Holiday Cocktails

You can never have too many cocktail recipes on hand for the holiday festivities. So adding this particular one to your Thanksgiving table seemed appropriate. Not only does it have a delicious combination of tasty liqueurs, it also contains pumpkin pie spice and a dash of cayenne to open up the senses. Very tasty.



Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Cocktail(Sandra Lee, Cocktail Time Book)

¾ ounce vanilla flavored vodka
½ ounce Irish Cream liqueur
½ ounce Kahlua
½ ounce crème de cacao
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Ice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice. Makes one drink.



Of course you can't go without having some Hot Chocolate on hand for those chilly nights either. Here's one I decided to call, Not Your Mama's Hot Chocolate. It's absolutely decadent. It's creamy; it's made with real chocolate; it has a peppermint (candy cane) flavor that makes it feel like Christmas morning.

Not Your Mama’s Hot Chocolate
1 cup half and half
1 cup (liquid) Coffee-Mate Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer
¾ cup chocolate chips
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces Peppermint Schnapps

Heat half and half along with coffee creamer, chocolate chips and cinnamon. Stir, over medium heat, until chocolate is melted. Divide schnapps into each cup and top with hot chocolate. If you want to make this for the kiddos, substitute a teaspoon of peppermint extract for the schnapps. Makes 2 latte size cups or 4 regular size cups.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Chocolate Caliente Cookies

I’m starting my Holiday baking journey. The first one I thought I’d try (are you surprised?) is a spicy Chocolate cookie. These little bits of joy are spiced with cinnamon and cayenne. That little pinch of cayenne is just enough to give the back of your mouth a little bite of excitement. Have these with a tall glass of milk and you’re set to sit down and write those Christmas cards…people still send out Christmas cards, don’t they? I so hope we haven’t become so “digitized” that all we send out are e-cards, emails and a “Hello” on facebook.

I hope you try these, they really are tasty. AND you can’t go wrong with chocolate. Pack some in small boxes or goody bags to have on hand for dinner guests or friends or neighbors. They make a nice little surprise that say Happy Holidays.


Chocolate Caliente Cookies
A Nestle Toll House Recipe
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
MICROWAVE 1 cup chunks in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Chunks may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until chunks are melted.

COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add melted chocolate; stir until blended. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with foil.

SHAPE dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheets.

BAKE for 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Immediately place remaining chunks, about 5 to 6 chunks per cookie, onto tops of cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Allow chunks to soften and spread melted chocolate evenly over tops of cookies.

TIP:• For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute three 4-ounce bars of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATIER 53% Cacao Dark or 62% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces, for the semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

Cocoa Spiced Chicken

Having chicken for dinner is not new. It's what you do with it that counts.

Chocolate is delicious as a dessert. It is also a delightful suprise when used as a savory flavoring on meats and poultry.

I baked this Cocoa Spiced chicken breast but it is also delicious when grilled. In keeping with the cooking for two, taking out a couple of chicken breasts out of the freezer and spicing it up with "chocolate" makes a special dinner. The addition of a salsa as a topper, in this case made with mangos and avocados makes this simple piece of poultry a complete dinner.

The salsa is the usual combination of diced onions, chopped tomatoes, diced mangos, diced avocados, minced jalapeños and drizzled with a mixture of lime and olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

To complete the dinner serve crusty french bread and a tall, cold gass of Tecate (Mexican Beer).
Spicy Cocoa Rubbed Chicken with Salsa
(recipe from the Southern Living Magazine)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
2 large chicken breasts
2 limes
2 teaspoons of honey
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango
¾ cup large-diced tomato
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 minced jalapeño
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro


Preheat grill. Use an outdoor or an indoor grill.

Stir together brown sugar and next four ingredients plus ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub chicken with the sugar mixture, coating well.

Grate zest from limes to equal 1 tablespoon; squeeze juice from limes to equal 2 tablespoons. Whisk together honey, lime zest and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add avocado and toss to coat. Stir in mango, next 3 ingredients and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.

Grill chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees. Serve with mango-avocado salsa.