My Life, my photography, my passions
A little bit of brevity into this Christmas Season. These favors were made by one of my friends as a fundraiser for school. My daughter thought the saying “We Whisk You A Merry Kissmas” was very cute, but totally did not get the irony of the kitchen whisk and the Hershey Kisses on the inside. Went totally over her head, whirled around mocking her, then it suddenly hit her.
All her friends laughed and she smiled. That’s my daughter! She’s very smart, but sometimes there are those times.
Cookie baking is over for the season. They are ready to ship and distribute. Tried a few new recipes, one I will definitely keep is the Molasses Spice Sugar Cookies. Wow! They are delicious, especially dunked in milk. Recipe will be following, so subscribe to the RSS feed at the top and it will be arriving shortly.
Couldn’t decide on one picture today, so here are two.
I promise food and treats are nearing an end, that is until the next time I walk down the aisle at the grocery store. Oh I HAVE to make those, it’s a tradition. Three ingredients Ritz crackers, peanut butter and chocolate, simple ingredients to a tasty treat. I call them Homemade Twix Candies
Old fashioned soft peppermint sticks (rather than candy canes) make a perfect chocolate mint treat by themselves or can be dipped in hot chocolate (there is the chocolate again) for an extravagant chocolate experience.
Starting right after Thanksgiving nothing is safe from chocolate almond bark
These are not the run of the mill candy cane sticks, these are SOFT Peppermint candy sticks that are easy to eat, especially when dipped in chocolate. Chocolate mint
Every year I search grocery stores and they are really hard to find. I actually do a “happy dance” in the aisles when I find them. I start stocking up on ingredients and supplies for my holiday candy making in October and by Thanksgiving weekend I am ready to get to work.
King Leo Soft Pure Peppermint Sticks 9oz
SweetGourmet Piedmont Soft Peppermint Bulk Mint Sticks (5Lb)Bob’s Sweet Stripes Peppermint Stir Sticks (Pack of 2)
I always use a double boiler to melt chocolate instead of a microwave. The purpose of a double boiler is to heat or melt food without coming in direct contact with heat. It prevents the melting chocolate from getting too hot. The microwave creates hot spots in your chocolate and if it gets too hot it cooks it into a clumpy mess.
Cuisinart 7111-20 Chef’s Classic Stainless Universal Double Boiler with CoverPlymouth Pantry Make Your Own Almond Flavored Bark, Chocolate, 24 Ounce (Pack of 12)Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers (for Candy Making and Dipping), 1 Pound 14 Ounce Bag (Dark Chocolate)Regency Natural non-Stick Parchment Paper for Baking 20.66 Foot Roll
Using a double boiler is really easy. Don’t have an “official double boiler?” That’s okay. You can melt chocolate without a double boiler by placing a metal bowl over a saucepan full of water.
Step 1: Put about 1-2 inches of water in bottom container
Step 2: Place cubes of chocolate in top container
Step 3: Turn stovetop on medium to medium high and slowly melt your chocolate.
Step 4: Lay parchment paper, or waxed paper on a flat surface
Step 5: Dip soft peppermint sticks in chocolate, add sprinkles or other decorations when chocolate is still wet.
Now comes the hard part. Waiting for them to dry.
I package these up for Sunday School Christmas gifts and tuck a few into the Christmas cookie boxes. They are fun to give as teacher gifts and to have handy when guests visit for the holiday. Just package a few chocolate covered soft peppermint sticks in a clear decorated bag and tie with curly ribbons.
Since I took pictures everyday for 5 days, THEN decided to start this project, I thought I would post the first 5 days all together. I’ll try and update one day at a time next.
