kattitudes

Oh my, I absolutely love white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. They are just divine. I was actually glad when it turned out that migraines drove me away from chocolate because these could actually cause me damage. Long term damage. Oh goodness they are gooood. If you are stuck on which mix in a jar to make up, I really encourage you to try this one. It is really a treat. You will absolutely love it!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
3 ounces coarsely chopped white chocolate
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Mix

Combine the following until well blended:
1 package mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Shape into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on sprayed cookie sheets.
Bake at 375F degrees for 12 to 14 minutes until tops are very lightly browned.

Make these cookies 2 weeks in advance. Springerle cookies are prepared then left to dry overnight before baking.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon anise extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed of electric hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar; beat at high speed for 15 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in anise extract. Gradually beat in flour and baking soda, beating until well mixed.

Chill dough for 1 to 2 hours. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

Roll springerle rolling pin over dough or press with springerle mold. Cut dough around the pattern with a sharp knife.

Place on greased cookie sheets. Roll out scraps and repeat.

Let cookies stand overnight to dry.

Preheat oven to 375°. Place cookie sheets in the preheated oven; reduce heat to 300°.

Bake springerle for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly golden on bottoms, but white on top. Let cookies cool on wire racks. Store in a tightly covered container for 2 to 3 weeks. Do not freeze.

Not necessarily the healthiest cupcakes around, but some of the cutest on the block. All these are is piled up to the ceiling with frosting. Lots and lots of icing. An irrational amount of frosting. There is a cute cut gumdrop mooshed and cut into place looking like a bow for an embellishment.

You know, there are times that sometimes, it is all about the details. I imagine that a nicely done plain white cake cupcake - elegant in its simplicity with moistness and richness for all would be perfect for this particularly base. And then topping it with pretty much any frosting (or icing) that you see fit to try. It seems that once you get to that level of icing, everyone involved in the cupcake decorating process has had a little fun participating in the decorating … which of course only leads to more mayhem … which starts the whole decorating mayhem circle off again.

In all seriousness, this would be a great cupcake decorating idea to carry out with more than one person in the kitchen (thinking about little hands helping). The more icing glooped around the edge, the better. It just seems like this would be a perfect opportunity to have a lot of fun in the kitchen with kids.

There have been a number of requests, both here and via email, for the marshmallow fluff fudge recipes that I use. Honestly, they are nothing special. I use the recipes from the back of the Fluff bottle, but rather than use the plastic Fluff, I use my homemade Fluff recipe instead.

Remember that the homemade marshmallow creme (fluff) does not have the preservatives that the canned Fluff has plus it has egg whites, which means that it must be stored in the refrigerator.

Regular Fudge

1 1/3 cup sugar
1 jar (7 1/2 ounces or 1 cup) marshmallow fluff
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 cup milk chocolate bits
2/3 cup walnuts (if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a 2-quart pot, combine sugar, Fluff, evaporated milk, butter, salt and coffee liqueur. Over low heat, stir until mixed. Bring to full boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate, nuts and vanilla until mixed. Pour into buttered 8 x 8-inch pan. Makes about 2 1/4 lbs.

“Never Fail” Fudge

2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 can (5.33 ounce or 3/4 cup) evaporated milk
1 jar (7 1/2 ounces or 1 cup) Marshmallow Fluff
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 12 ounces package semisweet-chocolate pieces
1 /2 cup chopped walnuts

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In large saucepan combine first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended. Heat to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and chocolate until chocolate is melted. Add nuts. Turn into greased pan and cool. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 can (5.33 ounce or 3/4 cup) evaporated milk
1 Jar (7 1/2 ounces or 1 cup) Marshmallow Fluff
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 ounces peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. In large saucepan combine first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended. Over medium heat, bring to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter until blended. Turn into greased pan and cool.
Makes 2 1/2 pounds.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
32 mini Reeses peanut butter cups candies

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Mix

1 jar mix (take out candies and set aside)
3/4 cup softened butter
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients (except candy) in good size bowl and mix well. Once mixed, drop by big spoonfuls on greased baking sheets.

Press peanut butter cups into each spoonful on the cookie sheets. Bake in 350 F oven for 12-14 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 butterfinger bars (broken into little pieces)

Layer ingredients and store in airtight container.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Butterfinger Cookie Mix

1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 jar mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine mix, butter and eggs and mix well until combined. Shape into small 1 inch balls, pressing them down with a fork. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 on greased cookies sheets

So far, we have dipped pretzels and dipped peppermint sticks and finally dipped caramels. So now, we shall dip marshmallows as simple Christmas gifts this year. These are tasty treat delights.

If you doubt the drawing power of such a gift, let me tell you - I looked in Williams Sonoma today. A pound of marshmallows dipped in caramel was selling for twenty six dollars.

Twenty six dollars. For a pound of marshmallows. Dipped in caramel. Now that is insane. Yes, it sounds wonderful, but oh. my. gosh. Outrageous on the cost.

To make my dips, I simply melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (a bowl suspended over a pan of water). As the chocolate chips are melting, I add a splash of heavy cream and basically make a ganache.

One word of warning when it comes to dipping marshmallows: marshmallows melt oh so easily, so be very aware of the temperature of your melted chocolate mixture. I find it easiest to use a spoon and slowly spoon the melted chocolate mixture over the marshmallows, rather than dip the marshmallows directly into the warm melted chocolate.

So maybe consider putting some of these together as a sweet gift for friends or neighbors. A stick or two of marshmallows, along with a peppermint stick, next to a bag of homemade hot cocoa mix, and you have one heck of a wonderful homemade gift set all packaged and ready to hand out.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture gradually and beat well.

Shape dough into small log and place in cookie press. Press cookie onto cool ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool.

Store in airtight container at cool room temperature for several weeks.

For next year, know that you can freeze these for up to two months, which means you can get your baking done well in advance of the holiday season.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1 large egg
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Add almond extract.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to creamed mixture gradually.

Press cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for about 7 to 8 minutes. Cool butter cookies on a wire rack.

These cookies, make with a cookie press, taste tangy and tart with a refreshing lemony flavor.

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (12 tablespoons or 6 ounces)
* 1 tbsp lemon juice, at room temperature
* 1 tsp lemon peel, finely grated
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
* 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven at 350°. In a mixing bowl, combine butter or margarine, lemon juice, and lemon peel. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients just until moistened.

Spoon dough into a cookie press with desired template in place. Press cookies about 2″ apart onto lightly greased or sprayed baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or lightly browned.