and nuts 🙂

Holiday Bars

1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 ½ cup sweetened coconut
1 stick butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 pkg. holiday colored chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 baking pan.
Add melted butter and graham cracker crumbs to a bowl and mix well, pour into baking pan and press mixture over the bottom of pan.  Sprinkle coconut and nuts over top of crumbs evenly, then pour can of milk evenly over top of that, then sprinkle with holiday chips.  Bake for 25-30 minutes for until light golden brown.  Cool completely in pan before cutting.

Peppermint Chocolate Crunch Popcorn

1 large bag of pre-popped popcorn (I used Angie’s yellow bag)
2 cups white chocolate chips
½ tsp. peppermint extract
2 tsp. plus 1 tsp. Crisco
1 cup chocolate chips
In a double boiler melt white choc. Chips with 2 tsp. Crisco and extract, stirring until melted, pour chocolate over top popcorn and toss to coat.  Pour out onto a lined baking sheet, then melt choc. Chips and 1 tsp. Crisco in double boiler, stirring until melted, once melted drizzle over top of coated popcorn.  Let set until chocolate has hardened, then store in an airtight container.

On this batch in the pictures, I used the andes peppermint crunch chips with criso in the micowave, tossed with popcorn, then pour out to cool, then I meltes about 1/2 cup of the andes mints and drizzled that over top.

Last one Christmas Crack

The recipe is certainly out there, you use saltines in most recipes, I use those and I use graham crackers. I also this time use Special K cereal as the base…and people like it 🙂

Graham Cracker Christmas Crack

1 box cinnamon graham crackers
1 cup brown sugar
2 stick butter
2 cup semi-sweet chips
½ cup peanut butter
Christmas M&M’s or toffee bits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place crackers to line the pan, cinnamon side up, there can be just a little space between crackers.

Bring sugar and butter to a boil in a saucepan over med-high heat, once it come to a full boil, boil for 3 minutes and do not stir during the 3 minutes.  Pour mixture over crackers, place in oven for 5 minutes, put peanut butter in microwave for about 30 seconds to get soupy.

Remove pan from oven drizzle peanut butter over top and then sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Let set for 5 minutes to melt, spread melted chips and top with M&M’s or toffee bits, let cool over night.  Once firm, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

 Chocolate Mint or Peppermint Christmas Crack

45 saltine crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. Mint and Chocolate chips
Or
1 pkg. white chocolate chips
½ cup finely crush peppermints

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place crackers to line the pan, salt side up, there can be just a little space between crackers.

Bring sugar and butter to a boil in a saucepan, once it come to a full boil, boil for 3 minutes and do not stir during the 3 minutes.  Pour mixture over crackers, place in oven for 5 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with either Mint/chocolate chips or white chips, . Let set for 5 minutes to melt, spread melted chips and then top with peppermints or nothing, let cool over night.  Once firm, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Crackers and graham crackers

 

Special K Cereal

Butter and brown sugar in pan

bring to a boil

pour over top

bake for 5 minutes

 

I topped the Special K batch with a mix of Peanut butter, milk and dark chocolate chips

 

this batch with the crackers I used Dark Chocolate and Mint Chips

Oh here’s one once more

Holiday Nut Brittle

1 cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups nuts – peanuts, cashews or pecans
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
use at wooden spoon for this
Spray with cooking spray a large glass mico safe bowl, add sugar, syrup and salt, stir to mix.  Set microwave for 3 minutes, watch closely once the mixture starts to boil continue to cook for 4 more minutes (you will need to add more minutes)

Remove from microwave immediately add nuts, butter, vanilla and cinnamon, stir quickly to combine and cook for 2 more minutes.  Immediately remove add baking soda and stir to combine, mixture will foam up, once mixed pour out onto lined baking sheet and spread out with spoon.  Let cool at room temp, once cooled break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

I bought some pre cut cookies and they did not have crisp edges as it you would use cookie cutters, and I only had some bright colors so here are some of my fun Christmas cookies 🙂

Love my tie dye ginger 🙂

I also go the best gift ever, if you have not heard of this stuff, its funny and it works 🙂
Poo-pourri…yes it is what you think 😛

Check out the Holiday Commercial and please watch the whole thing…it will give you a chuckle!!

And lastly meet my new friend “Pixie Puddin'” my friends named her on facebook it was a fun time picking a name 🙂

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Pixie and I 🙂

Rustic Fruit Tart

This is my simply, easy and delicious go to dessert, well maybe my family’s cobbler is my first one I’d go to, but this is definitely a close second for sure.
I will make this all year around, with any kind fruit that appeals to me as I walk through the produce dept. or at my local farmers market.  I like using Apples, Pears and Plums mostly since I have at least one or combination of those always in the house.

You can mix and match any combo you like, add in some blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, even nuts if you like.  I’ve added those huge Red Holiday Grapes (seedless), just cut them in half added them to some apples…delish!!

Now you can make your own pie crust that is great you go to town, but for me this pre-made crust works out perfectly.

This time I had few pears and one lonely apple…but it was delicious and this how I do it.

Ingredients

I roll the pie crust out on my baking sheet and set aside

Peeled my fruit (I do not peel plums)

Cut the fruit

toss in together in a large mixing bowl

add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon

and toss to coat all the fruit

Pile up high in the center of your crust

pull up one edge of the crust then continue to go around overlapping crust

looks like this

make an egg wash, and brush all over crust

I sometime will sprinkle a little sugar over the crust, then bake

Done!!!!

Recipe

Rustic Fruit Tart

1 pie crust
Fruit (i used) 4 pears and 1 small apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Roll out pie crust on to baking sheet, I used a siltpat on my baking sheet.
Peel, core or seed fruit, then slice, put slice fruit in a large mixing bowl, add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat all the fruit.  Pour fruit in the middle of your pie crust and pile it high.  

**I like to use a lot of fruit and pile it high, you can use as much or as little as you want, you like more crust then fruit use less fruit to have more crust coverage, to each his own.

Take one edge flip it up on to fruit then continue to go around the fruit overlapping the crust all the way around.
Egg wash – 1 egg & 1 tsp. water, whisk together and brush to coat crust. (you will not use much, so you can keep for breakfast in the morning)

If you want to add a little more crunch and sweetness to your crust, sprinkle 3/4 tsp of sugar over the crust.

Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn oven down to 400 degrees for 15 minutes more.  It should be nice and golden brown, but everyone’s ovens do vary, so do keep an eye on it.  If you feel your crust is browning to quickly you can tent with some foil until fruit is tender.

Serve this warm or at room temperature, most the time when I make it, very little makes it to room temperature, and it does make a tasty breakfast…and goes great with Coffee!!!!  Enjoy

This is picture of the Plum tart that I did this past summer.

Chocolate and Coffee!! …cookies!!

Chocolate and Coffee what really could be better!!

I really don’t think I could live with out coffee, I just love it, give it to me hot, cold, over ice, in a cup or in can  ———>    

I just love any kind of coffee drink and will seek out them out even if its International, but I do usually hit my local Starbucks for an Iced Venti 3 splenda Americano.   I also like to spread myself out and give all coffee shops  a fair shot.
I particularly like visiting this one Caribou Coffee shop, these girls that work there are a lot fun.  So when I go there all I ask is for a Medium size with 4 shots, and then tell them to work there magic with whatever they want to make me.
Then once its done, comes the taste test as I try to guess what they made me, well it is really a lot of fun and I’ve never had a bad drink yet.
My last one was  Dark Chocolate syrup with hazelnut, so I thought why not try to make a cookie with the same flavors.

So here is what I came up with and I will call it!!

Dark Chocolate Coffee Nut Cookies and it went like this…

Ingredients (plus the nuts, which I forgot in the picture)

add butter and 1/2 cup chips to saucepan and melt

whisk in espresso powder, set aside

add flour, salt, baking powder & cocoa, whisk together, set aside

In a large bowl add both sugars, vanilla and eggs, whisk together

pour chocolate mixture into sugar/egg mixture, combine

add flour mixture to wet mixture and combine

I took a handful of walnuts, chopped them up and it was 3/4 cup (didn’t have any hazelnuts)

add chips and nuts

scoop out on baking sheets

and here you have cookies…Yummy!!!   

Recipe

Dark Chocolate Coffee Nut Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp. espresso powder or instant coffee (heaping)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (1/2 cup) stick butter
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a small sauce pan add butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips, heat over medium heat whisking as they melt, once almost melted remove from heat.  Continue whisking until smooth, then add espresso powder mixing to combine and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa, set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl add sugars, vanilla and eggs, whisking to combine, then add chocolate mixture, whisking to fully combine.  Stir in Flour mixture all at once, stirring and folding until flour is fully incorporated.  Stir in remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and walnuts.  I used a medium scoop (1 1/2 tbsp.) for these, baked them at 350 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, you want them to look a little crackled.

Have them with a nice ice cold glass of milk or like me with more COFFEE!!!!    Enjoy!!!!