Why not have this nice little something extra on the breakfast table for your family on Christmas morning! They might even eat the darn things before ripping into all their presents. OK, probably not. But they are sure to take bits in between clawing at the gifts.

Ingredients:
1 cup eggnog
8 slices crusty bread, such as French or Italian
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, orange slices, cranberries

Directions:
1. Pour eggnog into shallow glass dish. Dip bread slices to coat.

2. Working in batches, heat oil in skillet. Add bread; brown on both sides, 3 minutes per side.

3. Dust with sugar. Serve with warm syrup, orange and cranberries.

This would be a great easy and inexpensive gift to give out this holiday season. Cause everybody loves fudge. And the people who say they don’t . . . well . . . they’re either lying or are a freak of nature. You can decided which every one you want to believe.

Ingredients:
2 bags (12 oz. each) white-chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Line an 80-square pan with foil. In a saucepan over low heat, stir and melt chips, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Remove from heat and stir in fruit. Spread evenly in pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

These look adorable on any holiday table or Christmas buffet. The kids are immediately drawn to them and adults just have to know what is in these cute little puffy treats.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces white chocolate, melted with 1 teaspoon shortening
1/2 cup finely chopped candy canes

Directions:
1. Stir together flour and salt in medium-size bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg. Beat in peppermint and vanilla extracts.

3. On low speed, beat in flour mixture. Shape dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

4. Heat oven to 375 F. Coat baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls for a total of 36 cookies; place on prepared baking sheets.

6. Bake at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. When cool, brush with melted white chocolate; dip in chopped candy canes. Let harden on waxed paper.

This is a great recipe if you are looking what to make for people. You can put it in a decorative tin and give them out as homemade gifts. Of place it in your homemade gift baskets. Or, heck, just make it for yourself to eat cause you deserve to treat yourself too right.

Ingredients:
Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
2 pounds white chocolate
Peppermint flavorings, optional

Directions:
Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

The only special equipment you are going to need for this recipe that wil get you in the fall season is a candy thermometer. And if you do not have one you can fins hem for under $5 at your local Walmart store.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin or apple pie spice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree, room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Line an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Brush the sides, but not the bottom lightly with butter and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds in the bottom.

Whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, pie spice, lemon juice, and salt together in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan. Brush down the sides on the saucepan with water to remove every grain of sugar. Set the candy thermometer into the sugar. Cook the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the firm ball stage, 248 degrees F, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Carefully stir in the pumpkin puree. Return to the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Pour the caramel over the pumpkin seeds in the prepared pan. Smooth to an even layer. Cool to room temperature.

When fully cooled peel from the waxed paper or foil and cut into 24 (1-inch) squares. Wrap individually in parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

This recipe is courtesy from Alton Brown. You know the guy who hosts the Good Eats and the Iron Chef on Food Network. Yeah, I love Alton Brown too. He gives some delicious recipes with some humor. If you’ve never seen Good Eats, one of my favorite shows, I suggest you tune into the Food Network channel on weeknights at 8pm.

Ingredients:
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions:
Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

I always like to bring a little something when I got to the family’s for Thanksgiving dinner. And what I usually bring is some kind of dessert dish cause . . . well . . . that’s what i want to bring. This year I think I am going to try this recipe out. Hopefully everyone will like it.

Ingredients:
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
35 Caramels
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped Pecans
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 square Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

Directions:
1. Mix crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

2. Place caramels and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until caramels are completely melted when stirred, stirring after each minute. Stir in pecans. Reserve 1/2 cup of the caramel mixture for topping. Drizzle remaining caramel mixture evenly onto bottom of crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over caramel mixture in crust.

4. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

5. Top with reserved caramel mixture just before serving. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Well, the Christmas season is fast approaching and you will start to see an abundance of Christmas related recipes posted on this blog as well as pictures, pictures and more pictures!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Premium White Baking Chocolate
12 hard peppermint candies, crushed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Blend in semi-sweet chocolate.

2. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into 52 balls. Roll each ball into 3-inch-long rope. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheet, bending top of each slightly to resemble a candy cane.

3. Bake10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned; cool 5 min. on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Microwave white chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Let stand until chocolate is firm

I am bring you this last Halloween recipe for the year. It’s something you can make before the trick or treaters come knocking at your door and you can munch on it while your passing out the candy.

Ingredients:
8 oz white chocolate baking chips or morsels
4 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal or 2 cups of each
2 cups bite-size pretzel twists
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup candy corn

Directions:
1. In large microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

2. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn.

3. Spread on waxed paper or foil until cool and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

Yes that right. I am bring you another cheesecake recipe. Why? Cause cheesecake may just be the best thing in the world. OK that’s debatable but it is in the top 20 best things in the world!

Ingredients:
18 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
1 square Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 tsp. butter or margarine

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or 325°F if using a dark 9-inch nonstick springform pan). Mix cookie crumbs and 2 Tbsp. butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Set aside.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

3. Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center is almost set; cool slightly. Carefully spread sour cream over top of cheesecake. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.

4. Place chocolate and 1 tsp. butter in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM 30 sec.; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle over cheesecake in spiral pattern. Starting at center of cheesecake, pull a toothpick through lines from center of cheesecake to outside edge of cheesecake to resemble a spider’s web. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.