Holiday Treats
 

So, I love giving away goodies at holiday time. My husband and I have a tradition of doing up several big cookie plates and giving them away to friends and family. Sometimes I include candy with the cookies. Last year I did a super big batch of fudge.

This year I want to take my candy to the next level, and do some different things: toffees, caramels, etc. The one thing I am not allowed to make is divinity, as that is my brother-in-law's culinary territory. If anyone has some great candy recipes to share, please do.

I'm also interested in making different holiday breads. If you've got one that you love, please post it.

And here are some links to holiday treat resources to inspire us to share:

Yummy Presents: 40 Homemade Gifts from The Kitchn Recipe Roundup | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

One of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes (and one of the most requested): http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/tilted-...offee-bar.html

Another classic (also frequently requested): russian tea cakes | smitten kitchen

Some salted caramels I want to make: DIY Salt Caramels Un-Gift Guide 2008 | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

What holiday treats do you make?

I usually give homemade treats to coworkers as gifts, but since I'm working from home now I suppose I'll have to figure out someone else to give away my baking to. I always make sugar cookies and frost and decorate them. I'll sometimes make peanut butter cookies with a hershey's kiss in them, fudge, pumpkin or banana bread muffins, and always, always peanut butter balls. They are always my most complimented treat (or requested recipe).

Peanut Butter Balls:
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 c. sifted confectioners sugar
6 oz. milk chocolate chips (about half a bag)
2 tbs. shortening
toothpicks

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Mix peanut butter, butter, and sugar with hands to form a stiff dough; shape into 2 tbs sized balls. Stick each ball with a toothpick and refrigerate until firm (I stick them in the freezer about 1/2 hour). Melt chocolate chips and shortening on stovetop (I know there are fancy boiler things, but a small metal mixing bowl over a pot of hot water works for me). Dip balls into chocolate and place on wax paper. Refrigerate until set.

I do buckeyes, which are basically Grasshopper's PB Balls except you leave a little of the PB bawl peaking through so it looks like a buckeye. I like mine gooey so they don't have butter and much less confectioner sugar. I don't use the shortening or parafin wax in the chocolate. The chocolate hardens just fine and I don't care about the sheen.

Since the PB dough isn't as thick it takes longer for me to make them since I have to freeze the dough so I can roll them into balls. Then I have to freeze the balls before dipping. They taste better (to me) and aren't AS bad since they have less fat and sugar. The almost husband loved them and the almost mother in law wants me to mail her some.

Puppy Chow is also a favorite. It's addicting




Puppy Chow (aka Crack)

9 cup Rice Chex Cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter (I think I've left out the butter before. Nothing bad happened)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cereal goes in a mixing bowl.
Powdered sugar goes into a large plastic bag.
Melt chocolate chips. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Pour over cereal. Mix it up so things are well covered.
Put the gooey cereal in the bag and shake it up.

Fun for the kids.

I use a lot of Chocolate, PB and Powdered sugar during the holidays.

I wish my mom would have taught me how to make PB fudge before she died. It was delicious. My cousin Doug makes good fudge too. I should ask him for the recipe. I think it was the same as my mother's. It actually may be my granny's recipe.

Someday I really want to make one of these for Christmas:
Croquembouche

http://www.finecooking.com/CMS/uploa...uche-39947.jpg

[/QUOTE] Puppy Chow is also a favorite. It's addicting




Puppy Chow (aka Crack)

9 cup Rice Chex Cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter (I think I've left out the butter before. Nothing bad happened)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cereal goes in a mixing bowl.
Powdered sugar goes into a large plastic bag.
Melt chocolate chips. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Pour over cereal. Mix it up so things are well covered.
Put the gooey cereal in the bag and shake it up.

Fun for the kids.

I use a lot of Chocolate, PB and Powdered sugar during the holidays.

[/QUOTE]

LaLa whipped up a batch of this stuff tonight after watching me drool over the recipe. I don't think it's going to last the weekend.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ychowcrack.jpg

These are AWESOME!

i always have a tin of quality street chocolates at christmas.

1 of my traditions

also lots of cookies

Made these cookies yesterday. They are pretty and seriously delicious.

Linzer Cookies
from Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa)

from: Linzer Cookies Recipe - Good Housekeeping
1 1/2 cup(s) (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
3 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) best-quality raspberry preserves
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl with mixer on low speed, beat butter and sugar until just combined. Beat in vanilla. In medium bowl, sift together flour and salt, then add to butter mixture. Beat on low speed until dough begins to come together. Transfer to lightly floured work surface; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. With floured 2 3/4-inch plain or fluted round cookie cutter, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. With floured 1 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out center from half of cookies. With spatula, place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased cookie sheet; refrigerate 15 minutes.
Bake cookies 20 to 25 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months. When ready to serve, spread raspberry preserves on flat side of each whole cookie. Dust tops of cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and place on top of whole cookies.

I'm glad you liked it!

Smrt's family makes those, though they call them muddy buddies. Why? I haven't the foggiest. Looks more like puppy chow to me.



Edit: Apparently this is why:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/...c-dd124d858050

I didn't know the shortening was for sheen. I'm going to leave it out from now on.



I am going to make this today. I love Chex and I love chocolate. Hubby said it sounds gross but I bet he eats half of it himself.

I got some Chex yesterday just to make it!

And, I discovered they're also called Muddy Buddies because that's what they're called on the Chex box. The recipe is on the box I have.

I made some fudge the other day, White Chocolate with dried Cranberries and Pistachios (white, red and green). Sadly, they melted in the Singaporean heat. ;)

I had better luck with my salted caramels, Maple Fudge and Butter Tarts.

So, I just made the Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies. I really hope hubby does think it's gross because then there's more for me! I'm tempted to say to hell with dinner and just eat it instead. So easy, so yummy.

I added some red and green sugar crystals to the powdered sugar to make it more Christmas-y.

I made more of the spice cookies from my blog last night... but upped the black pepper, cayenne, and added more habenero flakes. Amazing. Especially with reddi-whip on top ;)

By the way... as tasty as it might be, I think I'd have a problem making, and eating, a snack called, "Puppy Chow".

It's just wrong.

I always let my daughter pick out some cookies from a little Christmas cookie cookbook we have. This year she chose triple chocolate brownies, smores squares and chunky butter cookies. I will also make my de rigueur chocolate lover's cookies which I have made every year since about 1984 (the recipe is written in my very girlish 19-year-old handwriting, lol, it's always unsettling to look at).

I've never made candy before...I'm not a big candy fan and no one has ever requested it before so I've never had a reason to. More of a pies and cookie maker, I guess. I've been asked to make an apple pie again...and I'll prob make another variety, as well, but I don't know what that will be, yet.

EDIT: it will be a chocolate tuxedo pie with pecan crust.

Going to make one of these to take to Christmas: Buche de Noel - Martha Stewart Recipes

Should be fun!

I made homemade Snickers last year and they were out of this world.

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/tilted-...own-candy.html

Every region has weird names for things.

I will be making pineapple upside down cupcakes tomorrow, it's my dad's favorite. I usually make my dad a cake at Thanksgiving, but I didn't this year - so I'll be bringing the cakes to our family party tomorrow. He doesn't know I'm bringing them, I love surprises.