Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

Welcome to Friday! :) Are you back in the groove of things? I'm not quite sure I am... :D

So, I wanted to share this recipe for Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti from epicurious.com today! :)

My mom, especially, LOVES biscotti. I usually try to purchase some for her for Christmas, but I made these for our open house - and left some undipped in the white chocolate for her. I think it makes her feel less guilty about eating them. :D

Honestly? This is an easy recipe. I think I need to make my cookie logs a bit thinner, but the biscotti is about the size of a commercial one, and fits into a snack baggie. :) This one bakes up quite nicely, and the classic flavor of chocolate and hazelnuts is a winner.

I'd love to know if you try these! They're definitely a keeper in my book! :)

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Gingersnaps

Happy Wednesday! :D Are you having a good week? Can you believe it's almost the end of yet another month?!?! <sigh> :D

Today's recipe for you is Gingersnaps from Better Homes & Gardens. This is one I use for my open house; I've been told they're the best gingersnaps several people have ever had. I like hearing that. :D

I use butter, not margarine. And don't skimp on the spices! If yours are too old, GET NEW ONES for this recipe. Spices DO go, and it's much better to have fresher ones.

Also, I have been known to use all KINDS of colored sugars on these - the large granules, please! For me they're just not gingersnaps unless it's large-granule sugar. :D

This DOES make a very large batch. If you don't need lots of cookies, perhaps half the recipe. Or freeze half the dough. Or make the whole batch and freeze some of the cookies - they stack and freeze really well! Just make sure they're completely cooled before you stack them on top of each other, or they'll stick. :)

OK, I'm outta here. :) Enjoy your day - may it be REALLY blessed!

Pumpkin Fudge

Good Monday! :D How are you today? Did you have a good weekend? Did you try anything new?

It was busy around here, but I took a few pictures of a couple of new things. :) Today's not a share-one-of-those days. :D It's share-some-more-recipes-from-the-open-house day!

This one is for pumpkin fudge, from Better Homes & Gardens.

I didn't tweak anything on this recipe. I educated my family on the different chips that are available during the holidays - but we don't live in a very adventurous area, so we don't see them too often. We did, however, manage to locate a bag of cinnamon chips.

They were yummy, and integral to making this recipe work. It was really good; people who like pumpkin really enjoyed it! Many people told me they'd never heard of pumpkin fudge; I used to purchase it at the Fourth Street Fair in Richmond, IN, where I grew up. :) It's nice to have a recipe for it, so I don't have to search for it so hard! LOL

I'd love to hear if you try this some time. Heck, I'd love to hear when you try ANYTHING I post! :D Have a WONDERFUL day; try and stay warm and dry, wherever you are, and BE BLESSED!

You asked for it! Lemon Fudge

Good afternoon! Did you have a good New Year's celebration? We went and spend a couple of hours with friends, then came home. Kenn was in bed and I was on the computer when the new year came. Big, fat, hairy deal, as my homey, Garfield the Cat, would say. :D

ANYWAY. I have had SO many requests for this fudge that I decided I'd better post it. There is no link; I found it in one of TASTE OF HOME®'s many holiday books, CHRISTMAS COOKIES & CANDIES. (There are LOADS of these books, in all shapes and sizes!) As with any cookbook, some are wonderful recipes, and some not-so-much. :D This one, however, is a definite winner. I've been making it for several years now. The first year, I wasn't sure how "thick" it had to get, so it was a bit runny. Now that I know it means THICK, it comes out perfectly. :D

Here's the recipe, ALL credit to TASTE OF HOME.

Lemon Fudge
1-1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 cup butter, divided
1 package cook & serve lemon pudding mix (4-serving package)
1/2 cup milk
3-3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Line a 9" pan with foil. Grease the foil with the 1-1/2 teaspoons of butter; set aside.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the pudding mix, milk, and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; beat in confectioner's sugar and extract. Pour/spread into prepared pan; refrigerate until set.

Makes 1-1/2 pounds

That's how I wrote down the recipe, and how I do it. I don't THINK I changed anything when I wrote it into my book.... :D

Seriously. Make this fudge. It's a beautiful taste on a candy tray, not to mention a great color. Make it for Easter, even! You're going to be asked for the recipe, I can almost guarantee. :D I find that men, especially, love this fudge - but this year, everyone is raving about it. It's funny how it changes from year to year, what people eat the most of! :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be blessed, my friend!