19 December 2007
Last Minute Gifts
Last night I went and hung out with Amy. She has been busy, busy, busy making chocolates for gifts for Christmas. She was already in the middle of finishing up the cherry cordials when I got there.
Cherry cordials are something you have to pay attention to while you’re making them, so I left her to her chocolatey ways. Instead I helped her mom dismember some retarded quilt squares that were put together backwards. We also decided the menu for dinner on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve Menu:
Honey Baked Ham
Green Beans
Summer Corn
Twice baked potatoes
Pizza wreath
Cranberry Mint Punch
Corn Bread
And dessert provided by me, Peppermint Cheesecake (and its no-bake!). I’ll be making this Sunday night so if you would like to make one too here is a list of things you will need:
Oreo Cookies (or chocolate cookie crumbs), butter, unflavored gelatin, 16 oz cream cheese, sugar, water, milk, peppermint candy, heavy cream, and milk chocolate candy bars, some beaters, and a springform pan.
Its tasty, believe me, you’ll want to make this.
When Amy finished with the cherry cordials, we made peanut chocolates, peppermint bark, and chocolate covered cookies, and cherry cordials. All of which appear harder to make then they actually are.
Chocolate Covered Cookies
For these you will need *about 1 lb melting chocolate
- 1 box of lorna dunes
- crushed peppermint candies (either candy canes or starlight mints)
- a tray or baking sheet lined with wax paper.
Melt the chocolate in double boiler, microwave, or ontop of a warming plate like we did, stirring constantly.
Open the box of cookies and remove (eat) the broken ones.
Dip the unbroken ones into the melted chocolate leaving one corner chocolate free.
While the chocolate is still warm and gooey sprinkle them with the crushed peppermint bits.
Place them on a wax paper lined tray or sheet about an inch or so apart.
When your tray is filled place it in the refrigerator to set and harden the chocolate.
Peel the chocolates off the wax paper and store in a airtight container.
Peppermint Bark
You will need
- 1 lb white melting chocolate
- 1 lb melting chocolate
- about 12 oz of crushed peppermint candies (candy canes or starlight mints, or other hard peppermint candy)
- a 9 × 13 pan lined with wax paper.
Melt 1 lb of the brown melting chocolate until smooth.
Spread into the bottom of the lined pan so it is a uniform thickness. Work quickly before the chocolate sets.
Place pan into the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened.
While the chocolate is cooling in the fridge, melt the white chocolate.
Take the pan of brown chocolate out of the fridge and spread the white chocolate ontop of the brown chocolate.
Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies ontop of the white chocolate before it hardens, using your hands to press the crushed candy into the chocolate if needed.
Place in the refrigerator until cooled.
Remove from the refrigerator and peel away the wax paper. Break the large sheet of peppermint park into smaller manageable pieces.
Peanut Chocolate
These are easier than easy.
You will need:
- 1 lb melting chocolate
- 1 approx 1 lb unsalted roasted peanuts
- small cupcake liners
Melt the chocolate. Stir in the peanuts.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate peanut mixture into a muffin liner.
Place filled muffin liners onto a plate or baking sheet, and cool in the refrigerator.
Cherry Cordials
Here is a simple recipe version of Amy’s Cordials, the amounts are not exact, you kind of just go along as you’re making them until you’re out of one ingredient or another, or have made as many as you want to (at least thats how we’ve done it).
Sorry I do not know what types of molds she had or what brand fondant she used. All of her supplies came from the Hartville Chocolate Factory though, so I’m sure if you call them they can give you the details! (I’ll also update this with a link to the information when I get it from amy later.) When you initially mix the fondant, it looks like a thick powdered sugar/water mixture. When it sets up with the cherries inside the chocolates though, it turns into a delicious cherry flavored liquid.
Ingredients:
- Melting Chocolate
- Fondant
- Maraschino Cherries
Drain the maraschino cherries, reserving the juice. Slice the cherries into halfs or quarters (depending on the size of the cherries). Dry them the best you can with a tea towel or paper towels (be careful of towel fuzz!).
The fondant that Amy had was a 1 to 5 ratio of cherry juice to fondant, so for each 5 teaspoons of fondant powder, she added 1 teaspoon of cherry juice.
Melt the chocolate. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into each mold. Using a paintbrush brush the chocolate up the sides of each mold. Set in the freezer a minute or two to quickly set the chocolate. If the shell on the sides of the mold is too thin for your liking, add another layer of melted chocolate, and quickly freeze again.
Place a piece or two of cherry into each hardened cherry cordial mold. Top carefully with a small amount of fondant and allow the fondant to flow to the bottom of the cups.
When the fondant has settled, top with melted chocolate. Set in refrigerator to cool until solid.
Carefully unmold.
Tags: chocolate, dessert, fruit, holiday, snacks, sweet
December 19, 2007, 06:30:14 PM | Permalink | Subscribe | 
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