Open House 2012

Yesterday was my annual open house for my fabulous Epicure customers.  There were over 25 people here, and I gave away over $300 in prizes!  It was a busy afternoon, but I hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

All the Epicure products can be found at www.epicureselections.com.  (Contact me if you have any questions.)  Here are the recipes we sampled:

GINGERSNAPS
3/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. Epicure's Gingerbread Spices
white sugar for rolling - if you want really pretty cookies, use Epicure's Decorating Sugar which has bigger crystals and looks way better than regular white sugar
Cream butter and brown sugar.  Beat in egg and molasses.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Roll into balls and coat in white sugar.  Place on a lined baking sheet and press down gently with a fork.  Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

MOCHA CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

SAGE & APPLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH RED PEPPER JELLY
2 lbs. ground chicken
3.5 tbsp. Epicure's Sage & Apple Stuffing Mix
2 tbsp. Epicure's Turkey Rub
6 crackers, crushed
1 egg
salt & pepper
Epicure's Red Pepper Jelly
Combine everything together except the jelly.  Roll into small balls and bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes.  Add enough jelly to coat the meatballs and return to the oven or heat on the stove until jelly melts and creates a glaze on the meatballs.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA CHEESE BALL (I forgot to take a picture of this one)
1/2 pkg. cream cheese
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mocha Cheese Ball Mix
1 tbsp. crushed candy canes
more crushed candy canes for rolling
Beat together first three ingredients.  Form into a ball and refrigerate.  Roll in crushed candy canes before serving.  Spread on Nilla wafers, brownies, or graham crackers.

CARAMEL BACON BARS
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
24 soda crackers (unsalted)
Epicure's Maple Bacon Sea Salt
Line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper and lay out the soda crackers.  Bring butter and sugar to a gentle boil for 3-4 minutes then pour over the crackers.  Bake at 350 F for 7-8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with Maple Bacon Sea Salt.  Allow it to cool and then refrigerate or freeze before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE BARK WITH MAPLE BACON SEA SALT
1 c. Epicure's Belgian Dark Chocolate Chips
Epicure's Maple Bacon Sea Salt
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave using Epicure's square silicone steamer.  (Or melt in a bowl and pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.)  Spread into a thin layer and sprinkle with Maple Bacon Sea Salt.  Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve, and then crack into pieces.

HOT BLT CHEESE DIP
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. low-fat mayonnaise
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. Epicure's BLT Dip Mix
Combine ingredients in a baking dish or bread bowl.  Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips, bread, or veggies.  *You could also use this mixture to stuff mushrooms or cherry tomatoes.

VEGGIES WITH 3 DIPS:
BLUE CHEESE DIP
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Epicure's Blue Cheese Dip

MANGO CURRY DIP
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mango Curry Dip

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI
2/3 c. mayo
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Epicure's Roasted Garlic Aioli

MANGO CURRY MIXED NUTS
2 c. mixed nuts (unsalted)
2 tbsp. Epicure's Mango Curry Dip Mix
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Toss ingredients together and spread onto a lined baking sheet.  Bake at 325 F for 12-15 minutes, stirring once.  Optional: Add in 2/3 c. dried fruit afterwards if you like.

POUTINE CHIPS
potatoes
Epicure's Poutine Chip Seasoning
Slice a potato with Epicure's ceramic slicer.  Soak potato slices in water to rinse off the excess starch and then blot them dry on a paper towel.  Lay them on Epicure's chipster and season with Poutine seasoning (or use sea salt or some other seasoning).  Bake in the microwave for 3 minutes and then add 30 seconds at a time until they are crispy.  (Some people find it works better to use your microwave at a lower power level.)

CHOCOLATE PUDDING PARFAITS
1 pkg. Epicure's Chocolate Pudding Mix
2 c. milk
2 c. whipping cream, whipped
Epicure's Canadian Maple Sugar Grinder
Beat pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes.  Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.  Stir before serving.  Scoop into dishes and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of maple sugar.

 

HOT APPLE CRANBERRY CIDER
4 c. apple juice
4 c. cranberry cocktail
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mulling Spices
Fireside Rim Trimmer for the glasses
Combine juice and Mulling Spices in a pot on the stove and simmer. Serve in rimmed glasses.