Day 5: Candy Cane Cookies

I got extra special help tonight. Paul was home and strapped on an apron to help me with these.
Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Red food coloring
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough in half; add 6-7 drops of food coloring to one half. Shape tablespoonfuls of each color of dough into 4-in. ropes. Place ropes side by side; lightly press ends together and twist. Place on ungreased baking sheets; curve to form canes.
• Bake at 375° for 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine crushed candy canes and sugar; immediately sprinkle over cookies. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Day 4: Peanut Crisps

After the sugar overload in the Cordeiro house I had to make something less sweet.
Still sweet but with a salty kick, like the great invention ever, chocolate dipped pretzels. You'll get the same kind of warm and fuzzy feeling with these.

Recipe via Ms. Martha again!

Peanut Crisps

Ingredients
makes 3 1/2 dozen

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup salted whole peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until combined. Stir in peanuts.
3. Drop 2 teaspoons of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 3 inches apart. Lightly flatten to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Day 3: Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

When i found this recipe my mouth literally, began to water.
I omitted the pecans because hubby isn't a fan
this recipe is via Allrecipes.com

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 17 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided
• 1 (13 ounce) package Rolo candies
• 4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, melted
  

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
• Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and pecans; dip each cookie halfway. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Day 2: Hazelnut-Espresso Cookies

I've been dying to make these since I found the recipe.
Once again, comes via my idol!

Next time, i think i'm going to add some mini chocolate chips, cause really, everything is better with chocolate. These were very good just as is though.

Hazelnut-Espresso Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 36

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 cups (about 10 ounces) hazelnuts, skins removed, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a meduim bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in espresso powder.
3. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour mixture until incorporated. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in hazelnuts.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto three baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, first two sheets together, until golden, about 12 minutes, rotating sheets front to back and from top to bottom halfway through. Repeat with remaining sheet. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve, or store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Day 1: Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I wasn't sure which of the 25 recipes i have stored ready to roll to make first! so when in doubt, ask the husband. This was his pick.


This recipe is via my idol, Martha Stewart. Just taste tested them, and they are pretty good. Next time i won't make them huge though.

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 8

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup good-quality unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, substitute 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (or additional butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
3. Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we split the duties between us all, and mine was desserts.
Here are a couple new recipes i tried this year

Cappuccino Mousse Trifle

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups cold milk
• 1/3 cup instant coffee granules
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 2 loaves (10-3/4 ounces each) frozen pound cake, thawed and cubed
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinn amon

Directions

In a large bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until dissolved;
remove 1 cup and set aside. Add pudding mixes to the remaining milk
mixture; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or
until soft-set. Fold in half of the whipped topping.
Place a third of the cake cubes in a 4-qt. serving or trifle bowl.
Layer with a third of the reserved milk mixture and pudding mixture
and a fourth of the grated chocolate. Repeat layers twice. Garnish
with remaining whipped topping and chocolate. Sp rinkle with
cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 16-20
servings.



Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup hot water
• FILLING/TOPPING:
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon rum extract

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition.
• Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut gingerbread into 1/2-in. to 1-in. cubes; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; stir into pudding. In another bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and extract; beat until stiff peaks form.
• Set aside 1/4 cup gingerbread cubes. In a 4-qt. trifle bowl or glass serving bowl, layer a third of the remaining gingerbread cubes; top with a third of the pumpkin mixture and whipped cream. Repeat layers twice. Crumble reserved gingerbread; sprinkle over top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 16 servings.

Easy being cheesy!

I found this recipe and looked at it like, this is easy and cheesy
so lets give it a whirl!


Easy Cheesy Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups crushed cheese flavored butter crackers
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2tsp crushed red pepper
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix crackers, garlic powder and pepper together.
Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll the chicken breasts in melted butter or margarine, then in the crushed cracker crumbs. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 180 degrees