Gifts from the Kitchen

Between Darcee's newest blog entry and my ward's recipe exchange this month being gifts from the kitchen, I'm feeling a bit festive! I scanned these pictures from a book I love called Betty Crocker's Best Christmas (I got it as a door prize at a faculty party at Dennis' school a few years ago.) I haven't tried all of these recipes yet but thought they all look yummy! (pictures help!)

Double-Frosted Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

1 package white baking chips

4 t. shortening

1 package Oreos

1 package mint-chocolate chips

Candy decorations, colored glitter sugars or decorating sugar

Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place white baking chips and 2 t. shortening in microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on medium or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Dip 21 of the cookies, one at a time into white chip mixture; place on waxed paper. Refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes or until coating is set.

Place mint-chocolate chips and remaining 2 t. shortening in bowl and melt the same as the white chips. Dip remaining cookies into chocolate mixture; place on waxed paper. Refrigerate until set. Drizzle remaining chocolate mixture (reheat slightly if mixture has hardened over tops of white coated cookies. Sprinkle with candy decorations. Drizzle remaining white melted mixture over tops of chocolate-coated cookies. Sprinkle with candy decorations.

Toffee (our favorite!)

1 c. sugar

1 c. margarine

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. finely chopped pecans

Heat sugar, butter and water to boiling in 2-quart saucepan, stirring constantly; reduce heat to medium. Coo, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. (Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.)

Immediately pour toffee onto ungreased large cookie sheet. If necessary, quickly spread mixture to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand about 1 minute or until chips are completely softened. Spread softened chocolate evenly over toffee. Sprinkle with nuts. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour, or refrigerate if desired, until firm. Break into bite-size pieces.

Peppermint Bark

1 package, (16 oz.) almond bark
24 hard peppermint candies

Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper, aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place almond bark in a glass bowl or casserole dish. Microwave uncovered on high 2 or 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until almost melted. Stir until smooth.

Place peppermint candies in heavy plastic bag; crush with rolling pin or hammer. Pour crushed candies in wire strainer. Shake strainer over melted coating until all of the tiniest candy pieces fall into the coating; reserve the larger candy pieces. Stir coating to mix evenly.

Spread coating evenly on cookie sheet. Sprinkle evenly with remaining candy pieces. Let stand about 1 hour or until cool and hardened. Break into pieces.

Experiment with different toppings: chopped nuts, dried fruits and crushed candies.

Recipe note: I use less peppermint candies than this and crush them more fine than in the picture.

Truffles (pictured with peppermint bark)

6 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 T butter
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. milk chocolate or white baking chips
1 T shortening
Finely chopped nuts, if desired
Coarse (decorating sugar), if desired
¼ c. powdered sugar and ½ t milk, if desired

Melt baking chocolate in microwave. Stir in butter. Stir in whipping cream. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thick enough to hold a ball shape. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Drop refrigerated mixture by teaspoonfuls on to cookie sheet. Shape into balls. (If mixture is too sticky, refrigerate until firm enough to shape.) Freeze 30 minutes.
Heat chocolate chips and shortening. Dip 1 truffle at a time into melted chocolate, using for, until coated. Place on foil-covered cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle some of the truffles with nuts or sugar crystals. Or mix powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over some of the truffles. Refrigerate truffles about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Truffle cups

6 oz. almond bark, cut up
24 mini paper candy cups
6 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, cut up
2 T butter, cut into pieces
¼ c. finely ground pecans
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 T maple-flavored syrup

Melt almond bark in microwave. Spread 1 teaspoon coating evenly in bottoms and up sides of paper candy cups. Let stand until hardened. Melt chocolate in microwave. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate about 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and mounds when dropped from a spoon.

Spoon mixture into decorating bag with star tip. Pipe mixture into candy-coated cups. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate mixture is firm. Peel paper from cups before serving if desired. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Minty Middle Treasures

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. butter

1/2 t. vanilla

1 egg

1 2/3 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

About 2 dozen foil-wrapped rectangular chocolate mints, unwrapped (Andes mints)

Almond Frosting

Candy sprinkles

Heat oven to 400. Beat sugars, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl with electric mixer. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt. Shape about 1 tablespoon dough around each mint. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely. Dip tops of cookies into Almond Frosting. Sprinkle with candy decorations.

Almond Frosting

1 c. powdered sugar

1 T plus 1 to 2 t. milk

1/4 t. almond extract or vanilla

Few drops of food color, if desired

Mix all ingredients until smooth and thick enough to coat.

Gingersnaps

1 c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. shortening
¼ c. molasses
1 egg
2 ¼ c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
½ t. ground cloves
¼ t. salt
Granulated sugar

Beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls; dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared side up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9 minutes or just until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

Snowcapped gingersnaps: Cover cook sheet with waxed paper. Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted white chocolate.

Black-and-white gingersnaps: Prepare snowcapped Gingersnaps. After white coating is set, dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate almond bark so chocolate covers half of white coating. Place on waxed paper; let stand until chocolate is set.

Laced Gingersnaps: Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Melt chocolate chips or white baking chips. Drizzle over cookies.

Recipe note: I haven't made these, but I love gingersnaps! Still, I don't think I would like the taste of chocolate on them but I thought that it would be yummy to dip any kind of cookie like this.