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Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject: Favorite Christmas Treat Recipes

I've started my Christmas baking this year. I love to bake (but hate to cook). So, each year I make tons of cookies, bars, and candies to take with to holiday parties, share with neighbors, and send as gifts to friends and family.

I have a handful of yearly favorites that I include every year as they are asked for. Then, I try to add a few new ones each year to spice things up and look for new favorites.

So, anyone have any great recipes that they love to use each year? I've got a long list of ones to try offline--many are already done and frozen.

So far, I've made Chews (my favorite easy recipe), Chocolate Fudge and PeanutButter fudge, Chewy Peanut Butter Strips, 7 layer cookies, Peanut Butter Balls, Pudding Chocolate Chunk Cookies-2 types, Chocolate Brownie Cookies, Shortbread Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, and M and M cookies. All are frozen and waiting for Christmas Smile

I have many more on my list to make more last minute--Peanut Brittle, Peanut Clusters, Pecan Tassies, Turtle Candies, Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Saltine Toffee Cookies, Marshmallow Truffles, Crispy Carmel Treats, Snowballs, Pecan Snickerdodles, and Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Does anyone else have any great holiday treat recipes they wouldn't mind sharing?? I'd love to try some of your favorites.

I'll start by sharing a couple of my favorite easy recipes that eaten for many years and made for quite a few Smile

Grandma's Fudge--makes 5# and is the easiest fudge recipe ever Smile

Put 4.5 cups sugar and 1 can evaporated milk in large pot. Bring to rolling boil for 10 minutes. IMPORTANT--Stir Constantly! Turn off stove. Add all at once : 28 large marshmallows, 18 oz of chocolate chips, 1 t. vanilla, 1 stick of margarine, 1 heaping T. peanut butter. Stir until melted and starts to set. Pour into lightly buttered 9 x 13 pan. Cool and cut.

For peanut butter, replace chocolate chips with 18 oz jar of peanut butter. (Peanut Butter fudge is to die for! Always receive TONS of compliments on this easy recipe)

Chews Easy bar cookie that everyone loves!

1 can sweetened condensed milk
22 graham crackers rolled fine (or 2 cups graham cracker crumbs)
6 oz package chocolate chips (1 cup)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all together. Pour into buttered 9 x 13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. DO NOT overbake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Remove from pan and cut while warm.

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:42 pm Post subject:

How about these? They don't require a lot of work - like baking. Very Happy

It seems like these were always served at holiday gatherings when I was a kid (especially at the elementary school parties). I bummed the recipes from a friend as I'd never made either kind. (I still haven't gotten to the holly cookies, but that might be this year's project. The church windows went well last year even though the marshmallows kind of melted as the chocolate/butter mixture was too hot when I added it.)

CHURCH WINDOWS
1 stick oleo
1 lg. pk semi-sweet choc chips (12 oz) (2 cups)
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 lg pk colored marshmallows (10 1/2 oz)
1 c chopped walnuts
4 oz coconut (to roll log in)

Melt oleo and choc. chips. Add powdered sugar, marshmallows, and nuts. Mix and roll into logs. Roll in coconut. Wrap in waxed paper or foil. Freeze. Slice to serve.

*************************************************************

HOLLY
1 stick oleo
3 1/2 c small white marshmallows
2 t. vanilla
1 t. green food coloring
4 c whole corn flakes
red cinnamon candies

Melt oleo, add marshmallows and mix well. Add vanilla and food coloring. Stir well, add corn flakes. When flakes are well coated, drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper. Add 3 cinnamon candies on each cluster.

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject:

This year, my sister, the kids and I are baking cookies.

We haven't done this together before, so maybe I will steal some recipes, and make them my own.

*Plucy substitutes butter for margarine and oleo*

I have 7 pounds of butter in my frig...

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:40 pm Post subject:

I have a question Connie, What is Oleo?

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject:

oleo is shortening or lard, right?

I will be trying the chews recipe, looks good!

I also replace with butter. Yum

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject:

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject:

I grew up with oleo meaning butter.

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:50 pm Post subject:

My very favorite cookies are the cut out cookies my parents make. They are a sugar cookie, but I do not know the recipe. My dad actually makes the batter, then my mom and my sisters and I would use the cookie cutters to make the cookies and mom baked them, then we would all put the frosting on them. Oh and they never followed the recipe fully, I know they made a couple of changes to it.

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:30 am Post subject:

That's what Oleo means? I have never heard that before.

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

I thought it was some kind of new fat substitute, like Olestra…

I just made this last night:

Simi's Toffee Cookie Brittle

1 1/4 cups butter
1/1/2 cups sugar

1tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

6 skor bars, chopped OR 1 bag skor bits

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together
Add vanilla, flour, chocolate chips and toffee pieces and mix in with creamed ingredients

Place mixture on a cookie cheet and pat flat

Place in 325 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown (I baked it 50min)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was not as impressed as I thought I would be-- it's kind of like shortbread with chocolate and toffee-- and I am just not a shortbread fan.

I also always make Truffles (sorry, I don't share that recipe)
Peanut butter balls
Gingerbread men/house
Breton Brittle
Magic cookie squares (Eagle Brand recipe)

Of all of the above, I'd have to say the peanut butter balls are my favorite, sorry don't have that recipe in me currently.

This year I have to stick to fat free stuff mostly due to my partner's gallbladder issues, I found a fat free gingerbread biscotti recipe, I will try it out and post it if it is good.

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject:

"yumminess"

Ingredients:
Eggnog
Brandy
Nutmeg

Directions:
Pour a couple shots of Brandy into a tall glass.
fill the rest with eggnog. sprinkle nutmeg ontop.

"drinking christmas"

Ingredients:
Tangueray Gin
Tonic

Mix tangueray gin & tonic in a glass. taste what christmas trees smell like.

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject:

everyone loves this easy peppermint bark:

12 oz white choc chips
6 candycanes, unwrapped and crushed up. I put them in a ziplock and whack them with the meat pounder
( I like the taste of the Hershey's candy canes)

melt chips in bowl in micro. add in crushed canes and quickly pour onto waxed paper and spread as thin as possible. gotta be quick because it will start to set up. leave it for an hour or so then break into bits

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject:

OOO Oscar I gotta try that-- probably use regular chocolate though...

Kristina-- that is exactly why I don't drink Gin, yuk, tastes like sap...

Now for some reason I like Retsina though-- Greek wine that tastes like pine resin. It's an aquired taste.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject:

Peppermint Cheesecake! I had it at a resturaunt and it's awesome. Smile

PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

1 c. chocolate wafer crumbs
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 env. unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. cold water
2 (8 oz.) containers soft Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. crushed peppermint candy
1 c. whipping cream, whipped
2 (1.05 oz.) milk chocolate candy bars, finely chopped

Combine crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.
Soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin, milk and peppermint candy, mixing until blended; chill until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped cream and chocolate. Pour over crust; chill until firm. Garnish with additional whipped cream and peppermint candy, if desired.

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject:

My coworker keeps talking about a soft molasses/clove cookie from Dancing Deer (in Boston, MASS). I'd love to get a good recipe for that kind of cookie. Anyone have one?

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