Truffles

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar (I like mine a little sweeter)

Directions:
Bring the cream and sugar to a boil over low heat, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. (At this point I separated mine into 4 different bowls; one for each flavor.)

For the Peppermint:Add 1 or 2 drops peppermint extract to the ganache and stir to combine.

For the Orange:Add a sizable splash of Grand Marnier orange liquer and stir to combine.

For the S’Mores:Add 1 or 2 drops pure vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste) and stir to combine.

For the Raspberry:Add a sizable splash of Chambord Raspberry liquer and stir to combine.

Cover and chill the bowls for at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll into walnut size balls, roll in desired topping and chill until ready to serve. As far as toppings, I used crushed up candy canes for the peppermint, powdered sugar for the orange, and cocoa powder for the raspberry. For the S’Mores truffles, I chopped up marshmallows and placed a small piece inside of each truffle, then rolled them in graham cracker crumbs. Pretzels are also a great topper.

Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

2 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

1 orange, zested

1 egg

Butter, for greasing

Special equipment: mini muffin tin

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter.

Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.

In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg.

Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture.

Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.
Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Rhodes Orange Rolls

Ingredients:

1 package of Rhodes frozen roll dough
Butter, softened
Sugar
Orange zest
Powdered sugar
Fresh orange juice

Directions:
1. Let the frozen dough thaw out on the counter for about two hours.
2. Once the dough is workable, but still cool, roll the dough balls into ropes and then tie a knot.
3. Dip the knots in softened butter.
4. Combine the sugar and orange zest with your fingers. Dip the buttered knots into the orange/sugar mixture.
5. Place rolls in a greased pan and let rise for at least 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden.
7. Let the rolls cool. Make a glaze by combining powdered sugar, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Whisk until smooth. I didn't measure but you want the consistency to be a glaze.
8. With a spoon ice the rolls with the orange glaze.

Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Zest of one orange
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For the glaze:
Confectioners sugar
Orange juice, fresh from the orange
Orange zest

Directions:
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.Put the dried cranberries in a small bowl with hot water. Allow them to sit for a couple of minutes. Then drain. This just plumps them up:)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter briefly, until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to mix. Add the vanilla, and beat briefly again. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add in the dried cranberries. Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for about 11 minutes per batch. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute; then transfer them to a wire rack.For the glaze, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, orange juice, and zest. I just guess on the amount. Brush or spoon the glaze onto the warm cookies. Allow cookies to sit on the rack until the glaze is set.

Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread

Ingredients:
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 2 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans.
2. Place the sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Rub the zest in with your fingers. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, sugar/orange mix, salt, and vanilla.
3. Chop chocolate. You want the pieces a little smaller than chocolate chips.
4. Beat the flour and the chocolate with the butter mixture, until well combined.
5. Divide the dough in half and press in prepared cake pans. Make sure each pan is even. Smooth the surface and prick the dough with a fork.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Remove and loosen the edges with a knife.
7. Wait five minutes, then carefully place the shortbread out onto a clean work surface, all in one piece.
8. Using a pizza wheel or knife, cut into wedges. Do this while it is still warm so you can cut it. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack.