Chocolate Mendiants

I have wanted to make these little chocolate treats for years and just have never gotten around to it. So, finally this year when I saw them in Bon Appetite Magazine I decided I was going to do it. They were so simple and fast I wondered why I'd never made them before. These little traditional French treats are simply melted chocolate shaped into a small circle and topped with fruit, nuts, candied citrus and pretty much anything you can think of. I think of them as your own individual chocolate bark, each bite can be tailored to have exactly what you like on top. I had to do some with peppermint on top because I love the festive look and peppermint bark is always a holiday staple. But, I have to say the traditional fruit and nut combination is pretty perfect. The salty and sweet with the rich chocolate, it's the perfect bite for after a large holiday dinner. I also felt like I had to make these, because what perfect neighbor gifts! They are beyond simple to make and look super pretty/ fancy in a little paper bag tied up with festive string. I think there is nothing better than a homemade treat. So if you're in a pinch this holiday or need something delicious in a hurry these little guys are just for you!

Chocolate Mendiants

-makes 30-35 candies-

8 oz. good chocolate (I use ghiridelli 60% or 70% baking bars)

chopped pistachios

pecan halfs

dried cranberries

sunflower seeds

cashews

rasins

crushed candy canes, dried fruit, nuts, candied ginger, sea salt, anything you want!

Melt your chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments till almost melted. Then stir chocolate till smooth and the heat of the melted chocolate has melted all remaining chocolate pieces. Lay a sheet of wax paper across a cookie sheet. Spoon dollops of chocolate onto the wax paper and spread into a circle just larger than a quarter. Continue till you've filled the sheet and then sprinkle each with toppings of your choice. I recommend leaving the peppermint alone, it's best by itself. Mixing the nuts and fruits is really delicious! After they all have their topping pop them in the fridge to harden for at least an hour, but they can be kept for 4 days in the fridge before serving. Peel off the wax paper and enjoy with a warm drink! 

Happy Holidays!! 

XOXO

Grandma's Mint Slush

It finally snowed, so it's really starting to feel like Christmas here in good old Salt Lake City. What better way to celebrate the snow than with some icy slush in a festive green color. This is my grandma Martha's recipe, and she's been making this for as long as I can remember.  It has been at family parties and summer barbecue's, and everything in-between. It's one of those recipes that takes you back in time to a party in the 1950s, straight from The Better Home and Gardens Cookbook. I love pouring over old recipes - nothing like vintage gelatin molds, aspic loafs, and a good old red velvet cake. Food has grown and changed a lot since those days, but this slush deserves not to be forgotten! Minty fresh, and easy to make, this is great for a party anytime of the year.  My grandma tends to make it in the summer, especially before she moved from her old house when all she had to do was grab fresh mint from the garden and she was ready to go. I decided this was a great festive drink for the holidays because of it's Christmassy color and and minty taste. This is good for a crowd because one batch makes a ton and a little goes a long way.  Its ready to sip on as a treat before dinner...my grandma always serves it with the hors d'oeuvres. 

This is a super easy recipe, but keep in mind you'll need extra time for freezing. You can either freeze overnight and let it sit out for a couple hours until you can flake it apart with a fork, or you can freeze the slush for a few hours, stirring every so often, until its slushy.

MINT SLUSH 

-serves 16-20 four ounce servings-

4 cups water 

4 cups sugar 

handful of mint leaves 

12 oz can lemonade concentrate 

3 12oz cans water 

4 tablespoons lemon juice 

2-3 drops green food coloring 

2L bottle Sprite or Ginger Ale 

To start, put your sugar and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and heat on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add mint and bring to a boil.  Tturn heat off and let mint steep in sugar water for 1 hour. In a large bowl mix your cooled mint syrup with the lemonade concentrate and 3 cans water, lemon juice and green food coloring. This mixture is ready for the freezer - that's all the hard work done! I usually freeze it overnight and then just let it sit out an hour or two until I want to serve and soften it up with a fork. When its the day of your party, pull out the frozen mixture and let sit until you can begin to chunk it up, it should look something like this... 

The final step is to add your fizz!  You can use sprite, or ginger ale. I like using Sprite Zero to cut down on the sugar content. Pour your fizzy drink into the bowl with slush mixture until you reach desired consistency. Just before serving, begin to add the Sprite until desired slushy consistency - usually half the bottle is  about right, give or take. That's it then - you're ready to serve!  It goes without saying, serve immediately unless you want melted slush!

Chocolate Molten Cakes with Candy Cane Cream

It's the best time of the year, and with the first week of December here, I bring you candy canes and chocolate! To me, there is no better dessert than something chocolate, and these cakes are perfect for that craving. Rich chocolatey flavor with a molten, runny center, they just can't be beat. I found this recipe a few years ago and altered it just a bit, but I think it's the best molten cake I've ever had. The candy cane cream adds such a fun holiday element because the candy canes tint the cream a pretty pink and it tastes like peppermint! I love the combination of chocolate and peppermint and this is just the perfect amount - this cake would also be delicious with peppermint ice-cream. This is such an easy recipe, but looks really impressive when you serve them individually. They would be great to serve for Christmas dinner dessert!  

First, lets start with the candy cane cream. It can be made in 4 simple steps and then set aside while you quickly pull the cakes together, so it can be infused with candy cane flavor and pinkness.

Step 1: Whip 1 cup cream until soft peaks form.

Step 2: Stir in 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and a teaspoon vanilla.

Step 3: Crush 5-6 candy canes in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.

Step4: fold about 3 tablespoons of candy cane crumbs into cream.

- Use extra candy cane pieces to sprinkle onto cake when you serve - 

Now, for the cakes. First, preheat your oven to 450 degrees, and butter and flour 4 ramekins.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

serves 4

1 stick butter 

6oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardellis)

2 eggs 

2 egg yolks 

4 tablespoons sugar 

2 tablespoons flour 

To start, melt your chocolate and butter over a double boiler or in the microwave (in 20 second increments), until just melted. Set chocolate aside to cool. Beat eggs and egg yolks with sugar, until light yellow and foamy, about 2 minutes. Lastly, add cooled chocolate into egg mixture along with flour and stir until combined. Divide batter evenly between your 4 buttered ramekins and bake in a 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. You want the cake to still be slightly wobbly in the center, so pull them out even if you think they aren't quite done. Wait about 30 seconds and dump each cake onto a serving plate - they should come right out. Top with mounds of peppermint whipped cream and crushed candy canes, and serve immediately. You can have the batter done in advance and bake whenever you're ready to serve, so you have almost no work to do after dinner. I like to sprinkle my cakes with powdered sugar, as well as having the whipped cream, because it kinda looks like snow, which is all the more festive!