Holidays Posts

14Dec
0

Put Some Personality In Your Cookies!

The holidays are upon us, people! You cannot put it off any longer! The most hardcore of you bakers will have started back in October. Halloween is traditionally the day I begin my fruitcake process. But really, holiday baking swings into full gear this week. Would you like to know how I know this?

Ms. Martha is doing her 12 days of cookies celebration on the Hallmark channel! If you don’t watch it, you should. Or at least go to her website and check out her new takes on holiday favorites.

Dont’ get me wrong, I love a good chocolate chip and a tasty molasses cookie will always hit the spot, but don’t you get tired of seeing the same old holiday platter with the same old holiday cookies on them? Get creative!

Make some cookies for the office party this year that say something about you. Try going the traditional cookie route with a twist. For example, Craig Engler of the television channel Syfy was given “sharktopus” cookies from his assistant (If you don’t know what Sharktopus is, you really need to look it up.) They look like regular chocolate chip cookies in the shape of the leading monster.

Meanwhile BraveTart, one of my favorite food bloggers made some gingerbread cookies with a cookie cutter, but after she cut them out, she gave them a little personality by moving their hands and feet into different positions. Very cute!

So go with your gut, do something fun and exciting and put a little fun, spice, and personality into your holiday cookies this year!

Posted by kristing in cookies, Creative Ideas, Holidays and tagged with ,
13Dec
0

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

I was listening to the new She & Him Christmas album on my morning commute today. During the song “Sleigh Ride” there is a lyric that they changed a bit. The original lyric was “When they pass around the coffee and some pumpkin pie.” The way it’s sung in this new version is “When they pass around the chocolate and the pumpkin pie.” I had to listen to it twice to make sure that’s what she said. Then I spent the rest of my commute trying to imagine what a chocolate pumpkin pie would taste like.

Imagine my surprise when I looked on the great internet machine (thank you Google) and found recipes for chocolate pumpkin pie! Now, let me tell you, I was still skeptical until I saw who created this wonderful concoction, Ms. Holiday herself, Martha Stewart! I now can’t wait to go home and start making one of these delicious looking pies.

It’s a great compromise for those who like a chocolatey sweet pie and those who enjoy a traditional pumpkin pie at their holiday celebrations. Pumpkin pie was good before, but this made it even better!

So thanks to She & Him for a great holiday album. Thanks to Martha Stewart for being such a font of dessert knowledge. And thanks to both of them for making my holiday dessert table a little sweeter!

Posted by kristing in Dessert Ideas, Holidays and tagged with ,
15Dec
0

Christmas Cocktail Recipes

candy cane cocktailIt’s not often you meet a Grinch who doesn’t like Christmas and I certainly don’t know many people who don’t enjoy a good cocktail. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Christmas cocktails are absolutely amazing. Feel free to try a few of these recipes this season or whenever you’re in the mood for something delicious.

Candy Cane

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 oz. Creme de Cacao, white
  • 3/4 oz. Schnapps, peppermint
  • 7-Up
  • Cream
  • 1/4 oz. Grenadine
  • 1 Small candy cane

Fill a highball glass with ice and add the liqueurs and grenadine. Stir and add the cream. Top with 7-Up and garnish with the candy cane.

Gingerbread Man

Ingredients:

  • 1 part Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 part Goldschläger
  • 1 part Schnapps, butterscotch
  • 1 part Vodka

Simply combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and strain into shot glasses or drink the entire mixture if you’re feeling up to it!

Mistletoe Martini

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 2 oz Orange juice
  • 3 oz Cranberry tea, chilled
  • 3/4 oz Lemon juice
  • 3 tsp Sugar

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and strain into a martini glass.

If these cocktails don’t make you feel all holly jolly inside, then you really are a Scrooge!

Posted by KristenM in Cocktails, Holidays, Recipes and tagged with , , , , , ,
12Oct
0

Halloween Candy To Steer Clear Of

Halloween is still a few weeks away, but I like to think of it as a month-long holiday, like Christmas or Hanukkah (which is actually a month long). So, to start us off, here’s a list of candy that you should under no circumstance hand out to trick-r-treaters. I don’t care if you forgot to buy candy and these are the only things left — you might as well either go out for the night or leave your lights off and watch a movie. No kid is going to eat these.

Those random, anonymous candies wrapped in hard plastic — especially ones shaped like fruit

“What’d you get, Billy?” “Mommy, that lady gave me cough drops!” That is what you will hear if you give these things to kids.

Necco Wafers and/or Smarties

Mmm, semi-flavored chalk! The kids will be wrasslin’ each other to get their hands on these bad boys. (Not.)

Peeps

This expansion of Peeps from Easter to other holidays is maddening. There’s a reason they were available once a year — they’re disgusting, and eating them more than once a year will turn your brain into the same pseudo-marshmallow-stuff they’re made from.

Black licorice

I don’t know who likes black licorice enough to keep it on the production line, but it’s disgusting. That drawing might as well be a dramatic reenactment.

Popcorn balls

I actually love popcorn balls, or at least I did when I got older and learned the proper way to eat them. (hint: It’s not by trying to cram the whole thing in your mouth at once.) They’re messy and frustrating to kids. You’re better off giving them loose Kettlecorn in little plastic baggies.

Circus peanuts

This should be a given, but every year there are those few people who insist on letting these things circulate. DON’T BE THAT PERSON.

Posted by JessG in candy, Holidays and tagged with , , , , , ,
05Apr
0

Deep Fried Cadbury Eggs

fried cadbury eggs

Considering their relevance to Easter, Cadbury eggs are surprisingly sinful. But if all that chocolate and rich creamy filling aren’t making you feel guilty enough — or if you just have some extra eggs left over — it’s probably time to do some deep-frying.

Read on to learn how to make Deep Fried Caramel Cadbury Eggs, as depicted on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 frozen Caramel Cadbury Eggs
  • 1 real egg (from a chicken, not Cadbury!)
  • 4 cups cooking oil
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Heat cooking oil on medium heat in a deep skillet. Oil is hot enough when a pinch of flower will sizzle (not smoke) on the surface.
  • Mix egg and milk; beat.
  • Combine everything else in a different bowl. Pour in egg mixture slowly. Beat until batter is smooth.
  • Dip Cadbury eggs into the batter.
  • Fry for 2 or 3 minutes, or until eggs are golden brown and crispy. Absorb extra oil by placing on paper towel.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Posted by Sarah in chocolate, Creative Ideas, Dessert Ideas, Holidays, Recipes and tagged with , , , , , , ,
04Mar
0

Kosher Food Recipes: Dessert Kugel

With Passover almost upon us, you might be wondering if there are any sweet kosher food recipes appropriate for the holiday. If so, we’ve got one word for you: kugels.

Essentially Jewish casseroles, kugels have been around forever and usually have egg noodles or potatoes as their main ingredients. Though kugels were once exclusively savory, there are now plenty of sweet kugels out there. Check out our recipe for pineapple kugel below.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups matzoh farfel
  • 2 cups applesauce
  • 5 separated eggs
  • 1 can pineapple, crushed
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

  • Wet farfel with boiling water
  • Combine egg yolks, sugar, salt, and butter and beat mixture
  • Add in farfel
  • Mix in pineapple, applesauce, and cinnamon
  • Beat egg whites until stiff
  • Fold in egg whites to other ingredients
  • Dust with cinnamon
  • Cook for 40 minutes at 350ºF

Stay tuned for more recipes for Passover!

Posted by Sarah in Holidays, Kosher Recipes, Recipes and tagged with , , , , , , ,
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