Christmas Cookies!, You know it had to be done!

Recipe Name: BISCOTTI
Category: ITALIAN
Serves: 12

3 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspo Baking powder
1 1/2 teaspo Orange zest
3 ounce Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Walnuts chopped
1/2 teaspo Anise extract

The secret to this popular Italian cookie is the double baking process.

Makes 3 dozen


Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly spray oil onto a large cookie sheet. Combine the flour, baking powder, and zest. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer. With the mixer running, add 1 egg at a time. Add the flour mixture and blend well. Add the anise extract and walnuts and blend well. Place the dough on a floured board and form 2 12" logs. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300. Cut the logs into 1/2 slices, cutting diagonally. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turning once. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Name: ENGLISH TOFFEE BARS
Category: COOKIES
Serves: 36

1/2 Cup Butter
2 Cup All-purpose flour
1 Cup Packed light brown sugar
1 Cup Pecan halves

TOFFEE TOPPING:
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
- (Hershey's)

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, combine butter,
flour and brown sugar. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until
fine crumbs form (a few large crumbs may remain). Press into ungreased
13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over crust. Prepare Toffee
Topping; drizzle evenly over pecans and crust. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or
until topping is bubbly and golden; remove from oven. Immediately
sprinkle milk chocolate chips over top; press gently onto surface. Cool
completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 36 bars.

Toffee Topping: In small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup
packed light brown sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, 30
seconds. Use immediately.

Hershey's is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation.
Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

Meal-Master compatible format

Recipe Name: HERSHEY'S CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Category: COOKIES
Serves: 60

2 1/4 Cup All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
1 Cup Butter; softened
3/4 Cup Granulated sugar
3/4 Cup Packed light brown sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
2 Each Eggs
12 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Each - (Hershey's)
1 Cup Chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together flour, baking soda
and salt. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and
vanilla with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually
add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if
desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8
to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from
cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

Classic Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa to
flour mixture.

Pan Recipe: Spread batter in greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll
pan. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool completely; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

Skor & Chocolate Chip Cookies: Use 1 cup finely chopped Skor bars and 1
cup Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in place of 2 cups chocolate
chips; omit nuts. Drop and bake as directed.

Ice Cream Sandwich: Press one small scoop of vanilla ice cream between
two cookies.

High Altitude Directions

Increase flour to 2-2/3 cups. Decrease baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon.
Decrease granulated sugar to 2/3 cup. Decrease packed light brown sugar
to 2/3 cup. Add 1/2 teaspoon water with flour. Bake at 375 degrees
Fahrenheit, 5 to 7 minutes or until top is light golden with golden
brown edges.

Hershey's is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation.
Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

Meal-Master compatible format

last one for today... I promise:

Recipe Name: DOUBLE-DECKER FUDGE
Category: CANDIES
Serves: 2

1 Cup Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
1 Cup Hershey's Chocolate Chips
Each - (Semi Sweet or Hershey's
Each - Mini Chips Semi-Sweet
Each - Chocolate)
2 1/4 Cup Sugar
7 Ounces Marshmallow creme
3/4 Cup Evaporated milk
1/4 Cup Butter
1 ts Vanilla extract

Line 8-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.
Measure peanut butter chips into one medium bowl and chocolate chips
into second medium bowl. In heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine sugar,
marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and butter. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Immediately stir one-half hot mixture
(1-1/2 cups) into peanut butter chips until chips are completely melted;
quickly pour into prepared pan. Stir remaining one-half hot mixture into
chocolate chips until chips are completely melted. Quickly spread over
top of peanut butter layer. Cool completely. Remove from pan; place on
cutting board. Peel off foil; cut into 1-inch squares. Store tightly
covered. About 5 dozen pieces or about 2 pounds candy.
Variations:

Peanut Butter Fudge: Omit chocolate chips; place 1-2/3 cups (10-oz.
pkg.) Reese's Peanut Butter Chips in large bowl. Cook fudge mixture as
directed above; add to chips, stirring until chips are completely
melted. Pour into prepared pan; cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Fudge Omit peanut butter chips; place 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)
Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Hershey's Mini Chips Semi-Sweet
Chocolate in large bowl. Cook fudge mixture as directed above; add to
chips, stirring until completely melted. Pour into prepared pan; cool to
room temperature.

Hershey's is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation.
Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

Meal-Master compatible format

O'siyo Sekhmet,
~ You are my new best O'ginalli (friend)!!
~~ Dear Shadows, you are going to diet with me after the Holidays correct? I mean, you are posting some pretty fantastic recipes and I can only hold You responsible for any major weight gain!!
~Sekhmet, I would be most thankful if you find that ginger snap recipe!! I made one from an old recipe from an O'ginalli of mine and although they turned out tasty, I am not used to that particular recipe...I think the molasses in it was too much..so would love to try out your recipe!
~~Sty-U

Gingersnaps

2c. flour
2tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. crisco
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
1tsp. each of ginger, cinnamon and cloves
1/3 c. sugar (in a separate cup to roll the dough balls in)

Combine dry goods in a separate bowl, put to the side. Beat sugar and shortening together, then add egg, molasses and spices. Divide the dry ingredients in two parts and blend in slowly. Emphasis on *slowly*. Roll the dough into a big ball, cover and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll little balls about an inch and a half wide onto an ungreased (I like non-stick) cookie sheet. Roll the balls in the sugar set aside for this purpose. Bake 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven, let them cool a couple of minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. If you like your snaps crunchy, put them in an airtight container. If you like 'em chewy, put them in something like a cookie tin or jar. I do half and half.

Sekmhet I made up the dough for your gingersnaps I will make them tomorrow. Looks like a excellent recipe. YUM>

Slainte
Rindy

I'm gonna have to do another batch of these. They've been sacrificed to lunches and my little sawed off cookie monsters. LOL They're popular around here...I bring home a bag of store-bought ones and I get dirty looks anymore.

O'siyo,
~ Sekhmet, your Gingersnap Recipe turned out fantastic! I went on a baking frenzy Sunday and made your recipe as well as a few others in this forum! ~Made Shadows recipe he posted for Biscotti, turned out great! Made the Devil's Food Cake Cupcakes..lets just say a couple of my god-children helped with those and more were eaten than stuffed with Marshmallow Creme Made a couple of the Apple Cinnamon Cakes that I passed out to neighbours and well no one complained so guess they turned out alright! Going to work on some brownies tonite..After the brownies cool I put them out on a cutting board..I slice them in half and carefully remove the top layer..I ice the bottom layer with Creme Cheese Frosting and add some mandarin oranges (drained), some peaches and kiwi..I place the top layer back on and sprinkle with powdered sugar! Talk about Yummy! Yikes, I just know I am going to OD on sweets this season!
~~Sty-U

Sekhmet,

The gingerbread cookies turnned out fantastic. I will be making another batch myself thank you for sharing...

Woohoo! Glad you liked them! I am DONE with baking. No more. That's it. The freezer is FULL and then some. Of course if the kids look at me with properly huge eyes that goes right out the window, but...

It is getting to be that time of year again and I thought I would bring this topic to the top, there are some real good sweets here...

Anyone want to add more ?

Recipe Name: PECAN PIES
Category: DESSERTS
Serves: 24



3 Ounce Package Cream cheese
1/2 Cup Margarine
1 Cup Sifted flour
1 Cup Salt

FILLING:

1 Cup Pecans, finely ground
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Margarine
3/4 Cup Brown sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Cream together the first 4 ingredients to make dough. Shape in 24 balls and press into small (mini) muffin pans to make the small pie shells.

FILLING:
Mix all the filling ingredients together. Put 1 teaspoon of filling in each shell.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 18 minutes.

haha! Hallowe'en isn't here yet and today I saw just that, the front covers of recipie magazines splashed with pictures of Christmas cookies!

Sugar Plums

Yield: 48 pieces

4 ounces whole blanched almonds
4 ounces walnuts
1 cup cooked millet
Zest of orange, finely minced
6 ounces currants
4 ounces pitted dates
4 ounces golden raisins
4 ounces dried apricots
1/2 cup of bourbon
6 ounces coarsely chopped walnuts

1.Chop the almonds and walnuts together in a food processor until fine; transfer to a mixing bowl. Combine the chopped nuts with the millet and orange zest.

2.Lightly spray or wipe the food processor blades with vegetable oil. Add the currants, dates, raisins, and apricots; pulse until finely chopped. Add the bourbon and the nut-and-millet-mixture. Process until the mixture comes together in a ball.

3.Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls. Roll in the coarsely chopped walnuts. Store in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature to allow the flavours to blend, then store for several months in the refrigerator.

Massive BUMP...tis the season boys and girls! Out with the recipes! Who's baking what? I think I went a little manic this year...heh...