Holiday Treats that I made for the kids teachers this year and passed out to my staff at work.
1) Ritz Peanut Butter Cookies
CHOCOLATE DIPPED RITZ PEANUT BUTTER
COOKIES
Ritz Crackers
peanut butter
chocolate almond bark
Sandwich 1 teaspoon peanut butter between two Ritz crackers. Make as many as you want and set aside.
Melt chocolate bark in a double boiler. Dip the sandwiched crackers in the chocolate with tongs.
Place on wax paper until cool. White Chocolate Almond Bark may also be used).
2) Rolo Turtle Pretzels
Rolo Pretzel Turtles
Rolo chocolate candies
Mini pretzels
Nuts – toasted pecans/almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts
Preheat your oven to 350
1. Upwrap your Rolos. Place pretzels on baking sheet. Top with a Rolo.
2. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes, until the chocolate just begins to melt. The Rolo should be soft but not completely melted.
3. Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and immediately squish the chocolate with a nut. Watch the caramel oooze out.
3) Spritz Cookies ( from Betty Crocker)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
Food color, if desired
Currants, raisins, candies, colored sugar, finely chopped nuts, candied fruit or fruit peel, if desired
1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, salt, egg, almond extract and a few drops of food color.
2. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with currants.
3. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. To decorate cookies after baking, use a drop of corn syrup to attach decorations to cookies.
4) Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Martha Stewart)
7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
From Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1997/1998
5) Snickerdoodles (Tasty Kitchen)
2-¾ cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoons Salt
2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2-½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
Preparation Instructions
1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat and put in refrigerator to chill.
2. Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, it should have a very light and fluffy texture (think mousse, kinda).
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (just when you think you’ve beaten the eggs well enough, beat some more).
Beat in the vanilla.
4. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, slowly beating just until the flour is blended.
5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (it will make forming the dough much easier).
6. In the meantime, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop 1-inch balls of dough and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat.
8. Place on chilled cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes.
9. Chill the dough and cookie sheets between batches.
10. Let cookies set on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
I also added the Oatmeal Toffee Cookies ( see recipe from last post)
