A Moment's Reflection: Making & Baking

I wish I had taken more photos of the Christmas creations, but I suppose I was too busy being in the middle of it all!

My niece was able to come home from Army boot camp for two weeks for the holidays.

I talked her into coming and spending some "quality" time with me... and then got her to roll a couple hundred peanut butter balls (for buckeyes) for me!

(What was I thinking? I am still trying to get those things outta the kitchen without eating them all myself!!)

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

She's such a trooper. And a perfectionist!

Here she is rolling the little caramels that get smashed between pecans for my

Cappuccino-Pecan nuggets (those were yummy! More of 'em next year)

And this yummy stuff wraps around them before their chocolate bath...

Cappuccino Pecan Nuggets

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee (dry)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped
12 anilla or chocolate caramels
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon whipping (heavy) cream
72 large pecan halves (1 1/2 cups)
10 to 12 ounces milk or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons shortening
Instant espresso coffee (dry)

1. Line square pan, 8x8x2 or 9x9x2 inches, with aluminum foil, leaving 1 inch of foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan; spray with cooking spray.
2. Heat brown sugar, 1 tablespoon coffee and the milk to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in candy coating until melted. Pour into pan. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until firm. Remove mixture from pan, using foil edges to lift. Cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.
3. Heat caramels, chocolate chips and whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is melted and smooth. Refrigerate uncovered about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until mixture holds its shape and is cool enough to handle.
4. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. For each nugget, roll 1/2 teaspoon caramel-chocolate mixture into ball; press between 2 pecan halves and flatten slightly. Shape 1 square coffee mixture evenly around pecan cluster; roll between hands to form ball. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
5. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Melt baking chocolate and shortening in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip 1 nugget at a time into chocolate mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle coffee over some of the nuggets. Drizzle remaining melted chocolate over some of the nuggets if desired. Refrigerate about 10 minutes or just until set. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

And here's some of the finished product...

I made some chocolate-peppermint truffles as well, but I'm still working on that recipe. Ended up being WAY too minty. But yummy. And would be a good dessert after a garlicky meal ;)

Oh, and here is our official taste-tester trying out her very first "real" chocolate Christmas goodie... a Buckeye.

I think she approves :)

And here she is decorating her own cookie :)

(I hid the tray of Buckeys & replaced it with a gluten-free pumpkin cookie with cream cheese/honey frosting and naturally dyed sprinkles... and she loved it!)