More Homemade Holiday Gifts

Hi guys!  I just finished watching the KTVN news…..Ummmm, I was on it;)  A reporter came and talked to me at The Nevada Store here in Reno.  I got to talk about my products and about “buying local”.  During the interview, I felt like my face was bright red, like I stuttered, and like maybe English was new to me.  The nice reporter man assured me that I did great, but I felt like he said that because I fed him gingerbread.  But….I watched it, and I did Ok.  I mean, my face wasn’t bright red…so really, what more could I ask for?  Here is the link… http://www.ktvn.com/category/170899/video-landing-page?clipId=&topVideoCatNo=90460&topVideoCatNoB=170902&topVideoCatNoC=108651&topVideoCatNoD=170903&topVideoCatNoE=170904&clipId=6553395&topVideoCatNo=90460&autoStart=true.

I would shorten that, but I don’t know how.  Laugh it up….I am not the most computer literate gal in the world.

So anyhoo, today I wanted to give you a few more ideas for homemade gifts to give your friends, neighbors, kid’s teachers, etc.  I know I would love to get homemade gifts this Holiday season.  I think most would agree with me.  First off, I wanted to remind you of some recipes that I have posted in the past that I think would make great gifts.

Here we go.

This is a recipe from only a couple of weeks ago, but it is a winner.  This is my Gingerbread Pound Cake.  For gift giving, I would bake it in smaller loaf pans.  I actually did this last night, and I used the smallest size disposable loaf pan that you can buy at the grocery store.  The pack I bought came 5 to a pack.

Instead of a lemon sauce, I topped these loaves with a lemon glaze that I made with powdered sugar and lemon juice.  This is much easier than making the lemon curd.  Plus, the curd needs to be refrigerated, so that would be a pain for giving.  The lemon glaze works fine.

Here is the link to that post and recipe:

http://gourmetrooster.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-holidayseat-some-gingerbread.html

My next recipe is a superstar from last year.  Here is a picture….

This is my recipe for peppermint bark.  It is always a crowd pleaser and ridiculously easy.  Here is the link:

http://gourmetrooster.blogspot.com/2011/03/christmas-candy.html

One last recipe and link….

This is a knock-off of Starby’s Cranberry Bliss Bar.  These are also super easy to make, and I think pretty much anyone would be pumped to receive these.

http://gourmetrooster.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-day-like-pie-day.html

And finally….I tried a brand new (sort of) recipe earlier today.  I know you all have seen me make Cookie Cups, but I switched up the filling this time.  I love truffles, but I don’t love making them.  It is easy, but it is super messy.  So I decided to fill cookie cups with truffle filling, which is really just ganache.  This way, I don’t have to roll the ganache to form truffles.  I just stick it in a cookie cup.  It is 10 times easier, and dare I say, 10 times better;)  Here is how I did it:

I started with two packs of refrigerated cookie dough.  When I bought this today, the lady at check-out asked me if this was my idea of Holiday baking.  Apparently that broad has all sorts of time to put into baking from scratch.  I don’t.  Refrigerated dough works fine.

The dough that I bought was already scored into 24 cookies.  This worked out perfectly, as a mini muffin tray has 24 holes.  How fortuitous.  I baked these according to the package directions.  And oh yea, I also sprayed the bajeesus out of the tray with cooking spray before I put the cookies in.  Muy importante.

When the cookies come out of the oven, they will have already collapsed in the middle a bit.  You need to help this process along by poking the middles with the wrong end of a wooden spoon.  Just make a nice dent in each one.

Getting these bad boys out of the tray can be hard.  They will pop right out of the tray if you bang the tray against the counter several times.  When your husband yells at you that you are going to crack the granite, switch to banging the tray on the floor.  You will probably have to vacuum after.

For the ganache filling….

Ganache is really just chocolate melted with cream.  When it is hot and melty, it is a perfect glaze.  When it gets solid, it is, essentially, truffles. 

I heated some cream till it was just about to boil.  When the bubbles form around the edges, it is ready.  You will want your cream to chocolate ratio to be 1 to 3.

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the ganache for my chocolate chip cookies.  I used 3 cups of chips to 1 cup of cream. 

See my little chocolate chip cookie cups to the side?

The hot cream gets poured over the chips, and all you have to do is stir.  When the chocolate is melted, it should be really glossy and smooth.  At this point, you can add any kind of flavoring….booze, extracts, coffee, etc.  I put in about 2 tablespoons of coffee.

I spooned the chocolate into each cookie cup.  I popped them in the fridge, and the ganache hardened in about 20 minutes.  When they were ready to go, I drizzled some melted chocolate chips over the top.

See that?  A truffle in a cookie.  It doesn’t get better than that. 

As for the sugar cookies, I filled them with a white chocolate ganache.  I made this the exact same way I made the chocolate ganache, except with white chocolate chips.  I flavored this one with rum extract, and I sprinkled the tops with nutmeg.  Just like eggnog!

These cookie truffles were really excited to get their picture taken in my Christmas village;)

I think that these would make an excellent holiday gift.  You could package them in holiday themed candy boxes, and they would pretty much be the cutest thing ever!  If you want to give me some, I can totally provide my address.

See you all next week!  Have a great weekend!

Homemade Holidays Gifts

Hi everyone.  Are you starting to freak out because Christmas is only 12 days away?  As the holidays approach, I am sure that you like everyone else, starts remembering all the people that you need to give a gift to.  Teachers, bus drivers, dance teachers, co-workers, etc……Of course you don’t have to, but it nice to thank those that do so much for you during the year by giving them a gift.  Obviously, I think the best give you can give anyone is Gourmet Rooster products.  That is a no brainer;)  But I do understand that there are some of you that just can’t make that happen.  For those of you that can’t find my products in a store, or order it from me for some reason, I have a cute gift idea that I will show you today.

This year, we (my kids and I) are making their teachers “Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate” baskets.  We live in Reno, and it has been below freezing these past few weeks.  Hot chocolate is a necessity.

In this basket, we put a jar of homemade peppermint hot chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate coated candy canes for stirring, and a nice porcelain
to go” coffee cup with a super cute “cozy” on it.  I will show you how to make the hot chocolate mix and chocolate coated candy canes, and I will tell you where to get the “cozies”.  If you are a moneybags, you could also throw in a gift card to a local coffee place.  I think teachers definitely need coffee to keep their spirits up.  Especially preschool teachers.  If it was appropriate, I would toss in some booze.  Especially for the preschool teachers;)

The homemade hot chocolate mix is super yummy and great to have on hand anyway.  I used unsweetened cocoa, non-dairy creamer (powder form), nonfat dry milk, sugar, a pinch of salt and peppermint crunch chips.  The peppermint crunch chips aren’t just busted up candy canes.  They are more like the texture of a candy cane.  They melt into the hot chocolate perfectly.  They are made by Andes…you know, the people that make those great “after dinner” mints.  If you can’t fine these particular chips, you can totally use busted up candy canes.  They just won’t melt as well.

I whisk all the ingredients together in a big bowl.  Then, I pour it into jars with tight fitting lids.  All this needs to become actual “hot chocolate” is boiling water or hot milk.  I love the addition of the peppermint in here.  This hot chocolate is creamy from the dry milk and non-dairy creamer, and minty from the peppermint chips.  This is a perfect hot drink for Christmas time.  I included directions on my jars……”Add 3 tablespoons to 8 ounces of boiling water.  Stir with a candy cane and enjoy!”

I thought the chocolate covered candy canes would be a great stirrer, and just a cute accompaniment to the hot chocolate.  This was my kid’s favorite part. 

I melted chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.  I started the chips on 50% power for 1 minute.  Then, I stirred well.  I microwaved the chips in 30 second increments, on high, until the chips were melted and smooth. 

I dipped the ends (well, more than halfway up, actually) of the candy canes in the melted chocolate.  I placed the canes on foil to let the chocolate harden.  It will harden pretty quickly….in about 20 minutes.  I bagged these guys up, two to a bag.

Don’t forget the marshmallows!

Don’t you think this is such a cute idea?  It was easy too.  To be honest, my kids did most of this.  I just took the pictures;)

We got our coffee cups at a store down the street from us, but “to-go” coffee cups are available pretty much everywhere.  I bought the cozies off Etsy.com.  I found a wonderful lady who knits these cozies and sells them at affordable prices.  Her store’s address is www.etsy.com/shop/prednyspretties.  I wish I could knit, but since I can’t….I take help from Etsy.

Here is a picture of Addy enjoying her peppermint hot chocolate.  Even if you don’t have someone to give this too, the recipe for the hot chocolate mix is a winner.  You should make it for yourself!

Now, if you have read all of this and you still want Gourmet Rooster for gifts, and you just can’t stand the idea of hot chocolate….you can still order from me.  www.Gourmetrooster.com.  We still have time to ship, don’t worry;)

I will see you on Thursday with some more great ideas for homemade gifts!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

2 cups non-fat dry milk powder

¾ cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

½ cup peppermint chips (Andes)

½ cup non-dairy creamer (powder)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together.  Store in a tightly covered container of resealable bag.

Makes 4 cups

Holiday Salad

Hi everyone!  This is a late one for me.  I usually try to get my blogs out earlier in the day, but I finally got my roots fixed today…..so my hair took precedence.  I am being interviewed for Northern Nevada Business Weekly next week, so I figured it was high time I get my hair looking decent.  I don’t want to look like Shakira in my pictures.  No offense to Shakira.  She can rock 3 inch long roots….I, however, cannot.

Do you all have your holiday menus planned?  I have a great addition for your menu…..Today I am going to show you how to make a really yummy “holiday” salad.  It is a fantastic salad that tastes great, and it is really pretty too!  It has bright red pomegranate seeds and pretty green brussel sprouts.  It also has bacon, goat cheese, candied walnuts and pomegranate vinaigrette.   Please don’t stop reading because I said “brussel sprouts”. 

I used to hate brussel sprouts.  And by hate, I mean I would rather have eaten a hobo’s toes then brussel sprouts.  I hadn’t eaten one in easily 30 years, but I tried one this last Thanksgiving.  I decided to be brave.  I wanted to see if my tastes had changed.  I loved them.  This turned my world upside down.  I spent 30 years missing out on the deliciousness that is brussel sprouts.  It’s like I don’t know who I am anymore;)

So let’s start this salad.  Maybe it will get you to try brussel sprouts too…..if you think you don’t like them.

I start by cooking a few slices of bacon in the oven.  I put the bacon on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.  This is way less messy then cooking bacon on the stovetop.  You really only need about 4 slices, but I always cook extra because I know my family will descend on me like vultures.

While the bacon cooks, I get the sprouts ready.  I bought mine already trimmed and ready to go.  You might need to trim off any yellow leaves or icky spots.

I quartered mine to make them easier to eat in a salad.

I cook my sprouts on the same pan that caught all of the bacon grease.  I removed the rack, and I put the bacon aside to cool.  I smeared the sprouts all around in all of that delicious bacon grease.  I also salted and peppered them.  I roasted the sprouts at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

They come out looking like the picture above.  They will be browned and roasty toasty. 

Onto the dressing…..

I make a pomegranate vinaigrette for this salad.  Like Bobby Flay, I also believe that pomegranates pair well with brussel sprouts.  I use pomegranate juice, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

I want my pomegranate juice to be kind of thick and syrupy.  I achieve this by boiling the juice for about 5 minutes.  I boiled ½ cup down to ¼ a cup.  I let it cool before I make the dressing…..

I whisk all the ingredients together.

Once the sprouts and bacon have cooled, I assemble the salad.  I used fancy lettuce that I bought at Trader Joe’s.  It has romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio and some other fancy lettuces.  You can use whatever you like.   I think the more substantial lettuces work better.

Besides the sprouts, lettuce, and dressing, I also top my salad with crumbled goat cheese, the bacon that I cooked before, candied walnuts and pomegranate seeds.  I found my pomegranate seeds in a cute little package already shelled.  Shelled?  Is that the right term?  What I mean is that I didn’t have to crack open a pomegranate.  “Pom” did it for me.

Don’t you think this salad is perfect for the holidays?  It is so pretty, and it is different than a typical green salad.  It has roasted brussel sprouts on it for crying out loud!  I totally think you should try this recipe.  Even if you hate the sprouts….try the dressing.  It is pretty much amazing.

Brussel Sprout Holiday Salad

4 slices bacon, cooked and drippings reserved

1 pound brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cups assorted lettuces

½ cup goat cheese crumbles

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup candied walnuts

Dressing:

½ cup pomegranate juice

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay bacon strips on a wire rack over a baking sheet.  Cook bacon at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until browned and crisp.  Remove bacon and wire rack.  Set bacon aside to cool.  Reserve bacon drippings in baking sheet.

Place quartered brussel sprouts on baking sheet with reserved bacon drippings.  Coat sprouts in drippings.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For dressing:

Place pomegranate juice in a small pot.  Bring to a boil on stove top.  Boil for about five minutes, or until juice has reduced by half.  Let cool.

Whisk reduced juice and remaining dressing ingredients together.

To assemble salad:

Layer sprouts over lettuce.  Top with dressing and remaining ingredients.

Potato and Onion Gratin

Hi guys!  How was your weekend?  Ours was great!  We participated in a “Made in Nevada” Holiday Marketplace on Saturday.  “Made in Nevada” is an association you can join when your products, whatever they may be, are made in Nevada.  Duh.  I guess you probably could have figured that out for yourself.  We joined because we are, obviously, made in Nevada.

Anyhoo, the show was at The Flag Store in Sparks.  We got a ton of traffic, and I was able to sample my products for a lot of people.  I also sold a lot.  All in all, it was a super successful day.  We met some cool people too.  We had a booth next to the owner of Buckbean Beer.  That right there made the day worthwhile.  If you haven’t had their beer….you must try it.  And I am not even a beer fan.  But theirs is great!  The fact that we were next to Buckbean made Chris pretty happy too;)

I will probably be sticking to Holiday recipes for the remainder of the month.  I hope that is cool with you.  Even if it isn’t….I am still doing it.  Sorry.  Today I am going to show you how to make an amazing potato gratin that would be a great addition to any holiday table.  It is really easy to make, yet it seems so much fancier then your basic mashed potato, or even scalloped potato.  I combine regular white potatoes with sweet potatoes.  I know….fancy, right?

This recipe uses 2 regular white baking potatoes….the kind you buy in a 5 pound bag, usually.  I also used 3 sweet potatoes, Gourmet Rooster Caramelized Onion and Chardonnay Spread, butter, heavy cream, salt, pepper and Gruyere cheese.  Yep….it’s another healthy one;)

Ok, it is definitely not.  It’s Christmas.  Loosen up.

I started by slicing my potatoes crosswise, after I peeled them.  And by slicing, I mean I threw them in the food processor suing the slicing disk.  You can cut yours, just cut them on the thin side….about ¼ an inch.

I also heated up the cream in a small sauce pot.  I just warmed it a bit.

Let’s build this thing.

I buttered a casserole dish to start.  This is about 8 inches across.

I laid down a layer of sweet potatoes, slightly overlapping.  I also salted and peppered this layer.

I dotted a bit of butter all over this layer, about 1 tablespoon all together.  You can use less if you are feeling extra righteous.

I topped that with a couple of tablespoons of the warm cream.

On top of that goes a layer of white potatoes, and then about ½ a jar of Caramelized Onion spread.  If you can’t get this spread….you can sub in onions you have caramelized yourself.  It won’t be the same, but it will come close.

Then, another layer of sweet potatoes, butter and cream.

On top of the butter and cream, thrown on some Gruyere that has been grated.  Gruyere is a nutty Swiss-like cheese.  It is harder than Swiss, but similar in flavor.

One more layer of white potatoes, butter and cream……

Finally, the last layer of sweet potatoes.  Also, a bit more butter and cream.  Have you had a heart attack from all the butter and cream yet?

The whole thing gets topped with another layer of Gruyere, covered in foil and baked at 375 for one hour.  Then, I removed the foil and baked it for about 20 more minutes, or until the top was browned and bubbly.

Once it comes out of the oven, it needs to sit for another 20 minutes.  Not only is it as hot as the surface of the sun, it needs time to settle.  The cream will thicken as it sits.  So if it is soupy looking….let it sit!!

See how brown and gooey it is?  It is cheesy and delicious!!

My family loved this.  The sweet potatoes give it an extra depth of flavor that you don’t normally get in a gratin or scalloped potatoes.  And the onion spread pairs perfectly with the sweet potatoes.  Plus, what isn’t amazing when it has that much butter, cream and cheese in it?

I hope this recipe finds its way to your holiday table!  It is such an easy recipe….it really is just layering.  I will see you all on Thursday with a yummy Christmas salad!

Potato and Onion Gratin

2 white baking potatoes, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch disks

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch disks

5 tablespoons butter, divided

4 ounces Gourmet Rooster Caramelized Onion and Chardonnay Spread

About 1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place cream in a small pot and warm over low heat.

Butter a large (about 8 inch across) casserole dish, using about 1 tablespoon of butter.  Layer sweet potatoes, evenly, covering the bottom of the dish.  Dot this layer with 1 tablespoon of butter and about 2 tablespoons of warmed cream.

Cover 1^st with an even layer of white potato.  Spread onions over the top of this layer.  Cover with another layer of sweet potatoes.  Dot sweet potatoes with another tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of warmed cream.  Cover that with ½ cup of cheese.

On top of the cheese, lay down another layer of white potato.  Layer remaining ingredients, ending with cheese.  Cover casserole tightly with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.  Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes.  Let gratin sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

Deviled Eggs Times Two

First off, have you ordered your holiday cards yet?  If you haven’t….consider going to Etsy.com to pick out this year’s card.  You will get to choose from tons of original designs, plus you will be supporting a small business.  You get to pick a design, and the designer will send you a downloadable card.  Then, you take it to wherever to get it printed (Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.)  I did just that for my Gourmet Rooster Holiday cards.  I chose a design by SaraLukeCreative.  She is on Etsy and has tons of fabulous cards.  Here is the card she designed for me to send to my stores, manufacturer, graphic designer, etc.

Don’t you love it??

Back to the food…..

It’s like 1985 up in here.  Why you ask?  Because we are making deviled eggs today…..and they seem so totally 80’s to me.  They could have been more popular in a different decade, say the 60’s, but I wasn’t alive then….so I am sticking with the 80’s.

 Anyhoo, deviled eggs seem like such a holiday food to me.  Maybe that is because they get busted out at any holiday celebration on my husband’s side of the family.  Deviled eggs and onion dip are a staple at any holiday function with them.  Since I have already shown you a great recipe for onion dip, http://www.gourmetrooster.blogspot.com/2011/03/5-4-3-2-12011.html, I thought today I would try my hand at deviled eggs.  I have two great recipes that will for sure jazz up your deviled eggs.  They can get a tad boring, so they could use some dressing up.

I started with 12 hard-boiled eggs.  I bought my eggs already boiled and peeled.  I can’t hard boil an egg.  I just can’t.  Please don’t send me your method for hard boiling an egg because I can guarantee that it won’t work for me.  I am not afraid to admit in front of God and my 435 Facebook friends.  I can’t boil an egg.

My first recipe is BBQ deviled eggs.  I used 6 eggs, mayo, Gourmet Rooster Smokehouse Bacon BBQ Sauce, salt, green onion and bacon.

Deviled eggs are really easy to make.  You just have to find that perfect ratio of mayo and other condiments to egg yolk.  You don’t want a runny filling, but you also don’t want your filling to be too stiff.  I have found that balance.  Just with eggs, not with life.

I started by cutting the eggs in half, lengthwise.  The yolks should pop right out.

With a fork, I smashed the yolks until they were the consistency of fine bread crumbs.  Yes, I know yolks are soft and bread crumbs are not.  I am just talking about size and bread crumbs were all I could think of.

Then, I stirred in some mayo and some BBQ sauce.  You want this mixture pretty smooth.

Doesn’t this already sound so much better than just the mayo/mustard combo?

I used a piping bag to fill my eggs.  If you don’t have a piping bag and a star tip, fill a re-sealable bag with your egg mixture.  Push the mixture down into one corner of the bag, and then cut the corner off the bag.  This will be your piping bag.

I also topped each egg with bacon bits and green onion.  You will only need 1 or 2 slices of bacon, and about a tablespoon of chopped green onion.  Chives would work too.

I also sprinkled pepper over the tops of mine.  That is totally optional.  My kids loved these.  They aren’t the world’s biggest fans of mustard, so they preferred these to basic deviled eggs.

My next deviled egg is a chipotle deviled egg.  It has a Mexican flair that is super yummy.  I used 6 eggs again, mayo, a canned chipotle in adobo sauce, salt, chopped tomato, chopped red onion and cilantro.

I chose chipotles from a can.  This is just a smoked jalapeno that is kept in adobo sauce.  Adobo sauce is vinegary and super spicy. You can use a chipotle flavored taco sauce too.  This might be a better choice since you are only using ½ of a chipotle.  You will have a whole can left…..but they freeze well.

I started by making a chipotle mayonnaise.  I blended the chipotle with some mayo in my magic bullet.  If you don’t have a processor of some sort, you can mince the pepper finely, and then smash it with the side of your knife.  It will make a paste that you can mix into the mayo.

You can go as spicy as you like.  I use ½ a chipotle, you can feel free to be a bad-ass and use more.

Same idea as the first version, I stirred the chipotle mayo into the smashed yolks.

I filled the eggs with my piping bag again, and I topped these with the chopped tomato, chopped red onion and finely chopped cilantro.

Yum!

These eggs were a hit at my house, and I am sure they will be a hit at yours too.  If you want to make more, these recipes easily double.  I only made 6 of each because it was just the 4 of us.  How many eggs can one person eat?:)

I hope you try these recipes this holiday season.  Take some picture for me if you do!

BBQ Deviled Eggs

6 boiled eggs

1/8 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup Gourmet Rooster Smokehouse Bacon BBQ Sauce

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1 tablespoon green onion, chopped

Slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolks into a bowl.  Set whites aside.

Mash yolks with a fork.  Stir mayo and BBQ sauce into yolks.  Add salt and stir until smooth.  Fill egg white “shells” with filling.  Sprinkle bacon, green onion and pepper over the tops.

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

6 boiled eggs

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ of a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, (canned)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon tomato, chopped finely

1 tablespoon red onion, chopped finely

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped finely

Slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolks into a bowl.  Set whites aside.

In a food processor, blend together mayo and chipotle.

Mash yolks with a fork.  Stir in chipotle mayo.  Add salt and stir until smooth.  Fill egg white “shells” with filling.  Sprinkle tomato, red onion and cilantro over the tops.