Sweet Treats

If you know me, you now I drop recipes. If you're new here, take a seat! Go ahead and get comfortable. Lately, I'vebeen going with seasonal things. And sine we're entering the holidays, I've researched treats for your festivities that are just left of ordinary, so ou don't have to. With these, you can impress your friends and intimidate your enemies! Or just throw awesome parties. But if any of that sounds neat, let's get into it!

Frst up, a personal favorite. Fudge Brownies*. Honestly, I make 'em all the time, but the holidays just feels right. For these, you'll need: 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (Or two tbsp. of Cocoa powder.) Add a cup of sugar and half a cup of flour. A pinch of salt is optional. Combine these in a bowl, and in another bowl, put 1/3 cup of melted butter, 2 eggs, and a tsp. of vanilla. Make sure both bowls are well mixed, and pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff. Mix all that well, and pread it into a 9x9 baking pan. Bake that at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (Athough you might wanna check at 18.) Then remove carefully, let it cool, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Everybody knows Caramel Apples, but when's the last time you had Apple Fondue? It's not super hard, but you might wind up with lotsa pots to clean up. You can use stovetop, or a microwave, but I find that a large crockpot can keep several jars of already molten hot. Pick your apples of choice, wash 'em, and slice into wedges. As for your jars, melt soft caramel chews, chocalate chips, or candy melts. Then just dip your favorite apples in your favorite sauce. Have fun!

For the beverage portion, I'm gona start with a Chai Latte.** I'm not sure what that means, but it's awesome! And to embrace that awesome, you'll need a cup of black tea, with an ounce of milk. Once you've brewed your tea and added the milk, while it's still hot, whisk in a half tsp. of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground cardamom, and another quarter teaspoon of ground ginger. Some people add cloves. Don't burn your mouth, but enjoy!

Hd you even heard of Cranberry Cider? Start with 2 quarts of apple cider. Add 6 cups of cranberry juice and a quarter cup of packed brown sugar. To this mixture, you'll add a sliced lemon, two cinnamon sticks, and 1-1/2 teaspoon whole cloves. Bring to a boil on the stove, and then remove carefully. Strain out lemon and spices before serving warm. Enjoy!

This one's a variantion on a classic theme (Pecan pie), but a well-deserved update. Walnut Pie**** You'll start by mixing a cup of white sugar and 3 tbsp. of brown sugar with a cup of corn syrup and 1/3 cup of melted butter. lastly, add a heaping cup of chopped walnuts. You'll pour this into a prepared pie crust, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, checking regularly. Once it's starting to bubble, remove it carefully, let it cool, and enjoy!

*Rachael Ray dot com

**The Kitchen dot com

***Allrecipes

****The Pioneer Woman