Happy Holidays from Leading Ladies! We are looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year on January 28th at the next leading ladies event! 

Amazing Holiday Bars – Make them your own!

Base

1.5 cups of gluten free graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter – melted

Toppings

1 cup Chipits Dark Chocolate Chips (or white chocolate)
1 cup crushed pecans
1 can condensed milk (Dairy free substitute – Sweetened condensed coconut milk)

or

1 cup Chipits Dark Chocolate Chips (or white chocolate)
Sprinkle coconut
Sprinkle chopped dried cranberriesSprinkle crushed cashews

Basically you can put on top whatever delicious topping you would like.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter or spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Base: melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the graham crumbs to the butter and stir. Press the crust into an even layer in the pan with the back of a spoon. Make sure to go up the sides of the pan slightly.
3. Cover the base with the toppings of your choice or as suggested. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the filling.
4. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool down for a few hours in the fridge before cutting. Wrap and freeze or serve!

Lemon Almond Coconut Macaroons

14 ounce package sweetened shredded coconut
1  cup  sliced almonds
3/4  cup  sugar
1  teaspoon  grated lemon zest
1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
4  large egg whites
1 bag of dark or white chocolate (or both)

• Heat oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, almonds, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Mix in the egg whites.
• Drop mounds of the mixture (2 tbsp) onto lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets.
• Melt chocolate and dip the tops of the macaroons. Transfer macaroons to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Homemade Baileys for the Holidays!

One of our favourite things to make for the holiday season is homemade    Baileys. It is far superior to the store-bought kind and you can make it a little  stronger (if you so wish).

Ingredients:
1 cup light cream
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 2/3 cup whiskey (we use Canadian Club)
1 shot of espresso (some people use instant coffee but fresh is always better)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (optional)

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and wazz it up. That’s it!
Bottle in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate, and shake before using. It will keep for up to 3 weeks. Enjoy!