SNOW BALL CLUPCAKES

Cupcakes

1

box (18.25 oz) Betty Crocker® devil's food cake mix

1/2

cup water

1/3

cup vegetable oil

1/2

cup sour cream

2

eggs

1

package (3 oz) cream cheese, cut into 24 cubes

Frosting

1/2

cup sugar

2

tablespoons water

2

egg whites

1

jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

1

teaspoon vanilla

2

cups coconut

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl beat cake mix, water, oil, sour cream and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
2. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Place 1 cube cream cheese in center of each cupcake; press down into batter almost to center (top of cream cheese will still show).
3. Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center of cupcake comes out clean (test between cream cheese and edge). Remove cupcakes from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In 2-quart stainless steel or other non-coated saucepan, mix sugar, water and egg whites. Cook over low heat, beating continuously with electric hand mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add marshmallow creme; beat until stiff peaks form. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat in vanilla.
5. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; sprinkle each with generous tablespoon coconut. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

Makes 24 cupcakes

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TEQUILA CHRISTMAS CAKE.

Tequila Christmas Cake

1-cup water
1-tsp. baking soda
1-cup sugar
1-tsp. salt
1-cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2-cups dried fruit

Sample the tequila to check quality. (I already sampled it...several times to check the quality)

Take a large bowl, check the tequila again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer.

Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point its best o make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup...just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something.

Check the tequila.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window.

Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.

CHERRY MISTMAS

Love and Laughter and hugs,

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These seem to be delicious - going to give them a try.

White Chocolate Truffles

Serves 20

Ingredients

200g (8 rows) Cadbury® Milky White Chocolate 
125g packet cream cheese, softened 
1 tablespoon honey 
1 teaspoon vanilla essence 
¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped 
¼ cup coconut 
1 cup coconut, extra

Method

1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
2. Using electric beaters, beat the melted chocolate with the cream cheese, honey and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped peanuts and the first measure of coconut. Mix well.
3. Cover the mixture and refrigerate until firm.
4. Shape teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls, toss in the extra coconut and refrigerate again until firm.

Love and hugs,

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HOME MADE RAFFAELLO TRUFFLES

Homemade Raffaello Truffles

The Cheapskates Club forum has been buzzing with lots of talk about homemade Ferrero Rochers for Christmas, so I thought I'd share this recipe for homemade Raffaello truffles. They are just as good as the Ferrero Rocher clones and make a delightful gift too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
250g white chocolate
1tsp  coconut essence
60g rice bubbles, lightly crushed
500g white chocolate, extra
1 cup desiccated coconut

Method:
Melt the white chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk over simmering water or in the  microwave. Add chopped almonds and stir until well combined. Freeze until the mixture has stiffened slightly to be rolled into balls. Mold 1 slightly heaped teaspoon of chocolate almond mixture into a ball then roll in the crushed rice bubbles. Freeze again until the balls are firm.  Melt the extra white chocolate and coat each ball, draining off excess chocolate, then roll in desiccated coconut.  Set in fridge, about 20 minutes. Makes 3 dozen truffles.

Sound delicious.

Love and hugs,

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MAKE YOUR OWN CANDY CANES

Candy Canes

Simmer 1 cup sugar with 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar until the mix reaches about 280 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and add a few drops of peppermint flavouring. Divide the syrup in half. Add red food colouring to one half; pour out separately onto the greased surfaces. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Pull each half separately; roll into 1/2" thick ropes. Twist coloured batch around the white batch pulling until the colours adhere. Cut with scissors into 6" long lengths; bend to crook one end.

Love and hugs,

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PACIFICA CHRISTMAS CAKE - Thank you Diane (Aussie Diane)

Pacifika Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of mixed peel
• ½ cup of dried pineapple
• ¼ cup of dried pawpaw
• ¼ cup of dried pear
• ½ cup of dried brazil nuts
• ½ cup of hazelnuts
• ½ cup of almonds
• 1 ½ cups of sultanas
• 1 ½ cups of flour
• 100 gm of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup of sherry
• ½ tspn each of orange, vanilla. almond and lemon essence.

Method:

• Prepare a 20 cm ring tin . Line the bottom and sides with a double layer of paper and grease it well.
• Cut the fruit into large pieces. Coarsely chop the nuts. Place together with sultanas into a mixing bowl..
• Sift the flour into the mixture making sure its completely coated. Cream butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour in the sherry, orange, lemon , vanilla and almond essence. Mix well.
• Fold the fruit and nuts into the creamed mixture. Press into the prepared tin.
• Bake at 130 degrees C for 2 hours.
• Lower temperature to 100 degrees C.
• Cook for a further 15-30 minutes until the cake is set.

Love and hugs,

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TANJA'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

My Favourite Christmas Cake

5 ups (750g) dried mixed fruit

250g margrine, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 1/2 cups plain flour

3/4 cup port

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon grated orange rind

4 eggs

1/2 cup S.R. flour

2 Tablespoon port, extra

In a large bowl, combine mixed fruit and port, cover and stand overnight.Grease a deep 20cm cake pan, line base and sides with greaseproof paper, bringing paper about 5cm above the edge of the pan.Combine margarine, sugar and rinds in a small bowl with electric mixer, add eggs one at a time, beat only until complet.Add butter mixture to fruit mixture, mixing well.Stir in sifted flours, mixing well.Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake in a slow oven (150C) for about 2 1/2 hours, or until cooked.Brush cake lightly with extra port, cover with foil, cool in pan.

Love and hugs,

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CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Bon Appétit  | December 2005

yield: Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

Peppermint buttercream is sandwiched between homemade chocolate cookies; then the sandwiches are rolled in crushed candy canes.

s

Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 drops (or more) red food coloring

• 1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

preparation

For cookies:

Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:

Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

Love and hugs,

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ANOTHER RECIPE FOR YOU

These cookies will melt in your mouth and are very flavorful, the coconut and lemon combination is outstanding.  Easy to make, these will get four stars from everyone.
Here the recipe
Makes 2 dozen cookies


Ingredients:


* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon coconut extract
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Preparation


Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and extracts, beating well. Add flour, lemon rind, and salt, beating until combined. Stir in coconut. Cover and chill dough 30 minutes.
Shape dough into generous 1″ balls; place 1″ apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden on bottom, but pale on top. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool 5 minutes.
Place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a bowl, and roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, coating well. Cool cookies completely on wire racks. Roll cooled cookies in powdered sugar again, coating well.

Love and hugs,

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RECIPES FOR RUM BALLS

I am sharing some nice recipes for easy to make rum balls:

:: Ma

Rum Ball Recipe Ingredients

• 1 packet plain sweet biscuits (Nice, Arrowroot, Marie or Wheatmeal Biscuits)
• 3 tblspns cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk**
• 2-3 tblspns rum (Bundaberg rum works well)*
• 1 cup extra coconut (for rolling finished balls in)

Rum Ball Recipe Method

Finely crush biscuits in a food processor (or you could put them into a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin). Add cocoa power, coconut, sweetened condensed milk and rum to crushed biscuits. Combine all ingredients well (you should end up with a stiff mixture). If it is a particularly hot day, or your mixture isn’t quite stiff enough for the balls to hold their shape, put the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes or so before rolling.

Take large teaspoons of mixture and roll into balls using your hands, then roll balls in extra coconut to coat. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet or shallow plastic container and put in freezer. Once frozen, put into a container and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Rum balls will last for weeks in the freezer, so you might want to make a couple of batches, well in advance of Christmas. For a great Christmas gift idea place 5-6 balls into the centre of a square of cellophane, bring ends of cellophane together in a parcel and tie with a ribbon.

If you have some extra time, and want to make the Rum Balls slightly more special, take whole roasted almond or macadamia nuts, encase in the Rum Ball mixture, roll into balls, then dip into melted chocolate and place in the freezer.

s Ru

m B

alls ::

:: Marilyn's Rum Balls ::


9 Vita Brits or Weet Bix
½ cup coconut
1 cup chopped raisins
2 tabsp. Cocoa
1 tin condensed milk
3 tabsp. Bundaberg rum
extra coconut
Mix together well in a bowl.
Cover in the fridge for ½ hour. (That's what we do in Australia.)
(Yours could probably sit in the bowl in the snow.)
Shape into balls and roll in coconut.





Love and hugs,

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A LOVELY RECIPE SHARED BY DIANE OF AUSSIES CRAZY ABOUT CHRISTMAS

This is an easy but lovely recipe.

Love and hugs,

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APRICOT SNOWBALLS

Sharing a recipe for Christmas

Apricot Snowballs is a popular Christmas recipe. Learn how to make/prepare Apricot Snowballs by following this easy recipe.

Ingredients:
• 225 gms Dried Apricots
• 1-1/2 cups Coconut (flaked)
• 2 tbsp Confectioner's Sugar
• 2 tsp Orange Juice

How to make Apricot Snowballs:
• Crush apricots in a food grinder.
• Now add with coconut, orange juice and confectioners' sugar.
• Shape into small balls and smear in sugar.
• Keep in a tightly covered vessel.

Love and hugs,

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A VERY EASY SNACK TO MAKE

Aussie Nuts and Bolts Snacks

 

Excellent, easy party snack or snack with drinks. You can add more nuts or any other salty snack food you like. Very moreish.

Ingredients

a small packet (345g) of Nutrigrain

a packet (375g) of salted mixed nuts

1 packet cream of chicken powdered soup

1 packet French onion powdered soup

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 cup (125ml) warm vegetable oil

Preparation method

1.          Add all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir/mix well so all ingredients are mixed.

2.         Add warm vegetable oil and mix through well.

3.         Store in an airtight container.

It's as easy as that!


I understand that Nutri Grain in not available in USA so have done some research and suggest you use Kellogs Crispix as an alternative.

Love and hugs,

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