Holiday Treats

This year for our Holiday plates of goodies we decided to make two of our favorite treats and a new treat. Enjoy the pictures and recipes. May you and yours have a most beautiful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy Baking!

Oreo Truffles

We made these truffles last year and they were a huge hit! We also made them for Jon's sister's wedding.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 (8 ounce) packages BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted (Baker's chocolate really is the ONLY way to go. We've tried other chocolate and this is our favorite!)

Directions

1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Gourmet Pretzel Rods

This recipe is SO easy. These were wedding favors at Jon's cousin's wedding and we would just crave them all the time after the wedding... so we decided to re-make them ourselves.

All you need is one of these...

One of these...
One or two of these...

1. In a microwave safe dish, combine caramels and 1 tablespoon of water. Microwave for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring after each minute.
2. Dip a pretzel rod into melted caramel. Reserve about an inch at the end to use as a handle.
3. Let dry on parchment paper.
4. Dip in melted white chocolate (be sure not to over cook the chocolate).
   
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. The cinnamon sugar really makes these delicious!!
   

These are already on the blog, but I thought I'd re-post because they really are that good! My co-workers can't get enough of these!

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened not melted
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
3. Place the cookie sheet with the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes.
   
4. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Servings: 36
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 18 min. Ready in: 1 hr. 15 min.
Amount per serving: 104 calories, 5.2 grams fat

Simple Salmon Pies

I wish I had a picture of these. They are absolutely beautiful!! Jon and I were watching the Food Network one day and saw THIS. Months later I was craving salmon and I knew this would be the perfect meal. They are SO easy and really melt in your mouth. Below is the recipe. We made a few changes to simplify even more. We used olive oil, regular white onion and mushrooms, dried thyme and no parsley. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 cups washed, dried, and loosely packed fresh baby spinach
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush both sides of the salmon with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Warm 2 tablespoons oil in 2 separate skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of the onion and half the garlic to each pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme into 1 pan and the spinach, lemon zest and remain lemon juice in the other pan. Stir the spinach until it wilts, then transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Saute the mushrooms until they are reduced and tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Set aside.

Trim the thinner ends of the salmon fillet so you have 4 pieces of even thickness. Unroll a pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pass a rolling pin lightly over 2 or 3 times to seal the seams and lengthen slightly. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 equal strips, using the natural seams as a guide. Roll out the second puff pastry sheet to get 1 more strip. Save remaining puff pastry for another use. Lightly prick the 4 strips with a fork. Put 1 heaping spoonful of mushroom mixture on 1 half of each pastry, top with salmon, then layer with a heaping spoonful of spinach mixture. Wet the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the other half, pressing lightly and folding to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Cut 2 vents on the top of each pastry packet and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until the pastry is golden and fish is just opaque in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the pies from the oven to serving dishes and garnish with chopped parsley.

Apple Crisp

Picture courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Hello again everyone! It has been a while since our last post. This perfect winter treat is one of my ultimate favorites. Loaded with scrumptious calories. I made this for my little brother's birthday months back. It's so easy and simply divine. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, cold
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut the butter in the mixture. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Serves: 12
Prep time: 30 min. Cook time: 45 min. Ready in: 1hr. 20 min.
Amount per serving: 316 calories 8.4 grams fat