Easy Prime Rib... Yes, you read that right!

The holiday parties are in a couple of weeks.  And EVERYBODY's thinking about hams and turkeys.  Honeybaked has a line out the door and Costco has a gigantic freezer section filled to capacity with pig legs wrapped in red foil.

But if you're looking for a great option, just turn your back to the ham pile and look to the beef case.  You'll find probably the most prized cut of beef in the culinary world, the prime rib.  It may be named standing rib roast or something similar, but be assured, that's prime rib.

And this time of year, the prices for this cut can be downright amazing.  Watch your local grocery ads.  You'll see roasts for as cheap as $5.99 per pound.  A 7 pound roast can feed 8-10 people and if there are leftovers, consider yourself lucky.  You have the perfect ingredient for awesome sandwiches, stews, or even one of our chilis.

The key to a great prime rib is the slow cooking  You MUST have some sort of thermometer inserted into the meat so you know exactly what the temperature is in the middle of the roast.  The difference between rare and medium rare is 5 degrees.  And the different between that perfect medium rare and a medium that is a little less juicy is also 5 degrees, as you can see in the photo above.  So you need to monitor it's temperature constantly.  You could use a mechanical thermometer, but that means checking it constantly and who really wants to do that.  For the chronically lazy like myself, a digital thermometer is the perfect solution.  Most have an alert built in so it will beep as soon as it hits the perfect temp.

So set your thermometer to beep at 122 degrees, then you can pull it from the oven and let the carryover heat take it to just the right temperature.

Perfectly Easy Prime Rib

Plan for 2 1/2-3 hours of total cooking time

One 6-7 pound prime rib or standing rib roast
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon sage
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, add all the spices and the olive oil and stir until combined.  Then place the roast on a roasting pan or in a roasting rack inside a 13x9 inch pan.  Baste the entire roast with the spice and oil mixture.

Cook the roast in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes to give the cooking a kickstart, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue to roast until the internal temperature hits 122 degrees, about 2 - 2 1/2 hours for a 7-8 pound roast.  At that point remove it from the oven, place a tent of tin foil over the meat and then lay a couple of dishtowels over the tin foil.  This will create a miniature oven so the carryover heat can do it's job.

And now,  the most vital part of the process.... patience.

It will smell delicious, it will stir every ounce of the carnivore within you.  But you must refrain with every fiber of your being from slicing into that for at least fifteen minutes.  You'll need to leave the thermometer in the roast, cover it in tin foil and let it cook the rest of the way on the counter.  There's so much heat in that slab of meat and in the pan it sits in, that the residual heat will carryover and raise the temperature to the final internal temperature of 130 degrees.  This should take that requisite 15 minutes, but as soon as it hits 130, remove the foil and let it sit for another 10 minutes.  This will allow the juices to relocate inside the meat and hunker down.  Slice it too soon, and your carving plate will be full of the meaty juices and your roast will not.

So buy a Prime Rib and cook it for the holiday masses.  Just Remember:  NO cutting the roast until after it rests or it'll go all Game of Thrones Red Wedding on you.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

I always gain a few pounds over the holidays.  With all the options readily available, either in the stores or in the break rooms of the office, it's easy to gorge yourselves.

I can usually say 'no' to most of the snacks and pies and cookies out there.  But A 16th Century Japanese philospoher,  or maybe it was Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, once said to know your weakness.  These are mine.

Ever since I received that first tin of Walker's Shortbread cookies, I've had no restraint.  I can eat a whole tin in one sitting.  And with this recipe, I can now make my own and stash them in a giant ziploc bag in the bottom drawer of my desk.  Yessss... special they are...  must protect them... my favorite... my own...  my Precious....

This recipe is easy and will make delicious 1/2 inch thick nuggets o' heaven.  And then if you want to make them almost illegal in 17 states, temper a little chocolate and dip them.

Shortbread Cookies

1 pound unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups flour
Chocolate for dipping (optional)

Using the beater attachment, add the butter, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until combined.  Add the flour and salt and mix until everything's well incorporated.  Dump out the dough and flatten it into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap or a large ziploc bag and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes

After the chill-down time, roll the dough out to 1/2 in thickness.  Use whatever cookie cutters you'd like to make the shapes you want.  Place the cookie dough on a ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with some sugar, if you'd like.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.  Allow them to cool on a cookie sheet.

If you want to coat them in chocolate, nuke the chopped chocolate pieces in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  Nuke for another 30 seconds and stir again.  Check the temperature.  If it's between 115 and 120, you're done.  If it's not, nuke in 15 second intervals until it reaches that point.  Don't go over 120 or the chocolate will burn.  Allow the chocolate to cool to between 90 and 95 degrees.  At this point, dip the cookies in the chocolate or use a spoon to pour the molten chocolate over each cookie.  Set them in a cool place for 2 hours to allow the chocolate to set.

Help Your Lady Win the My Guy Loves Me More Competition

Men, for your benefit, I'm once again detailing the rules of the Valentine's Day competition only the ladies know about, called "My Guy Loves Me More".  The one they desperately desire to win... and the one that if you help her win,  will reward you greatly.  Take notes, plan ahead and make sure you do all in your power to outperform everyone else...


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Yes, it's time for Valentine's Day.  I can hear the disheartened moans from most of the men out there.  I know that many of you hate this time of year, that it's a holiday generated by the greeting card companies to take all of your hard earned money away.  But you know what?  While a valid point... no matter how or why it was created, it's now publicly accepted as a day to show your love to your significant other.  So suck it up, whining about it won't change anything.

Since it's become National Date Night, it's very important to the ladies.  And there's no better way to score points with the girls that to show you care about what's important to them.  So I have 10 tips on how you can make this day extremely memorable.

Ten Valentine's Day Tips

1. Get flowers, but make it SPECIAL - We've discussed this before in our Stuffed Chicken Parmesan recipe.  Don't just buy the generic red roses.  Red roses are the sign of a moron who waited until the last minute, or someone who just doesn't care.  Take the time to find out what her favorite colors and favorite flowers are.  Some ladies really like other types of flowers as well, which can work really well since roses are outrageously expensive this time of year.  Liz loves the light pink roses, the circus roses (a fire orange rose with red accents), and stargazer lilies.  And since the office can become a sea of red roses at Valentine's Day, why not have her stand out with something customized to her tastes?  And AVOID the "Rainbow roses".  My wife is a former florist and Rainbow roses are the leftover roses that have some flaw.  Instead of putting them in a bouquet of the same color, they put them all together, hoping the different colors will hide the problems they have.

Which leads me to the next secret of flowers - Costco.  It's a very inexpensive option, and you can get two dozen roses around $14.00 almost any other time of the year.  Of course, Valentine's Day forces the prices up a bit, but it's still cheaper than the florists.  And best of all, they're fresher.  You never know how long those flowers in the florist's flower coolers have been sitting there.  They could die tomorrow.  But every batch I have purchased at Costco has lasted at least a week if I trim the ends with a pair of scissors and add the plant food to the water.

Finally, there's one other accent you can add.  Go buy a special vase.  Something beyond just a basic plastic vase.  Something she thinks is pretty.  I was lucky enough to find a vase that matched her china pattern for around $25.  Why get one?  Well, you give her the vase and then promise to fill it with flowers every Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Birthday and Anniversary.  She'll keep that vase as safe as her wedding ring.  Best of all, it'll look great in front of others when she shows off her flowers, which leads to....

2. Deliver the flowers to work or a public place - If your special lady works, the BEST thing you can do is deliver it to her office yourself.  Why?  Well, I was told by a few co-workers a few years ago that Valentine's Day is a cutthroat competition among the women, properly named "My Guy Loves Me More ".  And trust me, you want your girl to win this game, or at least place in the top 5.

Points are allotted to each woman according to the public attention heaped upon her in front of "those bitches in the office".  The girl with the most point wins.  How can your lady score points?

Point Values

Card - 1-3 points - depending on the message on the inside
Decoration of desk - 1-5 points, depending on extent and cuteness of decorations.
Balloon bouquets - 2-5 points, depending on size and visibility to the rest of the office
Candy/Chocolates - 2-5 points, depending on size and quality of chocolate, ability to share with others that did NOT get any (flaunting) can score a few more points
Flowers - 5-15 points - depending on visibility, color, and beauty
Gift - 1-20 points - completely dependent on what the gift is
Lunch - 5-10 points - depending on location and price
Jewelry - 1 to 100 - depending on carat size, metal, and the ability to show it off to her coworkers
Performance (singing telegram, stripper-gram) - -10 to 10 points - completely dependent on her comfort with the idea and how it may effect the office.

Other factors effecting final score:

Embarrassment (-1 to -15 points) - Anything like dead flowers, deflated balloons, or an extremely bad singing telegram can become office legend.  And can rack up negative points quickly.

Size (-10 to +20) - No matter what the ladies may say, size DOES matters, but it matters more today.  The larger the better.  It's best if you can see your gifts from across the office. And woe be unto you if you undershoot.  Hell hath no fury like a woman who was mocked all day by that skinny little witch in the cubicle next to her because you gave her three less flowers.

Personal Appearance (possible 2-30) - Possibly the safest and most profitable thing you can do.  Sure, you can have flowers delivered to the office, but there's a certain sense of awe about a guy who will deliver them himself.  And if you have multiple items (flowers with candy/balloon/gift) in hand and plant a big ol' kiss on her before saying a word, trust me, she'll get max points.

Significance - (No defined range)  - Biggest wild card and possibly the most beneficial.  It can turn the smallest gift in the world into the most valuable.

So if you want your special lady to score well, plan on a long lunch.  Buy two dozen of the special flower type at one of the warehouse stores (15 points for flowers + 10 size bonus), arrange them in your special vase (+ 10 significance), attach a card (2 points for card) with a special message (+2 significance), deliver it yourself (+20 appearance bonus), and then take her to a nice lunch for her lunch break (+10 lunch points).  Guess what?  You've just scored her at least 70 points.  This will definitely put her in the running for the crown.  She may not win, because some schmuck may play the marriage proposal card, (1,000,000 points, so an automatic win for the girl, but a pretty lame way to propose in my opinion...).  But you can guarantee she's in the running.

3. Shower, shave, and smell pretty - ESPECIALLY if you're going into her office.  This shouldn't have to be mentioned, but you gotta get any stink off of you.  Yes, you may think you look great, but take the extra time to look ultra-presentable.  Spend the extra 15 minutes in the bathroom to style your hair, scrub off the dirt and for god's sake, use deodorant and her favorite cologne.

4. Do one daily task for her - Yes, you may have certain daily tasks that each of you do around the house.  Maybe it's the dishes, maybe it's feeding the kids in the morning, maybe it's vacuuming.  Whatever it is, do one for her for the few days leading up to Valentines Day.  It's a nice gesture, it gives her a break and may free up some time to relax.  Trust me, she'll really appreciate it.

5. Spend a little time with the kids - If you want to have some private time on Valentine's Day, you need to spend some time with the kids ahead of time.  Take them out to the park, bowling, mini-golfing, etc.  It shows that you care about them, you get to have some fun with the little ones, and there's no better aphrodisiac than a dad happily playing with his kids.

6. Do the small things - OK, some of these things can seem tedious to the average male, but they're important. When you plan your date, go beyond just dinner and a movie.  There's nothing wrong with that... but if you're going to have a basic game plan, throw some enhancements into the mix.  Open the car door for her.  Have a flower for her to carry around as you walk.  Hold her hand or present your arm.  Kiss her every chance you get, especially in front of others.  Compliment her every chance you get.  Any of the small things can make it that much more memorable.

7. If you give her a gift, give here one that means something -  There's a reason why the Significance variable in the "My Guy Loves Me More" game above is an open-ended point spread.  A present tied to a memory, inside joke or a significant part of your life will mean much more than something she may need.  It doesn't have to be expensive at all.  You could include a small stuffed animal with another gift if one of your first dates was at the zoo to remind her of that day.  You could give her a really good piece of costume jewelry if she used to play dress up as a child or plays it with her girls today.  Maybe you'll play dress-up with her later.  And if you give her something functional, like a kitchen appliance or a work item, without her specifically saying "Get me this"... well, dude, you're on your own.

8. Re-enact a memorable day - Women are much more cerebral and emotional animals than men are.  The smallest little hint of a past event can spur the great feelings of that day that day.  So why not give her a day she'd love to remember.  For one of our anniversaries, Liz and I went back to Fiddler's Elbow, the location of our first blind date. We agreed to try to act like we did that day.  We were able to keep in character for a while, but eventually we just reminisced about that great day and everything we were thinking.  And that night ended much differently than the first date did, in a very good way.  Just think back to the most memorable days of your life and do what you can to relive that date.  Trust me, she'll love it.

9. Cook her a meal - If you're not going out, then cook her a meal.  Cooking a meal is a great way to show your love.  Why?  Well, preparing a meal is providing sustenance for someone, and in the most basic sense, you're keeping them alive.  But more importantly, you're taking the time and effort to prepare something special for her.  That dedication can come through in your cooking and make it taste that much better.  It doesn't have to be extravagant, it can be just spaghetti, hamburgers and fries or a steak off the barbecue.  But take the time to do it.

And make sure you set the mood.  Put the flowers on the table.  Serve it on the china you received for your wedding that you never use.  Break out the wine glasses, even if you're not serving wine.  Light the candles and lay out the rose petals (destroy one rose) as decorations.  And when you're eating, make sure the TV is turned off so the attention is on her

10.  DESSERT! - This is the one time of year that dessert is mandatory.  Some people say that chocolate is an aphrodisiac.  Or that the sugar in the dessert give them you a sugar rush to be a little bit more ambitious.  Or maybe it's just a special treat.  But no matter what it is, get a dessert and SHARE it.  So when you reach across for a bite, you can look longingly into her eyes.

My choice for a dessert for a special occasion is a Chocolate Fondue, because you can dip all sorts of things into it... and use the remaining molten chocolate for other purposes later.  And my recipe for this will be posted on the site in just a few days....  WATCH FOR IT!!!  You'll thank me later.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Pie... or what my warped mind creates when left to its own devices

My brain works in extremely weird ways.  It wanders, it daydreams, it mashes things together that it shouldn't at times.  When I call out to one of the boys, I usually have to go through roll call before I call them by the right name.  I can remember specific times, dates, places and events down to the minute, but I can't remember where I put my car keys.  But sometimes, sometimes, the quirky nature of my brain works to my advantage.

So the other day, when I announced that the Peanut Butter Cookie Pie won the Gygi Not Your Mama's Pie Contest, my older brother asked me to bring one to Christmas dinner.  I can do that, no problem.  It's not the only request.  My little sister wants a Chocolate Cream Pie as well, so that'll make the party as well.

But I need to bring a third pie and I like to do something inventive and experimental for this event.  For a couple of days, nothing came to mind.  Then as I was driving north on Bangerter, my mind stared rolling around ideas and it came to me.  What if I could take a normal Christmas dessert and transform it into a pie... And what did it concoct?  A sugar cookie pie.  I know... Sounds really weird.  But hear me out.

We all like Toll House Cookie Pie.  It's delicious.  The Peanut Butter Cookie Pie is just a variation of that and it's awesome, especially with chocolate sauce or hot fudge drizzled.  So why not make a few tricks to make a new cookie pie?  Do things like swap out the brown sugar for more white sugar to lighten it up.  Add a little more flour to stiffen up the dough.  Pour in a little more vanilla for a boost in the flavor.  And we're going to frost it...

YES I SAID FROST IT!  I know, Insanity!  Blasphemy!  But you know what?  It works.  It makes the whole thing look like a 2 pound cookie slab that may choke Santa out.  You add some sprinkles to the top and it's just downright freaking festive!

And you do have options on the crust.  You can use a standard crust, no problem.  You could also add some chocolate by making an oreo cookie crust, like we have on our Peanut Butter Cookie Pie.  And if you just want more sugar cookie taste, you could just buy a tube of pre-made sugar cookie dough, roll it out flat and use it as the pie crust.

Finally, make sure you have good sprinkles.  Not just the colored sugar, we're talking something colorful and interesting, like the holly leaves or snowflakes.  If we're going to make this thing look authentic, it's got to have the extra flourishes.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Pie

Pie
2 large eggs
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter, brought to room temperature
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust


Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until they are foamy.  Add the white sugar and beat on high speed until it becomes creamy.  Add the flour gradually until it is incorporated.  Add the butter and beat it again until it's well blended.  Pour in the vanilla and mix for 15 more seconds.  Scoop the mixture into the pie crust and smooth it out.

Bake in the 325 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out without any cookie dough attached.  Let the pie cool completely, then make your frosting.

Frosting
1/2 stick butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
food coloring

Place the butter into a mixer and beat until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and slowly mix it in.  Add the vanilla and the milk and mix until thoroughly combined.  Slowly drip the food coloring into the bowl and mix. Repeat until you have the color you want.  Use a spatula to scoop the out the frosting and spread evenly over the cooled pie.

Relive the Greatness of the Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream

I'm re-posting this recipe because it's one of my favorites.  It's just not the holidays without some Peppermint Ice Cream and this recipe is simple and better than anything you'll find in tubs in the grocer's freezer...   So enjoy!  New holiday love is coming your way on Monday.

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During the holidays, you're required to cook, bake and roast more than any other time of the year.  There's the large family meals, the gifts for neighbors, the cookies for the kids, the obligatory office snacks so you can appease that annoying person in the next cubicle, etc.  The kitchen can feel like it's reaching 100 degrees, so let's do one last holiday snack that's nice and cool.

Sure, this time of year, you can find tubs of Peppermint Ice Cream from almost every brand.  I've found that Dreyer's isn't too bad at all, but you can make it at home rather easily.  And I really like the extra creaminess of the homemade ice creams, since this recipe uses fresh whipping cream and whole milk.

It's a great thing to make with the kids as well.  Short of the cooking stage, they can do almost everything else.  Let them add the flavoring.  Let them crush the candy canes and add them to the ice cream at the end.  Let them work the ice cream machine as well and help them share the beater when the mixing is all done.

And above all else, make sure you add some hot fudge before serving it.  The heavy chocolate flavor mixed with the fresh and cool mint is a perfect combination.

Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
Red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 candy canes, crushed

Pour the milk, cream and sugar into a sauce pan and cook to a simmer.  Add enough red food coloring to turn it a candy cane shade of pink.  Remove from the heat, pour into a tupperware bowl and chill in the refrigerator until it's completely cooled.  Crank up the ice cream maker, pour in the cream mixture and add the extracts.

Let the ice cream churn for the recommended time in your ice cream maker's instructions (usually 20-35 minutes or until the mixture thickens.  While waiting, place the candy canes in a large ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin, tenderizer, nutcracker, or your favorite blunt object, take your grinchiness out on the canes until they are broken into very small pieces.  When the ice cream is almost done, pour in the candy cane bits and let it mix for about one minute.  Pour the ice cream into a tupperware bowl and freeze for another 2 hours.

Serve with hot fudge poured over the top and any other Christmas garnish you want.

So make a batch of this and snack on it when the heat in the kitchen gets too high.

Peppermint Bark, Oreo Bark, Mixed Nut Bark, Bark Like a Dog, etc...

This time of year, snacks start showing up at the office.  And there are some REALLY overenthusiastic people.  Somebody is bound to bring some sort of sweet concoctions that has a title with at least 6 words in it, like Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow Reese's Macadamia Apricot Popcorn Balls.  WAY over the top...  but in a weird way that sounds kind of good....   Or maybe neighbors are delivering all sorts of candy plates to your door and you need something for reciprocation.  How about one of the simplest candies you can make, a chocolate bark.

A bark is a chocolate base with any other sort of ingredient mixed in to add an additional flavor or crunch.
The recipe is very simple and can even be made with your children without putting them in danger, unlike other molten sugar recipes.  You essentially bring the chocolate up to a temperature that will help it temper properly, then add half of the other ingredients directly into the chocolate and stir.  As it cools, you add more of the ingredients as garnish and allow it to cool completely.

And in the past, we've talked about tempering chocolate through a double-boiler.  Which works... but can take some time and increases the hazard of letting water getting in to the chocolate.  Even one drop of water in heated chocolate can cause it to seize up like concrete.  And the mixture of hot pans and three year olds rarely end without a few tears.  Instead you can heat your chocolate in the microwave to save time and unnecessary burns.  Just chop the chocolate up find, nuke it for 30 seconds and stir.  Then nike for another 30 and stir again.  Take it's temperature.  As soon as you hit 115 degrees, your done.  But if it's not there, nuke it in 10-15 second intervals, stir it, and check the temp again.

Once it's at the 115, mix in whatever you'd like and spread it out in a flat surface.  Let it cool, break it out and you've got a tasty candy that looks great on a plate.

The best part about these recipe is that you can add any sort of candy, nut or other crunchy ingredient.  Any type of chocolate can be used in the application.  Use your favorite, or pair up combinations that you believe would taste great.  And the process is FAST!  I made all three of the types listed above in less than an hour.

Here are a couple examples of what you can use.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

1 pound white chocolate
2/3 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Pour in 1/2 of the candies and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining candies over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.

Milk Chocolate Oreo Bark

1 pound milk chocolate
2/3 cup crushed Oreo cookies, centers removed (about 12-15 cookies)

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate bits into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then pour in most of the cookies and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining cookies over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.

Dark Chocolate Nut Bark

1 pound dark chocolate
2/3 cup chopped nuts of choice

Chop the chocolate into small bits.  Heat the chocolate using one of two methods.  Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate until it melts and reaches 115 degrees.  Or... pour the chocolate into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir and cook more, in 10-15 second intervals until it reaches 115 degrees.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then pour in 1/2 of the nuts and stir just until incorporated.  Pour the chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining nuts over the chocolate and allow it to cool completely.  Break the chocolate up into pieces and serve.


So make a bunch of these extremely easy chocolate candies and compete with the office chefs.

Christmas Candy and Cookie Craziness!

For a long time, I had this picture as one of the photos on the blog's header.  That's because when I was done with my Christmas candy creations, we were shocked at the volume we made.  Twelve cookie sheets filled with pretzel sticks, truffles, barks, chocolate covered cherries and all sort of dipped treats, like cinnamon bears, gummi bears and Oreos.  We were making candy boxes for a few dozen people, friends and family of my family, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.  It was amazing how much work we did in the space of a couple of hours.  And they were a hit with everyone.

If you're looking for some great neighbor gifts, or just need something to give to reciprocate when a co-worker "unexpectedly" gives you a gift, any combination of the items below will work wonders

Now since Thanksgiving came so early this year, we have a few more days this holiday to make snacks for the masses.  Schedule a weekend or at least a Saturday to make what you need.  And then make more than what you need so you can eat whatever you want.

Chocolate Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks

These are a standard around the house now.  A salty pretzel stick, bathed in sweet caramel, then coated in a shell of milk or dark chocolate.  And from there, decoration is all up to you.  I've used the colored meltable candies placed in a ziploc bag.  You snip out a small hole in the bottom corner and then just drizzle it over the cooling chocolate so it will adhere.  Allow them to completely cool, wrap them up in a pretty box or bag and hand out to family and friends.  Or be greedy and eat them all as you watch Christmas specials on Netflix, whatever works for you.  They take a little bit of time to make, just because you have cooling time for the caramel, but they are definitely worth the wait.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

You have to make a batch of these for Santa, but why not expand it and turn it into a party with family or friends.  We've had one person make the cookies, one person make a couple batches of different colors of frosting and one person do a Winco run and buy a whole bunch of different bulk candies.  We'll get together on a Saturday morning and make a dozen dozen to split amongst everyone.  The kids have a blast and they're great to give away on the candy plates.

Gingerbread Men

Great as cookies, awesome as Christmas tree decorations!  I've made a few batches of these for us to eat, but I've taken a large frosting piping tip and poked a hole in the head before cooking them.  It leaves a small hole after they cook so you can thread some ribbon through and hole and tie them onto the tree.  Decorate them any way you want.  Use the frosting to make the faces and frills, but you can also use it as glue to stick candies wherever you want.  Just know that if they hang from the tree long enough, they have a tendency of losing arms and legs to marauding 3 and 5 year olds.

Peanut Butter (or any other flavor) Truffles

It's one of the first posts on the site, so the picture's a little old, but it's one of the richest little bites you'll ever try.  It's greatly adaptable to whatever taste you prefer.  You can add any extract or flavoring you want.  This recipe also explains the basics of tempering of chocolate, which is the basic for any chocolate dipped items.  And you don't have to leave them plain.  Roll them in nuts, sprinkles, candies, cookie bits, whatever you want that you think will taste good and look decorative.

Liz's Caramel Popcorn Balls

This is my wife's recipe, and for the love of god, they are addictive.  They're the most delicious popcorn balls I have ever tasted.  Sweet, slightly salty, and SOFT!  It takes them a long time exposed to the open air to get to that rigid crunchy stage.  If you wrap them up in a little plastic wrap and tie some curling ribbon to the top, not only are they perfect for gift giving, but they'll stay moist and chewy for a week or two.  This is the one item that you may need to start away from little hands.  The caramel is a little molten and napalm-like at the beginning, but once it mixes with the popcorn and cools, definitely bring the kids in and have them help you form up the balls.  If for no other reason than they can eat some as they go.  Want to make them as addictive as crack?  Drizzle melted chocolate all over them.  You'll eat your weight in popcorn balls in about an hour.

There's more candy and goodies to come this month, including a number of different chocolate barks that you can add to the plate as an accent.  So keep checking back for a few more ideas.

What to Do with the Thanksgiving Leftovers... Seven Different Recipes

Leftover turkey is a given after Thanksgiving.  Be it because your group doesn't like the dark meat, or that one family group decided to go to the in-laws instead, or you just found a great deal on a REALLY large bird, you're going to have some extra meat.  Now you can just make the standard sandwiches or casseroles, but let me give you seven other suggestions that will allow you to eat every leftover bite without getting too redundant.

Turkey Enchiladas

Here's a great usage for the dark meat.  Use a pair of forks to shred up the meat.  You can make our sauce recipe, or whatever brand you like best.  Assemble them and pop them in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.  And this recipe is the perfect option for pre-made meals.  Assemble them in the disposable 8x8 tin foil pans (should hold 4-5), cover in foil and drop them in the deep freeze for up to 3 months.  After a hard day's work, throw them in a 375 degree oven for about 60-80 minutes and make a batch of Spanish Rice while you're waiting.

Turkey Lo Mein

A lighter option after stuffing yourself with every carb in the world on Thanksgiving.  Slice your leftover cooked turkey into bite-size bits and allow them to soak in the marinade for about an hour.  Then go through the regular preparation steps.  The time in the wok is just to warm the meat up, so don't overcook it.

Turkey Egg Rolls

Here's an option that can go in the deep freeze after cooking.  Cube up your turkey and add it to the vegetable mixture after you've cooked them down.  Then fry them up, eat as many as you can now, then place them in a ziploc freezer bag once they're cool.  Chill them for up to 3 months.  To reheat, you can just use the microwave or in the oven for 15 minutes to warm them through and crunch them up.

Barbecue Turkey Pizza

You wouldn't think about turkey on a pizza, but it's a great ingredient, especially when you're making a pizza without the standard marinara sauce.  If you're looking for a different taste than everything you'll eat on Thanksgiving, this is it.  Just substitute the chicken for leftover Turkey chopped into chunks and baste it with a little extra barbecue sauce if you want.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Yes it's the classic soup recipe with lots of flavor and vegetables.  Once again, we don't want to overcook the turkey, so add small diced or shredded bits of the bird about 3-4 minutes before you take it off the stove.    I know that after a day or two of intensive cooking, you may not want to go through the noodle making process.  So as a substitute, look for Kluski noodles at the store.  They're usually on the bottom shelf of the noodle section in any supermarket around.  They soak up the broth like a champ and still stay firm.

Buffalo Turkey Pizza

You know I like the spicy stuff and this is a perfect excuse to break out the buffalo sauce.  Chop the turkey into small bits and then spread them all over the pizza.  If you want even more Buffalo flavor, toss the chunks in a mixture of Buffalo sauce and butter and then add it to the pie.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

If you're tired of the basic Noodle Soup, then spice it up instead.  This recipe can be made on the stove, but if you are experiencing kitchen burnout, then do it in the crock pot instead.   Cook on low until the soup is fully cooked, then add some cubed cooked turkey about 10 minutes before serving.  You can also freeze the soup in individual containers so you have quick accessible lunches for a week.




So try a few of these and break out of the turkey leftover doldrums.

A Gaggle of Pie Recipes for Your Thanksgiving!

Last week, we presented all of our recipes for the Thanksgiving meal.  Now you're going to need a dessert.  And for me, Thanksgiving means pie... lots and lots and lots of pie.  Enough that the sugar buzz from the pie will outweigh and tryptophan funk the turkey may induce.  So here's about 20 different options that should please anyone's sweet tooth.  Make a pair, haul them to the event and bask in the loving adoration of your family these pies will illicit.

Oh, and if you need a Pie Crust recipe, you can find that here as well...

Pumpkin Pie

This classic recipe has been around for years. Listen, anyone can slap a pumpkin pie together and make it passable.  The recipe on the pumpkin can works well.  But as with many things in life, if you take care in the details and spend just a few extra seconds to add a few twists, you can elevate the average to extraordinary. You don't have to be a master chef to pull it off, just take your time and as Alton Brown says, "Your patience will be rewarded."

Pumpkin Pie

Basic Cream Pies

These are the first pies I ever made.  As my mother was bedridden with Rhumatic Fever, she'd instruct me on the proper technique for a Coconut Cream Pie.  I'd then run down the hall to the kitchen, start cooking and then run back down the hall with questions.  And from this basic cream pie recipe we tinkered with for a month or two developed into a multitude of different variations.  You can really add almost anything to this cream pie filling and it'll turn out wonderfully.  Here are a few of the first versions we created, which still hold up well almost 25 years later.

Chocolate Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
German Chocolate Pie

Fruit Cream Pies

You can always go with a basic fruit pie, but sometimes you want something just a little different.  We all know how delicious the combination of fruit and whipping cream is.  Well it stands to reason that if you embed them in a creamy pie filling, the result would be decadent.  You can use almost any type of fruit, as long as it's not too acidic, like oranges and pineapple.  For those, there are other precautions that need to be made and will be outlined in a future post.  But for the time being, the classic berries and cherries work wonderfully.

Strawberry Cream Pie
Raspberry Cream Pie
Blueberry Cream Pie
Blackberry Cream Pie

Alcohol Pies

Alcohol, in a pie?  Yes!  It only makes sense....  Your classic candies like Butterscotch and Butter Rum weren't made with just flavorings.  They were made with the actual booze.  And therefore, so are these pies. We've added the inebriatory ingredients and cooked them long enough to remove some, but not all of the alcohol.  There is a very slight kick, but not enough to offend the tea totallers.  Just tell them you used the extracts instead.  They don't need to know.  Or tell them after they've eaten a couple slices and see if the "placebo effect" causes them to strip down naked and go rolling in the snowdrifts.  It'll be holiday "cheer" that will be discussed for years.

Pina Colada Pie
Butterscotch Pie
Butter Rum Pie

Peppermint Fudge Pie

Pardon the old picture, but it's from 3 1/2 years ago, when this recipe won the first X96 Tasty Pie contest.  This pie earned me a trip to Chicago, for which I thank Kerry, Bill and Gina profusely.  It's another variation of the basic cream pie recipe, but great for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.  There are candy cane bits and a small amount of peppermint extract mixed in to the filling, giving it a minty aroma and slightly pink hue.  The filling sits in a buttery Oreo cookie crust and then topped with rich whipping cream and homemade hot fudge.  Pour the heated fudge over each slice and you'll have a slice of heaven for your holiday parties.  And if you have leftover hot fudge, you could use it later, once all of the guests go home and the kids have gone to bed... wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more...

Peppermint Fudge Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

No, it's not made from peanut butter cups, it's make to LOOK like a peanut butter cup.  The Oreo Cookie crust is drenched with a layer of chocolate ganache to solidify the base.  Then our classic cream pie filling is infused with peanut butter.  Use the chunky style if you can so you have the crunchy nut bits throughout.  Finally, it's topped with additional chocolate ganache that will thicken slightly in the icebox, but not completely solidify, so slicing and serving the pie is effortless.  As you can see from the photo, it's amazing!

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Cookie Pies

It's truly one of the more decadent pies out there.  How can you reject anything that tastes like moist, fresh chocolate chip cookies.   The Toll House Pie is the classic one from Nestle because, honestly, it's hard to mess with perfection.  But the Peanut Butter Cookie Pie is my own variation.  If you want a giant puffy loft with your cookie pies, substitute the butter for butter flavored shortening.  It has a higher melting point than butter, which will allow all of the other ingredients to expand and solidify before the fat melts and flattens out.

Toll House Pie
Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

Double, Tripe or Quadruple Berry Pie

Here is the classic fruit pie recipe.  It relies on the sugar and pectin in the fruit to combine into a molten pool of gelatinous goodness.  Almost any combination of the berries listed will work, so you can customize it to your liking.  And if the berries you love are out of season, no worries,  Frozen berries make a great substitute.  Just make sure you reheat the slices and top them with a dollop of ice cream for the ultimate pie experience.

Quadruple Berry Pie

Miniature Pies

Sometimes you don't want a large pie.  These bite-size morsels are the perfect solution.  You can make 24 pie shells in one miniature cupcake pan. Cook the shells ahead of time and then consider what fillings you'd like.  This is where your creativity can shine through.  The small size allows you to tinker with the flavoring to an infinite degree.  I've enhanced some of the basic recipes I've made over the years by placing fruit, caramel, or other morsels in the bottom of each shell.  I'll then cook up a batch of the cream pie recipe, separate out a small portion of the filling and flavor it any way I want, then fill the shells.  Don't limit yourself to just these, Play around a bit and make a couple dozen for you event.  Then top them all with a little bit of whipped cream and place on a platter (or one of these Mini cupcake racks) and serve to the masses.

Caramel Apple Mini-Pies
Triple Chocolate Mini-Pies
Peanut Butter Banana Mini-Pies

Pumpkin Pie, As If It's Thanksgiving Without It

OK, admittedly  I haven't posted a pumpkin pie recipe on the site.  Main reason: I don't have the best one.  Once again, the best traditional Thanksgiving recipes are hand-me-downs from someone in your family.  And this one is great.

My mother-in-law makes the world's best pumpkin pies.  She says that it's one that's been slightly altered from a recipe she found on the pumpkin can.  She's modest.  But once again, it's the way it's prepared that makes it great.  Just like my wife's version of the Toll House Cookies, this standard recipe is made better by the technique she uses.

First, you beat the eggs in a stand mixture to make them frothy and light, which add a lightness to the filling.  Then all of the dry ingredients and the spices are added so they disburse evenly across the batter.  The pumpkin is next and fully incorporated into the batter, and the milk is added last and mixed just enough to blend in thoroughly.

This combination makes two delicious and moits desserts.  No cracked tops, no graininess, no skin on the top.  It'll take your customary Thanksgiving dessert to a whole new level

Pumpkin Pie

2 unbaked pie crusts
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
1 29 ounce can of pumpkin
2 12 ounce cans of evaporated milk

Add all of the sugar and spices into a bowl and stir it thoroughly.  Set aside while you add the four eggs to a large stand mixer's bowl/  Beat the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes until they are mixed and slightly frothy.  Add the sugar and beat for another 30 seconds.  Then add the pumpkin and mix for another 30 seconds.  Add the milk and mix until it's combined.  Pour the contents into a pair of unbaked pie shells and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then drop the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes until a knife comes out of the center of the pie clean.  Refrigerate after they have cooled.

Mommy and Daddy's Special Holiday Hot Chocolate

So it’s the end of the year, we’ve made it through another holiday season. The toys have been torn from the wrapping and packaging and now are strewn across the floor. The kidlings are playing with the treasure troves. But you’re almost ready to leave the holiday behind. The leftover ham is still really good, but getting repetitive. The Christmas lights have started to lose their luster. And there’s nothing... I say NOTHING on TV.

We’re all burned out and ready for a long winter’s nap, or at least a long recline on the couch in a pair of sweats with a blanket over your legs while you watch the snowflakes gently fall past the window pane. It’s time to make mommy and daddy to make some special hot chocolate that’ll make their tummies get all tingly.

Yes, alcoholic hot chocolate. It can be really good at the right time, a time when you can enjoy a little buzz. I like to send the kids over to Gramdma’s house for a sleepover, serve a romantic hearty meal for Liz, serve up some great light dessert, and then finish the night sipping this drink while watching both a movie in a darkened living room and the snow as it falls.

Now that’s the premium setup... You could also do this on a Saturday afternoon for one of the parents while the other plays defense. Either way, it tastes really good.

Since it’s the holidays, we have a few different selections for the liquor, so use whatever you would prefer.

‘Special’ Holiday Hot Chocolate
Makes one 12 oz. serving, double or triple it up as you need to

Whipping Cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Hot Chocolate
10 oz warm milk
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 shot of any of the following liquors
For Candy Cane Hot Chocolate: 1 shot peppermint schnapps
For Orange Stick Hot Chocolate: 1 shot Orange Liqueur
For Raspberry Stick Hot Chocolate: 1 shot Chamboard or other raspberry liqueur

For the whipping cream, place the sugar, milk and vanilla into a bowl and beat quickly with a hand mixer until thick.

For the hot chocolate, warm the milk in a small saucepan to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they’re completely melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes (if it’s over 170 degrees, the alcohol will evaporate a little). Once it has cooled to below 170, add the shot of your choice and stir. Pour into a tall coffee mug. Drop a large dollop of whipping cream on the top and sprinkle any kind of decoration you have left over from the holidays (small candy cane pieces, cookie sprinkles, shaved chocolate pieces, etc)

So take a load off, relax and take one last swig of holiday magic before you start thinking about New Year resolutions.

Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream with Hot Fudge

During the holidays, you're required to cook, bake and roast more than any other time of the year.  There's the large family meals, the gifts for neighbors, the cookies for the kids, the obligatory office snacks so you can appease that annoying person in the next cubicle, etc.  The kitchen can feel like it's reaching 100 degrees, so let's do one last holiday snack that's nice and cool.

Sure, this time of year, you can find tubs of Peppermint Ice Cream from almost every brand.  I've found that Dreyer's isn't too bad at all, but you can make it at home rather easily.  And I really like the extra creaminess of the homemade ice creams, since this recipe uses fresh whipping cream and whole milk. 

It's a great thing to make with the kids as well.  Short of the cooking stage, they can do almost everything else.  Let them add the flavoring.  Let them crush the candy canes and add them to the ice cream at the end.  Let them work the ice cream machine as well and help them share the beater when the mixing is all done.

And above all else, make sure you add some hot fudge before serving it.  The heavy chocolate flavor mixed with the fresh and cool mint is a perfect combination.

Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
Red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extracts
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 candy canes, crushed

Pour the milk, cream and sugar into a sauce pan and cook to a simmer.  Add enough red food coloring to turn it a candy cane shade of pink.  Remove from the heat, pour into a tupperware bowl and chill in the refrigerator until it's completely cooled.  Crank up the ice cream maker, pour in the cream mixture and add the extracts.

Let the ice cream churn for the recommended time in your ice cream maker's instructions (usually 20-35 minutes or until the mixture thickens.  While waiting, place the candy canes in a large ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin, tenderizer, nutcracker, or your favorite blunt object, take your grinchiness out on the canes until they are broken into very small pieces.  When the ice cream is almost done, pour in the candy cane bits and let it mix for about one minute.  Pour the ice cream into a tupperware bowl and freeze for another 2 hours.

Serve with hot fudge poured over the top and any other Christmas garnish you want.

So make a batch of this and snack on it when the heat in the kitchen gets too high.

Holiday Sugar Cookies... get ready for Santa!

So most of the shopping is done, the decorations are all in place, the laborious task of Christmas cards is done and we're now waiting for Santa to arrive. 

And I happen to know that Santa likes cookies.  Lots of cookies. Sugar-emblazoned, vanilla-rich, frosting-slathered cookies.  None of these Chips Ahoy, or Sandies, or any other store-made "Dirt" cookies.  No, Santa needs the good stuff.  And if he's going to bring you that 6-disc Star Wars Blu-ray set or Cooking for Geeks in Hardcover (just in case you wanted to send me something, never hurts to ask), doesn't he deserve to get delicious sugar bombs?  He needs all the calories he can consume if he's going to visit a billion households in one night.

This recipe works extremely well and it's a great "Weekend before Christmas" activity for the kids.  And you can choose to decorate them any way you want.  Once again, instead of buying big bags of candy to decorate the cookies, find a grocery store with a very good bulk section (like Winco) and buy a small amount of a multitudes of different candies.  It gives the kids a wade variety of options and you'll be pleasantly surprised at their creativity.  The picture above uses the cinnamon imperials and miniature M&Ms.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Makes 18-24

1 cup sugar

1 cup softened butter

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

3 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pull out your mixing bowl and set up the paddle attachment.  Add the sugar and butter and beat them for 3 minutes.  Add the egg and the milk to the bowl and continue to beat it for another 5 minutes.  While the mixer is running, combine the flour, baking powder and the salt.  Next, turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.  Mix on a low setting until the flour mixture is well incorporated.  Remove the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When you're ready to make the cookies,preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Prepare the rolling surface by sprinkling it with powdered sugar instead of flour.  The cornstarch in the powdered sugar will prevent the dough from sticking to the counter.  Roll the dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out any shape you want and use a spatula to transfer them to a cookie sheet.  Recombine the leftover dough, roll it out again and cut out more cookies.  Cook them one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes, checking them at 10 minutes.

Cookie Frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons softened butter or shortening, your preference

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

Food coloring

Combine the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a mixer and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the milk and then mix again.  Add more milk or more powdered until reaches the right consistency.  Finally, slowly add the food coloring until you reach the desired hue.  Spread on cookies and decorate any way you'd like.

So make a batch of these, show your appreciation to Santa, and maybe... just maybe... he'll leave you an extra gift or two.

Gingerbread cookies

OK, so the taffy experiments have not gone well.  They've been scrapped for the time being, so I needed a third item for the neighbor gifts.  A good idea was escaping me, so I started unpacking all of the Christmas decorations.  Along with all the boxes of ornaments, the intermingled and tangled strings of lights and strings of lights, we have some Christmas dinnerware and some holiday tableware.  Tings like tablecloths, placemats, etc.  And imprinted on one of them, a gingerbread man.  Why didn't I think about that before...

We've made a batch or two in the past to use as decorations on the Christmas tree.  And of course they didn't stay intact all the way to Christmas Day.  Having small children running around the house means that any type of candy or cookie left unguarded is fair game.  It was a horrific sight.  Cookie arms and legs torn off at random, gingerbread bodies broken in half... Even entire missing bodies, leaving the separated heads dangling from the decorative ribbon. 

But Sawyer's older and I think we can convince Wyatt to leave them alone long enough.  So we'll try it again, but in the meantime, we'll also make another batch to give away to the neighbors. 

The recipe is very similar to any other cookie recipe.  Just remember to work with the wet ingredients and sugars first, then move onto the dry ingredients.  If you wish to use them as ornaments for your tree, I've found that it you use a straw to poke a hole through the cookie near the top of the head before baking, you have a perfect place to loop some ribbon.  Just thread it through, tie it off, and then hang from the tree without a problem.

Gingerbread Cookies / Gingerbread Men

Makes 12 large, 24 small

1 stick butter, preferably at room temperature
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the butter, shortening and brown sugar in a large mixer. Start on low until slightly incorporated, then crank it up to high for two minutes.  Add the egg and molasses and mix on medium high for 1 one minute.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, spices and salt into a bowl and mix well.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, adding about 1/4 of the dry ingredients each time.  Mix for 30 seconds once everything is combined.  Remove from the mixing bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Prepare you counter by liberally applying flour.  Remove the dough from the fridge and place half of it on the prepared surface.  Roll out the dough until it's between 1/8-1/4 inch thick, your preference.  Use your cookie cutters to make as many cookies as the space will allow.  Pull away the scraps and place the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Then combine all the scraps, roll out again and continue to cut out cookies.  When you don't have enough for another cookie, add those scraps to the other half of the dough and repeat.  Cook the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool before you try to add any frosting.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can move onto the frosting. 

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add all of the ingredients to a large mixer and turn on LOW SPEED.  DO NOT crank it up to high immediately, or if you are cooking with your kids, allow them to crank it up to high, lest you end up like this, covered in powdered sugar. 

Once it's thoroughly blended together, scoop out the frosting and drop it into a piping bag with any size tip you'd like.  I usually pipe out some eyes, a mouth and some buttons.  You can also add some candies if you want.  Just use the frosting as the glue to stick them into surface of the cookie.

So make a batch or two, hang them from the tree and see how many are left on Christmas Morning.

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Sticks

I'm still making the treats for this year's food gifts. Gotta give something to the neighbors and to the friends of the family.  We've already reviewed Liz's delicious Caramel Popcorn Balls.  Now we move onto my favorite of this year's three items, the Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Sticks.

There is something magical about these bits of candy goodness.  Very few tastes are as great as this combination of sweet and salty, smooth and crunchy.  Make a bunch and give away a plate of them... or do what I did last year.   I made a batch of them, wrapped up a single pretzel and tied it to the box of chocolates that I made. 

While they take a little bit of time to create, they are not that hard to make.  And you can put your tempering skills to work that we learned from the Peanut Butter Truffles.  My recommendation is to buy your ingredients in bulk.  There are some large kitchen stores and restaurant supply stores that will have everything you need.  Here in Salt Lake, Orson Gygi sells some great chocolate and wonderful caramel at a pretty decent price.  A five pound brick of the caramel is around $16.99.  And they have a large variety of chocolates with a wide variety of prices, so you can get whatever you prefer.  They also sell small cellophane bags and candy boxes, so if you want make an elaborate gift out if it, you can pick up those supplies while you're there.

Now if you don't have a good culinary store around, I still recommend buying in bulk if possible.  Winco does have some good chocolate chunks in their bulk section that taste pretty good.  And you can also find caramels there as well.


Chocolate and Caramel Covered Pretzel Sticks
Makes 80 pretzel sticks

5 pounds chocolate
5 pounds caramel
90 pretzel sticks (you're going to have a few break, it's just the way it is)
Other decorative colored chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, coconut or sugar

Cover 3-4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

Place a 1/2 pound of caramel, chopped into 1 inch squares or less into a plastic tumbler.  Place in the microwave and cook on high for one minute.  Watch the caramel to make sure it doesn't boil over or scorch.  Remove from the heat and stir to make sure there are no unmelted portions.  If there are, return to the microwave and cook for 20-30 second intervals.  Once it's melted, retrieve the pretzel sticks.  Holding the glass of caramel at a 30-45 degree angle, dip a pretzel stick in the caramel and spin it against the edge, ensuring an even coating.  Remove it from the caramel and place it on the parchment paper.  Repeat with the other pretzel sticks until they are all coated.  If you begin to run out of caramel or if it becomes too thick, add some more caramel cubes and return to the microwave to warm it. Allow to cool, for anywhere between 1-3 hours, until the caramel has firmed up completely.

In a chocolate melter or a double boiler, begin melting 1-2 pounds of chocolate.  Heat the chocolate to above 115 degrees, then allow it to cool down to 93 degrees, maintain the temperature of the chocolate between 86 and 93 degrees.  If it drops below 84, heat it back above 115 and then bring the temperature back down again.  Once it's tempered, take one caramel pretzel stick and hold it over the chocolate.  Spoon the tempered chocolate over all of the caramelled area and then return to the parchment paper.  Repeat with all the sticks.  If you run out of chocolate, add more, heat up to 115, and reduce to 93 or less again.  I like to do a tray or two at a time and then decorate, just so the chocolate doesn't harden to the point where the decorations don't adhere.

Finally add any sort of additional decoration you're like.  Sprinkle the decorations (sprinkles, colored sugar, nuts, etc.) over the still warm chocolate on the pretzels.  If you choose to add colored chocolate, melt the colored chocolate quickly (place it in the microwave in 30 second intervals, no need to temper) and then drizzle it across the entire tray of pretzels at once, creating streaks across the face of the pretzels. 

Set the pretzels in a cool area for at least an hour. Don't store it somewhere too cold, like a fridge, garage in winter, etc., or you'll get white streaks or spots (called "Blooming") on your chocolate.  This doesn't hurt its taste or edibility, it's just ruins that shiny exterior you worked so hard to achieve through the tempering process.  When you're ready to hand them out, package them any way you'd like.  Wrap them in individual sacks, place a bunch on a plate, lay them in a candy box, etc..

So make a batch and give them away, if you want.  Or just hoard them and devour them like a crazed madman until you reach the sugar coma stage.... whatever makes you happy.

Liz's Caramel Corn

So since it's the holiday season again, it's time for the neighbor and co-worker gifts.  Last year, I did a HUGE conglomeration of different chocolates.  The picture on the left side of the blog header is a display of everything we did.  Yes...  it took a very long time.  So this year, we're scaling it back and doing something a little different. There will still be a lot of sugary goodness, but it's been narrowed down to a just a few items; popcorn balls, chocolate caramel pretzels, and homemade taffy.   

Now I've tried to make popcorn balls in the past, but I've never been able to hit that perfect caramel consistency.  It's always been a little undercooked, so the caramel is runny, or overcooked, so it coats and solidifies to a chunk that can tear out fillings.

I truly lucked out when it came to marrying a perfect counterpart.   While I can cook rather well, Liz is an expert baker and candy maker.  She professionally designed and decorated wedding cakes for a few years.  She can make designer cupcakes and other confections in mere minutes.  And when it comes to popcorn balls,  I could never hope to compete with her recipe.  The caramel is extremely tasty, yet not too sticky.  They stay together even after a few days.  And they stay chewy for an extremely long time.  No rock-hard Cracker-Jack type caramel here.

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Makes 14-18 popcorn balls

1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 stick butter
1 14 ounce can condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 gallons of popped popcorn.

Pop your popcorn.  If you don't have a popcorn popper, Newman's Own makes an unflavored popcorn in microwavable bags that works great.  Remove any unpopped kernels and spread the popcorn over two greased cookie sheets

Stir together the corn syrup, salt and brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat until it gets to a boil. Mount your candy thermometer to the side of the pan so you can start monitoring the temperature. Then add the butter and bring it back to a boil.  Add the condensed milk and stir constantly until the temperature reaches the soft ball candy stage (which is 230 degrees). Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Pour the mixture evenly over the popcorn on the cookie sheets.  Stir up the popcorn until it's thoroughly coated.  Once it's cool enough to touch, form into popcorn balls.  Allow them to set for about an hour, then wrap in plastic wrap and tie with ribbon or other adornments so they look holiday-ey.

So make of batch of Liz's Caramel Popcorn Balls, hand some out to the neighbors, but save some for yourselves.