All week long, when the kids would go to bed I would make my candies that just get a bit too hot to have the kids 'help'. I even got to make some new things this year as a result of following some food blogs! At the risk of sounding girly, it feels like Christmas when my kitchen is filled with good things to give out to my neighbors!
Since you are so far away and I can't send many of these things thanks to the Florida heat here is the next best thing. Here are my favorite holiday recipes and some new ones I tried this year! Enjoy.
I use peppermint oil for these rather then the extract! Gives it a bit more punch but only use 1/4 tsp if using oil!This tasts very similar to the See's candy Cappacino sucker! I used instant Starbucks coffee since I couldn't find espresso powder!
Ground up some more yummy candy cane pieces to press into the top of this recipe! This one makes A LOT so I did half it!
Basic Sugar cookies; need some deocrating inspiration? Here is where I got mine! However, when I couldn't get the Royal icing quite right from her site, I was in a pinch for time so here was Icing recipe I switched to! They turned out really pretty and the kids got to help a lot more than the prior method!
Almond Roca Toffee; I like to add almonds to mine!
Candy Cane Chocolate Bark
Will have to give you the recipe on this one as I didn't follow one recipe exactly. Took 2 recipes instead and made this yummy treat!
3 Cups White CHocolate Chips (1 1/2 pkgs)
1 pkg Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 C Milk Chocolate Chips
1o Oreo cookies
Pepermint candies (either candy canes or cheaper to buy the round disk peppermint candy!)
Peppermint oil
1. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Prepare the Oreos by scraping off the middle filling and placing cookies in a Food Processor. Process till coarse crumbs. Set aside. *
3. Unwrap the candy, (Approx 15 disks) and place in food processor. Grind up till coarse crumbs. Set aside.*
4. Mix together the dark chocolate chips and melt over a double boiler. Once melted spread evenly on the foil lined cookie sheet.
5. While chocolate is still soft, sprinkle with oreo crumbs. Place a piece of wax paper over crumbs and press crumbs into the chocolate layer. Do not remove wax paper and place cookie sheet in the freezer to harden.
6. While the other layer is cooling, melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler till smooth & creamy. Add peppermint oil (couple drops) and mix till well combined.
7. Take the cookie sheet out of the freezer and remove the wax paper; set aside wax paper for use later.
8. Drop white chocolate evenly over the cookie sheet & spread carefully over the cookie layer so as to not mix cookies into the white chocolate. Spread fast so that the white chocolate doesn't harden on you. Sprinkle with peppermint candies and then press them into the white chocolate (using wax paper). Place in the refridgerator or freezer till hardened.
9. Break into pieces and enjoy!
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! If you are tempted to be a scrooge, here are some cute and small reasons to be grateful this Christmas! These little baby skinks were on the side of the road the other day. They were so cute I had to get a couple pictures. The live at a house down the street from us and were on the side of someone's home. I felt compelled to tell the owner of the home what was outside seeing that on her porch she had toddler toys in view! When I told her about the ones we saw she told me that she not only had just those 2 but there are a total of 5 living around her property! Poor lady! BTW, no one was skunked when taking pictures of these cute creatures. Michaela wants to trap them, take them in to get de-skunked and train them to be pets. That is something she IS NOT getting for Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
