Gingerbread ~ Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

Gingerbread Cinnamon Chip Biscotti:

(yield ~ 2 dozen) depending on size)

1 stick (1/2 Cup) unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup unsulphured molasses (such as Grandmas)

2 large eggs

3 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. mini cinnamon chips (you can find them online from King Arthur or sometimes in baking shops) If you can’t find them; you can leave them out.

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes. Add in the molasses and mix til combined. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix on medium low speed until combined. In a separate medium bowl combine all the dry; from flour on down the rest of the list. Add in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time until combined; taking care not to over mix. Stir in the cinnamon chips.

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Divide the dough into thirds or half depending on how big you like your biscotti.

I did mine into small-medium form size and shaped a long rectangular shape into a parchment lined baking sheet into a 2 inch wide x 10 inch long shaped strip; the dough will spread (width wise) to about double once baked. Bake your cookie “slab” at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Decrease the oven to 300 degrees.

Cut the slab into diagonal 3/4 inch slices. Set onto a clean parchment paper lined sheet spaced apart and bake for another 10 minutes (stopping half way to turn over each cookie) or until firm. The cookies will firm up further once cool. Repeat with your other portioned out dough to bake off the rest or shape larger if you like.

Peanut Butter ~ Salted Pretzel Balls

This is seriously the easiest treat to whip together. Plop yourself in front of the tv with a friend and commence to rolling out the balls. Take advantage of your little gremlins to help get all the balls rolled and then you can get to the dippin. I like the crunch of the Himalayan salt on top-don’t skip that part; it helps make them extra special. The salt I had was a little coarse so I bashed it (yes that’s a cooking technical term) in my mortar and pestle until it was a wee bit finer in texture. With all the other time sensitive treats you may be whipping up these don’t take much time to crank out.

Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter ~ Salted Pretzel Balls

1 stick (1/2 Cup) unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 Cup smooth peanut butter; such as Jif (not natural style)

pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 Cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 Cup salted pretzel thin sticks (cut into small pieces)

10 oz. bag Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers

pink Himalayan salt for garnish

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and salt together until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment and blend in the sugar a cup at a time until combined. Add in the pretzel pieces and stir until combined. Using about a tablespoon roll into balls. Place the balls onto a parchment lined tray and chill until firm; about 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave in 30 second increments; taking out to stir and keeping close watch so the chocolate does not burn. Once melted dip the balls using either a fork or a chocolate dipping loop and place onto the tray and immediately sprinkle with the pink salt. Once all the balls have been dipped place in the fridge to set up completely. Let come to room temperature to serve.

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie

Okay, I cannot tell you how much I love this pie. It is insanely good, like seriously no joke. If you can stir- you can make this pie. Its stupid easy. I don’t want to hear any excuses. I mean it- I’m not kidding. Can you press a crumb crust into a pie-shell? Check. Whip some cream? Check. Melt some chocolate? Check. See- you can make this pie. Okay, now my picture doesn’t really do it justice how high this sucker really is, (cuz I hastily snapped a pic before running out the door to my neighbors with it) but trust me its like 4-5 inches high. People will ooh and ahhh when you bring it out. I used the trick of adding in non fat milk powder into the whipping cream which will hold the cream without weeping for days in the fridge- not that it will last that long, because as soon as people taste it they’re gonna go gaga over it, and it will be gone in 2 seconds. Girls! This is proposal worthy!!! Make it- report back to me haha!

_{Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie}

(recipe adapted adapted slightly from Serious Eats)

Chocolate press in crust:

Chocolate wafers; process to fine crumbs to equal 8 oz (this is 36 cookies if using Famous Nabisco brand). I reserve the remaining 8 cookies to crush coarsely (this is 3 oz. if measuring). (I used Nabisco brand-you can use Oreo if you like)

*Note; if you use Oreo-discard the filling and only use the cookie part

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp. sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp. water

Place 8 oz. of the crumbs in a large bowl and stir in melted butter, 2 tsp. sugar, pinch of salt, and one 1 tsp. of water; the mixture will be very moist; but this is intentional since it’s no bake; it needs to be this wet. Trust me. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate and chill until firm.

Chocolate Kahlua Mousse filling:

8 oz. Bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped fine ( I used Trader Joes Dark Chocolate- the one in the Pound Plus brown wrapper)

3/4 tsp. powdered un-flavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. water

6 Tbsp. Kahlua liquor

3 1/3 Cups heavy cream, very cold, divided

Place 1 Tbsp. of water in a small microwave proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over and let sit for 5 minutes to bloom. In a medium heat proof bowl place the chocolate and melt over a pot of simmer water until melted.

Heat the gelatin mixture for 10-15 seconds in the microwave to melt.

Into the melted chocolate whisk in 6 tablespoons Kahlua until combined. Whisk in the melted gelatin.

Whip 2 1/3 cups of the remaining heavy whipping cream along with 1 tablespoon of sugar to medium peaks. Fold the cream into the chocolate in 3 batches until combined. Fold in the remaining 3 oz. of coarsely crushed cookies. Pour into the chilled crust and let the pie chill until completely set; about 3-4 hours.

Stabilized whipped cream

1 Cup cold heavy cream

1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar

1 Tablespoon non-fat milk powder

Place the cold heavy cream in a mixer bowl and ad in the milk powder and confectioners sugar and beat until firm peaks. Place on top of the pie (use a piping nozzle if you like to add a decorative touch) and decorate as desired with any chocolate pearls or chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles. I used Valrhona chocolate crunchy pearls which adds a nice contrasting crunch.

Pomegranate Curd,Mini Tarts

Pomegranate Curd and Mini Tarts

I am lucky to live near a fresh farmers market with really cheap produce. They had pomegranates for 50 cents a piece. I bought 4 of them. I’ve seen them in the grocery stores for 4 for 5 dollars.

Quite often people are intimidated on opening a pomegranate, but it couldn’t be more simple. You simply cut down in an angle with 1/2 centimeter cuts around the crown-pop out the crown and then cut a series of 3-4 cuts down the sides of the pom with 1/2 cm cuts. Then using your thumb placed into where the crown was and pull back each section. The best was to release the arils is to have a deep bowl of cold water and place the sections up side down under the water and push out the arils. The white membranous pieces will float to the top of the bowl so you can scoop it out to toss. Once you have all the arils in your bowl then strain the contents through a strainer. There is nothing more beautiful than fresh pomegranate juice created by placing in a high speed blender. The color is stunning.

Cream cheese press in crust (makes 24 mini tarts)

1 stick butter, cubed at room temp

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 Cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

pinch of salt

In a large shallow bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and cream cheese. Using a fork mix to combine into one cohesive mass. Knead gently into a ball to gather up any scrappy bits of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 mins.

Remove the tart dough from the fridge and using a non stick mini muffin pan press about a 1 measured tablespoon size ball (14.5 grams) into the wells of each mini muffin well. Bake at 350 for about 15 -17 mins until lightly golden brown. Remove the tin from the oven and immediately use a rounded measuring 1/2 tsp. to flatten the bottom and sides if puffy. Let cool. When cool, top with pomegranate curd and top with stablized whipped cream, a few pomegranate arils and a sugared tiny mint leaf or a fresh cleaned mint leaf and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Pomegranate Curd

(makes about 2 cups) you will have some leftover which you can freeze

7 Tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)

Scant 1 Cup sugar (measured slightly less full)

2 eggs

1 Cup pomegranate juice (You can use fresh or bottled)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (it helps with a tang)

In a saucepan place all the ingredients and stir over low to medium low heat until the butter starts to melt and the sugar starts to dissolve a bit. Once the butter has melted switch to a whisk and whisk continuously over medium low heat until it starts to bubble and continue whisking until it thickens and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap directly onto the surface and cool in the refrigerator. It will thicken more once it has completely cooled.

Stablized whipped cream

1 Cup heavy cream; very cold (I also put the mixer bowl and whisk in the fridge for about 30 minutes)

1 Tablespoon non fat dry milk powder

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Place all the ingredients into a cold mixer bowl and whisk until medium peaks.