Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

This is my first year making these for Christmas. How could I not when I absolutely love the combination of chocolate and peppermint!

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter (softened)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

4 - 5 Tbsp milk

5 peppermint candies

Make cake mix according to package directions. I used the Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake. It had small chocolate chips in it that won me over.

Pour prepared cake mix into 24 paper lined cupcake tins. Bake according to directions and allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the peppermint frosting.

In a large bowl, combine the shortening and butter. Add powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and 3 Tbsp of milk. Once the frosting is combined, continue to add 1 to 2 more Tbsp until you reach your desired consistency.

Place peppermints in a small resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to get out all your aggression on those peppermints.

Believe me, it won't take very long and before you know it you will have small chunks of peppermints to accent the cupcakes.

Put your frosting in a large pastry bag. You can use a large round tip, or you can do what I did and just cut off the tip of your pastry bag. I cut it about 1-1/2 inch up from the tip.

Frost the cupcakes by squeezing the bag while making a circular motion on the cupcake.

Remember those crushed peppermints?

Now is the time to use them. Sprinkles the peppermint all over the top of the cupcakes. The larger chunks may not stick, so you will probably have to lightly press them into the frosting.

And now you're done. That's it!

Simple and delicious.

Grandma's Caramels

By now you've probably looked at the English Toffee recipe - well this is another one of my Grandma's amazing candy recipes.

These caramels are creamy and smooth and delicious. Plus, this recipe makes a ton, so you don't feel bad about sharing.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups light corn syrup

dash of salt

1/2 can evaporated milk (about 3/4 cup plus 1/8 cup)

3 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Put the sugar, corn syrup and salt in a large pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a smaller pan scald together the milk, cream, and vanilla.

Once the sugar mixture has boiled for 10 to 15 minutes, very slowly stir the milk mixture into the sugar mixture while it is cooking. Watch closely (and stir quickly) so that it doesn't boil over while pouring it in.

Continue to stir and cook on medium heat until the caramel mixture gets to 235 degrees. This will take a very long time.

So long, in fact, that I got out my Kindle and read while I stirred. The color of the caramels darkened, so I began to think that I was almost done.

But, no.

Still had to stir.

Seriously, this will take over 30 minutes. But be patient and don't increase the heat or you may burn your caramels. Just keep stirring and know that eventually it will get to the correct temperature.

Oh...see...look!

Now it is at the correct temperature - 235!

Pour the caramel into a greased 9x13 glass dish.

Cool completely (overnight works well) and then cut into small squares or rectangles. I usually cut mine into 3/4 inch x 1/2 inch rectangles.

Wrap squares in wax paper, twisting the ends, and now you're ready to go!

Dipped Gingersnap Cookies

My friend, Olivia, made these cookies for a party and they were absolutely amazing - I had to get the recipe! When Olivia makes them, she dips half of them in white chocolate, and half in milk chocolate. I however, decided to do all of mine in white chocolate - just because.

This is a huge batch - I made up half of mine and then refrigerated the cookie dough until I was ready to make more. This dough refrigerated really well. When you're ready to make more cookies just pull it out, wait until it's at room temperature and then shape and bake. It works great!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

additional sugar to roll cookies

1 package white and/or chocolate candy melts

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil; mix well.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses.

Combine dry ingredients...

...gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

This is what your dough will look like:

Shape into 1-1/4 inch balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched.

Cool on wire racks.

Melt candy according to package directions. I decided to use white chocolate instead of candy melts because that's what I had available.

Dip cookies halfway into chocolate.

Place dipped cookies on waxed paper lined sheets to harden.

This recipe makes around 6 dozen cookies - seriously, tons!

But, believe me, they are so good you will have no problem getting rid of any of them!

English Toffee

This recipe has been in my family for generations - my grandma learned it from her mother, then passed it on to my mother who passed it on to me.

This is one of my staple recipes during the holidays...it's just not Christmas without homemade English Toffee.

Ingredients:

1 pound butter (yep, that's 4 cubes - don't use margarine)

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup white corn syrup

1/2 cup water

2 large hershey bars

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup together in a 6 quart heavy duty pan. Turn the burner on to medium heat, and stir to combine.

You will have to cook this for a while, so put that candy thermometer in a move on to the chocolate bars.

You can use symphony bars, but I prefer the Hershey - make sure and get the kind without nuts.

Use a cheese grater, and grate one chocolate bar into the bottom of a 12 x 14 pan. If you like nuts, put half of them on top of the grated chocolate.

If you have a salad shooter, it really helps speed this process up - unfortunately, I do not so I had to do it the old fashioned hand grater way.

Take the other candy bar and grate it into a bowl - you will use it later.

Now check on your candy - you should have checked on it a couple of times while preparing the chocolate.

It should be boiling and you will need to stir it to make sure it isn't burning on the bottom.

As it gets closer to being done, the color will change to a golden brown.

Watch closely until your candy gets to hard crack stage - 285 degrees.

Immediately remove from heat.

Pour candy over the top of the chocolate. Make sure that it is evenly spread.

Sprinkle remaining chocolate (and nuts if desired) on top of the toffee. Use a spoon - if you use your hand, the chocolate will melt all over you!

Let the chocolate melt, and then place the toffee in the fridge to cool.

Once it has cooled completely (at least 2 hours) - break into small bite size pieces.

Can you see that yummy toffee center surrounded by chocolate? Mmmm, Mmmmm!

You can put this in small baggies as gifts, but remember to keep some out for you and your family. Believe me, you will want to eat some of this!

Coconut Bread

My family has been making this bread for as long as I can remember. While I associate it with Christmas, it could just as easily be made anytime of the year. However, there is just something about a sweet bread with a crunchy sugar coating that screams, "Christmas!"

Ingredients:

Bread:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 tsp coconut flavoring

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Syrup topping:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 Tb butter

1 tsp coconut flavoring

Before you start the bread, you need to prepare your pans. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, or 4 small ones. I think my pans are slightly small, so it actually makes 5 small loaves for me.

Grease your pans with shortening, and then cut strips of wax paper to fit into the pans as shown below. Once the papers are in the pan, grease over the top of the wax paper.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar, oil, and coconut flavoring.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk and gradually add to egg mixture. Beat well after each addition.

Fold in flaked coconut and chopped nuts (if desired - I never put nuts in mine).

Spoon (or pour) batter into the prepared loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes for small loaves (or 1 hour 15 minute for 2 large loaves).

When there is about 10 minutes left in baking time, start making your syrup.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and water.

Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Do NOT boil this for longer than 5 minutes. If you do, you will get a syrup that hardens white instead of clear. The bread will still taste okay, but it will not look near as pretty.

ONLY 5 MINUTES!

After 5 minutes, remove the syrup from the heat, and add the coconut flavoring.

During this time, you will also have to remove your bread from the oven - it should be golden brown.

Use the wax paper to lift the loaves out of the pan, remove the wax paper, and place the bread back into the pan. They will be really hot, so move quickly and don't burn yourself.

Now, use a pastry brush to paint the syrup on the tops of the loaves. Make sure that the syrup goes down the sides of the bread - you want it everywhere!

Once you've used all the syrup, allow the bread to sit for about 4 hours before you remove it. I have sped up this process by putting the pan of bread into the freezer or fridge.

Just make sure that your syrup is set and hard before you remove the loaves.

You can eat this immediately, or you can wrap it in plastic wrap or cellophane bags and give it as gifts.

Just watch out or your two year old will get ahold of it and eat the entire thing!

Merry Christmas, from our kitchen to yours!