Not quite done with the holiday treats yet. These peanut butter cups were very easy to make and are way better than any you will find at the store. This is the kind of treat that requires minimal effort, but will impress the hell out of others. A batch of these peanut butter cups would make a great holiday gift.
Peanut butter cups
(adapted from marthastewart.com)
Makes 24
4 oz. chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used all natural and it worked well)
12 oz. chopped semisweet chocolate
~1/2 cup roasted (unsalted) peanuts chopped (I pulsed the peanuts in the food processor a few times)
Line 2 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners. Combine the white chocolate and peanut butter and melt over a double boiler. Set aside. Melt semisweet chocolate over a double boiler. Use a spoon to layer semisweet chocolate and peanut butter mixture into liners, beginning and ending with chocolate, sprinkle top with peanuts (I lightly pushed them down into the chocolate to make sure they were set). Place muffin tins in the freezer until peanut butter cups are firm (~20 minutes). Store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
This one I love. My (now) sister-in-law brought some Peppermint bark to Christmas dinner a number of years ago and it was fantastic. And since I have no idea if she'll be bringing any this year, I made my own. It was super easy, and if you like Peppermint bark, I suggest making it yourself too.
chopped chocolate
This version has both white and dark chocolate (I honestly can't remember if the first batch of bark I had included dark chocolate). I like the contrasting flavors of the sweet white chocolate and the bitter dark chocolate. It goes very nicely with the minty candy canes on top. Yummy! melting chocolate
This is easy to make - melt the dark chocolate, layer on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and stick in the refrigerator to harden. Then melt the white chocolate and layer on top of the dark chocolate. Top with chopped candy canes (press down to get them to stick). Back in the refrigerator to harden, then break up the bark with your hands.
Christmas time means cookies, candies, and treats. Tasty, yes. But making all the cookies, candies, and treats can be a bitch. I'm looking forward to the 25th when it's cooking utensils down, and I can sit, eat and drink my favorite meal of the year. Can't wait!
In the meantime, I made these cookies to go along with the peanut butter blossoms. I really like the combination of chocolate and mint, so these cookies sounded appealing. They weren't bad, but they weren't the best either. The cookie was too sweet and didn't have enough chocolate taste. But the melted mint candy in the middle is a nice touch. Other people seemed to really like them, but I wasn't quite satisfied. I'll make them again - next time less sugar, more chocolate. A word of advice - don't be an idiot and store these cookies with the peanut butter blossoms (like me)... unless you like the combination of chocolate, mint, and peanut butter. I don't.
Chocolate mint cookies
(allrecipes.com)
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints (Andes mints)
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer.
My bf gave gave a Le Creuset dutch oven for my birthday this year. Obviously, I love it. I've been using all the time, partly because it's awesome, and partly because it's too heavy to move away from the stove. Good thing it's my favorite shade of green and I like to look at it.
One of the first dishes I made with my favorite new toy was a version of the French classic, Coq au Vin. Chopped mushrooms, celery, carrots, shallots, garlic, and fresh herbs lend flavor to chicken pieces braised in red wine and chicken broth.
Hmm..... random weekday night, I'm hungry, it's late - what should I eat? Wild rice? Okay, I'll cook that with some veggie broth for added flavor. Fry up tofu, set it aside. In the same pan, saute chopped onions and garlic. Add some shiitakes, cook 'em up. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add the tofu back to the pan. Add swiss chard, cook until just wilted. Season again. Throw the veggies over the rice. Want some more protein? Add some poached eggs. Tasty, easy, and (if you don't stop to take a bunch of pictures) pretty quick too.
Posts
