Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 69
December 9, 2012
Hot Chocolate Balls
This is a Pinterest recipe that I couldn't pass up. The original recipe is called Hot Chocolate on a Stick. Mine didn't quite come out that way.
2 lbs. melted chocolate (real chocolate with high content of cocoa butter)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
I melted my chocolate in the microwave. The recipe directions melt it over a double boiler. (Might be one of my mistakes.) Mix cocoa powder and powdered sugar into melted chocolate. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder. (Might have been another mistake.) The original recipe had you pour the mixture into a zip lock bag with a small hole cut in the corner so you could squirt it into a mold or mini muffin tins. Mine wasn't squirtable but thick. This is what I ended up doing. Using my hands I shaped 1" balls and rolled some of them in cinnamon sugar and some in peppermint sugar. Some I left plain. For appearance as well as use, I put each ball on a plastic form, wrapped it with plastic wrap and tied it with a pretty ribbon. I think they turned out quite pretty. To use you simply heat an 8 oz. cup of milk, crumble your Hot Chocolate Ball into your milk, stir and enjoy. It really is quite good!
These are good to add to gift baskets with a simple little card telling the user how to turn their Hot Chocolate Ball into the real thing.
December 5, 2012
December 2, 2012
December 1, 2012
Cheese Cookies and Sausage Balls
This recipe will make both Cheese Cookies and Sausage Balls simply by adding one additional ingredient saving you time and clean-up.
Cheese Cookies
2 cups flour
3 cups shredded cheese
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
4 cups Rice Krispies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix flour and cheese. Using your hands add butter and then rice krispies. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape 1/2 of the mixture into walnut size balls. Press flat. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen
Sausage Balls
1 lb. lean sausage
1 cup flour
To the remaining mixture, using your hands, mix in sausage and flour. Roll into walnut size balls. Bake 12-15 minutes. makes about 2 dozen
Comments: The cheese cookies will have a crispy crunch from the rice krispies. The sausage balls will have a slight crunch but not quite as much as the cookies. I use a Mexican cheese blend which also adds a unique flavor to the cookies. You can use any cheese or cheese blend that you might like. These are perfect for the holidays and entertaining or just plain old eating. These are delicious!
November 25, 2012
November 19, 2012
November 18, 2012
November 15, 2012
November 14, 2012
Readers in the Kitchen
Readers in the Kitchen isn't quite a vintage cookbook, yet. It was copyright 2001 by the Friends of the Union County Public Library in Monroe, NC. The recipes are great and easy. Some are old with their history included. And it's priced right at $1.50 in it's like new condition. Find this book and many others at my Adopt a Cookbook site The Cook's Best Friend.
