Fondue

Who doesn't love fondue? Well, I am a fan and ever since I visited The Melting Pot in SLC I have been hooked on this stuff. I have gone through several recipes to find the right dipping sauces for the fondue. Here I will post all the different sauces I have loved and what to dip in them. Although I may recommend certain things to dip in the sauce...by all means...dip whatever your heart desires!

Green Goddess Dip (good with any vegetable, really good on the mushroom caps)

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into slices
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives

In a microwave-safe container, microwave cream cheese and milk for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking after each minute, until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
Stir in sour cream, onion, parsley and chives.
Refrigerate until cold.

Hoisin Dipping Sauce (Good with chicken or fish)

1/4 cup lime juice1/2 cup hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons ketchup In a small bowl whisk together hoisin sauce, ketchup, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

These others you just mix the ingredients and serve.

Curry Sauce: (great with chicken, but I was dipping everything in this)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Mustard Sauce: (great with meats)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced

Onion-Horseradish Sauce: (good with steak)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Here are a number of good ideas for dippers:

Meats: Chicken, beef, fish, lobster, shrimp, crab, pork.

Vegetables that you can cook in a broth then dip: Broccoli, potatoes (cut these suckers small, they take the longest to cook), zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, mushrooms

Dippers for cheese fondue: Besides a selection of breads, you can serve it with cherry tomatoes; grapes; chunks of celery and carrot; cubes of meat; lightly steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus; apple and pear wedges; or any other vegetable or fruit that's in season and tastes good with cheese (hint: almost EVERYTHING tastes good with cheese!).

Good dippers for chocolate sauce: Strawberries, banana slices*, pineapple chunks, mandarin orange segments, fresh orange slices, apple wedges*, grapes, melon balls, papaya wedges*, maraschino cherries, fresh pitted Bing cherries, kiwifruit slices, fresh coconut chunks, pound cake cubes, ladyfingers, miniature cream puffs, miniature doughnuts, marshmallows, pretzels, angel food cake cubes and vanilla wafers.

All the fruits followed by a * should be dipped in lemon juice after cutting to prevent oxidation.

Couple tips:

I have made all different cheese fondues and seriously, if you go to the fancy cheese section at the store (usually near the ready made sandwiches) you can find a box for cheese fondue that all you have to do is heat up. It is really good and saves you a lot of time and effort.

You should have an electric fondue pot to cook in the broth, you can do it with a good flame but it does take longer and you have to make sure you keep the batches of food small so the broth doesn't have to take 10 minutes to heat up again (which usually results in very hungry participants).

Enjoy!

Caramels

This is a really good caramel recipe. I just wrap them all in wax paper and wah-lah! Yummy caramels for all!

2 C. white sugar
1 1/2 C. corn syrup
2 C. heavy cream
1 C butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Butter a 9X13 dish
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup cream and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then stir in remaining 1 cup cream. Heat, without stirring, to 242 degrees F (116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour into prepared dish. Refrigerate.
3. When cool, return candies to room temperature then cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in waxed paper.

The BEST Hot Chocolate (Ever)

My mother-in-law gives me a frozen gift every Christmas. It's hot chocolate. Well, actually, it's a frozen chocolate mixture that you put into a mug of steaming milk, and once stirred together, makes the best hot chocolate that you have ever tasted in your entire life. Here's how you make it.

6 sq. unsweetened chocolate OR about 2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (It's a little too sweet for me with the chips because of the amount of sugar put in, I either reduce the sugar amount and use chips, or, use the squares. )

2 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. water
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 pint whipping cream

Combine water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and let boil for 3 1/2 min. without stirring. (If you hate not stirring, don't worry, nothing bad will happen if you give it a stir or two. But no more than three.) Remove from heat, add chocolate. Let it all melt down. Cool to room temperature. Add vanilla. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold together. If you like the marbly look and taste, then don't go bananas stirring. If you want it totally blended together, mix with beaters on the lowest speed. Freeze. (stores in freezer)

When ready to eat, heat mugs of milk by warming milk either in microwave or on the stovetop. Put in two or three spoonfuls of chocolate mixture and stir.

Sometimes I can't stop drinking this stuff. The frozen mixture blended with steaming milk is the most delicious combination. A rich, frothy, creamy layer is created on the surface of the drink that is TO DIE FOR.

Holiday Magic

I just have to start off my recipe sharing with this delectable pumpkin bread. I got this recipe from my Aunt Jessie when I was still in high school. We'd visited her and I couldn't stop eating the stuff! It's SO good. Here goes:

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

5 eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

2 c. flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

2 boxes (3 oz) cook & serve vanilla pudding 

2 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs. Add oil & pumpkin and beat. Combine remaining ingredients, gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Pour batter into 2 greased regular loaf pans, or 5 greased small loaf pans. (5" x 2.5" x 2") Bake for 70-80 minutes in 2 normal pans, or 50-55 minutes for 5 small pans. 

Notes:  I have never tried the 5 pan option, although I think that is what my aunt usually does. I also have wondered about trying to substitute some of the oil with applesauce, but have never tried it. The recipe originally called for 1 1/4 c. oil, but I found it was much too oily as a finished loaf. I reduced to 1 c. and it worked great. If anyone tries the applesauce option, let me know how it goes! Also, I find that my oven bakes faster than most recipes' suggested time-- so I put 70-80 minutes down instead of 75-80 as the recipe says. Good luck! 

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

So I thought I would start with a yummy cookie recipe. Who doesn't like cookies especially chocolate ones!! This is from my awesome Hershey's best loved recipes book. If you like chocolate then you would enjoy this book. We make these cookies all the time.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. (12oz pkg)semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in lg. bowl on med. speed until creamy. Add eggs, beat well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir choc chips and nuts, if you like. Drop by tsp. onto ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 8-10 min. or until set. Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire racks.
6. Enjoy!!

Creation

Yes!! A recipe blog. I have been thinking about this for awhile. But finally, it is becoming a reality! 

I must say that this is a hopeful venture. I am doing this under the belief that I will be a regular contributor. I really wish I could cook a great meal every single night! That does not happen these days. But one day it will. And by then I will have collected zillions of recipes and will be set for life. Mr. Grant will be very pleased! 

Bring on the recipes!