Mommy-Daughter Christmas Bakefest 2013

Sweet Recipe Saturday

Christmas is the season of giving, so I am giving you not 1, not 2, but 6 SWEET RECIPES today! What has put me in such a sweet (haha, get it?) mood? Quite possibly the fact that my house is FULL of delicious Christmas cookies as a result of my Mom and I literally spending all day yesterday baking. We had such a great time! Even though we are both major chocoholics, we tried to make a variety of cookies that other non-chocolate lovers (silly people) could also enjoy. We probably would have had even more cookies, but no batch of dough went un-sampled before and/or after baking... and that's even after we double each recipe. YUM! 

Hard at work

SO MANY COOKIES

Finally time to sample!

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
-8oz semi-sweet chocolate
-2tsp canola oil, divided
-1/2tsp peppermint extract, divided
-25 crushed round peppermint candies, divided
-8oz white chocolate

Directions
1. Lightly grease 9"x9" pan and line with waxed paper.
2. Place semi-sweet chocolate and 1tsp oil in top of double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring constantly. Once melted, stir in 1/4tsp peppermint extract. 
3. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle half of crushed peppermint candies. Refrigerate completely for 1hr.
4. Repeat step 2 with white chocolate, remaining oil, and remaining peppermint extract.
5. Repeat step 3.
6. Break into pieces.

Cream Cheese Cookie Cups (*My favorite!!!)

Ingredients
-6oz package refrigerated cookie dough
-4 oz cream cheese, softened
-2 tbsp butter, softened
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. With floured hands, press 1tbsp dough into mini muffin tin and form into cup along bottom and sides, and bake for 10min.
2. Allow to cool for 3min, then take bottom of wooden spoon or rolling pin and press into each mini muffin tin to form a cookie cup. Allow this to cool completely on wire rack.
3. Mix remaining ingredients and fill each cookie cup. *Feel free to add food coloring to mixture prior to filling cups! (We used green for Christmas!)

Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients
-1 cup butter, softened
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 cups flour
-1 can cherry pie filling
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1-2tsp milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream together butter and sugar, then mix in flour for a crumbly dough.
3. Roll into rounded balls and lightly press thumb into middle of each. Fill pressed hole with a small dollop of pie filling.
4. Bake for 15min or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.
5. Mix powdered sugar and milk until thin consistency. Place into a plastic bag, cut small corner of bag off, and drizzle onto each cookie.

Orange Balls

Ingredients
-1 stick butter, melted
-1lb powdered sugar
-1 box crumbled vanilla wafers
-1 6oz can concentrated orange juice, thawed
-1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions
1. Mix first 4 ingredients and then knead in pecans.
2. Form into small balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Chocolate Butter Balls

Ingredients
-1/2 cup sugar
-3/4 cups butter, softened
-1 egg yolk
-1 tsp almond extract
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl and beat at medium speed until fluffy (2-3min).
3. Gradually add flour and cocoa until well mixed (2-3min).
4. Drop in rounded balls and slightly flatten. Bake 10min or until set.
5. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Macadamia Macaroons (*Mom's favorite!!!)

Ingredients
-1 7oz package flaked coconut
-1 cup Macadamia nuts, chopped
-1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
-1 tsp vanilla
-30 premium saltine crackers, finely crushed
-3 egg whites
-2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Spread coconut and macadamia nuts into 15"x10"x1" dish and toast for 10min, stirring frequently. Cool.
3. Combine milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add coconut mixture and cracker crumbs. Mix well.
4. Beat egg whites in small bowl until stiff peaks form. Add to coconut mixture and stir gently until blended. 
5. Drop rounded tablespoons on lightly greased baking sheet and bake 12-14min or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
6. Melt chocolate as directed on package and drizzle over cookies.