Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are something special to me.  My mother makes the best cabbage rolls, but it has been a while.  So I gave her a call the other day, and got her recipe.  I think that they were pretty darn good.  The only thing that was different was, mine were a little spicier, (personal preference).  These rolls are pretty easy to make, but you gotta take your time to add the love, as they are a labour of love!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds italian hot sausage (raw) (If you can't find it without the caseing, just squeeze it out of the caseing).
2 cups cooked white rice
1 small diced onion+ (sauteed)
1 rib celery finely diced +(sauteed)
2 cloves garlic+ (sauteed)
1 small green pepper finely diced+ (sauteed)
1TBSP salt
1TBSP pepper
1TBSP paprika
TBSP italian seasoning
1 large can tomato juice
1 can tomato soup
1 large head of cabbage

Method
1. Make a X-mark slice in stem end of cabbage.
2. In a large pot with salt add whole cabbage.
3. Bring to a boil, let simmer.
4. Combine all ingredients up to the tomato juice, in a large bowl.
5. In separate bowl, pour in tomato juice and tomato soup. Whisk together. Set aside.
6. Carefully peel off layers of cabbage two at a time, and cut out the thick end of the ribs.
7. Place a small handful of mixture into middle of cabbage leaf.
8. Gently but carefully (it will be hot) roll up the cabbage ,tuck in sides halfway.
9. Add some of your tomato juice mixture to the bottom of a roasting pan (avoid glass pans, as they tend to burn bottom of cabbage), and start lining up your cabbage rolls.
10. Continue to roll all the cabbage until you run out of mixture.
11. I save the rest of the cabbage for soup, or whatever I can think of.
12. Pour remaining tomato juice over the entire pan of cabbage rolls.
13. Heat oven to 375 degrees and cook for 1 hour covered.
14. After 1 hour, remove cover and continue to cook for 1/2 hour more.
15. Let sit for about 45 minutes and serve with some sour cream.

**Go great with fluffy mashed potatoes, or yummy perogies.**

Peppermint Patties

I have always been a big fan of the peppermint patty.  These patties are light and thin.  I have to say that although they are completely awesome mint patties, nothing compares to my absolute favorite chocolate mint, "The After Eight", I could eat the whole box in a sitting! I hope that you will give them a try and may-be add them to your Christmas spread.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, divided
1 1/2 TBSP light corn syrup
2 1/2TBSP water
1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
1 TBSP shortening
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Make filling:

1. Beat 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar with corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening, and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined.
2. Knead on a work surface dusted with remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until smooth. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper on a large baking sheet into a 7- to 8-inch round (less than 1/4 inch thick).
3. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove top sheet of paper and sprinkle round with confectioners sugar.  Replace top sheet, then flip round over and repeat sprinkling on other side.
5. Cut out as many rounds as possible with cutter, transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, gather scraps, reroll, and freeze, then cut out more rounds, freezing them.
7. Melt  chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
8. Cool until thermometer inserted at least 1/2 inch into chocolate registers 80°F.
9. Return water in pan to a boil and remove from heat.
10. Set bowl with cooled chocolate over pan and reheat, stirring, until thermometer registers 88 to 91°F.
11. Remove bowl from pan.
12. Balance 1 peppermint round on a fork and submerge in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off and scraping back of fork against rim of bowl if necessary, then return patty to sheet .
13. Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate to 88 to 91°F as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffles

Christmas time truffles!  The only time I make these little yummies. I have made flavored truffles in the past with some Bailey's Irish Cream, Champagne and Grand Marnier, but we have little ones buzzing around so I figured, to stay safe from sneaky fingers, I would keep them sober! These truffles are incredibly simple to prepare and they really are very yummy. You can play around with added liquors, just add 3-4 TBSP to your mixture.

Chocolate Truffles
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. white chocolate
8oz. semi sweet chocolate

Method
1. Chop the bittersweet chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer on the stove and pour over the chocolate.
2. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
3. Let this mixture sit at room temperature or in refrigerator, for an hour or more until set. (I poured it into a shallow baking dish to help cool it down faster.)
4. Scoop into balls using a melon baller or a spoon (I just rolled mine in my palms), and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
5. Refrigerate the truffles until ready to coat.
6. In the microwave, melt the semi-sweet chocolate and the white chocolate (in separate bowls). Melt in 30 second intervals on 50% power, stirring after every cycle until melted (do not over heat or you will scorch the chocolate). Let chocolate cool a bit, or you may melt truffle.
7. Dip the truffles into the white chocolate, or semi sweet chocolate, (using a fork), and place on the wax paper lined sheet. Refrigerate again for 1/2 hour.
8. Use left over chocolates to make designs on each truffle.  Simply spoon chocolate into a small plastic baggie and snip off the corner tip (small snip) or you will not get a thin design.
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

** These truffles can be refrigerated up to 3 weeks and frozen for up to 6 months.