seasonal recipes Archive

Archive for the ‘seasonal recipes’ Category

Mrs. Claus Loves Baking Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples

When Santa and the elves are busy preparing for the holiday season, I like to treat them to all their favorites for all their hard work. An all-time favorite is anything and everything apple! I stumbled upon this Apple Crisp Stuffed Apple recipe by Creme de la Crumb, and it looks so apple-so-lutely divine!
http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/09/apple-crisp-stuffed-apples.html

Ingredients

8 apples (shown in picture, fuji apples)
4 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Crumble topping

½ cup flour
¼ cup oats
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First, prepare the crumble topping. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry knife, or two forks, or with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
Peel and chop 4 of the apples. Add chopped apples, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
Chop the tops off of the remaining 4 apples and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Discard the flesh or save it for another recipe.(See Note) You don’t need to get every little bit out, just enough to make a “bowl” for the filling.
Fill scooped-out apples with apple filling from the sauce pan. Top with a generous amount of crumble topping.
Place stuffed apples on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crumble topping is crispy. Serve warm and top with ice cream and caramel sauce if desired. Enjoy!

With only 8 ingredients — apples, butter, sugar, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, flour, and salt, I could surely whip these up in a cinch! Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream will give it that little something extra. I cannot wait to try this recipe and see Santa and the elves’ faces as they dig into this delicious fall treat!

If you try this recipe too, I’d love to see how your Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples turned out. Instagram @MySanta or tweet us @MySanta your yummy desserts!

An Elf’s Favorite: Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cookies

December 18th, 2014 | Filed under: cookie recipies helpful hints Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

These little bites are the perfect escape for your taste buds this holiday season! Mrs. Claus makes these delectable treats for us elves when we’ve had an exceptionally busy day. They have a light crisp exterior and a gooey melty interior, and not to say they are most pleasing to the eye on any holiday table!

To make these charming treats all you need is:

3 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Powdered Sugar

– In an electric mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

– Crack the egg in and mix until smooth

– In a separate bowl whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt.

– Add the flour to the wet mixture sifting little by little, mixing between each add.

– Then fold in the chocolate chips.

– Now cover the bowl and allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour, until the dough is firm enough to handle.

– While the dough is chilling prepare your baking pans by lining them with foil. This helps to prevent powdered sugar from sticking to your bakeware.

– Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare ½ cup of powdered sugar into a small bowl (you may need more but this is a good start).

– After the dough is chilled, use a spoon to form 1 inch balls and roll them in the powdered sugar until coated all around.

– Bake for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mrs. Claus’ Glorious Stuffed Pumpkins Holiday Recipe

December 16th, 2014 | Filed under: helpful hints Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

This is a beautiful and delicious side dish to add to your holiday feast and it is quite simple to make! Just imagine a few cute little pumpkins running down the center of the table, so festive! Really all there is to it is putting the stuffing into the pumpkins and then in the oven!

Ingredients:

1 sugar pie pumpkin

1 cup rice

¼ lbs ground sausage

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup chives

pinch of saffron

1 cup swiss cheese

1 cup cream

1 cup water

1 tsp nutmeg

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Clean pumpkin like you would carve it, save the top. Salt & pepper the inside to your taste.
Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.
While the pumpkin is roasting cook the ground sausage in a pan.
Finely chop garlic and chives and add to the sausage pan just before sausage is cooked through.
Add the water, cream, rice, nutmeg and pinch of saffron. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the rice is cooked.
When rice is done, about 20 minutes, add cheese and stir until melted.
After the pumpkin is done roasting for the first 30 minutes stuff the rice mixture into the pumpkin.
Roast for another hour or until the pumpkin is tender to a fork’s touch.
Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then enjoy!

An Extra Cool Holiday Treat!

November 26th, 2014 | Filed under: helpful hints Holiday Events Holiday traditions news planning your visit seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

With boutique ice cream stores becoming a popular trend in the Northwest area, I thought it would be awesome to feature some of the cool holiday flavors of ice cream!

At Molly Moon’s they are cooking up some festive cheer with flavors like Cinnamon and Ginger Pear Sorbet!

Downtown at Gelatiamo’s they are cooking up some fancy pastries and holiday gelato flavors like Peppermint, Ginger Snap, and Pumpkin!

Bluebird Ice Cream has holiday flavors such as Pumpkin, Candied Yam with Marshmallow Swirl, and Blueberry Crumble!

Godiva Chocolatier at Bellevue Square is serving up some extra special cones with flavors like White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate , or Swirl. Yum yum!

Cold Stone is offering Candy Cane, Eggnog, Dark Chocolate Peppermint, and Pumpkin for you to mix and match as you please!

Stop by to try these awesome flavors and let Santa know which is your favorite by using the hashtag #pnwclaus for Instagram and Twitter!

Festive Elf Inspired Decorations and Holiday Snacks!

November 20th, 2014 | Filed under: helpful hints Holiday Events Holiday traditions news seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

What better way to express gratitude for your friends than to throw them their very own holiday? Us elves throw each other parties all season long! It brings us great joy to be together. I want to share a few of my favorite decorations I’ve seen at gatherings that are great ways to tie in themes.

The first is a seasonal way to greet your guests by embellishing your front door as a gift! Simply make a large bow with burlap ribbon and fasten the ends like a present on either side of the door. Use a few points of blue tacky on each side; the tacky will preserve the door finish.

A fun finger-food to include in your gathering is garlic pretzels! This is a great recipe that is made ahead of time and takes only minutes to prepare!

Ingredients:

1 bag of Snyder’s “Snaps” Pretzels

⅔ cup olive oil infused with garlic

3 tablespoons ranch powder

Directions:

– Pour pretzels into a large mixing bowl

– In a small bowl whisk together olive oil and ranch powder

– Pour oil mixture over pretzels and toss to coat evenly

– Toss pretzels every 15 minutes for an hour

– Place pretzels into a large freezer bag and let sit for 24 hours

– Then serve!

This is a snack that is guaranteed to leave the bowl empty!

Mrs. Claus’ Favorite Pumpk-yum Pie Recipe!

November 4th, 2014 | Filed under: helpful hints Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

I just have to share another one of Mrs. Claus’ seasonal favorite recipes! Homemade pumpkin pie made from this season’s harvested pumpkins — and yes they are plumpest of pumpkins!

To make the pumpkin puree it is quite simple:

Ingredients:

3 sugar pumpkins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the tops off of all your pumpkins, then cut in half and scoop out all the seeds and guts! Save the seeds to make yummy roasted pumpkin seeds!
Cut the halves in half one more time. Arrange neatly on a baking sheet, skin side down.
Bake for 40 minutes or so, until the pumpkins are tender to the touch of a fork.
Let cool slightly then peel off the skins.
Throw the roasted goods into a food processor and presto! You have your very own pumpkin puree!

Now with your puree you can make endless amounts of treats! Or you can freeze the leftovers for your next pie. Now for the pie recipe:

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust prepared in pan

¾ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

2 eggs

1 ¾ cup homemade pumpkin puree

1 (12 oz can) evaporated milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie pan.
In a small bowl whisk together sugar, salt, and spices.
In an electric mixer, or large bowl, beat eggs.
Add pumpkin puree to eggs and mix.
Add sugar mixture to pumpkin mixture and combine.
Slowly add in evaporated milk.
Pour into prepared pie pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 – 50 minutes.
Chill and serve!

This pie is best served with homemade whipped cream! Whip a small carton of heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla. Start on a lower speed and increase as cream gets thicker, just so you don’t have a creamy mess all over the counter!

Enjoy!

Game Day Chili — Go Hawks!

October 30th, 2014 | Filed under: seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

What is better than a bowl of hearty chili on a blustery fall day? Chili on a Sunday football day! This specific chili recipe is the perfect gear for Seahawk fans because it contains a very extra special ingredient widely found in Seahawks territory… Espresso!

This mingling medley goes great with all the classic toppings. The espresso has a lingering chocolate quality for your taste buds. Make fresh, reheat, and repeat!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef (cut of your choice)

1 ½ yellow onions (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp paprika

6 shots espresso

1 tsp white pepper

1 28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, cook onions and garlic on medium-high heat until translucent. Add meat and brown all sides. After meat has been browned add all spices and the extra special ingredient… espresso! Stir with love to incorporate the seasonings throughout the dish. Add can of tomatoes, stir and bring to a light simmer. Simmer for two hours to let the flavors mingle, stirring every so often.

This chili is extra delicious topped with sour cream and scallions with a side of sweet cornbread!

Photo by – www.skiptomylou.org

Peppy Peppermint Bark

December 22nd, 2013 | Filed under: cookie recipies helpful hints Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

This Peppermint Bark will blow any guest away! With the smooth, chocolate combined with the bite of the peppermint, and topped with the pretty candies, how could anyone turn this down? This recipe is simple and is complete with a delicious outcome!

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate

8 oz White Chocolate

2 tsp Canola Oil

1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

25 crushed Peppermint candies

Directions:

Prepare a cookie sheet. Grease it and then layer with wax paper.

Using a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tsp of canola oil together. Scrapping the sides and folding continuously for an even melt.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, stir in.

Pour melted chocolate onto prepared cookie sheet. Spread it thin and evenly.

Put into the refrigerator for 1 hour for it to harden.

Using a double boiler again, melt white chocolate and 1 tsp of canola oil together. Scrapping the sides and folding continuously for an even melt.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, stir in.

Pour on top of the hardened semi-sweet chocolate, spreading thin and evenly covering all the dark chocolate below.

Now sprinkle crushed candies on top of the melted white chocolate and press gently into the top.

Put back into the fridge for 1 hour, to harden.

Package up for treat bags to take to school or the office! Or just enjoy with cocoa by the tree!

A Christmas Classic: Decadent Fudge

December 20th, 2013 | Filed under: cookie recipies helpful hints Holiday traditions seasonal recipes | Posted by Elf jennifer

Christmas always reminds me of rich delicious treats that are passed around at every gathering, but my favorite is deep, rich fudge! Smooth, thick and creamy. Here’s a recipe that only takes a pan and a spoon!

Ingredients:

24 oz of good semi-sweet chocolate

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/4 butter

Optional – if you desire any flavorings or nuts you can add them in, I would suggest a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of any extract and/or 1 cup of nuts

Photo from Mariah Cooking – Pinned by Kayleigh Supernois

Directions:

Prepare a 8×8 pan, grease and then line with wax paper.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and butter.

Stir constantly, gently folding from the bottom, just until melted through. You do not want to over cook or burn.

Remove from heat.

If you wish to do so, this would be the time to add extract or nuts, mix throughly.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth evenly.

Cover and put into the fridge to chill and set, about 2 hours.

Cut and enjoy!

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Archive for the ‘seasonal recipes’ Category

Mrs. Claus Loves Baking Apple Crisp Stuffed Apples

Mrs. Claus’ Glorious Stuffed Pumpkins Holiday Recipe

An Extra Cool Holiday Treat!

Festive Elf Inspired Decorations and Holiday Snacks!

Mrs. Claus’ Favorite Pumpk-yum Pie Recipe!

Game Day Chili — Go Hawks!

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