I am broke. So this year I am giving some of my giftees baking in fancy boxes. Any suggestions on what sorts of things to make…
You could go to the library and get some Xmas baking books, or look in women’s magazines. Sunset published the 100 greatest cookies a couple years ago. Your friendly neighborhood librarian can help you find the issue.
I dip my own chocolates, which is a big hit, but it probably isn’t as cheap as cookies. Still, take a look at my chocolate-dipping site for the recipies. A few truffles scattered here and there in your boxes will go over well. You can also find inferior truffle recipies in magazines.
Hm. In preview, the link isn’t working, and I don’t know how to fix it. You’ll have to delete the first part of the url. Sorry.
Nice site. You need to add the http:// to your link.
Here it is fixed: chocolate-dipping site.
…ANOTHER Food Tread. I luv youz guyz…
. I have lots of favorites I bake at Christmas, Most of them are the standard fare, but the following is soooo easy,
I can’t hold it back.
. There is no recipe for this cookie, so watch what you are doing here.If you are unfamiliar with how stiff a rolled dough should be, grab an experienced cookie baker to share the job.Baking is always better when you have a friend doing it with you anyhow!
Combine 1 package softened cream cheese with equal amount of softened margerine.Add a teaspoon of baking soda,and enough flour to make a stiff batter.Chill and roll out.
cut in Circles, with a drinking glass.Put about 1/2 tsp blops of jam or chopped nuts mixed with sugar,on one round and cover with another.seal the edges with a fork. It will resemble a little pie. Bake 350*, on a greased cookie sheet untill barely browned.These freeze rather well. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before giving away if you think it needs sweetening, but I find the flavor just fine without it.
. Don’t try to fold these in half as they will break open during baking, as we tried to do this year.They looked really pretty that way but it was a mess trying to clean the browned jam that oozed out onto the pans, and they bore an amazing resemblance to a pair of lips.
. It is lowwww in sugar and we use no sugar added jams like Polander’s AllFruits to give to Diabetic friends.
Of corse they are high in fat from the cream cheese,but the richness just goes with Xmas!
…LUCK TO YOU WITH YOUR BAKING!..
Now, if it’s cookies you’re after, you should make what are felt by many the best cookies on the planet.
The recipe is actually from the back of the package of Skor toffee bits, which may be hard to find (some stores here have stopped carrying them), but well worth the effort.
I also have a recipe for incredible fruitcake cookies (yes, fruitcake, but they’re nothing like what you’re thinking); however that one takes a whole bunch of time and money to make.
Um, I can provide you with recipes for: the best damn chocolate chip cookies in the world, smörbakelser (swedish butter cookies), and baked cider donuts in a maple glaze (not sure how well they’d keep or ship). Just say the word.
the word.
[sub]mmmm… smörbakelser[/sub]
Smörbakelser
Ingredients:
[ul]1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, scant
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour[/ul]
Method:
[ul]Preheat oven to 450[sup]o F[/sup]. Cream butter (or margarine), egg yolks, and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in flour. Dough should be soft, but not sticky.
You have your choice about how to make the cookies: you can press the dough into tin molds, roll it out and cut with cookie cutters, or (like I usually do) use a cookie press.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully, as they burn quickly. Cool on the baking pan a few minutes, then carefully move them to cooling racks.
[list][list]Makes about 3 dozen cookies.[/ul][/list][/list]
While this isn’t a holiday specific recipe, it would be good for a family gathering, an office party or to take as a hostess gift.
Two part recipe.
Chocolate Dream Bars
[ul]
[li]22 chocolate graham crackers (2 packets) crushed[/li][li]1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted[/li][li]1 cup heavy cream[/li][li]30 individual caramels, unwrapped[/li][li]12 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces[/li][li]2 cups shredded and sweetened coconut[/li][li]1 cup white chocolate pieces[/li][li]1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts[/li][li]2 tsp vanilla[/li][/ul]
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Heat oven to 350ºF, line jelly roll pan with foil. Combine crushed graham crackers and butter in a bowl. Press evenly into prepared pan.
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Bake in oven for 8 minutes and cool on a rack.
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Heat cream in a small saucepan to simmering. Add caramels; cook, stiring until melted. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
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Combine both chocolates, coconut and pecans in a large bowl, Spoon onto crust. Stir vanilla in caramel mixture and drizzle over chocolate layer.
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Bake in oven (350ºF) 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cut into bars.
Can be refridgerated up to 2 weeks
In the past I’ve given freshly baked homemade bread with strawberry or raspberry jam that I made during the summer. It’s especially nice if you can bring the bread over to your giftees while it’s still warm. Unfortunately this idea isn’t so great if you don’t have any homemade jam handy. You could still make apple-butter at this time of year to go with the bread… if your friends like it?