Almond Joy Balls

From Paula Deen via my mother-in-law to me and now to you. These were the jewels in the holiday goodie plate crown. A delectable combination of sugar, butter, coconut and chocolate. I'm posting the recipe in its original form but here's what I did differently: 1) ran out of almond extract and subbed amaretto flavoring instead, mmmm, good. 2) used slightly less powdered sugar as per my mother-in-law's recommendation. 3) tried rolling into balls and that was a mess. maybe I should have sprayed PAM on my hands?? I was in a huge time crunch so I used my cookie scoop instead. 4) I didn't dip them in chocolate because they weren't in true balls, more of a semi-ball, if you will. So I melted the chocolate and drizzled on top. Guess what? They still tasted amazing! And I quite liked the drizzled chocolate presentation. I'd love to hear how these turn out for you and if you decide to dip or drizzle. enjoy!

Almond Joy Balls

Ingredients

• 2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 (14-ounce) package shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
• 1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl; add milk. Stir in almond extract, coconut, and nuts; mix well. Form candy into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With a toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.

Peppermint Bark

I've been making this delightful Christmasy treat since December 2005 when it first appeared in Everyday Food. I love it. My kids love it. I love putting it on our goodie plates. I love putting some in a little airtight container and mailing it friends. Its easy, oh so very easy. Which is all the better, because lets face it, who has time to make labor intense treats this time of year? Exactly. Enjoy this crunchy treat!

Makes 36 pieces

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
• 2 cups puffed rice cereal
• 1 bag (7.5 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped

Directions

1. Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies (see note below).
2. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.
3. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.
4. Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).
5. Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

These are the most Christmasy blondies you will ever meet. And you'll be so glad that you did, in fact, have the opportunity to meet. Because they will change your Christmas. Last year, I made 6 pans in a 2 week period. No joke. They are now a permanent staple on my neighborhood goodie plate. And they've made appearances at a church function, school party and potluck, and each time, I've been begged for the recipe. Again, no joke. Thanks to the genius Mel for sharing this lovely holiday concoction.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 ¾ cups white chocolate chips (I used a whole bag)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside (I lined my pan with aluminum foil and then sprayed the aluminum foil with cooking spray).

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; cut into 24 squares. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

*makes about 24 blondies, depending on big you cut them. They do sink a little after they've cooled, TOTALLY NORMAL. As per Mel's suggestion, cut off the jaggedy edges that are higher than the center, save those for your kids and husband, and then cut the rest into uniform squares to serve. voila!

Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

Doesn't the title alone grab you? Doesn't need much by way of introduction I'll tell ya that much! This comes from my good friend Heidi Dahl who kindly shared some with me a few Thanksgivings ago when she learned I wasn't making any pie that day. (Our family actually celebrated Thanksgiving earlier in the month with family up in Idaho so don't think we're anti-turkey day!) Anyway, there's some caramel and some apples and then some pecans and more caramel. Happy Holidays to me!

Original recipe from Taste of Home Oct/Nov 2007, adapted slightly by Heidi

Ingredients:
7 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature (I used Mrs. Richardsons)
1 unbaked pastry shell, 9 inches
3 tbsp butter, melted

Streusel topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla. Combine sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Pour caramel topping over bottom of unbaked pastry shell; top with apple mixture. This will be a heaping mound of apple goodness, don't be alarmed! Drizzle with melted butter.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, pecans and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned. Immediately remove from oven and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on wire rack. Serves 8.

*a note. I served this in the evening on Thanksgiving day so I made the pie early in the morning. It sat on my counter all day, don't refrigerate it. So its not a traditional "hot apple pie serve with ice cream" type deal.

Thanksgiving Corn

So I feel like I'm breaking the biggest food blogging rule EVER . . . I am posting a recipe of something I have not actually made or eaten. But, to be fair, it is a tried and true of my very good friend, Christy Miller and I have it on excellent authority that this dish is foolproof. It is a star at their meal and anytime I hear that about a vegetable (really, what veggie outshines dessert?) I have to try it. I am going to make it this year for Thanksgiving and who knows, maybe you want to too and if I wait till AFTER I make it to share the recipe, well, then Thanksgiving will be over. Hence my rule breaking. :)
I promise to add notes/photos after I make this.

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, drippings reserved
1/2 cup chopped onion (yellow or white onion)
2 tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 1/2 cups whole kernel frozen corn
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives (garnish, optional)

Directions:

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp, you don't want any wiggly parts. Drain grease and save 2 tbsp drippings. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In your skillet with the reserved drippings, saute onions until tender, add flour, garlic and salt/pepper. Cook and stir until bubbly, then cook and stir one minute more. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream (isn't this sounding yummy?) Add corn, parsley and 1/2 the bacon, mix and pour into a 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top with remaining bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with chives as a garnish.

* Christy says she usually doubles this for Thanksgiving and it fits perfectly in a 9x13. She also says to get a really high quality frozen corn, she uses the frozen organic corn from Costco with great results.

Pate Brisse with Thyme

PATE BRISSE WITH THYME (used to top the Chicken Pot Pie in a Pumpkin)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 T. thyme leaves
1/4cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Put the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. All ingredients should be cold. Add the pieces of butter for approximately 10 seconds, or until the mixture represents coarse meal. Add the thyme leaves, and pulse to combine.

Add ice water, drop by drop, through the feed tube with the machine running, until the dough just holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add more water.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill for at least an hour.

Chicken Potpie in a Pumpkin

This is one of my favorite dishes in the fall. It just seems so festive to me. I first made this 5 or so years ago. The original recipe was from the Martha Stewart website, but after quite a bit of searching, it seems to be gone from the website...no clue why. I will first post the original recipe and then let you know what I did to change it around to work for me. My hubby helped a ton with making this yesterday and it made a huge difference, so if you have a second set of hands, definitely utilize them!!

CHICKEN POT PIE in a Pumpkin--Serves 6

6 two-pound sugar pumpkins, preferably short and squat (if you have trouble finding these, they are also called pumpkin pie pumpkins...I got some of mine at Trader Joe's when I was in Vegas and a few others from a local grocer)
5T butter, plus 2T melted
2 t. salt
1t. freshly ground black pepper
1t freshly grated nutmeg (I have a little microplane that I use to grate the nutmeg and you can buy whole nutmeg in any spice section)
1 pound pearl onions (I think the package they sold at my grocer was 10ounces. I used that amount and it was great)
9 ounces potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used extra potatoes. I was serving guests and wanted to make sure to have enough. I cut them pretty small...make sure the potatoes and carrots aren't too big because they don't get much time to cook and will be hard if they are too big.)
12 ounces button mushrooms, quartered if large (no button mushrooms at my grocery store so I bought what they had and sliced them so they would stretch farther.)
8 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 medium carrots)
5T flour
2 1/2 cups chicken brith
1 cup milk
4 1/2 cups poached or roasted chicken (from a 5 pound chicken) (I ended up using two HUGE breasts and 3 thighs since I am a dark meat girl. It was more than enough meat. I steamed it in my steamer to keep in moist. It would have been much easier to pick up a chicken at Costco, but I didn't have a chance to get over there.)
2T. fresh thyme leaves (I have an herb garden so I did use fresh herbs, but I think dry could easily be substituted.)
3T. chopped parsley
2T. fresh chopped sage
1/2 recipe Pate Brisse with Thyme
1 large egg, beaten with 1T. heavy cream for egg wash

I didn't make the Pate Brisse. Instead I made my cheddar buttermilk biscuit recipe and topped them with that. I liked it better. It was easier, heartier and tastier IMO.)
I also added a little more of some of the things I had and then doubled the liquid to make it stretch. It was enough to fill the six pumpkins with just a little left over.

Heat oven to 375*. Slice the tops off the pumpkins. Scoop out the seeds (I find an ice cream scoop helps with this). Using a pastry brush, brush insides of pumpkin with 2T. melted butter. Season insides with 1/2t. salt, 1/4t. pepper, and 1/4t. nutmeg. Place pumpkins on a baking sheet; cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add onions, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water. Peel onions, set aside.

Melt 5T. butter in a large, high sided skillet set over medium heat (I used a large dutch oven). Add potatoes and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to turn golden. Add mushrooms and carrots and cook 4-5 minutes more. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, thyme, parsley, sage, remaining 1 1/2t. salt, 3/4t. nutmeg, and 3/4t. pepper. Remove from heat, and divide amoung pumpkins.

Roll Pate Brisse to 1/8 inch thickness. Pull center of dough upward to form a pumpkinlike stem. Place over the hollow of each filled pumpkin. Using the back of a small paring knife, mark the dough to simulate the lines of a pumpkin. Brush top of dough with egg wash. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

or, if you choose to make the biscuit dough:
Make the dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a bowl of cutter that will cover the top of the pumkins. Cut out dough and place on top of pumkin, covering the hole. Bake until the biscuit topping is baked, about 25 minutes.

colonial pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

cream butter and sugar together. blend in pumpkin and eggs. mix remaining ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. spread in a greased jelly roll pan (10x15) or for more of a cake-like treat, a greased 9x13. bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes depending on pan size. when cooled spread with cream cheese frosting. recipe to follow. store in airtight container.

Cream Cheese Frosting- (my achilles heel)

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

blend cream cheese and butter well. gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. add vanilla and blend well. lick bowl completely clean with index finger. :)