Holiday Recipe Thread

[Jolie Rouge]

Chocolate-Mint Cookies

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. mint extract
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup peppermint candy, crushed

Combine shortening and 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat well. Add melted chocolate, corn syrup, egg, vanilla and mint extract and continue to beat. Slowly add flour and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in candy. Shape into 1/2 inch balls and roll in the other 1/4 cup of sugar. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cranberry Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, milk, orange juice and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Drop teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 15 minutes at 375 degrees.


Bourbon Balls

3 cups vanilla wafers, crushed
2/3 cup Confectioners sugar
1 cup nuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup bourbon
Extra confectioners sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into 1/2 inch balls and roll in the extra Confectioners sugar. Wrap in wax paper. Makes about 45 - 50 bourbon balls.

[Advertisement]

[Jolie Rouge]

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1-cup butter or margarine softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4-teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Cream of Tarter
1/2-cup sugar with 2-teaspoon cinnamon stirred in.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time,
mixing well after each. Mix all dry ingredients together and add them
to the egg mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Cookie dough will be soft and sticky. Refrigerate the dough for at
least 1 hour. Shape the dough into small balls (the size of a large
marble) and roll them in cinnamon sugar. Place them on a parchment
paper lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten them
slightly. Cookies will spread out as they bake. Bake at 400 for 10 to
12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges, but still soft.
Remove from cookie sheet immediately as the cookies will stick if
allowed to cool on cookie sheet. 6 Dozen Cookies

Hallie Cookies

This cookie dough is perfect for holiday cookies: it holds its shape
when baked and can easily be doubled. Not too sweet, slightly crisp
and flaky from the leavening, the cookies are delicious unadorned, but
are nice, too, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar or decorating sugar
before baking. For a special treat, dip a sliver of each baked cookie
into tempered semisweet chocolate and let set before serving. The
recipe is from New York City pastry chef Michael Morehouse, who named
the cookies for the aunt who passed the recipe on to him.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1-teaspoon cream of tartar
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1-teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling, optional

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and cream of
tartar.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
beat the butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in the egg, then
the vanilla extract, if using. Beat in the flour mixture until
completely combined. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic
wrap, flatten into a rough square, wrap and chill until firm.
3. Preheat the oven to 325-degree F. and line baking pans with
parchment paper. On a lightly floured board or between pieces of wax
paper, roll the dough until it is just slightly thicker than 1/8 inch;
if rolling on a floured board, be sure to lift the dough frequently so
that it doesn't stick to the board. Using cookie cutters cut and
transfer cookies to the prepared pans. Sprinkle cookies with cinnamon
sugar, if using.
4. Bake 14 to 18 minutes, until cookies are deep golden brown. Cool
briefly on the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cook
completely. The yield will vary depending on the size of the cookie
cutters used, but you should get about at least 5 dozen cookies.

Mixing Tip: To keep the flour from spilling out of the mixing bowl
when you beat, drape a clean dish towel or piece of plastic wrap over
your mixer, making sure it goes over the bowl and the back of the
machine and does not get caught in the paddle.

[Jolie Rouge]

Snowball Kisses

1/2 lb Butter (Softened)
1/2 c Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 c Flour
1 c Pecans (Finely Chopped)
15 oz Hershey's Kisses
1/2 c Powered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter in a large bowl.
Beat in sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add flour and pecans and mix well.
Chill dough in tightly covered container overnight.
Remove the foil from the Hershey's Kisses. (VERY IMPORTANT ! )Shape dough around kiss using about a teaspoon of dough per Kiss. Bake 10 to 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until set, but NOT brown.
While warm, sprinkle with powered sugar. Store in a covered container.

Chocolate Fruit Cake

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 large eggs
1/3-cup milk
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4-teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4-cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a (9-inch) tube pan.
Beat together brown sugar, butter, chocolate, eggs and milk in
large bowl with electric mixer large bowl until fluffy.
Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until combined.
Fold in raisins, macadamia nuts and crystallized ginger.
Transfer mixture to greased tube pan.
Bake 1 hour or until golden brown and surface springs back when
gently pressed.
Cool to room temperature on wire rack.
Wrap in cheesecloth soaked in bourbon; rewrap tightly and refrigerate at least 1 week before cutting. Makes 1 (9-inch) ring
Recieved this one as a gift with the recipe .... It is FAB-U-LOUS !

[Jolie Rouge]

Microwave Party Mix

INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 cups Corn Chex® cereal
2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
2 cups Cheerios® cereal
2 cups thin pretzels
1-1/2 cups mixed nuts

Place butter, Worcestershire, and salts in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Microwave 3 minutes on Medium High (until butter melts).
Add cereals, pretzels, and nuts. Stir to coat thoroughly. Microwave on High for 3 minutes.
Stir; microwave on High for 3 more minutes. Cool.

HINT: For additional bite, sprinkle with more garlic salt.

YIELD: 9-1/2 cups

[Jolie Rouge]

1 2-layer package devils food chocolate cake mix
(Without pudding in mix)
1 4-serving size package chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1-cup dairy sour cream
1/4-cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Kahlua or rum
2 cups chopped walnuts or miniature chocolate chips (or 1/2 and 1/2)

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and Kahlua in
large mixer bowl.
Blend well; then beat at medium speed for 4 minutes.
Stir in nuts and/or chocolate chips.
Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degree for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan.
Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack. When cool - frost if desired - or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yields 12 servings.

[Jolie Rouge]

1 (12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4-cup orange-flavored liqueur or 1 teaspoon orange extract
1 can chocolate or fudge Frosting
Toppings: Coconut, chocolate sprinkles, ground nuts & cocoa

Melt chocolate chips in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring
constantly; remove from heat.
Stir in orange liqueur and frosting; blend well.
Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until firm.
Place coconut or other toppings in pie pan.
Scoop mixture into 1-inch balls; drop onto topping. (Mixture will be sticky.)
Roll to coat.
Place in foil candy cups, if desired.
Store in refrigerator.
Yield: 6 Dozen

[Jolie Rouge]

Brownie Ingredients:

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) Butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 pkg. ( 14 oz.) caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups pecans or walnut halves, divided
1 pkg. (12 oz.) BAKER'S Real Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan.
Microwave chocolate squares and butter in microwavable bowl on HIGH 2
minutes or until butter is melted.
Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Stir sugar into chocolate until well blended.
Mix in eggs.
Stir in flour.
Spread 1/2 of batter in prepared pan.
Bake 25 minutes, or until batter is firm to the touch.
Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in microwavable bowl on HIGH 3 minutes or until caramels begin to melt.
Whisk until smooth.
Stir in 1 cup of nuts.
Gently spread caramel mixture over brownie batter in pan.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if desired.
Pour remaining unbaked brownie batter evenly over caramel mixture, sprinkle with remaining nuts. (It’s OK for some caramel mixture to peek through.)
Bake an additional 30 minutes.
Cool in pan.
Run knife around the edge of pan to loosen brownies from sides.
Lift from pan using foil as handles.
Cut into 24 fudge brownies or add frosting below.

Caramel Frosting Ingredients:

1/2-cup margarine or butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4-cup milk
2 cups powered sugar

Heat margarine in 2-quart saucepan until melted.
Stir in brown sugar.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Boil and stir over low heat 2
minutes; stir in milk.
Heat to boiling; remove from heat.
Cool to lukewarm.
Gradually stir in powdered sugar.
Place pan of frosting in bowl of cold water; beat until smooth and spreading consistency.
If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Frosts a 13x9-inch cake or fills and frosts two 8- or 9- inch cake layers.

Yield: 24 Servings

[shell76]

How did you steal my secret Cherry Salad recipe?

I thought that I was the only one with that recipe! I make it every year and people think that it is absolutely amazing! I receive so many compliments on that one!

[gemeralderin]

What great recipes, just one ??, do you add the milk and butter when making the tuna&cheese mac?

[gemeralderin]

wow, sounds good, thanks.

[jaybird]

Jolie, you are some sort of cooking fool! Or your hobby is collecting recipes!! I haven't looked in this thread awhile, and man oh man, I have tons of recipes to add to my recipe folder!