Have a Merry Bon Bon!

 Need a festive looking candy to add to your
holiday cookie tray?
 
 I first saw this recipe for Grandmama's Bon Bons in the cookbook
Southern Plate by Christy Jordan.
  

 

This was a recipe her "Grandmama" made and these
bon bons were kept in an empty coffee tin in the frig.

I made these that same year I bought her cookbook
and they were a hit with my family.  I even gave out 
the recipe a time or two and made them a few more times.


The original recipe calls for the bon bons to be dipped in
 the chocolate candy coating called Almond Bark.

This year I gave them a different twist.

These bon bons begin with traditional candy ingredients:
Powdered Sugar, Pecans, Coconut, Butter, and Sweetened Condensed Milk.

It is mixed together with your hands, then rolled into balls.
I made both large balls and small balls.

They are then placed in the fridge to firm up and
then dipped into the melted candy coating. 
they candy coating can be melted in the microwave
but I prefer to melt them on a double boiler over the stove.

  

 Here are the larger balls on their tray, cooled, and ready to be 
dipped into the melted chocolate candy coating.  
They only need to be dipped once.

HOWEVER, I dipped the smaller balls into the
white candy coating and noticed, as they were drying,
that they were "see-through" and needed a second dipping.
Before dipping a second time, I let them chill for a bit
so that when I dipped a second time, it didn't melt off the 
first dipping.  Does this make sense?

   

 As a result, the white dipped bon bons have more candy
coating to bite through before you get to the
coconut deliciousness inside.

I finished both chocolate and white bon bons by melting 
some red candy coating and, using a piping bag with a 
Wilton Size 3 tip, piping a drizzle over top for a more 
festive look.

If you are asking yourself, "Why don't I just color
the white candy coating red?" Experience
tells me its just going to be a glob and a mess.
Actually, the gel and liquid coloring will cause the
candy coating to seize much like melting chocolate
chips in the microwave too long.

The result is a rich, sweet, and delicious bite.

These are great kept in the fridge year-round for a treat
 or great during this time of the year for gift giving - in a tin!

Coconut Pecan Bon Bons

Adapted from Southern Plate

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2 cups chopped pecans

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 package chocolate almond bark, for coating

1 package white almond bark, for coating

Large handful of red candy coating, for drizzling.

In a large bowl, with your hands or with a large spoon, mix all ingredients except almond barks. (A mixer works too.)  Form dough into balls any size you want.  Place on a sheet pan and cover. Refrigerate for at least one hour to get really cold and firm.

Melt chocolate almond bark over a double boiler. Taking half of the dough balls, dip each dough ball into the melted chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden.  Place back into the fridge.

Take the remaining dough balls and dip each dough ball into the melted white almond bark and place onto parchment paper. Place back into the frig to get nice and chilled - at least 30 minutes. Take them out and dip them a second time into the melted white almond bark, placing them back onto parchment paper to harden.  Place back into the fridge while you prepare the red almond bark.

Place a large handful of red almond bark into a two-cup glass liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and creamy.  Pour into a small clear piping bag fitted with a Wilton size 3 tip. (You can also pour into a small ziploc bag and snip a very small hole at one of the corners.)

Take the dipped dough balls out of the fridge and, using the prepared piping bag with melted red candy coating, drizzle over tops of the dipped dough balls.

Store in refrigerator.

Wishing all of you a Very Merry Christmas!

Fondly,

~Karen

My Pesto Salmon with Julia's Braised Rice!

I try to eat fish a couple of times of week for the benefits

of the Omega 3's.   Supposedly, they contribute to every inch of 

our beautiful bodies - from our hearts to our minds!

Keeping that in mind, one of my favorite fish to eat is salmon.  

But not every day am I able to pop in and buy a fresh piece of fish!

Costco sells these nifty individually wrapped salmon portions in a bag 

on their freezer aisle. Depending on how hungry you are (and if you are 

sharing it, how hungry they are), you can get two meals out of one.

Or, okay, one meal and the other half is lunch for the next day 

(crumble cooked salmon, then add capers, chopped red onions, 

and a sprinkling of olive oil and champagne vinegar. Yum!).

But, I'm feeling pretty hungry tonight so I'm eating it 

all - and not sharing! It's just me! 

This is one of my old stand-by meals I can make in a pinch because I usually have

both the pesto in the frig and the salmon portions in the freezer at all times. 

The salmon defrosts fairly quickly but its always best to think ahead and 

place in the frig to thaw in the morning before you head out!  

As you can see, I just use purchased pesto and plop some 

down on the baking dish, sit the rinsed and patted-dry salmon on top,

 then slather a little more on its top.  Bake at 350 degrees for exactly 

30 minutes (less if you get a thinner piece).  As it bakes, the olive oil from

the pesto sort of melts in the heat adding the wonderful taste

of basil to the salmon.  As it bakes, put together a 

couple side dishes, set the table, pour the wine, and

Voila! There you have it!

One of the easiest and tastiest salmons you will ever make!

I accompanied the salmon with buttered brussels sprouts

(also from the freezer) and another stand by - Julia Child's 

Braised Rice.  I can easily make it from memory and change 

it up now and again.  Her Braised Rice - Risotto (French Style) recipe 

is in her cookbook, Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, "Essential Techniques and 

Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking".  This recipe is also in her 

cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking but the recipe is a 

little easier to follow in her Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. Just so you'll 

have it, here is the recipe.  I know you'll love it and it has a 

much nicer flavor than the boiled rice we grew up with.

Braised Rice - Risotto (French Style)

Source: Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, by Julia Child

     Saute 1/4 cup of finely minced onion in 2 tablespoons of butter to soften. Stir in 1 cup of rice and cook, stirring with a wooden fork [!!], for 2 to 3 minutes, until grains look milky.  Stir in 2 tablespoons dry white French vermouth and 2 cups chicken stock, add 1 imported [!!] bay leaf, and bring to simmer.  Season lightly. Stir once, lower heat, cover, and cook as for basic boiled rice. [I just love Julia Child!]

So - Enjoy - and Bon Appetit! 

Please join me this Friday and Monday at:

Fondly, ~ Karen

Antiquing and Thrifting Along the Way

You all have heard the phrase, "I brake for yard sales"?

Well, I brake for antique stores.  A close second is thrift stores.

Although, I can't say my heart beats quite as fast.

As Mom and I headed up Highway 395, we anxiously 

searched for any and all antique and thrift stores.

I want to share this antique store.  Once again, I

zero in on the garden section and start clicking my camera.

Just a random mix of plants with some
fun stuff mixed in.

I love this turquoise chair.  Look at the flowers stuck in a pail!

This just looks happy to me. 
Look at the flower made
out of dishes! A sunflower perhaps?

I ended up bringing home six milkshake iced tea glasses,
some older special interest cooking magazines (50 cents each!)
and an entertaining book authored by the former butler
to Princess Diana and the royal household.
Mom scored with a depression glass dessert cup (the
Madrid pattern she thinks), mini bottles for her bottle
tree and Corelle dishes in the Blueberry Bouquet pattern.

We were very happy travelers, I'd say!

Thanks for visiting!

Fondly,
~ Karen

Ina's Got a Blog!

Source: Barefoot Contessa website

I have been a fan of Ina Garten for years!

You all may know Ina as Barefoot Contessa.

I have been cooking my way through her cookbooks for years 
and my cookbooks show it!  They are well-seasoned and well-loved!

I like to write the date the first time I make the recipe, along with

a critique.  (This potato-fennel gratin is to die for!) I like to also 
write the names of the guests I served it to - to avoid ever serving 
the same dish to them twice!  Do any of you do that?

I will even add my own personal touches like this picture on 
the left of my niece on her 7th birthday which 
I taped onto that cake's recipe page!

This one happened to get just a little too close (oops!) to the

stove!  I recall stamping out the singe and kept on cooking! 

I later taped over the singe to preserve the cover.  All better! 

I have been slowly making my way though each and every one 

of her cookbooks and, by the end of the year, I have had a 

goal to finish making everything in her first book.  

I've said I'm going to do it for a very long time so I finally set a goal

this year (one of my New Year's Resolutions actually) 

to accomplish it.  As I speak type,I am down to 4 or 5 savory 

dishes but a number of desserts and breakfast recipes are yet 
to be made!  Won't those be yummy?  

I was recently on her website and noticed that Ina now has

Ina's Blog. Yes, she's joined us all in blogland!  She 

currently has three posts so we all can get in early

and not miss a thing! She tells us what she's been doing and 

includes links to favorite recipes and resources 

to some of her favorite things.  I also saw on her website that 

she has another book coming out this Fall named 

"Barefoot Contessa Foolproof".  I did not know that.  How cool is that?  
I'm thinking I may need to accomplish my goal before this new one 
comes out! I had better get busy cooking...


Join me this week for the following linky parties:






Thank you for visiting me!


Fondly,
~ Karen

Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Butter Icing and a Favorite Cookbook

I am so excited to share with you this terrific cookbook. 

One of my all-time favorites.

Jacket photographs by Laurie  Smith and designed by Toni Tajima

Pastry Queen Parties

Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style

by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman

Rebecca is the chef-owner of the renowned Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe

in the Texas Hill Country town of Fredericksburg.  Although her

bakery and cafe is no longer open, the link will still give you

a glimpse of the talent she is.

This cookbook has more than 100 recipes and includes menus for

homecoming picnics, hacienda dining, a ranch-style supper, 

summer beach bonanza, and even a big city cocktail party.

What I also like about this cookbook is that there is a "Do It Early" 

portion to every recipe.  I'm all for doing it ahead.

With our busy schedules, aren't we all?

Jacket photographs by Laurie  Smith  and designed by Toni Tajima

Just look at the back cover!  A Rustic Bread Salad (Yep - made that!) in a

huge galvanized pail.  Now that will feed a party!   The pictured

Watermelon Salads with Tequila-Lime Dressing 

served in small watermelons is a favorite also.

I will say the recipe I make the most is the 

Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Butter Icing

It starts with mixing butter and brown sugar; then adding eggs and vanilla.

A dry mixture is added

then spread into a half-sheet pan, and baked.

Just out of the oven! 

After a complete cool down, it is spread with a deliciously

sweet Brown Sugar Butter Icing.  Be sure to spread the warm

icing quickly before it begins cooling down, making

the icing harder to smooth out.

As you can see, my does it make a lot!

And it keeps three days if uncut.

I'll keep a few at home and take the rest to share at work.

Yum!

Recipe:

Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Butter Icing
Courtesy of Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman in Pastry Queen Parties
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen 2 by 3-inch bars.
Brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
Icing:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
To Make the Brownies:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a half-sheet (13 by 18-inch) pan with aluminum foil and grease with butter or cooking spray.  Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 cup butter and the 3 cups brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla and continue beating for another minute.  In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture on low speed until incorporated.  Stir in the pecans.  Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.  Bake until the bars are set and slightly puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely before icing.
To Make the Icing:  In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt the 1 cup butter and 2 cups brown sugar.  Once the mixture is lightly bubbling, decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 more minutes; set aside.  Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the powdered sugar, half-and-half, and vanilla on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.  Add the melted butter mixture and beat until combined.  Pour over the cooled brownies and spread evenly.  Let the brownies sit for about 30 minutes to allow the icing to firm up before cutting into square.

Do make these and enjoy them as much as I do!

This week, I'll be joining:

Foodie Friday

Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,

~ Karen