Peppermint Bark

I just adore giving homemade holiday gifts, especially ones that I know will be appreciated.  I've never met a person who didn't love Peppermint Bark, and it's SO easy to make homemade. 

Make a big batch now and keep gift bags of it in the fridge in case any unexpected friends or neighbors pop in with a gift.  I'm loving these treat bags I found at Target - 3 for a dollar, you can't beat that!

 
Ingredients:
* 1 (12 oz) bag white chocolate morsels
* 1 (12 oz) bag dark chocolate morsels
* 1 tsp. peppermint extract
* 6 candy canes, crushed

Melt white chocolate over a double boiler (if you're not familiar with a double boiler, place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl- some glass is heat proof, but I use a stainless steel bowl just in case- and set it over a pot of boiling water; you only need an inch or two of water as you don't want it to touch the bottom of the bowl). When chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and stir in crushed candy canes and peppermint extract.  Smooth white chocolate out on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and refrigerate until firm (30-40 minutes).  Once the white chocolate is firm, melt the dark chocolate using the double boiler, pour onto the firm white chocolate mixture and return to refrigerator until firm.  Break into bite size pieces and serve.

Edible Gifts: Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

I'm always looking for creative gifts for those people on my list that are hard to shop for.  You know the type...The neighbors, your boss, your in-laws, the person who has everything.  A good Olive Oil and Balsamic are great gifts because they last well past the holiday season, but can also come in handy for the host who will be entertaining a lot throughout the holidays.  Some people may think that all olive oil is created equal.  I say those people haven't been to Taste the Olive!  

I ventured to Taste the Olive recently to pick up a bottle of Greek olive oil.  Little did I know that Greek olive oil is not in season until February or March!    I set out to tasting their variety of oils to pick one that suited me and I settled on a Chilean Frantoio.  As I picked a few to taste, I really didn't anticipate being able to differentiate, but you'd be surprised how unique the various oils are based on their region.  The Chilean oil had a smooth, buttery flavor we all know and love in an olive oil, but it also had a peppery after taste.   The quality olive oils are best eaten raw as opposed to using them in cooking. I like to serve mine with parmesan and balsamic (I picked up this parmesan herb blend to try while I was there) and a crusty bread, drizzled over a sharp cheese, or  of course with a big bowl of pasta, and whoever is lucky enough to get this as a gift will too!

Rum Cake

Rum cakes are the perfect holiday treat- rich and buttery with a crunchy sugar crust.  They keep well for a few days and make a great dessert, snack, or even breakfast! The first time I made this cake, one of my good friends, Katie, had just returned from a trip to Trinidad and brought me a HUGE bottle of dark Trinidadian rum. Since i'm not much of a rum drinker, I decided to make a cake with it.  I brought her my first rum cake as a thank you, and ever since this recipe has been in high demand!

I found the recipe in a book my mom gave me, "Someone's in the Kitchen with Melanie," by local Greensboro cookbook author Melanie Soles.  It starts with a boxed cake mix and the best part is everything goes into the same bowl.  You can whip up the batter in no time, so it's quick in a pinch!

Ingredients:
Batter:
* 1 package Duncan Hines Deluxe Golden Yellow cake mix
* 1 regular size instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1/2 c. water
* 1/2 c. dark rum
* 1/2 c. vegetable oil
* 4 eggs

Glaze:
* 1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
* 1 stick butter
* 1/4 c. dark rum (**The recipe says light rum for the glaze, but I use dark rum)
* 1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flower a Bundt pan.  Comine all ingredients for batter and mix until smooth.  Pour into the Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until cooked through (insert a wooden skewer into the cake; when it comes out clean the cake is done).  Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes or so.  Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by bringing 1 c. sugar, butter, rum, and water to a boil.  Whisk the glaze continuously for 2-3 minutes (don't walk away!).  Remove the heat, set aside.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and a wire rack, and flip the cake on top of the rack (I do this so that the any glaze drips fall on the tin foil).  Stir in the additional sugar to the warm glaze.  Spoon the glaze over the cake and sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Somehow, I managed to escape the all too common childhood trauma of being forced to eat my brussels sprouts.  I'll have to check with my mom on that one, but I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't like them herself!  Hmm..

I recently had brussels sprouts for what may have been the first time in my life and, as it turns out, they're delicious!  This recipe was my first attempt at making them at home and it was so simple, I think I'll make it a more common staple.  The brussels sprouts were delicious simply roasted with olive oil, but the bacon adds that extra something special.  I served them with mustard roasted salmon and skipped the starch - and I didn't even miss it!


Ingredients:
* 1 lb. brussels sprouts
* 1/4 c. olive oil
* 3 strips bacon, chopped
* Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Rinse the brussels sprouts, remove any loose leaves (these tend to burn in the oven), and cut into halves or quarters, depending on your preference.  Arrange the brussel sprouts on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until they're nicely browned, stirring once.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp.  Set the bacon aside on a paper towel to drain and reserve the bacon fat in the pan.  When the  brussels sprouts are finished, top with crumbled bacon and 1 tsp. of the bacon fat.  Serve warm.

Ice Cream Soda

The holidays are upon us!  Can you believe it?  I think the season's arrival calls for a special treat.  Ice Cream Soda is actually a specialty of my mom's; I don't remember a week going by when I was younger that I didn't have one (I mean, it was the perfect accompaniment to my weeklyTGIF Pizza Party after all).  It's such a delicious, nostalgic treat, and it only takes two ingredients: Vanilla Ice Cream and Vernor's Ginger Ale ( and I insist you use Vernor's).  The ginger ale gives the ice cream almost a freeze dried texture and creates a yummy, bubbly foam on top.

Not only is Ice Cream Soda a fun dessert for adults and kids alike, but also make for a lovely finale at a dinner party.  No matter what I make, I find that people are almost always too full for dessert (ok, so I may be guilty of refilling the cheese plate until it's gone, but who am I to judge how much cheese 5 people   can consume?!).  Not the case with ice cream soda!  The first time I made it for friends was after my first annual ladies gift exchange a few years ago.  I made Julia Child's famous boeuf bourguignon and everyone was about to burst when I mentioned dessert.  Most of the ladies politely declined, but as soon as I brought out a few Ice Cream Soda's on a tray, their eyes perked up!   It's such a refreshing, sweet treat, it really is hard to resist.    Be sure to serve it up with both a straw and spoon (I found these red striped straws at Sur la Table).   Merry Sipping!