So, since I’ve had grains and legumes on the brain with this month’s challenge, I thought I’d share one of my new favorite salads… A quinoa salad!

I only started making quinoa a few months ago, but I have found that I really love it.  I’ve played around with bulgur wheat in the past, but I never really loved the texture… It was always a bit too coarse for me. The quinoa, though, has a nice light texture even though it is whole grain… So, it’s a win – win!

Much like rice, quinoa is pretty versatile and lends itself well to lots of different flavors.  This time around, I decided to use some Southwest flavors – black beans, fresh veggies, and a citrus vinaigrette. This salad is easy to throw together for lunch, and it keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Feel free to swap out the veggies I’ve used for your favorites!

Southwest Quinoa Salad
(Serves 4 - 6)

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  (or about 2 cups cooked black beans)
• 3 ears of steamed corn, cut off the cob
  (or 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Mixed greens (optional)
• Avocado slices (optional)

Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the back beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by combining the zest and juice from the lime, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili powder, and agave syrup.  Whisk until smooth.

Once the quinoa has cooled slightly, add it to the bean and vegetable mixture.  Add the dressing, and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.  I like to serve mine on a bed of greens topped with avocado slices.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 15 comments | Post tags: avocado, bell pepper, black beans, chili powder, cilantro, citrus, corn, lime, meatless, quinoa, salad, southwest, vegan, vegetarian, vinaigrette

I have always enjoyed exchanging Christmas gifts. I love searching for the perfect gift for the loved ones on my list, and I do lots of baking to prepare cookies and other homemade gifts for my friends and family.  I enjoy the hustle and the bustle and love the long days working iin my kitchen and assembling and wrapping gifts.  Lately, however, I find that I have less and less enthusiasm about spending a lot of time at the mall.  I feel like many of the people on my list really don’t need anything.  It’s fun to pick out small gifts that they will enjoy, but I can’t get excited about spending money on extravagant gifts just for the sake of saying we spent money.  Can you relate?

Instead, the last few years, my husband and I have really scaled back our Christmas shopping and have tried to focus on smaller, meaningful gifts that our friends and family will enjoy and cherish.  Instead of pouring out my energy shopping at the mall, I’ve taken more time to put together assortments of homemade jams, jellies, and baked goods that I know everyone will enjoy.

As a result, our holiday spending has been considerably less than in previous years, and we have had the good fortunate to be able to share our blessings with those less fortunate. While we do our best to give throughout the year, we like to do a little bit more at Christmas time.  Many of our relatives have started to do the same, and I am truly thankful for that. I would much rather know that someone less fortunate will get a warm meal on Christmas day than add another sweater to my wardrobe.

So, this year, I would ask you to take a step back and really think about the gifts you give this year. I will be supporting Share Our Strength in their fight to end childhood hunger, and I would encourage you to consider doing the same.  As a food blogger, fighting hunger is close to my heart.  Food is a big part of the holidays in my family, and I honestly can’t imagine it any other way.  It breaks my heart when I think of those who can’t afford to put food on the table for their families.

As a part of my holidays this year, I am also participating in Share Our Holiday Table, a virtual progressive dinner party designed to raise awareness about hunger in America and encourage others to help join the No Kid Hungry fight. It seemed like a perfect addition to my 12 Days of Christmas blog post extravaganza!

Today bloggers (myself included) will be sharing side dishes as a part of the dinner party…

• Gourmet Sides – The Urban Baker, Heather Christo, We Like to Cook and Eat, Plum Pie
• Family Friendly Sides – What’s Cooking With Kids, Dine and Dish, The Evolving Cook, Katrina Runs for Food
• Vegetarian Sides – My Kitchen Addiction (that’s me), Taste As You Go, Flamingo Musings
• Gluten Free Sides – The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, Jenn Cuisine, Creative Cooking Gluten Free

To see a list of all of the courses and bloggers who have participated in the progressive dinner party, please visit the Share Our Holiday Table site!  To make a donation and join us in supporting Share Our Strength in their fight against hunger, please visit the No Kid Hungry site.

For my vegetarian side dish, I decided to use one of my favorite winter veggies – Brussels sprouts! I just can’t get enough of them. I had a few stalks of Brussels Sprouts from a local farm stand that were just waiting to be used in a fun new recipe. To jazz things up (this is a holiday recipe, after all), I added a few of my favorite flavors – cranberry, pomegranate, walnuts, and gorgonzola!

Cranberry Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts with Gorgonzola
(Serves 4-6)

• 1 cup cranberry pomegranate juice
  (plain pomegranate juice would be fine, as well)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Bring the cranberry pomegranate juice to a simmer in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Reduce to approximately 1/2 cup. Whisk in the dijon mustard and brown sugar, and continue to cook over low heat, whisking occasionally, while preparing the rest of the dish.

Heat the tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  When the butter has melted, add the chopped walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon.  Stir to evenly coat the walnuts.  Toast the walnuts, stirring contantly, until fragrant - for about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a bowl and set aside.

Turn the heat up to medium, and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot skillet.  Add in the Brussels sprouts, and saute until they are tender and caramelized, for about 5-6 minutes. Pour the cranberry pomegranate sauce into the pan and stir in the reserved walnuts and the dried cranberries.  Cook for an additional minute or two to let the dish come together.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with hte crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Serve immediately.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 24 comments | Post tags: 12 Days of Christmas, brussels sprouts, Christmas, cranberry, fight hunger, giving, gorgonzola, holidays, No Kid Hungry, Pomegranate, Share Our Holiday Table, Share Our Strength, walnuts

Whether it’s trying to get the house cleaned and decorated for company, developing an elaborate holiday dinner menu, or searching for the perfect gifts for friends and family, there always seems to be something that needs to be done. If you’re like me, you may even enjoy all of the hustle and bustle.  I kind of love running last minute errands on cold nights when I can see my breath and almost smell the snow in the air.

But, as I grasp my steaming latte while I shop in the cold or settle in to my cozy house, I find that my mind often drifts off to those who are less fortunate than I have been. My husband and I are very blessed and fortunate to live the way we do.  Though we do our best to give back throughout the whole year, it really tugs on my heart a bit mroe around the holidays.

Hunger is one of the issues that is particularly close to my heart. As someone who loves to cook, bake, and eat, it is hard for me to comprehend what it must be like to be truly hungry – to not be able to afford to put food on the table for my family. As I settle in to a Thanksgiving dinner with more than enough food to go around, I know that there are many who may not even have a decent meal on Thanksgiving day.

I’m not trying to dampen your spirits or ruin your Thanksgiving.  Quite the contrary.  Instead, let’s take this opportunity to express our gratitude by giving back.  What could be a better way to brighten our own Thanksgiving celebrations by taking a moment to share what we’ve been blessed with to brighten the day for someone less fortunate.

I sometimes feel that the fight against hunger can be so huge that my small efforts hardly make a difference.  I was starting to feel that way this year when I got an email from Jennie from In Jennie’s Kitchen asking if I would like to participate in writing a post this Thanksgiving about hunger.  She had the right idea… If we all do a little bit, we can make a huge difference.

Please join us in our fight against hunger and help to fill an empty plate for those less fortunate this Thanksgiving.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 5 comments | Post tags: giving, gratitude, holiday, Hunger, Share Our Strength, Thanksgiving

I dedicated a large part of last week to my bake sale preparations.  The week started out with quite a few errands.  In addition to the bake sale necessities (flour, sugar, and about 5 pounds of butter!), I found some fun Fourth of July decorations on sale a bit early, so I picked them up to help decorate the bake sale tables and stick with the patriotic theme.

After I was done with all of the errands, I got started on all of my goodies for the bake sale.  I made roasted almonds (cocoa and cinnamon), chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate marshmallow peanut clusters, toffee pretzel bark, chocolate chip cookies, cranberry oatmeal cookies, vanilla cupcakes, and cinnamon rolls! It may sound like a lot, but I actually enjoyed spending a few days in the kitchen… Hard to believe, I know!

In addition to the baking that I did, I had quite a bit of help from my family! My aunt made lots of cookies (chocolate chip, peanut butter blossoms, and brownies), my grandmother brought an assortment of goodies (biscotti, chocolate peanut butter fudge, cinnamon muffins, and rice krispy treats), and my mom brought some bread and cakes (homemade whole wheat banana bread, blueberry coffee cake, and pound cake). And, even though he didn’t bake, my hubby helped out with the sale quite a bit, helping transport baked goods, set up tables, and provide moral support!

I also had the opportunity to meet two new bloggers from the area, who both contributed to the sale.  Ashley from The Cookie Sheet Bakery brought some beautifully decorated cookies (cupcake shaped cookies decorated like the Great American Bake Sale logo and blue patriotic star cookies).  Christin from Oh It Is Love brought some gorgeous cupcakes (vanilla with pretty “tiffany blue” icing and chocolate with peanut butter icing).  It was a lot of fun to meet them, and I look forward to getting to know both of them better… They have even offered to help with future bake sales!

On Saturday, we arrived at the Outlets at Hershey around 9am to start setting up for the sale.  Unfortunately, we had a cold front come through on Friday (complete with heavy storms and power outages, although I managed to escape that part of it), and it was quite cold and windy. We braved the cold and wind from 10am – 3pm for the sale, but there wasn’t nearly as much shopping traffic as I had hoped! I’m afraid the unseasonably cool weather kept people away!

The good news is… Despite the cool weather, we still managed to make $270 at the sale on Saturday.  When combined with generous online donations, the total for the Central PA sale was $400! It wasn’t quite as much as I had hoped, but I am still happy that I was able to help.  And, I’m looking forward to my annual bake sale at our neighborhood yard sale coming up in a few weeks!

While the $400 we raised in Central PA may not seem like a lot, every little bit helps in the fight against childhood hunger. The Food Bloggers Bake Sale proved that over the weekend. As individuals, our efforts may seem small, but combined, we were able to raise over $16,500 for Share Our Strength! And, hopefully we have inspired you to hold a bake sale of your own this year!

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 18 comments | Post tags: #FB_BakeSale, bake sale, Great American Bake Sale, Hershey, National Food Bloggers Bake Sale, Pennsylvania, Share Our Strength

If you stop by here often, you may have noticed that I added a new Fighting Hunger section to the site. You also probably know that I am passionate about fighting hunger in America.  So, in that section, I will be sharing information about the events that I am participating in to help spread the word and give you the opportunity to get involved, as well!

Get Involved with the Food Bloggers Bake Sale…

Since I am heading up the Central PA sale for the Food Bloggers Bake Sale, I decided to add a Food Bloggers Bake Sale page within the Fighting Hunger section to provide all of the sale details for you.  You can also view the official press release for the sale!

Now that you have all of the info, you can get involved!  If you are from Central PA, I’d love for you to stop by my bake sale or even consider donating some baked goods for the sale.

Please Note – The giveaway originally announced in this post was cancelled due to lack of interest and donations.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | One comment | Post tags: fight hunger, Food Bloggers Bake Sale, Great American Bake Sale, Share Our Strength

I am helping to organize the Pennsylvania bake sales… With the help of two other great bloggers (Julie and Jessica), it looks like we will be able to pull off three different bake sales in PA! If you’re from PA, we’d love to have you join in the fun and help us to support the Great American Bake Sale.  Even if you’re not from PA, you can visit the official bake sale pages and make a donation!

Details for the Pennsylvania bake sales…

Central PA Bake Sale

• Contact – Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction (that’s me)
• Location – Outlets at Hershey, PA
• Date and Time – April 17th, 10am – 3pm
• Get Involved -
  • Visit the Central PA Bake Sale Page
  • Sign Up to help with the sale!

Philadelphia Bake Sale

• Contact – Julie @ Running Reckless
• Location – A Full Plate on Liberties Walk (Philadelphia, PA)
• Date and Time – April 17th, TBD
• Get Involved-
  • Visit the Philadelphia Bake Sale Page
  • Sign Up to help with the sale!

Pittsburgh Bake Sale

• Contact – Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
• Location – TBD (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Date and Time – April 17th, TBD
• Get Involved -
  • Visit the Pittsburgh Bake Sale Page
  • Sign Up to help with the sale!

Some other helpful bake sale links…

Here are a few other links to help you learn more and (hopefully) get involved with the bake sales and the fight against hunger…

• Check out the official site of the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale over at What’s Gaby Cooking.  You’ll find a list of all of the states hosting bake sales and contact information for the bake sale organizers!
• If you’re interested in hosting a bake sale but aren’t available to participate in the Food Bloggers sale on April 17th (or maybe you want to host another one in addition!), be sure to check out the Great American Bake Sale site to register and get all of the details!
• Over at Forgotten Foodies (my “side project” with Kelly from Evil Shenanigans), we featured a fun interview with Gaby about her inspiration for the Food Bloggers Bake Sale.
• The next #SOSFood Twitter Chat is coming up next Wednesday (March 24th) from 9-11pm EST.  We will be chatting about the bake sale, so it’s a great time to meet new bloggers and get your bake sale questions answered!

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 3 comments | Post tags: #FB_BakeSale, #SOSFood, bake sale, Food Bloggers Bake Sale, Great American Bake Sale, Pennsylvania, Share Our Strength

Earlier this week, I helped to moderate the #SOSFood chat on Twitter, and we had some really great discussion about the bake sale.  I’m also thrilled to be helping to organize the Pennsylvania bake sales along with Michelle of Brown Eyed Baker.  Right now we’re in the process of finalizing the locations for the sales and drumming up support for the sales (so, if you’re interested in helping out, let me know!).

If that weren’t enough, registration on the Great American Bake Sale site opens up on Monday! Even if you aren’t able to participate in the Food Bloggers Bake Sale, consider holding a bake sale at another time during the season or even holding a bakeless bake sale on your blog!

Not only have I been busy working on the Pennsylvania bake sale, trying to find locations for Central PA and Eastern PA (Philadelphia) bake sales, but I’ve started thinking about recipes for the bake sales…  I held a bake sale last year, so I have a few ideas, but this year, I really want to have a good mix of items for the sale! So, I figured I’d share a few of the recipes that I’ve bookmarked this week to help all of you with your bake sale planning, as well.

Biscotti – I think biscotti are perfect, elegant item for bake sales… Wrap them in cellophane bags and tie them with a piece of ribbon for a great gift for any coffee lover!

• I love these Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti from Honey and Jam. I don’t always have great luck with making biscotti, but I am definitely going to give these a try!

Cookies – You can’t have a bake sale without cookies.  These are a few of the recipes that caught my eye!

• If you’re looking for some new cookie ideas, don’t miss these Orange Almond Chocolate Cookies from Evil Shenanigans!  These are not your ordinary chocolate chip cookies… I’m sure they’ll be a hit!
• These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Brown Eyed Baker remind me of a cookie my mom would have made for us when we were kids. I might have to give them a try this weekend while I’m snowed in!

Homemade Granola – There are a lot of health-conscious people out there who may not want to stock up on cookies and cupcakes, so I think it’s a good idea to have a few alternatives.  Who wouldn’t love some homemade granola for a snack with fruit or yogurt?

• This Maple Almond Granola from Two Peas and Their Pod is on my must-make list.  I think it would be perfect with my Greek yogurt for breakfast!
• I am also loving this Peanut Butter Granola from How Sweet It Is. No need to add this to anything, I’ll probably be eating it right out of the pan.

Brownies and Bars – Brownies and bars are another bake sale staple. Consider wrapping them for individual sale or selling them by the pan for a quick grab and go option!

• When I first saw the picture of these Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies from Nutmeg Nanny, I thought they were fudge. Since I love fudgy brownies (and peanut butter definitely can’t hurt), these are definitely getting added to the must-make list!
• I think these Lemon Bars from Lottie + Doof will be a great bake sale hit, as well. Not everyone is as much of a chocoholic as I am (hard to believe, I know), and the bright lemony flavor is a great reminder that summer’s just around the corner. In fact, I wouldn’t mind a few right now!

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 11 comments | Post tags: #SOSFood, bake sale, bars, biscotti, brownies, chocolate, cookies, Food Bloggers Bake Sale, granola, Great American Bake Sale, peanut butter, Share Our Strength

Another week has come and gone, and it’s time for my Friday Favorites! Let’s just get right to it, shall we?

• If you have wanted to make croissants but held back because you thought they would be difficult, think again!  These homemade Croissants from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures are some of the best I’ve seen.  Tracey gives easy to follow directions with step-by-step photos of the whole process!
• This Mushroom-Herb Macaroni & Cheese from Brown Eyed Baker looks like the perfect comfort food for a cold winter night to me! I have never made mac and cheese with mushrooms before, but I think it’s an amazing idea. I think it would even make a tasty dinner for Valentines Day!
• While we’re talking about Valentine’s Day, if you’re cooking for your sweetie, consider making this Dreamy Chocolate Cream Pie from The Wright Recipes for dessert! Just take one look at that pie and tell me you wouldn’t love for someone to make it for you. Yup, I thought so.
• I love adding butternut squash to pasta dishes, so I was immediately drawn to this Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce from GoodLife {Eats}! The butternut squash gives the sauce a beautiful golden color and also sneaks in some vegetables for those picky eaters out there.
• If you’re a fan of chewy, fudgy brownies like I am, you will be delighted to discover these Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies from Evil Shenanigans. I’m thinking they’d be good with some Nutella in place of the peanut butter, too. Perhaps I should make two batches and compare?

This Just In!

In addition to my Friday Favorites, I wanted to share with you some news…

Food bloggers across America will be organizing bake sales in each state to kick off the fundraising season for Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale!  As you know, I am a huge fan of the Great American Bake Sale (and had a small sale of my own last year), so I was on board right away.

You can see all of the details from our fearless leader over at What’s Gaby Cooking!

I will be helping to coordinating the bake sale for Pennsylvania, and would love to hear from you if you are also from Pennsylvania and are interested in participating or spreading the word! I am putting together an email list so that I can contact everyone as more information becomes available.  If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post or contact me via the Contact Form here on my site!

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 5 comments | Post tags: brownies, butternut squash, cheese, chocolate, croissants, Favorites, Great American Bake Sale, macaroni, mushroom, parmesan, pasta, peanut butter, pie, Share Our Strength, Valentine's Day

As I was flipping through my recipe book today, I came across my great grandmother’s recipe for Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies.  It has been a very long time since I have had these cookies, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever actually made them myself. When I saw the recipe, though, I was immediately struck by two things… There are only 3 ingredients (yes, three) and the cookies are gluten free! Double win! I’m taking cookies to a party on Friday evening and I know one person there must have gluten free treats, so I thought I’d give them a try.

They turned out just as I remember them from when I was a kid.  They are slightly crunchy, but not hard. They are rich and peanut buttery and just absolutely fantastic. And, did I mention there are only three ingredients? Yes, that’s right… I did. I just can’t get over it. This is one recipe that I can actually memorize (and mix up in less than a minute).  So, if you’re looking for a quick and easy cookie to add to your repertoire or if you are looking for something to make for a gluten-free friend, give these cookies a try! The recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen, but it can easily be doubled.

I’m submitting these cookies to the Virtual Cookie Jar for the 12 Days of Sharing being hosted by the lovely Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie’s Kitchen (and might I add that she has been a fabulous hostess?). Can you believe the 12 Days of Sharing will be coming to an end this Friday? Yes, it’s true.  So, be sure to make your donation today!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (use natural peanut butter for best flavor and to ensure that it is gluten free)
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine all three ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together. (I did this by hand since I was feeling nostalgic, and I’m sure my great grandmother would have done it by hand… You can use a mixer if you must.)

Drop tablespoons of the batter onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Use a fork to press the cookies down in a criss-crossed pattern (you know the one… yes, these are nostalgic cookies). Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.

Cool slightly on the cookie sheet, until the cookies have firmed up a bit.  Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (or snack while they’re warm, because they’re tasty that way!).

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 25 comments | Post tags: 12 Days of Sharing, Christmas, cookies, crunchy, gluten free, holiday baking, holidays, peanut butter, Share Our Strength

These peppermint mocha truffles are pretty quick and easy to make.  I like to put them in pretty foil wrappers and place them in white candy boxes (you can find boxes at most craft stores this time of year). Be sure to tie the box with some pretty ribbon and add a label so that everyone knows exactly what they’re getting (and if you’re like me, so you don’t get them mixed up with the other goodies you’re making!).

I will be adding these truffles to the Virtual Cookie Jar for the 12 Days of Sharing.  There’s still time to make a donation (and to be entered to win some great prizes in the giveaway). Consider making some homemade gifts this year and donating what you would have spent if you had bought your gifts!

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

• 8 ounces cream cheese (or neufchâtel cheese), softened
• 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening
• Crushed peppermint candies (optional)
• Additional chocolate for drizzling (optional)

In a mixing bowl, combine the instant espresso and water, whisking until completely dissolved.  Add the cream cheese and peppermint extract, and set aside.

In a double boiler, melt half of the chocolate chips (12 ounces) over barely simmering water until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl with the cream cheese, and use a hand blender to mix thoroughly.  Cover and chill until firm (a few hours or overnight).

When ready to make the truffles, use a mini ice cream scoop (or clean fingers) to form little balls (about 1 inch in diameter) of the filling.  Place the balls on parchment paper or waxed paper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining chocolate chips with the 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable shortening in a double boiler over barely simmering water until the mixture is smooth. (Note – you could use the chocolate coating wafers that are found with candy-making supplies in place of the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening.)  Remove from the heat.

Carefully dip each ball into the melted chocolate and coat on all sides.  Lift with a fork and let the excess chocolate drain off.  Place back on the parchment paper to let the chocolate set.  Sprinkle with peppermint candies, if desired.

If desired, place the finished truffles in small foil candy wrappers and drizzle with additional melted chocolate.

© Jennifer Schall for my kitchen addiction, 2009-2012. | Permalink | 29 comments | Post tags: 12 Days of Sharing, candy, chocolate, Christmas, espresso, holidays, Homemade Gifts, peppermint, Share Our Strength, truffles