Cranberry Bread

Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
¼ cup margarine softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
¾ cup orange juice
Preheat to 350. Grease and flour loaf pan. Mix together flour baking power soda salt. Stir in orange zest and cranberries and set aside

In a large bowl cream butter, suger, egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Put in flower mixture until just moistened.
Bake for 1 hr or until bread springs back when gently touched.

Peanut Bar Cookies

1 Yellow Cake Mix
2/3 C Butter
1 Egg
Mix these ingredients all together and press into a 9x13 pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pour 2 C Mini Marshmellows over the crust. Put back in the oven for two minutes.

Let cool.

Top layer:
1/4 C Butter
3/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Karo Syrup
1 Pkg Peanut Butter Chips
1 tsp Vanilla
Melt these ingredients all together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then immediately remove from heat.

Stir in:
2 C Peanuts
2 C Rice Crispies

Spread on top of marshmellow layer and let cool before serving.

Festive Chocolate covered pretzels

Ingredients
1 12-ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
24 large pretzel rods
Assorted holiday sprinkles
Directions
Place the milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and the white chocolate chips in another. Microwave one bowl on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir with a rubber spatula. (The chips should melt while you are stirring, but if they don't, you can continue to microwave for 15 more seconds, then stir again.) Wash and dry the spatula. Microwave the other bowl on high for 1 minute, and stir until the chocolate is melted.
Dip one pretzel rod into the milk chocolate; use a spoon or butter knife to spread the chocolate about halfway up the rod. Twist the rod to let the excess chocolate drip off. Hold the rod over a piece of wax paper and shake sprinkles on all sides. Place the pretzel on another piece of wax paper to dry. Coat another pretzel with white chocolate and sprinkles. Repeat until you've coated all the pretzels, half with milk chocolate, half with white chocolate, and let dry completely, about 24 hours. (Cover any remaining chocolate with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.)

Egg Nog French Toast

1-lb loaf of French Bread
3 oz whipped cream cheese (easier to spread than the other stuff)
2 1/2 cups eggnog
6 Tbsp butter, melted
8 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg

CRANBERRY SYRUP
1 cup frozen raspberry blend juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
1/3 cup sugar

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange half of French bread cut into 1/2-inch thick slices to cover bottom of dish. Spread cream cheese on other slices and arrange on top of first layer of bread to form cream cheese center. Combine eggnog, melted butter and eggs in bowl and beat until well blended. Pour evenly over bread slices. With back of wooden spoon, gently press bread into dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until center is set and edges are lightly browned. Serve, cut in squares with Cranberry Syrup. CRANBERRY SYRUP In small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cook and stir with wire whisk over medium-low heat until cranberry sauce and sugar have melted. Pour over Eggnog French Toast.

Homemade Truffles

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
Directions
Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.
Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.
In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.
Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.
Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.