Peppermint Kiss Sandwiches December 15, 2012

Every once in a while, Pinterest does inspire me, where I come up with an idea that I didn’t see on it.  Though I am sure this is out there.  The inspiration to these little treats was pin for rolo crackers.  My mom had purchased some Peppermint Hersey’s Kisses.  I thought, now why couldn’t I do the same with them?

These are easy to do, and I dipped them in chocolate at the end.  Now, outside of chocolate and peanut butter (nothing beats that), chocolate and peppermint is one of my favorite tastes.

Oh,the carnage to get to the tasty little kisses.

After this point, I had a little boy begging to help.  So, he got place the kisses on the crackers. I went back arranged the kisses in the middle of each cracker, so they wouldn’t melt off the cracker.

So Christmasy looking!

Next into to a 350° oven for 3 minutes.  Then top with a second cracker.  by this point I lost my helper, so I topped the crackers myself, of course, once I was done, I had a little boy asking for one. 🙂

Half done!

I melted dark chocolate chips in the microwave, my least favorite way to temper chocolate. Each cracker got dipped into it.  Yum!

Can’t you just taste it?

While my hubby likes the rolo crackers better, I liked these, maybe because I have been avoiding peppermint like a plague the past 3 years.  I am not worrying about how much I am eating this year as much.

Peppermint Crackers

Ritz or butter Crackers

Peppermint Kisses

Chocolate for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Arrange crackers on the pan and top with kisses.

Bake for 3 minutes

Top with second cracker

Cool before dipping in the chocolate.

Microwave (or use double boiler) chocolate check after 30 seconds and stir.  Microwave in 30 second intervals till the chocolate is melted.  Dip the cracker sandwiches in the chocolate and let set up.  Enjoy!

Fresh Fruit Tart June 14, 2009

Yesterday, I tried a new recipe and made a fresh friut tart.  I have never done a tart before, so I was interested how it would turn out.  I adapted a recipe I found on Food Network.   After reading the reviews for the recipe, I did some adaptations.  One thing to keep your crust from getting soggy is to make sure that both the crust and glaze are completely cooled.  After making this, I would not use the glaze given. The taste was ok, but it was too liquidy.  I had to cook it longer than the recipe required.  I have adapted it below with what I would do next time.  You will still end up with more glaze than you will need for the tart.   If the glaze still looks to thin, you can add more cornstarch.    If you want a really easy glaze, heat 1/2 cup of apricot preserves/jam, orange marmalade, red currant jelly and 1 tablespoon of water till liquid.  I have also heard of using warm honey.

Next time I will layer the fruit better.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Fresh Fruit Tart
(adapted from Paula Dean)

Ingredients
Crust:
* 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:
* 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)

Topping:
* Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries (any fresh fruit would do)

Glaze:
* 4 oz frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 1-2 tablespoon apricot preserves
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* Whipped cream, for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust: In a food processor (if you don’t have one, you can do this by hand or in a mixer), combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned (Note: I ended up baking my crust for 25 minutes-just watch the crust-if you don’t bake it long enough you will end up with a soggy crust). Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.