Resourceful Girl

Dominate Christmas. Normally, I say resourceful above all else, that is, except for any holiday that surrounds you with extended family. You know, the family members you have to one-up in some way to “win” that holiday. This recipe will help secure a win this season. It’s really easier than it looks and is so worth any effort involved. If you serve it while it’s warm, it’s basically hot cocoa on kittens.

Syrup
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or scrape 1 vanilla bean)

Custard
2 1/2 cups of milk
6 egg whites

Whipped Cream
6 red and white peppermint candy canes or 24 red and white mini peppermint candy canes
2 cups of whipping cream
Recipe:
Syrup
Combine cocoa and water in a saucepan and whisk over medium heat until cocoa is dissolved.
Add sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes, whisking constantly and remove from heat.
Add vanilla extract, then transfer to a container.

Custard
Warm milk over stove-top, add in cocoa syrup to taste and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
Gently whisk the egg whites till a light bubbles form.
Sieve the egg whites into the milk. Whisk it lightly to mix well.
Pour the milk mixture into each bowl equally.
Cover the top it with plastic-wrap.
Double boil over medium heat for about 10 or so minutes until slightly firm (center should still be slightly jiggly though).

Whipped Cream
Unwrap candy canes, break them up a bit and place them in a blender or food processor.
Process until the candy canes until they are a fairly fine powder.
In another bowl, whip cream until firm. No need to add sugar. The sweetness will come from the candy canes.
Fold in the candy cane powder in the cream.

Top the cocoa custard with the peppermint whipped cream and serve.

Recipe adapted from the following sites.

Syrup: The Plastic Free Chef

Custard: Foodagraphy

Whipped Cream: Real Mom Kitchen

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Red food coloring
• Ginger Bread Man cookie cutter
• Small heart cookie cutter
• Toothpicks

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Separate a small section of dough and  fold in a few drops of redfood coloring. Cover both,and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut plain dough into men with the Ginger Bread Man cookie cutter. Cut small hearts with the red dough.
3. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Cut out a small heart in the center of the cookie and replace with a red heart. 
4. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
5. While cookies are still warm, poke in the toothpicks wherever you see fit.

Sugar cookie recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

Let them eat dirt! Well, not exactly. These are so tasty and since they’re also very simple, it’s a great way to occupy kids for a while. If you’re really ambitious you can use little sand pales or plant pots instead of cups. The best part: you can make a reduced fat or sugar free version. Use fat free or sugar free pudding and cool whip and buy reduced fat or sugar free cookies.

This recipe is for 1 batch or either Sand Cups or Dirt Cups
1 package of prepared pudding (Vanilla or Banana / Chocolate or Fudge)
1 package of cookies finely crushed (Vanilla Wafers / Oreos)
1 8oz package of Cool Whip defrosted
Decorations for Sand Cups: Umbrellas, blue sprinkles and Swedish Fish
Decorations for Dirt Cups: Gummy worms and gummy frogs

1. Mix the pudding with Cool Whip and then stir in half of the crushed cookies.
2. Fill cups 3/4 full with pudding mixture.
3. Top with remaining crushed cookies and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Decorate before serving.

People get a little crazy for pecan pie and the sweeter, the better. Turns out, almost everything delicious in this world is terrible for you. Found this gem posted by Julievr on Babble.com. Still, not something you want to eat everyday, but this recipe comes with slightly less guilt than the traditional.

Lower Fat Whole Wheat Pecan Pie Squares

Base:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
pinch salt

Filling:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add flour and salt and stir until well combined and crumbly. Press into the bottom of an 8″x 8″ pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until pale golden around the edges.

In the same bowl (no need to wash it), combine egg, egg whites, brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir until well blended.

Arrange the pecans evenly over the crust and pour the filling over top. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.• Makes 16 squares.

Per square: 195 calories, 7.8 g fat (0.9 g saturated fat, 4.9 g monounsaturated fat, 1.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 30.4 g carbohydrates, 13.5 mg cholesterol, 99.5 mg sodium, 1 g fiber. 35% calories from fat.

And by the classy way, I mean the few hours before you go out and drink your face off. Think of it as the sophisticated pre-game. After all, we are adults here. Make yourself a fancy cheese plate and sip a glass of red wine while you reflect on all of the special moments of 2011… because you will probably be spending the first few hours of 2012 with your face in a toilet.

Here are some cheese plate tips from RealSimple.com:

Selecting the Cheese
Try to include a variety of textures and flavors. Most cheese belongs to one of four basic categories: aged, soft, firm, or blue. For a good variety, choose at least one from each group.
Some examples:
Aged: Aged Cheddar, Comte, Goat Gouda
Soft: Constant Bliss, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin
Firm: Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Valdeón, Stilton

You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep). This will ensure a range of different flavors on the plate.
Serve at least one familiar cheese.

Accompaniments
Offer a selection of breads, including sliced baguette, bread sticks, and crackers in all different shapes and sizes. It’s a good idea to vary taste and texture among the breads as well as the cheeses.

Jarred condiments and vegetables are quick and fuss-free. Try sweet preserves or honey, tart chutneys, and spicy mustards. You can also add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and caponata. If you have a bit more time, prepare caramelized onions, which complement most cheese plates.

Various other sweet and salty items can work as well. Try cured meats such as prosciutto and salami, or candied nuts and pistachios. Assorted seasonal and dried fruits can include figs, cherries, apples, and pears.

Photo by MarcLaFountain

Are you ready for your new movie night snack? The salty and sweet combination is perfectly balanced in this tasty treat. Oh yeah, and they take practically no time to make.

What you need:
Rolos
Pretzels
Pecans

1. Place in 350 degree oven until the Rolo softens (about 5-10 minutes)

2. Push Pecans on each softened Rolo.

3. Cool and then eat.