This Thanksgiving Frank and I traveled to my parents house to eat Thanksgiving dinner. We also spent the night so I could do some Black Friday shopping with my cousin and mother. We were fairly successful with our shopping even though I may or may not have caused a slight riot at one store. We were standing around wireless air printers that we weren't allowed to grab until 10:00. At 9:55 a gentleman reached his hand over my head and put his hand on the box in front of me. All I could think of was the box going into my face.
One man shouted that it was 9:55 and everyone tensed. A minute later a woman yelled that it was 9:56. Tired of waiting and afraid that I was going to be hit in the face I looked around, placed my hand on the printer I wanted, yanked the box, and yelled 10:00! As I ran with my printer the store erupted with other people grabbing for their printers as well. I'm happy to report I got the printer and escaped without inury.
When we got back home I was starving so I had a few of my desserts. As usual I was the one who made the desserts for Thanksgiving dinner. This year I made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting that were decorated like adorable turkeys. I also made simple but cute acorn cookies. For my reward party at school I made the students chocolate dipped fruit and nut cornucopias. Everything was fairly easy to make and tasted great too.
Turkey Cupcakes (decorating ideas from Betty Crocker's The Big Book of Cupcakes)
For the cupcakes:
1 ¼ c. flour
1 ¼ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 eggs
1 vanilla bean
½ c. butter (1 stick)
½ c. low fat milk
2 c. chocolate frosting
For the turkey decorations:
1 c. chocolate melts
1 c. white chocolate melts
12 Hershey kisses
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In
a large bowl beat the eggs. Add in the sugar and mix for 30 seconds.
Stir in the butter and mix well. Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean
into the bowl and add the Godiva white chocolate liqueur. Mix until
well combined.
4. On
low, mix half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, then add in
half the milk, then the rest of the flour, and then the rest of the
milk. Mix until just combined.
5. Pour
the batter into the prepared cupcake tin filling each cup 2/3 of the
way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a
toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting and set aside.
8. Place the chocolate melts in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until they are melted. Spoon into a zip top bag. Cut of the edge and pipe the chocolate onto waxed paper in a pattern that looks like turkey feathers. Repeat 11 times then allow to set for 10 minutes.
9. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until they are melted. Spoon
into a zip top bag. Cut of the edge and pipe the white chocolate on top of the chocolate feathers in the same pattern. Repeat 11 times
then allow to set for 10 minutes.
10. Pick up the chocolate feathers and stick the pointed end into the cupcake. Place a Hershey's kiss in front of the feather for the face and then put white chocolate eyes on the kisses if desired.
Acorn Cookies (adapted from Poppytalk)
24 Hershey's kisses
24 mini Nutter Butters
24 butterscotch or lemon chips
1/4 c. royal icing
1. Place a small amount of royal icing on one side of the Nutter Butter. Stick a Hershey's kiss to it and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Place a drop of royal icing on the top of the Nutter Butter and stick a butterscotch or lemon chip to it. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Fruit and Nut Cornucopias
12 sugar ice cream cones
1/2 c. white chocolate melts
2 c. dried fruits
1 c. mixed nuts
1. Place the white chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted.
2. Dip the open end of each cone into the chocolate and allow excess to drip off. Place on a piece of waxed paper to dry.
3. Mix the dried fruits and nuts in a bowl.
4. Spoon the fruit and nut mixture into the dried cones and serve as cornucopias.
This post linked to:
Tasty Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Tempt My Tummy, Totally Tasty Tuesday,
Last week I was chilled to the bone and craving a hot bowl of soup. I was leaving for a conference and didn't have time to make any so when the woman I was riding with suggested we stop at Panera for lunch I quickly agreed. One of the things I love best about Panera is their "you pick two" menu. I can choose two items between their soups, salads, and sandwiches. In the winter I always have a bowl of soup and this time was no different.
The broccoli soup is thick and creamy with chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, seasonings, and cheese. I always order the baguette with the soup and use it to dip into the soup. I was quickly warmed up and the soup was delicious as always. Karyn's chicken noodle soup had large chunks of chicken, fresh vegetables, and large egg noodles in it.
