Microwave nut brittle.

This goes out to my sister and her love of the microwave. I sill love you. As you still love my goat cheese loving self...

Microwave Peanut brittle

1.) Mix the following ingredients in a microwave safe bowl:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup

2.) Microwave 4 minutes 

3.) Add

• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

4.) Microwave 2 1/2 minutes 

5.) Add:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda until color intensifies(a minute or two).

6.)Pour over salted peanuts/cashews/almonds on a parchment and greased baking sheet.

7.) Cool 15 minutes and when hard break into pieces, wrap up in cute little baggies, and spread some Christmas cheer.

You could also gift it like the picture above via Martha Stewart. Wrap up the baking sheet and tie with a mini hammer to break. Brittle doesn't get any cuter than that! And If you are having wet rainy weather like we are in Southern California, wait until you have a dry day. This will not harden up in wet weather....trust me I found out the hard way.

xoxoxo

d

Fruit nut balls.

A couple of months ago I was browsing the cookbooks at a local bookstore and was taken by the title and cover of a book. A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table. I picked it up and started reading, bought the book, took it home, and realized it was written by a well known blogger. I was new to the blog world and had no idea who Molly Wizenberg was. I love her lovingly written stories about her family and food. And of course as an added bonus I love her recipes at the end of each story.

This book is so wonderful because as many of us know, many of our fondest memories are in some way tied to food. Like how every year when I was a young girl, my mom, sister and I would don homemade aprons to make fudge and divinity with my grandma. And how I distinctly remember coming home from elementary school and having my older sister fry potatoes with lemon pepper and ketchup for snack. Weird huh? But so good. Especially when you are 8. Food is what brings us around a table, together so that we can make moments and memories last. So I urge you this holiday season to sit around the table and make memories. And make these too, they are simple, delcious, and no need to turn your oven on.

Fruit Nut Balls

Molly Wizenberg of Orangette

45-50 balls

1C walnuts

1/2 pound pitted dried cherries

1/2 pound dried figs

1/2 pound pitted dried apricots (I used 1/2 apricots and 1/2 dried cranberries here)

1/2 pound pitted prunes

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, apple cider may be used here

1/2C powdered sugar

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Put walnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steele blade and pule to chop finely. Transfer to a large bowl. Return bowl to base without washing. Add half the dried fruit and pulse to chop finely. You want the fruit pieces to be no larger than a pea, but be careful not to turn it into a paste. Add to the bowl with walnuts. Repeat with the remaining dried fruit. Stir all the chopped fruit and walnuts well. Add the Grand Marnier. Pinch off a small ball, does it hold it's shape? If not add a bit more Grand Marnier.

Put the powdered sugar in a small wide bowl. pinch off bits of the mixture (i used a coffee scoop here) and gently roll into balls. Roll each ball into powdered sugar, shake off excess, and place on a lined baking sheet. Set aside, uncovered, for 24 hours at room temperature.

To finish line a second sheet with parchment. Melt chocolate either over double boiler, or in the microwave like I did (15 seconds at a time, stirring between until just melted).  Dollop the top of each ball with chocolate and shake to coax the chocolate down the sides. It will look like a "chocolate hat" as Molly describes it. Slide the sheet, uncovered in the refrigerator and chill until hardened, about 2 hours. Tuck them into small paper candy cups and enjoy. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

xoxoxo
d