Today I am giving you a recipe that is not as "chocolate" as the ones I have posted so far, but every bit as delicious. This Chocolate Chip Cheesecake recipe is another family favorite and has been around a long time. The Oreo cookie crust is topped with a layer of cheesecake and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, giving it just a touch of chocolate flavor. It's simple to make which is a plus this time of year! It will slice easier and taste better once it sits in the fridge for a little while so make it ahead of time if you can. Four to six hours is great but a day ahead is even better.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookies crushed ( about 20 )
1/4 cup melted butter
Cheesecake
3-8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
1 teaspoon flour
Instructions
Crust
Mix crushed cookies with melted butter. Press into a spring form pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cheesecake
Mix cream cheese, milk, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
In a separate bowl, toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips in 1 teaspoon of flour, Add to cream cheese mixture.
Pour mixture into pan.
Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top of cheesecake. Do not mix in.
Bake for 1 hour.
Once cheesecake is cool, place in refrigerator with pan until ready to serve. Remove outside of spring form pan before cutting.
When I discovered this recipe for chocolate sugar cookies on Sweetapolita, I knew I had to try it. I make sugar cookies all of the time but I had never made chocolate sugar cookies. Once I tried them, I couldn't wait to include them in Chocolate Covered Christmas. They are delicious and so unique. I dressed them up for the holidays but you can make them any time of the year in any shape!
Happy Baking!
Leslie xo
Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Author: Adapted from the recipe from Sweetapolita
Ingredients
6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/4 cups dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, cold
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes,
Beat egg whites until just combined.
Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Add vanilla and blend.
Remove 1/2 of dough from bowl, make a ball, and then flatten to form a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with second half of dough.
Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes.
Take out one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a large piece of parchment paper.
Roll dough until it is about 1/4" thick. The dough will be a little tough to roll until it softens up.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Slide parchment paper and dough onto a board and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving about 2" between cookies.
Place baking sheet with cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
Bake until cookie edges are just crisp, about 12-15 minutes.
Cool sheets on wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling.
Notes
Cookies may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.They also freeze well in an airtight container.
Making pizzelles with my Italian grandmother is one of my favorite childhood memories. Every so often, my sisters and I would get to sit with her while she carefully made the cookies on her pizzelle iron, two at a time, over and over, until all of the dough was gone. She would make large batches so they would last a long time. Sometimes she let us shape a warm cookie into a bowl and eat ice cream out of it. Such a fun memory! For the holidays, I am changing up my original pizzelle recipe to a chocolate version. The cocoa powder adds a light chocolate flavor and makes the cookie a little crispier. For a pretty display, sprinkle the pizzelles with powdered sugar before serving.
Chocolate Pizzelles
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
pizzelle iron
confectioner's sugar (optional)
Instructions
Prepare and heat pizzelle iron.
Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter and vanilla.
Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon.
Drop a heaping teaspoon of batter in the center of each grid pattern of the pizzelle iron and close. Bake approximately 30 seconds or until cookies are barely brown.
Remove pizzelles from iron with spatula and place flat on counter to cool.
When I was going through my recipes to put together the list for Chocolate Covered Christmas, I decided it wouldn't be complete without this recipe for Triple Chocolate Cake. I have been making this cake for a long time. My children's grandmother made it years ago and shared it with me. It's been a favorite ever since. It's one of those cakes that is so easy to make, it's ridiculous. It starts with a box mix and ends with a moist chocolate cake that is hard to beat with a scratch version. It's so good all by itself it doesn't need frosting, which makes it even easier, but if you want to top it off, by all means, go for it!
Triple Chocolate Cake
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
1 package chocolate ( pudding in the mix ) cake mix
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix by hand until well blended.
Pour batter into greased 10" tube or bundt pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. DO NOT OVER BAKE.
Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.
Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired.
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The snowflakes on top of the cake were simply made by piping royal icing onto parchment paper in a snowflake shape. Once they were dry, I carefully glued them on top of the cake with a dot of icing.
My mom is the master of chocolate fudge in our family. She makes it better than anyone I know. I have tried to make her recipe, and I have failed. I just can't get it right. She has that special touch. Lucky for me, I live near her so I just ask her to make it for me when I want some. She doesn't mind at all! Last year, I found a recipe for Cookie Cutter Fudge on the Betty Crocker website. It looked simple, so I tried it. It is now my go-to fudge recipe when I'm in a pinch. It's so easy to make. You don't need a candy thermometer, just a microwave. It's great for giving too. I pour the fudge into copper cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma and wrap them in a cellophane bag. Perfect hostess gift! The most important thing is that it tastes amazing. It's a great recipe to add to your chocolate collection!
Cookie Cutter Fudge
Author: Adapted from Becky Crocker
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Place cookie cutters on a sheet of foil. Wrap foil securely around bottom and sides of cookie cutter. Lightly spray inside of cookie cutter with cooking spray. Place on cookie sheet.
In a microwavable bowl mix chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, milk and butter.
Microwave uncovered on high 1 to 2 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds, until chips are almost melted. Stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture into cookie cutters, filling to tops of molds OR pour into small rectangular pan.
Refrigerate uncovered 2 hours or until firm.
Decorate with icing and candies ( optional ).
For molded fudge - carefully remove foil and gently press fudge out of molds OR wrap fudge in cookie cutter with plastic and tie with ribbon.
For pan fudge - cut into squares to serve or package.
When my kids were little, every Christmas Eve, they would put on their Christmas jammies, grab pillows and blankets and a little travel cup of hot cocoa and we would get in the car and drive around looking at Christmas lights while we listened to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I always loved that night! This recipe for Hot Cocoa has been tucked in my recipe book for a long time. It's on a little piece of paper in my daughter Lauren's handwriting. I will never rewrite it. I thought it would be fun to share it for Chocolate Covered Christmas. These days we love dark chocolate so I substituted that for milk chocolate. You can use whatever you prefer.
Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
4 cups of whole milk
8 ounces of good quality dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate finely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped Cream or Marshmallows
Instructions
Bring milk to simmer.
Put chocolate, sugar, and vanilla in a blender.
Add simmering milk and blend until foamy and chocolate is melted.
Serve topped with [url href="http://lesliereese.com/?p=2506&/easyrecipe-print/2506-0/" target="_blank"]marshmallows[/url] or whipped cream.
My twin sister and I have been baking together at Christmas time for over 20 years. We chose to make Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies one year simply because of how pretty they looked on the page of one of our cookbooks. Once we made them, we realized they tasted as good as they looked and they have been on the list ever since! We love these cookies because you can make the dough and chop the nuts ahead of time so they are ready to bake when you are!
Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies
Author: Adapted from Martha Stewart Holidays
Serves: Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups finely chopped sliced almonds
For Decoration
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon hot water
chopped almonds for garnish
Instructions
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the vanilla and egg yolk, then flour, salt and finely chopped almonds, mixing well.
Shape dough into 2 rolls each 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place 1 to 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until just slightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter. Add the hot water and stir until smooth. Dip one edge of each cookie into the chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Cool on wax paper on a rack until the chocolate hardens.
About twenty years ago, when my kids were little, I decided to try to make a gingerbread house. I loved to bake and I was pretty crafty so I figured it was worth a shot. I found instructions for a simple gingerbread house in a Martha Stewart Living Holidays book and the rest is history. I loved every step of the process and for years to come, I made a gingerbread house every Christmas. Then life got hectic, the kids got older (I know, shouldn't it be the other way around?) and I sort of fell off the gingerbread wagon. Well, this year I decided to jump back on so I got out my books, pulled the patterns out of the recipe cabinet and went to work. What I realized was, it's not hard to make a gingerbread house but it is time consuming. I forgot that part. I also realized I'm a little rusty. I made a few mistakes (I won't point them out) but I am in love with my gingerbread church and it feels like the good old days when there was one in the house every Christmas.
There are a lot of great resources to get you started. I am partial to books, probably because I like to collect them, but there are plenty of resources online.
Decide what you want to make and cut out the pattern ahead of time. As you might imagine, this part is time consuming. Once you are done making your gingerbread house, save the pattern. If you ever want to make it again, you will be glad you have it.
When you are ready to get started, make your dough. I have a great Gingerbread Dough Recipe below.
Roll your dough and cut out your pattern.
It's not easy to move a piece of dough this big once you roll it out and cut it so I cut my gingerbread right on the parchment paper it will bake on. I slide a flat edge baking sheet under the paper when I'm done cutting and put it in the oven.
Once the gingerbread is baked, I slide the entire sheet of parchment paper right onto a rack to cool.
To make stained glass windows, I baked the gingerbread 2/3 of the way and then took it out of the oven to fill the windows with crushed sour balls in different colors. I put the pan back in the oven to finish baking and to melt the candy.
Once all of the pieces were baked, I spread them out on a table. It's easier to put your structure together if you are organized.
Royal Icing is used to "glue" the pieces together. My favorite Royal Icing Recipe is below. I used a wooden board covered in brown paper as a base for the church.
I piped icing through a decorating bag with a round tip attached to construct the walls. It makes it easier to place the icing where you want it to go.
Start by securing one wall and carefully build from there. Royal Icing is thick and drys fast so the walls tend to stand on their own pretty easily.
Pipe thick lines of icing on the inside of the house.
I switched to a star tip to go over the icing on the outside edges. It looks prettier than a straight line.
Once the walls were standing and dry, I decorated the outside with the Royal Icing.
I did this before I put the roof on.
I added some holiday decorations with colored icing and candy.
I decided to make chocolate shingles for the roof. I simply melted chocolate and spread it out on a tray covered in parchment paper. I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes so the chocolate could harden slightly.
When the chocolate was hard, I cut it into small squares to make shingles and then broke them apart. You have to work fast when you do this because the chocolate will soften as you handle it.
Starting with the bottom edge and working in rows, I tiled the roof with chocolate shingles. I placed them swirled side up because I like the way it looked.
I love to light up my gingerbread houses. I placed battery operated LED lights inside the church. Some patterns do not include a hole for lights so if you want to add lights, remember to cut a small hole in the back of the house before you bake it.
Finally finished!
Happy Holidays!
Leslie xo
Gingerbread Dough
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
6 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup*
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar*
1 cup margarine
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and margarine in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir constantly over medium hear until margarine is melted.
Stir the liquid into the flour mixture in an electric mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Mix on medium to high speed until well blended. Dough will become very stiff.
Form dough into a ball and cover in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate until dough is easy to handle**
Roll dough on parchment paper about 1/8" thick and cut into desired shapes.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Check for air bubbles during baking process and prick with toothpick to deflate them ( I CAREFULLY tap them with my finger)
Slide gingerbread onto large cookie sheet or baking rack to cool, making sure all pieces lie flat.
Notes
*Dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar may be substituted and will result in darker dough
**Do not refrigerate dough more than a few minutes. You just want to cool it until it is easy to work with. This dough starts out a little sticky but becomes very pliable and is actually easy to work with. You can use a little bit of flour to get it started but after the first roll or two it will roll nicely with out it.
3.1.09
Royal Icing
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
3 eggs whites at room temperature
1 16 oz box confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Place egg whites in an electric mixing bowl.
Stir cream of tartar into egg whites.
Add confectioner's sugar to egg whites and mix on low speed, scraping bowl, until well blended .
Turn mixer on high and beat until mixture is thick and white and holds stiff peaks about 5 -6 minutes.
Once the icing is finished you will want to cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap as it will dry quickly and form a crust.
One of the things I love about writing a blog is the opportunity it gives me to connect with lots of wonderful people. Today I am participating in aHoliday Treat Party that is being hosted by Molly Allen from CAKEfyi. I met Molly through my connection with Best Friends For Frosting. Molly is one of the editors there. She has her own blog full of dessert recipes and inspiration. When she asked me to participate in this fun little party, I was happy to contribute. The recipe I am sharing is for Snow Ball Cookies. My sister Linda and I bake them every year at Christmas time. They are a fun cookie to add to a white themed dessert bar or holiday table. Check out the recipe and then head over to CAKEfyi to keep the party going. There will be lots of great dessert recipes and a giveaway, just in time for the holidays!
Enjoy!
Leslie xo
Snow Ball Cookies
Author: Leslie Reese and Linda Collins
Ingredients
1 cup of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange juice
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Confectioner's sugar for rolling the snow balls
Instructions
Cream butter, sugar and honey until fluffy.
Mix in confectioner's sugar, flour, salt and orange juice.
Add pecans.
Wrap dough and refrigerate for several hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough, 1 teaspoon at a time, into balls.
Place balls on baking sheet and bake 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on racks.
Roll cooled cookies in confectioner's sugar*
Notes
* place a few balls at a time in a Ziploc bag of confectioner's sugar and toss gently to coat evenly
Christmas Cookies from one of the Annual Cookie Baking Extravaganza's with my twin sister.
How can it be that the first week of December is already gone? This time of year always seems to move faster than the rest. Maybe it's because we are busy doing things that make the holidays special, like decorating, shopping and baking. Christmas is my favorite time to bake. I look forward to it every year. I am actually in San Diego right now with my twin sister for our annual Christmas Cookie Baking Party. We spend a few days baking our favorite cookies and we always try something new. I'll share more about this trip later but for now I thought I'd share some of the things that inspire me when it comes to baking. They are my go-to blogs and websites for great recipes and holiday cheer! Check them out and you might find an idea or two! Happy Friday!
There is something fun about marshmallows. They add a little "happy" to campfires, hot chocolate and rocky road ice cream. I have been wondering for some time, if it was easy to make homemade marshmallows. If it was, wouldn't those s'mores and cups of cocoa taste so much better? I see recipes and photos of pretty, fluffy white marshmallows and imagine the mess it must take to create one perfect batch. So I decided to try it myself. I found a recipe over at Smitten Kitchenand it looked like a good one, so I went for it, and it really was easy. There are a few steps involved but they are not difficult and the result was well worth the time it took. The best part was the taste. They were delicious!
You start by heating the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.
You will need a candy thermometer to make marshmallows. You have to boil the mixture until the thermometer reaches 240 degrees.
The hot mixture gets added to a bowl of dissolved gelatin and is whipped with an electric mixer until it triples in size and is very thick and white.
You will beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. *TIP* I had my hot mixture whipping in the electric standing mixer while I beat the egg whites with a hand-mixer in a separate bowl. You could also do one at a time but I wanted to move a little faster.
You will beat the egg whites, sugar mixture and vanilla until combined.
When the marshmallow is mixed, it gets poured into a 13 x 9 pan that has been greased and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
The marshmallow has to be chilled for a few hours or overnight before it can be cut.
Once the marshmallow is chilled, it can be inverted onto a cutting board that has been dusted with confectioner's sugar.
If you are going to use cookie cutters to make marshmallow shapes, you will want to dip them in confectioner's sugar before each cut to avoid sticking.
Cut your marshmallow into desired shapes.
Once the shapes were cut, I dusted the marshmallows with confectioner's sugar to keep them from sticking (and because it looked pretty).
I decided to make marshmallow snowflakes. Most of them came out great. You can see how light and fluffy they are. Use your favorite cookie cutters or use a sharp, thin knife to cut squares. There were a lot of pieces left over once I cut out the shapes. I cut them into small pieces with kitchen scissors that were dipped in confectioner's sugar.
I am so glad I decided to try this recipe. It was a lot of fun and really easy to do. I will not hesitate to make my own batch whenever I need some marshmallows in a recipe or on a dessert bar. They really are that easy!
Have fun!
Leslie xo
Homemade Marshmallows
Author: Leslie Reese
Serves: Makes 1 13x9 pan
Adapted from [url href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/06/springy-fluffy-marshmallows/" target="_blank"]Smitten Kitchen[/url]
Ingredients
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 1/2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup cold water divided
2 cups sugar
1/2 light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
Grease bottom and sides of a metal 13 x 9 pan and dust with confectioner's sugar.
In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and let stand to soften.
In a 3 quart heavy saucepan, cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, 2nd 1/2 cup of water and salt on low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240 degrees Fahrenheit, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
With standing or hand-held electric mixer, beat mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer.
In separate medium bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.
Beat egg whites and vanilla into sugar mixture until just combined.
Pour mixture into baking pan.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar evenly over top.
Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to one day.
Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board.
With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut into squares or cut with cookie cutters dipped in confectioner's sugar.
Toss marshmallows in remaining confectioner's sugar and put in storage bags or containers.
Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. For me, it's a happy time because the season is full of celebration, fond memories and tradition. It's a nostalgic time of year. A time to reflect on favorite moments from the past and a time to look forward to what the future will bring. We started decorating our house early this year so we could take our time, enjoy the moment and soak it all in before things get hectic. These are some of my favorite things this week. They are things that bring me joy. Happy Friday!
Going to the Christmas tree farm to wander around and cut down our tree.
Vintage Santa glasses from when I was a little girl. They are more than 40 years old. I still love them.
I bought this wooden Pinocchio ornament in Rome during a family trip to Italy. It reminds me of the wonderful time we had.
A Santa jar that my son made for me when he was little. It is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.
Vintage Christmas ornaments that were passed down from my maternal grandmother. I treasure each one.
The first snow. A beautiful start to the holiday season.
The holidays are in full swing and that means there are social events and parties on the calendar. I don't know about you but I am always looking for hostess gifts that are festive but useful too. This year I thought I'd take a simple recipe for Chinese Fried Walnuts, change it up a bit and put the finished product in a handmade holiday gift box that can be used again.
My mother has been making Chinese Fried Walnuts for years. I have memories of her frying them in the kitchen during the holidays and we would sneak a few when we walked by because they were so good. I love fried walnuts but I love pecans even more so I decided to switch out the walnuts for pecans this time to try something new. They turned out great. Feel free to use walnuts though, if you prefer. They are delicious too!
Take about a pound of raw, shelled nuts (I am using pecans) and put them into a pot of boiling water.
Boil for one minute.
Drain the nuts and quickly rinse them in hot water.
Toss nuts in a cup of sugar.
Fry nuts in oil until they are light brown 3-5 minutes.
Carefully scoop nuts out of the oil and drain.
Cool nuts on parchment paper, then break apart. Store in an airtight container.
I wanted to give my nuts as hostess gifts so I placed them in a festive box. These pretty patterned gift boxes were actually purchased for the guests to use as take home containers at the candy bar at my daughters wedding. We simply hot glued an acrylic snow flake ornament (purchased at Michael's Craft Store) to the top of each box. We had some left over so I decided to get them out and use them for gifts this year. They are perfect for all types of small items and they can even be used as a decoration. It's a simple thing that makes presenting the gift a little more fun!
Enjoy!
Leslie xo
Chinese Fried Pecans
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
1 lb pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
salt to taste
Instructions
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Add nuts and boil for one minute.
Drain nuts in a colander and quickly rinse with hot water.
Toss nuts with sugar.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add nuts to oil and fry until light brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Carefully remove nuts from hot oil with a slotted or mesh spoon and drain in a colander over saucepan.
Spoon nuts onto parchment paper to cool.
When nuts are completely cooled, sprinkle with salt to taste and break apart.
Notes
If you are placing nuts in a gift box or container that is not airtight, place them in a plastic bag first so they stay fresh.
If you spend any time at all on social media, the days leading up to Thanksgiving were full of conversation about how everyone was celebrating the holiday. Some people had a quiet day planned, and some people had houses that were bursting at the seams with family and friends. Regardless of the size of your gathering, I hope you had a wonderful day. Our day was quiet this year and my favorite part was having all four of my kids together, in one place, at the same time. That is always the perfect day, and for that alone I am grateful. Here are some favorite shots from the day. Happy Friday!
This year we decided to make a brined turkey. It was delicious!
One of the best parts of Thanksgiving was having my grandson as my little helper. Words cannot describe how much I love this child!
New addition to our menu this year, Green Bean Bundles with Brown Sugar. Amazing!
My little sister's famous pumpkin roll recipe. A must have each year!
FaceTime with my sisters in California. So grateful for this technology! We connected with family members everywhere!
Whether you are spending time with family and friends, shopping or traveling home, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
This post is going to be short but sweet! Thanksgiving is only days away. Soon most of us will be gathering with family and friends to enjoy good food and great company. It’s an awesome weekend that can also be very busy. There are so many things to think about and lots of food to prepare. So when it comes to cocktails, I’m keeping it simple. I found a great recipe for a Fall Sangria on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. It’s a little different than the Sangria recipes I shared this summer. It has the taste of fall with apple cider, bourbon and cinnamon. I made it for a party that I was having and it was amazing so I shared the original link on my Facebook page. I decided to share it here on the blog too in case you missed it. It’s perfect because it can be made in a large batch ahead of time and most people like it. So easy! Oh and if you want to jazz it up a bit for the holidays, just dress up the glasses like I did with cinnamon sticks tied with lemon and orange peels. All you need is a lemon zester. A simple trick that makes a huge difference!
Fall Sangria
Author: Leslie Reese
[url href="http://www.nerve.com/advice/drink-this-cocktail-fall-sangria" target="_blank"]Adapted from the recipe by Alicia from Tuffet[/url]
Ingredients
2 oranges, cut into small pieces
1 lemon, cut into small pieces
2 apples, cut into small pieces
1-2 cup bourbon
½ cup triple sec
¼ cup simple syrup
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 bottles Sauvignon Blanc
3 cups apple cider
Instructions
Combine all ingredients except the wine and apple cider in a container and allow to marinate at least a day.
A few hours before serving, combine mixture with 2 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and 3 cups apple cider in a punch bowl or larger container and adjust to taste.
Garnish with chopped apples, cinnamon sticks or citrus peels (optional)
Makes enough for a small party or a medium-sized punch bowl.
Notes
*the original recipe includes 3-4 teaspoons of hot sauce which I omitted. Feel free to add that if you want the extra kick!
You know when someone asks you what you would want to have if you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one thing? Well my answer to that question would be trail mix. Silly I know, but I seriously love the stuff and whether I'm traveling, sitting on a beach or shopping for the day, I will usually have trail mix with me. It's perfect because it's full of protein, has just enough sugar to keep me happy and you don't really have to stop doing what you are doing to eat it. I laughed at myself when I realized just how hooked on the stuff I am when I was packing my bags to go out of town this week. I had to make a special trip to the trail mix bar at Wegmans just so I could stock up. Here are my favorite things that I put into this batch. Happy Friday!
When I was designing jewelry, I loved coming up with fun and unique ways to display it. I always felt like it was more interesting to look at when it wasn't all lined up in a box. I feel the same way about my own jewelry. I have a beautiful jewelry box where I keep good pieces of jewelry that need special care but I like to keep my fun costume jewelry on hand so I can grab what I want to wear quickly. Years ago I made my own displays using large wooden frames and wire mesh. I have simplified those displays to create a smaller version to put on my dresser. It's so simple and inexpensive to make, I thought I’d share how I did it.
You can pick up what you need at your local craft store. I don't think I spent more than $15 on this project.
Supplies:
wooden frame ~ I bought small wooden frames at Michael's for a dollar.
spray paint ~ I used a can of Krylon Short Cuts paint. It's a small can for only $3.29.
wire mesh or screen ~ I had extra screen left over from a window screen repair. You can buy either at a home improvement store.
black wooden picture easel ~ $4.99
stapler
scissors
decorative gems ( optional ) ~ I found crystal buttons in my jewelry box so I used them as embellishments.
Cover your work area (in a well ventilated room) with newspaper. I painted in my garage.
Spray your frame with paint according to the directions on the can and let it dry.
Once the paint is dry you can begin to assemble the jewelry stand.
Carefully cut the wire mesh to fit the inside of the frame. You will want the mesh to be a little larger than the inside of the frame but not so large it sticks out past the edge. You will be attaching the mesh to the back of the frame.
Carefully staple the mesh along the inside edge on the backside of the frame, keeping the staples about an inch apart.
When you flip the frame over, it should look like this.
If you want to decorate your frame, use hot glue or tacky glue to adhere gems to the frame.
I hot glued crystal buttons to the sides of my frame.
Place the frame on the easel and fill it with jewelry. I put a plain silver ring (used to make earrings) through the mesh so I could also hang my hoop earrings.
Try personalizing your jewelry stand by using different sized frames, painting them different colors or using different easels. A jewelry stand with a pair of earrings attached makes a great gift!
The Hershey Chocolate Factory has been in the news a lot lately due to the fact that The Hershey Company is planning to knock down some of the factory’s original structure. The equipment and some of the factory buildings are outdated and there is apparently no reasonable way to renovate them. Some of the demolition has already begun. When I was a little girl there were public tours of the Hershey Chocolate Factory. I remember watching the chocolate swooshing back and forth as the conches were churning and the wonderful smell of chocolate filled the air. I will never forget receiving a souvenir packet at the end of the tour that contained a full size Hershey’s candy bar and a package of Hershey’s Cocoa. I have lived in Hershey most of my life and as I watched a local news report this past week, I was reminded of the rich history of this factory and I couldn’t help but feel truly fortunate to have experienced a piece of it myself. It made me sad to see the reporter standing in the same place that I stood over 40 years ago but now the building was empty and dusty and the conches were retired. So, as sad as it is, life moves on and progress happens. We have to embrace change and look forward to new things. I am just happy that I had the chance to experience the Hershey Chocolate Factory when it was thriving. It's something I will be able to tell my grandchildren someday. Today I thought it would be fun to share some photos of one of the "Sweetest Places on Earth.” Happy Friday!
A view of the factory smokestacks and the silos that housed cocoa beans, from Chocolate Avenue in Hershey.
An even prettier view of the factory and smokestacks.
The well-known intersection of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues is a popular photo opportunity for tourists.
A shot of a famous Hershey’s Kiss light with a view of the water tower on top of the Hershey Chocolate Factory.
A view of the entrance to The Hershey Company on Chocolate Avenue.
The center of town, Chocolate Avenue.
The famous Hershey's Kiss street lights. Every other one is wrapped and then unwrapped.
The cold weather is moving in, the fireplace is burning and the holidays are weeks away. In my house, that means it's time to start baking! Soon enough we'll be baking things like gingerbread, Christmas cookies and nut roll. I can't wait and I have some fun things to share with you in the coming weeks, but for now, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe for a cookie that has become a favorite in my family. I found this recipe for Pine Nut-Orange Biscotti in one of my Williams-Sonoma cookbooks and after making it one time, it moved to the top of our "favorite cookie" list. They are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea or with a glass of after-dinner wine. "Biscotti" means twice baked so there are two steps in this baking process but they are well worth the extra time, I promise.
There are two cups of pine nuts in this recipe. Toasting them in the oven really brings out their flavor and is one of the reasons these cookies are so delicious. I started buying large bags of pine nuts at Costco because it's less expensive than buying them in small quantities at the grocery store.
One third of the pine nuts in the recipe are chopped in a food processor before they are added to the dough. I think the combination of whole and chopped nuts gives the biscotti a nice texture.
The zest of a whole orange is also added to the dough giving it a light citrus flavor.
The dough is very thick once it's mixed. It's sticky too, so you'll want to make sure you use a floured surface when you work with it.
You'll divide the dough into four equal parts to form four separate logs on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
The logs are baked until they are firm to the touch but not real brown on the bottom, about thirty minutes. They are only half baked at this point.
Immediately after baking, I carefully transfer the logs to a wooden board to cut them. Since they are not fully baked, I place a long metal cake spatula under each log when I transfer it to the board so it doesn't break.
The logs are cut into slices and placed back on the cookie sheets, cut sides down.You'll notice that the dough in the middle of the biscotti is still soft. They will need to bake about twenty more minutes.
Once the biscotti are done baking, they will be firm to the touch. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Perfect during a busy time of year when you are likely to have last minute guests or you need a quick hostess gift.
Enjoy!
Leslie xo
Pine Nut-Orange Biscotti
Author: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Italian cookbook
Serves: Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
2 cups pine nuts
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
grated zest of one orange
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spread pine nuts on baking sheet and toast in oven, shaking every 2-3 minutes until nuts are golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Lay nuts on plate or board to cool.
Put one-third of the cooled nuts in a food processor to finely chop,
Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar until blended. Stir in butter until combined.
Add chopped nuts, and orange zest. Mix well.
Add flour and salt. Mix well.
Add whole pine nuts and mix to distribute nuts evenly. Dough will be stiff.
Place dough on floured surface and divide into four equal portions.
Using floured hands, form each portion into a log that is approximately 9-10" long, 2 1/2" wide and 1/2" thick and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. * I form my logs right on the cookie sheets
Bake the logs until they are firm to the touch, making sure bottoms do not get too brown, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and using a spatula transfer logs to a cutting board. Allow to cool just slightly.
Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2" slices.
Place slices, cut side down, back onto cookie sheets and bake until they are slightly brown and firm to the touch,about 20 minutes.
Transfer biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to to two weeks.
It was a hectic week, and stressful for most of us on the East Coast, thanks to Sandy. My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered loss over the past few days and I pray that things return to normal soon. On the brighter side, November has arrived and the next few weeks will be quite busy with the anticipation of the holidays just around the corner. For many of us, this is the time when planning for parties and events goes into full swing. It's also when I pull out my favorite resources to make things easier. I thought I'd share some of my inspiration with you. I figured since Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, this is what I'll do with my extra hour! Happy Friday!
Amy Atlas, "The Sweets Stylist" responsible for creating the stylized dessert bar trend, recently published Sweet Designs. It's a wonderful book full of tips, recipes and crafting projects to help you style an unforgettable party. It’s easy to follow and is a perfect reference when I need new ideas for parties or events.
"Candy Queen" Dylan Lauren is the daughter of clothing designer Ralph Lauren and the owner of the largest candy store in the world, Dylan's Candy Bar. Her book Dylan's Candy Bar is bursting with beautiful photos, creative ideas for celebrating and tips for decorating with candy. It includes everything from the history of some of our favorite candies to recipes for candy cocktails. I had the chance to meet Dylan last year in New York City and I have to say, she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Funny how candy is her passion! I love this book and never get tired of flipping through its tempting pages. It's a great book to have if you like to throw creatively themed parties.
In case you haven't noticed, I love books that help me celebrate. I feel like Real Simple Celebrations was written for me. It's a great book full of party planning ideas for every occasion. It includes everything from prep, tableware and etiquette to recipes and decorating ideas. The ideas are simple, classy and creative. I absolutely love this book!
Cupcakes and Cashmere , by well known blogger Emily Schuman, is a great little book about entertaining, decorating and creating your own sense of style. Emily seems to know the importance of celebrating the little things in life and that's why I love the book. It's a great guide for living an inspired life.
Spend time doing what inspires you and have a wonderful weekend!
Today I am giving you a recipe that is not as "chocolate" as the ones I have posted so far, but every bit as delicious. This Chocolate Chip Cheesecake recipe is another family favorite and has been around a long time. The Oreo cookie crust is topped with a layer of cheesecake and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, giving it just a touch of chocolate flavor. It's simple to make which is a plus this time of year! It will slice easier and taste better once it sits in the fridge for a little while so make it ahead of time if you can. Four to six hours is great but a day ahead is even better.
