Day 24: Santa's Favorite Chocolate Chippers

Well, here we are.... 24 cookies later. The. Last. Day.

Tomorrow is Christmas and I don't think that my family – or my waistline – can take another batch of cookies. This project was one of pure enjoyment for me and I loved every minute of every batch. It gave me something creative back that I have not had in a long time. Something other than work, or for my kids. Something just for me that I wanted to do. I haven't done that in a long time! I never really thought people would actually read the blog because it was on a whim that I posted the first day on Facebook. I am honestly surprised (and flattered) at how many of you I have run into that have said you are following my adventures.  Thank you!!

So until next year (if I choose to do this again) or until I open a bakery someday, somewhere... I hope you have enjoyed our time together. I know I have.

This cookie is our family favorite and I have it on good authority that these are one of Santa's favorites too.

Merry Christmas everyone and best wishes for a Sweet 2013.
Tonya

Santa's Favorite Chocolate Chippers
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I like Giant Eagle - for the northerners or Kroger - for the southerners, both generic)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( I use vanilla bean paste for these)
1 cup of milk chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle)

• Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
• Mix flour, salt and baking soda in bowl and set aside
• Cream butter and sugar un medium speed until fluffy
• Add eggs, mix
• Add vanilla, mix
• Add flour mixture and blend until well mixed
• Stir in chocolate chips
• Using tablespoon or 1/4 cup scoop (your choice) drop dough onto cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes for smaller cookie or 12-14 minutes for larger cookie or until edges set. 

Day 23: Kris Kringle's Krinkles

After a long ride home from Ohio, I must apologize for the late post....

When I discovered I could no longer enjoy a snickerdoole, I went on search of a cookie that had a similar texture/taste to the dough (cream of tartar). I ran into a cookie at an exchange one year that made it's way to my take-home container BUT I did not know who brought it and the thought of asking 75 different people was just too daunting.... So, I searched high and low and finally settled on combining a few recipe to get to this. It is a lemon-lime zest cookie (you could use orange zest). I personally think it is fabulous. I have named them Kris Kringle's Krinkles.

I hope today found you hustling and bustling with Holiday Cheer. Only one more cookie to go! Hint: Tomorrow is Santa's favorite!

Kris Kringle's Krinkles
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 tablespoon finely shredded lime peel
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Nonpareils or sugar to coat tops

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Cream butter for 30 seconds
• Add sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar, beat until combined
• Add egg, lemon peel, lime peel and vanilla, mix to combine
• Add flour, mix
• Place Nonpareils or sugar in small bowl
• Roll dough into 1" balls and dip tops in Nonpareils or sugar
• Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes
• Transfer to rack to cool

Day 22: Oreo Ho Ho Truffles

 

Today I needed a no-bake solution to my cookie post as the oven was in use at my in-laws, so I, under no circumstances, could get access to it. At my sister-in-law Stephanie's suggestion she gave me a wonderful new recipe for what we are calling Oreo Ho Ho Truffles, because that is what they taste like! These little balls of Heaven are easy and delicious and only 3 ingredients! I hope you enjoy, I am off to eat "Christmas" Dinner.

Oreo Ho Ho Truffles
1 package of Oreos, Crushed with a food processor
1 brick of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 package of chocolate bark

• Crush Oreos in food processor and place in bowl
• Add softened cream cheese and blend to mix (you may need to use your hands)
• Let set in refrigerator for 1 hour
• Dip in melted chocolate bark (follow package instruction)
• Chill to set if needed

Day 21: Peppermint Bark

Such a sinful treat. Thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year! I absolutely love the peppermint bark that you can buy at that "high-end cooking store in every mall in America"...but I hate the price. So I set out to figure out how to get close to their recipe, I think I may like mine better (My cousin, Lindy, may concur.) Maybe it is because it is sooo easy to make, so inexpensive and honestly, it's mine, made from my own two hands and heart. I always think that holds the most value, don't you?

Peppermint Bark
12 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Gharardelli chips)
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
16 - 22 oz. good quality white chocolate chips (I used Nestle chips - Gharardelli melts chalky)
4-5 candy canes, crushed or broken

• Line a 9” x 13” baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny side up, and smooth out any wrinkles
• Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water (not boiling) and stir until the chocolate is melted
• Layer in the pan lined with aluminum foil and set to cool in refrigerator to 10 minutes
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate according to package directions IN A MICROWAVE (I don't know why, it just works better, you can do the chocolate this way too)
• Layer it, working quickly, over the semisweet chocolate. (I don't mind if  the chocolates mix a bit, I like the look...)
• Sprinkle with broken candy canes (you can crush or break in a baggie to the extent that you like)
• Allow to cool in refrigerator until set
• Remove from pan by grabbing foil and then break the bark apart 

Day 19: Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies

I have been making these for many, many years. Without tipping my hat to my age, this recipe came my way right about the same time my marriage license did. My favorite memory of these yummy little packages of joy include a past boss of mine, Jeff. He LOVED these cookies (and tequila, but that is another story all together!) So much so that he would drop little hints when he needed his "cookie fix". I strongly suspect they never made it out of his office. I finally got to the point that I when would make a batch for us, I'd also make a batch for him, presented neatly in a brown paper lunch sack sitting on his desk. Miss those days...

Reese's Cup Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Cream white sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until smooth
• Add egg and vanilla
• Add salt, baking powder and flour and mix to incorporate
• Roll into 1” balls or use a 1” scoop. Place one ball into each hole of a mini muffin tin. Fill any empty spaces with water to ensure even baking
• Bake for 8-9 minutes
• Remove from oven an push one unwrapped mini reese cup into each cookie
• Let sit in pan for 3 minutes then remove to wire rack. Trick is to use a butter knife or off-set spatula to gently remove the cookies. 

By the way, I generally do not use the white Reese's cups but if you can find them, use them, they are YUMMY!

Day 17: Vanilla Chunk Chex Mix

This is not a cookie, no ma'am, but then again, some of my best holiday treats aren't cookies at all. In reality, sometimes people are just sick of cookies this time of year. What I like most about this treat is that most of the ingredients are "good" for you (I did say most). Best of all it satisfies the sweet & salty tooth all at once.

This year I made it for JP's advisory-mates. (Sam is so "over that") I know a bunch of 6th graders will love this stuff and it gives me a reason to only have a small amount left in the house. As you can imagine, by day 17, we have had our share of Christmas goodies. So I made the mix, which took all of 15 minutes start to finish, let it dry and popped it in plastic bags tied with festive ribbons and presto, I was good to go!

Just a simple holiday treat when you don't have much time.

Vanilla Chunk Chex Mix

recipe shared with me by my cousin Deri Kelly Hutton

1 bag of holiday plain M&Ms

3 cups Corn Chex cereal

3 cups Rice Chex cereal

3 cups Wheat Chex cereal

2 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts

2 cups small pretzel twists

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 package (20 oz.) white chocolate bark

1. Mix all ingredients into large bowl and set aside
2. Follow melting instructions on package of white chocolate bark (I use microwave method)
3. Gently fold in white chocolate using a rubber spatula
4. Spread on wax paper, cool completely
5. Break into chunks 

Day 15: Pecan Pie Bars

My heart is heavy and my mind isn't in a baking mood as the television continues to report on yesterday's senseless violence. I have shut off the noise for awhile and will return to it later when I can get my hands around it all. Things like this seem to hit me particularly hard anymore. I know what loss feels like and I often think about losing my kids and what it would do to me. Unfathomable, really. So I will pray. And bake.

In light of everything, I changed what I was going to bake today and made something that I wanted. "Comfort food for Tonya". Pecan Pie (Bars). Really, I should just make my pecan pie. It is full of bourbon and oh so good. (I have added bourbon to this recipe for your enjoyment and as my "medicine".) I really hate to make a crust for just one pie... so for now, enjoy the pecan pie bars....

I am going on record that pecan pie is my favorite. If a menu has it listed, I see nothing else on the page. I'm pretty sure that I have never, not ever, met a pecan pie I didn't like. Even those little pecan pie cups that make their way to the cookie tray are a favorite of mine so this recipe should be no surprise or exception. It makes a pretty large batch so you can be generous with your cutting. Make the squares BIG, after all, it's the holidays. Top with a nice healthy scoop of homemade bourbon whipped cream (heavy cream, powdered sugar and bourbon, whipped on high until stiff peaks form). So that unopened bottle of Maker's Mark in my liquor cabinet saw it's pretty red wax seal broken this morning, but it was worth it. One for the recipe, one for the cook! Nothing like a Starbucks and bourbon on a Saturday morning. :)

Until tomorrow - Bake, and pray.

Pecan Pie Bars
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (absolutely needed)
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into cubes

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon bourbon (dealer's choice)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, combine flour, powdered sugar and butter in a processor or by cutting with a pastry cutter. Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. Pat crumb mixture into an ungreased 11"x7"x 1/2" pan. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.
• For the filling: Mix together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, pecans, 2 tablespoons melted butter bourbon, vanilla and salt. Spread evenly over baked crust. 
• Return to oven and bake 20 minutes more or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack in the pan.