Christmas goodies

**Stella** · 10-25-2006, 01:44 PM

I am starting to compile receipes to make for my X-mas baskets. Last year I made cookies, cajun peanuts, toffee, chocolate dipped fruit, and homemade lemon drop mix and put it in baskets with a new kitchen towel. This year I am going to make some sort of quick bread and whip up some honey butter and put that in jars to go along with the bread. Does anyone have any good recipes for some candy/cookies that I might be able to make? Thanks!

**bevjean** · 10-25-2006, 02:32 PM

Could you post your recipe for the lemon drop mix. Anything lemon sounds yummy to me. Thanks

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:00 PM

Peppermint Puff Cookies

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup Butter Flavored Crisco Stick
2 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1 egg
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup crushed candy canes (or peppermint candies)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Place sheets of foil on countertop for
cooling cookies.
2. Combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla. Beat at medium
speed until well blended. Beat in egg.
3. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture at
low speed until just blended. Stir in crushed candy.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking
sheet (or line with parchment paper).
5. Bake 1 sheet at a time at 375 for 8-10 minutes for chewy or 11-13
minutes for crisp cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool for 2 minutes on
baking sheet. Remove to foil and cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:08 PM

Banana Drop Cookies

1 1/2 c Sugar
2/3 c Shortening
1 ts Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 c Mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
2 1/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Baking powder
1 c Chopped nuts
1/4 c Sugar
1/2 ts Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°. In large bowl beat 1 1/4 cup sugar, shortening and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Beat into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Chill 30 minutes. Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Combine 1/4 cups sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle over cookies. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly brown. Makes about 5 doz. bite size cookies.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:11 PM

Tiger Butter

2 cups white chocolate
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons dark chocolate

Melt peanut butter and white chocolate. Mix together and pour onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle melted dark chocolate on top.

Use a knife to slice/spread through the top. Let harden in refrigerator and crack or cut into small pieces.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:13 PM

FIVE MINUTE FUDGE

2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, milk and salt in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows, chocolate and vanilla.
Stir vigorously for 1 minute until marshmallows and chocolate melt and blend.
Pour into an 8-inch square buttered pan.
Cool. Cut into squares.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:24 PM

Foolproof Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup white Karo syrup
2 tbsp butter

Bring above ingredients to full boil and let boil for 3 1/2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add 12 oz peanut butter (Jif peanut butter is the best) and 7 oz jar marshmellow. Mix well and pour into buttered pans and cool. Cut into squares.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:27 PM

2 Minute Microwave Fudge

This fudge will take a teeny bit longer than two minutes before it's ready to eat, but prep time is a snap!

1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place ingredients (except nuts) in bowl; do not mix. Microwave on high power for two minutes. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Fold in nuts. Pour mixture into buttered 8x8 dish. Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes until set.

**sunshine** · 10-25-2006, 05:32 PM

JOLLY JELLO FUDGE
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 small pkg. cherry-flavored gelatin
2 to 3 Tbsp. raspberry jam
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate
chips (use mini-chips if you can)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Have ready a saucepan, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon and an 8-inch square baking pan. Mix sugar, salt, butter or margarine and milk in a saucepan.

Place the mixture on the stove, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir carefully and continuously for exactly 5 minutes. If you stop stirring, the mixture will rise in the pan and burn. If the mixture is too near the top of the pot, your flame is too high and should be lowered.

Prepare gelatin according to package directions,
but use only 1 cup water. While gelatin is still liquid, add it and raspberry jam to fudge mixture. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove the saucepan from heat, and place on a safe surface. Turn off the heat.
Add chocolate chips immediately, and stir until they are all dissolved. Add vanilla and stir.

Grease the baking pan, and pour fudge in. Refrigerate overnight. When fudge is hard, turn the pan over and run hot water over the bottom so you can remove the fudge easily.

Cut into squares.
Makes about 16 squares.

**Stella** · 10-25-2006, 10:58 PM

Lemoncello (lemon drops)

Takes about 3 weeks to infuse
6 lemons
1-750ml bottles vodka divided (i recommend kettle one lemon vodka, don't go cheap or you will notice in the taste)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Remove the yellow part of the lemon with a sharp peeler, carefully avoiding the with pith.

Divide the yellow lemon rind and vodka equally between mason jars (dont fill with vodka as you still have the simple syrup to make, I think i filled about 4-5 mason jars) Seal tightly making sure peel is submerged. Store bottles in a cool dark place ahking the jar each day to agitate the lemon peel. The peels need to steep until they lose their color, or at least 2-3 weeks.

After your lemon peels have steeped, make a simple syrup by putting water and sugar into a saucepan and boiling until it turns clear. Let syrup cool.

Strain the peels from the vodka and add vodka back to mason jar equal parts of simple syrup divided between the mason jars. Discard the lemon peel. Seal jars tightly an let it marinate another week before serving. For straight drinking, store the limoncello in the freezer.

I added more lemon peel and more syrup than the recipe called for, it was a bit too strong for me with almost pure vodka, but it is supposed to be a cold strong drink.

**Amanda W** · 10-26-2006, 12:10 AM

Thank you both for the great recipes!

**Stella** · 10-26-2006, 10:54 AM

http://www.oceanspray.com/recipes/re...e.aspx?ID=1143

This is my favorite cookie recipe. I always make a double batch because they go fast.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Monster...-I/Detail.aspx
These cookies have no flour in them, and are so moist!