So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Adding Thanksgiving Chocolate Treats To Your Holiday

By Tameka Ware


Thanksgiving chocolate can make your desserts something special. Working with this flavor, you could find that you can move beyond pumpkin and cranberries for more imaginative blends of desserts. Once you start experimenting with cocoa-enhanced options, you may find even more ways to work the ingredient into some of your classic recipes that you serve on the holiday.

Cocoa added to drinks or served straight up hot on their own can be wonderful, filling warm-ups before or after the meal when guests are relaxing. Hot cocoa can be fewer calories than a slice of pie, so you can think about it as indulging your sweet tooth without loading up on the calories. There also is less caffeine in a cup of cocoa, so you can still get a mild sugar buzz without the anxious caffeine rush you might experience from a cup of coffee later in the evening.

Chocolate-flavored wafers can replace graham cracker crusts for a new type of base for your pies. That whipped topping you make also could be blended with melted baker's block shavings to become a rich additional treat on top. You may find other substitutions that also work well for your desserts.

Another delicious combination would be to drizzle melted shavings from a baker's block over a pumpkin carrot cake hot from the oven. The traditional richness of this type of cake would be matched perfectly by the indulgent topping that could harden as it cools. You may have guests asking for the recipe at the end of the meal after enjoying a slice.

Fudge or brownies alone or modified with your recipes can also be elegant desserts that you might want to try instead of, or in addition to, pies. Try mixing a brownie packet with canned pumpkin and cover with frosting made of cream cheese for a moist and low-fat treat. Many boxes of brownie mix around the holidays will have recipe ideas that can work for you for this special day when you want everything to be exemplary.

Cranberries also can benefit from this added ingredient for a sweet contrast to their naturally tart flavor. Cookies mixed with fudge flavorings or white cocoa chips with oatmeal can be quite delicious served with coffee. For pies, if you search online for turtle pie, you may be amazed at the ingredient combinations available for this traditional holiday pie of pecans and fudge-flavored filling.

Holiday breads also can benefit from a heaping dose of chips, white or regular. Try adding them to pumpkin bread or banana bread for an indulgent twist on flavors. You also might enjoy melting two or three of the darker chips and adding to a cup of coffee for a rich, mocha treat to drink with your dessert.

Adding Thanksgiving chocolate to your traditional holiday fare can be easy and adventurous. Take the time to review your regular recipes and see how you can take them to the next level with this added ingredient. Your next holiday may be transformed with new and exciting ideas for serving sweet treats.




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