The Edible Rudolph

Merry Christmas, Downriver !!!

Rudolph

            We had a great time at my stepdaughters' house on Christmas eve - food, merriment (drinks) and dancing.  Hope everyone out there had a wonderful time!!  I took my 'mostly' homemade goodies:  a 3"h x 12"d and 18"w  tray of thin mint cookies, chocolate clusters (think chex mix bathed in melted chocolate), chocolate covered pretzels, miscellaneous M&Ms and sixlets, and those swizzle sticks for dunking in milk. Of course, they went over big and they were the only thing I did not concoct. The picture below is not of the Christmas tray, but an example of what I like to do.  (This was at a bake sale.)  Pretzel rods, nutter butter cookies, curly q pretzels, cashews and the like. Simple things (easy, fast and uncomplicated!).

      I brought extra little Christmas baggies and everyone got to make a "take home"  bag.
  

     I also had for each family, a separate bag with Christmas molded candy that my girlfriend, Kelly, made for me. She does the detailed chocolate molds. She has all seasons, and is my go to girl when I need something special.  I should have updated the pictures.  This is the only Christmas one I have, but she did an awesome Christmas tree that had M&M's as ornaments! Very sweet !!

     One of the biggest hits of the night was a "Rudolph sucker" displayed at Lorna's that we both went home and made. Very simple to make and I appreciate the store not selling them, just giving their customers ideas for the season.  If anyone out there does chocolates, this is the place to go (a 50-year-old business).  I have decided to use their services, and not the bulk store (prices per pound are very comparable). And that's where I learned to mimic those once a year Girl Scout cookies I love so much!!  Here's the Rudolph picture with instructions on how to make it in 2 easy steps !!

     Ingredients: Melted Chocolate, marshmallows, red hots, sucker sticks, bags and ties, and a sheet of eyeballs from Lorna's (I think it's $1.25 for 100?).  I actually went to Kelly's and watched her make them first, so I could improve on the technique - I saved her 3 steps :-) 
      Use a paper plate to set up 4 sets of antlers right at the curve, about an inch from edge (angled and touching).  Insert stick at less than a 45 degree angle in center, dip marshmallow, tap excess chocolate off (but not too much, leave enough on the back side to "glue" to pretzels) place on pretzel pair, add red-hot for nose. Complete all four,  and place in freezer to set.  Remove from freezer (matter of minutes, really) and I use the pointy end of a paint brush to dab two small areas to "glue" the eye balls on. I froze after this step too, but it depends if you put too much chocolate on, they can droop/slide out-of-place.


THIN MINT COOKIES
DIP RITZ CRACKERS INTO MELTED CHOCOLATE  MINT COATING

     Hope you have fun with the recipes and if you have any questions?  Fire away.  In the meantime, look forward to spending time with you in the New Year, 2012 !!!  Happy Days, Downriver !!

"EMBRACE THE GREY"

P.S.
A picture of our candy at the bake sale.