Gilded Chocolate Truffles
- 16 oz best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 c heavy cream
- 2 tbs liqueur, such as triple sec or framboise (optional)
- 8 oz Bittersweet dark chocolate, melted for coating
- 24-caret gold leaf for decorating
Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let stand until thick, about 15 minutes.
Pour chocolate mixture into two shallow 8-inch dishes or pie plates. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about 30 minutes.
Using a teaspoon or a 1/2-inch ice cream scooper make balls of chocolate mixture, transferring them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. Refrigerate truffles 10 minutes.
Dip each truffle in melted chocolate to coat, then quickly return truffle into parchment paper lined tray and refrigerate truffles until chocolate is hardened. Apply a small section of gold leaf with tweezers to hardened chocolate truffles and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
Stewed Cranberry Punch
Starts similar to a favorite holiday side dish from which it derives its name.
(Servers 8 )
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cups of orange juice
- ½ lime juice
- 8 oz Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum
Like classic cranberry sauce, begin with a small pot of cranberries, brown sugar, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamom pods and orange rind brought to a boil. Cool the mixture to room temperature before adding orange juice and a touch of limejuice – refrigerate overnight. To serve, strain the mixture into a punch bowl then garnish with whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Freeze fresh cranberries and orange slices in a block of ice! For an added kick add a jigger of rum to each glass as served.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
1990′s Theme
The 1990′s is the Decade of Disasters because lots of disasters happened. The Y2K bug, the earthquakes, the Gulf War, etc. This is the Decade of Discovery. Scientists discovered how to clone animals, and they released the Hubble Telescope.
During the 1990′s, Billy Bush was a student at Colby College in Maine. I was inspired to do some New England style foods and a “White Mule” cocktail which is the mascot of Colby College. In 1998, Billy Bush married his lovely wife, Sydney.

Mini Lobster Roll
Ingredients:
hot dog buns
chives
premade deli lobster salad
Directions:
- Cut hot dog buns into thirds.
- Fill hot dog buns with lobster salad.
- Garnish with chopped chives.
Dirty Fries
Ingredients:
1 package frozen crinkles fries
Old Bay Seasoning
Tarter sauce
Directions:
- Sprinkle the fries with Old Bay Seasoning.
- Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the fries.
- Serve in paper cones.
- Cut a circle out of paper.
- Fold the circle into quarters.
- Cut one triangle out of the circle.
- Fold the circle, overlapping the edges a bit.
- Tape to close together.
- Serve with a dollop of tarter sauce.
Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche
Gazpacho
Ingredients:
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients.
- Blend slightly to desired consistency.
- Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of fresh lime or lemon juice
½ tsp. coarse salt
a dash of freshly grated black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Directions:
- Cut avocados in half. Remove pit. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
- Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, add the amount of your choice.
- Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidations from the air reaching it.
- Refrigerate until ready.
- Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.
To make Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche:
- Fill a votive holder 1/3 of the way.
- Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and guacamole.
White Mule Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. crème de cacao
light cream
Directions:
- Pour vodka and crème de cacao over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.
- Fill with light cream and serve.
1990′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to bring your guests to the 1990′s.
- Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
- Hey Jealous – Gin Blossoms
- Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
- Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
- All I want – A Day To Remember
- Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong - Spin Doctors
- Brick – Ben Folds Five
- Everything Falls Apart – Fee
- Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America
- Freshman – The Verve Pipe
- No Rain – Blind Melon
- Pets – Porno for Pyros
- Steal My Sunshine -Len
- Fade Into You – Mazzy Starr
- Mother Mother – Tracey Bonham
- Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cherry






