Christmas Treats 2011

In a move that is completely unlike me, I have barely baked at all this Christmas season. I mean, I've made two kinds of cookies (and more than 5 dozen cinnamon rolls to give away as gifts), but they were for Christmas parties, so they're already gone. However, that doesn't mean I won't count them on my list.

The two kinds of cookies I already made, included some cinnamon sandwich cookies that were fantastic (I can't find the recipe anywhere online), and these Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, that I made for Gabbie's preschool party. They were a bigger hit with the moms and teachers than the kids, but I maintain the kids lack good taste, because they turned out fantastic!

For the teachers at daycare, I made a full batch of The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls for the first time. I usually make a 1/4 batch because we don't need 5 dozen cinnamon rolls. Eight pie tins full of baked and iced cinnamon rolls were delivered this morning to very appreciative teachers. It just about killed me to bake that many cinnamon rolls and not be able to eat any of them. I never much cared for cinnamon rolls until I was pregnant with Sophie, and now I would eat them every day if I could. Thankfully for my waistline, I'm too busy to make cinnamon rolls that often. (Two other good recipes for cinnamon rolls - mine (these are by far Aaron's favorites), and Granny Foster's (I love the orange coconut rolls in an unholy way)).

And, here is the list of the rest of the sweets I'm planning to make, mostly over this coming weekend:

1. Sugar Cookie Puzzles
2. Buried Cherry Cookies
3. a Buche de Noel
4. Caramels, and lots of them, using the below recipe
5. A birthday Carrot Cake, because my baby turns one next Friday!

Caramels
Source: my mom

1 c. butter - no substitutions!
2 c. sugar
1 c. white Karo Syrup
1 c. Eagle Brand Condensed Milk (not Evaporated)

Mix all ingredients in a large pan, and cook, stirring CONSTANTLY, 245 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat. Carefully stir in:

1 tsp. vanilla.

Stir well. Poor immediately into a buttered 8x8 pan.

When cool, cut in to small pieces (1/2 inch by 1/2 inch), and wrap each in waxed paper. If you try to stack them without wrapping, you will have one BIG caramel, which isn't all bad.

Hints: Use a good quality heavy pan. Stir with a wooden spoon. Also, you can make handles to lift the caramels easily out of the pan by putting a piece of wax paper in each direction, with the edges of the paper hanging over the edge. Set these out with a small dish of sea salt on the side for dipping. Also delicious dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.

Mint Crinkles

There are two things you must know:

1. My official start of the holiday season every year is when I buy the Better Homes and Gardens special Christmas Cookies issue. I love it. I have every one going back to 2003 (plus some other special holiday issues). One year I didn't buy one and my mom, knowing how much I loved this magazine, bought me the issue so I wouldn't miss out on this special dose of holiday joy.
2. The way to my husband's heart is through putting something mint chocolate in his stomach.

Which is why I made these:

And I have to tell you, you must too make these and eat them nice and hot fresh out of the oven with a big glass of milk. Delicious!

Mint Crinkles

Source: BHG Christmas Cookies 2009

3/4 c. Andes mint chocolate and mint pieces (or 24 candies chopped finely)

1/3 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

additional Andes mint pieces, or finely chopped candies

In a heavy small saucepan, heat and stir the 3/4 c. candy pieces until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt; beat until well combined. Beat in cooled melted candy, eggs, and vanilla. Beat or stir in flour. Cover and chill until dough is easy to handle (about 3 hours).

Preheat oven to 350. Drop by rounded tablespoonful (you'll want them fairly ball-shaped before baked) 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are set (tops should crackle). Sprinkle a few candy pieces on top of each cookie (don't press them into the cookie). Bake 1 minutes more. Cool on wire racks. Makes 30-36 cookies.