New Year’s Hats
These chocolate-covered cones are a stylish addition to a New Year’s celebration, or any celebration, serving as both festive decorations and a sweet topping for a scoop of ice cream.
To make a batch, spread melted chocolate chips (one 12-ounce bag covers 10 to 12 cones) over each sugar cone with a small spatula. Let the chocolate harden for about one hour (or 20 minutes in the refrigerator). For chinstraps, use icing to attach the ends of a fruit strip of a length of shoestring licorice to the inside of each cone. Use icing to decorate the hats and attach nonpareils.
Beef Taquitos
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup salsa, plus more for dipping
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream
Heat the oven to 400°. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the salsa, the chili powder, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef. Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browed, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve them hot with sour cream and/or salsa.
Warm Doughnuts a la Mode with Bananas and Spiced Caramel Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 cinnamon crumb or glazed doughnuts
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 small ripe bananas, peeled, cut on diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices
- Vanilla ice cream
- Toasted pecans
Preheat broiler. Place doughnuts on small baking sheet; set aside. Stir butter and brown sugar in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until butter is melted. Boil 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice and spices, stir to blend. Cool caramel sauce 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, broil doughnuts just until hot and bubbly, watching closely to avoid burning, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer doughnuts to 2 plates. Toss bananas with caramel sauce in skillet. Top doughnuts with scoop of ice cream, flattening slightly in center. Spoon bananas and caramel sauce over. Sprinkle with nuts and serve. Makes two servings.
