WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT WONDERS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 � cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white chocolate chips OR 12 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats, parchment paper or foil. In a
large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs
and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, salt, chocolate
chips, nuts and coconut and mix until just blended.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 � inches apart on prepared baking
sheets. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 9 to 12 minutes, until light golden
brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The cookies will keep in an airtight
container up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 2 months. Makes about 4 dozen
cookies.
AMARETTO SHORTBREAD BARS
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg, separated
1/4 cup amaretto
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
3/4 cup sliced almonds
Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put sugar and flour in
a food processor and pulse to combine. In a small bowl, stir egg yolk together
with 2 tablespoons amaretto. Put butter on top of flour-and-sugar mixture and
pulse until crumbly. With machine running, add yolk mixture through feed tube
and turn machine off as soon as mixture begins to come together. Spread in
prepared pan, pressing down dough to make it about �-inch thick. Make sure layer
is compact and doesn't appear crumbly.
Beat together egg white and remaining 2 tablespoons amaretto in a small bowl and
brush over shortbread. Sprinkle top with almonds, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake
in a preheated 325-degree oven until almonds are golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.
Cut shortbread into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and let cool completely in
pan. Makes about 40 (2-inch) squares.
DO-AHEAD: Store in a airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
CRANBERRY WALNUT RUGELACH
Cream Cheese Dough
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened about 1 hour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Spiced Cranberry Walnut Filling:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup (about 5 ounces) dried cranberries, chopped
1 teaspoon ground allspice
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten, for glazing
For the dough, beat butter, cream cheese and salt in large bowl of electric
mixer on low speed until smooth. Add sugar and mix until fluffy, 1 minute. Add
flour, blending until all flour is incorporated, about 45 seconds. (Dough will
be soft and sticky.) Divide dough into 2 pieces; form each into a ball, then
flatten into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least
2 hours or overnight.
For the filling, mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Remove 3 tablespoons and
set aside. To the rest of the sugar mixture, add walnuts, cranberries, allspice
and butter.
Position oven racks in middle and upper third of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove 1 disk of dough from fridge and unwrap. Cut into 4 equal pieces and roll
each into a smooth ball. Lightly flour rolling pin and surface. Roll one piece
into a circle 10 inches across, then trim evenly around the edges to about 91/2
inches across. Cut into 8 wedges. (A pizza cutter is good for this.) Leaving a
3/4-inch border, put 1 teaspoon of filling on each wedge. Roll tightly from the
wide end to the point and place, seam side down, about 11/2 inches apart on a
prepared baking sheet. Bend edges to slightly curve them, forming a crescent
shape. Repeat with remaining dough to form 64 rugelach. Brush each with beaten
egg and sprinkle with reserved cinnamon sugar.
Bake 20 minutes, until tops are golden. Halfway through, move baking sheets from
front to back and from top to bottom. Slide a metal spatula under the baked
rugelach to loosen, then immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in airtight container. Rugelach can be wrapped in plastic wrap in twos,
bottoms touching, and frozen up to 3 months. After thawing, heat in a 225-degree
oven for 10 minutes to revive the fresh taste.
Makes 64 rugelach. TRIPLE NUT CARAMEL BARS
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
Dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Caramel layer:
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup (� stick) butter
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) butterscotch morsels, or a mixture of 1 cup butterscotch
morsels and 1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan
with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting foil overhang the
two narrow ends by about 2 inches. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
Mix the nuts, spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven until
lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool and set aside. (Leave oven on.)
To make the dough: In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the flour and sugar. Using a
pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is the consistency
of cornmeal. Sprinkle the cream over the flour mixture. Lightly stir to mix in.
Gently knead until the mixture holds together. (The dough can also be done in a
food processor.)
Press the dough in an even layer into the baking pan. Refrigerate for 20
minutes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly
browned. When the crust layer is done, set it aside to cool while you make the
caramel layer.
To make the caramel layer: In a heavy saucepan, thoroughly stir together the
cream, corn syrup, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring
occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat
to a simmer and insert a candy thermometer into the mixture, being careful that
the tip does not touch the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally to
prevent burning, until the thermometer reads 245 degrees.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and 2 cups of the
nuts (reserve 1 cup for sprinkling over the top later) then immediately spread
the caramel nut mixture evenly over the baked crust, all the way to the edges.
Immediately sprinkle the morsels evenly over the caramel layer. Let the morsels
melt, then, using a table knife, spread the melted morsels over the caramel
layer. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the melted morsels, pressing in lightly.
Refrigerate until completely cooled. Using the overhanging foil as handles,
transfer the slab to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil.
Using a large knife, cut the slab into 48 bars. Store in an airtight container
for up to 1 1/2 weeks.
Makes 48 bars
CHOCOLATE ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH SOUR CHERRY FILLING
Filling:
1/2 cup finely chopped dried sour cherries
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup berry or cherry jam
Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs, separated
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (about 8.25 ounces) finely chopped sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling first so that it can cool while
you are making the cookies.
To make the filling: In a small saucepan, heat the dried cherries, water, lemon
juice, sugar, brandy and jam over medium-high heat. Cook slowly for about 6 to 8
minutes or until cherries are plumped and filling is nice and thick like jam.
Set aside to cool.
To make the dough: In a mixer bowl, cream butter, sugars and vanilla with a
paddle attachment until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate
and mix until incorporated. Add the egg yolks (reserve the whites) and mix for 1
minute more.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually beat flour
mixture into butter mixture, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed, until well
combined.
Whisk the egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Set aside. Put the chopped
nuts in another small bowl. Using your clean hands, roll balls of dough (about 2
teaspoons per cookie). Dip balls into egg whites, shake off any excess, then
roll in the nut mixture, coating well with nuts. Place cookies about 2 inches
apart on an ungreased baking sheet. (Use separate hands for wet and dry or a
buddy system to do this so that you don't bread your fingers!) Press your thumb
gently into the center of each cookie to make an indentation for the filling.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until set. Cool. Then fill each cookie imprint with
about 1/4 teaspoon of the filling.
64 cookies
CHERRY PISTACHIO COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, separated
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1 8-ounce container candied red cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup coarse or sanding sugar
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup sugar and
salt. Beat in egg yolk; mix well. Add flour and pistachios; blend on low speed
until just combined. Remove dough from mixer and, with a strong spoon or your
hands, mix in cherries. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log
about 12 inches long; wrap in plastic and chill overnight.
Adjust the oven rack to the center shelf and preheat to 350�. Line a cookie
sheet with parchment paper (or grease lightly); set aside. Pour coarse sugar
onto a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil. Lightly brush egg white over the
surface of the log; press and roll log onto sugar; transfer to a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, slice log in 1/2 inch slices; transfer to cookie sheet and
bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container or
freeze.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
PECAN BRICKLE BARS
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon cream, more as needed
For topping:
3 cups chopped pecans
3/4 cup butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons cream
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Generously grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan or coat with nonstick spray.
To make the crust: In medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using a
pastry blender or forks, cut the butter until the mixture is the consistency of
fine meal. Sprinkle cream over the flour mixture. Lightly stir to mix. Gently
knead until the mixture holds together. If necessary, add up to 3 teaspoons more
cream until the mixture holds together but is not wet. Press the dough in an
even layer into baking pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350�.
Bake in middle of oven for 10 minutes or until just tinged with brown at the
edges. Cool until warm, about 5 minutes.
To make topping: Spread the pecans in a baking pan in a single layer and toast
in the 350� oven for about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Make sure they are
nicely browned, but be careful not to burn. Immediately turn into a medium bowl
and let cool. Set aside.
In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup
and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for
4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and 2 1/4 cups of the pecans.
Spread the topping evenly over the crust.
Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly, golden brown and just
slightly darker at the edges. Cool until just warm. Sprinkle chocolate chips
evenly over the top. Let stand until chips melt, then spread the melted chips
over the topping. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cups pecans over the chocolate. Let
stand until cool. Using a sharp knife, cut the slab into 32 bars. Note: Bars are
small, but cookies are rich.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Makes 32 bars.
CHOCOLATE MINT SUGAR COOKIE DROPS
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 10-ounce package Andes cr�me de menthe chips
In medium bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and oil; mix well. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels. Shape into balls
using rounded teaspoonfuls of dough. Roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool completely on wire racks. Makes 3� dozen.
NUTELLA NUGGETS
1 cup Nutella spread
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 large egg
Powdered sugar
With a mixer or in a food processor, mix Nutella, crumbs and egg. Form into
1-inch balls and place 1 � inches apart on a greased cookie sheet or Silpat. Let
rest 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 8 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. Before removing,
dust heavily with powdered sugar. Makes 3 dozen.
PER SERVING: Calories 56 (46% fat) Fat 3 g (1 g sat) Cholesterol 6 mg Sodium 19
mg Carbohydrates 7 g
SANTA'S REINDEER COOKIES
1 20-ounce package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 cup flour
Prepared vanilla frosting
Tiny twist pretzels
Raisins or chocolate chips
Candied or plain maraschino cherries, cut into quarters; cinnamon red hots; red
M&Ms
Cut roll of dough in half; unwrap one half and refrigerate other half until
needed. Coat sides of dough with 2 tablespoons flour; roll dough to 10-inch
square, using additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut dough unto 2
1/4-inch-wide strips. Cut strips into triangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet
and bake at 350� for 6 to 8 minutes or light golden brown. Cool 1 minute then
remove to rack. Repeat with remaining dough and flour as needed. Spread frosting
over baked cookies. Press pretzels into top two corners for antlers. Position
raisins for eyes and cherry piece for nose. Let stand until frosting is set.
Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
NUTRITION INFORMATION (1 cookie): 100 calories; 3 grams fat; 2 gram saturated
fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 260 milligrams sodium; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1
gram fiber; 2 grams protein.
CHRISTMAS MICE
For the cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1 large egg
For decoration:
Sliced natural almonds
10 feet of red or black licorice laces (thin, spaghetti-like strands), cut into
3-inch lengths
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and kept warm
Whisk flour and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl with an electric
mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about two minutes. Add
sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about three minutes; beat in
extract. Beat in egg. Add about one-third of flour mixture and mix on low speed.
Gradually add remaining flour, mixing just until blended.
Scrape dough into a large piece of plastic wrap and cover completely with wrap.
Refrigerate until firm enough to roll into balls, at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll pieces of dough between your palms into 1 and one-fourth inch ovals.
Slightly elongate one side to form nose. Gently pinch bridge of nose to form eye
sockets. Place two sliced almonds behind eye sockets; do not press almonds too
far down or the head will crack during baking. Place mice 2 inches apart on
cookie sheets.
Bake until light golden brown on bottom and around edges, about 15 minutes.
Place pans on racks and immediately insert skewer into mouse's round posterior,
going in about half an inch. Remove skewer and insert length of licorice for
tail as far as it will go. (It will wedge in and adhere to the still-warm
cookie).
Place melted chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag and snip tiny opening at
corner. Pipe small chocolate eyes and nose in appropriate places. Place sheet in
refrigerator until chocolate has firmed up.
Store at room temperature in airtight container in single layer up to two weeks.
Makes 40 mice.
LEMON POPPY SPRITZES
1/2 cup lard or shortening
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
In a large mixing bowl, cream lard and brown sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, lemon
extract, lemon zest and poppy seeds.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually stir
flour mixture into the creamed mixture until combined. Cover bowl with plastic
and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill cookie press with chilled dough and press onto
ungreased baking sheet, leaving about an inch between cookies. Bake for 7 to 9
minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove cookies to wire
rack to cool.
Place in airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. These
cookies also freeze well.
Makes 48 to 52 cookies.
Christmas Cookies at That's My Home
Christmas Cookies at Razzle Dazzle Recipes |
PECAN BRITTLE
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir together the sugar, syrup, and salt in a 1 1/2 quart bowl. Cook on high for
5 minutes. Add pecans, stir well. Cook on high for 2 minutes.
Add butter and blend. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes or until pecans start to
toast.
Add soda and vanilla and stir until mixture turns a light caramel color. Quickly
pour onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Cool and break into pieces.
Rub butter on the inside of empty bowl. Mixture is not as likely to sugar and
mixture pours out easier.
MICROWAVE PECAN PRALINES
1 box of brown sugar
1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of pecan halves
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Microwave brown sugar and whipping cream for 13 minutes on HIGH in a 5 quart
container. Add butter, pecan halves and vanilla.
Mix and drop by spoonfuls onto aluminum foil. Let cool and start eating!
CROCKPOT SUGARED PECANS
16 ounces pecans or walnut halves
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Turn slow cooker to HIGH about 15 minutes in advance. In hot slow cooker, stir
together the nuts and butter. Add the powdered sugar, stirring to blend and coat
evenly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to LOW and remove lid; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally,
for about 2 to 3 hours, or until the nuts are coated with a crisp glaze.
Transfer the nuts to a bowl.
In another small bowl, combine the spices; sift over the nuts, stirring to coat
evenly.
Let cool before serving.
LEMON CRUNCH BARK
22 ounces vanilla candy coating (aka almond bark)
1 cup coarsely crushed lemon drop candy
Completely line a 15-by-10-by-1-inch jellyroll pan with foil. Smooth away
wrinkles. In a microwave-safe dish, melt candy coating. Stir until smooth. Add
crushed lemon drop candy. Stir well. Pour into prepared pan. Using an offset
metal spatula, spread evenly in pan. Tap pan firmly on countertop. Cover tightly
with foil and let chocolate harden. Once completely firm, break into irregular
pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp. salt
6 ozs. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbls. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
Line an (8x8-inch) pan with aluminum foil and butter the foil well.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, half-and-half, cream and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan
and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil
and boil for 1 minute. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in
warm water and remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate until melted and smooth. Brush down sides of the pan again,
then set pan over medium heat, place a warmed candy thermometer in pan and cook,
without stirring until it reaches 238 degrees.
Remove from heat. Add, but do not stir in, the butter and vanilla. Cool the
candy to 110 degrees by placing the bottom of the pan in cold water to stop the
cooking.
When cool, stir with wooden spoon just until it "snaps" and begins to lose its
sheen. Stir in nuts.
Turn into pan. Use spatula dip-ped in hot waterto smooth. Let stand for at least
1 hour, then score into 1-inch squares. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Remove fudge from pan, peel off foil and finish cutting into squares. Store in
an airtight container. Fudge keeps for up to 10 days at room temperature or up
to 1 month in refrigerator.
Makes 1 1/4 pounds.
Recipe is from "The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking."
Christmas Candy Recipes at That's My Home
Christmas Candy Recipes at Razzle Dazzle Recipes
Fudge Recipes
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