Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes

How can you go wrong with chocolate and eggnog

during the Christmas season?

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 cup eggnog

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup strong coffee

2 - 45g Hershey's Creamy Milk Chocolate chocolate bars

1 box Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix

Beat together eggs, eggnog and oil.

Break Chocolate bars into small pieces,

place into hot coffee and stir until completely melted.

Add to eggnog mixture and beat until combined.

Sprinkle cake mix into eggnog mixture

and beat for another 2 minutes

until ingredients are well combined.

Pour into Christmas cupcake holders.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 25-30 minutes.

Frost with icing of choice.

(I made vanilla icing, replacing the milk with eggnog

and sprinkled the tops with nutmeg)

You can find the original recipe for Chocolate Eggnog Cake here.

 ~Finding the amazing in the simple~

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Fancy Nut Bark

If you need some quick and easy

last minute baking

this might be the recipe for you.

Ingredients

1 cup salted mixed fancy nuts, coarsely chopped

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate or 6 oz of each.

Spread nuts in a single layer in a 9" microwave dish.

Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through,

until nuts smell toasty.  Set aside to cool completely.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Microwave chocolate squares on medium 2 minutes; stir.

Let stand 1 minute to finish melting, stir again.

If not completely melted, microwave 20-30 seconds longer.

Be careful not to overheat.

With rubber spatula fold in toasted nuts.

Scrape mixture into pan.

To make swirled nut bark spread the semi-sweet chocolate and nuts.

Using the melted white chocolate, drop spoonfuls randomly onto chocolate.

Using a butter knife swirl together.

Refrigerate until set, about 20-30 minutes.

When bark is hard and set, peel off waxed paper,

break into approximately 20 pieces.

To store, layer bark between sheets of waxed paper

in an air-tight container.

 ~Finding the amazing in the simple~

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Double Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes

 

These cupcakes have a festive feel and flavor to them.

They are another great item to have in the freezer

for the busy days ahead.

 

 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 egg

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4  cup chopped slivered almonds

 

Heat oven to 375F.  Line 18 muffin cups.

In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cocoa,

baking soda and salt; blend well.

Add buttermilk, margarine, almond extract and egg;

blend just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Fold in white chocolate and milk chocolate chips and almonds.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

 

Bake in 375F oven for 15-20 minutes or until

toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serve warm or cool.

 

Recipe from:  Pillsbury: The Complete Book of Baking

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Grand Marnier Balls

 

This is a quick and simple recipe

and freezes well which makes it great for Christmas.

 

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. Grand Marnier

7 squares (1-oz each) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs

Chocolate sprinkles

 

Put cream, butter and sugar into saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to boil, stirring often.  Remove from heat.

 

Add Grand Marnier, chocolate and crumbs. 

Mix well.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shape into 42 balls.

Roll in chocolate sprinkles.

Chill or freeze.

Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

 

Recipe from: Company's Coming Holiday Entertaining

 

 

 

  ~Finding the amazing in the simple~

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Double Shot Rum Balls

 

Last year while watching a cooking show

I scribbled down this Rum Ball recipe

but didn't get a chance to try it until this year.

These are the best Rum Balls I have ever tasted

and so simple to make! 

 

 

Ingredients

3-oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup ground almonds

(should be the consistency of fresh bread crumbs)

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Rum for dipping
Chocolate or colored sprinkles

 

 

Grate the chocolate.

Add the icing sugar and ground almonds.

Whisk together.

Add dark rum and vanilla extract.

Mix well and then pat into bottom of bowl.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm.

Remove from fridge and form into balls.

Dip balls in rum and then roll in sprinkles.

Let air dry 15-30 minutes and then place in small baking cups.

 

 

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Butterscotchy Almond Bars

 

This is my daughter's favorite Christmas treat.

It is one of the first things I make

and include a few in her last parcel before Christmas.

 

 

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Nutty Topping

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

2 Tbsp. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/2 cups sliced almonds

 

Combine flour and baking powder; set aside.

Melt butter in large saucepan.

Remove from heat; blend in sugar.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture.

Spread batter in a greased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and prepare Nutty Topping.

 

Nutty Topping

Melt 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan.

Add and mix in sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.

Bring mixture to boil; boil 4 minutes; stirring constantly.

Pour over base and sprinkle sliced almonds over top.

Bake 15 minutes longer.

 

 

Cool 30 minutes and then drizzle melted chocolate over top.

Slice while still warm.

(This makes it easier to get out of the pan) 

 

 

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

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Brownie Minatures

 

Every year I ask every member of the family

what they would like me to bake for Christmas

if I was only baking one thing.

For my son, it is Brownie Minatures.

I don't know where I got the original recipe

but I have been making them every Christmas

for many years :)

 

 

Ingredients

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cups flour

35 rosebuds

 

 

In saucepan, melt sugar, butter and chocolate over low heat,

stirring until chocolate is just melted.

Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute.

Blend in vanilla and eggs; gently fold in flour just until blended.

 

 

Spoon into tiny paper baking cups

Bake in 350F oven for 10-12 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven; set rosebud on top of each.

Makes approximately 35 minatures.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

~Finding the amazing in the simple~

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Christmas Baking Day

It was a great day to spend in the kitchen getting some more goodies made for Christmas.

First up was some Midnight Mints which is one of my favorite squares.  I love chocolate and mint and this nanaimo type square is so yummy.

And I think the light green layer is so festive looking.

Second was the Cherry Chocolate Squares.  They are basically the same as the Midnight Mints only made with cherries.

These are my hubby's favorites and he was getting a little concerned that I might no make them this year so before tucking them away in the freezer I put a few in his lunch box :)

The pink coloring is so pretty and comes entirely from the maraschino cherry juice.

And another batch of Rum Balls.  This is a new recipe I wanted to try.

They have apricot jam in them and sound so yummy.  I haven't sampled any yet and they are also tucked away in the freezer until Christmas.  I am looking forward to trying them.

Now I'm off to clean the kitchen which looks like a disaster zone :)