Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

These peppermint candy cane meringue kisses are the perfect little melt-in-your-mouth treat for after dinner. They are small so you can’t eat just one.

My mom had only one brand of candy cane that she’d buy; they had to be Bobs. As a self-professed candy cane connoisseur, she said they were the best because they were made with all-natural peppermint and, while I never did a taste test, I trusted her judgement. After all, she had grown up with Bobs.

Bobs Candies – no apostrophe because it is plural not possessive – was a family business which was started back in 1919 by Bob MacCormack and Bob Mills. Innovations included the Keller machine, invented by McCormack’s brother-in-law, Father Harding Keller, which perfected the twisting and cutting of candy canes, giving them their signature spiral stripes.

According to the Georgia encyclopedia, the company also began wrapping their candy canes in cellophane, making them the first candy maker to do so. This simple but effective move helped preserve freshness and appeal to a growing market. 

Growing up, we always had a box or two of Bobs candy canes, shrink wrapped in cellophane to eat/hang on the tree, so I made sure to continue the tradition in my own family. 

What this means though is that at the end of the holidays, when the tree comes down, there are always a few candy canes that missed getting eaten. These candy cane meringue kisses make perfect use of them! (Here's a tip: Homemade kisses are a perfect Valentine's Day gift.)

Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

This recipe makes about 6 dozen bite-sized kisses or about 4 dozen larger ones. You can drop the mixture by small spoonsful on to the baking pans but if you have a piping bag, the process is much neater. If you are making the bite-sized ones, like I did, you will need to bake them in two batches. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup or 150g granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup or 50g crushed candy canes, plus extra for decorating

Method

Preheat your oven to 225°F or 107°C. Adjust two racks so that they are in the upper-middle and lower-middle position.

Line 2 baking pans with baking parchment or silicone liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and whisk to combine.

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer on medium-low speed, until the mixture is foamy, about 1 minute.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and whip until the whites are soft and fluffy.

Gradually, add the sugar mixture while the mixer is running, and whip until the whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes.

Gentle fold in the 1/3 cup crushed candy canes.

Use a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip to make 1 1/4 in or 3 cm wide meringue kisses on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about an inch or 2cm apart.

Sprinkle with more crushed candy canes.

Bake the meringue kisses for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, and let the meringues sit in the oven for an additional 1 hour (or 2 hours, if in humid or rainy conditions). 

Remove the kisses from the oven, and let them cool before serving, about 10 minutes.

Keep meringues crispy by storing extras in an airtight container, especially if you live in a humid area. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing peppermint recipes. Check out all the links below! 

• Candy Cane Meringue Kisses from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Peppermint and Chocolate Chip Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Hot Chocolate With After Eight Peppermint from Sneha's Recipe
• Mint Chocolate Cookies (Biscuits) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Painted Peppermint Cookies from Culinary Cam
• Peppermint Patty Surprise Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Candy Cane Meringue Kisses! 

.

Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato

Buttery golden zucchini with bacon pangrattato is a great combination of tender and crunchy making this dish one of our favorite sides. I have been known, in fact, to make a meal of it!

During the summer, when the zucchini abounds in our local honesty boxes and farm stands, I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it. While searching, I came across a Nigel Slater recipe online that sounded interesting. For the record, I love Nigel Slater and, in my book, he can do no wrong. 

HOWEVER, in the instance of this recipe, Nigel was clearly, ahem, mistaken. He called the breadcrumb topping gremolata! You and I both know that gremolata is an Italian condiment consisting of chopped parsley mixed with lemon zest and garlic. And it would be very tasty sprinkled on some zucchini but what Nigel actually made was a pangrattato! Because breadcrumbs. 

Potaytoe, potahtoe. Still delicious. 

Zucchini with Bacon Pangrattato

I use the very handy real bacon crumbles I buy in Costco for this dish but it’s never crispy enough, hence the extra frying step. If your bacon is already cooked extra crispy, you can skip that. Just put the bacon and butter in the pan and add the rosemary and garlic right away. This recipe is adapted from the one I found online (link above) but it is originally from Nigel’s 2013 book, Eat, The Little Book of Fast Food.

Ingredients

1/3 cup or 40g crumbled cooked bacon

2-3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 short sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic

Several sprigs parsley

About 1 oz or 28g day-old bread

zest small lemon

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

3 medium zucchini, approximate weight 340g

Method

Slice some day-old bread thinly. 

I like to use baguettes because they get pretty hard the same day I buy them. This pangrattato is the perfect way to use a stale baguette up that might otherwise be thrown away.

Cut the slices up in to smaller bits and pulse them in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. 

Pull the leaves off of the rosemary and parsley sprigs and mince them and the garlic finely. Zest the lemon. 

In a large skillet, fry the bacon with one tablespoon of butter, until it gets crispy.

Add the minced rosemary and garlic. 

Stir for a minute or two then add the fresh breadcrumbs. 

Add more butter if the crumbs look dry. Let these cook until golden, turning them regularly, then toss in the minced parsley and the lemon zest. 

Season generously with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. When all is crisp and golden, remove from the pan and wipe it with a paper towel. 

Trim the ends off of the zucchini and then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut each half in diagonal pieces. 

Sauté them in the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and some butter until they are golden on all sides. 

Season well with salt and pepper. 

Pile them in a serving bowl.

Top with a generous helping of the bacon pangrattato. 

Store any leftover pangrattato in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Enjoy! 

Whew! That’s a wrap on our Alphabet Challenge for 2024! This is the 26th edition, brought to you by the letter Z. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Z recipes below:

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Easy Ziti Bake
• Culinary Cam: Zabaglione alle Mandorle
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Zuppa Toscana
• Blogghetti: Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
• Food Lust People Love: Zucchini with Bacon Pangrattato
• Sneha’s Recipe: Zucchini Balls & Chicken Bake -Keto
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Kolokithipites
• A Messy Kitchen: Zucchini Jam
• Magical Ingredients: Zhoug Zalouk Paratha Pockets
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Zesty Italian Balsamic Baked Oyster Crackers
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Za’atar Swirls

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge 

Y. Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas 

Z. Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato - this post!

Pin this Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato!

 .

Spiced Hot Toddies

The perfect cozy beverage for chilly evenings, especially around the holidays, these spiced hot toddies are made with lemon, honey and whiskey. 

Theories abound regarding the invention of the hot toddy, a comforting drink made of lemon, honey or sugar, whisky and hot water. The most likely one is that they originated in India and were brought to Great Britain during the time that the British controlled that country. 

According to dictionary.com notes, in the 1610s, the Hindi word “taddy” meant “beverage made from fermented palm sap.” By 1786, taddy was officially written down and defined as “beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices.”

The hot toddy made its way north and west and gained appeal not only as a warming drink but also as a cure or at least reliever of the common cold, especially in cold climates. 

Historically a hot toddy is made with whisky but nowadays you can find recipes with rum, brandy and other liquors. You’ll notice that I spelled whiskey with an e in the title of this post. That’s because whisky without one comes from Scotland and whiskey with one is made in the US, which is my preference.

Spiced Hot Toddies

Yep, bourbon whiskey, specifically Bulleit, is what I used in these drinks but feel free to choose your favorite tipple for your own hot toddy! The amounts below make one drink but they are easily doubled for two.

Ingredients

¾ cup or 180ml water

1 ½ oz or 45ml whiskey

2 to 3 teaspoons honey, to taste

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste

1 lemon slice

1 cinnamon stick

Method

In a kettle or a small pot, bring the water to a simmer. Pour the hot water into a mug.

Add the whiskey, 2 teaspoons honey and 2 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir with the cinnamon stick until the honey has dissolved into the hot water. 

Taste and add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, and/or 1 teaspoon more lemon juice for more zing, if needed.

Add the lemon slice and leave the cinnamon stick in the mug. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes to spread Christmas cheer! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below.

• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Gingerbread Mule 
• Mayuri's Jikoni: Homemade Pear Cider 
• Sneha's Recip: Homemade Rice Wine 
• Food Lust People Love: Spiced Hot Toddies 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: The Sugar Plum Cocktail 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Winter White Cosmopolitan

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Spice Hot Toddies!

.

Lassy Raisin Bread #BreadBakers

This Lassy Raisin Bread is made with molasses, whence comes the name. It is a classic recipe from Newfoundland, often enjoyed during the holidays. It's a lovely soft loaf that is delicious plain and even better toasted and buttered!

The end of the year has snuck up on me and I can’t imagine I’m the only one who feels that way. I was determined to find time to bake bread for this final Bread Bakers event though because I have finally figured out where to buy fresh yeast here in Houston (YAY!) and I just love how it smells and tastes in freshly baked bread. 

I chose to make this particular loaf because 1. My husband loves raisin bread, especially when it’s toasted and buttered and 2. this month my Bread Baker friends and I are sharing holiday breads from around the world. 

There are probably as many recipes for Newfoundland lassy or molasses bread as we have neighbors to my very north, but one thing they all have in common is the requisite molasses, generally the milder unsulphured kind, and raisins. The traditional loaves are shaped by making three balls of the dough and placing them in a row in a bread pan. 

Lassy Raisin Bread

My recipe is adapted from one on Rock Recipes which makes a very impressive FOUR loaves. They really, really love their lassy raisin bread! And once you've tried a slice, you'll see why.

Ingredients

1/4 cup or 60ml lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast or 20g fresh yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 - 3 cups or 312-375g flour, plus extra for kneading

1/3 cup or 80ml lukewarm milk

1/4 cup or 60ml molasses

5 teaspoons cooled melted butter, plus extra for brushing the baked loaf, optional

1 egg, beaten lightly

3/4 cup or 100g raisins

Method

In the bowl of an electric mixer that has a dough hook, stir the yeast and brown sugar into the lukewarm water and then let stand without stirring for 10 minutes. It should get nice and fluffy if your yeast is alive.

Add in 1 cup or 125g of the flour along with the salt, butter, warm milk and the beaten egg.

Using the regular paddle of your electric mixer, mix slowly for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Whoops, almost forgot our namesake molasses! Add that in and beat again. 

Switch to the dough hook at this point and begin to slowly incorporate the remaining flour. 

You may not need to use all of the flour. This is a soft dough that’s supposed to be a little sticky.  

Add the raisins at this point and continue to mix with the bread hook until the raisins are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Place the dough in a large bowl and cover the bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel. 

Leave it to rest and rise for two hours. 

Punch the dough down and knead it for a few minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface.

Divide the dough into three even pieces. I use my scale here to weigh the whole dough then divide by three. My dough weighed 760g so each ball weighed about 253g. Form each piece into a nice round ball. 

Line a medium loaf pan with baking parchment. (Mine was 9 x 5 in or 23 x 13cm.) 

Place the 3 balls of dough in your prepared loaf pan. 

Cover with greased cling film and allow the dough to rise until it is about 2 inches or 5cm above the rim of the pan, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, depending on room temperature. 

[As you can see from the photo, pretty sure I overproved mine, making a strategical error when I decided I had time to nip out to the grocery store for salmon. Reader, as it turned out, I did not. While I was disappointed in the outside looks of this wonderful bread, the flavor and soft, tender crumb consoled me.]

Bake at 350°F or 180°C for about 40 minutes. The top and bottom crust should have good color. I tented mine halfway through with foil because it was browning so quickly. Check on yours in case you might want to do the same. 

Once baked, turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool. 

Brush the top with melted butter, if desired, to soften the top crust. Also, more butter is always better was one of my mom's rules. She was a very clever woman.

Leave to cool completely before slicing to serve. I'm trying to think of it as "rustic," not misshapen.

Enjoy! 

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which, as I mentioned above, means it’s time for my Bread Bakers to share their recipes. Many thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting and for choosing this lovely theme. Check out all the international holiday breads below. 

• Passion Kneaded: Christopsomo (Greek Christmas Bread) 
• A Messy Kitchen: Joululimppu 
• The Wimpy Vegetarian: Julekake : A Norwegian Christmas Bread 
• Food Lust People Love: Lassy Raisin Bread 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Laufabraud 
• Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Sourdough bobalki (Slovak Christmas eve bread) 
• Sneha's Recipe: Vánočka/Vanocka - Czech Christmas Bread 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Venezuelan Christmas Ham Bread - Pan de Jamón

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin this Lassy Raisin Bread! 

.