A Sweet Christmas

Ingredients:
12 oz semi sweet chocolate (I use the little blocks of baking chocolate from the bulk store)
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups icing sugar
4 tbsps Bailey's Irish Cream
1/3 cup ground hazelnuts (I also get this from the bulk store)

Directions:

Melt chocolate on low heat. Stir often to keep from burning to bottom of pan. When completely melted set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in sugar a 1/4 cup at a time. Add melted chocolate and Bailey's being sure to mix well. Put in refrigerator for one hour.

Here's the fun part. Scoop out by the tsp and shape into balls. It is important not to keep in one hand for too long as it will get mushy. Switch back and forth between hands. When it is a smooth ball roll in hazelnuts (I also roll some in leftover icing sugar), set on tray. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. The longer they sit the better they taste.

This recipe makes five dozen deliciously addictive truffles.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp cream of tartar (necessary!)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 cups flour

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients, mix well before adding a third at a time to wet ingredients, mixing well.

Roll into balls in flatten, use in a cookie maker or roll out and use cookie cutter. All work well. Bake in oven on parchment paper lined cookie sheets at 300 degrees F. Keep and eye on them and remove when they begin to color.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of cornstarch
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 cups flour
1 pound butter, softened

Directions:

Blend all ingredients. Cut into two section and roll dough flat. Use different shaped cookie cutters press out cookies. Leave as is or decorate with diced cherries. Alternative is to roll by hand and press into cookie sheet with 1/4 cherry. Bake on parchment covered cookie sheet at 325 degrees until lightly golden. This recipe makes approximately six dozen shortbreads.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 package of saltines

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13 inch deep cookie sheet with tinfoil making sure to press it into the corners and sides without tearing it. Grease tinfoil with a light coating of oil wiping off excess with paper towel.

Line this tray with the saltines. One package should completely cover the tray. In a saucepan melt butter and sugar. Bring to boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Carefully pour over the saltines making sure to cover them all.

Put in a 400 degree oven for five minutes. It will bubble like crazy. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over tray. Take a spoon and spread chocolate as it melts. Once the chips have completely melted and you have have spread it over saltines, refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces and store in air tight container in fridge or freezer.

Ingredients:
2 cups of milk chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup raisons
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in raisons and almonds. Drop by tablespoon full on to a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Chill in fridge.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups peanuts, chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt chocolate chips in saucepan. Stir in peanut butter and honey. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Press into a 9" x 13" pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate overnight and cut into squares the next day.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flower
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup glazed cherries

Directions:

This recipe is excellent if you have a cookie maker but also works well if you just drop by the spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add flour and continue to mix until light and fluffy. Prepare cookies, decorate with cherries and bake in 324 degree F oven for approximately ten minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and rack. Tastes wonderful when served from freezer. This recipe makes about three dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups colored marshmallows
1/2 cup fine coconut

Directions:

Beat the egg and icing sugar while the chocolate and butter are melting in a saucepan. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the sugar mixture stirring until mixed. Let cool a few minutes. Gently stir in nuts and marshmallows.

Separate this mixture into three. Shape each one into a long roll about 1 1/2" in diameter. Roll each one in the coconut. Put all three rolls on a tray in freezer. When ready to serve cut into 1/2" slices.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups mincemeat (I get this from the bulk store)
1 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped candied fruit (from bulk store)
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Grease two 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pans. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda. In a large bowl combine eggs, mincemeat, milk, candied fruit and nuts. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Divide batter between the pans and bake for an hour and half or until knife comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap well in foil and freeze. It's easy to cut while frozen and can be taken out to thirty minutes prior.

I've even had none "fruitcake" eaters enjoy this one.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 packages butterscotch chips
small package of colored marshmallows

Directions:

Melt butters and chips over low heat and let cool well. Mix in the marshmallows when they won't melt. Lightly smooth into greased 7" x 11" pan. Cool completely in fridge and cut into small squares.

Base Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup fine coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Base Directions:

In a saucepan, melt butter slowly over low heat. While it's melting add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg. Continuing stirring until it looks like custard. Set aside. Mix crumbs, coconut and nuts together then add to butter mixture. Combine well. Press into ungreased 8" pan and set aside.

Filling Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
3 tbsp milk
2 cups icing sugar

Filling Directions:

Cream butter. Add vanilla, custard powder and milk and mix. Add icing sugar and continue to beat until the consistency of icing. Spread with a warm metal spoon over base and allow to harden in fridge.

Topping Ingredients:
6 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Topping Directions:

In a small saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Spread evenly over the top of the icing filling. Refrigerate and cut into bars when set.