Christmas Goodies



My girl requested a Christmas goody package as she won't be home for the holiday this year.

I made some pretzels dipped in white chocolate then dusted with crushed peppermint candy - they have a nice sweet-salty flavor.  And so easy!


White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

6 oz. white baking chocolate, broken into chunks
1 1/2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. water
About 50 miniature, bow-shaped pretzels or 25 lg. bow shaped pretzels

In 1 quart microwave casserole, combine chocolate, syrup, butter and water. Microwave at medium (50% power) 2-4 minutes just until mixture can be stirred smooth. Dip pretzels into chocolate. Arrange on wire racks placed on waxed paper lined trays. Cool or refrigerate until set. Rewarm chocolate mixture if it becomes too stiff to dip.  Dust with 
crushed peppermint hard candy.

Last year SIL’s favorite was a variation of the following.  I was loathe to over-blend the dough which resulted in a cookie that wouldn’t hold together.  I pressed the dough into a small baking pan and we ate brownies instead of cookies.  I’m trying this again only mixing it all by hand.  



Pierre Hermes & Dorie Greenspan World Peace Cookies   Chocolate shortbread
Makes about 36 cookies
  • 1 1/4 cup (175 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cups (180 grams) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fleur del sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 ounces (150 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
  1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
  2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
  3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)
  5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you're cutting them — don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
  7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.


Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees for shortbread.

Then there's my lovely almond-toffee popcorn.  Someone sent us a tin of this to my work some years back.  I opened it and ate a handful.  Then another.  Next thing I knew, the tin was empty and I was the only one who got any.  So I looked up a recipe, came up with this one, and made a batch for my co-workers (and never divulged my gluttony, until now.) 

 Almond-toffee-popcorn




Then there's these.  They weren't up to snuff last year so following Mom's advice, I bought new baking soda and baking powder this time.

Favorite Gingersnaps


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