Holiday Food Gifts to Make: A Must For the Holidays!

I mentioned my love for all things Christmas yesterday and nothing makes me happier this time of year than getting in the kitchen and baking up some sweet treats for family and friends.  Though I have a few favorites that always make an appearance around the holidays, I’m always more than willing to try something new.
Recently I received a magazine that I just know is going to make my holiday baking so much more interesting and yummy than years past…Holiday Food Gifts to Make!  In addition to recipes for cookies, candies, snack mixes, crafts and so much more, there are also a ton of great ideas to turn  those yummy creations into gifts that family and friends will love! 
Deck your halls with…Holiday Food Gifts to Make!
Take a new spin on old holiday traditions this winter season with creative ideas from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living!  You’ll find fun and merry ways to deck your halls with affordable gift basket arrangements or recipes to whip up the perfect batch of Christmas cookies.  You’ll also find a special collection of super-easy, super-quick presents you can literally make in minutes, as well as an entire section dedicated to new ways to wrap your presents using surprising containers and materials. 
What’s inside?

• Sweet and savory recipes for gingerbread cookies, muffins, jams, gourmet breads, and much more
• Adorable ideas for creating easy and one-of-a-kind presents for your loved ones
• Tips on how to make fragrant soaps and scrubs using everyday ingredients in your kitchen
• Super-cute home decorations like homemade fringed pillows or cozies for your holiday silverware

If you love being creative in the kitchen during the holiday season then you’re definitely going to want this magazine!  Holiday Food Gifts to Make! is available for $9.99 and can be purchased at your local supermarket, newsstand or bookstore. A digital edition is also available at Zinio.com or Nook.bn.com.
I can’t wait to get started cooking…make sure you check out Holiday Food Gifts to Make in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure:  I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

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Semi-Homemade Holiday Treats: Peanut Butter Blossoms, Truffles, and Potato Candy!

I am the queen of semi-homemade cooking—yeah, I know, you thought it was Sandra Lee, but you thought wrong!

I happen to be particularly awful at baking and/or candy making—I just suck at it to be honest!

I do however, love baking cookies and making candy with my kiddos for the holidays and that’s where my semi-homemade cooking skills take center stage! 

Last year I shared a few of my favorite semi-homemade holiday treats—Potato Candy (made with leftover homemade mashed potatoes) and Reindeer Chocolate Truffles (made using store bought truffles) so this year I thought I’d share another of my favorite holiday treats with all of you—Peanut Butter Blossoms…these are perfect Santa snacks!



Semi-Homemade Peanut Butter Blossoms

Yield:  2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 snack pack size packages Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (combine according to package directions)
1/4 cup granulated or colored sugar
24 Hershey’s Kisses

---

1.  Prepare Peanut Butter cookie dough according to package directions.

2.  Roll 1 tsp.  dough into balls and roll in sugar to coat.

3.  Place cookies in over and bake according to package directions (I usually undercook mine because I like a chewy, as opposed to crunchy, cookie)

4.  While cookies are baking unwrap Hershey’s Kisses

5.  When cookies are turning slightly golden brown on the edges remove cookies from oven and immediate top each cookie with a Hershey’s Kiss.

6.  ENJOY!




Happy Holidays Everyone!

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Three Great Alternatives to Pumpkin Pie!

If there’s one thing everyone looks forward to on their Thanksgiving table it’s definitely pumpkin pie!  While I do love pumpkin pie I am also all about changing things up every once in a while so I thought it would be fun to share with you a few alternatives to pumpkin pie that you might want to try this Thanksgiving!

Every year on Thanksgiving someone in the family (either my side or my husbands) manages to make the one thing that for me rivals (and maybe even slightly surpasses) pumpkin pie—Pumpkin Roll!  And while I don’t personally have a secret family recipe I took the liberty of finding a kickass recipe for y’all on allrecipes.com.  You HAVE to try this!

(recipe and photo credit:  allrecipes.com)

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
4. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
6. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
9. My sister loves to be a little different; aside from being a vegetarian she is always trying new foods and new variations on classics!  Every year for Thanksgiving she brings the most delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake and since she won’t share her recipe (I know I was bummed too) I found one from foodnetwork.com that Paula Deen makes that looks AH-MAZ-ING!

(Recipe and Photo Credit:  FoodNetwork.com)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Who doesn’t love Whoopie Pies?  I mean I ‘m not sure who can resist them because I know that I can’t!  And how much fun would a platter full of Whoppie Pies be on your Thanksgiving table this year?  I found an awesomely easy recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from rachelraymag.com that you are all going to love!

(Recipe and Photo Credit:  RachelRayMag.com)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
• 1-2/3 cups flour
• 4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Get ahead
Freeze the whoopie pies for up to three days.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
   
3. 
   
4. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
   
5. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
   
6. 
   
7. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.
   

If you’re looking for some great alternatives to the traditional pumpkin pie then these 3 recipes can’t miss—and it’s perfectly acceptable to make all three…ya know, in case you were wondering! 

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Treats for Santa: Potato Candy and Truffle Reindeer {So easy and Yummy}

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, is everyone as excited as I am?  Since Santa comes tomorrow night I thought I would share with you 2 different, easy, and awesome goodies that your kids can help you make for Santa...cause come on Santa gets tired of cookies after a while ya know!

First up is a candy that I've made with my kids so many times, it's unique, SO yummy, and super easy!

Potato Candy 

Photo Credit:  Country Candy Kitchen

YES, it's made with leftover mashed potatoes and it's delicious!

Ingredients

1/4 cup potatoes (leftover and instant will both work, but real potatoes do taste better)
5 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
peanut butter

Directions
Mash potatoes (do not add butter, salt, or milk), add vanilla, and confectioners sugar at least 5 cups, but keep adding until stiff dough is formed (please note that it will take a lot of confectioners sugar to form a stiff dough, at one point potato mixture WILL seem to liquefy this IS normal, just keep adding confectioners sugar until mixture comes back together). 

Once dough has formed place confectioners sugar on your rolling surface (I have a marble island that works perfectly for this, but you can use waxed paper on your counter) and begin rolling dough, roll until 1/8 inch thick.  Spread a layer of peanut butter onto the dough (I suggest that you use a moderate amount of peanut butter...too much and the peanut butter oozes out the sides, not enough and the ratio of dough to peanut butter is off).  Roll up like a jelly roll, wrap with waxed paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.  Cut into single serve pieces and enjoy.  Leftover peices can be stored between layers of plastic wrap in the refridgerator. 

I made these on Thanksgiving with the kids and again for Christmas...they are so yummy, but very addictive and rich so eat in moderation.  I also took step-by-step photos of us making this candy, but my daughter spilled soda on my laptop and the photos are forever gone (well at least until someone can figure out how to access them) so the photo is not mine, I just wanted to show you what they look like when finished.

Adorable Truffle Reindeer

Alright next up is an adorable candy that my cousin Tiffany made for my kids a few days ago, the kids LOVED them and they are so cute and yummy that they would make the perfect treat for Santa this Christmas Eve!  Tiff made a How-To video to show you how it was done...enjoy!  Oh and go to 1:04 to get started on the How-To Video!  You can check out all of Tiffany's videos on her YouTube Channel!

Ingredients
 M&M Mini's
White Chocolate Morsels
Hershey's Chocolate bar
Lindt Lindor Truffles
Mini Pretzels
Mini baking cups
Scissors
Ziploc Baggies

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Holidays Made Easy Guide| Holiday Recipes|Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes

Whether your hosting a holiday party or just looking for the perfect sweet treat to wow your boss at the office Christmas party, Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes are for sure the right choice!  Available in 3 deliciously sinful varieties (Classic Carrot Cake, Apple Carmel Cake, and Triple Chocolate Cake) these cake mixes are far from your typical cake mix! 



I recently had the chance to try all three varieties of Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes (just one of the perks of the job folks) and I was very impressed.  Being a total non-baker, I use cake mix all.the.time, to tell you the truth I wouldn’t even know where to start making a cake from scratch.  I have to be honest and tell you that I do prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes, because to me they just taste better, but I had never tried their line of Decadent Cakes before my review.  I love carrot cake (it is probably my favorite cake ever) so I knew that I would enjoy the Classic Carrot variety of Decadent Cakes, and I most certainly did.  From real pieces of carrot and plump, juicy raisings to the to-die cream cheese icing, this cake was everything an exceptional carrot cake should be…and then some!  My least favorite of the three was the Apple Carmel, but that’s because I don’t particularly care for apple anything.  My kids do love apples and really loved the cake, I chose not to use the glaze and served it with vanilla ice cream…needless to say they completely gobbled it up!  My absolute favorite of the three Decadent Cakes though was the Triple Chocolate…hands down!  Normally I don’t enjoy chocolate (I know how weird that sounds, but it’s true) so I was very surprised when after one bite of the Triple Chocolate I was hooked.  I opted to make the Incredible Middles Triple Chocolate Cupcakes instead of the standard cake and I was so glad I did.  Check out the step-by-step directions below and be sure to keep these divine cupcakes in mind next time you need something sweet and chocolaty…these will impressed everyone!

Incredible Middles Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 box Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Decadent Cake mix
1 container of Duncan Hines Chocolate frosting (or Duncan Hines® Chocolate Amazing Glazes)

Directions
1.  Preheat Oven to 350° F. Place 14-16 liners in muffin cups. (Tip: Spray top of pan with cooking spray for cupcakes to release from pan easier.)

2.  Mix batter according to directions. Spoon batter into muffin tin, about 2/3rds of the way full. You will have enough batter for 14-16 cupcakes.
 

3.  Mix chocolate pouch as directed on box. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of chocolate on top of the batter. Do not mix into batter. Allow the chocolate to sit on the surface of the cupcake.



4.  Bake for 21-24 mins. Cupcakes will be golden brown and spring back when touched in center. Allow to cool completely before glazing or frosting.



5.  Place approximately 6 TBSP chocolate frosting in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds or until frosting resembles a glaze.  With cupcakes on the cooling rack (**TIP TIME Make clean up easy by placing waxed paper or aluminum foil underneath wire cooling rack**)  lighting drizzle the warm icing over the cupcakes. 

6.  Eat and enjoy!  The warm chocolaty center will have your taste buds begging for more.



These cupcakes (or any of the yummy Duncan Hines Decadent Cakes) will make a huge impression at any holiday event so make sure you keep a box on hand for just such an occasion!  Happy Baking!

**I received Decadent Cake Mixes from Duncan Hines to facilitate this review…the opinions expressed are my own**

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