Christmas Sweets

My wife posted these across the street earlier today and I figured I'd post them here. They are recipes from one of our local magazines. If anyone has any they would like to add for other members, feel free to post them. My wife and I would love to try some holiday recipes from other parts.


Chocolate Truffles
(Ganache)

Makes about 40 Truffles
Prep Time: 20 Minutes (not including time set aside to cool)

Ingredients
16 ounces gourmet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 ounce liqueur
optional toppings

Break up 16 ounces of gourmet chocolate such as Lindt and place in bowl. Microwave 1 cup heavy cream for 2 minutes (hot but not boiling). Add up to 1 ounce of liqueur or 1/2 tsp of extract to cream, if flavors are desired. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Let sit and melt a bit.

Whisk until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temp. Do not place in refrigerator. Takes several hours. Ideally, leave out over night.
The next day, scoop Ganache out of bowl with tsp or small scoop and roll like a meatball between palms. Drop little balls onto baking tray lined with wax paper.
Put in freezer for 10 minutes to harden slightly. Roll balls in desired topping, if desired (cocoa powder, chopped nuts, etc.)

Coating Optional
prep Time: 1 to 2 hours

Break up 16 ounces of gourmet chocolate and place in microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave 20 seconds at a time just to soften. It will melt when you stir.
Set on fork and dip Ganache balls into chocolate. If chocolate thickens while working, microwave for 20 seconds. Let excess drip and set on tray.

Add edible ornament before coating dries. (Tip: use ornaments that hint at what's inside. For example, a coffee bean for espresso truffles; almond for Amaretto truffles.) Or buy a bag of candy melts, place in plastic bag and microwave 20 seconds. Cut edge of bag and squeeze designs onto truffles. Once dry, place in small baking cups found at craft stores. Offer on a silver platter or in a dainty cardboard box tied with ribbon.

You can also use shaved coconut,candies,chocolate, or caramel.

If you want to make kid friendly truffles follow the same recipe, but instead of gourmet chocolate use milk chocolate. Skip the chocolate coating, instead set up bowls of kid friendly toppings to roll the balls of Ganache in. Here are some ideas: Rice Krispies, crumbled cookies, gummy bears, crumbled graham crackers, candy sprinkles, dried fruit, crushed nuts, crumbled cake, and shaved coconut.

Caramel Banana Cream Pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes (includes refrigerating time)

Ingredients
1 Sliced Banana
1 (6oz) Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg JELLO Vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
2 cups French Vanilla Cool Whip divided
1/4 cup Caramel Topping

Arrange - bananas on bottom of crust
Pour - milk into large bowl.Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of cool whip; spoon into crust
Refrigerate - 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining cool whip and drizzle with caramel topping.

Dunno what you call this..guess pecan/cheese goodness

take a tortilla shell, sprinkle it with chopped pecans and shredded havarti cheese, place another tortilla on top...place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins...serve with pear preserves...it may sound a little weird but its delicious.

Cookie Wreath

Ingredients
2 pkgs of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough
1 pkg Cake Mate easy squeeze white icing
Red and Green Sprinkles

1)Heat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with foil. Cut dough into 36 slices about 1/4 inch thick.

2)Arrange slices, slightly overlapping in a circle with 12 inch outer diameter on foil-lined cookie sheet. Creating 2 overlapping rings of cookie dough. Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on foil.

3)When completely cooled, carefully remove foil. Ice wreath with frosting; decorate with sprinkles.

Sounds good Leon, thanks for adding to the thread

Spiced Pecans
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 cups (1lb) pecan halves
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 large egg whites
salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecans on large baking sheet (with sides) and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Melt butter in large roasting pan.

Remove pan from heat once butter has melted and set aside while you prepare nuts. In electric mixer, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form. Beat in cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Fold in nuts gently and spread coated nuts in the roasting pan, stirring until coated with butter. Bake until meringue is crispy, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Break apart and serve or store in an airtight container.

Easy Tiramisu Pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes (including refrigeration time)

Ingredients
48 Nilla Wafers, divided
1/4 cup brewed strong Maxwell House coffee, cooled and divided
4 ounce (1/2 of an 8 ounce pkg) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg Jello Vanilla flavored instant pudding and pie filling
2 cups French Vanilla cool whip
1 square Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate, grated

Arrange 36 of the wafers on bottom and up side of a 9 inch pie plate. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the coffee.

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Gently stir in cool whip. Spread half of the pudding mixture over wafers on bottom of crust; top with layers of half of the chocolate and remaining wafers. Drizzle with remaining coffee. Cover with remaining pudding mixture and remaining chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Chocolate - Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 50 cookies

Ingredients
3 egg whites
7.4 ounces powdered sugar
1tsp lemon juice
8.8 ounces coconut flakes
3.5 ounces chocolate
Parchment paper to line baking sheet

Beat egg whites until stiff. Slowly add powdered sugar and then add lemon juice. Slowly stir in coconut until well mixed. Using 2 tsp, spoon mixture onto cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Melt chocolate and dip or drizzle over each cookie.

Creme Brule Martini

Ingredients
3 ounces Vodka
1 and 1/2 ounces Frangelico
1 ounce Buttershots (Butterscotch liqueur)
Cream

Mix ingredients over ice and strain into a martini glass. Dip glass rim in raw sugar, if desired.

Raspberry Linzer Torte
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Baking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
4.4 ounces butter, at room temp
8.2 ounces sugar
Grated peel of 1/2 lemon
10.6 ounces flour
1 tsp baking powder
5.3 ounces ground almonds
1 egg
4 tbsp rum extract
6 tsp milk
1 tsp ginger
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
8.2 ounces raspberry jam
1 egg yolk
confectionary sugar
10 inch bakingform pan
Star shaped cookie cutter

Beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar and lemon peel. Work in flour, baking powder, almonds, egg, rum flavoring, 4 tbsp milk, ginger, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Refrigerate 1 hour. Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour bakingform pan. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Line bakingform pan up to about 1 inch around the side. Spread jam on dough. Cut shapes with a cookie cutter into the excess dough to decorate the top of the jam.Beat egg yolk and 2 tbsp of milk. Brush star cookies. Bake torte in oven for about 50 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle top with confectionary sugar.

Well thats all that was in the magazine so here are a couple more that I stumbled upon.


Ambrosia-Egg Nog Candy Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned or dairy egg nog
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped, candied cherries
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions
Butter sides of heavy 3-quart saucepan. In prepared pan, combine sugar, egg nog and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to boiling.

Cook to soft ball stage (238 degrees) without stirring. Immediately remove from heat; cool to lukewarm (110 degrees) without stirring.

Add butter and vanilla. Beat vigorously until very thick and candy just starts to lose its gloss, about 8 minutes.

Quickly stir in cherries and coconut; pour into buttered 8 x 4 x 3- inch loaf pan.

Chocolate Balls Recipe

Ingredients
2 Sticks butter
1 1/2 cup Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup Chopped pecans
1 cup Coconut
1 Box powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Vanilla
12 ounces crunchy peanut butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cake paraffin wax (1/4 pound size cakes)

Directions
Melt butter in large container. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, pecans, coconut, powdered sugar and vanilla; add peanut butter and mix well. Roll into walnut size balls and lay out on waxed paper.

Melt chocolate and paraffin together over hot water. Using 2 teaspoons (or any method you prefer) dip each ball into mixture returning to waxed paper. The balls will cool quickly.