Bakin’ With Bacon and the King

Let’s get bakin’ with bacon shall we??

I’ve got a goodie for you today – a dessert.    We like dessert around here – how about you?    Of course all of us who attend this cooking class are fans of bacon no matter WHAT it’s in so let’s get bakin’ shall we?

Bacon Turtles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 can condensed milk
• 3/4 pound pecan halves 
• 1/2 pound bacon (cooked crispy)
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CARAMEL:

1. Add the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and condensed milk to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides. Start with the heat on high until it is boiling, and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly for approximately 15 minutes, or until the caramel reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit. One way to test this is to drop a bit of the caramel into cold water. If it forms a soft ball, then it is ready. This is known as the ‘soft ball stage’. Let the caramel cool for about an hour. It should still be warm but not hot.

ASSEMBLE THE TURTLES:

1. Arrange pecans to resemble turtles – one for the head and two for the feet – on parchment paper. Roll small balls of the caramel and place in the center of the pecans, squishing gently into place. Cover the caramel with a piece of cooked bacon. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE:

1. Gently melt chocolate and butter over low heat until just melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Hold the turtle by the head and spoon the chocolate over top. Place the turtles back onto the parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with medium course sea salt. Put them back into the fridge to harden the chocolate.

I know…..it’s an exciting recipe……!!!!!!

So give this one a whirl.    My Mom uses parchment paper for cookies and biscotti and all sort of baking things – sure saves on scrubbing down cookie sheets!    It’s a handy thing to have in the kitchen cupboard.

Any questions?    No?    Good!

Get Busy Bakin’ !!

Farewell from the Castle Kitchen for another week!   

King Teddy

Teaser Tuesday Christmas FUN!

Merry Christmas – HO HO HO!  (Santa wants to know if you commented yet????)

Greetings to all our dedicated students who made it here for Teaser class on Christmas Day!    We’re proud of you.  No you don’t get a special prize for being here – just our undying thanks and love.   Now we will try to keep class relatively SHORT today so you can get back to playing with all the stuff Santa brought to you.

Some of you dressed up for class today – you look fabulous!

Our Cheer Team looks fabulous too!   And they have a GUEST Cheer Member today – let’s bring them on in to get you ready to guess the Teaser today shall we????

Christmas Day is finally here!
We decided to dress up as Santa’s reindeer!
Santa is grumpy and likes to be in charge….
How typical is that for our Humbug Sarge?
Good luck with the Teaser on this special day
We hope you get a badge and we just wanna say…..
HAPPY HOLIDAY TO YOU AND GIVE EACH OTHER A HUG
Unless of course you have the flu bug!

Good job!  You all look………………………interesting!     Now, let’s just give you the rules for the guessing QUICKLY and show you the badges one last time then give you the TEASER photo to begin agonizing over………..

Badges You Can Earn:

Since we gave our Security Guard the day off -I’m gonna show you the photos for today!

That’s right students – photos – meaning more than one – of the same place though – just more hints!!

Where were these Christmas photos taken?   Yes it’s tough…..but do your best!!

Let’s go get our Christmas Brunch from Miss Dingleberry – who -by the way – has a surprise of her own for you today!

SURPRISE students!   I’ve had plastic surgery and you now have a whole new face to see when you come to MY cafeteria!   I just need a little work on my mustache problem AND either laser surgery for my eyes OR some nicer glasses but it’s the NEW ME!    I’ll even try to be a little less………er…………..DIFFICULT………my Christmas/New Year’s Resolution.    Now PLEASE enjoy your brunch, won’t you????

TODAY’S CHRISTMAS BRUNCH

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We’ll see you in Tell All Class tomorrow students – Good luck with the tough Christmas Teaser and have a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION!!

Your Professors, Angel Sammy and Teddy

Pre-Teaser Christmas Style!

Happy Christmas Eve Students!

‘Twas the class before Christmas and all through the school

Ding Dong School students were breaking the rules!

But the Professors said “go ahead – have some fun!

But if the principal comes, we’d all better run!”

 

Hello students and here we are for your pre-tease class which we will keep nice and SHORT since it is – after all – Christmas Eve.    Tomorrow we will have a Christmas Teaser for you and we just want to remind you of the rules AND show you the fabulous Teaser Badges we will be awarding to those of you who win one tomorrow!

Easy to follow these rules isn’t it – you just have to use your imagination, your SEARCH button to get clues from the photo to follow up on, and sometimes your best guessing skills!    You may win one of these:

Oh boy – now you know you can’t let this Christmas pass by without trying for one of these right?    Then for sure we’ll see you in class tomorrow – even if it’s a quickie visit before you see what Santa stuffed in your stocking on Christmas morning.

Which reminds me – we don’t normally give you ANY KIND OF HINT about when the Teaser will be popping up but since tomorrow is Christmas Day……….we will tell you just this one little hint – it will be EARLY.   At least early here on the East Coast of the USA!!!   So, that’s your hint and you’ll never get another clue like that as to time for the Teaser again (unless maybe for Christmas 2019…hahaha).    We don’t want to interfere with your Christmas celebration so we’ll get Teaser done and dusted and turn you loose after Miss Dingleberry’s Christmas BRUNCH (yes I said brunch…..there will be some breakfast items on the menu since we’ll be early!).

Oh I like brunch……..ummm….Professor what’s a “brunch” exactly????

There will be some surprises tomorrow too – our Cheer Team has new costumes AND they have talked Sarge into joining them.    Miss Dingleberry has a surprise too and that’s all we’re saying!!!!

The Cheer Team is wearing their elf costumes for their little Pre-Christmas cheer today but tomorrow……….well………you’ll just have to wait and see!

Here we are as elves one last time
Squeezing into these suits has been a crime!
Tomorrow we’ll be here to wish you a Christmas SO Merry….
We are NOT going to dress as Christmas fairies!
Now you’d better be asleep tonight when Santa arrives
Or the coal he puts in your stocking might give you hives!

Students if you come to school tomorrow with hives we’ll all know you PEEKED!

Interesting cheer today team………….but thanks for the warning about being asleep (or pretending to be) when Santa comes.   The lady in our Graphics Department said her Mom told her if she tries to sneak a peek at Santa she’d get coal in her stocking.    I know you don’t want that so SLEEP tonight and we’ll see you tomorrow!

I’m not gonna peek! No way!

Now let’s go have our lunch so you all can go home early today – remember tomorrow we’ll have an EARLY class and turn you loose to spend the day with your family!!!!!!

Welcome to the cafeteria students…..I know you’re all excited for tomorrow to arrive so you can see what Santa brings you, but for today, me and my cafeteria crew are bringing you a nice Christmas Eve lunch!!    I’m even on my BEST behavior just for you!!   Amazing right?

Christmas Eve Menu:

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See you in class early tomorrow students!    Your Profs…………Happy Christmas Eve!

 

 

Sunday Selfie

Happy Sunday!    The last Sunday before Christmas is here and we’re going to be hopping with everyone else to show off our Christmas Selfie.   Want to join in?  Click on the badge above and do it!    Our hosts, The Kitties Blue at The Cat On My Head host this great hop every week.   Total FUN!

Before I show you my selfie for this Sunday I want to just say a little word about my friends The Kitties Blue.    Most particularly the youngest of the kitty crew, little Sawyer.    He needs lots of purrs and POTP because he has a seizure disorder AND had a whopper of a seizure this past week – had to stay in the emergency hospital overnight.   He’s now on three medications to try and keep his seizures under control.   See why I’m asking you all to keep him in your prayers?    He’s just a little guy and we hope no more seizures for him if we all just keep him in our prayers.

Now – onward to my selfie.    Mom seemed to think it was pretty cute that I was snoozing under the tree……………I happen to love it under there – it’s quiet and cozy and – well – nobody else but ME can possibly get under there so it’s private too!    Here I am:

My head on Dad’s train railroad track.   Snoozing away.   Mom did a little Lunapic magic to this photo though and then Christmasized it.    Here’s how THAT turned out:

Mom added Lunapic’s “SPACE” filter then Pizapped a Christmas frame around it and I think it looks dreamy – you can almost hear me snoozing away.

If you’re up for a puzzle, Mom made this for you!

Just click on this mini-me and have fun with the puzzle!!

 

Happy Christmas to All and to All a GOODNIGHT!

Love, Teddy

Bakin’ in Baconia for Christmas!

Final Countdown to Christmas!   Our last idea for your holiday………

Are you a sugar cookie lover like my Mom is?   She buys those “rolls” of sugar cookie dough and decorates them like crazy with sprinkles and sparkles and all sort of stuff but recently she saw THIS recipe and OOH LA LA…..she is also an eggnog fan.   So this was just MADE to be tried!    And know what?   They are delicious (she says!).   No – there’s no bacon in it but Christmas isn’t all about bacon (well………maybe but not today!).

 

Eggnog Sugar Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar (divided)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons eggnog
• 2 eggs
• 5 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons eggnog

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and very lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, cream butter for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add vegetable oil, 1 1/2 cups sugar, powdered sugar, eggnog, and eggs and mix well.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until dough comes together.

3. Roll 1/4 cup dough into a ball. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll ball in the sugar to coat. Place ball on prepared baking sheet. Use the bottom of a tall glass or cup to flatten the dough ball to about 1/2 inch thickness. (The sides of the dough should squish out around the bottom of the glass) Repeat process with remaining dough.

4. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes until cookies look “dry” but are still pale in color. Allow to cool 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely.

5. To  prepare the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy (1-2 minutes). Add powdered sugar and mix until very thick. Add eggnog and mix until frosting is smooth.   Spread on cooled cookies.   Store in airtight container.

   1. Recipe Notes

   * Because this frosting will stay soft, I recommend waiting to frost the cookies until shortly before serving. Keep cookies and frosting stored in separate containers in the meantime! This way you don’t have to worry about stacking the sugar cookies in a container when they are frosted.

   Do I have to tell you how yum these are and that you should try making a batch???   Go for it.   It’s Christmas and you’re running out of time to make baked goodies for your family and company!!

We want to wish everyone a super duper holiday…………………..we’ve had fun finding some fun stuff for you to bake for the holiday season but we will be returning to good old BACONIZED recipes next Saturday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BACONIA!