Jesus is the reason for the season

Hot Chocolate Bombs

December 17, 2021 meghanewhite

Hot chocolate bombs are the bomb. Pun intended. These gorgeous spheres of hot cocoa goodness explode with marshmallows and chocolate when hot milk is poured over them. It’s satisfying to watch the chocolate melt and reveal all the deliciousness from inside the bomb.

I’m late to the game with this fun treat. Hot chocolate bombs are so 2020. I say better late than never. I love trying new things, and I was determined to make these bombs. It was trial and error for me. I made some mistakes with my first batch, and improved my technique with my second go round.

I am not an expert on making hot chocolate bombs. I am a complete novice. If I can make them, you can make them too! The one thing you absolutely need is a silicone mold. I got mine from Amazon. There are ways to make bombs without molds, but I don’t have experience with that. I’m sharing the simple way I made them.

Hot chocolate bombs are delicious. The milk makes the cocoa extra creamy and flavorful. They make lovely homemade gifts. Who wouldn’t enjoy a ball of chocolate filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows that you made for them? Hot chocolate bombs are a fun unique treat to make and share. Make some today!

Happy Eating!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Yield: 3 hot chocolate bombs (2 ½ inch sized)

Equipment

silicone 2 ½ inch semi sphere mold

parchment paper

pastry brush

latex gloves (optional)

saucepan

heat proof bowl

cupcake liners

rubber spatula

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Ingredients

6 ounces chocolate almond bark

3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix

¾ cup mini marshmallows

sprinkles, crushed candy canes, chocolate chips (for filling)

3 cups hot milk for serving

Instructions

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or use a double boiler.
Add one tablespoon of the melted chocolate to each silicone sphere. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly in each mold, or use a small brush to paint the chocolate in the mold. Another method is to take the silicone mold with the melted chocolate and rotate it around until each sphere is evenly coated. Then place the mold upside down on parchment to let the excess chocolate run out.
Place the chocolate filled molds in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Repeat the process with one more layer of melted chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully remove each sphere from the silicone mold.
Heat a small teflon coated pan over medium heat for a couple minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Place each sphere on the surface of the warmed pan for a few seconds to smooth out the edges. This will help when you seal up your bombs.
Using a measuring cup, place one chocolate sphere on top to hold it in place as you fill it. Add 1 tablespoon of hot chocolate mix in the sphere. Then add about ¼ cup of mini marshmallows. You can also add crushed candy canes, or sprinkles. Just keep the edges clear so you can seal up your bomb.
To seal the hot chocolate bomb heat the small frying pan again, just enough to warm it. Place the chocolate sphere in the pan for a few seconds and then carefully place it on top of the filled sphere. Gently press down to seal the edges. Put the completed bomb on the backside of a muffin pan to let it set up. Muffin pans turned over are great holders for hot chocolate bombs.
Decorate with drizzled chocolate and sprinkles.
Heat 1 cup of milk just until hot, not boiling. Place one bomb in a large mug. Pour hot milk over the top of your hot chocolate bomb and watch it open up with marshmallows. Stir and enjoy!

Storage of Hot Chocolate Bombs

Keep your bombs in an airtight container at room temperature. They last for several weeks.

Use Gloves

To keep fingerprints off your chocolate use latex gloves when handling your chocolate bombs.

Tips on Chocolate

Baking chocolate bars, and chips can be used. These will need to be tempered.

The easiest chocolate to use is compound chocolate (almond bark, chocolate candy melts). You just melt the compound chocolate in the microwave, or in a double boiler and it’s ready. No tempering.

How to Temper Chocolate

Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Do this several times. It should be mostly melted, but there will still be pieces that are unmelted. Take it out of the microwave and stir until smooth and melted. To test if your chocolate is tempered pour a small amount of chocolate on a piece of parchment and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. If it’s shiny and breaks in half easily, it’s tempered. If it’s soft or dull it’s not tempered. To fix this, add a bit more chocolate and stir until it’s melted, or re-heat for a few seconds in the microwave until melted and smooth.

How to Use a Double Boiler

Place a small heatproof bowl filled with chocolate over a simmering pot of water. The bowl should not touch the water, but fit over the opening of the pot. The steam will melt the chocolate beautifully. Stir as the chocolate begins to melt until smooth.

I hope you make these fun, yummy hot chocolate bombs.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas, Food

Russian Tea Cakes

December 15, 2021 meghanewhite

When I was a kid my mom called these delightful little cookies snowballs. It’s a cute name that perfectly describes these bite sized treats. Years later I was given this recipe for Russian tea cakes, and I’ve been making them ever since.

These are a favorite of my family at Christmas time. With a few simple ingredients you’ve got a wonderful buttery, crunchy cookie. They look so festive, like snow. A perfect holiday goody.

Walnuts add a delectable crunch. I highly recommend toasting the walnuts. This will add another depth of flavor to the tea cakes. Savory nuts and sweet powdered sugar come together perfectly in Russian tea cakes. These marvelous cookies will make a lovely addition to your holiday desserts.

Happy Eating!

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ¼ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cupped chopped walnuts

2 cups of powdered sugar for rolling the cookies

To Toast Nuts

Preheat oven to 350°
Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Toast until browned. Keep a close eye on them as nuts can burn easily.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°
Line baking sheets with parchment, or leave them ungreased.
In a medium sized mixing bowl use a hand mixer to cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla thoroughly.
Add the flour and salt. Mix until combined.
Stir in the chopped walnuts.
Cover and chill the dough for 20 minutes, or up to overnight.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
In a small bowl place the 2 cups of powdered sugar.
While still warm, roll the cookies in powdered sugar.
Cool the cookies, and roll one more time in the powdered sugar.

Notes

Pecans, and almonds can be used.
Russian tea cakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Coat with powdered sugar before serving.

Food

A New Cookbook!

December 11, 2021 meghanewhite

I am excited to tell you about this brand-new cookbook! Simply Cooking is written by friend, and fellow author, Sharon Connell. These are tried and true recipes from over fifty years of cooking. It’s got everything from desserts to dinners.

Simply Cooking has easy to follow directions for favorites like Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake and Swedish Meatballs. Yum! The cookbook is large like a workbook. Sharon even added a section on each recipe to make your own notes about changes you’ve made.

Simply Cooking is for the every day home cook like you and me. It’s user friendly, and filled with some fantastic recipes that you will absolutely want to make for your friends and family.

As a bonus, a few of my recipes are in here as well as another author. Along with Sharon’s wonderful recipes there are cooking and household tips. There is also an index section where you can easily look up a recipe.

I love the layout of this cookbook. I love cookbooks. I cook a lot, and this one has a great format. All the cooks out there will appreciate this wonderful gem, Simply Cooking.

You can choose the Kindle version or the paperback. I have both, and they are fantastic. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers Simply Cooking is free!

Simply Cooking would make a great gift, or add it to your collection. I love getting new cookbooks because that means new recipes to try. This is my favorite kind of cookbook since the cooking has been done in a real kitchen, with real results, over many years. These are winning recipes.

Happy Cooking!

Love you all,

Meghan

Food, mustard seed sentinel

Almond Roca Bars

December 21, 2020 meghanewhite

Do you love toffee? Do you love chocolate? How about chocolate and toffee together? Have you ever had Almond Roca? It’s one of my husband’s favorite candies. You can experience the incredible flavor of Almond Roca with this very simple bar recipe.

I have been making Almond Roca bars for twenty-five years. Yikes, that means I’m old. Wisdom comes with age, right? So take my wise advice, and make these scrumptious bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delightful.

A soft buttery toffee crust topped with Hershey chocolate and crunchy almonds is a winning combo. Almond Roca bars are great to give out as gifts. You can cut them small or large. You can make the almonds chunky or really fine. Both ways are very good. These bars get devoured every time I make them.

Enjoy Almond Roca without all of the fuss of making candy. This decadent dessert tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. The longest part of making these bars is waiting for them to set up. Give these amazing Almond Roca bars a try. You will be so glad you did.

Happy Eating!

All things are possible to him who believes. Mark 9:23

Almond Roca Bars

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 to 6 Hershey chocolate bars

1 ½ cups finely chopped almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°
Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Extend the paper or foil beyond the edges to easily remove the bars from the pan.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars using a hand mixer.
Add the egg yolk and mix until combined.
Add the flour and baking powder. Mix until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick.
Spread onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
When the crust is out of the oven and still hot, lay the Hershey bars on top and let them sit for about 30 seconds so the chocolate can melt. Carefully spread the melted chocolate over the crust. Do not tear the crust.
Sprinkle chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
Cool completely and cut into bars.

Notes

The batter for the crust is thick like peanut butter. It will take a few minutes to carefully spread it out onto the parchment or foil
Using foil/parchment makes removing and cutting the bars much easier.
Place the baked bars in the fridge to cool faster.
They are easier to cut when they are completely cool.
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature.

Go to Mustard Seed Sentinel to get all of my monthly recipes. Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com

Christmas, Jesus

The Light of the World

December 18, 2020 meghanewhite

pexels-photo-286145

It was a clear, cold December night as Martin Luther was walking in the woods preparing a sermon. As the forest darkened Martin headed back home and noticed light through the fir trees. Stars illuminated the night sky. That beautiful starlight made Martin think of Jesus coming down from heaven to earth.

He was so moved by his experience in the woods that Martin brought a small fir tree home and placed candles on the branches. The lit tree in his house was a reminder of God’s light to the world. This was an unusual thing to do in 16th century Germany. Over time, others began to follow Martin’s example and decorate small fir trees with candles.

The story of Martin Luther, the infamous protestant reformer, lighting a tree is well known. Though it may be just a story, it still inspires. I can’t help but think about God’s light piercing the darkness as I imagine Martin looking through the trees to the starry sky. I love nature and it speaks so loudly and clearly to me that God made it all, and He holds it all together.

The lights on my Christmas tree aren’t just a pretty decoration. Each time I look at the tree in my living room all lit up, I see Jesus. He is the light of the world. Jesus came from heaven to earth as a tiny baby to save us from our sin.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 8:12, NASB

Light came into this dark world to save us. Without Jesus there is darkness, spiritual darkness. It can be a bright sunny day, yet totally dark without knowing Jesus as Savior. His beautiful light lives in those of us who have said yes to Him. It doesn’t matter how gray the skies are, or how dark the world is, Jesus’ light lives in His followers because He is the light. That’s a miracle.

“If a man could travel so fast as always to follow the sun, of course he would always be in the light. If the day should ever come when the speed of the railway shall be equal to the speed of the world’s motion, then a man may so live as to never lose the light. Now he that follows Christ shall never walk in darkness.”

-Charles Spurgeon

Every time you see a Christmas tree strung with beautiful lights may it be a reminder of God’s light. God’s only son, Jesus, is the light of the world. His glorious light lives in each of us who have received Him as Savior through faith. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? His light can live in you too if you trust in Him today.

Merry Christmas!

Love and blessings to all of you,

Meghan

If you need prayer just drop me an email. Go to my contact page for info.