Holiday S'Mores

I recently went to a Christmas party with our "adopted family" and found myself in baking heaven with soooo many new cookies, candies and sweets to put myself into a diabetic coma for a week! After completing the difficult task of taste testing each item (someone had to complete this difficult task!!!!), I found my new favorite cookie/bar of the holiday season to be the holiday s'mores! Being a new mom and a wife who is working extra hours, I found this recipe even more satisfying when I was told the recipe and realized just how simple, quick and tasty it was. 
So - stop at the grocery store on your way home and have fun baking these treats tonight! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!!!!!


Merry Christmas and Thank You to Holly for including me as part of her 12 Christmas Bloggers!!!
Michelle


Holiday S'mores

(Makes 36 bars)

12 Chocolate graham crackers(or enough to cover entire bottom of pan)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup  candy coated milk chocolate pieces (like M & M's - Christmas colors are a nice touch)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 15 x 10 x 1" jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil leaving 1" overhang

on ends: spray foil with no-stick cooking spray. Place graham crackers onto foil so sides touch.

Melt butter and brown sugar in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth

and mixture just comes to a boil (4 - 6 minutes). Pour evenly over the graham crackers. Bake for

5 - 6 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven; sprinkle with marshmallows. Continue baking until 

marshmallows begin to soften (2 - 3 minutes). Sprinkle with candy. Cool completely. Lift from pan 

using foil as a handle. Cut into bars.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies.

When Heidi asked if I wanted to have a baking party I happily agreed since her and I have not baked together is so long.  Then she told me about the candy corn sugar cookies she wanted to make and I was more excited.  They turned out super cute!!  She always comes up with creative holiday cookies (see reindeer cookies aka most viewed post of all time!!)  They tasted good too!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies
(Recipe by Heidi)
1 batch sugar cookie dough tinted orange with food coloring (use your favorite recipe...or this one)
1/3 package white chocolate candy melts
1 package milk chocolate candy melts

Prepare cookie dough using your favorite sugar cookie recipe.  If you don't have a favorite yet, use our favorite one!  Tint the dough orange.  Roll dough out on a floured surface and cut out triangles with a cookie cutter or knife.  Bake according to sugar cookie recipe and allow cookies to cool.  Dip the tip of one angle into white chocolate and the bottom in milk chocolate to create "candy corn" cookies.  Allow chocolate to set up and serve.

These would be perfect for a school snack or to hand out to trick-or-treaters!  They come together fairly quickly so you still have time!  Happy Halloween!!

Gingerbread People

 

6 Tbsp butter softened
3/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon peel
3 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Icings and candies of your choice.

1) In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffly. Beat in the molasses, egg, vanilla and lemon peel. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

2) On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to 1/4" thickness. Cut with a floured 4" gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Reroll scraps.

3) Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Merry Christmas.

From my kitchen to yours...

...Merry Christmas!

Chocolate-Raspberry Tassies

For the last 5 years or so I have organized a Cookie Exchange and these are the cookies I did this year. These Chocolate Raspberry Tassies are not a real sweet dessert but the Buttercream adds that little sweetness! I used teflon mini-muffin tins and the came out really easy when they were cool!

Pre-Heat oven to 375*

Chocolate Pastry~
In a Food Processor combine 1 1/4 c. Flour, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa and a dash of salt; Pulse to combine. Add 1/2 c. cold cut up butter. Cover and process until crumbly. Add 1 egg yolk whisked together with 2 T. cold water to crumbly mixture and process to form a dough ball add water if to dry. Divide into 24 balls, press evenly into bottom and up the side of 1 3/4" muffin cups.

Filling~
In a small saucepan heat and stir 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate and butter over medium/low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1 large egg, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 T. Raspberry Liqueur and 2 t. vanilla. Spoon about 1 T. of filling into each muffin shell.

Bake~
12-15 minutes or until pastry is firm and filling is puffed. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream~
In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 c. softened butter on medium/high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 c. powdered sugar and 3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder. beat in 2 T. milk. Gradually beat in 1 c. powdered sugar until piping consitantly. When Tassies are completly cooled Pipe or Dollop on top.

I would like to Thank Holly and Heidi for the chance to have another recipe on their blog! Here is hoping everyone has a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy Happy New Year!!!!!

Chocolate Haystacks.

I should stop baking holiday treats.  I should stop no-baking holiday treats.  I really should.  I'm ready for my kitchen to be back to normal (no candies hardening on the counter, no flour sitting out because I am using it all the time anyway, no constant dish washing).  And, I'm ready to cook again.  But, I always get a ting of fear right before I begin gifting the goods..  What if I don't have enough cookies?  Maybe I need more candy?  Is there a good enough mix of chocolate and non-chocolate? And so on and so forth.

To calm my fear: continue making holiday treats.

Chocolate Haystacks
(recipe adapted from my mom)
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag chow mein noodles

Melt chips together.  Add chow mein noodles.  Mix until combined.  Drop by tablespoon onto waxed paper and allow to harden.  Store in an air tight container and serve throughout the holiday season.

And with that I am off to finish my turtle cookies and then make a double batch of m&m cookies.  Then I'm done with the sweet holiday treats.  I promise.

Rosettes - By Nicole

So let me preface this by saying, I've never actually made these myself...however, I have helped. They are very much a family tradition for us and one day I'm sure I will try my hand at it. For now, my uncle makes them by the case every year for people all around the area. He even sells them as they aren't something a lot of people make, apparently. The original rosette-maker was my grandma and here is her recipe straight out of an old church cookbook:

A few tips my uncle gave me today:

• He uses a little extra milk to thin out the batter
• Cast iron (seasoned) rosette irons are essential, aluminum won't do and never use soap on them
  
• Allow the batter to rest overnight in the refrigerator before using
• Preheat your iron by putting it in the oil, then wipe on paper towel and dip in batter
• Do not go over the top of the iron
• Leave the iron in the pan for 20 seconds or so without letting it touch the bottom (it will burn)
• The first couple, like pancakes, never turn out
  

This is a very well used, for rosettes only, pot. It is not a tidy project; oil will bubble over the sides.
What may seem like an undertaking at first, is well worth the effort as these are so delicate, delicious, and unique. Dust with powdered sugar or dip in granulated sugar as our family does.

Christmas Toffee Bars

First, thanks Holly for inviting me back this year!

Now on to the yummy treat....As a child this was my FAVORITE Christmas "cookie." While I loved helping my mom decorate the cut outs and enjoyed the sugar cookies with the chocolate star in the middle I couldn't shove enough of these in my mouth :) Even better they are easy and quick to make and do not require a lot of ingredients. So, I present to you......

Christmas Toffee Bars

Saltine Crackers
1 cup of butter and additional butter to grease the pan
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
Chopped nuts to sprinkle on top

-Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 9x13 cooking pan and layer with saltine crackers.
-Take 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 min and then pour over the saltines. Bake for 5 min.
-Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips and pour on top. I usually pour this on top after the brown sugar/butter mixture as cooled a bit on the saltines (it spreads easier).
-Add chopped nuts and let cool.

These are easier to cut when they are not too hot or too cool! Happy baking and eating!

'Holly'day Treats.

 

I named these 'Holly'day treats because I don't know the real name for them and because growing up these were by far my favorite holiday treat.  As soon as my mom had them made I would start sneaking them...I wonder if she ever knew some were missing :)

'Holly'day Treats

(Recipe adapted from My Mom)

1/2 bag chow mein noodles (use right from the package)

1/2 bag fruit flavored marshmallows

2 cups rice krispies

1 package white chocolate candy

1 1/2 cups peanutbutter

Combine chow mein noodles, marshmallows, and rice krispies.  In a separate bowl melt white chocolate.  Once melted mix in peanutbutter until the two are combined.  Dump white chocolate/peanutbutter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.  Drop by tablespoon unto waxed paper and leave until set.  Place in an air-tight container and enjoy throughout the holiday!

Peppermint Kiss Cookies.

If I didn't know better I'd almost think that I really liked peppermint.  Don't get me wrong these peppermint kiss cookies are tasty little gems...it's just that I like chocolate and caramel better!

Back to the peppermint.  I was most intrigued by this recipe because Amy kept writing about her candy cane flour.  I think candy cane flour sounds fun.  Fast forward through about six batches of these cookies and I can tell you that candy cane flour is fun and best made with a food processor!

 Peppermint Kiss Cookies
(slightly adapted from Sing for Your Supper)

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

"flour" from 6 candy cakes (aka processed, chopped, hammered, etc candy cane pieces)

10 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk (I find it's easier to separate when the egg is near room temp)

Red Wilton candy melts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, salt, baking powder and candy cane flour; set aside.  Beat butter until smooth.  Add sugar and beat until mixture is light.  Continue beating as you add the egg and egg yolk.  Lower mixer speed and add the flour mixture.  Mix until blended.  Drop by tablespoon (or slightly smaller) onto baking sheets covered in parchament paper.  (This is helpful as some of your candy cane flour may melt and make your cookies stick to the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Cookies will become firm, but will not change color.  Heat candy melts in a small ziploc bag using the microwave (heat slowly).  Drizzle over cooled cookies and enjoy.

I think you will find these cookies easy to make tasty to eat.  Happy baking!