Tag Archives: Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 2

Praline Pecan Cookies
Ingredients:
Pralines Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tbs corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Praline:
In a heavy sauce pan add sugar, corn syrup, water and salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
Raise heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue cooking to soft ball stage*, about 234° on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup pecans. It is important to remove the saucepan from the heat just as the sugar begins to darken to an amber color.
Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Let cool until completely firm.
Transfer to a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and reserve for the cookie dough.
Cookies:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated.
Fold in the reserved crushed praline until combined.
Drop 1 tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop of the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth.
When the cookies are done, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. You can dip the tines of a fork into the chocolate and drizzle or you can use a pastry bag with a fine tip.
*To Test for Soft Ball Stage A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers (234° to 240°).
 
Praline Pecan Cookies
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6148 calories
821 g
869 g
304 g
62 g
147 g
1431 g
1218 g
535 g
8 g
136 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1431g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 6148
Calories from Fat 2645
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 304g
467%
Saturated Fat 147g
737%
Trans Fat 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat 33g
Monounsaturated Fat 103g
Cholesterol 869mg
290%
Sodium 1218mg
51%
Total Carbohydrates 821g
274%
Dietary Fiber 26g
104%
Sugars 535g
Protein 62g
Vitamin A
126%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
48%
Iron
104%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Pralines Ingredients
  1. 3/4 cup sugar
  2. 4 tablespoons water
  3. 2 tbs corn syrup
  4. 1/8 tsp salt
  5. 1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
Cookie Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  2. 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  6. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  7. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  8. 4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Praline: In a heavy sauce pan add sugar, corn syrup, water and salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Raise heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue cooking to soft ball stage*, about 234° on a candy thermometer.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup pecans. It is important to remove the saucepan from the heat just as the sugar begins to darken to an amber color.
  5. Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Let cool until completely firm.
  6. Transfer to a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and reserve for the cookie dough.
  7. Cookies: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer.
  8. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  9. Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated.
  10. Fold in the reserved crushed praline until combined.
  11. Drop 1 tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop of the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
  12. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth.
  13. When the cookies are done, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. You can dip the tines of a fork into the chocolate and drizzle or you can use a pastry bag with a fine tip.
Notes
  1. *To Test for Soft Ball Stage - A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers (234° to 240°).
beta
calories
6148
fat
304g
protein
62g
carbs
821g
more
Life of the Party Always! http://lifeofthepartyalways.com/

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 1

 
One of the really great things about Christmas is all the pleasures you get to share with others. Who wouldn’t love a chocolaty, gooey little morsel as a pick me up while putting up the Christmas decorations. You’ll be their little cookie angel.
 
By rolling the dough balls in plain sugar first, the confections’ sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better. Corn syrup in the dough helps prevent crystallization to produce the soft chocolate center. Oil greases flour proteins to produce a tender, to the point of gooey, chocolate center. When you bite in, they’re crisp on the surface and gooey and doughy inside.
 
Ingredients:
Makes 3 to 5 dozen, depending on size
 
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8.2 oz) spooned and leveled unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 3/4 cups (19.3 oz) sugar, divided, set 1/4 cup aside to roll cookie in
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large eggs (3.5 oz)
1 large egg yolk (0.65 oz)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (4 oz) confectioner (powdered) sugar
 
Directions:
 
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
 
Chop chocolate with a serrated knife into fine pieces. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir.
 
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together 2 1/2 cups (17.5 oz) of the sugar, the oil, and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed.
 
Wrap the dough in plastic to form a log and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
 
About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake, arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet parchment paper.
 
Take out about one-quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. If dough is softer keep in refrigerator between roll balls, if firmer leave out and roll balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup (1.8 oz) granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar. (By rolling in plain sugar first, the confectioners’ sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better.)
 
Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment paper. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes. You can have several sheets with cookies ready but keep them chilled in the refrigerator.
 
Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Yields 40
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137 calories
26 g
14 g
4 g
1 g
1 g
34 g
35 g
20 g
0 g
3 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
34g
Yields
40
Amount Per Serving
Calories 137
Calories from Fat 34
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g
6%
Saturated Fat 1g
6%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 14mg
5%
Sodium 35mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 26g
9%
Dietary Fiber 0g
2%
Sugars 20g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
1%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8.2 oz) spooned and leveled unbleached all-purpose flour
  2. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  5. 2 3/4 cups (19.3 oz) sugar, divided, set 1/4 cup aside to roll cookie in
  6. 1/3 cup canola oil
  7. 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  8. 2 large eggs (3.5 oz)
  9. 1 large egg yolk (0.65 oz)
  10. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  11. 1 cup (4 oz) confectioner (powdered) sugar
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
  2. Chop chocolate with a serrated knife into fine pieces. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir.
  3. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together 2 1/2 cups (17.5 oz) of the sugar, the oil, and corn syrup to blend. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Then on low, beat in the melted chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat in on low speed.
  4. Wrap the dough in plastic to form a log and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
  5. About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake, arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet parchment paper.
  6. Take out about one-quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. If dough is softer keep in refrigerator between roll balls, if firmer leave out and roll balls. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup (1.8 oz) granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball lightly in granulated sugar first, then very heavily in confectioners' sugar. (By rolling in plain sugar first, the confectioners' sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better.)
  7. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment paper. For crisp cookies, bake 12 to 14 minutes. You can have several sheets with cookies ready but keep them chilled in the refrigerator.
  8. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
beta
calories
137
fat
4g
protein
1g
carbs
26g
more
Life of the Party Always! http://lifeofthepartyalways.com/
 

Christmas Cookie Swap!

 
Have you ever thought about having a cookie swap?  A cookie swap can be lots of fun, plus you end up with a multitude of cookie varieties, even though you only had to bake one kind.  What a great way to discover new cookies recipes, short cut your holiday baking, and have fun with friends! If you have never tried this, here are 5 steps to a successful Cookie Swap:

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Tinsel Bellini – Friday’s 5 o’clock Wet Your Whistle Call!

 
It’s time to decorate the Christmas tree!  I thought back to the Christmas trees of my childhood that were draped with little strands of tinsel and how much the decorations have changed. Well it’s not just the decorations that have changed but so have the cocktails. This week’s tasty treat has an amazing success story to go with it. I love stories like this!

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