Costco Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%), roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of kosher salt

Combine the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in the chocolate and the cocoa powder mixture; whisk vigorously to combine. Bring to a boil and gently boil for 30 seconds while continuing to whisk. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour this through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any small lumps.

Serve warm with a side of cold whipped cream, unsweetened or lightly sweetened. Pour into small bowls or mugs to serve. Makes 4 servings.

Note: This will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat slowly on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, before serving.

Kirsten's Brownies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
 1/2 cup flour

 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes


 Gluten-free version

 1/2 cup melted butter
 1 tsp vanilla
 2 eggs
 1 cup sugar
 1/3 cup cocoa
 1/2 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
 dash salt

 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

Stuffing

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups dry bread crumbs (about 7 slices cut into cubes)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth (you can leave out the salt and dissolve bullion cubes to make chicken broth--if the bread is very dry you need more liquid.)

Cook onion in butter. Stir seasonings into bread, then stir in onions and butter. Toss with enough liquid to moisten.

Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour, covered.

Chewy Noels

2 tbsp butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Powdered sugar

In a 9x9x2 inch pan, melt butter.

Slightly beat the eggs, then add the vanilla.

Stir together the brown sugar, nuts, flour, baking soda and salt and
add all of that to the eggs.

Carefully pour mixture over butter in pan; do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over
top. Let cool. Dust again with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.

Microwave Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese sweet made with glutinous rice flour. I don't know how close to the actual thing this recipe is, but it's ridiculously tasty, and causes much glee in the creation process (it's highly reminiscent of slightly melted gummi bears in texture).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb glutinous rice flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 cups
• Food coloring, if desired
• Potato starch
  

Directions:

• Butter a large, microwave safe dish.
• Mix rice flour, water, and sugar together in dish with wire whisk until smooth.
• Add food coloring (if desired).
• Cook in microwave on high for 14 minutes.
• Let cool. Use rubber scraper to loosen edges.
• Sprinkle potato starch in another pan. Dump cooked mochi into pan. Sprinkle more potato starch on top (to prevent stickiness).
• Cut into pieces with a plastic knife.

Easy & Delicious Chocolate Pudding

Yes--it's a from-scratch, homemade pudding that is really, really good! I made it for the first time yesterday and was delighted with the results :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon into individual serving dishes. Chill until serving.
• Yield: 6-8 servings.

Best Fruit Salad

Cut into bite-size pieces:

Kiwis
Bananas

Add:

Frozen raspberries
Whole grapes (we like red or purple)

Mix it all together and let it sit for a few minutes. The frozen raspberries will thaw while cooling the other fruits to a pleasant temperature. The salad will be delicious.