It's my partner's birthday today, and we went out for drinks after school. She is so much fun! I feel very, very blessed to have such a great team at work! They are such amazing teachers, and absolutely great friends! This is really one of those days that you sit back and think, "I have such a great life!" I know I work with great people when I would, without a doubt, have my child in any one of their classes!
And, to top it all off- Christmas is coming! I am a true kid when it comes to Christmas. I love it! I love everything about it- the lights, the gifts, the cookies, the smells, the sounds, the family get-togethers, the white elephant gift exchanges, the movies, the music, the stockings, the decorations! You name it!
Sean and I went to lunch and then out to pick a Christmas tree with his grandmother last weekend. What a great day! Nee Nee is a character! She always has funny stories for us... we found out about how Uncle Johnny came to be! It turns out her husband and a friend were having a oyster eating contest down in Galveston one night, and after several drinks she decided she'd eat one too! Well... you know what they say about oysters! Now she calls Johnny "her little pearl!"
When we got home, I started making chocolate-covered cherries! They're my Aunt Nina's specialty, and she gave me the recipe last year. I felt so special since she gave me the recipe and all her tips; I have to make her proud! The cherries are so labor intensive- but incredible delicious! I made over 160!! I like to have plenty for our Christmas party, Christmas Eve and Day at both our family gatherings, and gifts for co-workers, etc. I think it took me around five and a half hours to finish... you know they're good!
Here's a few of the finished cherries. Pretty, right? I may have to go do another taste test... :)
MMM, those look so good!! Way to go! I'm not sure I would have the patience for that! =)
ReplyDeleteare you going to give us the recipe and tips??? :)
ReplyDeleteOf course I'll post the recipe!!
ReplyDelete3 Tbs. white corn syrup
3 Tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. salt (as I type this recipe I realize that I forgot the salt... hmmm, I wonder if that makes a difference?)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 doz. marachino cherries with stems (that's about 2-3 jars)
Mix above ingredients (except cherries) and let stand overnight in refrigerator. Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball about the size (or a little bigger) than a cherry. Press it out flat, and wrap it around a cherry until it is completely covered. Roll it around a little to smooth it out. Repeat until all the cherries are covered, and then keep in fridge until you're ready to dip in chocolate.
Melt a bag of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I personally like dark chocolate, but my aunt does both semi-sweet and milk chocolate) and 1/4 cake of wax in a double boiler (I really don't think this is necessary, have done with and without wax, with does make prettier cherries, but both taste equally great).
Before you dip the cherries, on waxed or parchment paper, make nickel sized circles of chocolate as little "bases" for the cherries. If you don't do this, the chocolate will seep out from under the cherry, and the liquid will leak out. Let the chocolate bases dry completely, then dip the cherries in chocolate, let the excess drip off and then set each cherry on a base. After they cool a little, put them in a container lined in parchment paper and store in the fridge for 2-6 weeks to liquify.
If you want boozy cherries like I make- you'll need to soak cherries in half cherry juice, half brandy for a few weeks. If you start some cherries soaking in brandy at New Years, then make them the last week of January, they would be ready for Valentine's Day! I think they would be perfect for that! Non boozy cherries are good too... :)
Wow! That is a labor intensive recipe!! Can't wait for those boozy cherries!
ReplyDeleteWow! That's a labor intensive recipe! Can't wait to try them!
ReplyDeletedid i read this right? put in the fridge for 2-6 weeks after all that work??? who has the will power for that? :)
ReplyDeleteHa! I eat one every other day or so- you know, just to check the progress!
ReplyDeleteI brought some to my book club last night and they turned out really yummy!