It's the Most Fattening Time of the Year....
So someone on my flist made an entry recently that sprouted into me talking about holiday recipes. I know a few of you like some of the things I have made in the past, so I'm going to do a recipe entry now. All I can say about this stuff is that it's relatively simple to make, EXTREMELY FATTENING, and really damn yummy. So if you feel so inclined, get busy in your kitchen :)
White Velvet cookies
2 C Butter or margarine, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 C Sugar
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla (I use half almond or lemon flavoring)
4 1/2 C Flour
Mix butter and cream cheese, add sugar, egg yolks, and flavoring. Gradually add flour. Chill 2 hours (the dough, not you). Heat oven to 350, roll out dough & cut into shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes...but DO NOT BROWN! Cool 5 min. on sheet, then remove. Glaze & decorate.
The glaze is made up. I use about 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and add 1/2 t flavoring and then a tiny bit of milk at a time until It's the right consistency to spread on with a pastry brush or basting brush. Then before it dries you can add sprinkles or colored sugar.
Buckeyes
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted
1 C peanut butter (any kind)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-1 1/2 C crushed Rice Krispies
1 pkg. Chocolate almond bark
Mix together the first 4 ingredients. Shape into balls...this usually takes some pressure to get them to stay together, but it's easy when you get the hang of it. Then melt the almond bark and dip them in...let them cool on waxed paper. Couldn't be easier.
Toffee
*this is an easy recipe, but some people just can't make it...it's just one of those things. Please make a sample batch to taste before you make a ton of it...it should be slightly crunchy, NOT like maple candy.
1 C nuts (any kind you like) chopped up finely
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C REAL Butter, unsalted
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Butter a 9x9 or 8x8 pan...a round cake pan can be used if that's what you've got on hand.
Bring butter & sugar to a boil over MEDIUM heat. NOT medium high or medium low...trust me on this. When it starts bubbling, boil for exactly 7 minutes. If your stove is "unique", you may have to adjust cooking time, but you'll know after the first batch.
Spread toffee into greased pan and sprinkle chocolate on top immediately. Cover pan with a baking sheet for a couple of minutes. When chocolate appears wet, it should be spreadable. Spread it out over the toffee and sprinkle with nuts. Usually takes a couple of hours to set, but you can toss it in the fridge if you have limited time.
Mocha Truffles
1/3 C whipping Cream
1/4 C butter, cut up
1 T instant espresso or 2 T instant cappuccino
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat cream & butter in saucepan over medium heat until cream simmers and butter melts. Whisk in espresso crystals then add chips. Stir over low heat until completely melted & smooth. Pour into pie plate and chill until consistency of soft fudge. Roll mixture into 1" balls [LOL this always makes me think of SNL and the NPR ladies talking to Alec Baldwin about the "Shweaty Balls"] and place on wax paper lined plate. Chill 1 hour. Decorate.
*Last year I poured the mix into tiny ice cube trays so that I wouldn't have to get all messy. They turned out fine...so if you don't want chocolate all over yourself, try that. I do not recommend candy molds though. I tried that once and couldn't get them out.
To decorate-
I usually just roll these in baking cocoa. You can also melt white Chocolate chips and drizzle them over the top or roll them in almonds. Do whatever, you can't screw these up. They are always perfect.
Okay.....so...yeah I have about 87 more things I'd love to put here, but damnit I'm tired of typing! Maybe more tomorrow. Hope someone gets some use out of these :)
White Velvet cookies
2 C Butter or margarine, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 C Sugar
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla (I use half almond or lemon flavoring)
4 1/2 C Flour
Mix butter and cream cheese, add sugar, egg yolks, and flavoring. Gradually add flour. Chill 2 hours (the dough, not you). Heat oven to 350, roll out dough & cut into shapes. Bake on greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes...but DO NOT BROWN! Cool 5 min. on sheet, then remove. Glaze & decorate.
The glaze is made up. I use about 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and add 1/2 t flavoring and then a tiny bit of milk at a time until It's the right consistency to spread on with a pastry brush or basting brush. Then before it dries you can add sprinkles or colored sugar.
Buckeyes
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted
1 C peanut butter (any kind)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-1 1/2 C crushed Rice Krispies
1 pkg. Chocolate almond bark
Mix together the first 4 ingredients. Shape into balls...this usually takes some pressure to get them to stay together, but it's easy when you get the hang of it. Then melt the almond bark and dip them in...let them cool on waxed paper. Couldn't be easier.
Toffee
*this is an easy recipe, but some people just can't make it...it's just one of those things. Please make a sample batch to taste before you make a ton of it...it should be slightly crunchy, NOT like maple candy.
1 C nuts (any kind you like) chopped up finely
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 C REAL Butter, unsalted
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Butter a 9x9 or 8x8 pan...a round cake pan can be used if that's what you've got on hand.
Bring butter & sugar to a boil over MEDIUM heat. NOT medium high or medium low...trust me on this. When it starts bubbling, boil for exactly 7 minutes. If your stove is "unique", you may have to adjust cooking time, but you'll know after the first batch.
Spread toffee into greased pan and sprinkle chocolate on top immediately. Cover pan with a baking sheet for a couple of minutes. When chocolate appears wet, it should be spreadable. Spread it out over the toffee and sprinkle with nuts. Usually takes a couple of hours to set, but you can toss it in the fridge if you have limited time.
Mocha Truffles
1/3 C whipping Cream
1/4 C butter, cut up
1 T instant espresso or 2 T instant cappuccino
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat cream & butter in saucepan over medium heat until cream simmers and butter melts. Whisk in espresso crystals then add chips. Stir over low heat until completely melted & smooth. Pour into pie plate and chill until consistency of soft fudge. Roll mixture into 1" balls [LOL this always makes me think of SNL and the NPR ladies talking to Alec Baldwin about the "Shweaty Balls"] and place on wax paper lined plate. Chill 1 hour. Decorate.
*Last year I poured the mix into tiny ice cube trays so that I wouldn't have to get all messy. They turned out fine...so if you don't want chocolate all over yourself, try that. I do not recommend candy molds though. I tried that once and couldn't get them out.
To decorate-
I usually just roll these in baking cocoa. You can also melt white Chocolate chips and drizzle them over the top or roll them in almonds. Do whatever, you can't screw these up. They are always perfect.
Okay.....so...yeah I have about 87 more things I'd love to put here, but damnit I'm tired of typing! Maybe more tomorrow. Hope someone gets some use out of these :)