A Christmas Brunch

This week I had a Christmas brunch for 20 friends. This is just a short post to show you what I served and how I set up for it. There is a link for each of the recipes if you decide you want to try any of them. Preparation is the key to feeding a large group. I do as much as I can to set up the day before. That means putting out the plates, silverware, napkins, drinking glasses, coffee cups, water pitcher, serving platters,...You get the picture. 

Here is what I served:

Since it was a casual brunch, I set up a couple of serving areas in my kitchen. The drinks were in one area, the desserts in another, and the food was served on the island.

I was able to make the casserole the day before, so all I had to do that morning was to make the fruit salad, assemble and cook the coffee cake, and heat the casserole. All the desserts were made ahead of time. The best part about planning ahead and taking the time to prepare as much as you can ahead of time, is that the morning is stress free and I was able to enjoy visiting with all my friends. i was part of the party rather than being the person working in the kitchen the whole time. For me, that's a successful party.

I'll keep you posted...

Lynn

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Meringues

A couple of years ago I was in the grocery store and saw some peppermint baking chips that I couldn't resist buying. After I got them home, I started trying to think of how I would use them. My initial thought was ice cream because I love peppermint ice cream and I'm always sad when it's not in season. The problem was, I wanted to make something right then and I didn't want to have to go back to the store. Then it came to me--meringues. Who doesn't have eggs and sugar in the house at all times? Here is what you'll need:

  • 6 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 C super-fine sugar
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • red food coloring
  • 1 bag Andes peppermint Crunch baking chips
  • 1 C dark chocolate morsels (I use Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips)

In mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peak stage. Add the peppermint extract and sugar, ½ cup at a time. Now add the red food coloring to desired color. Beat on high until stiff and glossy. Fold in the  peppermint chips. 

Add the meringue to a piping bag. If you don't have one, a zip top bag with a small piece of the corner cut off will work. Don't use any kind of tip because the chips will get clogged and nothing will come out. Pipe the meringue onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets in desired size. I like to make mine about the size of a walnut so you can just pop them into your mouth. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 2 hours. They should just be barely starting to brown when you take them out, so if your oven is a little hot, check them after about 1 1/2 hours. Set them aside to cool.

While they are cooling, melt about a 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time, until they are melted. Dip each meringue into the melted chocolate to cover the bottom then set back on the parchment paper until the chocolate hardens. If you like a little less chocolate you can just drizzle the melted chocolate over the top. I usually do about half of mine this way. Depending on the size you make, you should end up with 7-10 dozen meringues. It's a lot, but they are so light that people usually eat more than one. 

These will keep for a couple of weeks if you store them in an air tight container.

Don't these just look like Christmas?

Enjoy!

Lynn