Holiday Treats Part 1 of 3

Chocolates & Candies

Almond Truffles

11 ounces white chocolate

3 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp confectioners sugar

30 smoked almonds

3 tbsp cream (35%)

6 and a 1/2 tbsp almond butter, bring to room temperature

1 cup finely ground almonds (you can use 8oz almond paste in stead)

Using a double boiler, bring water to hot not boiling, melt the white chocolate, then remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, blend the buter and sugar until it becomes creamy. Stir in almond butter and mix well. Add cream and melted chocolate mix until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Measure out 1 tsp of mixture and completely over a smoked almond, repeat untill all almonds are covered.

(If you are using ground almonds) Roll the covered smoked almonds in the ground almonds to coat.

(If you are using almond paste) Dust work surface with some of the powdered sugar. Roll almond paste until it is a little thicker then paper thin. Cut out circles just a little larger then needed to completly cover each truffle. Pinch edges and roll between hands to smooth out the surface. Repeat with remaining truffles.

You can now place truffles in little paper cups or candy cups and store in fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Remove from fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

Dipped Marshmallows

This is a quick and easy recipe that my son and I love to make and eat at Christmas.

1 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (or 1/2 or each made seprate)

2 tsp oil

1 package marshmellows

Any decrotive small candies, sprinkles, or crushed candy cane (finley crushed)

Combine chocolate chips and oil in a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds on medium heat, stir well, if not quite melted heat again for about 30 more seconds, you want it to soft not melted, the stiring will finish melting the rest (careful not to burn) Place marshmellow on a toothpick one at a time and dip in chocolate and turn to completely coat. Sprinkle with small candy, sprinkles or whatever you are using and set aside until firm.

NOTE: You can also use small skewers that are not sharp, or popsicle sticks to stick into the marshmellow when dipping in chocolate, you can leave these in for handles when eating. Here are some ideas for coatings and sticks.

This recipe also taste great with pretzle sticks or rice crispy squares.

Bourbon Balls

1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar, and pecans in a bowl and mix well. Microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds - 1 minute, check and stir once or twice through heating to melt but not burn the chocolate chips. Stir melted chips until smooth, beat in the corn syrup and bourbon. Pour chocolate mixture into dry mixture and stir well. Put sugar into shallow bowl. Form dough mixture into balls and about 1-inch in size, roll each one in sugar.
You can also roll these in coconut.

Peanut Brittle
1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup peanuts

Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside.In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. Using a fork, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches, cool. Snap candy into pieces.

Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ginger Snaps
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl. Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Sugar Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls (or flatten and use Christmas cookie cutters to make Christmas shapes) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. You can now use icing and colored sugar to decorate your cookies.