White Chocolate Lollipops

This are adorable!! I was intimidated to make them, but found out it is so easy and terribly impressive. You're making cute lollipops!! Who wouldn't think you spent hours doing it?! Please try this as a little gift or would be fantastic for a shower favor.

White Chocolate Lollipops

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

16 oz good white chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c yellow raisins

1/2 c salted roasted pistachios

Directions

Melt white chocolate in a doubleboiler.

Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Make sure you've got your lollipop sticks at the ready. (You can but them at Michael's in the baking section, along with cute gift bags).

Once the chocolate is melted, spoon a tablespoon onto the paper and use the back of the spoon to spread into a nice circle shape. Press the lollipop stick into the middle of your circle, giving the stick a little twist to coat with chocolate. Top with cranberries, raisins and pistachios. Impress away!

French Chocolate Bark

This is the second year that I've made this at Christmas and it's a huge hit! It is SO easy, you won't believe it. Chocolate bark makes great little gifts too. Just get little cellophane bags at Michael's and tie with a cute ribbon!

French Chocolate Bark

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

8 oz semisweet chocolate, for melting

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, for melting

1 c whole roasted, salted cashews

1 c chopped dried apricots

1/2 c dried cranberries

Directions

Melt two chocolates in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (a doubleboiler).

Meanwhile, on a sheet of parchment paper, draw a 9x10 inch rectangle. Flip the paper over (so the written on side is facing down) on a baking sheet. You will use this to spread the melted chocolate into a nice rectangle.

Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread to fill the rectangle. This helps ensure you get an even layer. Once spread out, top with cashews, apricots and cranberries. Refrigerate for 2 hours then break into pieces and serve.

Cranberry Coffeecake

If you have to work New Year's Eve, you should bring your coworkers treats. I think it's only fair... you'll feel better and so will they. It helps when the treats you bring are scrumptious, fluffy, sweet, crunchy coffeecake with tart cranberries. Just sayin...

Cranberry Coffeecake

Adapted from JoytheBaker

Ingredients

4 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter, softened (Not a typo... this makes A LOT of cake)

2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

4 eggs

1/2 tsp almond extract (or use vanilla, I did)

1 c sour cream mixed with 2 tbsp milk

4 c cranberries, roughly chopped

Topping:

1 1/3 c flour

1 1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, well-softened (again, not a typo... deal with it)

2/3 c chopped nuts of your choosing

1/3 c quick cooking oats

Directions

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Combine butter and sugars into a large bowl and beat with electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in extract. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and sour cream mixture, alternating additions, beginning and ending with flour mix. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into baking dish and spread evenly.

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and oats in large bowl and stir well with wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Take two handfuls of the topping and spread over the cake batter. Use a knife to swirl the topping into the batter. Spread the rest of the topping mix over the cake.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, above 1 hr to 1 hr and 15 min. Cool slightly before cutting.

Red Velvet Cake Trifle

Well now... isn't this fancy? I told you that I was in love with my trifle dish. Of course, for Christmas I had to pull out some hoity toity dish to make my family oohh and aahh. This was awesome! It seems like a lot of steps, but if you made this for a party or shower of some kind, you'd be so impressive!

Red Velvet Cake Trifle

Adapted from www.recipegirl.com

Ingredients

Cake:

1 c butter, room temp

1 3/4c sugar

2 1/2c flour

1 1/4tsp salt

2 eggs

1c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2tsp vinegar

1 1/2tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 oz red food coloring

Syrup:

1/3c granulated sugar

1/3c water

1/2tsp vanilla

The rest:

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

8 oz marscapone cheese

1/3 c sugar

2 c heavy whipping cream

sliced almonds (about 1 c)

shaved chocolate (4 oz)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan generously with cooking spray, then dust lightly with flour.

Cake: With an electric mixer, blend butter and sugar in a large bowl. Sift together flour and salt in a separate bowl. Mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and vinegar in a separate bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well after each addition. In a small bowl, mix red food coloring and cocoa powder; add to the cake mixture until just combined. Pour batter into a prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. You don't want the cake to be soft and super moist, so be sure to bake until its totally done.

Syrup: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar completely. Stir in vanilla. Let cool.

Cut the cake in half and cut one half into cubes. Brush with the cooled syrup. You likely won't need the whole cake for the trifle, so save for another purpose (like eating plain all day long).

Whipped layer: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and slowly pour in heavy whipping cream. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft whipped cream.

Assembly: In the bottom of your trifle dish, arrange a single layer of cake chunks. Spoon about 1 1/2c of whipped topping on top of cake cubes. Next, sprinkle almonds then shaved chocolate. Keep repeating layers until you run out of room. Garnish with mint, if you have some.