Easter

Easter breakfast - Potica, baked egg casserole, fried apples, smokies and fresh fruit.

My mom and my nephews kids.

A silly one.

View out my mom's kitchen window. Snowy but also warm & sunny. Got up to nearly 50° today!

My mom dyed eggs with a friend.

Apparently I made this in 1982. Vaguely remember it.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter!

Peppermint Fudge

With just a few ingredients and a few minutes you can make this delicious Peppermint Fudge! I came across the original recipe in one of those holiday baking booklets you find near the checkout at the grocery store and doctored it up to be even better.

Peppermint Fudge

1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate baking chips
1 container vanilla frosting
1/2 cup crushed candy canes
8-10 drops red food coloring
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Line a medium baking dish with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray (medium baking dish = 7"x11" or 8"x8"). Begin melting white chips over a double boiler. Stir occasionally until all are melted and mixed smooth. While the chocolate is melting get out some of your frustration by crushing candy canes to equal a half cup. You can do this by pounding a rolling pin over a baggie of candy canes, or with a hand food chopper (like the one by Pampered Chef). I don't recommend doing this while the rest of the house is sleeping, or in a mini food processor (1. the fam wakes up and wants to know what all the pounding is. 2. it makes a terrible racket and will dull the blades of the food processor).
Once the white chocolate chips are melted remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the container of frosting. Add food coloring and extract and stir very well. Fold in crushed candy canes. Spread in prepared baking dish and place in refrigerator to chill. Once chilled remove from baking dish by lifting the foil. Cut into very small squares. Eat any squares that are mis-shapen or have crumbs falling off.

Mmmmm, Gingerbread Biscotti

Here is the Gingerbread Biscotti recipe. It is a winner for sure!

Gingerbread Biscotti – original recipe from allrecipes.com but I made some changes



INGREDIENTS:
6 Tbsp cold butter
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder
**1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
**3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
**1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
**1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instead of this mix of spices I used 3 ½ tsp Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus spice blend

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
2. Combine dry ingredients (flours, spices, sugar, baking powder) in large mixing bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together. Cut in cold butter.
In a small bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla, and molasses. mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients to form a stiff dough.
3. Divide dough in half (or thirds for smaller cookies), and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie sheet. Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
5. When cool enough to touch (about 10 minutes), cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy. (if you’re baking on a Pampered Chef stone stand up slices and bake about 6 minutes) Remove from stone and cool completelty.

Once completely cooled drizzle w/melted chocolate & assorted sprinkles.

NI: 70 cal, 2 fat, 1 fiber