Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight, I write this post with a very heavy heart.  There's a light rain falling outside, which unfortunately matches the sad mood around here.  It's been about a week since my last post, and I apologize for that.  The truth is, I just honestly haven't been up to writing this week.

Those of you who have experienced the joy that a dog can bring into your life will understand better than most.  On Valentine's Day, my sweetheart of a cocker spaniel, Lady, passed away after 13 fun-filled years right by my side.  She was the sweetest dog I've ever known, and I sure do miss that little pup so much.  She battled a cancerous tumor on her tummy for quite a while, and she fought it until the very end.  It was just her time, I guess.

This quote by Anatole France says it best:
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

I remember when I first got Lady...It was Christmas of 1998.  That year, I had asked for a cocker spaniel.  On Christmas morning, while I didn't open a box with a puppy inside, I did receive some cash that I could do whatever I wanted with.  We spent the holiday in the Great Smoky Mountains that year, and one place we always visited was The Apple Barn.  A few days after Christmas, I was walking up to the front entrance of The Apple Barn, when what did I see??  A sign posted on the door announcing that they had a new litter of cocker spaniel puppies for sale!  It was meant to be!  I looked at my mom and dad with a glimmer in my eye, and they instantly knew.

I rushed through the door, and asked the first Apple Barn employee I saw where I might find these painfully adorable little puppies.  Let's just say that it was love at first sight, and I very happily left that day with no Christmas money, but with my new floppy-eared best friend.  We've been inseparable ever since.  

Sometimes, baking is like therapy for me.  I can put on my apron, put some ingredients into the bowl of my stand-mixer, whip up something sweet, and it always makes me feel better.  So what did I do this past week?  I baked these amazing Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They were easy, delicious, and contained chocolate...Just what I needed.  

You may have noticed that I love combining chocolate and coconut every chance I get.  It's my favorite sweet flavor combo, so it was an easy decision to make.  I was incredibly happy with the way these cookies came out.  They were a comforting and delicious dessert during a very difficult time.  The coconut flavors are perfectly complemented by the chocolate, and quite frankly, this is probably my new favorite cookie recipe. 

So, here's to Lady.  I sure do miss my sweet girl dearly.

Bon Appetit, my friends.

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. coconut extract

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels

1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Set to the side.

In the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Cream these ingredients on medium speed until they are nice and fluffy.  Add the salt, egg and coconut extract.  Mix on low speed until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, and mix on medium speed just until blended...Don't over-mix!

Next, add the semisweet and bittersweet chocolates, along with the shredded coconut to the cookie dough.  Stir together well.

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out the dough and form into uniform balls.  Place the balls of cookie dough on the baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the cookies.

Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven, and bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown around the edges.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.  They are best a little warm, right out of the oven!

Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough, until it's all gone.

***********

Checking out her new little sis...

 

 Who eventually wasn't so "little" anymore  :)

 

Aunt Julia's Chocolate Pie - Virginia Willis

At lunch one day recently, Brad's dad ordered this amazingly delicious-looking piece of chocolate pie.  We were at Golden Rule BBQ, and they make some of the best-looking pies you've ever seen.  I always tell myself that I'm going to be bad and order a piece of pie one of these days at lunch, but for some reason my conscience always wins the to-have-a-piece-of-pie-or-not-battle.

So, I just couldn't get this pie out of head the rest of the day.  I mean, I was daydreaming about pie, for goodness sake...That can't be good...?

Plus, did you know that February is National Pie Month?!? 

So, what did I do?  Well, I went straight to my new southern-cooking-bible (a.k.a Bon Appetit, Ya'll by Virginia Willis) to see if she could fix my pie-cravings.

I flipped through the dessert section and what did I find?  The P.E.R.F.E.C.T. recipe to try.  It's titled "Aunt Julia's Chocolate Pie", and it sounded incredible.  In fact, Virginia even says, "This is hands-down my favorite dessert."  And folks, any recipe that Virginia says that about is bound to be amazing.

A tender pie crust is filled with decadent chocolate custardy goodness, and freshly-made meringue finishes the pie beautifully.  I have to agree with Virginia here...it IS indeed delicious.

In fact, I made this pie for Brad and me a few nights ago, and now ANOTHER one is in the works as I type this.  See, I got a call from my little niece, Dakota, earlier today, and she asked me in her sweet little voice to "pretty please" bring her a piece of pie.  Well, I figure I can do better than just a measly little ole' piece...I'm making her a whole pie!  Plus, seeing as there's hardly any left now,  I better make a second one! 

Shh...Don't tell...I'll surprise them with it this afternoon.  :)

Bon Appetit!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Virginia Willis at Food Blog South in Birmingham, AL.  She is one classy and amazing lady!  I highly recommend her cookbooks - Bon Appetit, Ya'll and Basic to Brilliant, Ya'll.

Aunt Julia's Chocolate Pie

Adapted From:  Bon Appétit, Y'all by Virginia Willis
Reprinted with permission from Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House.

Makes one 9" pie

Ingredients:
All-American Pie Crust, fully baked (see recipe below)

1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

To prepare the pie filling, in a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the milk with the 1 cup of granulated sugar. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine  the remaining 1 cup of milk, the flour, and cocoa powder in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. (Mama uses a shaker and shakes the mixture until it is well combined and frothy.) Set aside.

Heat the saucepan with the milk-sugar over medium-high heat until simmering. Slowly add the milk-flour mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Add the egg yolks, whisking constantly, until it returns to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the vanilla and remove it from the heat.

Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Set aside.

To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites in a non-reactive bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the cream of tartar and, using a hand-held mixer, whisk on high speed until foamy. Sift over the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and whisk until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.

To finish the pie, spoon the meringue over the pie, making sure it touches the edges of the pie crust. Bake until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Move to rack to cool completely and set, then serve. 

All-American Pie Crust
Adapted From:  Bon Appetit, Ya'll by Virginia Willis
Reprinted with permission from Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2008. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House.

Pastry for 1 (9-inch) pie crust

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening, preferably Crisco, chilled and cut into pieces
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour and salt, then add the vegetable shortening and butter.  Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With the processor on pulse, add enough of the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together without being sticky or crumbly.  Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill until firm and the moisture has distributed evenly, about 30 minutes.

Flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin.  (If making a double-crust pie or 2 pie shells, work with one disk at a time, keeping the second disk chilled.)  Place a dough disk in the center of the floured surface.  Starting in the center of the dough, roll to, but not over, the upper edge of the dough.  Return to the center, and roll down to, but not over, the lower edge.  Lift the dough, give it a quarter turn, and lay it on the work surface.  Continued rolling, repeating the quarter turns, until you have a disk about 1/8 inch thick.

Ease the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate.  Trim 1 inch larger than the diameter of the pie plate; fold the over hanging pastry under iteself along the rim of the plate.  For a simple decorative edge, press the tines of a fork around the folded pastry.  To make a fluted edge, using both your finger and thumb, pinch and crimp the folded dough.  Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

To blind bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Crumple a piece of parchment paper, then lay it out flat over the bottom of the pastry.  Weight the paper with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.  This will keep the unfilled pie crust from puffing up in the oven.

For a partially baked shell that will be filled and baked further, bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and remove the paper and weights.  (You can reuse the rice or beans for blind-baking a number of times.)  The shell can now be filled and baked further, according to the recipe directions.  For a fully baked shell that will hold an uncooked filling, bake the empty shell until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes total.

Dreamy Coconut Pecan Brownies

Have you ever stopped to think what life would be like without chocolate?

Wait...who am kidding??  That thought is just too unbearable, and I don't want to even think of that sort of craziness.  Craziness!  After all, then we wouldn't be able to indulge in the wonderfulness that are these brownies!

I mean, straight up perfectly fudgy, nutty, chocolate-coma-inducing, chocolatey goodness on a plate, folks. 

I've tried quite a few brownie recipes in the past...What can I say, they are my weakness.  Thomas Keller's Brownies from the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook are quite incredible and are among one of my favorites that I've made.  And now, ladies and gentlemen, this recipe from Dorie Greenspan has found a special place in my recipe collection as another HUGE favorite.

I adapted the recipe just a bit in order to add my own little flair.  See, I have this thing for anything that involves chocolate and coconut together.  They are a match made in culinary heaven, and I just can't help but add a little coconut extract here and there to chocolate desserts any chance that I get.  Can you blame me?  If coconut just isn't your thing, simply substitute vanilla extract instead.

These brownies are fudgy and dense, without being too heavy.  They are rich and decadent and would of course be wonderful with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream melting over the top.  

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Dreamy Coconut Pecan Brownies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Classic Brownies in  Baking: From my Home to Yours

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Semisweet instead)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract (OR vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional, but really good)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (according to taste)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans (OR walnuts)

Directions:

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolates and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

With a whisk, stir in the sugar. Don't be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy. One by one, whisk in the eggs. Add the vanilla and give the ingredients a vigorous whisking before gently stirring the espresso, if you are using it, salt and flour; stir only until incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake the brownies for 30 to 33 minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the brownies to room temperature.
When the brownies are completely cool, turn out onto a rack, peel away the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each a scant 2 inches on a side.

Serving: Like all great brownies, these are good eaten out of hang without a bit of embellishment or topped off with whipped or ice cream (coffee ice cream is really good with these), offered either way at room temperature or a bit chilled.

Storing recommendations: These are best served within 2 days of baking. If you're going to keep them at room temperature, just cut what you need and keep the remainder wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To freeze for up to 2 months, wrap the brownies airtight. 

Homemade Twix Bars - Yes, Please!

Two words:  Homemade + Twix!

If you love Twix candy bars like I always have, then boy are you going to adore this recipe!!!  These bars are made from 3 deliciously decadent layers - A layer of shortbread on bottom, creamy caramel in the middle, and chocolate on top.   

Seriously...does it get much better?

Instead of cutting these into square bars like I did, you could even cut them into longer slices and dip them into chocolate to resemble actual Twix bars!

When we first tried these bars, patience was not on our side (can you imagine that?), so the chocolate hadn't really hardened up all the way when we took our first bites.  I wish we had waited a little longer, because these bars are much better once they've had a chance to set up.  They are best stored in the refrigerator.  Before enjoying, just pull them out of the fridge and let them come to room temp.  That way, they'll be easier to slice.

Brad and I tend to love the taste of darker chocolate, plus I already had bittersweet chocolate on-hand, so that's what I used.  I will say that these would be even better if chopped peanuts were perhaps sprinkled on top of the caramel layer before pouring on the chocolate.  Or, you could even add a little sea salt.  They could have used just a little "something", and I think a little saltiness would have been amazing.

One thing that I will add is that the shortbread was a tinky tiny bit crumbly.  After reading the recipe reviews, this seems to be a common concern.  However, the kind folks at King Arthur replied to those reviews, and they seemed to think it might be because the shortbread either had a little too much flour added or that it was cooked a little too long.  Either way, it still tasted fabulous!

I'll definitely be making these again...with the peanuts next time!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Thousand Dollar Bars (aka homemade Twix bars)

Source:  King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

Shortbread Layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 

Caramel Layer:

2 cups caramel, cut into small chunks

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate Layer:

3 cups chopped milk chocolate or dark chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)

Directions:

1) FOR THE CRUST: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9" x 13" pan lightly with cooking spray, or line with parchment, and set aside. 

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour. At first the mixture may seem dry, but will come together as you continue to beat at medium speed. 

3) Take the dough (it will be somewhat stiff) and press it evenly into the pan. Lightly flouring your fingertips will help with any sticking. 

4) Prick the crust all over with a fork. The holes will allow steam to escape and the crust will bake evenly with fewer bubbles. 

5) Bake the crust until it's lightly golden brown on top and the edges are deeper golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen the crust. Set it aside to cool completely.

6) FOR THE CARAMEL LAYER: Melt the caramel and cream over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the caramel over the cooled crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up. 

7) FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER: Melt the milk or dark chocolate slowly in a double boiler or over very low heat. If it seems very thick, add a tablespoon of shortening to thin it. Pour evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to cover all of the caramel. Return to the fridge until the chocolate is well set. Cut into 2" x 2" squares to serve. It's best to store these bars in the refrigerator.

8) These bars can also be cut and dipped in milk chocolate to resemble Twix ® bars. After the caramel layer has chilled firm, cut down the length of the pan, splitting the bars into two long, narrow bars. Then cut each long strip into "fingers". Dip the chilled bars into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set for several hours. 

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Scrumptious Dark Chocolate Cake w/ Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing

Happy Birthday Brad!

January 2nd was Brad's birthday, and we celebrated with a delicious Dark Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese icing.  I even added freshly sliced strawberries in between the two cake layers to make it that much more decadent.  On the side?  Chocolate covered strawberries, of course!

I love making birthday cakes and it's become a little thing lately for everyone to give me some sort of birthday cake "challenge" on their birthday.  Brad wanted a cake that incorporated dark chocolate and strawberries, so this is what I came up with.

The result was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.  Brad even had seconds, and when that happens you KNOW it's good!  I combined two different elements from two of my favorite cake recipes...I whipped up Hershey's recipe for Dark Chocolate Cake (I've used this recipe time and time again!), and combined it with Paula Deen's recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese icing from her Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake.  Plus, the contrast of the pink icing looked so pretty on the dark cake.

AH-mazing!

The chocolate covered strawberries served on the side were the perfect touch to a perfect birthday celebration.

Bon Appetit, my friends! 

Dark Chocolate Cake

Source:  Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients:  
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (you can use regular cocoa, if you prefer)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed coffee

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract; Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in hot coffee...the batter will be very thin!

Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely and add icing and strawberry slices.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: Cooking with Paula Deen magazine - May/June 2008

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract (I used vanilla extract instead)

7 cups confectioner's sugar (a little less than 2 lbs.)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup strawberry puree, reserving remaining for another use. Beat in extract. Gradually add confectioner's sugar, beating until smooth.

***Notes***

- For pinker frosting, add 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring to frosting.

- I added freshly sliced strawberries between the cake layers!

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls - 2011!

Before baking...look at those pecan pieces...Yum!

What a wonderful, wonderful holiday season it's been around our home!  I can't believe that 2011 is coming to a close.  It's been an awesome year, and we are excited to see what 2012 will bring!

If you've been following this blog for a while, you may know that homemade Cinnamon Rolls are one of our holiday traditions on Christmas Day.  The Pioneer Woman's recipe is BY FAR the best!  In fact, I've blogged about these rolls every year since 2009.  The maple and coffee glaze really sends these cinnamon rolls over the top...After all, I called them "Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls" for a reason!

I tried something a little different this year...I added finely chopped pecans before rolling them up, which was incredible.  I have a feeling that pecans will be a regular addition in the future.

You can find the recipe and posts from previous years HERE. 

This recipe rocks because you can put the cinnamon rolls together on Christmas Eve, pop them in the fridge for their final "rising" overnight, and then bake them on Christmas morning.  That makes Christmas morning breakfast a breeze, because who wants to be stuck in the kitchen??  Plus, I'm convinced that the smell of these babies baking in the oven is quite possibly the most scrumptious smell in the entire world.

I hope that you and yours have a SAFE, WONDERFUL, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bon Appetit, my friends!  :)

Before baking...

Maple and Coffee Glaze...Oh my!

White Chocolate Dipped Oreos with Peppermint Sprinkles

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

I hope that this Christmas brings wonderful family, friends and food to your dinner table, along with new memories made with loved ones and old traditions enjoyed.

As I type this, the Cinnamon Rolls have been started (I'll make them today so that all I have to do on Christmas morning is pop them into the oven!) and there are only a few gifts left to wrap.  I've got to get started on a Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, and whip up some homemade doggie treats for our fur babies.  :)


Brad and I have been so blessed already this holiday season.  We've gotten to spend time with lots of family over the past several weeks and even more tomorrow.  What a wonderful holiday, so far!


Today, I want to share a quick and simple holiday treat that is incredibly easy, yet wonderfully scrumptious.  It technically probably doesn't even need a formal recipe, but here's one anyway...

Merry Christmas and Bon Appetit! 

White Chocolate Dipped Oreos with Peppermint Sprinkles


Ingredients:
1 package "Winter" Oreos (with red creme filling)
2 lbs. white chocolate morsels
1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
5 candy canes

Directions:
Break the candy canes into large pieces and place them in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse several times, until the peppermints are broken into tiny pieces (but not so much that they turn to powder!)

Next, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring often.  If needed, add a little canola oil to the chocolate to keep it smooth.  One at a time, dip the Oreos into the melted chocolate and place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.  Before the chocolate dries completely, sprinkle the peppermint pieces over the Oreos.


Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Logs - A Family Favorite

Only 4 more days left to Christmas!  Can you believe it?  I sure can't...It seems like the holidays came so fast this year.  We are so excited, though...What a wonderful time of the year!

There are piles and piles of Christmas candy around our house right now.  There have been chocolate covered pretzels, martha washington candies, chocolate covered oreos, cinnamon rolls....and these peanut butter logs!  Much have that has been given as gifts to co-workers and such.

This recipe for Peanut Butter Logs is something that my family has made during Christmas time as long as I can remember.  They bring back special memories every time I make them and are SO easy to whip up!  There are only 4 main ingredients, plus the dipping chocolate, so they really do come together in a flash.  

They make great candies to take to family gatherings during the holidays and can be decorated with your favorite sprinkles or white chocolate drizzles.

Bon Appetit and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Peanut Butter Logs

Source:  Family Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter or margarine
2 c. crunchy peanut butter
1 box (1 lb) confectioners sugar
3 cups Rice Krispies

Melted chocolate for dipping

Directions:

Melt together margarine and peanut butter. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar and Rice Krispies. Pour melted mixture over sugar and Rice Krispies;  Mix well.  Roll into logs. Place the logs on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator (this makes them easier to dip).  Once chilled, dip in melted chocolate using a toothpick and place on wax paper to dry.

 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

***TIP:  When melting the chocolate on the stovetop, you may need to add a little vegetable oil. This will help smooth the chocolate and make it easier to use.***

 

 

Martha Washington Candy - A Family Tradition

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful readers out there...I hope that you are all having an amazing holiday season so far.  

This time of year is so special to me.  Many of my very best memories from childhood were made during the Christmas season.  Christmas was such a magical time around our house.  When I was little, my grandmother would read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to us, as we lay there filled with the excitement that only Christmas Eve can bring.  As we tried and tried unsuccessfully to go to sleep, there would always be some sort of noise on the roof, and she'd exclaim, "WAIT!  DID YOU HEAR THAT?!?  I think that I just heard Santa on the roof!"  She'd look at us with a twinkle in her eye and a huge smile on her face, and it's moments like those that make me still believe in Santa to this day.  ;-)

I can also remember going to visit family on Christmas Eve, and it would usually be dark outside on the drive back home.  My grandmother would look out the car window, see a red light in the sky, and excitedly exclaim, "LOOK, LOOK....I see Rudolph's red nose!!!  We better hurry home because Santa is getting close!"  I'd see that red light and be overcome with giddiness. 

On Christmas morning, me and my sisters would wake up and excitedly rush out of bed and wait at the top of the stairs until everyone was ready with cameras in-hand for us to come down.  It always seemed like we had to wait for 2 hours, while we actually probably only had to wait for 2 minutes.  Once we were given the okay, we'd rush down those stairs, making a b-line for the Christmas tree to see what Santa had brought.

In the days leading up to Christmas, my mom and grandmother would make mountains of candy, and I can remember standing on a chair up next to the counter so that I could help.  My grandmother would always put one of my granddaddy's undershirts on me over my clothes so that I wouldn't ruin them...haha.  Oh, the memories!  It brings such a smile to my face just writing this post.

We got to make some new memories last weekend, when my Aunt Julie, Uncle Hal and cousin William came to visit.  We had SUCH a wonderful time and stayed up late making delicious candies...One of which were these Martha Washington Candies!  This is the same recipe that my family has always used, so it's my favorite.  

Before last weekend, it had been such a long time since I had made this recipe.  I forgot how amazing they are!  The candy mixture comes together really quickly with the help of a food processor (for the pecans) and a stand mixer, and the fun part is dipping them in the chocolate.

Make these with your loved ones soon...you'll be guaranteed to make holiday memories that you'll cherish forever.

Bon Appetit!

Martha Washington Candy

Source:  Family Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

2 cups pecans, finely chopped

2 lbs confectioner's sugar

1 pkg. chocolate squares

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Roll into balls and chill.  Melt chocolate squares.  Dip the balls in the chocolate with a toothpick, and place on waxed paper to cool.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yields 80 to 90 balls of candy.

***The traditional versions of this recipe incorporate paraffin wax in the dipping chocolate to yield a hard, shiny chocolate coating on the candies...That is how my grandmother used to make this candy.  To do this, you will need:

• 1 cake paraffin wax
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Melt wax and milk chocolate chips together in double boiler. Dip candy in mixture then cool.

Halloween Party 2011

Boy oh boy, do we love Halloween time around our house!  We look forward to our annual Halloween bash every year, and this year was no exception!  I knew it would be hard topping the "Blood Fondue Bar" from last year, but I think I may have pulled it off this year with yummy tricks and treats!  

The menu consisted of:
Forked Eyeballs
Mummy Dogs
Slime-Covered Apples
Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake
Blood-Splattered Popcorn
Secondhand Swabs
Witches Wands
Nutty Ghosts
Kidney Stew
Bat Brew (aka coffee)

Sounds yummy, right?!?

I was so happy that so many of our family members got to come.  My sisters, and my aunt, uncle and cousin even came from out of town.  I couldn't have pulled the party off without their help! We were excited to dress up and have some fun with everybody!  After all, you're never too grown-up to put on a costume and party, right??


Here are some fun shots from the night...I'll start with the food:

Slime-Covered Apples (aka Caramel Apples!)

I used Caramel Bits...they worked great!!  The caramel didn't turn hard on the apples, so they were still easy to eat. 

"Forked Eyeballs"

These were doughnut holes speared with a fork and dipped in white chocolate, and decorated with one semi-sweet chocolate chip and red icing.

"Mummy Dogs"

Aren't these little guys adorable???  Simply cut a beef frank in half, cut crescent rolls into thin strips, and then wrap them around the beef franks.  Finish them off with two dots of mustard for eyes.

"Nutty Ghosts"

These are simple...just dip Nutter Butters in white chocolate and add two mini chocolate chips for eyes!

"Witches Wands"

These were my favorite!  Just dip pretzel rods into white chocolate and decorate with your favorite Halloween themed sprinkles.

"Secondhand Swabs"

Gross!!!  Brad came up with the name for these.  They are mini marshmallows dipped into caramel...using a toothpick.

"Blood-Splattered Popcorn"

To make this, just melt some butter and stir in enough red food coloring to turn it a deep red color.  Drizzle over popcorn and give the bowl a good stir.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake

"Kidney Stew"

(aka Carol's Famous Chili)

 

Yes, I was Snow White...lol.

Me and the hubby...

Who you gonna call???

Final preparations before the guests start arriving...

Brad surprised me with a fog machine one afternoon before the party...I loved it.  It made our entrance extra spooky!

Scary!!!

A pair of farmers and flowers...How adorable are they?!?

A kitty cat!

We had a costume contest, and "The Baby" was the official winner!  I must have the greatest mom-in-law ever!  ;-)

My sweet angel of a niece.

A pirate and a goddess!  (aka my Aunt Julie and Suzanne)

Me and my sisters

Group shot!

 

Spooky Centerpiece

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!