Some foodstuffs we've made recently. ^_^
We made these packages for Christmas gifts this year, and everyone loved them. Everything was homemade from scratch.
The caramels by themselves. I was surprised at how easy it is to make candy. ^_^
Hot chocolate- a treat for everyone after being in the cold coming back from school. I always use french vanilla liquid creamer to cool it a little, and top it with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
French toast- Kyra's favorite breakfast. I make the batter with eggs, milk, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Then I dip the bread in and fry it in butter and top it with powdered sugar when it's done.
Additional recipes:
Chocolate chip cookies is just the Too House cookie recipe from the back of the bag.
Chocolate Truffles
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces good-quality semi- or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Your choice of flavoring (see below)
Your choice of coating (see below)
DIRECTIONS
Heat chocolates, butter and milk in a pan until chocolates and butter are partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Whisk in desired flavoring until creamy-smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and let stand until firm enough to hold its shape, about 2 hours.
Using a tablespoon (a spring-action 1 Tb. scoop is ideal), mold chocolate into balls, 1 level Tb. at a time, and place on a cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper.
Place desired coating in a small bowl. Working one at a time, drop truffles into the bowl with greased fingertips. Shake bowl back and forth so truffles are completely coated. If necessary, roll truffles by hand to make round. Return to parchment. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month.) Before serving, let stand at room temperature to soften slightly.
Flavoring options
Orange: 6 Tbs. orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, and 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Coffee: 6 Tbs. coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahluah and 1 tsp. instant coffee
Raspberry: 6 Tbs. raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
Coating options
1 cup of minced sweetened, flaked coconut
1 cup of minced roasted pistachios
1 cup of minced toasted walnuts
1 cup of sifted unsweetened cocoa
1 cup of sprinkles
(My notes: I used a small [airplane] bottle of coconut rum in one batch and rolled them in shredded coconut. In the other batch I used hazlenut flavored coffee syrup and rolled them in chopped hazlenuts.)
Shortbread Cookie Recipe
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and sugar in large bowl. Stir in flour. If dough is crumbly, mix in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut dough with cookie cutters into desired shapes. The dough can even be cut with a knife into wedges or strips for interesting designs. Bake about 20 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
(My notes: I had made a third batch of truffles and had used too much prepared coffee to flavor it. It came out the consistency of icing, so I used it to make shortbread cookie sandwiches, icing the one and putting another on top of it. YUM!!!)
Toffee
2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan combine butter, sugar, and salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted.
Stirring occasionally, allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color and the temperature has reached 285F (137C), or has reached the hard ball stage.
Remove from heat.
While toffee is cooking cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
As soon as the toffee reaches room temperature pour it onto the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let sit for a minute or two to soften, then spread evenly over the toffee.
Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate and press in slightly. (Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.)
Place the toffee into the refridgerator to chill until set. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Caramel
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup (I used dark)
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBS butter, plus extra for greasing
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Prepare a baking pan by greasing it with butter and/or lining it with waxed paper.
Place all ingredients except butter and vanilla into a saucepan.
Stir the mixture over medium heat with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.
Add the butter and stir until it melts and is well incorporated and the mixture begins to boil.
Cook without stirring until the syrup is 248F, or at the firm ball stage.
Add the vanilla, mix well, and pour out into the baking pan.
Allow to cool, then cut into 1 inch squares.
Store in an airtight container.
(My notes: Placing the pan in the freezer for a few minutes helps it cut and come out of the pan easier. Also, we cut pieces of waxed paper to wrap each piece in. That kept them from sticking and made them look prettier.)
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut
1 cup brown sugar (I used dark)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Place rounded TBS full onto a greased cookie sheet.
Press the balls down with a fork in a criss-cross shape.
Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until a thin crust forms covering all of the cookie.