Candied Maraschinos

16 oz jar maraschino cherries
3/4 C or 150 g sugar

In a small pot, pour about 1/4 C maraschino juice.

Pour sugar into the center of the pot.

Turn heat to low.

Once sugar is mostly melted, add strained cherries.

Let simmer 40 mins or until 230-240.

Strain and let cherries cool.

kingarthurbaking

Hot Cocoa Mix

290 g powdered milk

260 g powdered sugar

105 g Dutch process cocoa

1 t salt (original uses 2)
2 t corn starch

1/4 t cayenne (original uses 1/8)

Toast powdered milk at 300 for 10 mins or until edges are golden.

Let cool 10 mins.

In a food processor, blend milk.

Blend in cayenne and cinnamon if using; these are bigger granules.

Blend in sugar and cocoa to distribute evenly.

Heat water to 200.

In a tall mug, weigh out 40 g cocoa mix.

Pour 1-2 oz water and whisk until uniform.

Pour in 4-5 oz water.

Froth; this can make a mess if you're not careful.

If making several servings at once, combine and froth in a large bowl.

Alton Brown

Note:

Can double cayenne to 1/2 t and add 1 T cinnamon.

These are big particles; strain cocoa.

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

16 oz whole milk

8 oz water

3 T cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)

2 T sugar

In the milk frother, pour water to min line.

Settle pitcher in base and add milk until 1 cm below max.

Set temp to 155 and froth.

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, salt, cayenne, 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