We’re gearing up for a chilly, windy and rainy day today…the perfect weather for hot chocolate! Spanish hot chocolate is a wonderful variation of this delicious winter standby. Delicate hints of orange and cinnamon grace the silky smooth chocolate. Typically, Spanish hot chocolate is thickened with cornstarch, but my version is not. If you’d like, near the end of simmering just add a cornstarch slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1 tablespoon water and stir in until thickened. Warm up your insides this winter and give this one a try, I bet you’ll love it! 
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole milk
zest from one orange (I used a clementine)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon best quality cocoa powder
Preparation:
In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients except chocolate up to the boiling point, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Allow to simmer about 10-15 minutes to allow the orange and cinnamon to infuse the milk.
Add chocolate powder and whisk to combine.
Serve.
Joy to the World! The truffles are done! OMG if you like Almond Joy candy bars, you simply HAVE to try these. Seriously, they’re like a little explosion of joy in your mouth. Truffles are one of those things that sound hard to make, and yet, they’re just not. They are so easy, and the results are almost always stunning. I thought I’d be smart and try to use a melon baller this time to try to make perfect little round balls without getting my hands too dirty. Well, that was a bust. LOL Truffles do need to be rolled by hand it seems. Or I was doing something wrong. Could be…wouldn’t be the first time. lmao Once the truffles are formed, rolling in coconut is a snap…I just sort of shook them around a bit in a bowl of coconut, and that little trick *did* work. (yay me! lol) I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you….I think I may have just created a new favorite.
Ingredients:
6 ounces (150 grams) dark chocolate
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon espresso
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup grated coconut
Preparation:
Melt chocolate in a medium sized glass bowl in the microwave (check and stir frequently, time will depend on your microwave).
Allow to cool a bit, then beat in egg yolks.
Add milk and coffee and beat until combined.
Add butter and continue to beat.
Beat in almonds.
Refrigerate truffle mixture for a minimum of 2 hours.
Form smaller sized balls and roll in coconut.
Another recipe for my Christmas cookie tray…I really love the flavor of the toasted hazelnuts combined with the dark chocolate. I made a couple of different shapes, logs, squares and circles, just for variation…the squares were the easiest, just spread the dough onto the cookie sheet, bake and slice after removing from the oven.
Ingredients:
1 cup husked hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate (I used Lindtt 59%)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC)
Toast hazelnuts on cookie sheet about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Lower heat to 325ºF (160ºC).
Place hazelnuts in blender or food processor and pulse to coarse bits; set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to blend; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg.
Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Add the chopped hazelnuts and mix.
Chill dough in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Form into finger sized logs, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons dough each, and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. (Or, roll into smaller sized balls, and press with the back of a glass, or spread dough onto a cookie sheet evenly.)
Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on racks.
Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip half of each cookie into the chocolate.
Place on parchment to dry.
Store in refrigerator.
Yummy chocolatey fudgey goodness! What says Christmas more than that? :D The texture of this candy is beautifully silky smooth. Definitely a must have on my Christmas tray. It is so easy to make, too! This recipe makes a 9×13″ pan, which is plenty, I’ve found. The fudge is quite rich. I garnished here with a simple melted white chocolate, just to give it that extra little punch of pretty. I think it would be awesome to make an opposite version, too…white chocolate fudge with dark chocolate swirls. 
Ingredients:
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup strong coffee (espresso)
30 large marshmallows
4 cups sugar
10 ounces evaporated milk
1 bar white chocolate (6 ounces, 150 grams)
Preparation:
Place the marshmallows, sugar, and evaporated milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil exactly 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate, butter and coffee; beat constantly until creamy, and beginning to thicken.
Pour into a foil lined cake pan (I use a 9 x 13), spreading evenly.
Chill overnight and slice into squares.
Melt white chocolate and drizzle over cut fudge (I use a plastic bag with a tiny hole cut out of one corner, so cleanup is easier).
Store in refrigerator.
Serve at room temperature.
This is a recipe my grandma used to make every Christmas…They are SO good. The whole while I was making them, I was reliving Christmases past…we always used to spend Christmas Eve at her house, lots of food, and tons of homemade cookies, candies and treats….us kids were always so excited to open our gifts, and after the frenzy of flying wrapping paper, bows and ribbons, “thank you!’s” being yelled across the room (we were a LOT of people, and it got noisy!), and the cleanup of the aftermath of the gifts…we’d go into the kitchen, sit around the table and play board games. We’d have the best time ever…it is one of my favorite memories of growing up. I miss my grandma, especially at this time of the year. I honor her memory every Christmas with her recipes.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
10 ounces pitted dates, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
4 ounces coconut, plus more for rolling
Preparation:
Melt butter over medium low heat in a larger sauce pan.
Add sugar and dates, stirring constantly until well combined, and sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and add cereal and coconut, and stir to thoroughly combine.
Allow to cool just enough so that the mixture doesn’t burn your fingers when forming balls.
The mixture is very sticky, so I like to butter my hands first, then roll each ball, immediately rolling in coconut, and place on plate.
This recipe makes about 2-3 dozen balls, depending on the size you roll them.
It’s the holiday season already! Can you believe it? I put up the tree, and some decorations….Of course we had to have something baking in the oven to go along with the Christmas vibe. Lovely orange and cinnamon flavors together….it reminded me of Christmas potpourri. Along with the tree, an apple cinnamon candle burning and the cookies in the oven….it really felt festive. Except that we have no snow. And it’s not freezing outside. (hehehe *insert evil cackle here*) Though even *I* will admit that I miss the snow on Christmas. But just the 2 days…the rest of the time, I am perfectly content without the cold, ice, snow and slush. Anyway, back on topic: Cookies! I’m hoping to put up a new cookie recipe every day for the next few days. I want to share my cookie tray with all of you, and hopefully give you some ideas for your own holiday sweets this year. Tried and true, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening (I used plain, but I think butter flavored would be good too)
1 egg (size large)
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest from one orange
1/4 cup orange juice (from the orange we zested)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar (about 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350º F (160º C).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat 1 cup sugar with the shortening, egg, vanilla and orange zest.
Add the orange juice, flour, soda and salt and stir until well combined.
Shape dough into walnut sized balls.
Roll in cinnamon sugar and press onto prepared cookie sheets with a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar.
Bake 10-15 minutes–until lightly golden.
*This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen cookies
