HALLIE EPHRON: This year the only store-bought gifts I’m giving are for my grandkids. A necklace for the grandgirl (shhh don't tell her) who, between gymnastics and swimming, loves her bling. It was that or fake nails. No contest.
And a science kit for her younger brother who likes to blow things up.As for the rest of us, do we really need any more “stuff”?
So I’ll be making Lucy’s granola and candied orange peel and... CHOCOLATE TURTLES.
Super-indulgent. Nuts, chocolate, caramel – what’s not to love?
I’m using a recipe I’ve used for years. It involves making caramel, which is not as hard as it looks on Great British Baking.
And you can make it with any kind of nut – I like pecans or almonds or cashews, and I’d love them made with hazelnuts if I could find hazelnuts in the market.
To make 2 dozen turtles
4 cups of nuts
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup light corn syrup
8 T melted unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
24 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Equipment--
Thermometer
2 baking sheets
Lining for the baking sheets(I use a Silpat but you can use wax paper or parchment)
PEPARE THE NUTS
Preheat the oven to 350
Spread 4 cups of the nuts of your choice on 2 baking sheets
Bake for about 15-20 minutes.
Check on them often because I’m guessing on the timing.
Cool the nuts
Chop 1 cup of the toasted nuts (and set side), leaving the rest whole.
MAKE THE CARAMEL
In a medium saucepan, mix brown sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, butter, salt.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly; bring to a boil and cook stirring for about 5 minutes until mixture reaches 240 degrees.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, baking soda.
Add chopped and whole nuts and stir for a minute.
SCOOP MOUNDS
Work fast, scoop 2-tablespoon mounds onto the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat – you’ll end up with about 24 mounds.
Refrigerate until no longer warm.
COAT WITH CHOCOLATE
Melt chocolate until smooth (in the microwave or double boiler)
Coat each caramel mound with chocolate, letting the excess drip off.
Put the chocolate coated mounds back on the prepared baking sheet.
Return to the refrigerator to let chocolate harden.
Store in food storage container and keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to pack them in tins for gifting.
Are you making homemade sweets as Christmas gifts? What are your favorites to get or to give??
These sound delicious, Hallie . . . thanks for the recipe. I shall certainly try them . . . .
ReplyDeleteI think homemade anything is always appreciated . . . I make cookies . . . .
Oh, wow. My mom LOVED turtles. So do I, alas my teeth (crowns) do not love caramel. :-(
ReplyDeleteI know, I know...
DeleteI adore turtles, especially pecans. I often make rum balls to give away, but I might not manage it this year. I still haven't even made one batch of cookies - this weekend, for sure.
ReplyDeleteThese look dangerously delicious. But my husband has to watch his sugar , so I don't even try to make candies. For our neighbors and local friends we shop for the kinds of things we know they will like: cheese, crackers, Port wine, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm big on food gifts - and those choices sound great.
DeleteI love turtles and will keep this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI always bake when we visit our grandsons, usually bringing cookies and mimi-muffins or sweet breads, like chocolate chip zucchini bread.
This week, I baked 3 different types of cookies, some being a bit more work than others. Yesterday, I saw our post-woman and gave her her Christmas card and a full container of at least a dozen of each cookie. She beamed at me!
Most of the rest of those cookies are going with us when we visit our Delaware grandsons. I've been warned not to bring too much because this is birthday season, too. Fine. Irwin and I are quite disciplined and each eat only one or two cookies a day. Some cookies will remain in our freezer well into the new year.
Same with us Judy, cookies in the freezer are doled out one or two at a time...
DeleteCookies in the freezer?? Then just thaw and eat??
DeleteJudy, I want you to know, I made your sweet potato soup recipe for dinner one night. Fabulous recipe! Served it with mashed avocado on crispy crunchy toast.
DeleteThat's great, Elizabeth! The fact that it is vegan (but you can use butter or dollop sour cream) makes it ideal. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteIf I gift food, it is usually small loaves of banana bread using my grandma’s recipe and/or maybe a bag of Chex mix.
ReplyDeleteNo time or energy for that sort of thing this year as we are still unpacking moving boxes. My husband did test the oven temp with a thermometer the other day. It took him 15 or 20 minutes to figure out how to turn the oven off, including finding the user manual online.
I hate when you have to find the manual online!
DeleteMy plan is to make granola and shortbread. Let's see if I execute the plan!
ReplyDeleteWe use the Feathered Pipe Ranch recipe for our granola, but I was curious about Lucy's version, given that is what Hallie is making, so I looked it up online; here's a link to it on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2012/06/lucy-burdettes-good-for-anything.html. The recipes are not radically different.
DeleteI would love your shortbread recipe.
DeleteElizabeth - I've just now seen your request. I'll type it out and paste it here on Saturday!
DeleteElizabeth: here you go! My mother's name was Anne.
DeleteAnne’s Shortbread
the genuine old-fashioned Scottish kind
Mum’s note: “This is made using a food processor — hardly a genuine ancient Scottish tool, but it works a treat because, according to Constance Spry (ancient Brit cooking guru), ‘shortbread needs lightness of hand and nice judgement, for if the ingredients are worked too much together the result is tough and chewy’.”
This is a large recipe — suitable for making at Christmastime so you can give away lots — and is mixed in two batches, then combined in a 9x12” or 9x13” pan (about 1” high).
Time: 1/2 hour to complete two batches; plus baking time: 30-40 mins
Total quantities:
1 lb butter (salted, at room temp)
1 cup sugar
5 cups flour (cake-and-pastry, straight out of the packet)
Mix in two batches of:
8 oz (= 1 cup) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
With steel blade in food processor —
Add butter and process until creamy. Scrape sides with plastic scraper
Add sugar. Process to blend
Add 2 cups flour. Process with quick on/off
Add 1/2 cup flour. Process until blended. Mixture will be somewhat crumbly.
Turn out into pan
Repeat that process with remaining ingredients, then add to the first batch in the pan.
Using your hands, distribute the mixture evenly in the pan, pressing with your fingers. Smooth the top with a plastic scraper or roll using a straight-edged water glass
Prick with a fork every 2 inches
Bake in the middle of the oven at 300 degrees, for 30-40 minutes until a golden colour
Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares (smaller is better). Leave in the pan to cool. When completely cold, store in an airtight container.
Mum’s note: “You must be sure to cook it long enough, til pale golden all over, otherwise it will taste floury not like this shortbread should (one year I had to put it all back into the pan and cook it longer). But the underneath and edges should not be dark brown.”
My note: Mum told me once that she didn’t fuss with getting “good quality” butter and, given the price of butter, I say “thank goodness” to that!
I usually make almond stollen with marzipan and chocolate crinkle cookies.
ReplyDeleteBut I am less motivated to bake this year since my taste & smell has not come back from this third bout of COVID. Four months is a long time...
Grace, I'm so sorry to hear about your ongoing COVID symptoms. For a foodie like you, that is TRAGIC. Hope the new year brings you relief!
DeleteOh, no! I hope they come back soon.
DeleteGrace, I am so very sorry to hear that you still haven't recovered your senses of smell and taste. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. I'm sending healing vibes for your complete recovery!
DeleteWe need to find a way to put a force field around you, Grace, that repels Covid! Sending healing vibes too!
Deleteoh gosh Grace, that's brutal--especially for an amazing foodie like you!
DeleteThat is so sad, Grace!
DeleteSo sorry to hear this, Grace! Fingers crossed they come back soon!
DeleteGrace, I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope they are restored soon . All my best wishes.
DeleteThat looks delicious. I am afraid of hot sugar to caramel recipes. I think I will get burned. I did look for hazelnuts for you and found a company on amazon that offers fair pricing on organic foods, called Yupik. For example dry roasted hazelnuts = $24.99 for 2.2 lbs. You also might try Oregon nut suppliers because that is where they are grown commercially. good luck with the holiday baking.
ReplyDeleteWe usually make gum drop cookies, but this year medical issues have priority.
Coralee, I'm with you on the hot sugar! I once got second degree burns from spilling hot fudge on my leg while making it while wearing shorts.
DeleteThose look really delicious.. and gluten free. I might have to try it!
ReplyDeleteThis is a no from me, Hallie, because what's this mention of gift tins?? There's almost zero possibility that something involving nuts, caramel, and chocolate would survive long enough to make it into a gift tin. My sisters and I used to do cookie swaps at Christmas, but as kids grew older and left home, there were just too many cookies per sister! Nowadays, I make one or two types of cookies for the household and guests to enjoy and peanut butter fudge--some for home and some for one of my nephews who has a sweet tooth for my mom's fudge.
ReplyDeletethe fudge sounds wonderful!
DeleteLucy, it's one of those 'no recipe' items. I learned standing on a chair next to my mom as she made it. It was always our contribution to school holiday parties, and the platter always came home empty!
DeleteThe turtles sound delicious, Hallie. Lucky recipients of your homemade goodies!
ReplyDeleteI used to make cookies, fruitcake, bourbon balls (easy, very chocolatey recipe, if anyone wants it), and roasted and salted pecans to give as gifts. But since we usually spend Christmas with my oldest daughter--who doesn't like ANY of that, I stopped a long time ago. Oh, they like cookies, but they want them from a specific Cincinnati bakery, and don't try to pass off homemade ones as the "real" thing. Fine by me, much less fuss.
Steve and I don't need proximity to tempting goodies, anyway. As it is, we always get two 2-pound boxes of really good chocolates every year: Mrs. See's from our California nieces, and Mitchell's from a Cleveland friend. Plus, some of Steve's customers send us boxes of packaged delicacies. This year one sent us a giant box of bags of gourmet popcorn. Which went home with the college-age grandson. Didn't we used to use popcorn as packing material, back in the day? Oy.
Karen, I would love to have your bourbon ball recipe, please! — Pat S
DeleteWhen I get home in a bit, I'll be happy to share, Pat.
DeleteThis recipe takes no more than 15 minutes as brownies, and it's my go-to, last-minute potluck dish, and always a favorite. The bourbon ball part is also very easy. It's a very rich recipe, so small squares make it go a long way. I've also added cocoa nibs, peppermint chips, orange peel, and almond extract instead of vanilla to this basic recipe for lots of variations.
DeleteMicrowave Brownies
2 squares or envelopes unsweetened chocolate (1 square = 1 ounce)
1/3 cup butter or margarine (I prefer to use butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup unsifted flour (I usually use whole wheat)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped nuts or 1 cup chocolate chips
1. Combine butter and chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
2. Microwave on 50% power for 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar; beat in eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients (I prefer to sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the batter in the pan). Spread batter in lightly oiled (I use Pam cooking spray) 2-quart (8" X 8"—9" X 9") glass baking dish.
3. Microwave at 40% power for 7 minutes.
4. Microwave at 100% power for 3 to 4 minutes, or until puffed and dry on top. Cool until set; cut into bars.
Makes 24 bars, unless you like bigger pieces!
Variation: Bourbon Balls
Make brownies, as above, omitting chocolate chips. As soon as brownies have cooled for a few minutes, break up the cake and crumble a bit, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bourbon. Mix with hands; roll into 1" balls; then roll in powdered sugar. Place in small paper cups.
Makes about three dozen bourbon balls.
Thank you so much, Karen! Now I know at least one dessert I’ll be making in the next few days! — Pat S
DeleteYou are very welcome, Pat. Let me know what you think. I've been making these for close to 45 years!
DeleteOh Hallie! Just tell me how to get on your recipients list? Those turtles look fabulous! I agree, hazelnuts would work well too, and why can't we get any? I used to see them in bags of mixed nuts in the shell, but I haven't seen even them in a while.
ReplyDeleteThose look delicious. I've been afraid to eat caramel since the root canal and associated crown in 2023. Anything overly sticky, in fact, is off my list. Sob.
ReplyDeletespeaking now as one who is slightly toothless, you cut the candy into tiny pieces and melt it into your morning hot beverage. Really works nicely with cocoa.
DeleteCora, I like it!
DeleteYou had me at chocolate, Hallie. I have a friend who loves caramel and pecans. Thanks to you, I now know what I'll be giving her for the holidays this year.
ReplyDeleteThose turtles sound heavenly!!!! This is the first Christmas since we moved to Maine when we won't have our three adult children with us. (Boo Hoo for me...) BUT, I still plan on making a ton of our favorite cookies...bringing some to a party on the 22nd...and freezing some to bring out when two of my three come for a visit.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delicious! Alas, I don’t bake cookies or make any other kinds of treats anymore. It was a favorite hobby for the longest time. And the weight came on! I joined Weight Watchers, attained a healthy weight, continue to maintain it, and decided to leave eating/baking cookies for special occasions. (You are allowed to give me treats, however. I’m just not making my own.)
ReplyDeleteThe smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven brings me back to childhood. It’s the first thing my mom taught me to bake. And it doesn’t seem like Christmas without them. My sister-in-law is baking up a bunch of different cookies to send as gifts! She told me to keep my eyes peeled for the delivery. Happy!
DebRo
This sounds so amazing! How long should it take to stir before it boils? Yum yum yum!
ReplyDeleteI'm not giving sweets because I don't make sweets. It's enough to warm up a can of Campbell's soup or toast an English muffin for me these days so I'm not about to do anything more complicated than that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as getting sweets, I got cookies and a bread loaf from my friend Ann like I do every year. We got together for Early Xmas because she was leaving for her World Tour in mid-November. That's on top of the "regular" awesome gifts of books and CDs that she gave me.
My sister usually makes various cookies and such during the holidays as well as a candy tray. (She buys the candy, but does the artful arranging with some cookies included too). And for Thanksgiving she surprised me with a cherry pie.
Beyond that, since not too many people in my life are the gifting TO me, that's pretty much it as far as sweets or anything else.
However, I'm open to cookies or candy bribery for all you here that just can't resist keeping those ovens filled with dough or stove tops with pans of melted chocolate. Just saying.
I’ve ordered from nuts.com before and been satisfied with their products. https://nuts.com/search/instant?query=hazelnuts
ReplyDeleteI e never made homemade sweets as gifts but every year my son in law makes me a dozen chocolate mice! I once said that as a child I’d looked forward to finding a chocolate mouse in my stocking so he makes them for me. Isn’t that sweet?
ReplyDeleteRhys, I know what chocolate mousse (moose) is, but have never heard of chocolate mice. Please illuminate me. — Pat S
DeleteI might bake some cookies and will probably try some recipes I’ve seen on Facebook, but don’t have time this year for a lot of baking. Like Brenda, we’re still getting settled after moving. Granted, we moved in longer ago than Brenda did, but we’re still unpacking. As a matter of fact, our new couches are arriving today! Back on the topic (or perhaps it’s a mini-theme) of dental issues with caramel, I got a new crown yesterday. The dentist and I were chatting about candies that are hard on dental work and Jujubes came up. She said there’s actually a dental device named “Jujube” that looks exactly like the candy and is used to remove a stuck crown! If that’s not a cautionary tale, I don’t know what is! (Thank you, Hallie, for the turtles recipe!) — Pat S
ReplyDeleteDo they still make jujubes? That's a blast from the past. Gummies aren't nearly as sticky but probably no good either.
DeleteHallie, I don’t know if they still make them. I actually thought my dentist (who’s probably in her early 30s) wouldn’t know what I was talking about! (And I never liked jujubes even when I was a kid because they stuck so badly in your teeth.) — Pat S
DeleteThanks for the recipe! Many of my gifts this year will be sewn or baked (hopefully not in combination for the same thing…) A note on toasting nuts… I find that at 350F, it takes as little as five minutes. Go with your nose; the nuts will be ready when they smell lovely and roasty. Toss or shake them every few minutes. Twenty minutes will probably take them over the line into bitter and burned.
ReplyDeleteExellent point - "Go with your nose" - great advice! Or use a lower heat setting and cook until "done"
DeleteLove homemade sweets. Gingerbread cookies are my favorite. Thank you for the recipe, Hallie!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you clarified caramel wasn't as hard as it seems on The Great British Bake Off, because the contestants are always sweating over it! Who doesn't love home-made sweets for Christmas - I may make a few for my loved ones, too.
ReplyDeleteI usually make cinnamon-vanilla almonds and peanut clusters as gifts. Occasionally I've made caramel corn and that's a big hit. I have seriously cut back on baking for many of the reasons mentioned, weight-watching and sugar. It is so easy to go overboard this time of year. I am not one of those disciplined people who can eat just one cookie! The turtles look way too tasty to be in my house, but thanks for sharing. Maybe one day!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to make caramel corn. Another of those probably not so good for your teeth things but so good especially eaten soon after making.
DeleteThose look delicious, Hallie! Not a big sweet tooth here, and the only thing sweet I've ever made for Christmas gifts was marmalade (using Seville oranges) but I haven't done that in a while. All the sterilizing jars is a pain! Oh, and I've made soup mixes, and Golden Milk. I might have to dig up that recipe, just for myself and my daughter. Speaking of, my daughter would be absolutely thrilled if I would make her a batch of granola! Maybe I will tackle that, if we have some low-humidity days between now and Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI have never made Christmas cookies or candy, but we were talking the other night about making brownies, having seen the contestests make a total disaster of them on GBBO. Problem is, I would eat one, and hubby would eat the rest of the batch, which he, ahem, doesn't need...
I LOVE Lucy's Granola! And you can turn granola into great oatmeal raisin cookies.
DeleteI've added your recipe to my book that's bulging at the seams but this is one I'll have to try. I make Chocolate Chip-Pecan Pumpkin Bread in mini loves and wrap them up this time of year. Also when my adult daughters arrive, we'll spend an entire day baking cookies. We do traditional hershey kiss blossoms, snowballs, chocolate chip, and my youngest daughter makes white oreo sugar cookies with homemade white chocolate frosting (because I don't like chocolate, yup I'm weird). I love this season. Thanks to everyone for sharing recipes!
ReplyDelete