Party Preparation

Now that Ashlea is done with her semester, her attention is focused on preparations for her Christmas party. It's fun to listen to her deliberate about all the details; she's much more methodical about that than I am...okay, maybe not. Anyway, she requested four of our favorite recipes, and I decided to share two of them on my blog.

Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
4 to 5 quarts popped popcorn

Combine syrup, honey and sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes and add peanut butter and vanilla. Add mixture to popcorn, and stir well. This is almost addictive.


Chocolate Mint Creams

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 T. butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T. water
1 egg
3/4 lb. pastel cream mint kisses

Stir together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan cook and stir brown sugar, butter, and water over low heat until butter is melted. Add chocolate; cook and stir until melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until cool. Using a wooden spoon, beat egg into chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until well mixed. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours - until easy to handle. Shape into 1 inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 - 9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top each cookie with a mint kiss. Return to oven and bake about 2 minutes more or until edges are set. Swirl the melted mint with a knife to "frost" the cookies. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.