Holiday Truffle Pops

Yes, I’m still alive and still cooking! I simply got sidetracked this fall with knitting socks. It’s tough to have so many interests, yet, so little time when working full-time outside the home, being active in church, and leading a chapter of Dining for Women. Oh, well! I know all of you understand.

These holiday truffle pops are very easy to make and look cool on a lollipop stick. I made two different kinds and will give you both recipes. I also wrapped each truffle pop with gold and silver candy wrappers than can be purchased at Joann Crafts & Fabrics. They can be found in the area where all the candy making supplies are. That is where you can also find the lollipop sticks.

You use Oreo cookies to make chocolate truffles and Nutter Butter Peanut Butter cookies to make peanut butter truffles. I’ll give the ingredients for each version and then directions for making them that are the same for each flavor.

Ingredients

Oreo Truffle Pops
1-8 oz.package of cream cheese, softened
48 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I use my food processor)
1-12 oz. package of milk chocolate chips
32 candy wrappers
32 lollipop sticks
Floral foam

Nutter Butter Truffle Pops
1-8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
30 Nutter Butter cookies, finely crushed
1-12 oz. package of white chocolate chips
1/4 C. creamy peanut butter
32 candy wrappers
32 lollipop sticks
Floral foam

1. Finely crush the cookies for the type of truffle you’re making in the food processor or with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper.Reserve a 1/2 C. crushed cookies for garnishing the truffle pops.
2. Add the cream cheese to the crushed cookies and blend thoroughly. This will make a dough that can be shaped into 1 inch balls.
3. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. While the dough balls are freezing, melt the flavored chips in the microwave oven for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Add the peanut butter into the white chocolate chips and stir well; heating as needed.
5. Remove the balls from the freezer, place a lollipop stick into each truffle ball and dip in the melted flavored chips. Tap on the edge of the bowl to remove excess dip. Dip in the reserved cookie crumbs. Stick into a block of floral foam to harden. When each block of floral foam is full place in refrigerator.

Truffle Pops hardening in floral foam

6. When the truffle pops have hardened, wrap each one in a candy wrapper.
Each recipe makes about 32 truffle pops.

Truffle Pops Ready to Wrap

Truffle Pops on a serving platter

Christmas Mice Candy

These are absolutely adorable and fun to make with children or grandchildren. They also add a large dose of cuteness to a holiday cookie platter. When I saw these in the December 2010 Midwest Living magazine, I knew I had to make these even if only for the cuteness factor. Lo and behold, they are as delicious as they are cute!!

Ingredients
1 12 0z. pkg. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 10 jar of maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry
36 milk chocolate Kisses with stripes
sliced almonds

1. Place chocolate chips in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on 100% power about 1 minute or until melted, stirring twice.
2. For each mouse, hold a cherry by the stem and dip in melted chocolate to cover. Place coated cherry on a large cookie sheet covered with waxed paper or parchment paper. Immediately press the bottom of a chocolate Kiss up against the cherry to form the head. Insert two almond slices between the head and body to form the ears.
3. Use a toothpick dipped in the melted chocolate to make eyes and to dot the end of the nose.
4. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes so the chocolate hardens.
5. Peel mice from the cookie sheet or use a small flat metal spatula or table knife to remove mice from the cookie sheet.
6. Place in airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Makes 36 mice

Side View

Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices

It’s always nice to have something citrusy (is that a word) on a holiday cookie platter. This cookie combines cranberry with orange to make a flavorful, shortbread-type cookie with flecks of red in it from the chopped dried cranberries. This is a versatile cookie, as well. They can be eaten plain, of course, but can also be jazzed up by dipping half the cookie in melted chocolate or dipping the whole cookie right out of the oven in powdered sugar and then dipping them again after they cool. This recipe is from the December 2010 issue of Midwest Living magazine.

Ingredients
1 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. dried cranberries, finely chopped (I used my mini food processor)
1/2 C. chopped pecans
2 t. finely shredded orange peel

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
2. Beat in as much of the flour as possible and stir in the rest of the flour by hand.
3. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, and orange peel making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 9-inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Ready to Refrigerate

5. Chill an hour or two until firm enough to slice.
6. With serrated knife, cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm and lightly browned.
8. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then transfer to wire rack to let cool.

Variations
1. When cookies are slightly but not completely cooled gently shake them in powdered sugar. When cooled completely shake them in the sugar again.
2. When cookies are completely cool dip half the cookie in 12 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Lay on waxed paper until the chocolate has cooled and hardened.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Dipped in Chocolate

Holly Leaf Clusters

Holiday Cookie #4 These are fabulously easy (only 5 ingredients) and really brighten up a holiday cookie platter! My son who’s 27 still requests these for Christmas and the other day my niece sent out a family email wanting the recipe for these cookies. She wants to make them for her own children. Soooooo . . . even though I hadn’t planned on posting this recipe this year, given the demand – here it is. I hope you like these as much as my kids, nieces, and nephews did and still do!

Ingredients
1/3 C. margarine or butter
10 oz. marshmallows
1 t. green food coloring
6 C. corn flakes
cinnamon red hot candies (my son thinks red Skittles would be better)

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and blended into the butter.
3. Add the green food coloring and stir until mixed evenly into the marshmallow mixture.
4. Pour marshmallow mixture over the corn flakes in a large bowl. Mix quickly and gently until the corn flakes are evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Melted Marshmallows & Cornflakes

5. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper and decorate with red hots.
Makes about 30 clusters.

Caramel Heavenlies

Mocha Caramel Delights

Holiday Cookies #2 (and #3) This is a super easy and extremely rich cookie that begins with graham crackers as the base. It only requires 15 minutes of baking time and makes 4 dozen cookies in one pan!!! What more can you ask for? Well, I’ve got an answer to that question . . . you can make an easy variation of this to create Caramel Mocha Delights and have 8 dozen cookies made in less than an hour! So get off your duff and get baking!!!!

Ingredients for Caramel Heavenlies
12 graham cracker rectangles
2 C. Of miniature marshmallows
3/4 C. butter
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 C. sliced almonds
1 C. flaked coconut

1. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Grease foil, if using.
2. Arrange graham crackers in single layer in pan. Sprinkle with marshmallows.
3. In saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Spoon over crackers, spreading evenly.
4. Sprinkle with almonds and flaked coconut.
5. Bake in 350°F oven 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Use parchment or foil to lift uncut bars from pan. Cut into 3-inch squares; cut each in half diagonally. Store in an airtight container up to one week. Makes 48.

Mocha Caramel Delights Variation
Simply substitute one teaspoon of espresso powder for the cinnamon and 1 cup of chocolate chips for the coconut.

Caramel Sauce with Espresso Powder

Merry Mocha Cookies

Christmas Cookie 2010 – #1 What’s not to love about this rich, mocha flavored cookie! I knew I had to make this cookie when I saw the picture of them in the December 2009 Ladies Home Journal. They did not disappoint!! It’s an added plus that they are really pretty with dark brown centers and the contrasting edge of nonpareil sprinkles. My grandson loved as these as did everyone else who were my taste testers over Thanksgiving.

Helpful Hint: Parchment paper is a real time saver when baking a lot of cookies. First of all, cookies don’t stick to it so you don’t have to spray it with non-stick cooking spray or grease it. Secondly, you can bake multiple batches on the same paper. Last of all, it keeps the pan clean so there are fewer dishes to wash! It can be found in the grocery isle by the waxed paper and plastic wrap.

Ingredients
3/4 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 C. unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 t. espresso powder
nonpareil sprinkles

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
2. Add flour, cocoa, and espresso. Mix until just combined, scraping the side of the bowl as necessary.
3. Transfer the dough to a square of parchment and form into a log 2 inches in diameter. Roll the log tightly in the parchment paper.
4. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, rotating every 20 minutes to maintain shape.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the nonpareil sprinkles in a rimmed pan and roll the log in the sprinkles until completely coated.

Ready to Slice

6. Slice the log into rounds that are slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Place on parchment lined baking sheets.

Oven Ready

7. Bake until cookies are set and there is slight resistence when you lightly touch centers, 9 – 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the parchment. Store airtight up to one week or freeze up to 30 days. Makes 40

All The Ingredients

I hope all of you have recovered from the Thanksgiving festivities because it’s time to get going with our holiday baking. I wanted to be ready to post some good recipes when you needed them so I had to work a little ahead of time. Sooooooo . . . I invited a couple of teenage friends from church over to help me with a baking extravaganza. We made two types of candy treats and four different kinds of cookies. We had a great time together and they were able to take home a bunch of cookies and treats for their family of eight.

In a former life, I used to take every Friday off work in the month of December so that I could enjoy the holidays and not be so rushed. On one day I would do my Christmas baking, on another I’d Christmas shop, and on another wrap gifts. It was great while that routine lasted! One of the things I learned about doing most of my baking in one day was that I had to be organized. So here are my steps to an organized day of baking:

1. Go through your recipes and choose which ones you want to make.
2. Check the pantry to make sure you have enough of all the basic ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, etc. and add any that you are low on to your grocery list.
3. Go through each recipe and make a list of the quantity of any other needed ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc. and add them to the grocery list.
4. Go to store and buy everything needed before the day of baking.
5. On baking day, assemble all the ingredients needed on the kitchen counter and set up the work station. Get out the mixer, measuring spoons and cups, cookie sheets, etc.
6. Begin with the recipes that need to be chilled or for which there is some waiting time in the middle. That way you can work on other recipes during the down time in the middle of those recipes.

Since I had help with my baking day this year, I set up two work stations – one with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and the other with my hand mixer.

Two Work Stations

Mary worked on the Merry Mocha Cookies . . .

Helper #1 - Mary

while Becky worked on the Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices.

Helper #2 - Becky

While the Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices and Merry Mocha Cookies chilled for later slicing and baking, we made the Caramel Heavenlies and Mocha Caramel Delights.

Caramel Heavenlies & Mocha Caramel Delights aka Humphrey Heavenlies

While they cooled we ate lunch. Meanwhile the Merry Mocha Cookies were ready to roll in the nonpareil’s, slice, and bake.

Merry Mocha Cookies

Then it was on to the Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices.

Holiday Cranberry-Orange Slices

We ended the Christmas Baking Extravaganza with the Snowflake Mix . . .

Snowflake Mix

and the Christmas Mice. Watch for upcoming posts for all these recipes and more! Happy Baking!!!

Christmas Mice

Chewy Peanut Butter Cup Granola Bars

I’ve always wanted to try making chewy granola bars so when I saw this recipe at Allrecipes.com I had to give it a try. Naturally, I had to modify it a bit to make it my own and they turned out great! You can make this recipe your own as well by using mix-ins that are your favorites. I used miniature peanut butter cups I’d bought at Trader Joe’s. If you like white chocolate chips and cranberries or raisins and walnuts add those. I think you get the drift of this. Just keep the total amount of your mix-ins to about 3/4 to 1 cup.

Ingredients
2 C. rolled oats
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. wheat germ or wheat bran
1 C. flour
3/4 your favorite mix-in (chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, etc.)
3/4 t. salt
1/2 C. honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ or bran, flour, mix-in, and salt.
3. Mix the honey, egg, oil, and vanilla together. Make a well in the center of the oatmeal mixture and pour in the honey mixture.Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
4. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan using a flexible spatula sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes in preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Remove from oven.
6. Cool for 5 mintues, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting or they will be too hard to cut.

Makes 24 bars.

Jan Hagels ready to eat!

These are a lovely Christmas cookie that comes to us by way of the Netherlands. They are a wonderful buttery blend of goodness with just a hint of cinnamon. There’s a surprise bit of crunch from the whipped egg whites that hold the chopped walnuts in place on the top of these cookies. If you’re not a fan of walnuts, these are also good made with sliced almonds!

Ingedients
4 C. Homemade Holiday Cookie Mix
4 1/2 T. butter
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 egg, separated
1/2 C. finely chopped walnuts OR sliced almonds

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10 X 15 inch jelly roll pan with non-stick baking spray.
2. Combine the Homemade Holiday Cookie Mix with the cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives.
3. Separate the yolk from the egg white putting the white in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg yolk and then combine with the cookie mix. Mix well. You will see flecks of yolk throughout the loose mixture and that’s ok.
4. Press the baking mix/egg yolk mixture evenly into the jelly roll pan.
5. Beat the egg white with a mixer until it is foamy. Spread the foam over the top of the dough.

Beaten egg white spread on the dough

6. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the top of everything.

Ready to go in the oven

7. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cut immediately into squares. Allow to cool a few minutes then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Molasses Cookies

These cookies aren’t fancy looking at all but I love, love, love them!! They are my absolute favorite to drink with a cup of tea or chai tea latte. Enjoy with your favorite beverage on a cool winter night!

Ingredients
2 1/2 C. Homemade Holiday Cookie Mix
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 C. molasses
sugar

1. Heat ovewn to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine chilled cookie mix, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium mixing bowl. Add egg and molasses. Mix well with an electric mixer. Shape into 3/4 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Be sure to not make the balls too big or they will spread into each other.
3. Bake 6-8 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for just a couple of minutes and remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.