Almond Fudge Topped Shortbread

Buttery, chocolaty, and a few almonds.  Yum!

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13x9 inch baking pan.

In mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  With lightly floured hands, press into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate ships with condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

Spread evenly over baked shortbread.  Sprinkle with almonds; press down firmly.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm.  Cut into bars.


Tips and Hints:
*If you like an extra almond flavor, you can mix 1/2 tsp almond extract into the chocolate layer before pouring over the shortbread.
*This makes a thick, soft shortbread cookie, with an equal layer of fudge.
*You can substitute milk chocolate chips for the semi-sweet for a sweeter fudge flavor.

Cookie Crunch Fudge

Originally from Kraft Food and Family

Have I mentioned how much we like fudge?  This one didn't turn out quite as I would have liked.  I think next time I will double both layers so it's thicker.  It was a little thinner than I thought it would be.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, divided
3 chocolate chip cookies, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Line 8" square pan with foil or parchment paper.

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and 2/3 cup milk in medium microwavable bowl on medium (50% power) for 90 seconds, or until chocolate is almost melted.  Stir until completely melted.  If needed, heat in 30 second intervals until chocolate melts.

Add chopped cookies and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread mixture on bottom of prepared pan.

In a clean microwave safe bowl, microwave white chocolate and remaining milk on medium for 90 seconds, or until almost melted.  Stir until completely melted.  Spread over dark chocolate layer.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.  Remove from pan and peel foil.  Cut into 1" pieces.


Tips and Hints:
*You can melt the chocolate on the stove, but you risk scorching the chocolate.
*I made homemade chocolate chip cookies to put in this, but you can certainly use your favorite brand of packaged cookies.  A crispier cookie works better and will hold its texture.

Christmas baking!

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making goodies and delivering them to our friends.  I've always used this baking as an excuse to try some new things, and we get to bring back lots of our favorite seasonal goodies as well.  I got a little carried away this year-- we ended up delivering or sending baked goods to 30 different families this year.  So much fun!  So much sugar and butter!  My dishwasher ran for about three weeks straight.

I'll keep updating the list of recipes as I get them typed up.  It's short now, but there will be more to come!

Christmas 2013 goodies included:
       Lemon Sugar Cookies
   
       S'More Sandwich Cookies

       Chocolate and Peppermint Fudge

       Chocolate peanut butter fudge

       Cookie Crunch fudge

       Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

       Peppermint White Chocolate Fudge

       Almond Fudge Topped Shortbread

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

I made these for the first time this year and they are AWESOME.  Soft in the middle, a little crispy on the edge, and just the right combination of tart and sweet.

Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Glaze 
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 375.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp lemon peel until well-blended.  Mix in flour and baking powder.  Stir until blended.  Dough will be soft and looks almost like cake batter rather than cookie dough.

Use 1/4 cup measure to scoop dough.  Place on baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between cookies.  Flatten gently into 3 inch rounds.

Bake 10-12 minutes until just golden brown around edges.  Cookies should still be pale in center and slightly soft.  Remove from oven and slide parchment paper onto wire racks.  Cool 5-10 minutes and remove from paper.  Cool completely on racks.

Combine all ingredients for glaze and stir until combined.  Brush glaze over cooled cookies.


Tips and Hints:
*I really thought I had done something wrong when I made these the first time.  The dough is very soft and moist and doesn't look like your usual cookie dough.  It does spread a little when you scoop it onto the pans-- just gently spread it with the back of your measuring cup.
*I never remember to buy fresh lemons to have grated lemon peel.  To give a little extra boost of lemon flavor, add about 1/2 tsp lemon extract to the cookies and 1/2-1 tsp lemon extract to the glaze.
*Definitely line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Because the dough is so soft, it sticks like mad.  But peels right off the parchment paper with no problems!

S'More Sandwich Cookies

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

These little cookies are super adorable, but a little time consuming.  Ok, a lot time consuming!  I used a 1" cookie cutter to cut them out, but I would recommend using a 2" to make them easier to handle.  (My picture of these didn't come out well-- I'm going to use the picture from the magazine for now until I try them again.)

Sugar Cookie Dough

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add flour and baking soda; mix well.  Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325.

Roll dough to 1/8" thickness on lightly floured surface.  Cut into cookies, re-rolling as necessary.  Sprinkle half the cookies with colored sugar.

Place all cookies on well greased cookie sheet, or use parchment paper.

Bake 12 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheet 1 minute.  Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

When cool, spread bottom side of each of the plain cookies with approximately 1 tsp Marshmallow Creme.  Cover with sugared cookies to make sandwiches.

Melt two squares Semi-Sweet baking chocolate or 1/3 cup chocolate chips and spoon into ziplock bag.  Snip a small corner from bag and drizzle chocolate over cookies.



Tips and Hints:
*Definitely use a 2" cookie cutter.  I was cutting and sandwiching cookies FOREVER.
*Refrigerate the dough and keep it cold in between rollings.  It rolls better and it spreads too much if you let it get warm.
*Roll the cookies thin, but not too thin.
*Don't overbake-- they should be just barely golden around the edges.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

 1 pouch sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 to 1/2 tsp mint extract

6-8 drops green food color

1 egg

1 cup crème de menthe baking chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color, and egg in bowl until soft dough forms.  Stir in both types of baking chips.

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Serve warm or cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

These cookies are awesome!  Super easy to make and everybody loved them.  If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will love these!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee and Coconut

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white baking chips

3/4 cup toffee bits

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease baking sheets. 

In large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium speed 30 seconds or until blended.  Add sugar and brown sugar; beat until combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.  At low speed, slowly beat in flour.  Stir in chocolate chips, white baking chips, toffee bits and coconut.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes or until  light brown.  Place cookies on wire racks; cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, for each cup of flour you can substitute 1 cup of flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

I really didn't think that the coconut added anything to these and will leave it out the next time.  They also didn't have enough toffee or chocolate for our tastes, so I will probably double the amount of each of those chips and leave out the white chocolate chips next time.  Definitely do not over bake or they get really hard.  Err on the side of underdone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cartons (1.75 quart) vanilla ice cream

4 cups chocolate chip cookies, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon in medium bowl until crumbs are moistened.  Stir in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  Press into bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan.  Bake 6 minutes until set.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot and steamy.  Remove from heat.  Add bittersweet chocolate chips.  Let stand 1 minute; stir until melted and smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool 20 minutes or until room temperature.

Place ice cream in refrigerator 20 minutes or until slightly softened.  Spread half of the ice cream over crust; quickly spread with spatula to level.  Sprinkle half of the cookies over ice cream.  Quickly spoon 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate sauce over cookies and ice cream; spread with spatula to cover.   Freeze 15 minutes to firm sauce.

Quickly spread remaining ice cream over sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cookies.  Drizzle with remaining sauce.  Sauce will not completely cover top.

Freeze 2 hours to firm.  Wrap tightly; freeze overnight or up to 1 week.  Remove from freezer to soften slightly before serving.  Cut with warm knife.  Store in freezer.

Thoughts and Tips:

Do not use premium ice cream in this; it freezes too hard!

Soften the ice cream only to the point where it's easy to spread.  If it melts too much, the texture will not be good after it refreezes.

If ice cream is not soft enough to spread when you start, microwave in 30 second intervals on 50% power.

We liked this, but it was a bit of a pain to put together.  The graham cracker crust wanted to stick to the ice cream; if I were making it again, I would experiment with making a cookie crust instead.  I used homemade cookies, but you could definitely use store bought.  The bittersweet chocolate sauce was a little too dark for most of the family; I would use semi-sweet the next time.