Double Chocolate Toasted Almond Clusters are so very easy to make and yet look super elegant and gift worthy! Toasting the almonds takes a little extra time and effort, but so worth it for the extra flavor and crunch. Toast them ahead of time, if you want, while baking dinner one night or another batch of goodies. Only ten minutes in a 350 degree oven makes a big difference. When adding white melting chocolate to slow cooker, break into pieces at the score. Or some brands come in little “cubes” in individual cups. Easier to melt than a big chunk. Baker’s German Chocolate is a sweet baking chocolate – also scored to break into easy to melt chunks. The chocolate chips add a different flavor to the mix. I have also used dark chocolate chips--but I like dark chocolate. Use the low ... [Read More]
Gift from the Kitchen
White Chocolate Nut Crunch
White Chocolate Nut Crunch is perfect for those last minute gifts. It's so quick and easy to make that anyone who knows how to use a microwave can make it in a flash. It's easy to package, in a box, a bag or a jar. It's a wonderful combination of flavors - a little salty, a little sweet and a whole lot yummy! The recipe below is pretty straightforward. It can also be customized. Change out the nuts. I used a package of combined sunflower seeds and pepitas, instead of just sunflower seeds. Then I added a half cup of whole walnuts -- just because. Add a cup of golden raisins instead of the dried cranberries -- or in addition to! I used white chocolate chips, but you can use white almond bark or white candy melts, if you prefer. I used coconut flakes off the shelf in the baking ... [Read More]
Fruitcake Cookies
Fruitcake Cookies studded with candied citrus rinds, maraschino cherries, nuts and a symphony of spices -- truly stellar!! I love fruitcake. I confess I feel lonely in this obsession sometimes – especially with the jokes-- but there must be other fruitcake lovers somewhere. (Aren’t there? Please??!) True, there are good recipes and bad recipes and some commercial fruitcakes are not worthy of the name. Still I’ll gladly sample and discard the bad in order to find and savor the good fruitcake! This is the good -- and in just the right portion! Fruitcake cookies go together quickly in the order given. Mix the spices with part of the flour and they will be evenly distributed in the cookie, with no hot spots of nutmeg or cinnamon. Mixing the fruitcake bits of candied citrus peel and ... [Read More]
