Holiday Old-Fashioned Caramels Recipe

As a child I remember my mom working in the kitchen making many different types of Christmas candies.  All of us children were instructed to stay away from the stove while she was busy stirring.  She didn't want us to get burned by the hot sugars she was transforming into wonderful Christmas gems.

It is awesome carrying on some of her Christmas Candy making.  It makes me smile telling my own children the same warning while I am working at the stove.  I have the strick rule - when I am getting ready to pour EVERYONE has to be out of the kitchen.  I would hate to have an accident happen and some get burned severely.  They totally understand.  But have a difficult time waiting for the end product to cool so they can get one sample or more.

Okay, now everyone gets to learn about my many trials at successfully making Caramels.  I grew up in Iowa but relocated to the Western side of Nebraska many years ago.  I started one Christmas, before I was blessed with children trying to make my mom's Caramels.  I followed the directions precisely.  They would never come out correctly.  They would be rock hard and inedible.  I tried two or three years in a row with no success.  

I finally decided maybe since I was close to the Mountains in Colorado I needed to drop the temp down to what a person should do at a high altitude - even though I all of my other recipes worked without adjusting for a high altitude.

I was so excited to find out that was the problem.  And waaalaaaa my Caramels were a success and have continued to be successful.

This year the Caramel making process has been a little challenging since having major knee surgery.  But it has not slowed by Christmas baking and candy making down one bit.  As you can see by the photo below - I have just had to come up with creative ways to overcome.  And I have :)

Here the recipe I use thanks to the Pillsbury Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Line 9-inch square pan with foil, so the foil extends over sides of pan, lightly butter foil.

In heavy 3 - quart saucepan, melt butter.  Add  brown sugar , mix well.  Stir in corn syrup.

Cook over medium-low until sugar dissolves and mixture is will blended.

Remove sauce pan from heat.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk. 



I love the beauty of creating sweet candies.



Cook over medium heat for 30 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reaches firm-ball stage (244 degrees - UNLESS at high altitude *Cook until candy thermometer reached 234 degrees).



Love my Ove Glove can't imagine Christmas Candy Making without it!



Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into buttered foil lined pan.  Cool about 30 minutes.

When candy has completely set, carefully remove from pan by lifting foil.  Remove foil side of candy.  With thin-bladed knife, cut candy into pieced, using a light sawing motion.  Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper.  Store in refrigerator. 

As you can see by the photos.  I love to use the Glad Press and Seal for end product.  It is great and relatively easy to use, plus it seals easy with a twist - and the Limited Edition Holiday Pattern makes for a great presentation.
If anyone noticed in the photos my triple batch of caramel was very close to the top of the pot.  What I like to do is when the caramel has reached 234 degrees - I carefully scoop out 2 cups of it - which leaves enough room to let the rest of the batch get to the proper temperature.

I add 1 teaspoon of vanilla into the caramel that was removed.  I then use the 2 cups of caramel sauce to dip apples into.  It is the perfect consistency and tastes so good.

So is anyone available to help me wrap my triple batch of caramels?  I am still wrapping them - and it has been three days.  But it is so worth it. 

Next I will be making Peanut Brittle and there is a wonderful family story and recipe to go along with it.  Also stay turned and pass it around I will be hosting my first giveaway in a week or two thanks to King Arthur http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ .  It is an Awesome Giveaway.  Don't miss out!

Hershey's Cocoa Holiday Rum Balls Recipe

So my question for all of you is....what can you make for the holidays with the help of Bacardi Light Rum, Hershey's baking Cocoa and Nilla Wafers???
Well I found the answer to this question back in December of 2000.  You can make delicious Cocoa Rum Balls.  The only challenging part of this recipe is the wait to enjoy them.  You have to let them set in an air tight container for at least two weeks - so they can develop their flavor and texture.  The Rum soaks into the Nilla Wafers like a sponge and by the time you get to the end product - no one will ever guess the main ingredient is Nilla Wafers. 

The other ingredient that can not be left out is the chopped walnuts.  The walnuts create the perfect balance between the burn from the rum , the sweetness from the Nilla Wafers and sugar and the chocolaty goodness of the Hershey's Cocoa.  It cannot image this recipe without the bitter taste from the walnuts.

My boys LOVE helping create this Christmas goodie.  And I love watching them help.

As you can see by the photos they get into creating these with all their bodies, hearts and souls.  My two youngest enjoyed crushing the Nilla Wafers.  They even at one point brought out the big Tonka trucks to help with the crushing process.  My biggest suggestion if you have your children helping - Make sure you DOUBLE bag the Nilla Wafers that need to be crushed. 

My oldest felt very important as he got the job of using the hand nut grinder to take care of the walnuts.  He loved measuring out the finished walnuts to the "exact" amount needed for the recipe.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

Ingredients:

1 - 12oz package of Nilla Wafers - crushed
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Baking Cocoa
1/2 cup light rum
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
**And 1 cup of Confectioners sugar to coat the ball in**

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine Nilla Wafers, chopped walnuts, 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, and Hershey's baking cocoa.  Add rum and corn syrup.  Blend well.  Shape into 1 inch balls and roll them into confectioners sugar.

Store the rum balls in a airtight container for a least 2 weeks.  Roll them again in confections sugar before serving.

I love experiencing the Holidays through the eyes of a child.

Jack Daniel's Christmas Whiskey Cake Recipe

A few years back my husband and I were watching the Food Network (one of our favorite channels ever!) and they featured a business in Lynchburg Tennessee that made Lynchburg Whiskey Cake.  I spent the money that year and purchased a delicious cake from them.  It was awesome.....but.....I knew I could make a cake just as tasty and more affordable. 

So I researched online and found a perfect recipe on Allrecipes.com.  I have changed the recipe a little and instead of making it in a bundt pan - I use to large loaf pans (or small loaf pans so I can give them out as Christmas gifts).

I have made two of these loaves the other day so they can sit and mellow with age.

Ingredients


2 cups Jack Daniel's Whiskey
8 ounces golden raisins

16 ounces red candied cherries - whole
3/4 pound butter

2 cups white sugar

6 egg yolks

6 egg whites

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 pound chopped pecans

1 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease loaf pans and line bottoms with parchment paper (Do not skip this step - otherwise the cakes will never come out of the pans).

2. Soak raisins and cherries in 2 cups of bourbon or whiskey for 48 to 72 hours. Before making cake, drain well and reserve the bourbon.

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, nutmeg and baking powder. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, cream butter with the white sugar. In a separate small bowl, cream yolks and brown sugar until very light.

5. In a very large bowl, combine the two sugar mixtures and blend well.

6. Alternately add flour mixture and reserved bourbon in three stages, mixing well with each addition.

7. Add soaked fruit and fold in. Add nuts and fold in.

8. In a clean medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter until evenly distributed.

9. Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven and bake for 4 to 5 hours at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Ovens vary, so watch the baking time. Test cake with wooden pick. (May take longer than 5 hours).

10. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out. When almost cool, brush sides Jack Daniel's. Wrap cake with Jack Daniel's soaked cheesecloth, then with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight and saturate again with Jack Daniel's. Cover with plastic wrap and then with foil and store for at least 2 weeks in a cool dry place.

When you are finally able to enjoy this delicious Christmas treat - you will not be disappointed.  It is very dense, moist cake with the defining flavor of Jack Daniel's Whiskey.  This is a definite holiday must have at our house.

Happy Holidays!

German Anise Springerle Cookies - Christmas Baking has begun.

Well it is Official my Christmas Baking marathon began this past weekend.  I started with German Springerle cookies as they have to age - and soaking some fruit in Jack Daniels for Whiskey Bread (which is currently in the oven ever so slowly baking  - that recipe will follow soon).

I am so excited that I am finally able to do my Christmas baking this year - after dealing with Cervical Cancer and complications the past two Christmas's  - I missed this soooo much.  I am going to be blogging about the numerous recipes that I prepare and share as Christmas gifts each year.  I am also going to be including any type of family tradition of history of the recipes.

Here is our heirloom Springerle rolling pin that I use to make this wonderful cookies.  It is on display, year around in my kitchen.  I was the fortunate one to have this beautiful wooden rolling pin passed down to me from my husband's mother (Marge) before she was called back home (God rest her soul).  She stated she was given the rolling pin from her Grandmother and believes it came over from Prussia.   

Marge also gave me the recipe she used out of her cookbook to make the Springerle cookies.

As you can see by the photo the recipe is discolored from age and edges are torn and worn from use over the years.  It excites me to know some day I am going to have the opportunity to pass down this recipe page and the rolling pin.  It is already awesome to see how my young children react to the tradition of Christmas baking at our house.
When I started to put the ingredients together this year my 5 year old son came into the kitchen.  He took a deep breath and started to smell with a smile.  He exclaimed, "I know what cookies you are making!  I love those".  The most difficult part is the "wait" until they are ready to eat around Thanksgiving time. I do cook up all the scraps that are left over so the boys and I can get a taste of the cookies before they have aged.

Well here is the Springerle recipe.  It is labor intensive but well worth the work and the wait.  I couldn't imagine making with recipe with out my Kitchen aid Stand Mixer - like they would have done without years and years ago.

4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
4 to 6 drops anise oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs in large mixing bowl until very thick (about 15 minutes). 

Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.

Continue beating 15 minutes.

Blend in anise oil and vanilla extract.

Sift flour with baking powder and salt.

Fold into egg mixture, blending completely.

Roll out dough on floured surface in 1/2 inch thickness; then, with special Springerle rolling pin, roll out designs.

Cut along design lines into small squares.

Place on lightly greased cookies sheet or floured waxed paper.



I love to add Anise seeds on the lightly greased cookie sheet.  It adds great depth to the cookies when baked.



I love to use a pizza cutter to make nice and quick straight cuts of the dough after using the rolling pin.

Cover with a cloth; let stand 8 hours or overnight in a cool place.

Place cookies in 375 degree oven  and immediately reduce heat to 300 degrees; bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Do not brown.

Let stand in tightly covered container several weeks to mellow.

I am thinking about doing a give away of a goodie basket of all my Christmas goodies that I will be making this season.  What does everyone think about that??

Breyers Yo Crunch Yogurt Giveaway

I am always on the look out for new options for breakfast as well as healthy snacks. I love Breyers Yo Crunch - it is so easy to take to work and snack on - plus the granola adds a whole different aspect to snacking on yogurt.

I am a proud cervical cancer survivor and as you can see by the photo

 

 - I have a lot to live for and try the best to eat healthy so I can be around many many more years. I went on their website http://www.yocrunch.com/ and even submitted an application to be an Ambassador - if chosen I get a free Yo Crunch t-shirt! If you check out their site you can print off a $1 coupon - for all you coupon lovers.

 

The best part of this great company is I started following them on Twitter and Facebook.  Last week they asked followers to submit their best snacking tip to win some Yo Crunch.  I submitted the following tip -  "I love to cut up fresh fruit like strawberries, bananas, peaches...ect.. and my boys dip them in flavored yogurt.  I found out I am going to receive 30 - YES 30 Coupons for Free Yo Crunch Yogurt!!!  That is a month supply - so you have to check out Breyers Yo Crunch on Facebook - They let me know they will be starting a new contest this week on Facebook - I am curious to see what it will be.

 

Here is a little more information on Yo Crunch just in case you are interested that I got from their website - Hunger can strike at any time, we all know it. When you get the urge to reach for a snack, it’s key to snack smart. Snacks can give you an energy boost, and also fill you up with the vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. The American Dietetic Association recommends the following tips when choosing your snacks:

•Think of snacks as mini-meals that contribute nutrient-rich foods. You can fit snack calories into your personal healthy eating plan without over-spending your day’s calorie budget.

•Snack only when you’re hungry. Skip the urge to nibble when you’re bored, frustrated or stressed. Feed the urge to do something by walking the dog or working in the garden.

•Keep portion control in mind. Have a single-serve container of yogurt or put a small serving of nuts in a bowl. Eating directly from a multiple-serving package can lead to overeating.

•Plan snacks ahead of time. Keep a variety of nutritious ready-to-eat supplies on hand, such as whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese.

Keep these in mind as you choose your snacks, and be sure to pick up your favorite flavor of YoCrunch

Cranberry Apple Bread Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient

The other day I was going through the freezer and found a bag of frozen Ocean Spray Cranberries from last season.  That is all I needed for inspiration to come up with a recipe to use up these beautiful berries (I needed to use them up as fresh Cranberries have finally made to store shelves again - I am so happy!).

My entire family loves sweet breads and they are so handy for breakfast in the morning or a snack in the afternoon.  I enjoy baking bread after the house quiets down and everyone is in bed.  Plus it is so much fun to see the sparkle in my boys eyes when they wake up and see the fresh loaf of bread on the cooling rack in the kitchen.  They can't wait to have me cut into the loaf and enjoy it.

Well here is the recipe I came up with for Cranberry Apple Bread.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pealed - chopped tart apples (I love to use HoneyCrisp Apples)
1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries

***Secret Ingredient is....Drum Roll Please......

 2 packages (.74oz each) Alpine Spiced Cider Original Apple Flavor Drink Mix **** 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Beat the eggs, sugar and olive oil. 

Combine flour, baking powder,baking soda, salt, and Spiced Cider Mix - add to the wet ingredients until just combined.

The batter will be very thick.

Stir in the Apples and Cranberries.



Is is a photo of a double batch.



Coat a 8"x4"x2" loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and add batter. 

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

I like to add a sprinkle of granulated sugar at the end for a beautiful presentation.

This bread is so moist and full of flavor.  The cranberries explode in your mouth with the tart, acid kick that makes me crave using this beautiful red berry.  Some of the apples retain there chopped shape and give it a nice mouth feel.

I love to use the Spiced Cider Mix in many of my recipes - especially breads and muffins.  It is fortified with vitamin C!  If you have never used this Spiced Cider Mix - it’s the delicious blend of spicy, tangy goodness.  I love to make a steaming glass of it now that Autumn has arrived - but it adds great flavor to muffins and breads.

This is the first time I have tried added more photos during the recipe process - What do you think?  Should I keep it up?  Anyone try this recipe?  What did you think of my secret ingredient?

Happy Baking Everyone.

Chai Tea Mix Recipe - Blog Post Chosen by Coffee-Mate!!!

What great news to receive on a Monday evening!!!  Coffee-mate selected my blog post to be featured on their main website - http://www.coffeemate.com/ Blog Talk.  Hopefully it will be up on their site very soon!  Keep an eye out for it.

I love to blog and touch others with my stories and recipes.  I joke with my husband that I think I have found my new calling.  Now if I only could make a living doing it :)  Anyone have an suggestions???

I have attached my blog that I submitted to Coffee-mate (it is also listed under my other blog posting of The Smell of Autumn in the Air).  I also included some new photos of this great Chai.

The Smell of Autumn in the Air...

Autumn is my most favorite season of all. I love watching the changing of the leaves from a brilliant green to the beautiful gold, red and brown. But the best part of leaves is waiting until they have all fallen down and you can crunch through them. I am smiling as I am writing this. It makes me feel like a child again.

My family also waits for this time of year to arrive because it makes me want to cook and bake all the time. They look with anticipation to see what I will be “whipping” up next. I love filling our house with all the scents of spices and aromas of food being created.

One recipe I love to make and enjoy myself is Chai Tea. After the house is quiet, and the boys are put to sleep. It is great to have a little “me” time. I love sitting down with a steaming mug of this mix. The sweet smell of the spices and velvety texture on my tongue is so relaxing.

The best part about this mix is it makes a great gift for the holidays. I love making extra when I create a batch to have on hand. I put the mix in glass jars and decorate them with seasonal ribbons and bows. I include instructions and the recipe. That way when I am invited to a Thanksgiving gathering or a Christmas party, I always have something homemade to bring along.


Go head try my recipe below and find some “me” time during the busy holiday season to enjoy.

1 cup Coffee-mate Original Creamer

1 ¼ cups Coffee-mate French Vanilla Creamer

1 Cup nonfat dry milk powder

2 ½ cups white sugar

1 ½ cups unsweetened instant tea (decaf if you don’t want the caffeine)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon allspice

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon cardamom

Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. Place a small amount of the mixture into a blender and mix until it is a fine powder. If you do not blend it into a fine powder – when the mix is used it will be grainy and the flavors will not be incorporated properly.


Use two rounded tablespoons of mix in an 8oz mug of hot water. If you like Chai Tea richer – add some scalded milk to the mug before the hot water.

I am now going to put my feet up with a big pair of warm slippers and sip on my steaming mug of Chai Tea...Ummmmmm.  What a great way to end my busy day.  It makes me drift off to the happy times I know we will be having over the busy holiday season head.  Have a mentioned I love this time of year and experiencing it through the eyes of my children and with Coffee-mate in hand.
I am excited to say that I have entered this blog post to Coffee-mate as they asked me to submit a blog in regards to the holidays that may be featured in Nov or Dec of the Coffee-mate.com blog- Coffee Talk! It will be great if it is selected. I was asked because I am a Brew Crew Member. Wish me luck and watch the Coffee-mate.com blog - Coffee Talk and see if I make it.

http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/