I make Rum Balls and Burbon balls every year.

I also make orange-chocolate cookies (two orange flavored wafers with chocolate chips with a layer of chocolate in between to hold them together). This year I am going to try to make irish cream- chocolate chip pound cake in snowman shaped molds.

I never noticed before, but all of my holiday baking includes alcohol!:p

Try substituting Kahlau for the Rum, and add about 1/4 cocoa to the Rum Ball recipe - 'tis good!

I have to check out my reciepts before the weekend...

I'll have to check out the Kaluha balls.

I already add white raisins to my rum balls-- and I use Captain Morgans or Sailor Jerrys Spiced Rum, so I'm not sure if the chocolate would go well or not. (The burbon balls have cocoa in them).

Oh, and I once made the rum balls with Malibu Rum and added flaked coconut and crushed pineapple (well drained). that was yummy as well! But the husband doesn't like coconut so I haven't made them since.

Gotcha. My rum balls are fairly simple: finely minced pecans, powdered sugar, cocoa, rum, and I think Karo. (this has been a rough day...!)

Mine are powdered sugar, crushed vanilla wafers (I run them through a coffee grinder), cocoa (if burbon) walnuts (if burbon) white raisins (if rum), alcohol, and Karo. No way can you get drunk off of them because they only have 1/2 cup of alcohol and a full pound of powdered sugar in each batch!

I "make" peppermint ice cream pie during the holidays - it's unbelievably easy. However, it requires absolutely no baking, so I've just inadvertently hijacked this lovely thread. Sorry.

1 chocolate cookie crumb ready made pie shell
1 tub peppermint ice cream, somewhat softened
Hershey's syrup
crushed candy canes or peppermints

Spread the ice cream into the pie shell, drizzle with syrup and top with candy canes.

It goes really well with Hot Chocolate. :D

Bump!

I'm already getting excited for holiday baking. Any new recipes?

Apple Dumplings
 

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

These are SO good. You can decrease the butter a bit and they'll still be yummy.

Has anyone tried the recipe for Cheesecake Bombes that was in last month's Southern Living? They looked pretty foolproof, and sound wonderful.

I haven't tried them but I'm curious what they are. Are they cheesecake truffles? If so post the recipe!

You cannot mention something like that without including a recipe!

I'll post it when I get home. It's a basic cheesecake recipe, but without the crust. You let it cool, cut it into small squares, then put them in the freezer while you melt chocolate. Dip the squares into the chocolate, and let them harden. At least, that's the basic idea.

Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found a similar recipe (I posted it below) and I can't see how you could go wrong, except maybe over baking the cheesecake. A good suggestion from the one below was putting foil or parchment paper under the cheesecake to aid in the removal since there's no crust. I just might add this to my holiday baking this year.

Cheesecake Batter

* 1 pound Cream cheese, softened

* 3/4 cup Sugar

* 3 Large eggs

* 2 tsp Vanilla extract

* 1/3 cup Whipping cream

* Tiniest pinch salt

Dipping chocolate

* 12 oz Milk chocolate, melted (Note: You may need to use more than this)

Optional

* 10 oz White chocolate, melted to drizzle over bites.


Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. This step is essential. It will make it much easier to remove the cheesecake from the pan and cut it into bite-sized morsels

2. Beat together cheesecake batter ingredients until smooth. I used a hand mixer, but a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a food processor would also work. Pour mixture into pan. Bake until set about 30 minutes. Cake should be firm to the touch but not dried out or curling in at the sides. If the cheesecake cracks, don't fret; it will be covered in chocolate later, and we all know that everything looks better with a layer of chocolate. Cool well in fridge.
3. After cooling the cheesecake, cut into 24-32 small squares or scoop out portions of cheesecake using a mini ice-cream scooper. (Note: This part was difficult for me. I’ve never quite mastered the art of slicing a cheesecake. It always looks as if a four-year old did the slicing. I’ve tried many of the tips offered up on successfully slicing a cheesecake. I’ve placing my knife under hot water throughout the slicing, and this helps, but I still struggle. Definitely place foil or parchment paper in the bottom of the pan in step 1 – this will facilitate the process.) Place squares or scoops on a waxed-paper lined baking sheet and freeze for two hours or overnight.

4. To finish, using a fork to assist, dip and turn each frozen cheesecake portion in chocolate. Let set on wax paper lined baking sheet and then dip in or drizzle with another type of chocolate, if desired. With the truffle bombs on the baking sheet, freeze for a couple of hours. Then place Truffle Bombs in a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze up to 2 months. Serve frozen or chilled.

Oooh I need to bookmark this thread for future reference. My family usually makes a lot of traditional Norwegian food. As awful as it may sound, we make a kind of fruitcake (Julekake) that's freaking amazing. We also make paintbrush cookies and have fun painting ridiculous stuff on them.

Ohhhh and don't forget the egg nog! We always make a TON of that.

Rosettes!

Fattimagn!

Krumkake!

Pepperkaker!

There's others too, which we was down with glogg and akavit.

Now I want pepperkaker!

Really easy Peanut butter fudge

Boil 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of milk to soft ball stage. Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Pour into pan or on plate. Let cool.

(The easy way to remember to make any quantity is to double your pnut butter to get your milk and double your milk to get your sugar.)

my best friend is in iraq, and i have 2 students away in college so im making cake in a jar this season.

That's it! I've been looking everywhere for that magazine, and my mother just told me that she let my aunt borrow it! Grrr.... Bless you!

And... I was just given a rosette iron! I've always loved them, so now I get to see if I can actually make them. I have three recipes from which to try.

Someone mentioned that they use refrigerated cookie dough? I have, too, but not without adding either orange or almond flavoring, then freezing the dough overnight (so that it's not too sticky to work with). That's how I make any cut out cookies, usually snowflakes with dragees and crystalized sugar sprinkles trimming.

I used to have a really good recipe for Shortbread - does anybody have one?

Potato Candy! Seriously!
It sounds gross, but it is absolutely AWESOME. My family has always made it. I now make it. I didn't tell my husband about the potatoes until he said he LOVED the candy. There's nothing to compare it to...


Note: Instant potatoes don't work well.

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup homemade mashed potatoes or 1 potato
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar
* peanut butter
(You can use food coloring to dye the potato layer.)

Directions

1.Mix together all ingredients, except peanut butter.
2.Add sugar until it's of dough consistency.
3.Refrigerate to chill dough for an hour or two.
4.Roll out onto powdered sugar dusted bread board or waxed paper.
5.Spread peanut butter over potato dough.
6.Roll it up like a jelly roll.
7.Refrigerate for about an hour, then slice into pinwheels.

I must be living right! Myrecipes' cookie of the day is Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Hearts! Okay, I can leave off the nuts & make shapes other than hearts (although the hearts are cute); let's just hope they taste good!


Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Hearts
You can make the dough ahead, wrap it well with plastic wrap, and freeze up to four months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before cutting and baking.

Prep: 30 minutes; Chill: 2 hours 15 minutes; Bake: 12 minutes.

Yield: Makes 2 1/2 dozen (2 1/2-inch) cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, peeled and lightly toasted, plus extra for sprinkling, if desired*
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
10 ounce dark chocolate, finely chopped**

Preparation

1. Process 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter, vanilla, and egg yolk; pulse until butter is cut in evenly and mixture starts to come together, scraping down sides of machine once or twice. (Dough will be very crumbly and may not come together fully until kneaded.)

2. Remove dough from processor, and knead lightly 2 or 3 times. Flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator 10 minutes prior to rolling.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut heart shapes with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gather and reroll dough scraps, and cut again.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges turn light golden brown. Remove from oven, transfer cookies to a wire rack, and cool completely.

5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring often, or in a microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, if desired, and chill about 15 minutes or just until chocolate sets. Remove from refrigerator, and store in a single layer in an airtight container up to 2 days.

*To peel hazelnuts, roast at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes, and rub in a towel while warm to remove skins.

**I can't see why you couldn't use the dark chocolate disks that you just microwave. In that case, #5 would be Melt the dark chocolate disks, stir, dip, sprinkle with hazelnuts. I wonder if you could substitute pecans instead of hazelnuts?


BTW, Tippie? I've had that Potato Candy, although I've never made it. It really IS good!

My MIL makes this, and it is really good!

I can't wait until my mom makes her sweet potato casserole (with praline topping). It seriously is heaven!

I hate when my family says "your old enough that you have contributing to Thanksgiving...what are you going to make?" and then I give them an idea and they frown. Don't tell me I have to make something if you aren't going to like what I make.

I really want to try the Roast Turkey that I saw on the Paula Deen show. But our oven doesn't work anymore...

^^^
i told my dad i'm bringing tacos. LOL!


my parents always want me to bake or prepare sweets for them to eat. i'm so over it!

You could always bring Choco Tacos and kill two birds with one stone. :) You'd get the taco AND the sweets.

I think i'm going to try to make Tippie's potato candy. That sounded really good.

My great-grandmother makes this. I should have her teach me this year. It's delicious!

I'm baking chocolate chip almond cookies this year for my annual cookie exchange!

Don't forget the 4 leggers! Here is a great dog cookie recipe. I've yet to know a dog that didn't go nuts for these!

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
2 ½ cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chicken broth (or water is ok too)
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Blend wet ingredients together, then mix in the dry ingredients. Form a dough ball. Roll out to about ¼ inch and cut out with a cookie cutter. Place onto lightly greased or non stick cookie tray and bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let treats cool in oven until crisp and hard. Store in airtight container.

For the past five or six years, my dad has requested his gift be cheesecake. I am tired of using the same recipe. Anyone willing to share?

This is kind of a summery cheesecake, and it's frozen, but it's really, really good.

Ingredients--

1 oz package of cream cheese-- softened (you can use light or fat free)
1 tub of cool whip (you can use light or fat free)
1 can sweeten condensed milk
8 oz. of lime juice (you can use bottled but fresh is always better)
1 premade graham cracker crust.
limes for garnish.

Combine the cream cheese, cool whip, sweetened condenced milk, and lime juice, and beat it until smooth. Place into the graham cracker crust, and garnish with the lime. Freeze at least 4 hours overnight is best. It's pretty tart, but is really good. Kind of like an icecream/cheesecake/pie.

But it's still not a My Daddy's Cheesecake.

This sounds SO good!

I am using store bought dough this year for cookie cutter shaped cookies.
::hangs head in shame::

I wish I was going to Florida to see my fam - I love my mom's Spritz cookies!! Edible glitter - yay!

Last night I made walnut bars for a meeting
for Christmas, I will be making a chocolate pecan pie

I baked almost 7 dozen cutout sugar cookies on Sunday night. I frosted them with the following recipe I found recently in a magazine. This is honestly one of the best frostings for cookies I've ever tasted! It was very easy to work with - even though one of the main ingredients is marshmallow fluff, it isn't very sticky at all.

Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
1 (7.5 ounce) jar of marshmallow fluff
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, beat marshmallow fluff, gradually adding butter. Beat in vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread or pipe on cooled cookies. Decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles.

*Frosting will set after about an hour or two in the refrigerator.

I finally got started last night. So far, I've made the lemon bars, the bar cookie with the chocolate in the middle and the pistachio coffee cake. Tomorrow night will be the peanut butter kiss cookies and maybe the first batch of fudge. The sugar cookies and spritzes will wait until the kids are back home so they can help because they love making those. I might actually finish all the baking. I was getting panicky about it Sunday when I didn't get it started.

My husband loves divinity. I've tried to make it, but mine come out looking like white pralines! I will keep on trying though--maybe I'm not beating the mixture enough or my candy thermometer is messed up.

Two unbelievably easy recipes I use are for microwave peanut brittle and microwave fudge.

Microwave Peanut Brittle:

1 c. sugar
Pinch of salt
½ c. light corn syrup
1 c. raw peanuts
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. soda

Combine sugar, salt, corn syrup, and peanuts in large glass dish. Cook in microwave on high for 7 minutes. Remove, stir, and add vanilla and butter. Cook in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and add soda. Stir well and pour onto greased foil. Store in airtight container. Yield 1 lb.

I used a 4-cup measuring cup, and the mixture spilled over. However, my sister had no trouble when she tried it. Her mixture spilled over once she added the soda though.

Microwave Fudge:

1 box confectioner’s sugar
½ c. cocoa
¼ c. milk
½ c. butter (1 stick)
1 T. vanilla
¾ c. nuts

In medium-size microwave-safe mixing bowl, mix sugar and cocoa. Add milk and butter but DO NOT STIR. Heat on high in microwave for 3 minutes, then add vanilla and nuts and mix well. Pour into greased 8x8 (or equivalent size) pan. Chill for at least one hour.

My mom and I have been making egg nog. Mmmm...drinking some right now.

I tried to make Norwegian Christmas bread (Julekake) and TOTALLY failed. My mom is gonna help me later on this week, and I'm sure it'll be a lot better. That's my uncle's Christmas present.

I'm also gonna go over to my grandma's on Friday to help her bake and decorate the house. Mmmm date crumble!!!

Psst - add some other flavoring (orange, lemon, or almond are good) and 1/2 cup of flour, and no one will know the difference. When you're a busy lady, there is no shame in cutting a corner or two.

I always add a new cookie or two, for variety. I'm also going to a Christmas Tea on Sunday, and wanted something festive. So, I made Almond Sandwich Cookies. The recipe called for a normal icing in the middle, but I used a flavored cream cheese one - yummy! I'm also trying Rosettes for the first time.

I found Cherry Rum the other night, and decided to make my Rum Balls with those. Has anyone else tried that? I usually use Vanilla Rum, but it was nowhere in sight.

Today, a co-worker gave me some of the Krumkake that she made. I'd never had it before, but it reminded me of a thin pizzelle (and reminded me of this thread too!)