What a Jolly Man!

I follow this Santa every year.  He is the BEST Santa.  He's fabulous. It's his beard, his jolly tummy and he's alway so happy.  

He spends quality time with all the kids including myself.  Watch out Jamie I have been following this guy for year!  

Merry Christmas everyone.

Update on Peppermint cookies

Update on Peppermint cookies

For Cookies:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening)
1 large egg

For Filling:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (definitely needs more, I used about 3 cups)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used 1/4 c. butter and 4 oz. cream cheese)
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

Rolo Delights

Ingredients:

1 bag of mini pretzels

1 bag of rolos (remove foil duh)!

whole or half size Pecans

Place a single layer of pretzels on a cookie sheet.  Set one rolo on top of each pretzel. Bake at 200 for 5 mins or just enough to soften the rolo.  Remove from oven and top with a pecan.  

These are a salty/sweet delight.

Enjoy

Super~Easy Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients:

2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Nestles Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

3 cups miniature Marshmallows

1  1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Line 13x9 baking pan with foil: grease lightly.

Microwave morsels and sweetened condensed milk in large, uncovered, microwave safe bowl on High power for 1 minute: Stir.  Morsels may retain some of their original shape.  If necessary, microwave at additional 10-15 second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.  Stir in vanilla extract.  Fold in marshmallows and nuts.  

Press mixture into prepared baking pan.  refrigerate until ready to serve.  Lift from pan: remove foil. Cut into pieces. 

A cup of sugar!

For all my nutty friends and family this recipe is for you.

Here's a recipe for microwave peanut brittle:

Combine in microwave-safe bowl:

1 cup raw peanuts (I use salted spanish peanuts)

1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup sugar

Cook on high 4 minutes in microwave

Stir, and cook 4 more minutes on high

Add 1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir

Cook 2 minutes more on high

Stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda

Pour quickly onto greased (with butter) cookie sheet (I also pam the sheet)

Cool, then break into pieces.

Enjoy

Thank you John for sharing your recipe with us all. I haven't made it yet but ate plenty of it on tamale day.

TRADITIONS

Saturday our family gathered together for our traditional tamale making day.  Those that "love" to make tamales gather in the morning.  We are usually done by noon and ready to eat red chille burros with the left overs.  That is the best part in my book!  

In the afternoon we make one or two crafts to enjoy in our homes for the Christmas  Season.   We take a break at 4:00 from a long day to wait for the rest of our loved ones to arrive for guess what? A TAMALE dinner.  After dinner we enjoy dessert and have our "battle" of an ornament exchange.  The luckest person is Mom because since she is the oldest and no one has the nerve to take away an ornament from her she gets the final pick of whatever she wants and no one can take hers!  There is a benefit to being the oldest!  Then we pack up to leave from a very long, tiring but wonderful day! 

The best of all gifts around any Christmas Tree, is the PRESENCE of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

Enjoy the slideshow.

Christmas at the Coffey Grounds

Here are a few pictures of Christmas at the Coffey Grounds.

You need to come by and see Jamie's display of lights to music at night.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

For Cookies:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

For Filling:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not over bake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops of food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

I haven't made these cookies yet but plan too this week!

Enjoy

Hot Cocoa Time

Hot Cocoa

ingredients:

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 c. sugar

1 pinch of salt

1/3 c. boiling water

3  1/2 c. milk ( whole makes it best)

3/4 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. half and half

directions:

 Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a sauce pan.  Blend in the boiling water.  Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir simmer and stir for about 2 minutes.  Watch that it doesn't scorch.  Stir in 3 1/2 c. of milk and heat until very hot but not boiling.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Divide between 4 mugs.  Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.  

Add your favorite topping.  Peppermint Marshmallow's, whipping cream etc.

I enjoyed his at a friends house this past weekend but haven't made it myself.

Enjoy

A cup of Sugar!

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

1/2 cup margarine (I used butter)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1  1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
about 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Cream margarine and peanut butter. Add sugars and flour and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, salt and soda. Chill one hour, shape into 1 inch balls. Spray mini-muffin pans with Pam. Put balls into pans and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into the middle of the cookies. 

Enjoy one of "Our Best Bits"!