Gingerbread Brownies

1 C butter, melted
300 g brown sugar

2 eggs

2 T molasses

1 t vanilla

312 g flour

1 T ground ginger

2 t cinnamon

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 9x9 baking dish.

Combine butter and sugar.

Add eggs, molasses, and vanilla.

Separately, whisk together dry ingredients.

Stir into wets and bake 30 mins or until no longer jiggly.

iambaker

Milk Punch

16 earl grey tea bags

162 g sugar

2 C ruby port

1 C aged dark rum

1/2 C allspice dram

1/2 C freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 C cold whole milk

Heat 4 1/2 C water to 208°.

Steep tea 3 mins; do not wring out bags.

Dissolve sugar.

Add port, rum, dram, and juice.

Let cool 20 mins.

Pour tea into milk (do not pour milk into tea).

Let curdle 1 hour.
Strain several times, ending with a paper filter.

altonbrown

Mulled Wine

2 3-liter boxes Costco Melbec or Cabernet Sauvignon
2 96 oz bottles Costco Ocean Spray cranberry juice blend

2 oranges

20 cloves

10 star anise

10 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed

10 allspice

1 large knob of ginger

20 pink peppercorn

10 cinnamon sticks

2 C grand marnier

Begin to prepare 2-3 hours before party begins.

In an instant pot, combine 1 box wine and 1 bottle juice.

Heat on "keep warm" setting only.

Slice oranges and stud with some of the cloves.

Place remaining cloves, anise, cardamom, and allspice in mulling bag.

Slice ginger and place in mulling bag.

Steep about 30 mins and remove bag.

Add pink peppercorn and cinnamon sticks.

Add orange slices and grand marnier.

Empty second box of wine into empty cranberry juice bottle.

Refill pot equally with extra wine and juice as needed.

LTK

Easy Hot Chocolate

24 oz whole milk

3 T cocoa powder

2 T sugar

Begin frothing milk.

(Can use some water in place of milk to lighten).

In a microwavable bowl, combine cocoa and sugar.

Drizzle in just enough water to make a paste.

Stir well with a small silicone spatula.

Microwave for 20 seconds.

Stir in a little more water until chocolate is pourable.

Once pourable, add to frothing milk.

Add vanilla and/or liquor as desired.

LTK

Quiche

pie crust dough

cooked and dry fillings
5 eggs

2/3 C cream

1/2 C milk

3/4 t salt

Shape and partially blind bake crust.

Preheat oven to 400.

Place fillings in crust.

Beat eggs until whites and yolks are well mixed.

Add cream and whisk until uniform.

Add milk and salt.

Pour over fillings.

Bake at 400 for 15 mins.

Tent with foil and turn heat down to 350.

Bake 50 mins or until center is puffy and golden near edges.

Let cool 20-30 mins before serving.

Will keep 4 days, covered, in the fridge.

Adapted from "Pie for Everyone," courtesy of Petra Paredez

Frozen Hot Chocolate

4 oz chocolate (I use 10 blocks from the TJ pound plus bar)

1 1/2 C milk

2 1/2 T sugar

1 1/2 T cocoa powder

1/8 t salt

Ice

Cacao nibs

Melt chocolate for 50 secs or just until no longer solid.

Separately, blend milk, sugar, cocoa, and salt.

Blender should read about 24 oz.

Add chocolate.

Add ice to 40 oz mark.

Blend again.

Serve immediately.

Garnish with cacao nibs.

Yields 3 reasonable glasses.

Based on
tastesbetterfromscratch

Notes:

It's possible to scald chocolate if you're not careful!

My microwave is gentle and my chocolate pieces are fat, so I'm okay.

This recipe makes a fairly homogenous frozen hot chocolate.

If you prefer frozen bits of chocolate,

    stir melted chocolate with some of the cold milk before blending.

If you prefer grainy frozen bits of chocolate,

    stir sugar and cocoa into melted chocolate; it won't dissolve.

    then stir into some of the cold milk before blending.

Poured Fondant

500 g sugar

1/2 C water

1/4 C corn syrup

food coloring, optional

2 t clear extract (clear vanilla, almond, lemon, etc.)

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and syrup.

Stir well, insert candy thermometer, and heat on medium high.

Cook to 238° F.

Pour into food processor.

Transfer candy thermometer to food processor.

Let cool to 150° F.

Add food coloring and extracts.

Process 2-3 mins or until mixture is opaque.

Transfer to a large microwave safe bowl.

Use immediately; hardens very quickly.

Can reheat in the microwave to loosen.

Fondant will dry completely.

(All those white chocolate poured fondant recipes are fakes!)

sprinklebakes