Christmas Baking Compilation

I AM DONE WITH THIS SEMESTER!!! What does that mean?? No more school for a few weeks, and time to cook/bake my face off! I am already plotting some awesome Christmas goodies and winter dishes, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Until then, here are some desserts I've already made that are holiday baking perfection. Check them out, and click on the title/name to get to the actual post. Hope you enjoy, and much love to you and your friends/family this Christmas!

ALSO, DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE WINTER GIVEAWAY GOING ON NOW!!!


** BARS **

"Sinner" Bark

* Layers of: Chocolate, Caramel, Whiskey-Marshmallow Cream & Candied Bacon

Yeah, you read that right!! Absolutely sinful, and ridulously delicious! The guys (and gals) in your life will go crazy over this, I promise!


 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

  

* A perfect layered bar: Slightly sweet shortbread, chewy caramel, rich chocolate, and topped with a little finishing salt.

Lovely in a goodie basket!






Seven Layer Bars
* Super easy to make, and they taste divine!

Just layer butter, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut, and bake!








 ** COOKIES **

Gingerbread Cookies

* The best way to feature the comforting warmth and spice of gingerbread -- in a soft, melt-in-your mouth cookie! And for some extra goodness, add a little white chocolate to the center.

These just taste like Christmas.




Triple Chocolate Cookies  

* Chocolate cookie with dark and milk chocolate pieces, with some pecans for a nutty crunch.

As a friend said, these were MADE for a glass of milk :)













 
White Chocolate Orange Cookies

 * Soft sugar cookie with a hint of orange and white chocolate chips. For more orange kick, add the orange glaze!









** TRIFLE & CAKE POPS **

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

 * A traditional trifle featuring layers of brandy-soaked chocolate cake, chocolate custard, cherry jam, cherries, and whipped cream.

I made this as the Christmas dessert last year, and it was an absolute knockout!






 Red Velvet Cake Pops  

* Moist red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting, covered in a white chocolate candy shell.

I made these for Valentine's Day last year, but they would be perfect to decorate with some Christmas cheer!

Thankgiving Recipe Compilation

Hey all, it's been a super busy semester (per usual), and I have been feeling guilty about my limited posting. I have a few Thanksgiving-esque recipes in the works, but I also thought heyyy, I already have some good stuff on my blog, so I compiled a few recipes to help people get to prepping for T-Giving. My goal is to post two more recipes this week, and then after my "Friendsgiving" Feast on Sunday, I will post my turkey, gravy, stuffing, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Apple Cider Sangria recipes (hopefully) on Monday -- so keep checking back for new ideas to make your Turkey Day terrifically tasty!

For Thanksgiving:

Green Bean, Mushroom & Artichoke Casserole

Tired of Green Bean Casserole? Try my Green Bean & Bacon Salad for a cold & zingy side!!

Corn Pudding

Try a variation on my Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese, & Pecan Sweet Potatoes instead of your normal sweet potato casserole.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Super Fresh Cherry Pie -- I realize it may be hard to find fresh cherries, so try defrosted & strained frozen cherries instead!

How To: Perfect Pie Crust


Other Great Fall Recipes:

Spiced Apple Butter

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries


~ Happy Thanksgiving Planning!! Plan fresh! :)

Birthday Feast!

Birthdays are a fantastic excuse to get wonderful people together, and eat, drink, & be merry. And that's exactly what I did to celebrate my 26th birthday! My dear friend Courteney helped me host a lovely meal with about 15 of my closest friends. And while yes, I did do some cooking (even making the cake!) for MY birthday, I LOVED every minute of it, because cooking and feeding people is what I LOVE TO DO!

I used to think that as I got older, I would dread birthdays -- especially as 25 rolled around, I began to fear being on the "wrong side of 20." Surprisingly, that has not been the case at all, and I am actually enjoying getting older. I know that I'm not that old by any means, but a lot of my law school friends are a couple years younger than me, and I am dating someone slightly younger than me (which apparently makes me a "cougar" haha), so I get picked on a lot for being "old." However, I am completely embracing 26, and many more birthdays to come! As my friend Walsh and I joked, "another year; another excuse to kick more ass."

With that said, here are some highlights of the food and decor that made my birthday dinner a success! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! Blog posts to follow with the recipes of the individual dishes.

Andrew drinking some Strawberry Prosecco Fizz

Appetizer: Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus

Wonderful appetizers brought by friends --  Russ' Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade, Green Olive Tapenade, and Asian Guac & Courteney's Crab Dip

Beef Bourguignon, Green Bean Salad, and Courteney's Hash Brown Casserole (Every dish on this plate has bacon in it -- Coincidence? I think not!)

Tripe Layer Lemon Cake w/ Raspberry Filling & Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ombre Pennant Flags -- created by my wonderful friend Courteney (who also made the most adorable mini-pennant flag cake topper!)

Gorgeous flowers from Barrett!!

And now, bring it on 26! :)

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

For all of you who haven't made, or tried, trifle -- trust me, you are in for a treat! Trifle is a traditional English dessert made from layers of sponge cake, custard, fruit, and whipped cream. Many traditional recipes often include soaking the cake in some kind of alcohol (including this one). The possibilities are endless, and I have recently come across a plethora of incredible-looking trifle recipes.

The classic combination of chocolate and cherry is one that I prefer in the colder months, especially during the holidays. I made this trifle for Christmas this past year, and my family absolutely could not get enough. It makes a large amount, so it is good for sharing with a crowd. I also think this would be a beautiful dessert for a Valentine's Day meal (your date will certainly thank you). A trifle's flavors develop the longer it sits, so you can also eat on it for days, and it will keep getting better. In fact, I would plan on making this the day before serving, if you are able. It is crucial for the cake to soak up the custard, and for the flavors to develop overnight. The cherry brandy can be left out, and this is probably best if serving kids (you really can taste it). However, if this is an adult occasion, I highly recommend splurging on the brandy. It gives the dessert such a decadent flavor, and it pairs perfectly with cherry and chocolate flavors.

Christmas Menu Planning

There are many recipes I wanted to blog about post-Christmas feasting, but then I realized that might not be beneficial in anticipation of cooking/baking for Christmas and New Years. So, I have been scouring the internet, my favorite cookbooks, blogs, as well as searching for inspiration from family traditions, to provide a compilation of things that I plan on making or have made in the past (and others that I am cataloging for future years), so that y'all can see if these recipes interest you this Christmas!

Breakfast
* Red Velvet Pancakes
* Eggnog French Toast
* Lemon Cranberry Muffins
* Caramel Apple Sticky Buns
* Baked French Toast Casserole
I've made this before. SO good. I hope to make it some lazy day over the break, and if so, will post pics then!
* Cranberry Nutmeg Pancakes w/ Meyer Lemon Curd

Cheese Plate
* Camembert & Pears
* Baked Brie w/ Cranberry Sauce & Walnuts
* Baked Brie w/ Rosemary Honey & Toasted Almonds

Entrees
* Whisky & Coke Ham
You are looking at a tried and true Fiedler family tradition here. My Dad makes this ham every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is seriously the BEST.HAM.EVER. And yes, there is a bit of a theme here. The Fiedlers absolutely love cooking with (and drinking) whisky. The recipe above is where my Dad got the idea (thank you, Emeril). I know he has put a couple twists on it, but if you follow this recipe, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. After Christmas, I will try to remember to post some pics of my Dad's, and talk with him about any other suggestions he has for the recipe. But until then, please try it out for your own Christmas!! It will be one of the best presents you can give your family!
* Roasted Turkey
There are lots of great turkey recipes, but I included this one because it includes a good brine. In my humble opinion, brining is THE MOST important step to having a good turkey! Please don't overlook it! You should definitely read up on the process if you haven't done so in the past.
* Beef Bourguignon
I made this for a dinner party, and it's one of the best things I've ever cooked. I really wish I would've taken pictures and posted about it, because it is a complex recipe. However, if you want to impress, this is without a doubt the dish to make!!
* Roast Prime Rib
* Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Sides
* Cranberry Sauce
* Green Bean Casserole
* Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts
* Roasted Broccoli & Cherry Tomatoes
* Mashed Cauliflower & Cheese
Also made this at the dinner party, and everyone raved about it! Sorry I didn't take any pics of this either.

Desserts
* Rum Cake
* Guiness Gingerbread
* Chocolate Cherry Trifle
I'm in charge of dessert for Christmas day, and this is what I am making. Will get a post up as soon as I can afterward. Doesn't it look fantastic?!
* Peppermint Ice Cream
I reallyyy want an ice cream maker from Santa.
* White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Gift Box Ideas
* Decorated Sugar Cookies (cookie recipe and glaze; TB: 12/22)
* Peppermint Bark (very easy to make; TB: 12/22)
* Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies w/ Toasted Almond Cream (first time making these; TB: 12/23)
* Red Velvet Cake Balls
* Sinner Bark (this, and next three are on my blog)
* Seven Layer Bars
* Gingerbread Cookies
* Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars
* Hot Chocolate Mix

Drinks/Cocktails
* Crock Pot Hot Cocoa
* Peppermint Mocha
* Cranberry-Pomegranate Margarita
* Cranberry-Ginger Fizz
* Pomegranate-Vanilla Sangria

Hope this helps. Wishing you, and your family, a very Merry Christmas feast!

P.S. If anyone has great holiday recipes, please please share!