Wednesday, December 8, 2010

CARO'S PARTY II---SWEET SPOT

After dinner, we quickly put the plates in the kitchen, put out dessert plates, and went upstairs to retrieve all the goodies. We could hardly get it all on the four tables, even after we cleared off the buffet for extra room.

Rocky Mountain Road, made with the recipe for Hot Fudge Sauce, with twice the chocolate to thicken it into candy.
Caro's Fancy Dipped Pretzels. She does these every year, and I imagine most of these will go into the Grands' Christmas Boxes for shipping.

Caro's Orange/Chocolate Truffles, dusted with cocoa, seen in the header picture on Monday:


Caro's tray of Ooey-Gooey Lemon Squares, Karo Pecan Squares made by my Mother's longtime recipe, and the same bars, with a little streusel atop the pecans---they aren't quite as sticky.



A variety of Caro's work, in the big plastic tray I use for the toppings when we do a Sundae Party. On the Clock at One and Seven: Chocolate Chip Butter Bars. At Three and Nine: Sugar-Free Strawberry Squares. At Five: Chocolate Bark with whole Almonds. At Eleven: Cookies and Cream Bark. Center: 7-Layer Squares.



Cookies and Cream Bark:


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Plain old Fudge---medium Dark, made with a pound of chocolate.



And the Guests' own Baking:
Some Brown-Sugar-Sanded Cookies, and some very rich Pecan Cookies:


This lady outdid herself, with Hershey Kiss Cookies, Plain Brownies, Pecan Brownies; some absolutely HEAVENLY Cheesecake Bars (I have two stashed in the fridge still), and something I haven't made in years---those wonderful Date Balls with Rice Krispies, Pecans and Coconut. What memories THEY bring back!

More Hershey Kiss Cookies, from another guest, with Sugar-Cookie shapes and those center things---absolutely wonderful very crisp-edged cookies, growing softer toward the spoonful of strawberry jam in the center, with a drizzle of vanilla icing.


Something like our Seven-Layer Bars, but I swear I tasted a rich espresso chip in there somewhere---divine. And those perfect bite-size pieces of fudge---three chocolates, she said, and they were lovely---just right to pop onto your tongue, and the creamy deep melting chocolate just whispered away gently---I must get that recipe.


The darkest, richest Mint Brownies---I'm not a mint-in-chocolate-person, but everybody else seemed to be. They looked DEEE-licious.



My dear neighbor's delightful Brown-Sugar Thins---just the most ethereally delicious cookie---there were four layers of cookies in those shallow boxes!



DDIL made Chris' Favorite: Vanilla Shortbread, made Christmassy with M&M's. I think he must have snuck the whole box aside to keep, for there are a LOT of those left on the table.



And of course, Our Sweetpea and her Mama make scrumptious Krispie Treats:


I somehow accidentally deleted a plate of Peanut Butter Macarons half-dipped-in-chocolate, made by my other Dear Neighbor of the VAST baking skills. There's no way to put it in now, so will post it in a later post.
Caro's friend made the most wonderful Biscotti---I kept a few and have been enjoying them immensely, dipped into my morning coffee:




11 comments:

  1. Even just a bite of each would leave anyone just rolling for lack of being able to walk! It all looks so scrumptious! I think I'm full from looking.

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  2. I've had difficulty trying to comment. I hope this posts. The party food was fabulous!! What a great time it must have been!

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  3. Oh, golly, I just keep coming back to look and drool. (Hope the latter does not show up for anyone else!)

    Question: does one have to ask for recipes, as I suspect, or are said recipes furnished with goodies? Isn't it torture NOT to furnish the recipe? Bad enough to look and look at these, but to not have the recipes at the end of the evening...

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  4. Dear Rachel, this is the first Christmas party I've seen this year, you're EARLY! it all looks very beautiful and festive. Have a lovely December, X Klary

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  5. It's 5:30 in the morning and my mouth is watering over all those scrumptious-looking goodies. I think if I had been at the party, I would have had to sample each and every one (especially your beautiful "plain old Fudge!").

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  6. I don't suppose you would gift us each with Caro for the day. Wow, she is amazing.

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  7. Thank you for sharing! This is so holiday-ish and delightful. I had the best time scrolling through the photos and reading about all the goodies. How wonderful.

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  8. Oh, my goodness! I think I gained 10 pounds just reading these party posts! I can taste all those yummy delights! What a glorious spread you all put on for your friends! They were all probably thanking their lucky stars that they had an invitation!I remember my Mom made those date balls. I haven't heard of those in quite some time. And, the fudges...always my favorite. I make a fudge with peanut butter. Hmmm...haven't done that in a while either. So glad your party turned out so well...now relax for a while. And, munch on the leftovers!

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  9. Oh.
    My..
    GAWD!!!!

    I am reaching for my glucose monitor just LOOKING at this feast. And now I am throwing it under the bed. Some things are worth the remediation, and this is just....OMG I wanna.

    Tis true, Christmas makes kids of all of us. Until this moment, I didn't think of this particular Winterchild with chocolate and strawberry adn crumbs smeared all over his face.

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  10. Oh, what glorious goodies! I haven't even started mine yet - now I want to make all of THEM! Caro has an amazing talent - the plating and the crisp edges of the cut bars have all of my admiration and ENVY! Cheers!

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  11. Oh, my GOODNESS, Y'all!!! I've never seen such a flurry of lovely things-to-say!!! I wish you were every one here, so we could just talk and sip and enjoy all those goodies all over again.

    Chesapeake, I'll have to see about getting some of the recipes---Caro will be delighted to part with all of hers, I'm sure, and she can probably get the others.

    Caro is indeed a great gift in her own right, and if distance were not such a hindrance, she'd be all over the place cooking and decorating and humming along spreading the Christmas Spirit.

    AND SAST--Sir, you live with one of the best cooks THERE IS, and I've SEEN your parties and your everyday meals!! And you're no slouch in culinary matters, yourself.

    Kim---whenever we can, we like to tump out the entire pan onto a cutting board, flip it with another one, and then cut straight-down-through with a cleaver-type knife. Caro's been known to employ a ruler, marking off the perfect measurements, scoring gently with the little blade-edge, THEN cutting those perfect squares.

    And I've found if your bars have a crisp top, it's better to cut them upside down, with the knife going through the tender underside, then the crust, so it won't sink in and bear the edges down.

    I just LOVE all of Y'all!!

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