2010 Neighbor Holiday Gift - Peppermint Bark, Again

Do you have a favorite treat you expect a certain neighbor to deliver during the holidays? Sherry always makes me caramel popcorn and Amy makes delicious Chex Mix.

I wanted to be the owner of Peppermint Bark and have friends near and far clamoring for a bag. Until.. I got bored of making it. So for 2010, I tried switching to fudge.

Guess what...I broke down and bought the chocolate and candy canes as too many requests for Peppermint Bark have been denied.

Here's my recipe:

15 oz Merken's milk chocolate disks (called Cocoa Lite)
15 oz Merken's white chocolate disks
14 drops peppermint oil
1 box (12) Bob's crushed candy canes

In a microwave-proof bowl, melt the milk chocolate in 30-second increments until smooth. Add 7 drops of peppermint oil (approx 1 tsp.). Spread in a jelly roll pan, banging the sides of the pan to even the layer.

While this layer cools slightly, melt white chocolate in 30-second increments until smooth. Add 7 drops of peppermint oil (approx 1 tsp.).

Check milk chocolate layer. When it starts to cloud over, but is not completely set, gently drizzle the white chocolate across entire pan. Using a spatula, smooth out the white chocolate, covering the milk chocolate. Do not mix too aggressively or you will end up with marbled bark.

Sprinkle candy cane pieces onto the white chocolate and press. Allow the chocolate to set. Using a butter knife or dough knife, break chocolate away from sides of the pan and into bite-sized pieces.

1 pan = 11-4 oz bags

Favorite Holiday Appetizer-Baked Havarti with Dill

Have you tried this? so easy and so tasty

1 block of Havarti cheese (you can buy Havarti with Dill too, saves 1 step)
dill
1 package Cresent rolls

Unwrap cheese, sprinkle with dill, wrap with rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until roll dough is cooked.

Serve with crackers and try and share, please.

If you buy the cheese with dill in it, no need to sprinkle with dill, in case you didn't get that part.

Happy Appetizer-ing!

Salted Peanut Chews- Cookie Exchange

The PTA meeting tomorrow includes a cookie exchange. As I prepare the budget and reimbursement checks, my mind is already thinking of an easy "bar" cookie that will cut into 36 bites. Try these Salted Peanut Chews. I think the original recipe was a Pillsbury Bake Off winner, but this version doesn't include any Pillsbury products.

Salted Peanut Chews

Crust
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
2/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

3 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping
2/3 c corn syrup
1/4 c margarine or butter
1 package peanut butter chips (12 oz)
2 tsp vanilla

2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar. Add in egg yolks. Add remaining dry ingredients except marshmallows and mix on low speed until crumbly. Press firmly in bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Open oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows over the top. Bake an additional 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows just begin to puff. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing topping.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, heat corn syrup, margarine, vanilla and peanut butter chips, just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal and peanuts. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows. Spread as needed. Note: Spooning equally is better than trying to spread so you don't mess up the marshmallows. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.

Baby Shower & Tomato Soup Bar

One of my dear friends from the Wasatch Advisor Days is having her first baby! Perfect excuse to gather some "alumni" and celebrate the new boy's arrival in Jan. With the temperatures dropping, I thought a warm, cozy soup bar would be an easy meal.

Here's the menu-

Tomato Soup Bar with variety of mix-ins
Wilted Mixed Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Vegetables & Dip
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Sugar Cookies

Try this at your next gathering- an easy way to do pot luck meal too

Tomato Soup
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs flour
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3 cubes Knorr's beef bullion
4 cups water
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1/2 tsp each: pepper, oregano, tarragon and cumin

Saute onion and garlic in butter and oil. Stir in flour and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly. Blend in tomato sauce and tomatoes, crumbled buillion cubes, water and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors.

To Serve: Add your choice of condiments
ham, chicken, shrimp, cheeses, green red or yellow peppers, green chilies, beans (garbanzo, kidney, black), celery, cucumber, green peas, chopped olives, grated carrots, croutons, raisins, cilantro, whatever you can think up!

Makes about 10 servings of basic tomato soup. We just picked 10 of the toppings above and went with a Southwestern tasting theme.

Stay tuned for the Pumpkin Cake Roll recipe

Pumpkin Bread Thanks

We had a terrific Primary Program on Sunday. Some how the 90-minute practice was condensed into a perfectly-timed 50-minute presentation on My Eternal Family. The 40+ kids sang beautifully and the talks were sweet and inspiring.

None of it would have happened without great people helping along the way, the teachers, the music leaders and wonderful leadership from AK, CS and SJ. Here's a link to my favorite song, "The Family is of God"

To thank all involved, I got busy making a triple batch of my favorite pumpkin bread.A few hours and 21 loaves later, everyone received their snack. Now that the weather's colder, I could eat pumpkin anything 3 times a day!

This recipe makes 3 big loaves or 7-8 mini loaves. I buy my tin pans in bulk from a local restaurant supply store--makes for easy giving of baked goods!

Pumpkin Bread
3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. water
1 1-lb. can pumpkin

Beat together sugar, eggs and oil. Sift in dry ingredients.
Then, add pumpkin and water. Optional ingredients: nuts, raisins or chocolate chips.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Makes three large loaves or 7-8 mini loaves. Cook mini loaves for 35 minutes or until done.

Aunt Carolyn's Sugar Cookies

Ready to make some holiday sugar cookies? My kids look forward to frosting and decorating these sugar cookies every year.

Try some yourself-

Carolyn's Sugar Cookies
1 1/3 c. margarine 1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs
2Tbs + 2 tsp. milk 4 c. flour
1 Tbs. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream margarine and sugar. Add vanilla, eggs and milk. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder. Chill 1 hour. Roll dough to 1/4"-1/2" thick on lightly dusted board (I use powdered sugar, not flour). Cut shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

Frosting
3/4 square margarine or butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
a dash of almond flavoring
food coloring

Seattle Teriyaki Salmon

We had some friends over for a BBQ around the 4th of July. I've owed them this recipe since then.

As published in the Make-A-Wish Foundation cookbook, "Favorites", From Ray's Boathouse, a favorite spot in Seattle

Seattle Salmon Teriyaki

1 quart soy sauce
1 pound brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup white wine
6 salmon fillets, about 8-ounces each
3 Tbs sesame seeds

Toast sesame seeds under broiler and set aside. Prepare marinade by combining all ingredients except salmon and sesame seeds. Place fillets in this mixture and marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

Remove salmon from marinade, put in a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place on a grill. cover loosely and grill about 7 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes when pressed with a fork. Do not overcook. Tope with sesame seeds and serve.

Molten Lava Cakes (aka Half-Baked Cakes)

My husband once went to a Morton's Steakhouse where he discovered the Chocolate Lava Cake. Being the nice and thoughtful wife, I went right to my mom and asked her to make this cake for his birthday. This was about 5 years ago, starting a tradition of half-baked cakes and large-scale ramekin prep work to rival a restaurant kitchen.

The key to getting this cake to ooze like molten lava is knowing your oven. You can make this and chill in the dishes and cook just as many as you want to eat. You'll want to experiment with 1-2 dishes at a time until you get the right temperature and time for your climate and oven. Good luck!

Molten Chocolate Cake by Marguerite Henderson
Pans
2 T. butter
2 T. sugar

Butter 8-6 oz. ramekins with the 2 T butter and sprinkle with sugar, shaking off the excess. Set aside.

Cakes
6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and the butter. Cool slightly. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar, melted chocolate and the flour. Pour into prepared ramekins, dividing equally. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. (Can be made several hours ahead.) Cover and chill until ready to bake.

Preheat overn to 450 degrees. Bake cakes 10-12 minutes, until edges are cooked but center is still soft. Remove from oven. While still warm, run a small knift around cakes to loosen. Turn out onto serving plates. Place topside up.

Garnish
Serve with ice cream of choice, sliced strawberries, powdered sugar and/or mint sprigs. Serves 8.

Enjoy!