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

Whats for Dinner? One Pot Pasta

 What is One Pot Pasta?

Pasta and veggies all in a pot and cooking at the same time.

 A great dish to use leftover veggies with. 

You will want to begin by prepping all your ingredients:

chopping asparagus, slicing mushrooms, slivering garlic cloves,

and pinching off a sprig or two of fresh thyme.  
Shredded Parmesan will be added at the end along with some cream.

Tonight I have decided to serve along side hot and buttery french bread.

This buttery and baked hot bread by The Pioneer Woman which
she calls The Bread is French bread slathered on both sides 
with lots of butter then baked and finished under the broiler 
until dark brown and begins to burn.  That's right, 
she actually says, "... begins to burn." 

Once prepped and ready to go,

 

add all the veggies along with the dried pasta and water

to a stockpot along with salt and pepper.

 Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked

and vegies are tender.  Give the pasta a stir frequently so it does not

stick to itself. The liquid will actually reduce on its own.

 

  Parmesan is stirred in at the end, along with cream,

and Voila! it is done. Serve immediately with

some extra shredded Parmesan on the top

and that delicious hot bread!

Here is the recipe:

One Pot Pasta

1 lb. dried spaghetti

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1/2 lb. asparagus, cut diagonally in apx. 1" pieces

2 cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers

1 or 2 sprigs of thyme

4 1/2 cups water

Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large stockpot, add the dried spaghetti, mushrooms, asparagus, garlic, thyme sprigs, and water.  Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, apx. 20  minutes.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Serve immediately.

Adapted from recipe by Damn Delicious.

Enjoy!

I will be linking up with

Thanks for visiting!

Fondly,

~Karen

Autumn But for the Dogs

Autumn decorating this year will be kept to a minimum 

because of these guys.

Just look at these cute little 4 1/2-month-old faces!

These brothers like to chew and play with anything

that half-way tempts them. That means anything

within their reach!  (See the corner of the mat?)

They really are good little boys and they are learning...

What they haven't learned yet is staying out of the

dirty small pond which they were in before the above pic.

They don't get to come inside when they've been in that pond.

They haven't figured that out yet either.

Thanks for visiting.

Tomorrow is the first day of October and

with it brings the official color of Orange.

Are we ready?

Fondly,

~Karen

Beginnings of Autumn

This Autumn, after a 28-hour and three-day drive,

I have relocated myself to Kansas.

Although I have been to Kansas many times,

this will be my first time experiencing a beautiful

changing of the season that I hear so much about.

Driving through the countryside, I am seeing signs

of Summer fading and Autumn approaching.

The hay has been baled and sits drying in fields.

 

 The fields of sunflowers are fading as their

beautiful faces no longer look to the sun but begin to 

face downward as they turn to seed.

The soybeans are turning yellow as their seed pods

on their tops turn brown.  I think I heard soybeans

are grown in the Midwest for fuel.

Even the corn has turned brown as I peek

through the roadside wildflowers.

What I am truly looking forward to are the leaves

changing on the trees and foliage.

As you can see, on this last day of September,

I am seeing just glimpses of what I am told

will be spectacular and I can't wait!

Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,

~Karen

 

 

 

Lemon and Pistachio Cake with White Chocolate Sour Cream Icing

This cake is simple to make and delicious.

 

I recently made it as the dessert for an outdoor dinner.

You can see more of that dinner HERE.

 The cake is made with cake flour and ground pistachios along
with yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. The icing
 is to die for! As simple as melting a bar of white chocolate 
and combining it (once it has cooled a little bit!) with sour cream.

 I want to give due credit to the source of this recipe 
(at least where I found it) which can be found HERE but
 beware, there are some measurements listed in metric

that can be easily converted by searching on your iPhone.

This is a keeper recipe!

Thank you for stopping by!

I will be joining the following blog party:

Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday

 Fondly,
~Karen