Glazed Crackers

The "flip-flop bandits" got together recently for our annual Christmas bash. Susan brought this delicious little treat, and I just had to share it with you! It's another goody for parties and cookie exchanges.

1 cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips

*Preheat oven to 325. Combine butter & sugar over medium heat. Bring to boil & cook 3 min. Stir in vanilla & pecans. Arrange crackers on cookie sheet and spoon pecan mixture over crackers.
*Bake 6 min.
*Remove from oven & sprinkle choc chips on top of pecan mixture. Return to oven & bake for 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted to your liking.
*Remove from oven & let cool briefly.Transfer crackers to serving plate or an airtight container.

Snowballs

1 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 T. water
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
edible cake sparkles or colored sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in water and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Using a spoon, stir in the remaining flour and chopped pecans.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Cool completely.

Place sifted powdered sugar into bowl. Separate if using more than one color of crystals. Add a different crystal in each bowl of powdered sugar. Gently roll and shake cooled cookies in desired powdered sugar mixture.

Yields: 36

Sugar Plums

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 c. dates, chopped
1 c. coconut
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 t. vanilla extract

Blend eggs and one cup sugar together. Stir in dates, coconut, walnuts and vanilla. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish and pour in mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until mixture can be handled. Roll into walnut size balls. Roll balls in remaining sugar.

Egg Nog Logs

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
3 c. flour
1 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. rum extract

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide dough in to 10 equal portions. Roll each into a 15 inch log. Cut each log into five 3 inch pieces. Place on lightly greased baking sheets (or the baking world's greatest invention: the DeMarle Silpat). Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Vanilla Frosting:

1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. confectioners sugar
5 t. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. finely chopped pecans

In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, confectioners sugar, milk and extract until smooth. Dip ends of cookies in frosting then in pecans. Place on waxed paper (or the baking world's greatest invention: the DeMarle Silpat) until set. Store in airtight container.

Hidden Mint Sugar Cookies

1 roll ready to bake sugar cookie
1 pk. of your favorite mini mint patties
pecans, chopped finely
egg wash (beaten egg)

Place 1 slice of sugar cookie on greased cookie sheet.

Place mint on the slice. Lay a second slice of sugar cookie on top.

Brush lightly with egg wash. Lightly press chopped pecans on top.

Bake according to directions on pack of sugar cookie.

Not Your Typical Potato Soup

My neighbor and friend, Nancy, recently brought me a pot of potato soup. This potato soup was not the typical recipe that you usually make. So, I got her to give me the recipe, and I promptly added it to my stash of recipes

butter or margarine
medium onion, chopped
10 medium potatoes, cubed and boiled until tender
8 oz. french onion dip or ranch dip
2 can cream of chicken soup
milk

Saute onion in butter or margarine. Add dip, soup and 2 soup cans of milk and stir. Add Potatoes. Cook until blended and warm.

Coffee Bean Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. toasted almonds, chopped
4 English toffee flavored candy bars (1.4 oz size), chopped
1/2 c. shortening
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. chocolate covered coffee beans

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in almonds, coffee beans and candy. Cover and chill dough, if desired. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes or until golden. Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Angel Kisses

These are the cookie that I took to the cookie exchange tonight. They are a delectable concoction, and I love the combination of fluffy with chocolate and nuts. They're easy to make and easy on the budget too! They are pictured in this photo: the white cookies in the foreground.


Ingredients needed:

4 egg whites at room temperature
1 c. sugar
dash of salt
1 t. vanilla
1t. vinegar
1 c. chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 c. chocolate bits

Cooking directions:

Beat egg whites in an electric mixer until very stiff. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until mixture is very stiff.



Beat in vanilla, vinegar and salt.

Fold in nuts and chocolate bits.

mmmm! That fluffy yummy sight makes me want to eat the whole bowl!

Drop by rounded tablespoonful, one inch apart, on buttered foil on cookie sheet (or the cooking world's greatest invention: The DeMarle Silpat). I found that flattening the cookie slightly before cooking makes a prettier cookie.

Bake in very low oven (250) for 1 hour.

While you are waiting for those to finish, go make polka dot Christmas ornaments for yourself, your kiddos' teachers, your neighbors, etc.


Hey, give them an ornament and some angel kisses and you've got a fantastic gift!

Remove from oven and peel off when cookies are cold.

Makes 3 dozen.

Christmas Cookies: Oreo Truffles

I can't even think about this recipe without drooling. Every time I make these, it is so hard not to eat every last one of them myself! So be careful: if you are making them for a party, be sure and hide them!

You'll find the complete, illustrated recipe here.

Christmas Cookies

I will be attending a Christmas Cookie Exchange this week. I have participated in these just about every year for the past 8 years or so. It is always lots of fun to be creative with baking and to enjoy the baking of others as well. In honor of the delectable and fun cookie exchanges, I will be posting a series of recipes here throughout the month. Check back periodically for a new cookie or candy recipe. You might find something you could use for your next social gathering or even your own cookie exchange party!