Sweets

Merry Christmas! (& Black Forest Brownie Trifles)

By in Christmas, GF Sweets, Gluten Free, Sweets 5 Comments

Merry Christmas! (& Black Forest Brownie Trifles)

Merry Christmas! From my family to yours.

I can”t believe that Christmas is this weekend. How did time go by so fast?

This year will be the first year that our little family is totally alone for Christmas, I”ve come down with tonsillitis, the kids are fighting off their own illnesses and we”re between houses, staying at a friend”s place while they”re gone for the holidays. But, I”ve got so much to be thankful for that I can”t complain too much about life”s little inconveniences. Just look at those cutie pies I get to hang out and snuggle with. What more could I want?

We”re going to keep things very simple this year and just enjoy being together. We”ll probably watch oodles of Christmas movies, take a walk uptown to enjoy the Christmas lights and drink lot”s of hot beverages to sooth our sore throats. It should be a good, low-key Christmas.

I think everyone must have a person or two in their lives who are currently eating gluten-free. For those of us that don”t eat gluten-free, it can be a bit scary hosting a gluten-free guest. Not only do we want the food to taste great, but we need to learn how to cook in unfamiliar territory. It can be easy to get overwhelmed when you start studying up on the subject. That”s why, for this weeks post on Simple Bites I decided to share some quick tips with you for easy gluten-free entertaining.

From the post:

“Although most of the people I know who eat gluten-free truly don’t mind if there are certain items on the table that they can’t eat, it’s nice to make the extra effort and make all of the food to be enjoyed by everyone. It’s just more fun if everyone can participate in every part of the meal – that way there are no temptations and nobody feels left out.

It doesn’t have to be stressful to cook gluten-free. With a few quick tips you can have a great meal on the table in no time.”

Read more and get the recipe for these simple and gluten-free Black Forest Brownie Trifles on Simple Bites.

So, what are you up to this Christmas? 

 

Mocha Almond Biscotti

By in Christmas, Cookies & Bars, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Mocha Almond Biscotti

Right now I”m in the middle of a big move – across the ocean. We”re tired, jet-lagged, nervous and excited. This Christmas will definitely be an interesting one, but we”re looking forward to it. I won”t be around much for the rest of the holidays, but I”m sure you understand right? ;)

I couldn”t let this Christmas pass me by without sharing this recipe with you, since it”s made an appearance on quite of few of our Christmas platters throughout the years. I”m not much of a coffee drinker (besides the wimpy sugary/flavoured kind) but biscotti makes me wish I was. I would gladly make a batch of coffee just to dip these into. This cookie is not a side. The coffee will become the accompaniment, not the other way around.

I made mine with caffeine-free instant coffee, so my son could have some too. He dipped his in warm milk and I had mine with some Brazilian Baia Tea (my favourite). These will definitely continue to be a yearly tradition for us. Just look at that melty chocolate, coffee-infused cookie with bits of almond. Yum! I”m already looking forward to making more once we”re settled in our new place.

Now if you”ll excuse me I have some sleep to catch up on… after I go shopping… and take care of my kids…. and look for new apartment furniture in Christmas crowds…. and unpack….. and… ok maybe that bit of sleep is lost forever. :)

Mocha Almond Biscotti

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 cup chopped almonds

  • 4 ounces baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Whisk together eggs and instant coffee until coffee is dissolved.

Beat butter and sugar in a separate bowl until well blended. Add egg mixture and beat to combine.

Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Stir in almonds and chocolate.

Divide dough in half and roll each, on a baking sheet lined with a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, into 14 inch logs; placing them at least two inches apart.

Bake at 325ºF for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 10 minutes and then slice each log into 18 (3/4 inch) slices. Stand slices upright on baking sheet and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until crisp and dry. Cool completely before storing, covered, at room temperature.

Makes: 36 (3 dozen) biscotti

Adapted from Kraft Canada.

Hazelnut Truffles

By in Candy, Christmas, Sweets 5 Comments Tags: , ,

Hazelnut Truffles

Truffles are one of my favourite things to make at Christmas time. They”re so adaptable and easy to make. Chocolate and hazelnut is a long time favourite pairing and I think it goes without saying that these are highly addictive. I had them stored away in the freezer and was finding myself sneaking one after every meal. I ended up having to stop eating them altogether just so I could find some restraint.

These truffles are probably the easiest ones to form that I”ve ever come across. Usually by the end my hands are covered in a fairly thick layer of chocolate (not a bad problem to have) but, because of the butter, these truffles are almost non-stick and are easily formed around a hidden surprise – a whole hazelnut.

I seem to always have trouble stirring icing sugar into hot mixtures. It”s seems no matter how hard I try or how much I sift, there are always little lumps. It was the same with these but, thanks to the nuts, it goes unnoticed. :)

Tip: If the truffle mixture starts to separate, whisk in a teaspoon of water at a time until the mixture comes together in an emulsion. I found the butter wanted to sit on top but, after doing this, it stayed together perfectly as it cooled.

Hazelnut Truffles

  • 3/4 cup icing (confectioners) sugar

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

  • 6 oz milk chocolate

  • 6 tablespoons butter

  • 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

  • whole hazelnuts

  • 1 cup ground hazelnuts, toasted

Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir in cream and cocoa mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until thick and smooth. Poor into an 8 inch baking dish (glass is best); cover and refrigerate overnight (or for 8 hours).

Scoop out 1 inch balls; place a whole hazelnut in the centre, forming the chocolate around it; roll into a ball and coat in ground hazelnuts. Repeat until all of the chocolate mixture is used up.

Store covered in the fridge or freezer.

Makes approximately: 24 truffles

Adapted from Taste of Home.

Christmas Cookie Puzzle

By in Christmas, Kids, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Christmas Cookie Puzzle

This is a fun gift or activity for the child (or child-like person) in your life. An edible puzzle, to be decorated to your heart”s content and then eaten afterwards. Who says you can”t play with your food?

These are a lot of fun to make and after snapping the above photo, I let my son have at “er. He had a blast smearing the frosting and mixing all the colours together into an unappealing grey mass. It may not have looked very appetizing but he had so much fun and after scraping off an inch of frosting, it was still very edible. :)

You can make these as intricate or as simple as you like. It”s all left up to your imagination… or time.

The process is simple:

  • Roll cookie dough into a rectangle (you”ll want it to be a little thicker then normal for stability). Lay desired cookie cutters on top of the rolled out dough to figure out placement. Press cookie cutters into the dough, then press walnut, pecan or almond halves into the dough to create handles. Remove cookie cutters and bake according to recipe instructions.

  • Once baked, immediately re-cut the shapes with appropriate cookie cutters. Allow to cool completely before carefully removing them (it”s best to roll these out and bake them on the same piece of parchment paper so that you can pop the pieces out easier).

  • Once removed, decorate all pieces with frosting (recipe below) and allow to dry before putting the puzzle back together, to avoid smudging. Package up in cellophane to give away or eat and enjoy. :)

The frosting I used is perfect for kids. It can be made thick enough to spread or watered down just a tad more so you can put it into resealable plastic bags and pipe it on. It also dries nice and hard so you don”t have to worry about any of the pieces smudging if you are wanting to gift it. But of course, you can use royal icing if you prefer.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

7 tablespoons of milk will give you a frosting thick enough to spread, add additional milk to reach your desired consistency.

  • 5 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar), sifted

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 7 + tablespoons milk

Mix together all ingredients until smooth, adding more milk as necessary to get desired consistency.

Tip: If piping onto cookies check the consistency by doing the 10 second ribbon test. Drag a knife through the frosting and lift to make a ribbon. It should smooth out in 5-10 seconds. If the icing comes together before 5 seconds, add more sugar. If it comes together after 10 seconds, add more liquid. This will ensure that it is firm enough to pipe but still loose enough to flood the cookie.

Frosting adapted from Annie”s Eats.

White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

By in Christmas, Creamy, Sweets 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

You know what Christmas treat I”ve missed most since moving to Norway? Eggnog. I”ve made my own, but so far I just haven”t found that perfect recipe. I used to practically live off the stuff when I was younger. That”s when you really knew that Christmas was on its way – when you saw cartons of Eggnog appearing beside the milk.

Since moving here I”ve become obsessed with eggnog flavoured things. I have to get my fix somehow! Hence the Eggnog Sugar Cookies and now these silky smooth White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots.

Yes, it”s still Sugar Cookie Week but I thought for this post I”d share a dessert that”s great accompanied with some sugar cookies dippers. A little crunch with a smooth and creamy treat turns an already tasty dessert into perfection.

These cheesecake pots can be made in ramekins, mugs or small bowls and could alternatively be topped with the Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies from yesterday”s post.

When I make sugar cookies as dippers I like to make them a little smaller than usual, so you can use them as a garnish or throw a handful beside. Use them beside any kind of creamy and smooth dessert and you”ve got yourself a perfect pairing.

White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

Make sure that the cream cheese and melted chocolate are as close to the same temperature as possible. If the cream cheese is too cold or the chocolate too hot, the chocolate will seize as you beat them together.

  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temperature

  • 1 (8oz/250g) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon rum extract

  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1 cup cold whipping cream

Beat cream cheese into white chocolate until smooth. Beat in rum extract and nutmeg. Add cream and beat, just until peaks form and hold their shape when beaters are lifted. Spoon into serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Top with additional nutmeg before serving, if desired.

Serves: 6-8

Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies

By in Christmas, Cookies & Bars, Sweets 6 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies shaped into the form of mini lattice-pie-crust tops. Aren”t they so cute!

I first saw this idea on Pinterest and I immediately fell in love. It”s such a cute presentation of sugar cookies and dresses up any simple dessert or drink and turns it into something special. You can place them on top of mugs of cocoa or Hot Mulled Cranberry Juice, or serve them on top of mugs, ramekins or bowls full of some hidden Christmas dessert.

They really aren”t too difficult to master. But for those who don”t know how to make lattice pie crusts I”ve included step-by-step photos with the instructions.

First, a couple notes:

  • It”s important to roll out the dough and then chill, before cutting and making the lattice. It adds a bit more time to the process but I didn”t do this the first time around and the dough was too stretchy and kept breaking while I was trying make the lattice.

  • If the dough breaks don”t sweat, just press the pieces back together and it will seal as it bakes. That”s the great thing about homemade, things don”t have to look perfect, they just become rustic. :)

  • I used the dough from my Eggnog Sugar Cookies and the instructions below are suited to that recipe. But, of course you could use your favourite sugar cookie (or gingerbread) recipe to do the same.

Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies – How to

1) Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each into squares, on lightly floured pieces of parchment paper, making sure they are of equal size and thickness. Freeze for 5 minutes (or refrigerate for 15). You can stack them on top of each other (with the pieces of parchment between) to save space.

Working with two at a time, slice into even sized strips with a pizza cutter or knife.

2) Separate the strips and place as many side by side until they are as wide as one is long. Set other strips aside. Fold every other strip in half; lay one of the strips that you set aside across the middle. Lay all the pieces back down.

3) Fold the opposite strips up and lay another across, beside the first; fold all pieces back down – making sure that the ones that were over the first strip are now under the second strip.

4) Continue in this pattern, patching up any pieces that break as you go.

5) Once you have a complete square you”re ready to make the cookies. There will be some strips leftover – put them in the fridge to use with the leftovers from the next batch.

6) Use the top of the mugs, ramekins or bowls, that you plan on using, to cut out the cookies. This will make sure that they fit perfectly on top once baked.

7) Remove the excess cookie dough. You can re-roll and repeat the process with these scraps, but it”s best to wait until you can gather all the scraps together so you can work with a larger piece of dough.

8) Transfer the cookies, on the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet. Freeze again for 5 minutes (or refrigerate for 15), this will make sure the cookies don”t spread as much when baking.

Remove from the fridge; brush with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon sugar). Bake at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes (or according to recipe directions).

Inspired by not martha.

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