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

Run for the Brandy Beans!

If you are lucky to have a Trader Joe's near you,

go NOW for their Brandy Beans.

Brandy Beans are brandy filled chocolates

and look like, well, beans!

Sometimes you just need a little something

for somewhere so you don't show up empty handed.

At $3.99, they make a great little hostess gift

or even stocking stuffer for that adult

over the age of 21 years of age.

(They are alcoholic folks!)

Trader Joe's are known to run out of these

so I wouldn't put off getting them if you are going to.

So, GO... RUN... NOW for the Brandy Beans!

Fondly,

~Karen

 

Happy Halloween!

source

Wishing all of you a

Happy Halloween!

Fondly,

~Karen

Happy Birthday America!

 

Today, America turns 238!

I feel truly blessed to be an American.  

Wishing everyone an enjoyable Independence Day.

 

Let's wave our flags proudly today and everyday!

Fondly,

~Karen

Flourless Chocolate Cake on St. Paddy's Day

I was taught in culinary school different ways to use a flourless chocolate

cake.  A flourless chocolate cake is just that - flourless.
Instead of using flour, egg whites are whipped and added to the

chocolate batter instead of dry flour ingredients like we are
more familiar with. After taking out of the oven, the cake
will deflate leaving a moist spongy-like cake.

I like to "stamp" different-shaped pieces out of the flourless chocolate

cake, depending on what I am wanting to make and use them for.

I recently made this cake and "stamped" out hearts as a garnish for a

dessert I made for my sorority.  You can see that post here.

The top-right photo above shows those hearts which I also added a

drizzle of chocolate to, to dress them up and add to their flavor,

since the dessert they were garnishing was not chocolate.

 

I had some of the cake not used when making the hearts and placed

that remaining cake into the freezer. I pulled it out of the freezer

and decided to use it for this small tiered St. Paddy's Day cake. Well,

actually, I had the thought to pull the cake out of the freezer because...

the other day I had lunch with a friend at Opera Cafe and Patisserie

and had to bring home a few mini-macarons - in GREEN!

I thought to use a little macaron to top this little tiered cake.

Then eat the rest! Ha!

I pulled the cake out of the freezer, pulled out my circle cutters,

and while the cake was still quite cold, cut out the needed circles.  

I used the 2 1/2" - 58 mm cutter. 

I cut out more than I needed because the cake can get

quite moist and a little sticky as it thaws, making it sometimes

difficult to take out of the cutters in one piece.

I also had some buttercream in my freezer which I took

out one day before to bring back to room temperature,

then re-whipped it, and added the color green.

This was actually quite easy to put together. Nothing fancy here.

Piped a dab of buttercream on the plate to anchor the cake,

placed the first cake layer on top (using my offset spatula),

piped a swirl of buttercream,

 placed the second cake layer on top,

piped another swirl of buttercream, and

placed the final third layer of cake on top.

 

Althought I was planning on topping it with a final swirl of

buttercream and the green mini-macaron, I thought

it looked a bit plain and need more chocolate. (Right?)

I decided to drape it with some ganache.

For the ganache,

I placed semi-sweet baking chocolate into a bowl along with some cream.

I microwaved it for 45 seconds, then stirred until it became smooth,

shiny, and the pouring consistency I wanted.  Sorry, but I didn't measure.

I did end up adding a little more cream for a better pouring consistency.

But, no, I never put it back into the microwave.

I then lightly poured the ganache over the little tiered cake

and left it to drip down its sides. 

 Lastly, I added one last swirl of buttercream

then topped it off with the mini-macaron.

Yum!  I just love cake and I just love buttercream.

And, the macarons are just a very special treat.

 

Here is the recipe:

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Source - Southerner At Heart

 

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (not chips)

10 oz. butter

10 large egg yolks

3 oz. sugar

8 large egg whites

3 oz. sugar

 

Melt chocolate and butter together. Whisk egg yolks and 3 oz. sugar in a separate bowl. Fold in melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whip egg whites and 3 oz. sugar to medium peaks. Fold chocolate mixture into egg white mixture. Spread into a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 350 degrees until center is set. Let cool completely in pan.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thank you for visiting my blog!

 

This week I will be joining

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

 

 

Fondly,

~Karen

 

 

 

 



Valentine's Wishes!

I have been having a good time changing photos

using the Waterlogue app on my iPad.

Here is a Waterlogued photo of me with a dozen red

roses I received from my sweetie for Valentine's Day today!

(He knows I love flowers!!)

 

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Heart's Day

and may your day be overflowing with all things pink and red!

 

Happy Valentine's!

 

Fondly,

~Karen



Queen's Valentine's Dinner

Each year, a Valentine's Queen is elected in my sorority

chapter.  She is a gal who gives of herself her friendship,

is supportive, and is a gal we can look up to and see

a smiling face.  She is a true sorority sister in every way.

 

She gets to wear our chapter's coveted Queen's Crown...

...and a Queen's Valentine's Dinner is given in her honor.

 

Her dinner was given at a sorority sister's home the other night.

The sister hostess set a lovely table made the dinner. She asked me

to make the dessert.  Days prior, I asked our Queen what

her favorite dessert was.  She responded with "cupcakes".

The dinner was going to be a plated-sit down dinner so I opted for

Creme Brulee with dinner and Cupcakes saved for later in the evening.

The red and pink cupcakes rested beautifully on the piano while we ate dinner.

The Valentine's dinner began with festive salads plated

on the table when the sorority sisters arrived.

We each sat down with our choice of red or white wine

to a delicious entree of chicken, roasted potatoes, and green beans.

I made Creme Brulee in shallow ramekins garnished with

raspberries, mint, and a flourless-chocolate cake heart

cut-out and drizzled with chocolate.

 

Here is the evening's actual dinner menu:

 

Mixed Green Salad w/Beet-Infused Goat Cheese Hearts

Chicken Parmesan w/Marinara Sauce, Avocados, and Mozzarella Cheese

Roasted Red Potatoes

Steamed Haricots Verts

Creme Brulee w/Flourless Chocolate Cake Heart Garnish

Rose-Piped Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

 

The dinner was delicious!

After a lively dinner, we settled into the livingroom, each exchanged

Valentines, then ate the cupcakes - leaving four for the

Queen to take home to her family.

 

It was a fun evening and one we all look forward to every year.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for visiting!

 

I will be joining

Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursdays.

Feel free to go on over and check out all the tablescapes linked there.

 

Fondly,

~Karen

 

Extraordinary Boxed Brownies!

Don't tell anyone but I'm using a boxed brownie mix! Yeah, I know.

"She goes to culinary school only to make boxed brownies".

Truth be told, when I make brownies scratch-made, I make them

for 30+ persons.  There are many brownie mixes out

there these days that aren't your every day boxed brownies.
What makes them extraordinary is
when "add-ins" are included altering the flavor profile...

Voila!

Extraordinary Boxed Brownies!

For the brownies today, I used a boxed dark
chocolate flavored brownie mix.

The measurements you find on the box for the oil, water, and egg

remain the same.  What I added is 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

and 1/2 cup large-chopped macadamia nuts.

Extraordinary Dark Chocolate Brownies

Makes an 8x8 pan. Double recipe for a 9x13 pan.

1 (20 ounce) box dark chocolate brownie mix.

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking pan with foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir with wooden until just combined.  Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Cool completely before lifting the brownie from pan. Remove foil and cut into squares.

With all the hustle and bustle this holiday season,

why not use some tasty shortcuts?

I will be busy in the kitchen baking and prepping

for Wednesday's Christmas dinner so I will now

wish all of you a blessed Merry Christmas!

Fondly,

~Karen



Red Hots Hot Cider Punch



I have been making this hot cider recipe for years.

It was made originally for me years ago by a sorority

sister for one of our winter sorority meetings.

It is deliciously sweet from the Red Hots candies

which equally add to its cinnamon taste.

The gorgeous red color they provide, with the help

of cranberry juice, make it the perfect hot

cider for the holidays.

 

Here is the recipe!

 



Red Hots Hot Cider Punch
Makes 1 Gallon+

1 gallon apple cider
1 quart cranberry juice cocktail

Tie in cheesecloth or place in tea ball:
     2 teaspoon whole cloves
     2 teaspoon whole allspice
     2-3 sticks cinnamon
OR
     1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
     1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
     1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

8-12 ounces bag of Red Hots (to taste)

Instructions:
Heat cider, juice, spices, and red hots until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes and until candies dissolve. Take out spice ball or, if using ground spices, strain through cheesecloth prior to serving.

I hope this becomes one of your go-to hot cider

recipes like it is mine.  Its great not just for the holidays

but for anytime during our colder months.

 

This week I will be joining 



 

Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,

~Karen

A Lovely Salad for Autumn and the Holidays

 
 I am sharing with you a lovely salad for Autumn.

"Autumn" is in the title of recipes containing those

fruits (like the pear) and vegetables found during the

Autumn months. However, this salad is equally great for the

Holidays because of the beauty of the red dried cranberries.

 

This salad uses a fresh pear but any of the pears are okay to use.

The one I choose usually depends on which variety of pear 

is on sale.  I will admit that I do cross my fingers and

hope the Bosc variety is on sale because I like the visual

of the brown-ish skin left on the cubes of pear in the salad.

I wish for the Anjou variety for the holidays for its bright green color.

Keep in mind to buy the pears a few days ahead of time

just in case they will need to ripen.  For the salad, we

want the pears just ripe - not mushy.  Cut them and add them
to the salad just before serving so they won't turn brown.

 

There really isn't a recipe for this salad.

Sometimes I use a Baby Spring lettuce mix

and sometimes I use only chopped Romaine lettuce.

I made this salad recently with the Romaine lettuce along side

a French Onion-Bacon Tart. Sorry, no photos. A flavor tip
when making salads is to make sure you season your lettuces.
Just sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over lettuces in the
bowl prior to adding whatever add-ins you are going to use.

The "add-ins" to this salad are the pear cubes, pecans,

dried cranberries, crumbled bacon, and feta! Sometimes I
crumble the feta and sometimes I leave them as small cubes. 

For the dressing, a Poppy Seed salad dressing is drizzled over the
salad followed by a drizzle of basic Balsamic Vinaigrette. I make my own
Balsamic Vinaigrette but you can buy a bottled one as well.  The
ratio is approximately 70% Poppy Seed dressing and 30% Balsamic
Vinaigrette. Mix well to combine and then taste a lettuce leaf. 
You will be pleasantly surprised how delicious this is.

I "pear-ed" this salad with a Broccoli Chicken Casserole

which is a great recipe that can be used with leftover

Thanksgiving turkey.  That recipe can be found HERE. 

I thought this little plant of

fresh "Turkey Seasoning" herbs was genius.

"Flavorful herbs grown with your holiday turkey in mind."

"Cut what [we] need for seasoning and the plant continues to grow."

I bought it at the grocery store and it came with the

cute ceramic turkey on a stick.  I will be giving it to

my daughters on Thanksgiving as a hostess gift. 

 

I will be linking this week with

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

Stone Gable's On The Menu Mondays

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Fridays

 

Thank you for stopping by and visiting.

 

Fondly,

~Karen

 

 

 

 

 



Broccoli Chicken or Turkey Supreme

Dinner tonight is actually a recipe I want to share with you before

Thanksgiving because its such a great recipe for using

our leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. 

I first knew of Broccoli-Chicken Casserole because it

was the first dish my father learned to make after he retired

and my mother was still working.  He wanted to have dinner

ready for her! How sweet is that? (Miss you dad!)

But, I have to tell you, most of those recipes (including the

one my dad used) called for canned soup. 

 

I'm happy to say this recipe I'm sharing with you has NO canned

soup.  It is scratch-made using a cheese sauce and made with

crumbled (and buttered!) Ritz crackers for its topping...

I didn't say it was lower in fat!

 

Tonight I made this casserole with some leftover shredded chicken

breast that I had in the frig and had been needing wanting to use.

 

I broke up the fresh broccoli florets, leaving them on the

larger side, and then steamed them for 3 minutes.   

I placed them in the bottom of a greased

baking dish and sprinkled the shredded chicken over top.

 

The cheese sauce was then made by melting butter and adding

seasonings, milk, a little chicken broth, and a slurry of cornstarch and water.

It thickens beautifully then shredded cheddar cheese is added and

combined until melted and smooth.

This cheese sauce is now poured over the top of the chicken and broccoli
with more cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.

 

For the topping, I used Ritz' Roasted Vegetable crackers,

crushed them in a ziploc, again leaving pieces on the large side, then

added them to melted butter.  The topping was sprinkled

over the top of the casserole then baked. 

The recipe makes a 9x13 but I improvised and

made only an 8x8 because there was only two of us for dinner. 

I served it along side one of my favorite salads which includes
 dried cranberries, pecans, feta, ripened pear, and an unusual,
but tasty, dressing made by combining two different dressings.  Check
back in a day or two and I'll share that salad recipe with you as well.

 

This isn't the normal Broccoli-Chicken Casserole

and it certainly deserves the title of Supreme.

I hope you keep it in mind come Friday and you have

all your leftover turkey.

 

Here is the recipe: 

 

Broccoli Chicken Supreme

Makes a 9x13 baking dish.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh broccoli, broken into florets.

3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1 stick melted butter
 

Cheese sauce:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

1/2 of the cheese listed above.

 

Directions:

Steam broccoli florets for 3 minutes.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish and layer the broccoli and the chicken.  Set aside. In a saucepan, combine the melted butter, cornstarch slurry, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk.  Stir with a whisk and continue whisking until sauce has thickened. Take pan off heat and add 1/2 of the cheddar cheese and whisk until melted and smooth.  Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.

 

Topping:

Crush the Ritz crackers in a ziploc.  Melt butter in a bowl and add the crushed crackers to combine.  Sprinkle topping over the top of the grated cheese.

 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Cover with foil if topping is getting too browned before its done.  Let it sit and cool slightly before serving.

 

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting!

 

I will be linking with

 

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays

Stone Gable's On The Menu Mondays

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

 

 

Fondly,

~ Karen

 

 



A Trio of Patriotic Pies

Happy Independence Day!

I ran across these patriotic pies in Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts book

(a gift from my sister) and thought they'd be perfect

and festive for today's celebration.  I deviated

slightly from her recipe by making three different

berry pies - not mixed berries as she suggested - and making

three, not six.  I made only one recipe of her Pate Brisee

(sweetened pie dough) the night before to have ready in the frig. 

It is always nice dividing a task between two days.

(It's even more nice to have the pie dough waiting in the freezer!)

I used my six-inch cast iron skillets which I often use for my Tamale Pie.

As you can see, it takes a lot of rolling and cutting of the

pie dough into stars and stripes stars.  Its important to keep

the cut-out shapes cold until you are ready to use them,

so they will retain their shape when baking.

Once assembled, these were actually kept in the

freezer for an hour prior to baking.

My Blueberry Pie had a top crust made of a ring of stars.

My Blackberry Pie had a top crust of stars and stripes.

My Raspberry Pie had a top crust cut out with stars.
 

 

You can find the recipe for these small patriotic pies on Martha Stewart's website.
The star cutters can be found at Michael's in the fondant cutter section.



Now to concentrate on the food for tonight's celebration...

 

Be sure to go over and check out other patriotic happenings

at Common Ground's Be Inspired! Its a Patriotic Party! which I will be joining.

 

I will also be joining   

 

Thank you for visiting and enjoy your Independence Day!

 

Fondly,

~ Karen