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! Awesome After-Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Leftover Turkey...

Thanksgiving is one day away (cue "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving" song, for everyone who attended P.S. 135 in Brooklyn! lol), and all over the globe families will be gathering together to spend time, laugh, watch the game, and eat until they lapse into a food coma. But what do you do after the friends and family have returned home and you have LOADS of turkey left over? There's really only so many turkey sandwiches you actually WANT to eat, really!

Never fear, good peers! I have scoured the internet and have assembled a group of yummy recipes that can be creating using the leftover turkey from the night before.

Curried Turkey Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 1/2 cups broccoli florets (from 1 bunch)
4 cups cooked turkey, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 cups day-old bread, diced medium

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium pot, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until slightly softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Whisk in flour and continue to whisk 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce comes to a simmer. Stir in curry powder and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add broccoli and cook just until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Stir in cooked turkey. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a small bowl, toss bread with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, melted, until coated. Top turkey mixture with bread and bake until sauce is bubbling and bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Pho

Recipe courtesy of pooks088, AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1 whole cardamom pod
2 whole cloves
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
1/2 onion, peeled
1 turkey carcass
8 cups water, or more as needed
1 (16 ounce) package dried flat rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
salt to taste
1 cup shredded leftover cooked turkey
1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil leaves (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha®), or to taste (optional)

Directions

Toast the cardamom pod, cloves, star anise, fennel, and coriander in a small skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the spices onto the center of a 8 inch square piece of cheesecloth. Gather together the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure. Sear both sides of the ginger and 1/2 onion in the same skillet until lightly charred, about 3 minutes on each side.

Place the turkey carcass, water, sachet, ginger, and onion in a large pot over medium-high eat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the rice noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the noodles uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles have cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Remove the carcass, sachet, ginger, and onion from the soup. Strain the soup to remove any meat that may have fallen off the bones, if necessary. Season with fish sauce and salt. Divide the rice noodles and turkey meat evenly into 4 large bowls. Scatter the basil, cilantro, and sliced onion on top. Ladle the soup on top. Serve with a wedge of lime and hot sauce.

Crispy Turkey Tostadas

Recipe Courtesy of EatingWell

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, preferably with jalapeños
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cups shredded cooked turkey
8 corn tortillas
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
1 avocado, pitted
1/4 cup prepared salsa
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

Bring tomatoes and their juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Add turkey and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Divide the tortillas between 2 large baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until crisped and lightly brown, about 10 minutes
.
Mash avocado in a bowl. Stir in salsa, sour cream and cilantro until combined.

To assemble tostadas, spread each crisped tortilla with some of the avocado mixture. Top with the turkey mixture, lettuce and cheese.

Turkey-Porcini Tetrazzini

Recipe courtesy of Delish

Ingredients

1 package(s) (1-ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
2 1/2 cup(s) large pieces of roast turkey
8 ounce(s) wide egg noodles, cooked
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
3 tablespoon(s) finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme leaves
1 pinch(s) cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cup(s) milk
1 tablespoon(s) cognac, quartered
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup(s) bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Soak mushrooms according to package directions, reserving 1 1/2 cups liquid. Chop mushrooms, then toss with large pieces of roast turkey and wide egg noodles in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté shallots until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme leaves and cayenne pepper and cook until shallots become golden, about 2 more minutes.

Stir in all-purpose flour and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk, cognac, and reserved porcini liquid. Scrape bits from bottom of pan and season with salt. Heat just to boiling, then pour over noodle mixture; toss. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with lightly buttered aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese with bread crumbs. Remove foil from casserole and sprinkle with cheese mixture. Continue to bake until golden, about 10 minutes.