Yummm! Holiday Cookies Santa'll Thank You For...

One of my favorite Holiday traditions as a kid was leaving a plate of cookies and milk out for Santa Christmas Eve. I remember the excitement I felt when I woke up to see the plate almost empty and a note from the Jolly One thanking me for the snack. It's something I look forward to doing for my kids one day. When I pass on the tradition, I think I will give Nicky a break from all the sugar cookies and chocolate chips. Here are a few recipes that I think Santa might leave an extra present for!!!

Creme de Menthe Balls

Recipe Courtesy of ChristmasCookies.com

Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup green creme de menthe
additional powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine wafer crumbs, pecans, 1 cup powdered sugar, corn syrup and creme de menthe, blending to make a stiff dough. Roll into 1" balls, then roll in additional powdered sugar to coat.

Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies

Recipe courtesy Paula ("Hey Y'all!") Deen, Food Network

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
White chocolate, for dipping
15 peppermint hard candies, crushed, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Dip the cookies into the white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool or serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Holiday Peanut Blossom Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Cooks.com

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
48 chocolate Kisses

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except chocolate Kisses, in mixing bowl. Mix on lowest speed until dough forms. Shape dough into balls using a teaspoon for each. Roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Top each cookie with chocolate Kiss immediately and add holiday sprinkles and icing for a special touch. Press down firmly so cookie cracks around edges.

Makes 48.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Filling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

White-Chocolate-Glazed Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 batch plain or tinted Vanilla Dough (pressed into any shape)
1 cup melted white chocolate (8 ounces)
Small candies (optional)

Directions:

Knead dough briefly to soften. Fill a cookie press with dough, and fit with disk to make shapes. Squeeze cookies directly onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, 12 to 14 minutes.
Let cool completely before dipping in the white chocolate. Apply small or crushed candies while glaze is wet. Let white-chocolate-glazed cookies set in refrigerator, and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Yummm! A Bounty of Birthday-Ready Cupcakes!!!

I's my birthday, y'all!!!!! I am 34 years old today, and I am very excited and optimistic about the next year of my life will bring me. I am old enough to not want a cake on my birthday, but I do wish to sink my teeth into a delicious, yummy cuppy cake sometime within the next several hours! LOL

To inspire me to manifest a delicious sweet treat for my birthday, I scoured the internet for some yummy nummy cupcake recipes that I would love to nibble on today!

German Chocolate Cupcake

Recipe Courtesy of Yum Sugar

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound imported semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Nut Filling
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup evaporated whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup coarsely shredded sweetened coconut (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 4 ounces), toasted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Toast pecan pieces at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Keep a close watch and occasionally toss the pecans to ensure that they don't burn.

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a muffin pan. In a bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Beat the coffee mixture into the dry ingredients in 2 batches with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in the butter. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack.

Meanwhile, make the ganache: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over moderately high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Transfer the ganache to a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until chilled and thickened, about 2 hours.

Make the nut filling: In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the evaporated milk and then the butter. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and lightly coats a spoon, about 10 minutes; do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

To fill the center of the cupcakes with nut filling, turn each cake upside down. Using your finger or a small spoon, carefully scoop out some of the cake to create a small hole. Gently insert the nut filling. Turn right side up.

Place on a cooling rack with either a pan underneath or wax paper to catch the extra ganache. If ganache is too hard, let it stand at room temperature and stir it briefly. Use a spoon to drizzle the ganache until the entire cupcake is covered. Place in a refrigerator or freezer to allow the ganache to set. Top each cupcake with a dollop of nut filling.

Coconut Cupcakes with Seven-Minute Frosting and Coconut Flakes

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Seven-Minute Frosting
1 1/3 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low. Mix any remaining wet ingredients in a bowl if needed. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Once cupcakes are cool, mound frosting on tops. Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut. Serve immediately.

White Russian Cupcake

Recipe courtesy of Casey's Cupcakes, Cupcake Wars (Food Network)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour
8 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 ounces sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ounce coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
1 tablespoon mocha paste
Irish Cream Filling (recipe follows)
12 ounces Irish Buttercream (recipe follows)
Small chocolate pearls (recommended: Verona)
Chocolate cigarettes
Gold dust
Vodka
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.

Combine the cake flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in 1 medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add the vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the coffee liqueur and mocha paste into the batter until smooth and no lumps are present.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop 2 ounces of batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cupcake, if it comes out clean they are ready to be removed from the oven. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Scoop out the center of the cooled cupcakes with a melon baller. Fill a piping bag with Irish Cream Filling and cut a small hole at the end of the bag to allow the filling to be piped into the hollowed out center of cupcake. Fill all the cupcakes with about 1/2 ounce of filling.

To assemble: Place a round tip # 809 into a large piping bag. Fill the piping bag with Irish Buttercream. Generously pipe about 1 ounce buttercream onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 4 or 5 small chocolate pearls and a chocolate cigarette. Mix equal parts gold dust with vodka to make an edible gold paint. Using a small round brush, paint the ends of the chocolate cigarettes. The edible paint will dry leaving behind the gold dust.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Irish Buttercream:
4 pounds butter, softened
8 ounces high ratio shortening (recommended: Sweetex)
8 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1 tablespoon mocha paste
4 tablespoons cherry liqueur
2 ounces Irish liqueur (recommended: Bailey's Irish Cream)
1 1/2 ounces coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
1 tablespoon vodka
In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening together. On first speed, add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl in 3 parts. Let each part incorporate into the butter mixture before adding the next. After adding all the sugar, put the mixer on the fourth (highest) speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes. The buttercream will begin to gain volume and look white and fluffy. Once you bring the buttercream to full volume, add the extracts and the mocha paste. Lastly, add the liqueurs and vodka and incorporate completely.

Cook's Note: The longer you let it mix, the more volume you will have. If the buttercream is airy and shows a lot of holes, add a small amount of warm water and mix well.

Irish Cream Filling:
8 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces Irish liqueur (recommended: Bailey's Irish Cream)
In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, add the heavy cream and whip to full volume. Add the Irish liqueur and, on first speed, fold in the liqueur until completely incorporated.

And last.... but most certainly not least.... the cupcake I need in my life today........ :::sighs dreamily:::

White Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1 cup Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Chips
6 ounces Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated white sugar, plus
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, plus
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 14 cupcake molds or muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

To make the cupcakes, in large bowl, beat the 3/4 cup butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Stir together the milk, lemon juice, and the vanilla. On low speed, add half the milk mixture. Mix until incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining milk mixture and the dry ingredients in the same manner. Divide the batter among the 14 cupcake molds.

Bake on the middle oven rack for about 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in their pans for 10 minutes. Then unmold and cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, melt the white chocolate baking bar in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool to room temperature. While the chocolate is cooling, combine the egg whites and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl in a pot of simmering water so the water comes a third of the way up the bowl. Lightly whisk the egg whites just until hot to the touch, about 1-1/2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the pot on whisk on high speed until very thick and cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Decrease the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing the butter in before adding the next tablespoon. Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth. Frost the top of each cupcake and sprinkle them with the white chocolate chips.