Truffles and More

This past week I've been baking more and more cookies.  Some are the same I've already made this season, sugar and gingerbread, and others are not, peppermint chocolate crinkle and truffles.  The chocolate truffles are new this year.  I found the recipe here.  This was the first time I made truffles and the recipe worked out beautifully.  I made them a little smaller than the 1 oz size suggested.  I like more little things on my plate (sometimes) than a few large things.  I decided to just dust them with coco powder next time I might get a little bit fancier.  

My daughter recently found this recipe for Winter Solstice Cake   I love carrot cake and I think the addition of winter seasonings would be really good.  

What I'm reading: Pancakes in Paris.  Craig Carlson sets up an american diner in Paris. Culturally it is a very interesting read, and as well as for anyone who ever thought about opening a restaurant. 

I wish you a Merry Christmas, Bon Appétit

and as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth 

A Week in December

Everyone says this is the busiest time of year.  It is busy, but certainly not as crazy as September.  What have I been up to? Well honestly I've been baking cookies, reading, picking up my knitting again and we also squeezed in a trip to Chicago, along with work of course.  

Chicago is one of my favorite cities; I was born there so I'm a bit biased. But really its a beautiful city and right on Lake Michigan.  My husband and son and I went down for an overnight and spent Saturday walking along Michigan Ave doing a little Christmas shopping.  Of course we had lunch at the Peninsula - my favorite lunch spot in the city.  One of my favorite things about this time of year is the Christmas lights and I so loved seeing all of the lights as it got later and later. 

As I mentioned I've also been baking. Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorite and I love a good rum ball.  The original recipe called for bourbon but I really don't like bourbon so I switched it up for rum.  See below for the recipe.  

Rum Balls

2 boxes Nilla Wafers - I crush them up in the food processor

2 cups ground walnuts - again I use my food processor

2 cups powderd sugar

2 Tbl. coco powder

7 Tbl. corn syrup

1 cup good quality rum

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Then add the corn syrup and rum.  Pinch and roll into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar.  Let the balls sit on a cookie sheet for a day and then put in a cookie container.   I like to let mine sit for about 1 week before I start eating them.  But that is all up to taste.

Enjoy!

As always with love from the Midwest,

Beth