Holiday Toffee

This toffee is very versatile, it is the same delicious recipe as the St. Patrick's Day Toffee, I just changed up the colors and candies, using sno-caps nonpareils, holiday M and M's, Christmas sprinkles and red melting candies. Use any pretty and festive candies you find and load it on top for this sweet holiday treat.   I used bittersweet baking chips in this one instead of the milk chocolate bits, you can use either type.

 Here's the full toffee post with step by step directions, just substitute holiday candies and colors: 
 http://rosiescountrybaking.blogspot.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-toffee.html

 

All packaged and ready for gifting:

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Bread

A combination of fresh cranberries, melted white chocolate and white chocolate chips, orange zest and juice, and hazelnuts , doesn't that sound good?  Together, these ingredients make this lovely holiday bread with flavors that literally sing in your mouth (that's what it felt like to me anyway), and aromas that will make you very happy.  You have to try this, or make a bunch of mini loaves to give away as gifts.

Mini loaf

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 oz Baker's white chocolate, melted, slightly cooled

1 stick salted butter, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

 1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

2 tsps pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh whole cranberries

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray generously a 9X5 loaf pan with baking spray, or approximately 4 mini loaves.  In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, blending and scraping sides of bowl to incorporate batter.  Add buttermilk and blend.  Add melted white chocolate, juice, zest and vanilla, blend.  Add flour and blend until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Stir in the cranberries, hazelnuts and white chocolate chips.  Spoon batter into prepared pans.  Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick comes out clean.  For mini pans adjust time accordingly.  Let cool, then invert from pan and serve.
Adapted from Tate's Bakeshop recipe of the month

 

Enjoy!