Easy to Make, Fun to Give!
Spiced Chocolate Fudge, Roasted Spiced Chick Peas, Sweet & Spicy Pecans, and Spiced Chocolate Biscotti
Some of the best gifts are those made by hand with lots of love. Here are 4 hostess or holiday gifts you can easily make, put into treat bags or boxes, and tie with a beautiful bow.
Enjoy!
Spiced Chocolate Fudge
Spiced Chocolate Fudge
I have childhood memories of my mother making fudge the old-fashioned way - cooking it on the stove top. This version takes that recipe and updates it with THE JAVA for a wonderful mix of chocolate with a low-key spice finish. The best way to enjoy it is in small bites. The first bite lets you know this is not ordinary fudge. The second bite allows you to experience the flavor of the spice with the chocolate and the pleasantness of the gentle heat will stay on your tongue for a few minutes. This fudge makes a special hostess gift for any time of the year, or a special holiday gift for your favorite chocolate lover!
Ingredients:
2 cups of sugar
6 oz unsweetened chocolate (broken into small pieces)
1 cup of whole milk
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons of THE JAVA
Preparation:
Combine sugar, chocolate, milk and salt in a large sauce pan. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium heat and simmer until mixture reaches the softball stage (238 degrees). It could take 20 minutes to get to this point, but frequent checking is necessary because it can turn quickly. Remove from heat. Add butter and THE JAVA but do not stir. When cool, add vanilla, stir all ingredients together and keep stirring until the mixture loses its gloss. When thick and the gloss is gone, place in a lightly buttered 9x9 square pan to continue cooling. Refrigerate. When set, cut into small squares. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. When serving, let fudge sit and return to room temperature first.
Roasted Spiced Chick Peas
Roasted Spiced Chick Peas
This is so easy you will do it all year long just to keep them handy for snacking and adding to salads.
Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can of Chick Peas
1 tablespoons of THE JERK. (This is our favorite because you can taste the fruity undertones of this blend, but THE ORIGINAL will work too.)
1 tablespoons of olive or avocado oil
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Rinse and drain chick peas. Place on one end of a clean kitchen towel and bring the other end over the top. Gently rub the peas to remove moisture and the loose outer “skin” of the peas. Place in a small mixing bowl and add the spice and oil. Gently stir till all the peas are evenly coated. Place on a baking pan covered with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. You want the peas to feel “solid” and not become mush when you press one between your finger and thumb. If they need more time, put them in for 10 more minutes. Make sure not to over bake as that will burn the spice. Cool in the pan and then store in an airtight container.
If you like a VERY spicy flavor, add the spice to your taste.
Sweet & Spicy Pecans
Sweet & Spicy Pecans
This is a holiday favorite and one every hostess loves to receive. As with other recipes, if you want more intense heat, feel free to add more spice. We use Vermont Maple Syrup because…well, we live in Vermont and think it’s the best!
Ingredients:
2 cups of raw pecans (halves)
1/2 cup of Vermont Maple Syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of THE ORIGINAL
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Preparation:
Combine syrup, sugar, butter and salt in a sauce pan. Bring to boil over a medium high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until it thickens, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in spice and remove from heat and cool slightly.
Place pecans in a bowl. Pour syrup mixture over nuts and stir until they are all coated. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, making sure they are all separated. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, checking to make sure the nuts do not burn. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet. Store in airtight container.
Spiced Chocolate Biscotti
Spiced Chocolate Biscotti
Biscotti looks harder to make than it really is and results in a cookie that is beautiful to gift. Because biscotto is usually dipped in coffee to eat, placing them in a pretty mug is a fun way to present it as a gift.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon of THE ROJO
2 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of 72% dark chocolate chips
Turbinado sugar
Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until completely mixed. Add the vanilla, cocoa powder and THE ROJO and mix until blended. Add flour and baking powder until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide dough into 4 parts. Take each part and shape it into a 10” long, 2” wide, 1” tall log and place on a baking sheet. 2 logs on each baking sheet works best. Sprinkle sugar on the top of each log. Gently pat into dough.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from over and very carefully move to a cooling rack using a large spatula. Cool for 5 minutes. move carefully to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice the logs diagonally, about 3/4 inch wide slices.
Place the slices back on the baking sheet with one side of the slice on the sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. Remover from oven and turn over each slice. Return to the oven and bake for another 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and fully cool before storing.
