Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Shortening
• 3/4 cup Brown sugar; packed
• 1/2 cup White sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1-1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 6 ounces White chocolate chips
• 7 ounces Macadamia nuts

Method:

Beat butter, shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla well. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Stir in white chocolate and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. long pretzel rods
• 1 pkg. almond bark, or vanilla candy coating
• Decorations, such as red and green sprinkles, holiday M&Ms or crushed up candy canes

Method:

Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl. Make sure you don’t get any water in the bowl. Any water at all will cause the candy coating not to melt properly and separate.

Microwave the candy coating for 1 min., then stir and microwave an additional min., until it is completely melted and smooth.

Stick a pretzel rod into the chocolate, and with a spoon, cover about 3/4 of the pretzel with chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. Sprinkle the chocolate with either red and green colored sprinkles, crushed up peppermints, or stick red and green M&Ms to the chocolate.

Place the decorated pretzel on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil, and let it dry completely, about 1 hr. Gently pull the pretzels off the paper.

Fun Ideas:

Pretzel Bouquets:

Lay about 10 White Chocolate Pretzels on a sheet of red or green tissue paper. Wrap the pretzels up like a bouquet of roses would be wrapped, and tie red, green and white curling ribbon around the middle to secure. Curl the ribbon, then tie on a small gift card.

Pretzels In A Glass:

Find a tall glass, such as a parfait glass, or one of those neat glasses mixed drinks are served in. Pour some holiday candies, such as M&Ms or hard mints, in the bottom of the glass. Put as many pretzels as you can in the glass sitting on the candies, but leave a little room for them to move around, so they don’t break when they are pulled out.

Cover the top of the glass with a piece of colored plastic wrap, or you can cut a piece of holiday fabric, and double the width of the top with pinking shears to cover.

Tie a pretty ribbon around the glass to secure, and you have a neat gift for someone special!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup hazelnuts (aka filberts)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
• 24 ounces white chocolate
• 6 tbsp heavy cream

Method:

On a baking sheet, spread out 1 1/4 C hazelnuts. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until nuts are light brown and the dark skins are cracked. Remove as much of the skins as possible by rubbing nuts in a terry-cloth towel. Finely chop nuts in a food processor.

In a 1-quart glass container, combine 12 ounces imported white chocolate, cut up and 6 tbsp heavy cream. [Note:  I used the Nestle white chocolate chips that are available in my local supermarket.  It worked well, but I am sure it would be better if you use a good import instead.]

Microwave mixture on MEDIUM (70% power), 3 to 4 minutes, stirring twice, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  [You can do this step in a double-boiler if you don't have a microwave.]

Stir into melted chocolate 3/4 C of the chopped nuts and 1/4 C finely chopped dried apricots. Cover the mixture and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or until mixture is firm enough to hold its shape.  (If mixture gets too hard, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, until firm but soft enough to shape.)

Form 28 smooth 1 1/4-inch diameter balls, either by using a 1 1/4-inch automatic-release ice cream scoop, or by rolling 1 tbsp of the mixture between your (clean!) hands.

Place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour or longer.

(makes 28 truffles)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 oz. white chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped blanched almonds, lightly toasted

Method:

Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add sugar, egg yolk and almond extract; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a shallow glass casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll in almonds. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Place in miniature foil cups at room temperature to serve. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Makes about 2 dozen truffles

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1 package microwave popcorn; popped
• 8 ounces vanilla flavor candy coating
• 1/2 cup pecan halves

Method:

Place popped popcorn in large bowl. Put candy coating in 1 quart glass measure; microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until shiny; stir to melt completely. Stir in pecans. Add to popcorn; stir well to coat. Spread on cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.

Popularity: 1% [?]

This is the third in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

Although all three of the white chocolate mousse tartlets in this series have the same simple base, the toppings (or additions, if you would like to mix them in with the mousse) make all the difference.  They elevate what is in its own right something magnificent.  This is my personal favorite among the three.

The cranberry compote contrasts wonderfully against the sweet silkiness of the white chocolate mousse in a way it never could against a milk or dark chocolate.  The flavors start out in-your-face, but then blend into something I can only describe as a symphony of flavors and textures unlike any I’ve had before, but I’ll be looking for it in other foods.

If I had to give a description of the way this tartlet tastes, I think I’d compare it to cranberry juice and vanilla bean ice cream, but that really does it no justice. It’s just so much more than that.  You really just have to make this for yourself and see what the end result is.  Trust me, you’ll love it.  I did, and i usually can’t stand white chocolate.

Read more…

Popularity: 3% [?]

This is the second in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

This version of white chocolate mousse tartlet bears the same humble base of white chocolate mousse and mini fillo pastry shell as the others in this series, but the flavor combinations are most decidedly more refined.  Topped with toasted macadamias, macerated golden raisins and white chocolate chips, this tartlet is awash with subtle yet intensely different flavors and textures that will tantilize even the most fearsome food snob in your group of friends.

The silky mousse is contrasted wonderfully by the crunch of the white chocolate chip, fillo dough and macadamias, while the raisin packs a small but very potent burst of flavor that is beyond heavenly.

Note: this is an adult treat.  There’s too much alcohol in this particular version for the kiddies!

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Popularity: 2% [?]

If you’re looking for a bit of “wow” factor at your next dinner or dessert party, give these little guys a go.  They’re number one in a series of three white chocolate tartlets that will have anyone you serve them to thinking you are a pastry chef extraordinaire, even though they are quite simple to make.

Not only are these little tartlets simple, elegant and, of course extremely tasty, they’re the perfect dessert for a larger gathering, since prep can be done on sheet pans or directly on serving platters.  Just lay them out and let your guests, friends or family dive in.  The taste is something like vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel, but a bit subtler, so these should appeal to just about anyone!

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Popularity: 3% [?]

This mousse was originally made to be a part of a different article, nothing more than a part of a larger recipe, but once it was made I had to put the mousse itself in the place it deserves to be.  Firmly in the spotlight.

Let me start by saying this:  I am not a huge white chocolate fan.  Generally speaking I’d rather be going for dark chocolate, or better, chocolate toffee. This recipe may have changed my mind.

This mousse is light, delicate, fluffy, airy, silky, velvety and other adjectives I just can’t come up with at the moment.  Basically it’s like eating a slightly whipped-cream flavored cloud, but with the flavor intensified by a factor of 100.  I could sit and just spoon down a cup of this mousse without ever trying hard, though a full cup might be a little much for anyone.

The mousse is simplicity in itself to make and could be used for any number of absolutely decadent desserts.  Drop a dollop on a pie the next time you were craving whipped cream, use it as a substitute for butter cream in a cake recipe, the filling for a pie or tart, or as a classic mousse.  My personal favorite way to eat it is drizzled with a bit of fruit compote and a spoon ;-)

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Popularity: 4% [?]