Kris Kringles

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice
1 beaten egg yolk
1 Tbs. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 cup cake flour
1/8 tsp of salt

1 slightly beaten egg white
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
9 candied cherries


DIRECTIONS:
Thoroughly cream shortening butter and sugar. Add egg yolk, orange and lemon peel and lemon juice. Beat thoroughly. Stir in flour and salt. Chill until firm. Form small balls about 1/2 inch in diameter. Dip in egg white and roll lightly in chopped nuts. Press half a candied cherry in the center of each cookie.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Makes 18 cookies. Mom has a note that she doubles the recipe.

Almond Crescents

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup ground blanched almonds (use almond flour)
1 2/3 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners Sugar for rolling

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Directions:
Mix together thoroughly the shortening, sugar and ground almonds. sift together the flour and salt and work it into the avocado mixture. Chill the dough. Make pencil thick rolls by hand. Cut off 2 1/2 inch lengths and form into crescents on un-greased baking sheet. (Note: DO NOT USE CUSHIONAIR SHEET PANS). Bake at 325 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes, until set, not brown. Cool on racks. While slightly warm, roll in the confectioners sugar.

Mexican Chocolate-Cherry Rounds

Rich chocolate cookies get some Mexican flair when spiced up with cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper. Blanched almonds or pistachios can be used instead of cherries. (Note adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients:

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (315 grams)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup powdered sugar
60 (about) candied cherry halves

Denver Adjustments:

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (327grams)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3/4 cups sugar (370 grams after removing)  (Subtract 1 1/2 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs + 1 Tablespoon of egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup powdered sugar
60 (about) candied cherry halves

Each cookie should weigh approximately 15 grams. This will yield a little more than 60 cookies.

Bake at 350 for 10 min and 30 seconds.

Directions:
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth; cool.

Combine flour and next five ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 3/4 cups of sugar and butter in a large bowl until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and chocolate. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Place powdered sugar in a shallow pan.  Form the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat; shake off excess sugar. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 and 1/2 inches apart. Press 1 cherry half into the center of each cookie. Bake until cookies puff and crack but are still soft.  About 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.

Cookies can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month)

Makes about 5 dozen.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Kisses

A Christmas Holiday Tradition

Ingredients:
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup peanut butter (130 grams)
¾ cup packed brown sugar (182 grams)
¼ cup granulated sugar (56 grams)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
1 ¾ cups of flour (210 grams)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tbs. granulated sugar
48 Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, egg white, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the dry ingredients in two to three additions. Using a rounded teaspoon for each, roll the balls of dough in the granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. 

Each cookie ball should weigh around 15 grams before baking. 

Yield about 48 cookies.

Denver Adjustments:

Ingredients:
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup peanut butter (130 grams)
¾ cup packed brown sugar (174 grams)
¼ cup granulated sugar (51 grams)
1 egg + 1 Tablespoon Egg White
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups of flour (229 grams)
1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 tbs. granulated sugar
48 Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, egg white, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the dry ingredients in two to three additions. Using a rounded teaspoon for each, roll the balls of dough in the granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. 

Each cookie ball should weigh around 15 grams before baking. 

Yield about 48 cookies.

Kahlua fudge

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/3 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
1 JAR (7OZ.) MARSHMALLOW CREME
2/3 CUP EVAPORATED MILK
1/4 CUP BUTTER
1/4 CUP KAHLUA
1/4 TSP. SALT
2 CUPS MILK CHOCOLATE PIECES
1/2 - 1 CUP SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE PIECES
2/3 CUP CHOPPED NUTS (OPTIONAL)
1 TSP. VANILLA

LINE 8 IN. SQUARE BAKING PAN WITH FOIL. IN A 2 QUART SAUCEPAN COMBINE SUGAR, MARSHMALLOW CREME, MILK, BUTTER, KAHLUA, AND SALT. BRING TO RAPID BOIL STIRRING CONSTANTLY FOR 5 MIN. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ADD ALL THE CHOCOLATE. STIR UNTIL MELTED, ADD NUTS AND VANILLA. TURN INTO PREPARED PAN.REFRIGERATE UNTIL FIRM. CUT INTO SQUARES. MAKES ABOUT 2 3/4 POUNDS.

Butter Almond Toffee

INGREDIENTS:


1 CUP SLICED ROASTED UNBLANCHED ALMONDS
(ROAST ALMONDS IN A PIE TIN 10 MIN. AT 350 DEG.)
1 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE
1 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
1/3 CUP BROWN SUGAR (PACKED)
2 TABLESPOONS WATER
1/2 TEASPOON SODA
1/2 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS


Sprinkle half the almonds on a buttered 9x13 inch pan. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan. Add the sugars and water, then mix well. Bring to a boil stirring constantly and continue cooking until the mixture reaches between 265-270 degrees or a Soft Crack stage. Remove from the heat and stir in the soda working fast. Pour carefully over the almonds in the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and smooth with a spatula as the chocolate chips melt. Sprinkle the balance of the almonds over the melted chocolate surface. When cool, the toffee can be broken in pieces for serving. Store in a cool dry spot.

Pat's Fudge

MIX IN LARGE BOWL:-

2 1/2 PACKAGES (6 OZ) CHOCALATE CHIPS
1/2 POUND BUTTER/MARGARINE
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 JAR MARSHMALLOW CREME
3 CUPS CHOPPED NUTS (OPTIONAL)

BUTTER A 9 X 13 BAKING DISH.

BRING TO A SIMMERING BOIL IN HEAVY PAN:-

1 13 1/2 OZ. CAN EVAPORATED MILK
4 1/2 CUPS SUGAR

BOIL TOGETHER FOR 12 MIN. (235 DEG. SOFT BALL ON CANDY THERM.)SHOULD BE A HARD BOIL WHILE STIRRING CONSTANTLY. DO NOT SCRAPE THE SIDES OF THE PAN AS THIS WILL CAUSE CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE MIXTURE. ADD THIS MIXTURE TO THE OTHER INGREDIENTS IN THE LARGE BOWL AND WORKING FAST MIX WELL UNTIL THE INGREDIENTS ARE ALL COMBINED. THEN TURN THE MIXTURE INTO THE 9 X 13 DISH. CURE FOR 24 HOURS IN A COLD PLACE BEFORE CUTTING.