Sugary Sweet Holiday Treats

A white blanket of snow on the ground, lights twinkling on the trees, chimneys lit, and the crisp chill in the air. With the first signs of wintertime, life instantly fills with joy, after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays are meant for getting together with family and friends, opening presents, and feasting on life's happiness. Personally, one of my favorite parts of the holidays are the flavors and the treats that come along with it. Whether it is peppermint bark, truffles, cake pops, or Rice Krispie treats, these delicious goodies can be wrapped up for homemade gifts or just enjoyed on their own! So let's jingle on into the holidays and sled down to the kitchen because these treats are all I want for Christmas (and all that you are going to want, too!)

Peppermint bark is one of those items that once December hits, it appears everywhere, and I most certainly do not have a problem with that! It's super easy to make and only requires four ingredients. To make peppermint bark, start by melting your bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler. A double boiler is simply a pot of boiling water with a bowl on top covering the opening. This ensures that your chocolate melts evenly and doesn't burn. When the chocolate is melted, it should be smooth and oh so dreamy! To the chocolate, add a couple drops of peppermint extract. Always remember with extracts that a little goes a long way because the flavor is so concentrated. Stir the chocolate so it is all incorporated and spread it into a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the whole sheet into the fridge until the chocolate is hard. In the mean time, you can start working on the next layer which is simply melted white chocolate. Do the same thing that you did with the bittersweet chocolate by melting it in a double boiler, but this time, do not add the peppermint extract or the flavor will be too intense. Even I don’t like the flavor, and I love mint! Layer the white chocolate onto the bittersweet chocolate and rather than refrigerating this, instantaneously add crushed peppermint onto the top because the chocolate is still warm so it will stick. Once covered, chill until the bark is completely hardened. Then, break it up into small pieces, and you're ready to enjoy! To make this gift worthy, I like to pile the bark into a holiday themed cellophane bag and tie the top with some festive ribbon! Just remember to refrigerate the bark until you give it out because it's the best when it doesn't turn into a melted mess. With one bite of peppermint bark, it's easy to instantly get into the spirit of the holidays!

The next treat sure to bring joy to your holiday table is chocolate truffles. A basic chocolate truffle is something that you can make 45 times and no one will ever get tired of because you can constantly switch them up by adding different flavors inside or rolling them in different toppings. To make the chocolate base, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler. Then put this in the refrigerator to harden for about an hour. Once hardened, this is your time to add flavorings to the inside of your truffle. Some ingredients to add include raspberry jelly, peanut butter, peppermint extract, and almond extract. Roll the mixture into balls about an inch in diameter. Then refrigerate again until the truffles are chilled. Once cold, dip the truffles into any type of chocolate that you would like. You can use white, dark, milk, or even festively colored chocolate wafers. Still warm from the melted chocolate, now is the fun part: the decorating! Roll the truffles in an array of toppings such as coconut (it looks like a snowball when you do this!), chopped nuts, crushed cookies, or sprinkles. You can also decorate them by piping on icing decorations with a piping bag. These truffles are decadent, rich, and incredibly sweet. You only need one to be satisfied, but hey, go ahead and eat the whole batch if you want. To present these as a gift, I suggest purchasing a decorative tin and layering the truffles, each layer separated by wax paper so they don't stick. Close the tin, and voila, you've got an instant gift that can satisfy any and all tastes.

Nothing is more versatile and more adjustable for any holiday or occasion than cake pops. They not only look good, but cake pops are easy to make and absolutely addicting. Start off by making your favorite cake or brownie recipe. The possibilities are endless from favorites like chocolate or vanilla to something different such as red velvet, carrot cake, or lemon. For a festive twist, try gingerbread cake! Crumble your batch of cake or brownie into crumbs. I know, you may be thinking “why ruin a perfectly good batch of deliciousness?”, but trust me, it'll all work out. Mix the crumbs with icing (chocolate or vanilla works best), and place into the refrigerator until hardened. Use an ice cream scoop to ensure that each pop is equal in size and start rolling. Place the cake/ brownie pops onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and stick a lollipop stick (you can find these at the supermarket or a craft store) into each one. Refrigerate once more, and then dip in melted chocolate, and decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar. To present as a gift, cover a block of Styrofoam with wrapping paper so that you can gently stick the lollipops in place, and they won't shuffle around as you're driving. Wrap the entire stand in clear cellophane and tie off with a ribbon. The presentation alone is enough to win people over, but once they taste these cake/brownie pops, they're sure to love the delicate cake and icing all wrapped in a pretty little package! Gingerbread Cake Recipe

The last holiday treat to bring about all the festive cheer is none other than a play on the classic Rice Krispie treat! Start off by simply making a batch of these delicious bundles of joy. To put a twist on it, try using the chocolate version for some extra decadence. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet in a thin layer, and let cool until firm. Then, you can start decorating. Cut the Rice Krispie treats into shapes using cookie cutters. Try a mitten, a Christmas tree, a snowflake, a Jewish star, a candy cane, or a gingerbread man. They're all super cute and are an easy way to make something plain something extraordinary with just the twist of the wrist. Once you have all of your shapes cut out, you can start to decorate the Rice Krispie treats using colored icing or melted chocolate to attach crushed peppermints, m&ms, marshmallows, or sprinkles. For an idea sure to wow, make chocolate Rice Krispie treats, use chocolate chips and a red m&m for the face, and attach pretzels as antlers to make Rudolph!  As a gift, I suggest buying a decorative cardboard candy box, layering in the Rice Krispie treats between sheets of wax paper, and sealing the box with a bow. These Rice Krispie treats are fun, festive, and fabulous. They're also super sticky so be careful!

The holidays aren't complete without sugary treats that you can indulge on all season long. From peppermint bark and chocolate truffles to cake/brownie pops and Rice Krispie treats, all of your favorite goodies can be packaged up and given out to all of your friends and family. Even someone as grumpy as the Grinch won't be able to pass up these treats. Just think, you can bring all of the holiday spirit right into your home when you’re Cooking with Carly!

 

Winning Game Day Eats

There's nothing that defines fall/winter Sundays more than football. It's an American favorite for inviting friends over, dressing up in team jerseys, and most importantly, watching the game while munching on those addicting game day treats. On the menu are appetizer style dishes to satisfy a crowd. We start at the kickoff with pepperoni pizza dip, then move down to classic hot wings with homemade blue cheese dressing, a serving meant for a linebacker of loaded nachos with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole, and to end the game, a fizzy, colorful drink. So take a seat on the couch, turn the TV on, and sit back because we're going to score a touchdown with this menu!

Pepperoni pizza dip is a spin on the typical slice of pizza that is oh-so -delicious but could always use a fun twist. Start out by making the cream mixture. In a bowl, you want to combine cream cheese, sour cream, dried oregano, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of ground red pepper flakes. Once all mixed together, spread into a greased pie plate. Then on top of this layer, spoon on a thin layer of tomato sauce. For the next layer, add some chopped up pepperoni slices. You can really add any topping that you want such as black olives, peppers, or onions. Place the dish in the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, take the pan out of the oven and add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Put it back into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted like a blanket over your delicious dip. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or cubes of Italian bread. This dip has all the elements of a great pizza: ooey gooey cheese, the fresh zip from tomato sauce, and all of the best pizza toppings. Just be careful, it's easy to eat the whole thing without even knowing it!

The next classic American food is none other than hot wings. This is a simple and abbreviated version served with homemade blue cheese dressing. Take you chicken legs and wings and place them on a baking sheet. Generously season them with salt and pepper. Broil under the oven for about half an hour or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Now, put them in a large bowl and toss with wing sauce. Once all wings are coated, place them on a platter with some carrots and celery and the best friend to the chicken wing, some blue cheese dressing. You can always use pre-made dressing from the bottle, but to make it yourself, stir together sour cream, milk, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce for a savory hint, vinegar to add some tang, salt, pepper, and of course, blue cheese! These wings are the victory dance to your football party.

Everyone loves a great wing, and with the crispy skin, spicy sauce, and blue cheese dressing, you're sure to satisfy everyone with this messy but delicious item. For those of your friends who are not as much into spicy food, you can mix this recipe up by simply tossing that wings in a different sauce. Try lemon garlic pepper, sticky honey mustard, Asian teriyaki, or barbecue. Wing Sauce Recipe

To round out the menu, nothing will satisfy a group of football watchers more than a heaping batch of nachos. These are very customizable so you can really add anything that you want. I suggest starting off by cooking your taco meat in a skillet on the stove. Start out with ground beef, break it into small pieces, and add some taco seasoning. For an option other than meat, you can use chopped up chicken with the same seasoning mixture. Once your meat if fully cooked, layer it onto

your tortilla chips. These can be of any variety: blue corn, white, yellow, or even lime flavored chips! A helpful hint for the assembly of your loaded nachos is to assemble them close to the time of your party so that way the chips don't get soggy sitting out. On top of your nachos, sprinkle on shredded cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, Colby jack, or a combination of the three. Stick the whole platter in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Now, the fun part, the toppings! You can add anything from tomatoes to lettuce to sour cream to olives to hot sauce to nacho cheese. But here, I have two classic nacho toppers: pico de gallo and guacamole.

Pico de gallo is a chopped up, fresh salsa that is a staple at all Mexican restaurants. To make this topping, dice tomatoes, red onion (add however much you want, depending on how strong you want the onion flavor to be), jalapeño (take the seeds out if you want it to not be as spicy), and cilantro which adds a kick of freshness. Stir this all together with the juice of one lime and salt to taste. Pico de gallo instantly adds a burst of brightness to the nachos.

The second topping for the nachos is everyone's favorite guacamole. Simply mash together ripened avocados and diced tomato. Add like juice and salt. Just like that, you have a decadent and oh-so-easy topping. If you plan on refrigerating the guacamole, add a little more line juice than you normally would because the acid helps prevent the guacamole from turning brown. Also, press the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole rather than straight across the top of the bowl; this will eliminate air that can turn it brown.

To end the meal, I like to make a fun drink that everyone can enjoy. In a big pitcher, stir an entire bottle of lemon lime soda (Sprite), a jar of maraschino cherries including he juice, and circular slices of lime. And that's it! An easy drink that both kids and adults will love.

So look at that. You're able to make pizza dip, wings with homemade blue cheese dressing, nachos, pico de gallo, and guacamole, and a fun drink all whole enjoying the football game. It's always easy to win when you're Cooking with Carly!

Fall Favorites

At this time of year, we are surrounded by Fall: the sight of amber colored leaves, the chill that makes you put on a sweater, the fireplaces lit for warmth, and most importantly, the tastes of comfort. Fall is a time of hot, hearty dishes that will fill you up and leave you satisfied as you enjoy all that the season has to offer. On the menu are seasonal favorites including cranberry appetizers, sweet potato fries with a spicy dipping sauce, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing, and an apple cider spritzer. Fall is the perfect time to cook and bake with produce straight from the harvest that will only be here for a short amount of time, so let’s beat the Falling leaves and get cooking!

First up are two appetizers that utilize cranberries, an ingredient commonly used this time of the year. First up is a cream cheese cranberry dip perfect served alongside crackers, chips, or pretzels at your next gathering. To make the dip, add softened cream cheese, orange juice and orange zest to add a zip of freshness, and a dash of cinnamon to a food processor. Once this is combined, you want to mix in some dried cranberries so that they don’t break apart while you mixed the other ingredients. Store this dip in the refrigerator, and eat whenever you want (it’s perfect for a snack, lunch, or even breakfast)! The next cranberry appetizer that I cannot get enough of are cranberry brie bites. These are legitimately so addictive, so take caution! Not only are these delicious, but they are super simple and can be made in a flash. There are only three ingredients (yes, you read that right!). You want to start out with the phyllo dough shells which can be found in the freezer section of your supermarket. Then, you want to spoon about half a teaspoon of cranberry sauce into the middle of each cup or enough to fill the cup about half way. On top of the cranberry sauce, add some cubes of sliced brie, my all-time favorite cheese. Pop in the oven for five minutes on 350 degrees, and you will have the perfect appetizer that can just be popped in your mouth and enjoyed. Seriously though, be careful!!!

The next Fall favorite that we will be cooking up are sweet potato fries. Recently, these have become a lot more popular because they are a healthier option compared to regular fries. Sweet potatoes are also an item specifically harvested in Fall, so you want to take advantage of these now. To make the fries, you want to start out by slicing your sweet potato into thin strips and arranging them onto a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle a bit of salt on top, and bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 450 degrees. Let cool, and get started on the dipping sauce, because we all know that every good fry must have something to be dipped in. Start out with a little bit of mayonnaise, then add a sprinkle (or depending on how spicy you want it) of cayenne pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and finish with a dash of salt. These are perfect served alongside a meal or just by themselves as a snack.

Now a Fall food blog would be nothing without something pumpkin, so the next treat that we will be making are mix and match pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing. I say mix and match because I take two recipes, one for the cake part and one for the icing and put them together to make a truly decadent Fall delight. Once you spread the icing onto the cupcakes, you can top them with chocolate chips, colored sprinkles, candy corn, or any other Halloween candy. You can also make these really festive by using specialty Halloween wrappers with decorations to make these fun to look at and even more fun to eat. Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

The last seasonal Fall favorite for this blog is a chilled apple cider spritzer. Apples are a great Fall harvest food because they are super versatile and can be used in basically everything from apple pie to applesauce to apple fritters to apple cake to apple doughnuts…I think you get the point! You can even go to a farm and pick apples yourself. This season, I went with my family, and we ended up picking more than 21 pounds of apples. To make this drink, you want to start with some of your favorite chilled apple cider. To that, you’re going to add some cranberry juice, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and some seltzer to add some bubble and fizz to the drink. After you stir the drink together, remove the cinnamon sticks. Serve in a big pitcher with ice and some orange peels for presentation.

The harvest has brought us some treats that fall straight from the farm to table within seconds. We’ve got cranberry orange dip, cranberry cups, sweet potato fries, pumpkin cupcakes with icing, and an apple cider spritzer sure to please. With the leaves on the ground and Fall spirit in the air, you can whip up all of these delicious seasonal favorites, all when you’re Cooking with Carly!

 

 

The Morning Madness

Your alarm didn't go off, it's only Tuesday, and the bus comes in 20 minutes. Well, for most families this seems like a grab a bag of cereal or granola bar type of morning. But with a little preparation and some speedy assembly skills, you can feed your family a quality breakfast even when everyone’s rushing to get out of the house on time. On the menu is stuffed French toast, mini egg frittatas, and baked hash brown potatoes. There’s nothing better than starting your day with a warm, home-cooked breakfast. I would suggest making big batches of each item either on the weekend or on a night when you have time to spare and storing them in the fridge. This ensures that in the morning all that you have to do is simply heat everything up. Now, let’s get cooking!

One of my favorite breakfasts is a stuffed French toast that my mom has been making for my family since we were little. It’s two pieces of buttery, griddled bread sandwiched between a layer of fresh fruit and cream. Decadence at its finest! To start out, you want to make the actual bread component of this stuffed French toast. To start out, to want to choose a type of bread such as white, wheat, brioche, or challah. This recipe is surprisingly very good when you have stale bread because it will soak up the egg mixture better than pliable fresh bread. Once you’ve chosen your bread, you can start on the egg mixture to soak the bread in and make it soft and pillowy. To make the egg mixture, simply beat as many eggs as you want, add a splash of milk, some melted butter, a little bit of sugar, and a tiny drop of vanilla extract. Once this mixture has been whisked and is fully combined, add the bread into the bowl, and let it soak, constantly checking to make sure that the bread doesn’t get too soggy. After your bread has soaked, you want to cook your bread in a frying pan or on a grill pan. Once your toast is done cooking, wrap it in foil and store it in the refrigerator for breakfasts in the morning. To reheat it the next day, you will want to microwave it in 10 second increments until it is warm, or if you have time, you can surely griddle it again for about a minute. For the filling to the stuffed French toast, combine softened cream cheese, a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar, and a fruit of your choice. I particularly like to mix in strawberries or raspberries. This cream is perfect to just keep in a bowl in the fridge to use whenever you want to enjoy this delicious sandwich.

The next item that can be made ahead of time for breakfast are mini frittatas. A frittata is typically an Italian egg dish resembling a large egg omelet with cheese and mixed veggies. I like to make mini frittatas in cupcake pans because they are individual portions that can just be popped in the microwave whenever you want to eat them. For the egg mixture, combine eggs (as many as you want to make), milk, salt, pepper, your choice of sautéed vegetables, and a cheese that easily melts. I like to combine asparagus, tomatoes, fried onions, and fontina cheese. Stir all of these ingredients together and ladle into your greased cupcake tin. The end result is a golden mini egg frittata perfect for a quick meal and served either plain or dipped in ketchup. Reheating the egg frittatas is just as easy as making them; pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and enjoy!

The last element to this make-ahead breakfast is hash brown potatoes. Similar to everything else, these can be made in a big batch and reheated whenever you want. To start, choose which type of potatoes you would like to use. I like to combine Yukon gold and russet potatoes because of their contrasting flavors, colors, and textures. Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and place them into a bowl. Then you want to take some vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, or rosemary, and toss the potatoes in these seasonings. Then spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet and cook until tender and golden brown. Store the potatoes in a plastic bowl in the fridge, and microwave for 20 seconds for a satisfying side to a breakfast that can be made in a flash.

Between a stuffed French toast loaded with cream and fresh fruit, mini veggie and cheese frittatas, and homemade hash browns, you can still feed your family a quality breakfast on those mornings when nothing seems to be going right, all possible when you're Cooking with Carly!

An Italian Feast

For parents who are the cleaning service, the chauffer, the Laundromat, the money maker, the tutor, the secretary, and the personal assistant, dealing with picky kids who don’t want to eat anything other than  chicken fingers and French fries can be a struggle even bigger than helping them with their homework. Well, this is where I come into play. Each week, I am going to provide some helpful hints and ideas for making both yours and your children’s eating experience simple, quick, and of course, delicious!

This week, I will be focusing on a fast dinner sure to satisfy your fussy eaters. With September here and hectic schedules filling up your calendar, it’s important to make sure that your plans for dinner are easy to achieve and easy to gobble up! So on the menu this week is an oven-baked pizza, a tossed Caesar salad, and the easiest trifle dessert. Parts of this meal can even be taken for lunch the next day, and throughout, I will provide some tips on making sure that your leftovers (if there are any!) stay fresh and just as delicious as they were on the day that you first made them.

As soon as you get home from work or from a busy day running errands, the first thing that you want to get started on doing is making your pizza dough. If you don’t have the time to make dough from scratch, you can go ahead and buy premade pizza dough from either your local pizza place or from the supermarket (Pillsbury’s pizza dough tastes just as good and provides a very quick and cheap shortcut). However, nothing can replace the taste of freshly kneaded dough. Following the recipe attached, make sure that you have enough time in your schedule to allow the dough to fully rise so that you get the fluffiest, airiest pizza dough possible. Once your dough has risen, I follow a trick that my mom always did when I was younger. Divide your dough in half to take a recipe that would originally account for one batch and make it into a recipe that yields two separate pizzas. This also makes your pizza crust thinner and crispier, but if you prefer a thicker crust, just go ahead and keep the batch of dough as it is. You can also put a spin on this and make it healthier by using whole wheat dough instead of regular white flour dough. So now you are ready to spread your dough out to bake. I suggest using a sheet pan similar to the one that you would use to bake cookies. Put some olive oil on the bottom of the pan so that your pizza dough doesn’t stick because it would just be awful to sit down to dinner and see that every single slice of pizza is stuck to the pan. Pizza Dough Recipe

After your dough is rolled out, it’s time for the sauce. If you are crunched for time, you can use a store bought sauce right out of the jar. Even if you don’t have a lot of time, making homemade sauce is something that takes little effort and turns out great. Simply pour a can of crushed tomatoes into a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil and either fresh or dried Italian herbs such as parsley, basil, or oregano. Add a little salt and pepper and simmer on the stove. Presto! You now have a fast, easy shortcut for an authentic tomato sauce.

Once your sauce is ready, you can now start assembling the pizzas. This is a great activity for the kids as well because they can customize the toppings and arrangement of their pizzas. To make sure that this doesn’t turn into a giant mess all over the kitchen, I would set up an assembly line with the pizza crusts at one end, then the sauce, and then all of the toppings. I’ve found that kids like the basic toppings: pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, olives, and of course lots of cheese. To make an adult version of this pizza, one of my favorites is a margarita pizza with tomato sauce, freshly sliced mozzarella cheese, and torn up pieces of basil with a little bit of olive oil sprinkled on at the end. Once they are all assembled, you can place the pizzas into the oven and move on the next component of the dinner.

To make a simple and quick side to the pizza, I suggest making a Caesar salad; it’s something that both kids and adults love to eat. There are some great bottled dressings that are already ready at the supermarket, but these can be very fattening and defeat the purpose of actually eating a salad. So for a homemade dressing that is packed with a punch, you simply need vegetable oil, a 2-minute cooked egg, anchovy (you won’t even taste it, I promise!), parmesan cheese, a squirt of lemon juice for freshness, Worcestershire, and small amounts of garlic and vinegar. Place all of the ingredients into a blender, and with the push of a button, you have your own homemade Caesar salad dressing. To assemble the salad, start with some torn romaine lettuce leaves, parmesan cheese, and some croutons. If there are any other vegetables that you want such as tomatoes, carrots, celery, or cucumbers, feel free to add them to the mix. I like to serve the salad dressing in a small bowl alongside the actual greens because different people like different amounts of dressing, and you don’t want your salad to get soggy.

So, your pizza is out of the oven, your salad is ready to serve, and you’re feeling a sweet tooth coming. For the perfect no-bake dessert that can be easily made on a school night, always turn to the trifle. A trifle is traditionally a layered dessert of sponge cake and fruit covered with layers of cream or pudding. You can really put any spin on this that you want because the combinations are endless. Chocolate banana, peanut butter, strawberries and cream, fresh mixed fruit, or chocolate pretzel are all combinations that I love. My favorite, however, is a strawberry brownie trifle with layers of fudgy chocolate brownie, juicy strawberries, and layers of whipped cream. It’s the best!

So look at that, making fresh oven-baked pizza with homemade dough and sauce, a Caesar salad with your own dressing, and a truly decadent trifle can be simple when you plan in advance to ensure a delicious meal made in a flash! It's all possible when you're Cooking with Carly!