Like every holiday throughout the year my family usually creates a meal large enough to last everyone a week. Thanksgiving was a little exhausting, so we opted to only cook ONE day for Christmas (instead of the usual Christmas Eve & Day). We decided to go out to eat CE and cook a smaller portion of food CD. Then my Aunt Teresa had a brilliant idea, to also go to a movie! I felt great! No coordinating recipe after recipe, making sure it was transported correctly, cooked on time to stay warm... All the things that come with cooking for a large group. But new challenges arose, like coordinating all these people and decided on a movie we would all enjoy. Did you know that almost the whole city closes for Christmas Eve? Well, I didn't. In fact, there were only 3 restaurants around the movie theater that were open. Just in case anyone decides to eat out on a holiday.
The weekend before I had this crazy urge to cook stuff. So instead of making dinner on Sunday I made candies until I wore myself out. Spiced pecans, chocolate covered pretzels, and peppermint bark! They would make cute gifts to give family members to sneak into the movie theater instead of buying their expensive treats. The recipes are included, but this post is more about making gift candies. Check out the step by step picture instructions below:
Swirled peppermint Bark
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
1 bag of white chocolate chips
25 small peppermint candy canes
Using a cookie sheet as a base, cover it with parchment paper. Uncover all the candy canes and crush them in a ziplock baggie. You should have some chunks 1/2 inch, and tons of crushed candy at the bottom. Using a colander separate the large chunks from the crushed candy. Melt the both chocolates in the microwave, in two separate microwave safe containers. Stir every 15-30 seconds to get rid of the big clumps until the chocolate becomes smooth enough to work with. Stir the crushed candies into the white chocolate. Plop on the chocolate using a spoon in random areas on the parchment paper alternating between chocolates. Take a clean, pointed object like a butter knife and swirl the two chocolates together. Sprinkle on the larger chunks of candies. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Ready for cracking!
White and Dark chocolate covered pretzels
1 bag of white chocolate chips
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag of mini-pretzels
Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, checking every 15-30 seconds until smooth. Spread out a piece of parchment paper. Using chopsticks dip a pretzel in the chocolate until it's completely covered. Lay it on the parchment paper. Repeat this step for every pretzel until you run out of chocolate with a little space in between each one so they don't stick together. Let cool until they harden, about 20 minutes. Repeat these same steps for the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Once all the pretzels are cool mix them together for alternating flavors!
Spiced pecans
1 egg white
1 lb. or 4 cups of pecan halves
1/2 sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Turn the oven on to 350. Add a piece of parchment paper to a cookie sheet. Whisk the egg in a large mixer until foamy. Add the pecans. In a separate bowl mix all the other ingredients. Sprinkle the spicy/sugar mixture over the pecans and mix until they are well coated. Spread the pecans out in a single layer on the sheet and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are toasty and dry. Remove them from the pan and let cool for 30 minutes.
Bags for the candies
I bought 3 different color cellophane rolls. They were 50% off, and I couldn't find candy bags anywhere nearby. So use what you're given, right? I played around with them for a little while and this is what I came up with for bags:
Cut a large square out of the wrapping paper. This was half of the roll's size length-wise, so I squared that.
Fold in half, corner to corner.
The paper doesn't stay folded easily, so try to work fast. Start to roll up one edge, just a few inches.
Then roll it to the middle.
Start to roll the opposite side up just like the other side. A few inches.
Until you have a cone!
Tape the edge down. I used packing tape since it's big and really sticky.
See? Pull all the layers to the back and you have a triangle bag!
Now you're ready to stuff candy in. I started with the peppermint bark using a piece that was pointy on one edge.
When it's almost full (don't short-change your friends!) pinch the edge together.
Tie the top with a ribbon and make a fancy bow.
Okay, my bows aren't that fancy but they get the job done.
Since my day job has taught me how to make beautiful prints, I made some tags for them so everyone knew what was in each candy. Just in case a little cayenne pepper is too much for someone...
Homemade Christmas Eve movie snacks!
One more thing... We cooked for Christmas, and my job was something chocolaty. Of course!!! I almost wish I hadn't made a million pounds of chocolate candies the week before. But too much chocolate is a good problem. So I decided to make something that wouldn't take too much effort, yet was still homemade. Chocolate trifle!
Heath Bar chocolate trifle
Whip cream
(2 cups heavy whipping cream,
2-4 tbsp of powdered sugar,
2 tsp of vanilla)
Instant chocolate pudding, large box
(one box Jello Instant Pudding,
3 cups milk)
Box of fudge cake, baked and cooled, maybe a day or two before assembly
1 bag of crushed Heath Bars
Chocolate syrup (Hershey's is always good)
Ready the trifle dish. Mine was a medium-sized dish. Beat the ingredient for the whip cream together until creamy. Chop the cake up into 1-2 inch pieces. I only used 3/4 of the cake, but you can always stuff the whole thing in. Prepare the instant pudding. Once all parts are ready, assemble. Start with the cake pieces at the bottom. Layer with half the pudding (I mixed a little whop cream with this layer so it was a light brown). Sprinkle 1/3 of the crushed candies. Drizzle a good amount of chocolate syrup on. Then top with whip cream. Repeat these steps one more time. Then sprinkle the rest of the candies on top. Then let this rest in the refrigerator over night, or for 24 hours. It's best when the flavors can sit for a while together.
*I would like to add that this is a very versatile recipe. Cake, pudding, and whip topping is really all you need. Anything else from there is just an added bonus! I also considered adding chocolate shavings, chocolate ganauche, crushed Oreos, Andes mints, Butterfingers, chocolate chip cookies, brownies... I could go on forever.
WOW!!!!! I can't believe Christmas is already over. Better start planning for next year!
