76. Gourmet Treats

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

MATERIALS

10 ounces pretzel sticks (Pretzel RODS)
12 ounces milk chocolate chips (or melting disks)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
candy sprinkles (optional)
miniature M&M chocolate candies (optional)
mini Reese's pieces (optional)
chopped peanuts (optional)
Waxed Paper
Baking sheets
Double Boiler

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt milk chocolate chips in double boiler or in microwave (be careful not to burn in the micro).
   
2. If you are using the white chocolate, wait until later before melting unless you can keep it over warm water.
   
3. Dip each pretzel rod about 2/3 of the way up in chocolate.
   
4. Lay on wax paper lined baking sheets, lining up the rods but leave a bit of space between them.
   
5. Allow to set a little, but not completely dry (while waiting, make sure your white chocolate is ready).
   
6. Dip a fork into the white chocolate and drizzle over the milk chocolate by gently swishing the fork back and forth over the rods but not touching them.
   
7. Place your sprinkles or candies on a paper plate and roll each pretzel rod in desired topping (or just sprinkle on).
   
8. Lay back on wax paper to set completely.
   These look great displayed in, or given in, a unique glass or mug.
   

Resource: Recipe Zaar

CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMEL CORN

MATERIALS

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 quarts popped corn
1 Roasting pan
Waxed Paper

1 cup Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 large marshmallows, cut in quarters
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons warm water
1 cup peanuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare Caramel Corn:

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt in a saucepan.
   
2. Boil 5 minutes.
   
3. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.
   
4. Stir well and then pour over popped corn in a large roaster. (If you have to put into two large tinfoil buttered roasters, it will be easier to stir in two pans.)
   
5. Bake in oven at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
   
6. Pour onto waxed paper and cool.
   
7. Break up into pieces.

Chocolate Coating:.

1. Melt chips, marshmallows, butter and water for about four minutes in the microwave, stirring until smooth. (You can do this on the stove top too, just melt until very smooth.)
   
2. Place the cooled caramel corn and peanuts, if using, in a large roasting pan.
   
3. Toss chocolate over the caramel corn and toss well.
   
4. Spread out again onto the waxed paper to cool, separating the pieces.
   

Resource: Recipe Zaar

71. Soup Wreaths

MATERIALS

Long stemmed herbs:

• For Chicken Soup choose 6 of the following:
  
  
  
  • Rosemary
  • Small lovage leaves
    
  • Thyme
  • Parsley
    
  • Celeriac leaves
  • Lavender
    
  • Garlic chives
  • Lemongrass
    
  • Garlic leaves
  • Winter savory
    
  • Sweet marjoram
  • Lemon basil
  
  
• For Beef or Pork based soups choose 6 of the following:
  
  
  
  • Rosemary
  • Tarragon
    
  • Chervil
  • Oregano
    
  • Thyme
  • Basil
    
  • Savory
  • Hyssop
    
  • Onion leaves
  • Bay
    
  • Chives
  • Small hot peppers
    
  • Garlic chives
  
  
• For Vegetarian based soups, pick from either list

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To begin the wreath, gather your ingredients. You will need about 6 sprigs of herbs in varying lengths. Longer pieces can be woven into the wreath more easily than shorter ones. You will probably also want 3 or 4 shorter pieces to add into the wreath for bulk and variety.
   

   

   
   
2. Choose a sprig of rosemary or a similar woody, long-stemmed herb, about 12 to 14 inches long. Bend it into a loop that is about 4 inches in diameter, twisting the ends around each other. You don’t need to tie it in place, simply hold it together with your thumb and finger, then add another long-stemmed herb, twisting it over and around the first one and overlapping the ends of the first.
   

   

   
   
   
3. Continue adding additional sprigs — a piece of sage, some thyme, onion leaves, garlic chives and others — until your wreath looks full. Keep in mind the wreath will shrink as it dries, so add enough herbs to keep it looking full after it dries.
   

   

   
   
   
4. Add a long leaf, such as an onion top from winter onions or a leaf of lemongrass, at the very last, spiraling it like a ribbon all the way around to secure all of the herbs and give it a finished look.
   

   

   
   
   
5. The two ends of the spiraled leaf can be tucked under some of the other herbs and any loose ends can be trimmed off with pruners. You also may want to tuck in a nice, small red pepper or a sprig of golden marjoram for some color. Chive flowers dry well, as do garlic chive blossoms and oregano. Tuck the stem into the wreath so it is secure.
   
6. Now you are ready to dry your wreath. The simplest way is to put it in a dark, dry place, like a pantry or a cabinet, until it is dry. Even the oven, without heat, works well. It’s important to dry your wreath out of light in order to maintain the vibrant color and flavor of your herb. DO NOT DRY YOUR WREATH IN THE MICROWAVE - it zaps all of the essential oils out of the herbs.
   
7. Once your wreath is completely dry, you are ready to attach a recipe card containing instructions for using the wreath with a ribbon or string .
   

Recipes:

Wintertime Chicken Soup

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
  
• 2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
  
• 1⁄2 cup diced onion
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta, optional
  
• Cooking wreath
  
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil and add chicken and vegetables. Cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking 10 to 15 minutes. When you add rice or pasta, also remove the ribbon from the cooking wreath and add the wreath to the pot of simmering soup. Simmer until done, add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Vegetarian Vegetable

• 2 1⁄2 quarts of water
  
• Assorted, diced vegetables, such as celery, carrots, turnip, cabbage, onion and garlic
  
• 1⁄4 cup rice or pasta
  
• Cooking wreath
  
• Dash salt and pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add vegetables and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add rice or pasta and simmer until nearly tender. Add the cooking wreath (with the ribbon removed) and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove wreath and serve.

Resource: Herb Companion

29. Fortune Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

12 small strips of paper (approx. 1/2 in x 4 in), with hand written fortunes
A glass jar
a handmade or printed label

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.
   
2. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.
   
3. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.
   
4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.
   
5. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.
   
   Once you've made the cookies, place as many as you like into a glass jar, seal it, and affix your handmade label on the front.

Sources Allrecipes.com and HP.com

22. Clay Pot (or Tin Can) Quickbreads

MATERIALS

Clay pot or tin can
aluminum foil (if using clay pot)
Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil
Quickbread mix (such as cornbread or muffin mixes)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash clay pot (or can) with warm water only. towel dry. Cover drain hole w/ small piece of aluminum foil. Grease inside of pot & lip with butter, margarine, or oil.
   
2. Preheat oven 375 F. and bake according to the times below:
   
   • cornbread for 45 min,
     
   • all others 60 min. Use any quickbread recipe.
   
   
3. Spoon batter into Pot or Can, bake immediately.
   
4. bread is done when topcrust is lightly browned.
   
   If keeping for yourself: Cool bread IN pot for 10 min.Loosen w/ knife, remove to a rack, let stand 10 min Serve warm
   If giving as a gift, allow to cool, then wrap with cellophane or waxed paper.

From RecipeTips.com:

Other Baking Containers: almost any other type of oven-safe and food-safe container can be used to bake bread, such as a stoneware baking dish or terra-cotta pots or even coffee cans as is the case when making Boston brown bread.

When using a terra-cotta flowerpot, it must be thoroughly dry. It is best to place it in a warm, sunny location for several hours. After drying, the pot should be well greased with cooking oil, placed in a 375ºF oven for about an hour, and then cooled. This process can be repeated several times until oil has thoroughly soaked the terra-cotta. The seasoned flowerpot should not be washed after use because washing will have an adverse effect on the seasoned surfaces - simply wipe the pot clean.

Also an option: Create a quick bread gift basket:

• Clean Clay Pot
  
  you can pre-season as suggested above, or enclose seasoning instructions
  
  
• Quick Bread Mix
  
  provide in original packaging, or buy a cellophane bag & empty the contents into it - provide a label telling what kind of quick bread it is
  
  
• Dish Towel
  
• Wooden mixing spoon
  
• Baking Instructions

If you liked this...
Try The Best Quick Breads: 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and More (Paperback) --from 7.20