Almond Roca

Boxes of chocolates are synonymous with Christmas...We see those Pot O' Golds, After Eights, Turtles, Cordial Cherries....the list goes on, you gotta have them and take bites out of each one to see what filling it is and then spit out the yucky ones...Darn Pot O' Gold for taking away the strawberry filling ones....ARGGGGG.  Now I do refuse to buy Pot of Gold on that premise alone... Cheap business people...

OK, enough of my rant against bureaucracy..

 One of my all time fave chocolates is Almond Roca.  I went on line because I have a wee bit of an obsession to find out obscure facts about meaningless things, such as where a chocolate got its name...Almond Roca....This fact could come in handy one day whilst I play Jeopardy and win Million of dollars....

Anyways...Roca is Spanish for "rock" and the creators of said chocolate got that from a sweet neighbour who may or may not have had strong teeth...

I LOVE Almond Roca, so I decided this year to make some of my own and I LOVE IT.  So easy and so amazingly good you'll forgo the store bought stuff that was made in like 2010... I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen Website. Love that website...so many amazing recipes.  I didn't change anythings so I give all the credit to Tasty Kitchen lady "mdatwell"  You rock at....well....rock..in sweet toffee form.  So enjoy this recipe and go an make for your next Christmas get together.  People will be loving you for it!

Almond Roca

- Tasty Kitchen

What you need:

• 4 sticks Butter (American) ( 2 cups - or one package of butter to us in Canada)
• 2 cups Sugar (rounded)
• 4 Tablespoons Water
• 2 cups Almonds, Chopped
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips
• ½ cups Almonds, Finely Chopped, For Sprinkling
•  
• What you do: 
• 
  Combine the first 3 ingredients and cook on high, stirring constantly through 3 stages:
  1. Runny
  2. “Cheesy”—it will look like melted white cheese
  3. Runny and smooth, caramel brown color
  Make sure you have the fan on your stove going, cause you’ll probably set off the smoke alarm towards the end.
  When it is runny, smooth and caramel brown in color, remove it from the heat and add the almonds. Stir until combined and pour the mixture onto greased cookie sheets. Spread it into an even layer. It will harden as it cools.
  While it is still warm, sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let them melt enough to get soft. Spread the chocolate in an even layer across the candy. While the chocolate is still “wet,” sprinkle the finely chopped almonds on top.
  At this point, while it is still warm and soft, you can score the candy with a butter knife to make it break evenly, or just let it harden and break it into rustic pieces.
  Store in airtight containers. Enjoy! 
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Cherry Ice Box Sugar Cookies and One year Musings.

It has been one year of CoffeeBiscotti!  I have really enjoyed sharing recipes, trying my hand at food photography and the seeing the feedback that you guys have given me.  Thanks so much!  Here's to another year!

Yesterday I officially wrote out my "LIST".  I have perusing my favorite blogs - Lauren's Latest, Joy the Baker, Pioneer Woman....etc....as well as Pinterest, and a couple of foodie magazines (Canadian Living!) and I think I have it narrowed down...to 8 things...  I sometimes think it is a lot to make and bake for Christmas, but I can't talk myself out of not doing it....So here it is!

1. Dave's favorite Cherry Cookies (recipe to follow list)
2. Gingerbread Men (boys request :)
3. Jello Candy PopCorn  Candied Popcorn
4. Monkey Munch
5. Almond Roca - PWoman
6. Maple Fudge - Canadian Living
7.  Butter Tarts - Company's Coming
8. Macrons - Canadian Living

So with the countdown started I better.....get started....Here is Number 1.  David's Favorite Cherry Cookies.  His mother has made these for him since he was a kid and they are GOOD!  I am glad that I learned how to make them too.  These are a lovely icebox sugar cookie filled with glace cherries. Yummy almond and cherry flavors throughout.  These go fast at our house so I make a double batch.  Also I buy my glace cherries at the end of the Christmas season and freeze them for the next year...WAY CHEAPER.  Enjoy!

Cherry Icebox Sugar Cookies

- adapted from my mom in law Michelle Death

What you Need:

1 cup of softened margarine or butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp of almond extract

1 tsp of cherry extract (If you don't have this don't worry just had an extra 1/2 tsp of almond extract)

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup of chopped glace cherries ( I use red and green for a festive look)
 1 TBSP of milk
What you Do:

1.  Cream margarine and sugar until nice and fluffy.

2.  Add egg and extracts, blend in.

3.  Gradually add flour and salt and continue to incorporate.

4.  Stir in glace cherries.

5. The dough will be tender and a bit crumbly.  I add the milk now and with my hands form 2 balls of dough.

6.  Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap onto the counter and form dough into a log on top of it.  Wrap up.  You can form the log into a nice roll or bang the dough on each side to make a square.  I am a square fan.

7.  Chill in fridge for about an hour.

8.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Take out chilled dough and slice not too thin.  (1/2 inch) On a parchment lined cookie sheet bake cookies for 12 - 15 minutes, until the bottoms are JUST lightly golden.  Cool and enjoy.  Santa would really like these on Christmas eve and has already requested them at our house.  :)

 

M and M Sugar Cookies

The baking extravaganza is upon us!  I love Christmas baking. I start thinking about my "LIST" in like....October...  I love the homemade candies, squares, fudge,....and the cookies!  Christmas cookies are my favorite.  I love shortbread, sugar, gingerbread, all those fancy types.  I also like to try to make them. I mean, honestly....when do you really have a hankering for sugar cookie decorating other than Christmas....

Pinterest is giving me a gazillion ideas for Christmas cookies....some ladies out there have so much free time on their hands to create those masterpieces that look too fancy to eat.  (I still would....the principle of the thing....it is a cookie.....)  I will be trying to decorate sugar cookies this year, but I have to warm up my Christmas cookie palate...and this was the cookie I chose to make.

M and M sugar cookies...These are really good cookies that I will be continuing to make in the new year.  Seriously I was surprised at how good they are.  Sugar cookie goodness, with like...M and M's!!  the dough is rolled in sugar before you bake them. So you end up with a chewy, sugary, m and meeee cookie.  It will be a new family favorite for sure.  So if you looking for a crowd pleaser this holiday season, this cookie is a must.

Your Welcome!

M and M Sugar Cookies

adapted from: Joyful Momma's Kitchen

What you Need:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of M and M's (or Smarties,  have a 1/4 cup separate for pressing on top of cookies)

What you Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl.  Put the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a  plate and set aside. Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and beat on low to combine - the mixture won't be completely smooth yet.  Beat in the oil then the egg, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dry ingredients are partially incorporated, add 3/4 cup of the M&M's to the dough. Continue mixing until a soft dough comes together.

5. Using a tablespoon scoop out some dough.  Roll the dough into a ball and then roll the ball in the sugar pie plate.  Flatten the balls of dough with a glass.

6.  Bake cookies 10 - 12 minutes, or until the edges are set (not browned!)

7.  Remove cookies from oven and press 3 more M and M's on top.  This makes them looked pretty!

8.  Cool and ENJOY with milk or hot chocolate!

Chorizo Italian Sausage Gumbo

Comfort in a bowl.  That is what I love about Fall and Winter recipes....warmth, substance, AND....IN A BOWL!!!  Soups, stews, and chilies are some of my favorite foods, and this GUMBO is tops!  I was just beginning my quest for delicious foods when I found this recipe in one of my mom's cooking magazines.  I did ask before I cut out the recipe....(I think she would have noticed the gaping hole...) and off I went to find the ingredients to this Gumbo.  My husband loved it!, and my toddler and infant sons thought we were crazy...it is so good!  Spicy, but not too spicy

Now that was a couple of years ago and now I have made the recipe my own, but with keeping the true essence of the recipe. So I present to you a must make for your family...

Chicken - Chorizo Sausage Gumbo 


What you need:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or small breasts cubed ***(see note)
4 chorizo or mild Italian sausages, sliced (I like a mix)
1 large onion diced
2 celery sticks diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
4 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper

1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
1 can of diced tomatoes (28 oz/796 mL)
1/2 cup of chicken stock
3 tbsp tomato paste

parsley (freshly chopped or dried) - garnish

What you do:

1.  In large skillet, heat oil and brown chick an sausages.  Transfer to SLOW COOKER.

2.  In same skillet cook onions, celery red pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper till golden. (about 8 min) ADD TO SLOW COOKER

3.  Add wine to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits that might be there.  ADD to SLOW COOKER.
4.  Add to SLOW COOKER - tomatoes, broth, paste and a 1/4 cup of water and COOK on LOW for 4 - 6 hours.

Serve on top of basmati rice and you got yourself the most amazing meal!!!!  Enjoy!!

*** note*** - We have also added shrimp into the mix.  About 30 minutes left on Slow cooking time add some defrosted, de-viened, shrimp.  OOOOHHH YAAAAA BABY

Vintage Reflections

This past September we witnessed the passing of a dear lady in our family, Granny Wiggins.  She was a sweet, wonderful lady full of spunk and vim, but also kindness, generosity and lots of love.  She will be greatly missed.

Recently we were able to choose a few items of hers as keepsakes to remember her by.  As I made a few choices I was drawn to some of her cookery items.  Granny Wiggins was a simple but GOOD cook.  I loved how Christmas was always a grand affair with her china laid out, everyone sharing the buffet.  Linda had a wonderful coleslaw which I will be making this Christmas - tangy sweet with a peppery flavor.  Yummy!  She'd sit down after grace and say, "Let's eat this grub!"

I have been reflecting about Granny this past week as I have been cleaning up and using her special cookery items.

On the left is a fish spatula.  I just thought it was a cool looking spatula.  I used it for cookie and eggs so far.  But it totally makes sense that it is for fish-frying....:)  The second item is a meat tenderiser.  Linda was a beef farmer and I bet she used this to tenderise some of her meat.  The cook book I found was covered in grease splatters and hand writing.  I loved finding this.  A book Linda used through the years to provide delicious and wholesome food for her family.  The apron was made in 1964 - never worn.  Linda wasn't an apron kinda lady....but she loved to sew.  This lovely memento is definitely a keepsake for me.

  This is the coolest flour bin ever!!!  I have always admired it when at Linda's house.  My husband has been complaining that our flour isn't in a protective container.  So when we were able to have this we both smiled....the needed flour protector and a cool keepsake from Granny Wiggins.  I never thought Linda was a huge baker, but man did she have me fooled.  Every once in a while she'd bring out one of her AMAZING Lemon Jelly Rolls.  SOOO GOOD!  I haven't the courage to try a jelly roll yet.  Someday.  :)

Anyways,  I am not a profound writer who will send you into roars of laughter or have you shed tears.  But I thought I would just share these precious things that I have acquired that were used to make meals for a family for decades.  If you have some cookery items from generations past think about the ladies who used them to nourish their families, and create specialties for holiday dinners.  Think about the love that they poured out everyday in just doing the "everyday".

Roselyn

Yorkshire Puddings

I really want to try to put more savory recipes on this here blog here.....It is a challenge for me as my savory cooking usually happens at the most crazy of times......supper......  With 2 kids (and a hubby) getting antsy and hungry and me trying to make said supper....things get a little hectic.  Alas, that means that a lot of my recipes on here are things I can make in quieter times in the day, muffins, cake, granola, things like that.  Kids are more forgiving of me taking a 100 pictures of a piece of food in the morning than they are at crunch time.

But one will never grow if one doesn't try.  So here is a wonderful savory recipe that comes from my husband's Grandma Ellie.  A mother of 6 children living in a northern community with out many amenities, she followed her man and learned to cook along the way.   Sunday suppers at her house always include a full house and a whole bunch of these Yorkshire Puddings. They really are the BEST I've ever had.

What you need:

- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup milk (room temp)
- 1/2 cup water (room temp)
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt

oil or beef drippings.

What you do:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.  Beat eggs in medium bowl until frothy.  Mix in milk and water.  Gradually beat in the flour and salt.  Keep beating until smooth and bubbly.

3.  Pour a small amount (1-2) teaspoons of oil or beef drippings into each muffin cup.  With a basting brush make sure the oil coats the cup.  If there is some oil (drippings) in the bottom of the cup that is fine.  Place muffin tin in oven to heat oil to sizzling (approx. 5 minutes)

4.  Immediatly pour in batter so the muffin tin is half-full.  Bake in oven for about 30 minutes.  They should be puffed and browned.

5.  Remove from pan.  If they seem a bit stuck (they do that sometimes) run a knife around edge.  They should release.

6.  Enjoy with roast beef and gravy....lots of gravy!!!

Candied Popcorn....Oh MY!!!

It's been a week since Trick or Treat day and my kids haven't really put a dent in their "stash".  Being that they are 5 and 3....we do keep an eye on their candy vs fruit ratio.  The nice thing is that I don't have to make dessert till...like....Christmas!   Alas, my husband and I are also trying to keep a lid on our sweets consumption too.  We both love mini chocolate bars....so addicting....

Here is my Lightning Mcqueen and Captain America!

Working on their pumpkin with Daddy!

 

 

 Daddy's pumpkin...SO COOL!

For Trick or Treat day we had a special pizza supper before the kids went out and we opened up for business at our house.  I also made a homemade treat reminicient of trick or treating when we were kids...(which was a decent amount of time ago.....eek!)

CANDIED POPCORN!!!

This recipe is incredible!  I am making this at Christmas but in red and green colors.  So yummy too.  I preffered it to the candy and ate my quota and then some!  This recipe is also really easy to make!  Few ingredients, not much time, and you got yourself an amazing snack!  Totally make this!!!!

What you Need:

12 cups popped popcorn
1 can of sweetened Condensed Milk (11 or 14 oz works)
1 package of your favorite flavor of flavored gelatin (3 oz)

What you Do:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

2. Line a large roasting pan with tinfoil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan.  Spray with cooking spray (or grease pan with margerine or butter)

3.  Making sure that you have removed all the unpopped corn, place popcorn into prepared pan.

4.  Combine sweetened condensed milk, and dry gelatin in a medium saucepan. 

5.  Heat and stir on LOW- MED heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  (5 minutes)  STIR CONTINUALLY SO THE MIXTURE DOESN"T BURN!!!!!!

6. Pour mixture over popcorn.  Carefully combine mixture using a wooden spoon. 

7.  Bake mixture for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

8.  Turn out popcorn onto greased tinfoil sheets.  Cool completely and break into clusters.

9.  CONSUME IN GREAT AMOUNTS...you won't be able to help yourself!!!  Store any leftovers in an air-tight container for a few days.