Making Chocolate Truffles for Christmas and Homemade Vanilla Extract

It's that time of year when we are frantically putting together our cookie plates for friends and family. It doesn't need to be frantic. And, if you have children, this is a perfect activity for them to help with.

This year I made four different truffles. 

1. Peanut Butter covered in dark semi-sweet chocolate. 

2. Oreo covered in white chocolate.

3. Chocolate Orange covered in cocoa powder.

4. Irish Cream covered in dark chocolate.

For the Peanut Butter Truffles you will need the following:

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 1/3 cups peanut butter (smooth or chunk, your preference)

2/3 cup rice krispies 

6 TBS butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (that big bottle in the photo is my vanilla, I                 will share the recipe with you later in this post)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Place the ingredients in your mixing bowl and mix together until combined. I use a small teaspoon size cookie dough scoop to form mine, but you can simply roll rounded teaspoons of the mix into round balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you are going to dip in melted chocolate, put them in your freezer to firm up for about 30 minutes. If you are rolling in something else, just roll away. Then chill in your fridge until firm about 20-30 minutes. They are best served chilled.

You can choose to cover your truffles in a variety of coverings...some suggestions are:

simply roll them in cocoa powder or confectioners sugar

dip them in melted chocolate or roll them in crushed peanuts.

You can get fancy with some crushed nuts on top of your chocolate covered ones. Sprinkles are always pretty. Look through your cupboard and use your imagination. Sky is the limit.

Everyone will love these. Make sure the recipient knows they are peanut, we don't want any allergic episodes at Christmas time. 

                                              * * * 

The next one is the Oreo Cookie Truffles, covered in white chocolate. Only three ingredients!

You will need:

1 (14 oz) package of Oreo  Cookies

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups of white chocolate for dipping

Use your food processor to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Reserve a spoonful of crumbs to decorate the tops later. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and mix until evenly combined.

Scoop the mixture and form small balls. Place them on a parchment or wax paper lined tray, and freeze until slightly hardened, about 30-40 minutes. 

Melt your white chocolate in a double boiler or in your microwave.

I use a double boiler that I make by placing a temperature safe bowl over a sauce pot of boiling water. I turn the water down to simmer and stir frequently until it is the consistency I want for dipping.  Then take your frozen truffles and one at a time, dip them with a fork and use the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate from the bottom and place them back on the tray. While still warm, drop a pinch of the reserved crumbs on the top for decoration.

Back in the fridge to firm up. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to gift.

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Chocolate Orange Truffles are next.  You will need the following:

1/4 cup of butter

3 TBS of heavy cream

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chop if you are using a block of chocolate)

2 TBS orange liqueur 

1 tsp fresh grated orange zest

In a small sauce pan combine butter and cream, bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and still in 4 oz of chocolate, orange liqueur and the orange zest. Stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and chill in your refrigerator until firm, about 2-3 hours.

Scoop your chilled truffle mixture by the teaspoonful and roll into balls, place on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet, and chill until firm. Roll in sifted cocoa powder. Keep chilled until serving, may wish to roll in cocoa powder again, just before serving.

* * *

Irish Cream Truffles are just as easy to make. You will need:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 TBS Irish Cream

1 TBS butter

pinch of salt

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate.

Bring your cream to a boil, add the Irish cream, butter, salt and chocolate. Mix until smooth. Again, pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-3 hours. 

Scoop your chilled truffle mixture by the teaspoonful and roll into balls, place on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet, and chill until firm. Roll in sifted cocoa powder. Keep chilled until serving, may wish to roll in cocoa powder again, just before serving.

You can also coat them in melted dark chocolate or white chocolate, or roll in nuts or confectioner sugar.  The options are endless.

* * *

MAKING VANILLA EXTRACT

A few facts about vanilla to begin with.Vanilla extract has the same alcohol by volume that vodka does. It is required by law that vanilla extract have at least 35% alcohol by volume.You pay an exorbitant price for those tiny bottles. Orange extract is 80% alcohol by volume! You don't drink Vanilla Extract, you cook with it, just like any other extract, the alcohol cooks out. It does not violate the Word of Wisdom.

Okay, with that cleared up for all my Sister's out there, here is how you make your own vanilla.

Buy the cheapest vodka that you can find. It will say 80 proof, 40% alcohol by volume right on the label.  I purchase two bottles and use one for my vanilla and the other to refill the vanilla as I use it. Of course you can get yourself a simple mason jar to make your vanilla in or a fancy one that you think it pretty. Doesn't matter.

I get my Vanilla beans online through Ebay. I purchase grade B Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans. They work just fine and they are cheaper. Cut your vanilla bean pod long ways, you want to slit it right in half.  Use a sharp pointy knife insert in one end and just cut right down the length of it. You don't have to be neat.  The little black vanilla seeds are inside the pod. It's not necessary to scrape the seeds out. Put the two pieces you have just cut into your bottle of vodka...continue like this until you have inserted about 12-15 

pods. That's it. Now, put it on the counter where you will see it everyday. Everytime you walk by it, give the bottle a good shake. Do this for 30 days. You will have the most amazing vanilla to bake with at a fraction of the price.  You can experiment with different types of vanilla beans, they are all different. For baking I like the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean as it has that pungent vanilla aroma that I love.  

Don't toss out your used vanilla beans, just keep topping it off and add more beans if you like. It only gets better with age!

If you want to give your vanilla as gifts, you can find inexpensive bottles through your Pharmacist.  YES! that's right!  Who'd a thunk it? Or you can purchase them in bulk online. Add a pretty label and you have a really lovely present for anytime!

*****

I hope you have enjoyed these recipes! John and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Remember the reason for the season.

#GIVEAWAY Tracy Souza Plumcute Designs

UPDATE: Winner of the patterns by designer Tracy Souza of Plumcute Designs was Michele Peckham of Missouri. 

Last month I was able to take a little class by embroidery designer Tracy Souza of Plumcute Designs which she gave at FabricGarden located at 2654 Marconi Avenue, Sacramento, CA.

Tracy has been so kind to provide us with four of her patterns for this month's giveaway! That's right 4! You will win "A Stitcher's Stocking", "Snowman Sparkle", "Winter Welcome" and " Hang With Care".

Tracy has a new book coming out in February 2019. Be sure to get on the list at Martingale books to be notified when it goes on sale! 

Anyway, back to the class, it was lots of fun, great gals all sitting around stitching and gabbing. Tracy has lots of good tips for improving your embroidery.

Designer/Teacher Tracy Souza

Many of her designs were on display...

TO ENTER:  

1). Leave a comment on this post and tell me if you know how to embroider or would like to learn and if you incorporate embroidery in your quilts.

2). If you are on Facebook, like our page www.facebook.com/SisterOfTheDivide

3). Share this post with your friends, you can Share on Facebook or Tag your friends on Facebook.

4). For an extra entry, go to our Facebook page and post a Christmas picture in the comments section under the Giveaway post. It can be a picture of your table, your tree, your favorite ornament, whatever you wish.

Good Luck Quilters!

Drawing will be held on December 20th and the Winner will be announced on December 21st both here and on our Facebook page.

There is no fine print, there is nothing to purchase ever, this is just for fun and to encourage quilting and creativity.

Mistletoe Table Topper Tutorial

This little mistletoe table topper is just perfect for Christmas and pretty enough to leave out year round. I'm going to go over some basics in this tutorial. You can select any kind of fabric you want.

You will need the following:

1- 12.5"x 12.5" square of background fabric

2- 5" x 5" squares of background fabric

A wide mouth jar ring

8" by WOF light weight Pellon fusible.

A pencil or a permanent marking pen. (something to draw with)

A focus fabric, the amount will depend on how far apart your focused interests are...you will need four focus pieces.

Batting and backing 22" square.

2- 2.5" x WOF strips for binding.

Take your 12.5"square background fabric and press in half both ways, also press again in half on the diagonal both ways to look like the photo below. This creates a "grid" for you to lay out your design and match up your side pieces.

                           

Now take your two 5" squares and cut them on the diagonal as shown in the photo below. Set them aside for now.  These will be your "star" tips later.

Now take your wide mouth canning jar ring and use it to draw 4 circles on the paper side of your fusible as shown below.

Now use your wide mouth canning ring to select the focus area on your fabric that you want to feature in your ornament.  Cut a square of fabric that gives you enough room to move your fusible paper around to get your design centered as you wish.

Once you have isolated your focus feature and cut it out, place your fusible on the backside of your fabric, with the paper up and press into place.

Trim away the excess cutting out your circle on the line. Repeat this so you have 4 "ornaments".

Lay your "ornaments" out on your background fabric, using the pressed "grid" to lay them out in a pleasing design. Peel off the paper backing and press them into place according to your fusible directions.

Print out the pattern for the mistletoe and trace the design onto the paper side of your fusible. You will need to make 4.                        

                          PDF PATTERN FOR MISTLETOE

Again, press your fusible design onto the backside of your selected fabric and then cut out carefully on the lines.

Place your mistletoe as you like it and press into place.

To make the top of the ornament...draw a circle using a bobbin and a removable marker...you can either hand stitch or zigzag a couple times across to make the top of the ornament hanger. You can blanket stitch around the ornaments or simply straight stitch close to the edge for a raw edge finish. Embellish as desired.

To create the star points, take the triangle pieces you cut earlier from the 5" squares and fold them point to point. Finger press on the long edge to create a crease.

Line the crease on the triangle with the crease on your 12.5" square and folding right sides together, pin into place and stitch 1/4" along the edge.

Fold out and press seam to the outside. Lay your backing fabric wrong side up, your batting on top of that and place your star topper right side up on top of that to create your quilt sandwich. Quilt as desired. Once quilted, trim away your excess batting and backing and bind. 

For more tips and ideas refer to: Christmas Table Topper Tutorial

Posting will be updated with binding.

Star Block Tutorial

Christmas is coming and I wanted a pretty little quilt made from some Moda Juniper Berry fabric. My 25 year old Bernina is in the shop getting a new motor, so I am stitching this quilt on one of my Singer Featherweights. This block is so easy and so much fun to make, you can easily put this quilt together in a weekend! 

The quilt requires 3 Charm packs. I elected to purchase 1 Layer Cake and cut it into fourths.  This way I get my 3 Charm packs and a bonus 4th to use on another project.

Set your layer cake out on your cutting mat and cut in half. A layer cake is 10" so when you cut it in half you will have two 5" by 10" strips.  Now cut those in half and you will have four 5"x 5" Charm squares. I cut 4-6 layers if fabric at a time, I would not recommend that you cut through more layers than that, you start to lose accuracy. Make sure your blade is sharp.

For this project you only need 3 so you will have a bonus Charm Pack to use another time.

I like to use the wrapping that came with the Layer Cake to rewrap the little left over Charm Pack and that way I will know what it is when I go to quilt with it.

For the background fabric you will need 1 3/4 yards. I used Kona Cotton White. Kona Cotton has a wonderful feel and stitches up so nicely. It really is my favorite for solids.

I fell in love with Reindeer Games and will be using that for my backing fabric and possibly my border as well.

So here we go.  First thing to do is sort your charm packs into like fabrics...we have 3 charm packs so we should have 3 of each fabric.

Once you have done that take one stack of 3 like charms and remove one of those to your cutting mat.  Cut 1 charm into four squares that will measure 2.5 x 2.5 each.  You do this by cutting your Charm in half (2.5") and without moving your fabric, turn your cutting mat and cut the Charm in half again (2.5").  You will need two of those small squares for this block and one of the charms...the others will create a second block set for you.  

From your background fabric (I have used Kona Cotton White) you will need to cut 24 strips that measure 2.5" x WOF (width of fabric)

From your strips you will need to cut a piece 7" x 2.5 and a piece 5" for each block.

Take the small 2.5" squares and fold them in half on the diagonal as shown below, you can press them to get a clear crease or if you want to, you can mark them with a marker that will not bleed into your fabric.  This crease is our stitching line.

TIP: if you have directional fabric...lay your block out on your cutting mat next to your sewing machine and make sure you have your 2.5" pieces folded so that you are lining up the direction of the fabric...see below.  Place the 5"x 2.5" strip at the top and the 7" x 2.5" strip at the right of your charm.  Lay your folded 2.5" squares as shown to create the block and check your direction.

Make your fold and check again.

Keep your folded squares where they are and open them up. You can pin them in place if you wish.  Take them to your machine and stitch on the crease. TIP: it will help if you start your stitching from the long edge and stitch out to the point, rather than starting from the point.  If you start at the point, you risk jamming up your sewing machine by having that fabric tip get jammed down into the needle hole.

Take your strip to your mat and cut away the excess fabric leaving a 1/4" seam allowance as shown below.

Open out your piece and press toward your darker fabric. Place the 5" strip at the top of your charm and stitch in place, again, check your alignment to make sure you have your piece laid out correctly.  Press toward your charm.

Lay the 7" strip along the right side of your charm and stitch into place. Press toward your charm.

You should now have a block that looks like this...

Place four blocks as shown below...

Stitch the top two and the bottom two blocks together just as you would a four patch, as shown below...TIP:  start your stitching at the star point. Press your seams to the left.  Press both star halves in the same direction, when you turn them to place them together, they will nest giving you a perfectly matched center.

Stitch the top and the bottom together and you have your final star block as shown below...

Hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial for this star block.  Check back and I will post the quilt when finished.

BONUS: save all of your little triangle cuttings and you can run them through your machine as leaders and enders to be used in your border or your quilt.