WE HAVE SUCH SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU.
Ahem. Okay, sorry.
It’s that time again to share recipes of sweet treats that one might make during the holidays. Or before them. Or after them. Or any time of the year ever. This means cookies, pies, cakes, etc.
All you gotta do is drop a recipe or a link to a recipe in the comments below. What cookies do you make for the holidays to mesmerize house guests and lure them into your holly jolly murder pit? What pies will besiege your mouth and the mouths of your friends with their heretical pie-magic? WHAT SUGARY ARTIFICE DO YOU CONJURE TO BEWILDER PASSERSBY SO THAT YOU MAY HARVEST THEIR BONES FOR PEPPERMINT STICKS?
That maybe got a little intense.
Mea culpa.
Point is:
You. Recipe. Sweet thangs. Comment section.
Now, here’s what I’m sharing:
This recipe is listed as the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE EVER.
And it pretty much is.
I’ve been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for years — and kinda never found one. Good ones, sure, because it’s hard to make a bad chocolate chip cookie. But a perfect one? Made at home?
Yeah, that one counts. Made them last year. Made them again this year.
(Bonus: I’ve a relative who notes that you can take the vanilla extract out of the equation and sub in a little thing called motherfucking bourbon and the cookies become basically divine. Which tells me that any recipe that calls for vanilla extract might be all the more delicious if you stick bourbon in it, instead. Or maybe just drink bourbon and skip the cookies. Whatever.)
Only things I’ll add regarding that recipe:
Do weigh the flour.
Use good chocolate.
Use good brown sugar — in fact, sub in a 1/2 cup of muscovado brown sugar as part of the brown sugar content of the recipe. (Good muscovado smells really lovely — heady molasses scent.)
Do not eat all the cookies the moment they exit the oven.
That last one, I speak from experience.
*urp*
Now, share your recipes or I’ll pull this lever.
*eyes lever*
*eyes trapdoor under your feet*
*eyes lever again*
Mozette says:
Okie-dokie…. I’ve got a few recipes I wanted to share with you lot…. but… shit… I didn’t know which ones to share.
Sooooooo…..
I’ve put in a link here to show you all my recipes you can make. They are set out easy-peasie as hell… and um… they’re in metric, so you have to change them to the other measurements if you still work that way…
Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy trying them out!
http://mozetteslibrary.blogspot.com.au/search/label/recipes
December 22, 2014 — 12:08 AM
AnneGracieAnne Gracie says:
This is great for a small gift or just to nibble (or gorge) on. Christmas Crack — it’s sweet, salty, chocolatey toffee-y and crunchy. There are heaps of recipes on the web, all much the same — this site has pics, so… http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2013/12/11/christmas-crack/
Thanks for the wisdom, the laughs and the good reading.
December 22, 2014 — 12:12 AM
MonaKarel says:
Oh noooo not the lever. For dangerously easy peasy, I also made (but didn’t eat!) crescent roll pinwheel cookies. Those are an easy Google recipe search
You probably wouldn’t appreciate the low carb chocolate pinwheel cookies I just made. Almond flour? One of your many readers might so:
These slice-and-bake chocolate pinwheel cookies make a wonderfully festive treat and kids love them. Because the dough contains no gluten, it does crack frequently as you are rolling it up but patches up easily and makes no difference to the end result. You can make the dough ahead and keep it in the freezer to make cookies whenever you get a craving! Just let the dough sit out for 15 to 20 minutes to soften slightly before slicing.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups almond flour
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract
2 tbsp dark cocoa powder such as Hershey’s Special Dark
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until well combined. Beat in egg, vanilla and stevia extract, then beat in almond flour mixture until dough comes together.
Divide dough in half and beat cocoa powder into one half until well combined.
Roll out plain dough between two sheets of waxed paper to a rectangle about 8×9 inches. Do the same with the chocolate dough. Gently flip chocolate dough onto plain dough, matching it up as best you can. Press down gently to adhere and remove top layer of waxed paper.
Use an offset spatula or sharp knife to loosen bottom of dough from waxed paper. Starting at a long side, gently roll up dough tightly, using the waxed paper to help lift the dough. It will crack as you roll it; simply patch it gently back together each time.
Once the dough is rolled up, wrap in the waxed paper and place in freezer for 30 minutes.
December 22, 2014 — 12:20 AM
tambra nicole says:
MonaKarel thank you! I’m always looking for easy and good gluten free food.
December 22, 2014 — 2:18 AM
tabithahuizinga says:
Ooooh, I love this assignment! My go-to recipe for chocolate cake is Smitten Kitchen’s Tiny but Intense Chocolate Cake, but I also love Poires au Chocolat’s “That Chocolate Cake” and Smitten Kitchen’s Red Wine Chocolate Cake because really, how could red wine NOT be good in a chocolate cake?
Also this is kind of self-promotion (is that cheating?), but I wrote a recipe for the best apple pie I’ve ever made. Everyone thinks their Grandma/Mom/Whoever makes the best apple pie, but this one is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.
Tiny but intense Chocolate Cake: http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/recipes/desserts-cakes/tiny-but-intense-chocolate-cake-smitten-kitchen
That Chocolate Cake: http://www.poiresauchocolat.net/2012/06/that-chocolate-cake.html
Red Wine Chocolate Cake: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/09/red-wine-chocolate-cake/
My best apple pie: http://eatupbuttercup.com/apple-pie-two-ways/
December 22, 2014 — 12:20 AM
Moriah says:
Good vanilla has a bourbon base. It really does make a difference. Buy the good vanilla. And I found switching to the unsalted butter in my cookies made them way better.
December 22, 2014 — 12:29 AM
Maggie Maxwell says:
Every year, I make a variety of candies, but my go-to treat every year (and the one that mastered the vanishing act at parties) is Oreo Truffles.
1 bag Oreo cookies
8oz (1 brick) cream cheese
1 bag milk chocolate chips
Using a blender, a rolling pin, a hammer, or a half-empty bottle of rum (what? I was a college student with a rum bottle but no rolling pin or blender. You make do), or whatever method you find easiest and most stress-relieving, destroy all but 4-6 Oreos. Pummel them into submission, show those cookies who is the boss of them! Grind them to dust, literally! Grind the other 4-6 separately.
Once you’ve got your Oreos good and crushed, mix them (all but those you put aside!) with the brick of cream cheese until it’s all even.
Time to get messy! Roll the Oreo mixture into tablespoon sized balls, lay ’em out on a baking sheet, and pop ’em in the freezer to firm up.
While they’re busy getting cold, melt the chocolate chips into a smooth, chocolaty puddle. When it’s all ready, take the Oreo balls and dip them one at a time in the chocolate, covering them completely and evenly. Replace the dipped truffle on the cookie sheet and, when they’re all done, sprinkle the tops with the remains of their cookie brethren (those 4-6 you put aside. You didn’t eat the ones you put aside? Right?) and move them into the fridge to harden. Makes a few dozen.
December 22, 2014 — 12:40 AM
Natalie Maddalena says:
If you think bourbon would make anything taste better then I am never making anything you think tastes good. Just saying.
December 22, 2014 — 12:44 AM
Jana Denardo says:
BAKLAVA –
1 lb of butter
1 cp of sugar
1tbls flour
1 cp of water
1 lb of ground walnuts
1/.2 cp clover honey
1 cp sugar
juice of one lemon
shake of cinnamon
i package phillo dough
how to:
melt butter slowly do not burn. when it begins to cool skim the white foam from the top. yes you must do this.
mix together nuts, flour, sugar and cinnamon. set aside
jelly roll pan – spread melted warm butter on bottom of pan lightly.
phillo – thaw in fridge. must be kept cool and moist. keep covered with moist kitchen towel when not in the fridge. when butter is cool enough, unroll phillo one sheet at a time. place on top of butter in pan. brush top of this phillo with butter, put another sheet of phillo on top of this buttered one. continue until you have 9 layers of phillo.
add nut mixture and spread evenly over the phillo dough. drizzle with butter and top with phillo sheet. continue as above buttering and layering for 9 more layers.
cut crisscross diagonally through all 18 layers of phillo dough making diamond pattern. make 1” wide or larger .
bake 1 hour in a pre heated 350 deg. oven
make syrup about ½ hour after you place in oven.
after baking is done, immediately pour syrup over the baklava. cool before removing from pan.
December 22, 2014 — 1:02 AM
Traylantha says:
My recipe is for those who want to bake, just haven’t got much skill/time/ other reasons to need easy.
Buy two tubes of premade cookie dough, one sugar cookie, one chocolate chip. Absolutely have to be apx same size. Unless you’re like me and like eating it straight. Anyways!
Unwrap the sugar cookie dough and flatten it into the bottom of a cake pan. If you get the large tubes, then you need the larger pans to flatten out properly. Spread it as evenly as you can across the bottom of the pan. It’s ok if it’s lumpy, just make sure every part of the pan bottom is covered.
Unwrap the chocolate chip dough. Crumble it evenly on top of the sugar cookie layer. It’s best to crumble so it will let hot air into the middle of it and bake more evenly.
Bake at 300, yes lower than the recommendations on the package. You’re also going to bake longer, about 30 minutes, because it’s so thick in the middle. Check it with a tooth pick now and then. When it comes out of the center clean, then you’re done.
Cool and slice. Your corners will be crispy for those who like them, the middles gooey for the rest of us. Toss the wrappers and keep our little secret, and people will think you are an amazing cookie baker.
December 22, 2014 — 1:16 AM
Ciara says:
I’m sorry, but Cook’s Illustrated’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is the best in the universe. I’ve converted my entire family to this opinion, too, and they never agree on anything. And I mean ANYTHING.
December 22, 2014 — 1:43 AM
The Glitzy Faery says:
I haven’t made this yet, but who can resist taking a pile of leftover cookies from the office party (it happens!), candy, frosting & chocolate syrup to make Christmas Nachos?
No, you can’t. Don’t lie.
Here, link:
http://tackychristmasparty.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-secret-recipe-released-world.html
December 22, 2014 — 2:25 AM
tambra nicole says:
Fudge Pie
The texture is similar to a brownie but the flavor is fudge. You could add frosting and sprinkle chopped pecan or hazelnuts, or just add the nuts to the mixture. I am thinking of adding my favorite Drambuie and see what happens.
Bake: 325 degree Fahrenheit for 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup of flour
3 1/2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 cup sugar (caster sugar if you’re across the pond)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
Grease a 9-inch pie plate with the leftover butter from the wrapper. Melt together the butter and cocoa powder over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and add the eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into the greased pie plate and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Stick a wooden toothpick or a tester if you have one to see if the middle is done. When the tester/toothpick comes out clean it’s done. Let cool. Cut into slices as you would a pie. *This would be good paired with vanilla ice cream.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Tambra Nicole Kendall
December 22, 2014 — 2:58 AM
Craig Forsyth says:
Like citrus? Need a cholesterol boost?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemon_tart_38623
I’d propose making the pastry slightly thicker, it works better with the vast amount of custard.
December 22, 2014 — 4:22 AM
Adam Short says:
This is my slight variation on a “butterfinger” recipe I found a while ago. Being in the UK makes real Butterfingers somewhat expensive and difficult to come by. These aren’t quite the same, but they’re pretty damn good. Be very careful boiling the honey (or maple syrup). Take the time to do it slowly, anything sugary will burn quickly if you get it too hot too quick, and instead of sweet delicious goodness you’ll have a brick of black, bitter nastiness that’s no good to anyone.
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/butterfinger-bars/869765
December 22, 2014 — 4:30 AM
Katherine says:
Double chocolate cranberry cookies! Dark chocolate cookie with big chunks of dark chocolate and surprisingly tart cranberries embedded in it.
Note: they’re definitely less sweet than a lot of chocolate cookies, and they are VERY dark.
Take any double chocolate cookie recipe. This year I used this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies-i/
Make the following changes/ substitutions:
-If the recipe calls for white sugar, swap out at least half of the amount for brown sugar. (I might even try more brown next time).
-The more cocoa the better! I used closer to 3/4 cup.
– use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips (get some high-quality baking choclate and chop it coarsely with a big knife.)
– the important part: add at least a cup of fresh or frozen cranberries to the batter right before baking – enough so that each cookie gets at least two cranberries in it.
This year’s batch came out a bit cakey. I think that the next time I make them, I’m going to use a little more butter, a little less flour, and cook them in a slightly cooler oven.
December 22, 2014 — 4:53 AM
Sarah says:
Gluten free, five ingredient peanut butter cookies. http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/5-ingredient-gluten-free-flourless-peanut-butter-cookies/
You can sub other nut butters (or sunflower seed butter) and they turn out great.
December 22, 2014 — 5:01 AM
Diane weaver says:
I will need to choose a favorite to post but first…Muscavado sugar? I have baked for years and spent many a time at Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma purveyors of way overpriced stuff. But never heard of this. Just went on Amazon and ordered to make Christmas cookies. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime, looking forward to trying the sugar and the best chocolate chip cookie Evah.
December 22, 2014 — 7:33 AM
chells says:
This one is ties with my Coconut Cake. Since the cake needs 3 days to make it (2 if I’m particularly awesome), I never seem to go wrong with making Pumpkin Pecan Pies: http://chells.me/journal/?p=86387
Ridiculously easy, ridiculously tasty.
December 22, 2014 — 8:34 AM
Sheena Bandy (@sheena_bandy) says:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-best-peanut-brittle/
Really good peanut brittle. But I would actually say to wait until the candy hits around the hard ball stage before adding the peanuts 🙂
December 22, 2014 — 9:13 AM
Samantha Warren says:
Super simple, super delicious cream cheese mints. They may great gifts or snacks for unwrapping presents. For the flavoring, I usually do a batch of peppermint, one of coffee (amazing), and something else. This year we tried orange extract and it’s been a big hit so far. These are so easy, my 8-yr-old cousin did a batch all by herself.
1 8oz package of softened cream cheese
1 2lb bag of confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp flavoring
Food coloring to make them cute
Instructions: (They’re super hard)
-Put the cream cheese into a bowl.
-Put the confectioner’s sugar, flavoring, and food coloring into said bowl.
-Mix (easiest with your hands. Hope you don’t mind getting dirty) until it forms a nice, fondant-like ball.
-Pull off little pieces, roll them into a ball, toss them in sugar, and press them with a fork.
-Eat (but not too many. Solid sugar tends to make you sick in large doses)
December 22, 2014 — 9:31 AM
melorajohnson says:
Okay, I was in charge of bringing dessert to my in laws and we had Christmas Sunday and one that was very easy but a big hit is Pumpkin Praline Bread Pudding http://flavormosaic.com/pumpkin-praline-bread-pudding/ – enjoy!
December 22, 2014 — 9:33 AM
brucearthurs says:
My recipe for German Chocolate Banana Bread:
originally posted at: http://undulantfever.blogspot.com/2005/12/going-bananas-german-chocolate-banana.html
German Chocolate Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups mashed overripe bananas
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
2) Toast shredded coconut. This can be done in a dry skillet on the stovetop, or in the microwave; microwave approximately 1+1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds. Set aside to cool while putting everything else together.
3) Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
4) In a second large bowl, mix butter or margarine and the white and brown sugars together until smooth. Stir in bananas, eggs, nuts and coconut.
5) Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir just until blended. Divide batter between the two loaf pans.
6) Bake 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn loaves onto wire rack to cool completely.
December 22, 2014 — 10:18 AM
Tiffany Ford says:
Definitely Winter Birch Tree Cookies. I personally believe that white chocolate is by and large a waste of time, but there’s something about the cinnamonny cookie inside (and the sprinkle of dark chocolate) that makes these divine.
http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1301558-Winter-Birch-Tree-Cookies
December 22, 2014 — 10:40 AM
christian.frey says:
COCOA SNICKERDOODLES. New favourite cookie in our house.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cocoa-snickerdoodles.html
December 22, 2014 — 11:17 AM
M T McGuire says:
Brandy butter. Without which, no Christmas Pudding is complete.
You will need:
An electric whisk, or better, a mixer with the flat beater rather than the whisk on.
Some unsalted butter
Some icing sugar
Brandy
Orange juice or orange essence (optional).
Let the butter sit out on the side for a while until it gets warm.
Put it in the mixer and turn on the beater.
Once it gets a bit sloppy, add some icing sugar. Keep adding icing sugar until it tastes like butter icing.
Now for the brandy. Two table spoons for each pat of unsalted butter you use but slowly so the butter doesn’t curdle.
If you can do it without curdling the butter, put in some more brandy.
Add a tiny bit of orange essence or a VERY small bit of orange juice, again, carefully, in tiny increments or it will curdle.
Ta da! You have now made Brandy Butter.
Put it in a bowl and stick it in the fridge ready to serve up with the pudding. Trust me once you’ve tried this you’ll never look back.
Cheers
MTM
December 22, 2014 — 11:29 AM
Liz says:
This is my mother’s recipe for Struffoli (or Honey Balls). An Italian Xmas tradition-ish.
http://www.zoevstheuniverse.com/2014/12/zoe-vs-recipe-post.html
December 22, 2014 — 2:10 PM
Donna Prior (@_Danicia_) says:
I just made these last night, Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cookies. And they were EXCELLENT:
http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies/
I also made this for Yule:
http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/10/cheesecake-stuffed-baked-apples.html
I also have these:
Flan 2 ways – http://dani-food.livejournal.com/17560.html
Baba Savarin- http://dani-food.livejournal.com/14950.html
My shortbread – http://dani-food.livejournal.com/13768.html
Smokey Cardamom Ginger Molasses cookies – http://www.reclaimingprovincial.com/2013/11/29/smoky-cardamom-ginger-molasses-cookies-a-giveaway/
Chocolate Cookies – http://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-chocolate-sugar-cookies/
December 22, 2014 — 3:06 PM
Fitz says:
Holiday baking/eating SUCKS when you have a food allergy or intolerance. No party food or digging into cookie gift baskets. So. Here’s a cookie recipe that’s gluten and dairy free, with the option of also being nut free.
The thing about these cookies? THEY TASTE GOOD. For serious! Regular people can’t even tell they’re not regular cookies with regular flour in them. Especially if you add some giant chocolate chips as part of your “mix-ins.”
Also, because of some crazy Christmas magic*, these cookies turn dark green the longer they sit. It’s a wonder to behold.
Emerald Cookies
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1.5-2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2-3 cups mix-ins of choice (nuts, seeds, coconut, raisins, ground flax, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drop by tbs. onto a greased or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Press down slightly with palm. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
*Actually, it’s a chemical reaction between the sunflower seed butter and the baking soda that makes the cookies green. If you don’t like the color, because you’re some kind of Christmas-hating gremlin, you can sub almond butter for the sunflower seed butter. Original recipe: http://www.preppypaleo.com/2013/01/pumpkin-breakfast-cookies-recipe-revisit.html
December 22, 2014 — 3:50 PM
brucearthurs says:
Surprisingly, I have all these ingredients on hand. (I’ve been using the sunflower butter in smoothies.) No trip to the store required. I’ll give them a try if I can find some spare moments.
December 23, 2014 — 9:47 AM
Fitz says:
@brucearthurs I hope you like them! Tips: if you use nuts, leave them chunky, and use ground flax meal for part of the mix-ins. Both make for a hearty cookie, which then makes for a quick, tasty breakfast.
December 23, 2014 — 10:06 AM
Meg Watson says:
OK, maybe you only want ONE COOKIE? Maybe nobody sent you tins of fruitcake? Maybe gramma doesn’t love you this year?
Here is the recipe for a SINGLE rice krispie treat. Just one. The smallest possible atomic unit of rice krispie treat. (Well no that’s not really true. The smallest *satisfying* unit.) TA-DA!!
http://megwatsonbooks.com/2014/12/emergency-cookie-recipe/
December 22, 2014 — 3:50 PM
maskedplatypus says:
PROS THEOS! This is the best idea ever.
December 22, 2014 — 10:21 PM
maskedplatypus says:
A year ago I posted this on my magazine’s blog. It was a repost from a posting at The Official Time-Waster’s Guide something like ten years ago.
http://quantumfairytales.com/2013/12/admin/cooking-for-geeks/
It contains two recipes, in narrative format. A super gooey fat-laden messy bar of sweetness my mother calls “Hello Dollies” for no reason I am able to intuit.
The other recipe is our non-alcohol wassail. Traditional wassail is made with hard cider with sugar to accelerate the drunkenness process. My version, handed down to me by my father, is regular apple cider, OJ, and a whole lot of spices (ginger, allspice, cinnamon…) I adore it.
December 22, 2014 — 10:20 PM
conniecockrell says:
I love these kinds of sharing posts. This recipe is for Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Teacakes or Snowballs, whatever you like. These are my daughter’s fav cookies and I make them every year. Now I make them exclusively. No other Christmas cookie is done. This is a double recipe as I use them for sending, cookie exchanges, and some left over for eating. I give both the regular recipe and the recipe modified for gluten free people. Enjoy
Russian Teacakes
Also called Mexican Wedding Cakes
2 C softened butter
1 C confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla (Optional: 1 t vanilla, 1 t almond flavoring)
4 1/2 C all purpose flour (Optional for gluten free: 4 1/2 cup all purpose gluten free baking flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill but whatever you use is probably fine.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I generally use walnuts but almonds would be good too.)
Heat oven to 400 degrees F
In a large bowl cream butter, sugar and vanilla.
Work in the flour, salt and nuts until the dough holds together. Note: This is a dry dough, you’ll be tempted to add water. Don’t. It will hold together. It’s supposed to be a little “sandy”.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Let cool until you can handle them then while warm, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Cool on a wire rack. Roll in sugar again.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
December 23, 2014 — 12:09 AM
cameronwalker27 says:
My Carolina Christmas Pralines are seriously dangerous. They’re holiday-spiced (with a little cayenne) and melt in your mouth, and are made with just butter, sugars, cream, vanilla, pecans, and spices:
http://handmadeinnc.com/2014/12/19/carolina-christmas-pralines/
December 23, 2014 — 10:49 AM
addy says:
yeah i am going to be true to my scottish heritage.
butter
milk
sugar
codensed milk
stir that mother on the hob
cake tin
BAAM
tablet
make sure you stir it right or else it will just be burned sugar which is delicious but not as good…
December 23, 2014 — 11:40 AM
Mary Ann Peden-Coviello says:
I always wanted to make fudge. Trust me, you don’t want to know the horrors that ensued. Then I found this recipe. It’s not true fudge, but it’s excellent. It disappears rapidly. Of course, I’m diabetic, so I can’t eat it. But everyone who tries it wants the recipe. It requires NO talent.
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle Toll House)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use Eagle Brand)
a cup or so crushed walnuts (optional — I add them)
Line an 8 by 8 square pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray, if you want to. Set aside.
Put the chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Pour the condensed milk on top. Put in microwave and heat for 40 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how powerful your microwave oven is. The chips will look still solid when you take the bowl out. Stir. Stir a lot. Let the heat of the bowl finish melting the chips. Stir some more. Make that chocolate mixture smooth. Add walnuts if you are using them. Put into the prepared pan. Smooth it all out. Put into the refrigerator and let it chill for a couple of hours. Cut into squares.
This is better the next day. Keep it in an air-tight container. I don’t know how long it will last before going bad. It never hangs around here long enough for me to find out what the actual shelf life might be.
December 23, 2014 — 1:25 PM
Alicia says:
There’s a weird myth circulating that vanilla has bourbon in it – it doesn’t, Bourbon vanilla is named after the Bourbons of France and is sometimes used to denote high-quality vanilla beans – but nicely aged bourbon does have some vanilla-y notes in it so I could see it working as a substitute. I’d want to use more bourbon as a flavouring than vanilla though.
I don’t really have any holiday baking traditions – I like to try new things. My maple bacon popcorn is good at any time of the year though http://foodycat.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/maple-bacon-popcorn-for-twains-feast.html
January 4, 2015 — 3:25 PM