Two Minute Fudge - Holiday Treat

1 pound confectioners sugar

1/2-3/4 cup of cocoa

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 stick of butter 

Mix together powdered sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla.  Add butter and mix well.  Cover bowl with vented plastic wrap and microwave for two minutes.  Pour into 8 inch pan with wax paper lining.  Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.  Cut into squares.

Surprise Kiss Cookies - Holiday Treats

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 package milk chocolate kisses

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. At medium speed on an electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour and nuts.  Beat on low speed until well blended. Chill dough.

Remove foil from kisses; using 1 tablespoon of dough shape the dough around the kiss to form a ball.  Be sure kiss is completely covered. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are set but not yet brown.  Cool slightly; but while still warm carefully roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely.

Yield: About 40 cookies.

Saltine Toffee - Holiday Treats

Saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups chocolate chips

¾ cups chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400F. Layer the crackers on large cookie sheet. In saucepan, combine sugar and butter; bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour evenly over crackers. Bake 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Wait 5 minutes and spread evenly. Sprinkle nuts on top and cool.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream (optional)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

Dash salt

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups (1 qt.) milk

1/3 cup hot water

Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with

marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings.

Variations: Add one of the following with the vanilla extract:

• Butterscotch Schnapps – add to taste

• SWISS MOCHA: 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee.

• SLIM-TRIM COCOA: Omit sugar. Combine cocoa, salt and water; substitute nonfat milk. Proceed

as above. With vanilla, stir in sugar substitute with sweetening equivalence of 1/2 cup sugar.

• MICROWAVE SINGLE SERVING: Combine 1 heaping teaspoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa, 2 heaping teaspoons sugar and dash salt in microwave-safe cup or mug. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk; stir until smooth. Fill cup with milk. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Stir to blend; serve.

Hermits - Holiday Treats

1 cup soft shortening

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

½ cup cold coffee

3 ½ cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 ½ cups plump raisins

1 ¼ cups chopped nuts

Mix together thoroughly shortening, brown sugar and eggs. Stir in coffee. Sift together and stir in flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix into dough, raisins and chopped nuts. Chill at least 1 hour. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly grease baking sheet. Bake until set, just until, when touched lightly with finger, almost no imprint remains. Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Taken from Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book, 1st Ed, 1950.

Springerle Cookies - Holiday Treats

4 eggs

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

1 ½ tablespoons anise seed

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ stick melted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon anise oil

Beat eggs until light. Add sugar and beat until mixture thickens. Add anise seed. Combine flour and baking powder. Add about half to egg mixture. Stir in butter and anise oil, and then add remaining flour. Mix well. Dough will be heavy. Chill for easier handling. Roll out one fourth inch thick. Press with design rolling pin. Place cookies on slightly greased baking sheets. Set over night in basement or cool place. Preheat oven to 375, reducing to 300 as soon as you place, cookies in oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until just a hint of browning at the edges.  Cool and store in air tight container.   This cookie is a traditional German Christmas cookie.  

Cookies pictured to the left.

Grandma's Gumdrop Cookies - Holiday Treats

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup rolled oats

¾ cup shortening

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup chopped gumdrops

½ cup nuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Sift dry ingredients. Combine sugar, egg and shortening. Add dry ingredients. Add gumdrops, nuts and oats. Add vanilla. Make size of walnut and dip in cream (regular whipping cream or can just use milk, the only purpose of this is to give the powdered sugar something to cling to). Roll in powdered sugar before baking. Place on greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Cookies pictured to the right.

Ginger Cookies - Holiday Treats

1 lb dark brown sugar                   

3 sticks unsalted softened butter

⅓ cup molasses                                

2 large eggs room temperature

6 cups flour                            

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

2 Tablespoons ginger                

1 1/2 T baking soda                      

1 teaspoon salt

Combine brown sugar, molasses, butter and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine  flour, ginger, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until dough forms.  Divide dough into 4 parts (each part makes 6-12 cookies), wrap each in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or freeze up to 3 months.  Thaw to room temperature when ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Roll one part into 1/4 thickness on floured table with floured pin, or press with fingers.  Cut into shapes, re-roll only once; place 1" apart on un-greased cookie sheet (lined with parchment to prevent scorching, if desired).  Bake 8-10 min, cool completely. 

If pan is dark and unlined, cut time to 5 min and do not use as much flour upon roll out/or lower temp to 350F.

Double Almond Biscotti - Holiday Treats

7 ounce package almond paste

1 3/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

4 egg whites (large eggs)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F with oven rack in center.  Take 2 large cookie sheets and stack one inside the other (the double sheets help prevent biscotti from burning). Line top cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Grate almond paste on

large hole side of grater. Fit food processor with metal blade. Add grated almond paste, flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and salt. Pulse until mixture has texture of small crumbs.

In large bowl, beat egg whites with vanilla extract until just frothy. Add mixture from food processor and slivered almonds to egg white mixture. Mix with large spoon until dough holds together. Turn out on a lightly floured counter. Roll dough into a 2 inch thick log; divide in two.  Roll each piece into a log about 10 inches long. Flatten gently with hands until ½ to ¾ inch thick. Using spatula, transfer dough to cookie sheet, spacing pieces at least 3 inches apart.

Bake 35 minutes until golden and firm. Put doubled up cookie sheets, with biscotti still on them, on wire rack to cook (about 1 hour). When completely cool, slice ¾ inch diagonal pieces, using a serrated knife. Return pieces to the doubled –up cookie sheets, cut side down (you may need to do this in two batches. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees, or until slightly golden (For softer textured biscotti, bake 2 or 3 minutes less; for drier biscotti bake 2 or 3 minutes more). Cool completely and store in air tight container between wax paper. Makes 22 biscotti.

“I don’t have a food processor so I use my electric mixer and finish up with a pastry blender.”

-Anonymous

Christmas Trees - Holiday Treats

2 ¼ cups sifted Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

Few drops green food coloring

Decorating candies

Sift together flour and baking powder.  Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly. Beat in egg, almond extract and food coloring. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Fill MORRO cookie press. Form cookies on ungreased MIRRO aluminum cookie sheets. Using tree plate. Decorate with tiny candies and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Makes 6-7 dozen.

Chocolate Caramel Cookies - Holiday Treats

1 package devil’s food cake mix

1 egg

1/4 cup water

3 T oil

1 package Rolo candy 

Combine cake mix, egg, water, oil, mix well. Roll rounded teaspoons around Rolo. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 350 8-10 minutes. Tops start to crack. Cool on pan 2 minutes.

Change of plans: No Cook Fondant - Holiday Treats

1/3 cup margarine

1/3 cup light corn syrup

scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

4-5 cups confectioners sugar

Blend first 4 ingredients. Stir in sugar, 1 cup at a time, until it forms stiff dough.

Hand knead, if necessary. Use to stuff dates, as a base or center for nut clusters, or form into balls and dip in melted chocolate.

Also good wrapped around drained maraschino cherries for chocolate covered cherries. (not included in this sample)