Christmas Eve Breakfast and a Last Minute Easy Gift Idea!

My girls and I love to decorate gingerbread men for Christmas, and I found this recipe for gingerbread pancakes, and the lightbulb went off!  I think they are so cute!  This would also make a great gift in a jar if you're looking for a last minute present.

Once you ladle the batter on your griddle or pan, start decorating quickly.  I used a snowflake sprinkle mix and it kept its color, unlike the white chocolate chips I tried first--they burned and made the faces look charred and scary--NOT what you want to give kids for a fun and sweet breakfast!

*Recipe adapted from this recipe for Gingerbread Pancakes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 10 pancakes       

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour                                                                     
• 1 teaspoon baking powder                                                                     
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda                                                                     
• 1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                     
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger                                                                     

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                                                     
• 1 egg                                                                     
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                                     
• 1/4 cup molasses                                                                     
• 1 1/2 cups water
• *1/2 teaspoon cloves
• *2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

 

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla, molasses, & brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

I served these with butter and pure maple syrup and they taste like Christmas!  Keep in mind these are not light and fluffy like regular pancakes due to the molasses but they are wonderful!  The mix would make a delightful gift for neighbors or friends--you can also include a jar of molasses and bottle of syrup to complete the gift.

Merry Christmas!!

 

Homemade Holiday--Salted Caramel Sauce



TODAY, I'm guest blogging over with Shannah at Just Us Four.  If you're looking for a quick homemade holiday gift, check out my post for Salted Caramel Sauce.  You won't be disappointed!  Friends have offered to pay me for it--but then it wouldn't be a gift.  'Tis the season, and I love it!

Please follow this link for the recipe and directions:

http://www.justusfourblog.com/2013/12/guest-blogger-salted-caramel-sauce/


There's a lot more to discover:

Find me on Facebook:  House of Frolic and Mirth
Follow me on Pinterest:  Frolic and Mirth
Subscribe to my blog:  House of Frolic and Mirth


Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies for Peanut Lovers

This is the first post in a series I'm doing about the best cookies I've made that would be perfect for your Christmas cookie exchanges, holiday parties, and Santa.  If you like peanuts or peanut butter, these recipes will not disappoint!

 

 

First, go outside the lines from regular chocolate chip cookies:

 

Recipe for Chunky Chocolate, Peanut, & Cinnamon Cookies

 

 

Next, add holiday spice to plain peanut butter cookies:

 

Recipe for Ginger-Touched Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

 

 

Who doesn't love PB&J?  Use any jam or jelly you like for these fun thumbprints.  TIP:  Use a round teaspoon measuring spoon to make perfect wells, or thumbprints in these cookies.

 

 

Recipe for PB&J Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

 

 

Enjoy, and stay tuned for the next cookie post!  I need some milk.......

 

 

Kahlúa Cake Pops Video, and a GREAT Giveaway Opportunity!!

My photo of the finished cake pops

 

Fun during filming

The ideal holiday party has three main components:  great friends, a menu where everyone is asking for the recipes, and a festive atmosphere.  In my previous behind-the-scenes post, I showed you a little of what it took to make a video for Allrecipes and Kahlúa.  Here is the finished product, and this will be a recipe that everyone asks for!  Made with devil's food cake, chocolate frosting, & Kahlua, these chocolatey cake bites are decadent, perfectly portioned, and I can't wait to make them again.

In the Allrecipes video kitchen--here's a snapshot from the video

VIDEO LINK (read disclaimer to the left):  http://allrecipes.com/video/4103/kahlua-cake-pops/detail.aspx

RECIPE LINK:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kahlua-cake-bites/detail.aspx




These cake bites are fun, festive, and for adult parties only.  During the filming, we used regular base Kahlúa for these cake pops, but with the variety of Kahlúa flavors, the creations are practically endless.

I think these combinations for cake pops would be fantastic:

• Pumpkin Spice Kahlúa with spice cake and cream cheese frosting, coat with white chocolate
• Cinnamon Spice Kahlúa with chocolate cake, a dash of cayenne for heat, coated in white or milk chocolate 
• Peppermint Mocha Kahlúa with white cake, coated in dark chocolate







EXCITING NEWS!
Allrecipes and Kahlua are having a contest where you could win $5000!  Pin what makes your Holidays sparkle by December 10th for your chance!

Contest Link:  Taste the Spirit of Kahlúa Pin it to Win it!

Follow Kahlúa on Social Media:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Kahlúa
• YouTube: http://youtube.com/Kahlúavideo
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Kahlúa/
• Tweet/Instagram @KahluaMidnight (https://twitter.com/KahlúaMidnight) 

Thanks for stopping in!  I'd love to hear about your favorite Kahlua recipes or stories!

Behind the Scenes in Seattle--Cooking with Kahlúa, Part 1

Seattle Morning

Recently, I had to opportunity to fly out to Seattle for another video shoot with Allrecipes, and it was a fantastic adventure!  It's a city I love, and I try to go at least once a year now (I'll post more about Seattle in a later entry).  You might remember my previous opportunities , and this one was just as fun.  I was able to work with Angela who writes a beautiful blog called Dancing with My Father, and we had a great time during the "party" scenes.  Just don't ask what we were discussing.........knowing you're being filmed but not recorded makes you bring up some ca-raazy topics!

 

I LOVE having friends and family over, especially at Christmastime, and I was happy to participate in this shoot to show how fun it can be to incorporate KAHLÚA into your holiday festivities for more than cocktails.  Think brownies, cupcakes, cheesecake, and cookies--or, the cake pops I demonstrate in the upcoming video.  They're so easy, you may want to make them your signature party recipe!




Aren't they pretty?

You may recognize the two fabulous cameramen from before, David Albright and Erik Dinnel.  I'm completely biased, but they are so talented and patient, they really added to the process.

 

Here are some more of the key players for this behind the scenes tour.  All great people, they made this experience memorable and at times ridiculously funny!



Allrecipes Marney & Sydney, the Makeup Master



Sarah(Allrecipes), Sarah(Kahlua), Ryan(Allrecipes), Karen(Allrecipes), and Cory(Allrecipes)



David, Jean (Food Stylist), Marney, Me, Angela, & Erik

It was a whirlwind of a trip for me, but I'm thankful to have been a part of it.  I look forward to showing the finished video and sharing the delicious recipe from Kahlúa!  Look for it in November, just in time for your holiday and Christmas parties...........

  

 

 

Bacon Makes Everything Better...............Now I Believe it!

 

 

 

I stumbled upon a recipe for fudge with bacon and immediately KNEW I had to make it.  I mean it has BACON, CHOCOLATE, and they could be eaten at the same time!  This is so delicious, even my preschooler asks for more. 

I tweaked this recipe just a bit.  Plus, I'm stubborn and don't own a candy thermometer so by default I had to guess how long the cooking time should be, but it worked.  It can for you, too.

 

MAPLE BACON FUDGE

 

You'll need:

 

1/2 pound of good smoked bacon

1 tbsp real maple syrup

2 1 oz squares of unsweetened chocolate (I like Baker's brand)

3/4 cup milk

2 cups of white sugar

3 tbsp butter, sliced

2 tbsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. Cook bacon until crisp, crumble into a small bowl, add the maple syrup, and toss to glaze the bacon.  Set aside.
2. Stir milk and chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is thoroughly combined, 2 to 3 minutes; stir in sugar all at once. Whisk mixture, trying to clean the sides of pan as much as possible.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer inserted into the middle of the fudge reads 236 to 238 degrees F (110 to 115 degrees C), or candy forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water. *This process could take 30-40 minutes.  Remove from heat as soon as candy hits the correct temperature and stir in glazed bacon, reserving 1/8 cup for the top (optional).
4. Place butter squares onto fudge mixture and pour vanilla extract over the top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and coat with butter or vegetable oil spray. When fudge has cooled for 10 minutes, stir in the butter and vanilla extract thoroughly & pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the reserved bacon on top and gently press it into the fudge.
6. Refrigerate for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Cut into small bite-sized pieces to serve.

You won't believe how good this is. 

If you're a fan of salty & sweet food combinations, do not hesitate and make this immediately.  It might become your newest favorite, and this would make a fantastic addition to Christmas trays.  It's not too early to think about it!

Enjoy~

 



 



Gifts

The tree is up!

Christmas is nearing, and it's my favorite time of the year. My oldest daughter's middle name (Noelle) pays homage to this fact, and I'm always careful to not get too caught up in the planning, shopping, and decorating that I lose sight of the reason for this special season. God loves us, unconditionally, which is more than I am able to do as a fallible human. I especially thank Him for His gift of Jesus and Salvation this time of year, although I worship all year round. His blessings are evident in the minutiae of everyday, we just have to recognize them. 2009 has introduced many new things into my life, some good, some wonderful, some bad, some terrible, some welcomed, some not. One thing I know for sure is that He has been with me through it all, and will continue to be.
This season, I'd like to encourage you to draw near to Him, near in the sincerest sense of the word so that you may be gifted with the blessings He is waiting to bestow. Merry Christmas to you, and Happy Birthday to my amazing Savior!