christmas cake!

WOW! is this not the most beautiful Christmas cake ever?

i LOVE this photo of the naked layers:

and of course the final product:

for more photos and the recipe visit bakingdom.blogspot.com

Peppermint Meringues

these are so darling! i had to copy and paste this recipe for future use.
ps..meringues are super low in calories (for cookies anyway!)

Peppermint Meringues
Makes 75 meringues

3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
red gel-paste food coloring

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Put the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl of a stand mixer. Place over a pot of simmering water and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and beat on high until the meringue reaches stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a small paint brush to paint the inside of a pastry bag fit with a small star tip with 3 stripes of the red food coloring. When the meringue is ready, fill the pastry bag and pipe into quarter sized stars on the prepared sheet pan (Note, the first little bit of meringue to come out of the pastry bag will not have the red stripes because it was inside the tip and not the bag. Pipe it out into a bowl until you see the stripes, then begin piping the stars).

Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes until meringue is crisp but not browned. Let cool on the sheets on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

via completelydelicious.com

Potato Latkes

i will be making these this weekend….so so delicious, but grating potatoes by hand is NOT fun!! do you eat your latkes with applesauce or sour cream? (i am a fan of sour cream!)

INGREDIENTS
5 large russet potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS
Grate potatoes and onion into a bowl or pulse in food processor. Drain any excess liquid, then add the eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon the mixture into hot oil forming small pancakes. Cook until underside is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until other side is golden and potatoes are cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Serve hot with sour cream or applesauce.

recipe and photo by feedmyworld-sri.blogspot.com

Candy Cane Brownie Bites

i haven’t posted a dessert for awhile since i have been trying to lose weight! with the holidays coming i thought i would try and get in the mood with some fun desserts. i love brownies and thought these Candy Cane Brownie Bites looked really delicious, adorable and fairly easy.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 to 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed
Wilton White Candy Melts®
Lollipop sticks

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the crushed candy canes in a wide, shallow bowl, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set both aside. Spray your brownie pop mold lightly with nonstick spray.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly until well blended and smooth. Remove chocolate from heat and combine thoroughly with flour mixture.

Spoon the batter into the mold. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until they pull away from the sides of the mold and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Carefully turn out onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining half of the brownie batter.

While the brownies begin to cool, place some of the candy melts in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. If you fill the measuring cup up to about the 1/4 cup mark with the candy melts, that should be sufficient to start. Microwave on 50% power for one minute. Stir well and return to microwave if not thoroughly melted.

Once the brownies are just cool enough to handle, dip one end of the lollipop stick into the melted candy and insert into the round top of the brownie. You might need to allow the brownie to cool just a little longer, until the lollipop stick seems secure. Dip the flat end of the brownie into the melted candy, then immediately roll in the crushed candy canes. Gently set on the parchment-lined sheet to cool and allow the candy to harden.

recipe and photo by mygourmetconnection.com