Christmas Holiday Treats!

 Every year we make special treats for the family Christmas party and leave extra's for Santa!  I have refined my favorites through experimentation of recipes and practice!  I feel like I have found the best in flavor and variety!  Our all time favorites are Soft Ginger Snap Cookies dipped in White Chocolate, Fluer de Sel (French salted) Caramels, French Dark Chocolate Bark with dried fruit, nuts and crystallized ginger and of course natures best Clemintines!

This recipe for French Dark Chocolate Bark is very simple!

A combination of good semi and bitter sweet chocolate equaling 4 cups

1 cup roasted cashews

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup sliced peaches

1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler over low heat.  Add 1 tablespoon organic canola oil if it is too thick.  Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate or it will ruin.  Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chocolate evenly, almost reaching the edges by 1-inch.  Add the nuts first, fruit and then ginger.  Allow to cool or place in fridge to speed up the process.  Break into medium and small pieces and serve!

Soft Ginger Snap Cookies Dipped in White Chocolate

3/4 cup butter at room temp

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons groung ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar in the raw) for rolling cookies in before cooking

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Add the egg and molasses.  Mix.  Add the flour and roll dough out into 1 tablespoon balls.  Roll into turbinado sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350`.  While the cookies are cooling heat white chocolate in double broiler.  Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment and dip the cookies half way.  Allow the chocolate to cool and harden before serving.

Fluer de Sel Caramels (recipe by Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa)

First, I love this recipe because it is virtually foolproof!  I am not a candy maker by any stretch of the imagination.  It allows you to walk away and do other things, which is very important for me not to have to be a slave to the stove!  So if I can pull this off so can you!  They are so good, my favorite chocolate candy store can't touch this recipe! Word of caution; you may not want to share!

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon fluer de sel (french salt) or sea salt will do too, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with canola oil.  

In a deep saucepan (6-inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown.  Don't stir- just swirl the pan.  Watch carefully, as it can burn quickly at the end!

In the meantime, in a large pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon fluer de sel to a simmer over medium heat.  Turn off the heat when you are ready to add the sugar mixture and pour very slowly.  Be careful, it will bubble up violently!  Stir in vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat, until the mixture reaches 248` (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.  (If you don't have one, get one, they are very cheap!)  Stir occasionally. Once they are ready pour them very carefully into teh prepared baking dish and refridgerate for a few hours, until firm.  

When the caramels are cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board.  Cut the square in half.  Starting with a long side, roll one piece of the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch log.  Repeat with the second piece.  Sprinkle both logs with extra salt, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces.  Wrap each caramel in glassine or parchment paper, twisting at the ends.  Store in the fridge and serve them chilled!