Almost everyone I know loves fudge and here is a newer version (perhaps) at least for me it is. It is going to take using a very good quality white chocolate to attain the best quality fudge.
- 1 lb. white chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1 can condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts, toasted and chopped
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted, divided
- 1 tbsp. finely grated lime zest
Oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and line with tightly fitted parchment paper, allowing it to overhang. Press paper into the corners to firmly seal the oil pan. Set aside.
Combine the chocolate and condensed milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat over low, stirring until the chocolate is almost all melted. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until all is melted and it is creamy.
Combine the toasted pistachios, cranberries and 1/2 cup of the toasted macadamia nuts and lime zest. Stir until well blended. Pour the chocolate over the nut mixture and fold together until thoroughly mixed.
Transfer to the prepared pan, spread the top with a off-set spatula. Sprinkle the remaining macadamia nuts over the top. Cover and refrigerate until set.
To serve: Cut with a sharp knife that has been sitting in very hot water. Dry the blade before cutting.
There won’t be any leftovers, I promise.
Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies
This is the same method as making chocolate chips but the ingredients differ slightly and the flavour is really good.
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick cooking, not instant)
- 1 pkg. Cinnamon Chips (baking aisle in store)
- 1/3 cup white chocolate melting disks, chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until creamy (3-4 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time and add the vanilla. Beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
Combine the sifted flour and baking soda, beating well to combine (give it a couple of minutes), stir in the oats, cinnamon chips, chocolate and cranberries on low, just enough to combine.
On parchment lined cookie sheets, use a 1 tbsp. size scoop and put 6 on a tray. If using a convection oven, bake for 6 minutes, rotate the trays and bake a further 6 minutes. Let cool for a minute and then transfer to cooling racks. Repeat process until all cookies are baked. Makes 4 -4 1/2 doz. cookies.
Let cool and boy, of boy these are tasty.
Pour a cup of coffee or tea, invite a friend over (or not) and enjoy the lazy afternoon together.
Blue Cheese Cookies with Pistachios
This cookie would be great at your Wine and Cheese Party this season. The Blue Cheese gives it the tangy bite needed to pair with wine.
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese, chilled
- 1/2 cup butter
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios, toasted
- 20 dried cranberries, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cheese, butter and pepper in a bowl and beat until well combined, but still showing large bits of blue cheese.
With a wooden spoon gently combine the flour into the cheese mixture and add the toasted pistachios and cranberries.
Roll into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. With your hand, gently flatten until 1/4 inch thick.
Bake about 20-25 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom and edges. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin in the refrigerator.
Really quite yummy.
Cookies, Italian and Others
With great anticipation of our grandkids coming for a visit with their Mom in a couple of weeks, other company coming and going to a concert, I thought I would bake a little to get ahead.
Well…..I have been baking almost all day as the recipes I was using will not work in a convection oven. So…..
Don sampled these and proclaimed they are almost as good as my chocolate chip. WOW! That is, indeed, high praise.
Cookies from Italy
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 scant cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup skinned pistachios
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on your cookie sheets and set aside.
Together in a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla (NO, it hasn’t curdled), gently stir in the flour mixture, pistachios and cranberries.
Drop by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake 14 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- zest from 1 large orange
- 3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (from same orange works great)
Stir until smooth and drizzle 1 teaspoon over each cookie. Store in air tight container at room temperature or freeze up to 2 weeks.
These are so darn good…different from the norm…..go ahead, say it…’damn I can do this’….
Cherry Pecan Biscotti
Store bought Biscotti, to me, is doubtful. The commercially made ones can break your teeth they are so hard. Homemade ones, even though they are baked right, don’t seem to be that way. Must be the love that they are made with.
You can combine any dried fruit and nuts for your own tastes, but this is a nice one to start with.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted pecans, toasted, chopped
- icing sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Firstly, mix together the oil and sugar. Now add the two extracts and the eggs. Beat until well blended.
In another bowl, blend together the dry ingredients. Keep the mixer running on slow and add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold in the dried cherries and pecans.
The dough is sticky, so dampen your hands and turn out on a lightly floured work surface. Shape into two logs approximately 2 inches wide and 12 inches long and it should be about 1 1/2 inches high. Lightly sprinkle with icing sugar and place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 35 minutes. They should be a light golden colour.
Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 2-3 minutes to cool down a bit and a sharp knife, slice on the diagonal.
Place the cookies, flat side down and bake for about 7 minutes. Turn them over and bake another 7 minutes. They should be dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Sample and enjoy! Store in a glass jar with a lid. It’s okay, this way everyone can look at them and, in a flash, you will have to make more ‘cuz they will be gone. When you notice that, it must be time for a martini. Later.
Sticky Toffee Puddings
Oh my goodness, are these good. Let’s see…..yeah, you could almost lick your fingers, it is so good.
You need:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c up dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Butter 8, 4 oz. ramekins. Bring water to a boil and add the vanilla and baking soda and cranberries, set aside to cool. Cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the butter mixture gradually in three stages.
Sift the flour and baking powder together, gently folding into the batter. Fold cranberry mixture into the batter and portion into the ramekins and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes.
To make the toffee sauce, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the puddings from the ramekin dishes by running a knife around the edge.
Invert on a plate and drizzle with the toffee sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.
The sound you will hear now is people trying to gather up every drop of the sauce. This one is definitely beyond yummy-yummy!
* A note….I just made this with dried tart cherries, by mistake I might add, and it is equally as delicious. In fact, Don says he prefers it.