Brian told me that he has become a favorite when packages arrive, so I knew I wanted to make enough for him to share. There are 11 guys in his platoon, so I whipped up 12 stockings. They were really quick and simple, since odds are they won't make it back home after this deployment. As much as I wanted to stuff the stockings myself, due to the logistics of shipping Brian had to be in charge of assemble.
I wanted to make a few different snacks to fill the stockings, and had picked up a bunch of whole nuts on sale at Kroger. My first attempt at candied nuts was not really a stunning success, but they still taste good and I guess that's what really matters.
Real Simple Candied Nuts
2 cups unsalted mixed raw nuts (such as almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Once the baking sheet is cool, line with parchment.
In a large skillet, combine the sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir as it will crystallize the caramel), until the liquid is amber colored, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the nuts, then spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, separating the nuts as much as possible. Let cool. Break up any large clusters before serving. The nuts can be prepared and stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
I had a tough time getting the sugar to caramelize (maybe because I tried to triple the recipe and make three batches all at once?) so I just stirred the melted sugar over the nuts and said done! I'll try it again with a recipe from Alana and see if I have more success.
Peppermint Bark is a very simple but really beautiful holiday snack. I made some two years ago and people went crazy over it!
Peppermint Bark
12 Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bars
2 bags white chocolate chips
2 dozen candy canes
Using a food processor, chop the candy canes up until they are broken into small pieces but not powdered.
Unwrap the Hershey's bars and line them up side by side on parchment paper. Melt the white chocolate (either in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently). Let the white chocolate cool slightly, then spread quickly across the Hershey bars, spreading evenly. Quickly sprinkle the chopped candy canes over the white chocolate, pressing gently with the back of a spatula to stick them into the chocolate. Let cool completely then wrap or seal in baggies.
Kimberly's mom turned me on to chocolate dipped Oreos. When you use semi-sweet chocolate (instead of milk chocolate) it makes a snack that is nearly irresistible. Really. I couldn't resist eating the ones that didn't dip just right. There isn't really a recipe, just melt chocolate and dip the cookies! YUM!
Since the chocolate peanut better fudge was such a hit, I made another batch of fudge as well. However, this time I made chocolate Oreo fudge! Instead of splitting the marshmallow mixture between chocolate and peanut butter chips, I just used two cups of chocolate chips and stirred in some chopped Oreo cookies before pouring the fudge into the pan. After the fudge cooled, the cookies got a little soft and almost had a brownie consistency. Truly decadent!
1 comment:
Skye, you are obsessed. But you know that.
Post a Comment