Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Have a fabulous day! 

Merry Christmas!

A Merry Christmas to you! I hope that your day is filled with the love of family and friends!

A Christmas Wish For You

A Christmas Wish for You

Author Unknown

I wish you the joy of Christmas,

The spirit's sweet repose.

I wish you the peace of Christmas

To mark the year's close.

I wish you the hope of Christmas

To cheer you on your way,

And a heart of faith and gladness

To greet each coming day!

Come over today to The Enchanted Home where I am guest hosting. Tina's blog is beautiful and chronicles the building of her "English Country" dream home! It is spectacular. I am giving some easy tips about holiday entertaining. 

Happy Sunday!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

This post contains affiliate links.

Are you looking for an old fashioned chocolate cake recipe that is delicious, chocolaty and easy? Then look no further than the back of your HERSHEY'S Cocoa can. My family has been making this recipe since I was a little girl and we love it, paired with the frosting also listed on the can it is a perfect combination.

  

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, HERSHEY'S Cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

This cake is frosted with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING" which I posted here, it is my go to frosting and the most requested frosting that I make.

As I mentioned yesterday, this recipe along with several others posted this week were used at a "Chocolate Bar" that I had at party we hosted for the holidays. There are many easy ideas that you can uses for your own holidays entertaining.

What are you baking for the holidays? I would love to know if you are making some delicious chocolate recipes, I love trying new things! Leave me a link in the comments section.

I am guest posting tomorrow at The Enchanted Home for Tina. Come over and see Tina's beautiful dream home!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treats

Everyone has heard of Rice Krispie treats and of course Scotcheroos but these treats are new to me, they are a combination of the both. The best (term used loosely) ingredients from both recipes and combine into one chocolate cereal square of goodness.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of light corn syrup

1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

21/2 cups of Rice Krispie cereal

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

In a sauce pan stir corn syrup, and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted, add vanilla. Fold in chips, marshmallows and then add the cereal. Stir until blended. Pour into an 8 in greased pan. Cool and then cut into squares. Then ENJOY!

All of the chocolate treats this week were used together to make a great Chocolate Bar for a holiday party that we had. I think you might find a few recipes here to use for your own holiday party.

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to go over to HERE to track SANTA'S journey on Christmas Eve. I think your grandchildren and even your own kids would enjoy it. My nieces and nephews are counting the days!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries

Are you looking for a beautiful, delicious dessert to serve for Christmas or a holiday gathering? This cheesecake is delicious! It was my first time using this recipe which I adapted from an ad for Philadelphia Cream Cheese which I continually see in the magazines around the holidays, and it could not be easier or more scrumptious.

Philly Double Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

18 Oreos large, 3/4 of a bag of the small ones or 11/2 cups of crumbs

2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

4 packages(8oz) cream cheese softened

1 cup of sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1tsp vanilla

8 oz melted chocolate chips, cooled slightly

4 eggs

1 package of berries of your choice

Directions:

Heat oven to 325. Mix cookie crumbs and butter and press into bottom of spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes and cool. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla until well blended. Add Chocolate and mix well. Then add eggs one at a time, on low speed and until just blended. Bake for 55 minutes until center is almost set. Remove from oven, run knife around edges and cool. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Top with berries of your choice and serve.

Come over to Pine Cones and Acorns for yummy Christmas Cookie recipes all week. Enjoy the holidays! Enjoy your family and friends!

Joining these parties:
The Charm of the Home
Linking to:
Jennifer Rizzo
A Stroll Thru Life
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Savy Southern Style
DIY by Design
The Christmas Spirit Alive 365
French Cupboard , The Shabby Creek Cottage 
 No Minimalist Here
Elna-Sudden
The Shabby Creek Cottage
The Charm of the Home

Linking to these great blogs:

2805

Common Ground

French Country Living

Stuff and Nonsense

Laurie Annas

My Romantic Home

Jennifer Rizzo

A Stroll Thru Life

House in Roses

Between Naps on the Porch

My uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Unskinny Boppy

 French Cupboard , The Shabby Creek Cottage 

 No Minimalist Here

Thrifty Chick Decor

The Charm of Home

Inspiration Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

 Feathered Nest

FridayFridays Unfolded 

Potpourri Friday
Farmhouse Friday

 Show and Tell Friday

 Open House Party
Designs by Gollum

Braquier Chocolate Bomb...Unique Christmas Gift or Party Favor

Apparently this is the latest Christmas dinner "must have" a chocolate bomb by Braquier the chocolate company. The bomb is filled with candy, sugared almonds and all sorts of other goodies. The outer shell is made from 70% dark chocolate.

You place the Braquier bomb in the middle of a table, light the wick (you have 30 seconds) and let the fun begin. The bomb explodes and chocolate and candy go flying.

Personally I prefer a more sedate Christmas dinner party, but I am sure that there are many who would enjoy this. If you are interested you can purchase it here. It is made in France and as far as I can see it is only available for shipping in Europe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

This post contains affiliate links. 

Chocolate and peanut butter are a delicious combination for cookies, throw in a little oatmeal and I think you have an easy satisfying treat ( isn't oatmeal a health food). These cookies are a family favorite because they are easy and use things you probably already have in the pantry. I think they are a great addition to your Christmas cookie plate.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup Skippy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

Waxed paper or Silpat Baking Mat

Directions

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper or
Silpat Baking Mat drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, let cool and enjoy. 

Ganache 101, Lessons from Martha Stewart

The holidays are a crazy time for everyone, trying to get the presents, wrap, cook, clean, bake, decorate and a myriad of other things. I myself am always looking for shortcuts or simple ideas to save time. In the December issue of Martha Stewart she has a fabulous article title Ganache 101.

Martha explains that with a little chocolate and some heavy whipping cream you have the makings for some delicious and easy but fancy desserts. From these two simple ingredients you can make a frosting, a filling, a glaze, and a truffle.

The Basic Recipe:

Take 8 ounces of quality chocolate and chop into uniform pieces with a serrated knife, place into a bowl. Then take one cup of heavy cream and heat to just a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate pieces. Let stand for 10 minutes. DO NOT STIR!!!!

Whisk the mixture until smooth and shiny to break any lumps and to emulsify the chocolate and the cream.

Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to be sure to get all of the mixture incorporated.

To use the ganache:

While its warm you can pour it over a cake as a glaze, you can fill tart shells and make a filling.

At room temperature you can beat the ganache until fluffy and use as a whipped filling or frosting.

And finally once chilled you can use it to make truffles!

All of these are easy and tasty additions to your holiday baking. Do you have any ideas for using ganache? Do you make your own truffles? I would love to hear some of your ideas, please if you would like to share leave your ideas in the comment section.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your family and friends during this special time of the year. Happy Holidays!