Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Peppermint Bark Brownies #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon #Christmas

As you've probably guessed, I'm all about quick and easy under certain circumstances. At the last minute, I was asked to bring a dessert to our Newcomers Christmas gathering. This recipe starts with a store bought brownie mix that turns festive with white chocolate icing and crushed candy canes. As the TV chef Ina Garten would say, "how easy was that?"

1 (18 oz) box brownie mix

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 large candy canes or several smaller ones, crushed

Prepare pan -- either grease pan with cooking spray or use parchment paper to create a "sling."

Mix brownie mix, vegetable oil and egg in a bowl. Bake according to package directions. Let cool.

Melt white chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second bursts and stir. Continue until chips are melted.

Place candy canes in a zip lock bag and use a mallet or other object to crush candy canes into small pieces.

Spread melted white chocolate on top of cake.

Sprinkle candy cane pieces on top. (To speed up the hardening of the chocolate, place in refrigerator.)

SPEND CHRISTMAS IN CRANBERRY COVE!

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . .

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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Chocolate Babka #Recipe by @LibbyKlein #Christmas #Hanukkah #holiday

Libby Klein "Back away from the babka!" I've been obsessed with Chocolate Babka since The Seinfeld Dinner Party episode declared cinnamon the lesser babka. I personally would agree since I'm not a huge cinnamon fan - sorry Jerry. Cinnamon has it's place in some of my favorite things like pumpkin and apple desserts, but that's kind of where it's reign ends. I'm a big fan of variety and there are a lot of other flavors. This one has a lovely rich chocolate taste and because it's bread you don't feel guilty eating it any time of the day.

Babka is a sweet bread made from an enriched dough. I got this gluten-free recipe and adapted it from The Loopy Whisk gluten free blog. If you don't need to be gluten-free, Paul Hollywood makes a good one. You can get his recipe here. This is a big holiday item and makes a great hostess gift for a dinner party. (See what I did there.)

Gluten-Free Chocolate Babka

Yield 1 Loaf

Ingredients

Chocolate filling:

100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), chopped
55 g (½ stick) unsalted butter
50 g (¼ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
25 g (¼ cup) Dutch processed cocoa powder

Gluten free enriched dough:

15 g (3 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 13g.)
255 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) lukewarm water
160 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tbsp) tapioca starch
100 g (¾ cup) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface
60 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) sorghum flour
40 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar
6 g (2 tsp) instant yeast
6 g (1½ tsp) baking powder
5 g (2 tsp) xanthan gum
5 g (1 tsp) salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
35 g (2½ tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil of choice

Egg wash:
1 large egg, whisked

Simple sugar syrup:
50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
45 g (3 tbsp) water

Instructions

Making the dough:

Make the psyllium gel: In a bowl, mix together the psyllium husk and lukewarm water. After about 30-45 seconds, a gel will form. Add the egg, egg yolk and oil to the psyllium gel and mix well to combine.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, instant yeast, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the psyllium gel-egg mixture.

With your stand mixer (or by hand) knead the dough until smooth and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the dough is sticky and elastic.

Place in an oil lined bowl and cover with clingfilm and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day:

Chocolate filling:

In a saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, butter, sugar and salt. Melt everything over medium heat until smooth and glossy.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Mix well until smooth. Allow the chocolate filling to cool to room temperature. It will thicken slightly and reach a nicely spreadable consistency.

Shaping the babka:

Line a 9x5-inch (23x13cm) loaf tin with parchment/baking paper and set aside until needed.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball, then roll it out into a large 12×18-inch (30x45cm) rectangle. Dollop on the chocolate filling and, using a small spatula, spread it out into an even layer all the way to the edges. Roll up the dough into a 12-inch (30cm) long skinny log and arrange it so that the seam faces down.

Use a lightly oiled, sharp serrated knife to cut the log lengthwise in half starting almost at the top but going all the way to the bottom.

Turn the two halves so that the cut sides face upwards showing all the chocolate layers, and then loosely twist the two strands around each other. You want the finished twist to fit gently inside your lined loaf tin. Carefully transfer the babka. You might need to gently squish the ends of the braid towards the center, to make the babka fit.

Lightly cover the loaf tin with a sheet of plastic wrap/cling film (to prevent it from drying out) and proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. If it takes longer – it takes longer. Just be patient. You really want it to proof well before baking or it with be tight and tough. I like to put it in a cold oven with a pan of boiling water on the rack underneath it.

Baking the babka:

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325ºF (162ºC).

Once the babka has doubled in size, brush it gently with the egg wash.

Bake at 325ºF (162ºC) for 75-90 minutes until the babka reaches and internal temperature between 180ºF (82ºC) and 190ºF (87ºC)and it’s a deep golden brown on top. If it starts browning too much or too quickly, you can cover it with a sheet of foil, shiny side up, and continue baking until done.

Simple sugar syrup:

While the babka is baking, prepare the sugar syrup. In a small saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar and water. Heat them either on the stovetop or in the microwave until the mixture only just comes to a boil and the sugar has fully dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Immediately out of the oven, while your babka is still hot, brush it generously with the sugar syrup – the more syrup you use, the sweeter the crust.

Allow the babka to cool in the loaf tin for about 10 minutes, then remove it out of the tin onto a wire rack. Enjoy warm or cooled completely to room temperature.

This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Fortune is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a ʼ70s Abba brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Libby Klein writes ridiculously funny murder mysteries from her Northern Virginia office with a very naughty calico Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle, and a sweet black Lab named Vader. She can name that tune for 70s and 80s rock in the first few notes, and she's translated her love of classic rock into her Layla Virtue Mysteries. Libby was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents her from eating gluten without exploding. Because bread is one of her love languages, she includes the recipes for gluten free goodies in her Cape May based Poppy McAllister series. Most of her hobbies revolve around travel, and eating, and eating while traveling. She insists she can find her way to any coffee shop anywhere in the world, even while blindfolded. Follow all of her nonsense on her website www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

EASY BABY BERRY HOLIDAY PASTRIES by Cleo Coyle

From Cleo Coyle: These baby pastries are easy to make, pretty on the plate, and just plain adorable. They're great for breakfast, brunch, or coffee breaks, and the festive red color will cheer up your holiday cookie plates. So...

Let’s start baking!

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

A Recipe Note from Cleo

🍒 Raspberry, cherry, or strawberry jam will work in this recipe as well as cranberry sauce, especially if you have some leftover from Thanksgiving. And if you want to make your own cranberry sauce, I've included a quick recipe in this post and in my PDF here that includes the option of infusing some wonderful holiday spices.

As for the dough (let's face it), most of us aren't experts in creating puff pastry, which is why I suggest you purchase a tube of crescent roll dough or frozen puff pastry sheets. Even when using these pre-made laminated doughs, things can go wrong, which is why I've included a few notes at the end of my recipe that should help make this mini pastry project fun and foolproof. May you all eat with joy this week, and...

Have a happy holiday season!

~ Cleo

To download this recipe in
a free PDF document
that you can print, save,
or share, click here.

Click here for free recipe PDF.

🍒 Cleo Coyle’s

Baby Berry Pastries

Makes 16 mini pastries

INGREDIENTS:

For the easy pastry

1 tube of crescent roll dough (8-count or 2 sheets frozen puff pastry)

½ cup whipped cream cheese (do not omit)

½ cup cranberry sauce or raspberry, cherry, or strawberry jam

For the glaze

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon milk (or water)

3/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

NOTES FOR RECIPE SUCCESS: Yes, these little pastries appear simple to make, but things can go very wrong in the process. For foolproof success, see my 4 notes at the end of this recipe, and be sure to keep the dough cold, chilling between steps and before putting into the oven.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 – PREP PAN: Pre-heat your oven to 375º F. (Pre-heat for 30 full minutes to be sure oven is hot enough.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The cranberry sauce will ooze out and stick to the pan. The parchment will prevent sticking and also protect the delicate pastry bottoms from the pan’s direct heat.

Step 2 – UNROLL CRESCENTS: Once your oven is fully pre-heated, begin to work. Keep your dough cold throughout this process and you’ll have less trouble cutting and shaping it. Assemble ingredients first, and then break open the crescent roll tube.

Work directly on the lined baking sheet. Crescent rolls come in 2 small sheets. They are perforated, forming 4 triangles per sheet. Separate the 8 triangles in two rows, leaving space between each triangle and row. (If using frozen sheets of puff pastry, thaw 2 sheets enough to work with and slice them into triangles, as shown.)

Step 3 – SPREAD THE FILLING: Using the back of a small spoon, gently spread about 2 teaspoons worth of whipped cream cheese (or well-softened block cream cheese) onto the pastry triangles. On top of that spread a layer of the cranberry sauce or jam (again, about 2 teaspoons per triangle).

Step 4 – SLICE THE TRIANGLES: Carefully cut the 8 large triangles in half lengthwise, creating 16 very narrow triangles. Cutting puff pastry can be difficult, but I find that a pizza cutter slides with ease through the dough. Just be sure to wipe the blade clean between cuts.

Step 5 – ROLL INTO BABY CRESCENTS: Starting from the largest end of each narrow triangle, roll into crescents. As you roll, very gently stretch the narrow dough lengthwise.

Roll the triangles into 16 baby crescents. Carefully re-position the pastries on the lined baking sheet, allowing room for rising.

As I've noted above (and below) be careful here. As your hands touch the laminated dough, you are WARMING it and melting the butter in the dough. That's why this dough needs to be CHILLED before baking for best results (proper rising and flaky texture). So slip the pan into the fridge for ten minutes.

Step 6 – BAKE: After oven has pre-heated for a good thirty minutes at 375º F., bake the pastries 10 to 12 minutes. Watch carefully. You want a golden-brown pastry, but you don’t want the bottoms to brown too much or burn. Allow them to cool before glazing (or the glaze will not harden properly).

Step 7 – MAKE THE GLAZE: Over low heat, combine butter and milk in a small saucepan. Do not allow these ingredients to boil to avoid a scorched taste in your glaze. After butter melts completely, add the powdered sugar. Using a fork, whisk in a little at a time, adding the complete amount. The glaze should drizzle easily and harden fairly quickly once poured. If too loose, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, add a bit more milk. When you’re happy with the consistency, use the fork to drizzle the glaze in a back-and-forth motion across the cooled mini pastries.

NOTE: If the glaze hardens before you’re finished, return the pan to the heat and re-whisk.

Cleo's 4 Notes for Recipe Success

*Cleo Note #1: AVOID DISASTER & KEEP YOUR DOUGH COLD. Why? Crescent rolls and puff pastry sheets are forms of laminated dough in which layers of dough are folded with layers of butter. Consequently, as the dough warms, the butter melts and the dough becomes impossible to cut or shape properly. So be sure keep everything cold as you work, returning the dough to the fridge between steps.

*Cleo Note #2: CRANBERRY SAUCE – You can use whole or jellied cranberry sauce. Canned or homemade is fine or swap in raspberry, cherry, or strawberry jam. Just make sure whatever you use is cold or room temperature and not warm or the pastry will melt. In my photos, you see homemade cranberry sauce. Here’s a quick recipe for…

HOW TO MAKE
HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

with Optional Holiday Flavors

👉 Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add one 12-ounce package of whole, fresh cranberries. (**Add optional holiday spices now, see below for the list.) Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce to a thick sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and serve. Store in fridge.

🎄🎅 **HOLIDAY FLAVORS: To infuse holiday flavors into your cranberry sauce, add the following spices to the pot as it boils: 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice, and be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

🍒

*Cleo Note #3: CREAM CHEESE – Whipped cream cheese is what I recommend for this recipe because it’s easier to spread. To use block cream cheese, allow it to soften to room temperature and work it a little with a fork so it spreads with ease on the delicate dough.

*Cleo Note #4: PRE-HEAT FOR REAL – Laminated dough must have high heat to rise properly, and far too many oven thermometers are inaccurate. Forget the little beep-beep "ready" bell. Pre-heat your oven for a good 30 minutes before baking. And by all means have a Happy Thanksgiving!