Holiday goodies

Since no one seems to be in much of a business mindset, today we're sharing our favorite holiday recipes.
If you have one to post, please do.

Here's the one I'll be making this week: from Martha Stewart by way of Marketing Mentor client, Jezra Kaye, of Communicate with Power and Ease,

Mrs. Fields Mocha Chunk Cookies
(world’s best cookie recipe)

• 2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. instant coffee crystals (Bustelo instant espresso is great)
• 2 tsp. coffee liqueur (may substitute dark alcohol like rum, scotch)
• 1 c. white sugar
• ¾ c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 c. salted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 c. (10 oz.) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Walnuts to taste

1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. In a medium mixer or Cuisinart bowl, combine butter, sugars and cocoa.  (If mixing by hand, beat until thoroughly blended.)
3. When smooth, add eggs and coffee crystals, dissolved in the alcohol.
4. Sift (or mix) flour, soda and salt.
5. Add to liquid mixture and stir until blended (don’t overmix).
6. Add chocolate chunks and walnuts, if desired.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart, and bake for 18-23 minutes.  Dough should still be soft when taken from the oven.
8. Transfer to a flat surface and cool before eating—if you can wait that long!

Yummy Gingerbread
(from a generous woman named Carrie whom I met at a party almost 20 years ago):
Here's my old stand by for delicious and sturdy gingerbread people and houses:

• 8 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon salt (may not need that much)
• 1 tablespoon each of allspice and ginger (feel free to double or triple these)
• 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and clove
• 1 1/4 cup of molasses
• 1/2 pound of butter

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
3. Add the molasses and mix.
4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and stir those in.
5. Bake it at 375 degrees. You'll know when it's done.
6. Then, let them cool and decorate.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie (posted anonymously on a blog from last year)
Good compromise between pumpkin pie and cheesecake. Yum!

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 T milk
• 1 T sugar
• 1 8-oz tub whipped cream (Cool Whip, etc.)
• 1 graham cracker pie crust
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 16-oz can pumpkins (for pies)
• 2 pkgs (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

1. Mix cream cheese, 1 T milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth.
2. Gently stir in 1.5 cups of whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust.
3. Pour 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk until well mixed. (Mixture will be THICK!)
4. Spread over cream cheese layer.
5. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining topping.

Comments

[Dani Nordin]

mmmm... those sound good. I've already made my holiday cookies, and most of them are already wrapped (those which haven't been eaten, anyway), but they were mighty tasty:

Chocolate Chip/Butterscotch Cookies with Oatmeal and Nutmeg
Killer Christmas Shortbread

Sooo tasty. The shortbread in particular are a holiday staple, and a few of my friends have actually gotten upset with me for not making it.