The post Holiday Hot Chocolate and Sweets Bar appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>Click each text link below the images for each of the recipes. Feel free to mix it up and experiment to satisfy your palate. The peppermint bark was the first post that birthed my blog on Christmas Day in 2008! It is one of my tried and true recipes that is sure to wow the tastebuds of you and your loved ones alike. Enjoy!
Mexican Hot Chocolate with Peppermint
Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
The post Holiday Hot Chocolate and Sweets Bar appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>The post Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Ingredients
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for work surface when rolling)
Icing:
2 lbs confectioners sugar
5 tbsp meringue powder
3/4 cup water
3 tsp vanilla
gold and/or silver sprinkles for decorating
Prepare
Sugar Cookies
1.Preheat oven to 350° F.
2.In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
3.Beat in extracts and egg.
4.In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5.DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
6.Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Royal Icing
Icing:
1. Mix confectioner sugar and meringue powder on slow speed and then incorporate water and vanilla. Mix on slow for 1 minute and then mix on high for about 7 minutes, or until your icing forms a stiff peak.
2. Fill a piping bag and using a #3 tip outline your cookie to create a border and allow to dry for about two minutes.
3. Flood the cookie with the royal icing, filling in the entire ‘bordered’ area.
4. Sprinkle with gold and/or silver sprinkles as desired.
5. Allow the icing on the cookies to dry overnight.
6. Serve cookies with hot chocolate or feel free to devour them on their own.
- Sugar Cookies
- 1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for work surface when rolling)
- Icing
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar
- 5 tbsp meringue powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tsp vanilla
- gold and/or silver sprinkles for decorating
- Sugar Cookies
- 1.Preheat oven to 350° F.
- 2.In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- 3.Beat in extracts and egg.
- 4.In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
- 5.DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
- 6.Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
- Royal Icing
- 1. Mix confectioner sugar and meringue powder on slow speed and then incorporate water and vanilla. Mix on slow for 1 minute and then mix on high for about 7 minutes, or until your icing forms a stiff peak.
- 2. Fill a piping bag and using a #3 tip outline your cookie to create a border and allow to dry for about two minutes.
- 3. Flood the cookie with the royal icing, filling in the entire 'bordered' area.
- 4. Sprinkle with gold and/or silver sprinkles as desired.
- 5. Allow the icing on the cookies to dry overnight.
- 6. Serve cookies with hot chocolate or feel free to devour them on their own.
The post Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>The post CORN SOUFFLE appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>Corn Souffle
Ingredients
2 sticks melted unsalted butter
3 cups sour cream
2 – 15 ounce can of whole kernel corn, drained
2 – 15 ounce can of cream style corn
4 eggs beaten
2 – 8 ounce box Jiffy corn bread mix
Prepare
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a rectangular baking pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix together by hand melted butter, sour cream, both cans of corn, and eggs. Add in the cornbread and mix until incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
- 2 sticks melted unsalted butter
- 3 cups sour cream
- 2 - 15 ounce can of whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 - 15 ounce can of cream style corn
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 - 8 ounce box Jiffy corn bread mix
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a rectangular baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together by hand melted butter, sour cream, both cans of corn, and eggs. Add in the cornbread and mix until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
The post CORN SOUFFLE appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>The post CRANBERRY ORANGE GLAZED HAM appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham
Ingredients
1 (8-pound) full cooked ham, spiral sliced
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
¼ cup orange juice
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cups orange juice
zest of one orange
orange slices, optional
cranberries, optional
Prepare
1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Place ham into roasting pan. Combine cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, and orange zest. 3. Spread over ham, reserving at least one cup to serve alongside ham when finished.
4. Pour additional orange juice into base of roasting pan and arrange orange slices and cranberries (optional) around ham.
5. Place top on roasting pan or tent with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.
6. Uncover ham and baste well with pan juices. Recover. Repeat every 15 minutes until the thickest part of the ham registers 140º on a meat thermometer.
7. Remove roasting pan from the oven and baste again. Let the ham stand for about 15 minutes before carving.
- 1 (8-pound) full cooked ham, spiral sliced
- 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1½ cups orange juice
- zest of one orange
- orange slices, optional
- cranberries, optional
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Place ham into roasting pan. Combine cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, and orange zest.
- Spread over ham, reserving at least one cup to serve alongside ham when finished.
- Pour additional orange juice into base of roasting pan and arrange orange slices and cranberries (optional) around ham.
- Place top on roasting pan or tent with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour.
- Uncover ham and baste well with pan juices. Recover. Repeat every 15 minutes until the thickest part of the ham registers 140º on a meat thermometer.
- Remove roasting pan from the oven and baste again. Let the ham stand for about 15 minutes before carving.
The post CRANBERRY ORANGE GLAZED HAM appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>The post CIDER BOURBON MAPLE GLAZED TURKEY WITH SHALLOT DRESSING appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>Cider Bourbon Glazed Turkey with Shallot Dressing
Ingredients
1 jar (1 lb. 2.2 oz.) turkey brine
1 fresh turkey, 18 to 20 lb., neck, heart and gizzard removed
1 jar (10 oz.) cider bourbon roasting glaze ( or you could make your own like I did…recipe below)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely diced
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey stock, lightly salted, or low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs. chicken demi-glace
2 Tbs. dry sherry
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Prepare
1. Prepare the turkey brine according to the package instructions. Place the turkey in a brining bag or large stockpot, add the brine and refrigerate for 12 to 36 hours.
2. Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings behind the back and place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
4. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F and into the thigh registers 175°F, about 2 hours and 35 minutes more. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the turkey with the roasting glaze every 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 30 minutes before carving. Skim the fat off the pan drippings. Add 3/4 cup water to the roasting pan and set over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Transfer to a bowl.
6. In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring rapidly, for 2 minutes. Rapidly whisk in the reserved pan drippings, the stock and demi-glace. Cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper. Pour the gravy into a warmed sauceboat and serve with the turkey. Serves 14 to 16.
Cider- Bourbon Maple Glaze
Ingredients
4 cups organic fresh pressed apple cider (or bottled will work as well)
2 tablespoons fine-quality bourbon
1 cup organic pure maple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
Prepare
1. In a large saucepan, bring apple cider to a full boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered and swirling the pan frequently, until the cider reduces to 1 cup, about 30 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon, maple syrup and salt. Cool until warm and transfer to syrup dispenser or small pitcher. Serve warm or cool completely before serving.
- 1 jar (1 lb. 2.2 oz.) turkey brine
- 1 fresh turkey, 18 to 20 lb., neck, heart and gizzard removed
- 1 jar (10 oz.) cider bourbon roasting glaze ( or you could make your own like I did...recipe below)
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
- 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups turkey stock, lightly salted, or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbs. chicken demi-glace
- 2 Tbs. dry sherry
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Cider- Bourbon Maple Glaze
- 4 cups organic fresh pressed apple cider (or bottled will work as well)
- 2 tablespoons fine-quality bourbon
- 1 cup organic pure maple syrup
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Prepare the turkey brine according to the package instructions. Place the turkey in a brining bag or large stockpot, add the brine and refrigerate for 12 to 36 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings behind the back and place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F and into the thigh registers 175°F, about 2 hours and 35 minutes more. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, baste the turkey with the roasting glaze every 10 minutes.
- Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 30 minutes before carving. Skim the fat off the pan drippings. Add 3/4 cup water to the roasting pan and set over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Transfer to a bowl.
- In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring rapidly, for 2 minutes. Rapidly whisk in the reserved pan drippings, the stock and demi-glace. Cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper. Pour the gravy into a warmed sauceboat and serve with the turkey. Serves 14 to 16.
- Cider- Bourbon Maple Glaze
- In a large saucepan, bring apple cider to a full boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered and swirling the pan frequently, until the cider reduces to 1 cup, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon, maple syrup and salt. Cool until warm and transfer to syrup dispenser or small pitcher. Serve warm or cool completely before serving.
The post CIDER BOURBON MAPLE GLAZED TURKEY WITH SHALLOT DRESSING appeared first on Florida Girl Cooks.
]]>