Spice drop cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup mixed peel, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup red glacé (candied) cherries, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup green glacé (candied) cherries, chopped
• 2 tsp allspice
• 4 cups flour
  
  
• optional: 3/4 cup walnuts (or pecans), chopped
• optional: 1 cup dates, chopped
  

Method:

• preheat oven to 300 degrees Farenheit
• cream together butter, sugare and eggs until fluffy
• add vanilla, allspice and banking soda and mix well
• slowly add flour while mixing
• stop adding flour when you have a thick dough (usually somewhere between 3.5 cups and four cups)
  
  
• drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet
• bake for 12 minutes until golden brown
  

Icebox cookies

I like to make the dough and keep at least one or two rolled dough sticks in the freezer over the holidays. The cookies can easily and quickly be baked should you find yourself hosting unexpected company, or find yourself craving fresh baked cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup glacé (candied) cherries or 1/2 cup almonds

Method:

• cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar and eggs
• add salt, vanilla and baking soda and mix well
• add optional items (chopped glacé cherries or chopped almonds) and mix (glacé cherries shown)
  
• slowly add flour whlie mixing
• stop adding flour when you have a thick dough (usually somewhere between 3.5 cups and four cups)
  
  
• break off a piece of dough and make a roll about 23cm (9") long and 3cm (1.25") in diameter
• flatten sides to make a rectange about 23cm (9") long and 2.5cm (1") high and 2.5cm (1") wide
  
  
  
  
• wrap in waxed paper and place in freezer bag
• refrigerate for at least two hours (until dough is firm) or freeze overnight before baking

Ready to bake?

• preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• remove dough from fridge / freezer
• cut into 5mm (3/16") slices
  
  
  
  
• bake for about 7 minutes or until golden

Makes ~200 cookies of this size.

Rosettes (Wagon wheels)

Mmmmmmmm.....

Equipment:

• Rosette iron
• candy thermometer
• wide and shallow dish for holidng batter
  
• paper towel (for cooked rosettes)
  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb of shortening for frying to 365 degrees F
  (I substitute with 3"-4" of canola oil)
  
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional) or a drop of almond flavouring (optional)
• optional: icing sugar for dusting finished product
  

Method:

• Beat egg slightly
• Add sugar and salt.
  
• Add milk.
• Add flour slowly, blending until smooth.
  
• Optional: add vanilla or almond flavouring.
  
  
• Heat shortening or about 3"-4" oil to 365 F (keep temperature constant -- measure with candy thermometer)
• Heat Rosette iron in the oil for about 45 seconds.
  
• Take the iron out of the oil and allow to cool for 1-2 seconds.
• Dip the still hot iron into the batter. (No NOT let batter come over the top or the rosette will not come off of the iron easily!)
• Immerse the batter coated iron into the hot oil and fry for 20 - 30 seconds, until light brown.
  (If the batter drops off into the oil, flip it over with tongs, to cook both sides evenly.)
  
• Slip rosette off the iron and onto a paper towel. (You may need to use a wooden spoon to help the rosette off with a gentle push or tap.)
  
• Allow to cool.
• Optional: dust with icing sugar.
  

Makes 5 dozen.

According to this article, they can be frozen and served without thawing.

Spiced Up Ginger Cookies

Haven't tried these yet, but they come highly recommended

It came with this advice for me:
"Believe the cooking time! they won't look done, but after resting overnight you have what you got :)If you make a lot of drop cookies or like gadgets get a #70 disher and drop them straight into a bowl of sugar. "
--

from http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/07/spiced-up-ginger-cookies.html

"These Spiced Up Ginger Cookies are really good. Certainly the best in recent memory, if not the best chewy ginger cookies I've ever had. They have a lot of spice. They have nice crispy edges when they're freshly baked. They use oil instead of butter so they remain very chewy, even after a few days!I'm reprinting the recipe here. I added a pinch of salt and rolled the cookies in sugar before baking. The rolling could certainly be omitted, but I love the way it looks."

Spiced Up Ginger Cookies
2 cups ap flour
1 tbsp ground
ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp
each ground cardamom and black pepper
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup
vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chopped candied
ginger
1/4 cup coarse sugar, for rolling
Preheat oven to 350F and line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour,
spices, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and
vegetable oil. Beat in egg and molasses until smooth. Stir in flour mixture
until well combined, then add in candied ginger.
Shape dough into 1 inch
balls, roll in coarse sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes until
very lightly browned.
Let cookies cool for 3-5 minutes on cookie sheet, then
remove to a wire rack until cool.
Makes 3 dozen.

Spicy Almonds

[recipe from http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=55 via http://www.quietfish.com/notebook/?p=583]

Edited to add, Andrea's updated her recipe.

These are an absolute hit with all who have tried them!
--
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 cups whole blanched almonds

  
  
  Andrea's updated her recipe to use this much less expensive nut combo: 1 cup whole almonds (shelled with brown "skin" intact), 1/2 cup pecan halves and 1/2 cup blanched almonds.)
  

• 1/2 cup plus one tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Andrea prefers 1 1/2 tsp)
  

Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat.
  
• Add the nuts and sprinkle the 1/2 cup sugar over them.
  
• Saute until the almonds become golden brown and the sugar caramelizes.
  [Almonds burn quickly. Keep stirring!]
  

Don't stop stirring the almonds while cooking!

• Remove the almonds from the pan and toss in a bowl with the salt, cumin, pepper flakes and the remaining sugar.
  

• Take the mixture and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking sheet.
• Separate the nuts before they cool. (Warning, if you don't do this, you'll end up with big candied nut balls!)
  NOTE:
  

  If your almonds are stuck to each other, break things into small enough pieces to put in a jar. Put the lid firmly on the jar. Give the jar a good shake and the almonds will, hopefully, separate themselves!

• Serve warm or at room temperature.
  
• Store in an airtight tin.
  

Makes two cups.

Holiday Peppermint Bark

Love, love, love this recipe! Everyone who's tried it loves it too!



--

Adapted from:
http://www.parenthacks.com/2006/12/holiday_pepperm.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,149175-243199,00.html and
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1613,155169-227194,00.html

Equipment:

• cookie tray and no-stick spray
• spatula
• waxed paper
• something to chop up chocolate if not using chips
• something to crush peppermint

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. white chocolate (chopped or use white chocolate chips)
• 1 c. peppermint crunch (you can also use crunched peppermints or candycanes)

Instructions:

• Spray a large cookie tray with non-stick spray and then line it with a piece of wax paper.
• Take several large candy canes or a bag of peppermint candies and crush them into small pieces. (How much peppermint flavor you like should determine how many you chop up.)
• On the stove, melt two bags of white chocolate chips at a low temperature. (Recommend using a double-boiler.)(Can also be melted in the microwave.)
• When melted, add most of the crushed peppermint and stir it in.
• Pour the mixture onto the cookie tray and use spatula to spread over the tray until flat and even.
• Sprinkle the remaining peppermint pieces on top, pressing them in with a spatula.
• Let it cool. (Some recommend cooling in the freezer for about 3 minutes.)
• Peel off wax paper and break into pieces.

Store in air-tight container. (Candy-cane pieces may absorb mositure otherwise.)

Oprah's Five-Minute Fudge Wreaths: Chunky Chocolate Fudge Wreath with Walnuts and Currants

I didn't heat the ingredients long enough, so there were still some solid chips in the fudge, that gave it an interesting crunch. The fudge didn't set completely... perhaps that will resolve with sufficient heating next time. Personally, I'm not so fond of the butterscotch taste in the fudge. Your mileage may vary.

--

from http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/recipes/food_20051123_wreath.jhtml

INGREDIENTS

* 12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup butterscotch chips
* 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 8 ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
* 1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
* candied red and green cherries to decorate top (like holly)
* softened butter to grease an 8 inch round cake pan


1. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.
2. Cover the empty condensed milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of the round cake pan.
3. Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there. Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries. Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs.
4. Put the fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge into thin slices to serve.

To give the wreath as a gift-wrap in cellophane and secure with a bow or ornament.

Variations:
White Chocolate Wreath with Pistachio
and Cranberry

* Substitute the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, 1 1/2 ounce bag plus 1 cup.
* Substitute 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shelled natural pistachio nuts for walnuts.
* Substitute 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries for currants.

Goober and Raisinette Wreath

* Swap butterscotch for peanut butter chips
* Swap large whole peanuts for walnuts used in original recipe (such as peeled Virginia Peanuts)
* Swap 1/2 cup large raisins for currants in original recipe