This weekend, I have been cooking with peppermint and pumpkin (although not in the same dish). On Friday night, I made White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes. I won't be posting that recipe today because I need to modify it, as it was originally a recipe for a three layer cake. I spent my Saturday getting a haircut, at a bridal show, and going to church, so I did not have time to cook anything then. However, when I went into Starbucks that morning for coffee, I experienced what is always one of the biggest post-holiday let downs: the disappearance of the holiday specialty coffees. But this time, I had a plan.
Sunday morning, I made Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes. These were super easy and delicious!
Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Serves: 8
Total Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
{Ingredients}
-8 T of pumpkin puree
-8 T of vanilla
-2 t of cinnamon
-8 cinnamon sticks
-4 cups of strongly brewed coffee
-6 cups of milk
-8 T of sugar
-whipping cream [optional]
{Instructions}
-Combine
the milk and coffee, and pour into the crockpot. Whip together the other
ingredients [minus the cinnamon sticks and whipping cream] and pour into the
crockpot. Mix together well.
-Cover
the crockpot, and cook on high for 2 hours.
-Serve
in mugs. Generously put whipping cream on top of the lattes, and add a cinnamon
stick for extra flavor.
We didn't use cinnamon sticks in the mugs, instead I sprinkled cinnamon on the whipped cream to give it that Starbucks look. Our verdict on this recipe: better than Starbucks.
I also made soft pretzels using one of the Auntie Anne's pretzel kits. Although I'm usually less inclined to make things from mixes, my brothers specially requested that I make these. If you've ever considered trying one of these kits, I would definitely recommend them. That evening, my fiance and I went out to dinner and then saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Today (Monday) was the first day when everyone in my family was officially back to work and school, which meant that not only was I on my own for the day, but I needed to find something to occupy my time. I chose to do so by making Mint Oreo Truffles. I've made several other truffle recipes in the past, and my family absolutely loves them! These were yet another hit!
Mint Oreo Truffles
Ingredients
§ 1 package mint
oreo cookies
§ 1 8oz. package
cream cheese (softened)
§ 12 oz. white
chocolate
§ 2-4 tablespoons
vegetable oil (optional)
§ 1 teaspoon
peppermint extract
§ green food
colouring
Directions
1.
Finely crush 5 cookies in a food processor or place them in a
ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later.
2.
Crush remaining cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use
the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.
3.
Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered
cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
4.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set
over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the surface of the
water. Remove from heat, and stir in peppermint extract. Add green food
colouring until desired shade of green is reached. If your brand of white
chocolate melts a little thicker, you can use vegetable oil to thin
it.
5.
Dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax
paper covered cookie sheet to dry. Sprinkle the tops with the 5 crushed cookies
for decoration.
6.
Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!
Above is the original recipe, which was fantastic! However, when making truffles, I've found that it is usually better to melt more chocolate for the shell than the recipe says, otherwise you may run out and not be able to cover all of your truffles. I only had 6 or 7 that I couldn't cover, so I would probably use 16 oz of white chocolate next time. I used white chocolate chips, which worked very well.
I guess this is the end of my first post. I feel like I should say something profound to end it, but I think I'll just say how excited I am to finally document my cooking escapades!
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