Grazing with Gary: More tasty 'gifts of love' for Christmas

Here is your final reminder for the Christmas party at the KAHI radio station Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. till 9 a.m. Food, drinks, fun and several give-a-ways. If you are a foodie reader, come up and say, "I read Grazing with Gary," and I'll have a special gift for the first 10 readers. The Mandarin Festival will also be doing the Great Cash Give-a-way for our ninth year in a row. Come claim your share of $500 in cold, hard cash!! That starts at 7:50 a.m. This week, we continue to offer ideas for gifts of love from your kitchen. My first recipe came from my grandma's recipe card box, and it's for Irish toffee shortbread bars. Three layers of chocolate, toffee and the base of good, old-fashion shortbread makes for a great gift for friends and family. Second, who doesn't love a gingerbread cookie? But, who has time to decorate the cookies to be boys and girls? This gingerbread cookie recipe is the perfect gift. If you want to dip them half in white chocolate and sprinkle Christmas goodies on top to spruce them up, you can. The last recipe is for the gift of hot fudge sauce. Say what?? Yes, you can make your own peppermint hot fudge sauce, put it in jars and give it to the neighbors. Now, don't forget if you made a batch of vanilla earlier in the year it is time to bottle it and give it away. Happy cooking and see you all Saturday!!! Irish Toffee Shortbread Bars Ingredients For the shortbread: 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature1/2 cup granulated sugar2 cups all-purpose flour For the toffee and finishing: 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter1 cup granulated sugar1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk3 tablespoons maple syrup1 (10-ounce) bag good-quality bittersweet chocolate chipsSea salt (optional) Instructions Make the shortbread: Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed until crumbly, making sure not to over-mix the dough. Transfer to an 8x11-inch baking dish. Bake until light golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack. Make the toffee: Place the butter, sugar, condensed milk and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring, until thickened and golden brown (but not burned), 5 to 7 minutes. Pour over the shortbread layer. (If you love caramel flavor, use all of the sauce, or use less for a thinner layer.) Let sit until set, at least 1 hour or overnight. Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour over the cooled caramel layer and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt (if using), and cool completely. Cut into 12 pieces before serving. Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 teaspoon ground allspice1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature1/2 cup packed light brown sugar2/3 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)1 large eggTurbinado sugar or other coarse sugar Instructions In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt and black pepper, and set aside. Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening until smooth and well-combined. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and egg. With a spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours, or up to 2 days. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Pour a little of the coarse sugar into a small, shallow bowl. Break off a small piece of dough and form into a ball about 3/4 of an inch in diameter or scoop out dough with a small ice cream scoop. Dip the top in the sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are firm and look dry, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce Ingredients 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder1 1/2 cups sugar1 cup brown sugar1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt2 cups heavy cream1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces2 teaspoons peppermint extract (substitute vanilla, if you don't want the mint flavor) Instructions Directions: In a double boiler over medium heat, stir in cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the cream and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the sauce comes together and is smooth and glossy. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Then, remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the peppermint extract. Store in the fridge and re-heat when ready to use. Storage notes: This sauce is great to package in glass jars for gifts. When pouring the sauce from the bowl into the jar, it is helpful to use a kitchen funnel if you have one available. This sauce will stay in the fridge for up to two weeks or more. Serving ideas: In addition to ice cream, this sauce is excellent drizzled over slices of pound cake, cheesecake or a meringue. The version made with vanilla extract is also delicious served with poached fruit.