Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [157]
2 cups heavy cream
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour. Stir up the chocolate from the bottom of the pan with a whisk.
cover and cook on low for another 3 hours.
serve the hot chocolate in the cooker set on warm.
serves 10–12
White Chocolate Mocha
Although some people think that life is too short to eat or drink white chocolate, this coffee-flavored hot chocolate might change your mind. Use white bar chocolate instead of baking chips, because some baking chips don’t melt, and your drinks may feel like they have pebbles in them!
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
16 ounces white bar chocolate, such as Lindt or Perugina, finely grated
8 cups strong brewed coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
combine the milk, cream, and chocolate in a saucepan and heat, whisking frequently, over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
pour the mixture into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
serve the mocha from the cooker set on warm.
serves 10–12
Orange-Spiced Coffee
My husband, Chuck, is famous for his flaming dessert coffee, which he flavors with Cointreau, crème de cacao, and Kahlúa. Although the taste is incredible, we have to limit our guests to two! This slow-cooker recipe is an adult coffee with some of the same flavors, and it’s a winner. Feel free to have a bottle of Kahlúa or crème de cacao on the side for pouring!
16 cups strong brewed coffee
1½ cups brandy
Three 4-inch cinnamon sticks
3 medium navel oranges, each studded with about 20 cloves
3 cups unsweetened whipped cream for garnishing
combine the coffee, brandy, cinnamon sticks, and oranges in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Remove the oranges and cinnamon sticks.
serve from the cooker set on warm, and accompany with whipped cream for garnishing.
serves 10–12
Appetizers
Appetizers are meant to be a little something to spur on your appetite for dinner without completely satisfying your hunger. They can accompany predinner drinks, or they can be part of what I call a “grazing party,” where the entire party is appetizers and you go home full. I love the slow cooker for making warm dips and keeping them warm throughout the evening. The slow cooker also makes some terrific snack mixes and spicy nuts as well.
Everyone’s Favorite Snack Mix
My children know it’s holiday time when they smell snack mix. I’ve added some touches of my own to the original recipe over the years, like goldfish crackers and croutons, and it’s still a winner. The good news is you don’t have to heat up the oven, and you can freeze the snack mix for up to four months.
½ cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
6 shakes Tabasco sauce
4 cups Crispix cereal
2 cups mixed nuts
One 8- to 10-ounce bag pretzel sticks
One 5-ounce bag plain or Parmesan goldfish crackers
Two 3-ounce bags herbed croutons
combine the butter, seasoned salt, garlic salt, Worcestershire, and Tabasco in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir to coat each piece with the flavored butter.
cook uncovered on high for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the mix is dry and crisp.
transfer to baking sheets to cool completely before serving, or store in airtight containers.
serves 8–10
Spicy Crocked Nuts
These sweet and savory morsels are easy to make and keep on hand for nibbling when unexpected guests arrive. Once the nuts are “crocked,” they are cooled to room temperature and may then be stored in airtight containers at room temperature