Christmas Baking Recipe Exchange

[marmalady]

Well, it's almost Christmas 2006, so time to resurrect this thread! Happy Cooking!

 

[HuskY]

Yes, just 25 days to Christmas.

 

[licia]

RE: the first few recipes - I understand there was a problem in the programming that changed the amounts when they were moved. What is the amount represented by the A and the symbol? Thanks a bunch!

 

[BlushingBeauty]

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies
Yield: 40 - 48 cookies

½ # unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 c granulated sugar
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 c good unsweetened cocoa
1 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t kosher salt
12 oz good white chocolate, coarsely chopped
12 oz chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cream the butter and 2 sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and add to the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate and nuts. Portion cookies with a #40 scoop. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

And I'm thinking of making some peanut butter fudge the next day, and sandwiching some cookies together with the fudge.

what is A and the symbol mean " ½"?

Thanks

 

[ChefJune]

In regards to baking powder, I don't know if anybody else does what I do. I keep mine in the freezer. Stays fresh for at least two years. When I'm baking something that uses baking powder, it's the first thing I take out. I give it enough time to rise in temperature before I open the can.

Thanks for THAT tip! Don't know why that never occurred to me... I keep dry yeast in the freezer, where it keeps indefinitely!

 

[Michelemarie]

Some of my family's favorites include the following - and they all last and don't go stale to fast:

Turtles
Round Pretzels
Rolo Candy
Whole Pecans

Place a rolo on top of a pretzel. Place in 250 degree oven for 2-3 minutes – watch carefully. Upon removing, place pecan on top.


Chocolate Peanuts
12 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. chocolate chips
12 oz skinless peanuts

Heat chips in microwave or double boiler, mix in nuts, drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.


White chocolate Fudge
8 oz package cream cheese softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Vanilla
12 oz. white chocolate
¾ chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Melt the chocolate in microwave or double boiler.
Combine cream cheese mixture with chocolate, add pecans.
Pour into 8x8 pan and chill until you are ready to serve.

Mint Meltaways
1 bag of peppermint starlight candy (22 pieces)
12 oz white chocolate
2 T vegetable oil
Red food coloring

Unwrap and crush candy in a heavy duty bag.
Melt chocolate and vegetable oil in microwave on medium high for 1 minute
Remove and add candy and a drop or two of red food coloring
Drop mixture 3” apart on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper.
Chill for ½ hour to harden.

Peanut Butter Bon Bons
1 stick of butter
1 – 18 oz jar crunch peanut butter
1 lb. Box powdered sugar
3 cups rice krispies
12 oz. chocolate chips
8 oz. Hershey candy bar (may be multiple bars)
½ block paraffin wax

Combine butter, peanut butter, powedered sugar and rice krispies (I use my hands at the end)
Chill until firm (can be made 1 day ahead of time)
While cold, roll into balls.
Melt the chocolate and wax in double boiler (wax doesn’t melt good in the micro)
Dip balls into chocolate.
Drizzle any leftover chocolate over top to make decorative lines across (optional)
Cool thoroughly and chill overnight before serving.

Holly Cookies
1 stick butter
30 large marshmallows
4-1/2 c corn flakes
1 tsp green food coloring
Red hot candies

Melt together butter and marshmallows.
Blend in food coloring and add corn flakes.
Drop by spoonful on waxed paper and add red hots.
(Option: form into wreaths and decorate with red hots, I find it easier to just drop and decorate)

 

[Jikoni]

Michelle, I am not into baking, mainly because of measuring, I like not to be restricted on how much of what to add, but as it's the season, I would like to try and bake with my children. I like the Holly Cookies, but have no idea what red hot candies are. I would be very grateful if you enlighten me. Thanks. Btw, will e-mail you or pm you asap. I keep getting to DC and enjoy myself too much and before I know it it's time to run!

 

[Michelemarie]

Red hot candies are little (1/8") red hard button-like cinamon-tasting candies. I bet you call them something different in Kenya - they look like holly berries - does that clarify enough - do you have something like that there?

 

[bandonjan]

Got thes cookies from an ad, I think for the coconut.
they are addictive.

Coconut Cranberry Chews
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked-dried coconut
In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat
the butter, sugar, orange peel and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in egg until well blended.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low
speed until dough comes together, about 5 minutes.
Mix in cranberries and coconut.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place about 2 inches
apart on buttered cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until edges just begin to
brown, 11 to 15 minutes. Shorter cooking time results
in a chewier cookie, longer cooking time results in
a more crisp cookie.
Cool
Note: The mixture may look dry until it comes together
as a dough. If its too crumbly to form balls, the dough
needs to be mixed longer. It should be a smooth homogeneous mass.

 

[nancylee]

Ok I guess if I'm going to use the receipes and participate in this forum I gotta ask the 'dumb' question, what is that A with the line over it in the receipe?? Is that bulls eye cookies? I looked around for an answer but thought you would answer it for me!!

 

[marmalady]

RE: the first few recipes - I understand there was a problem in the programming that changed the amounts when they were moved. What is the amount represented by the A and the symbol? Thanks a bunch!

Re the 'A' with the 'symbol' on some of the recipes - I just checked my original recipes and you can just ignore that A - doesn't mean anything. The amount that does show up is what you need - ie, 'A1/2 cup butter' means 1/2 cup butter. Guess the old programming was just trying to be fancy! Maybe the other folks who posted recipes should check their originals, too, just to be sure?

 

[licia]

Thanks, Marmalady, I was just thinking to pm you when I saw the message. Thanks a bunch!

 

[nancylee]

Thank you, I feel better!