Christmas toffee

When i was a teenager, i worked at a little country resturant called Stoggy Hollow ( in Woodstock CT). i spent a good 8 years waitressing, baking and cooking there. In those 8 years i made some life long friends. My former boss, Carol, is still one of those dear friends. Every year around Christmas, Carol would make tons of this toffee and package it up in attractive tins to sell. Every year i got yelled at for eatting what i was suppose to be packaging. Finally, a few years before the business sold, Carol gave me the recipe. Now i make this toffee every year, and think of her every time.

Christmas Toffee

2 sticks butter

1 cp sugar

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1 tbsp water

1 large bag sliced almonds

1 large Hershey chocolate bar, shredded

Mix first four ingredients over medium heat. stir occasionally. Using a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally, wait for the temp to be just under 300 degrees. This is just below the hard crack level.

while the toffee is cooking, butter a cookie sheet and top with almonds then chocolate. When toffee is done, pour over the almonds and chocolate. Immediatly cover the bare side of toffee with chocolate then almonds. Allow to refridgerate for atleast an hour before cracking into pieces.

Gingerbread cookies

Christmas traditions start with gingerbread cookies. My gingerbread cookie recipe is borrowed from my friend Dawn, who makes the most amazing gingerbread you will eat. Every year she would bake some and bring them into work for us to enjoy. Thankyou Dawn, for giving me a new tradition to share with my kids.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cps flour

3/4 cp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

12 tbsp softened butter

3/4 cp molasses

2 tbsp buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. in your mixer combine butter and sugar til fluffy. add egg and vanilla and mix. add buttermilk and mix well. alternatly add dry mix and molasses. mix til soft dough forms. make two balls out of the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate for atleast 4 hours. roll out til 1/4 inch thickness. bake at 350 for 9 mins

Healthy eats basket

Theres a really great cafe that opened in the center of my little town in Eastford CT. The owners of Corriander, were nice enough to allow me to sell a few of my crochet foods. So i went down with an arm full of doughnuts, cupcakes, and a few dolls. But then i got home and thought, maybe i should create something extra special to display there. So over the past two weeks, in between customs, i created a few new items and threw them all in a very cool basket.

I have featured my carrots, eggplant, and strawberries in my farmers market sets. With this basket i wanted to add a few new items, so i came up with a pear, apple, and a couple large portabella style mushrooms. In my Farmers Market set, theres a half dozen of white eggs, which i didnt want in this set. So i took out them and added the other new items in place of them. All displayed in a cotten crochet basket.

Im really excited about this set, and i think Corrianders people will think its something unique as well.