Holiday Sweets

Every year, the holidays bring a great opportunity for me to bake all day and then give the goodies away.  I love baking, but often times they sit in the house and we either eat them all (which just isn't healthy) or they go to waste.  Every year for the holidays, I try to take the time to bake some goodies to bring into the inside team at work, to show my appreciation for all that they do for me throughout the year.  This year was no different, and this past Sunday was filled with a grocery run in the morning, and baking the remainder of the day!  Below are all the recipes that I put together to put on a platter to deliver to my company, and Joe's company.  There were a couple old recipes that I made that I will provide links to below.  Enjoy!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies
Smores Fudge Bar

One more thing I made was chocolate covered pretzels.  They are so simple to make and make for a quick desert!  All you need are Pretzel Rods or Sourdough Pretzels , melted chocolate (white, dark, or milk) and some sprinkles for any occasion!

Finished Platter

Hot Cocoa Fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 cup marshmallow bits or marshmallow minis

Instructions

1. Line a 9 by 9 inch pan with aluminum foil.
2. Over medium low heat, add the sweetened condensed milk to a small saucepan. Whisk in the cocoa powder.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips and stir consistently until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Pour into the pan, and add the marshmallow bits, gently pressing them into the fudge.
5. Refrigerate for at least four hours, covered, before removing the fudge from the pan by lifting the aluminum foil, peeling it off the fudge, and cutting the fudge to serve.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Original Recipe from here

Cookies and Cream Fudge

Ingredients:

3 cups white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
26 Oreo cookies, crushed

Directions:

Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with baking spray or grease with butter. In the bowl of your stand mixer attached with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in the melted chocolate until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Stir in the crushed Oreo pieces.  Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Original recipe from here 

Double Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:
1 (10-12 oz) bag peanut butter chocolate chips
1 (10-12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
14 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Line a 13X9″ baking pan with aluminum foil.  Using two large bowls, pour peanut butter chips in one and chocolate chips in the other.  Combine the sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, and butter in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir continuously for 5 minutes (let it boil the entire time you are stirring). Remove the saucepan from heat and add vanilla. Quickly stir to incorporate.

Carefully pour half of the mixture into the peanut butter chips bowl and the other half into the chocolate chips bowl. Stir the peanut butter chips until they are melted and the mixture is smooth (it will take a minute or two). Pour the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of the pan lined with foil.

Now stir the chocolate chip mixture until the chips are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Carefully pour and spread on top of the peanut butter layer in the pan (I slowly and carefully poured mine on top, then used a spatula to spread it to the edges- if you pour too quickly, it will make holes and dents in your fudge).

Let the fudge cool for a couple of minutes before placing in the fridge. Allow fudge to set up for 2-4 hours, then cut and serve.

 Original recipe from here

Candy Bar Fudge

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow crème
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 14-oz. bag caramels, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. FIRST LAYER: In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Heat in the microwave in two 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Stir until creamy and pour in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place pan in freezer.
3. SECOND LAYER: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and evaporated milk and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in marshmallow crème, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts and stir until incorporated. Pour mixture over the chocolate layer from the freezer and spread evenly. Place back in freezer.
4. THIRD LAYER: Add the caramels and evaporated milk to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until caramel is melted and smooth. Remove pan from freezer and pour caramel over the second layer. Place back in freezer.
5. FOURTH LAYER: In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut. Heat in the microwave in two 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Stir until creamy and pour in an even layer onto the top.
6. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and cut into squares when ready to serve. Keep refrigerated.

Original Recipe from here

Spreading the Christmas Spirit...

This week was my last full week of work for the year and also a week from home.  It was great to be back home, but unfortunately, Joe was traveling up north to Minnesota so I was on my own.  Thursdays, I delivered some Christmas cookies to my colleagues at WIKA  who deal with my never ending questions, demands, and requests.  I couldn't do my job without them and they make my life on the road much easier, so I wanted to make sure that they knew how much I appreciated them.  Last year I made a wide variety of treats to deliver, but this year I wanted to limit it a bit more to cookies.  So, with that, below you will find some incredibly tasty holiday cookie recipes that I hope my colleagues enjoyed.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients
2 and 1/2 sticks room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
4 packages Hot Chocolate Mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup Marshmallow Bits (make sure that they are bits, smallest marshmallows possible...otherwise your cookies can turn out incredibly flat because the marshmallows spread out too much)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Cream together your butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. And in eggs and vanilla and blend well. In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients, including your hot chocolate packets.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to your wet ingredients. After mixed well, mix in chocolate chips and marshmallow bites.  Dough should be very think so you can hand mix if necessary.

Drop on to your cookie sheets.  Again, the dough was dry, but the end result was fabulous.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes. Allow to cool for approximately five minutes then remove from cookie sheet. Enjoy!!!

Original Recipe Adapted from Here 

Carmel Apple Cider 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 (7.4 oz) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (10 packets)
2 eggs
1 full tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 full tsp cinnamon
1 bag of chewy caramels

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat mats. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.  With an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut (about 2 tablespoons). Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Shape the dough into a ball, and place on parchment covered cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. They may not look quite done in the center but that is OK. Once the cookies are done, carefully slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down on the parchment or on a rack.  

Original Cookie Recipe  Adapted from Here

M&M Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
one 12-ounce package of mini M&Ms (I use Christmas ones this time around)

Directions
In a bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Set aside.   In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy . With the mixer on low, add in egg and vanilla. Return mixer to medium and mix until incorporated but be careful to not over mix. Scrape sides if needed.   With the mixer back on low, add dry ingredient mixture gradually until dough forms. Stir in M&Ms by hand. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside.

Form balls from approximately 1-2 tablespoon of dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just barely golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet before removing and placing on wire rack to finish cool. Store in airtight container.

The last cookies were made are cookies I have made before and not "Christmas" themed but who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar (or dark brown)
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg
1 1/2cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
1 cup Peanut Butter Reese's Chips

Ingredients
Cream the butter and sugars together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

Chill both doughs for at least 1-2 hours. 2 hours is preferred.  Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Measure 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter cookie dough. Roll into a ball and place on silpat about 2 " apart.  Bake for 11-12 minutes

I hope you enjoy all of these cookies!  The weekend was quite a relaxing weekend for Joe and I and we didn't have too many things planned.  Friday evening Joe's company had their Christmas party so we attended that and had a wonderful dinner and evening.  Saturday we relaxed the majority of the day but enjoyed dinner at Flip with Reza and Kellie Ann and then an evening out at 5 Paces with our favorite bartender :)

And now....of to make some Shark Skewers for dinner!

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (7.4 oz) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (10 packets - found next to hot chocolate mix)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (14 ounce) bag of Kraft chewy caramels

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/11/caramel-apple-cider-cookies.html#vDx6DEp0rkwu79TP.99

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (7.4 oz) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (10 packets - found next to hot chocolate mix)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (14 ounce) bag of Kraft chewy caramels

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/11/caramel-apple-cider-cookies.html#vDx6DEp0rkwu79TP.99

Deserts for Everyone!!!

So the past couple weeks there have been several occasions for making some yummy deserts in my new kitchen.  Truffels are one of those deserts that are easy to make and are so easy to package so it is an easy desert to make when you are making something for someone else.   Joe and I were making a gift basket for Julia who helped us get our beautiful new home, so we wanted to add some home made goodies to put in the basket as well.  I made two different truffles, Oreo and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as well as a Peanut butter Toffee Cookies.

There was also the wonderful opportunity of celebrating Lisa's bachelorette party!  Mallory (Lisa's sister) had ordered a cake for one night but I volunteered to make some deserts for the other night/lunch desert!  I made two of my favorite recipes.  One is a white chocolate peanut butter brownie that is gooey and rich but not too sweet! The other was a simple oreo cheesecake cupcake, because who doesn't love oreos and cheesecakes.  So, with that, below you will find all the recipes!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz. dark chocolate candy coating

Directions:

Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle, form dough into 1″ balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave according to package directions. Using toothpicks as a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:

1 pack Oreos

1 8 oz. pack of cream cheese

12 oz. white chocolate

Directions:

Beat cream cheese.  Blend Oreos and then add cream cheese mixture.  Roll into balls then freeze for 1 hour.  Melt chocolate then dip balls into chocolate.  Allow to cool.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk (add this at the very end just to make dough smooth and creamy)

1 cup Toffee

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Add milk (from 1/2 Tablespoon to 1 Tablespoon just enough to make the dough moist and creamy. Add toffee and mix till just incorporated. If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drop cookies by scooping them out of the bowl with a spoon dropping them in small balls onto your greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Oreo Cookie Cheesecake Cupcake

Ingredients:

21 Oreos (12 whole, 6 chopped)

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

2 8 oz. packs of cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

Salt

Directions:

Line about 15 muffin pans and place full Oreo at the bottom.  Beat cream cheese in a bowl then add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Beat in vanilla then eggs and then add sour cream and salt.  Stir in chopped cookies.  Pour batter into cupcake cups.  Bake for 22 min at 275°F.

White Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1 cup salted butter softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

11/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cube cream cheese softened

1 can Eaglebrand sweet condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

6 oz. peanutbutter chips

6 oz. white chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add one egg in at a time. Mix in cocoa, flour and baking powder. Beat until smooth. Mix peanut butter chips (or cut up Reeses) into batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Do NOT over bake.   Allow brownies to cool for one hour.  For the frosting beat together the cream cheese, sweet condensed milk and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes. Mix in white chocolate chips.  Spread on top of the brownies. Sprinkle the remaining reese's, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips on top and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.