Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, April 5, 2014

3 Homemade candy recipes for Christmas gifts

When it comes to give homemade food as holiday gifts, I think we will all agree that candy is at the top of the list. All three of these recipe-s are easy to prepare and takes less than 15 minutes to make (not including set up time).

You can the sweets and package you then in cellophane food-safe bags, metal cookie/candy tins or decorative holiday plastic containers.

You can secure these recipe-s make up to 1 week before you plan by you you as a gift.

Holiday marble bark

Crochet 6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

White crochet 6 squares premium baking chocolate

1 Cup crushed peppermint candy

With 2 of different microwave safe container, melt you the semi-sweet and white chocolate in separate bowls. Use the high power setting, move the chocolates at intervals of 30 seconds, until you are melted. I find that with a nonstick silicone spatula for this task works best.

1/2 Cup stir in Peppermint sweets in each container. Alternately melted spoon chocolates on wax paper of lined cookie sheet. Swirl chocolate with the spatula to give it one Tubenose effect. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Break into bite-sized pieces.

Double peanut clusters

2 Cups peanut butter morsels

1 Tablespoon of vegetable shortening

2 Cups salted peanuts

Melting you hot peanut butter bites and shortening in the top of a double boiler, not boiling water. Carefully stir in peanuts until you are well covered by mixing. Line a baking sheet with waxed or greaseproof paper. Delete mixture by the teaspoon on the baking sheet. Cool until firm.

Pecan Pralines

1 kg bag brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Cup whipping cream

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Cup whole pecan halves

Combine with a medium saucepan, brown sugar with the cream. This mixture over low 10 minutes you simmer, stirring with a nonstick silicone spatula. Remove from heat and stir the butter, vanilla extract and pecan halves. Beat this mix by hand for 3 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed or drop vellum, paper and the mixture on the arc rounded tablespoon. Cool until firm.


Shelly Hill works since 1989 home and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly loves cooking and baking for your family and friends and new recipes to try. Visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or at http://wahmshelly. for additional free recipes and cooking tips.

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

My Christmas decorations went up yesterday, the earliest Ive ever put them up, and today I made Uma Wyldes Spiced Cranberry Relish it was really easy to make, I made four times the recipe using 600g of fresh cranberries. Of course I had to have a little taste and it is delicious, not too sweet and lovely spicy flavours.

I also made some Shortbread Biscuits. My mum makes these every Christmas, she used to make up a box full for my Grandpa who really loved them. I usually make them too as they are easy to make and melt in your mouth.

Here is the recipe I use, you must use butter its what makes the shortbread so delicious.

Shortbread Biscuits (Cookies)

300g (10oz) plain flour
100g ( 4oz) caster sugar
200g (8oz) butter
caster (superfine) sugar for dredging

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar. Work in the butter with your fingertips - keep it in one piece and gradually work in the dry ingredients. Knead well.
2. Pat down on a work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/2 cm (1/8 in) and cut out with a cookie cutter. You will probably have to keep pushing the dough back together again as it is very crumbly.
3. Slide the cut biscuits off the work surface with a knife and onto a baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven at 170C (325F) Mark 3 for about 8 minutes until firm and pale golden brown.
5. Lift onto a cooling tray with a spatula and dredge with caster (superfine) sugar.
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Monday, March 3, 2014

Its Time for Micheles Famous Christmas Gingerbread Cake

My wife Michele makes this great gingerbread cake every Christmas, and in addition to being quite delicious, its really simple and would be a perfect item to bring to any holiday party.

It has a very simple lemon glaze on top, but also works nicely topped with lemon curd, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

This has been posted previously, and here is the original post in case youd like some more information. Enjoy!

Click here for Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Glaze Recipe.
Photo (c) Flickr user terren in Virginia
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Christmas Threw Up All Over My Apartment

Like many of you, this past weekend I spent my time (and money) whipping our apartment into Christmas hell! In a good way, though. While there are plenty of other touches I havent included (including the THREE bottles of Bath & Body Works hand soap--Peppermint Stick, Vanilla Bean Noel, and Winter Candy Apple, to be exact--for our TWO sinks), these are some of my favorite.
{Nothing says "Christmas" like noisy crap on the door!}
{The centerpiece I pulled together with these amazing boxes from Container Store}
{The cutest Kleenex box of all time and most adorable candle holder of at least the past decade.}
{Pink icicles on my all pink Christmas tree}
{Towels for decoration only. Kyle knows all too well these arent for drying wet hands.}

What are your favorite ways to decorate for Christmas??
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