Holiday Cake: Chocolate Chip Gingerbread

From Denny:  Would this make a beautiful holiday food gift or what?  Who doesn't like chocolate or gingerbread during the holiday season?  The winter white vanilla glaze gives a strong visual contrast for presentation.  We do eat with our eyes...

This beautiful cake would be great for those holiday gatherings to beautify the dessert table.  Come on; if you are able to slightly warm the servings, melting the chocolate chips, then one whiff of that gingerbread and chocolate and this cake will go fast!

Santa Jingle Picture Ornament

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle! This design also available in teapots, cocktail platters, serving trays, lots of bedding, area rugs, blankets, pajamas, pillows, clocks and so much more; come see!

Holiday Recipe: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

From Denny:  Do you love gingerbread?  Here's a chance to make a smaller version in cookie form to delight your friends, family and guests at holiday gatherings.  The beauty of this cookie recipe is that it's a wonderful surprise of gingerbread combined with chocolate! 

If your local store doesn't carry the Swedish pearl sugar then just dust with regular refined sugar or some sprinkles.  This recipe is a fun twist on the holiday favorite of gingerbread from King Arthur Flour.  Also, left in their links to various ingredients and products they sell on the site for you to check out if you wish.  What I enjoyed most was reading the many reviews which I thought you would find useful too.

Santa Jingle Clutch Bag

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

Video: Cool Food Gifts for the Holidays, Southern Sweet Chocolate Coconut Pie Recipe

From Denny: This is so cute! I've done a few gingerbread houses in my time and this one is simplified and easy, so easy you can do it with your kids. How fun! The kit has a cardboard frame, the mix included for the cookie dough and the royal icing too, from Sur la table for the $35 kit.

Another idea is a baked Southern tradition: caramel cake. This lady baked these cakes for her family and they were such a big hit she started a business. From Carolines Cakes for $45.

This year's newest trend are gifts of salt and this company was also started by a woman. These are unprocessed salts that are healthier for you from Salt Sisters Salts for $5 to $14.

Do you know someone who likes to make their own vanilla extract with vodka and 8 vanilla beans? Here's how and you can purchase the vanilla extract kit from Salt Sisters Salts for $25.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I love the combination of chocolate and coconut and found this easy pie recipe that would be convenient to make for the holidays! Chilling time is the most effort you have to put into it.



Southern Sweet Chocolate Pie

From: Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 5 hr 25 min
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 deep-dish pie crust (9 inch), unbaked
1-1/3 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan on very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually add milk, stirring until well blended.

MIX sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl; beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add chocolate mixture, mixing until well blended. Pour into pie crust; sprinkle with coconut and nuts. (Crust will be quite full; filling will not rise over sides.)

BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until top is puffed and browned, covering loosely with foil for the last 15 min. to prevent overbrowning if necessary. (Filling will be soft, but will set while cooling.) Cool at room temperature 15 min., then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.


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