SANDTART BAKING, 2015!

                                                                       

We had FUN baking Sandtarts today! This was the first time my Granddaughters help bake & I know it will be a Christmas tradition! You can go to this link for the recipes & the fun!

http://recipesforjudysfoodies.blogspot.com/2011/02/old-fashion-all-butter-sandtarts.html

Chocolate Mint Frosted Drop Cookies

                                                                             

These are a great cookie! Soft Chocolate Mint Drop Cookies,with a Chocolate Mint Frosting that tastes like Ice Cream & then topped with Pastel Mint Candies! 

COOKIES:

3 & 1/2 Cup Flour

4 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Cup Softened Butter

2 Cups Sugar

4 One Ounce Squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Melted & cooled

2 Eggs

1 & 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

2 Teaspoons Pure Mint Extract

Beat butter, add sugar the cooled chocolate & beat again. Now add eggs & beat again. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Stir the mint extract & buttermilk together. Now add about 1/3 of your dry ingredients to your butter mixture & beat. Now add 1/3 of the buttermilk, mint mixture & beat again. Continue alternating ending with your dry ingredients & beating until well blended. Chill your dough. When ready to bake drop by using heaping tablespoons of dough onto your baking sheets leaving plenty of room  for them to bake, I do about 9 cookies per sheet. Bake in a preheated oven of 400 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes! Remove from sheets & let cool. Once cool frost with the following frosting!

FROSTING:

8 Tablespoons of Softened Butter

3 Cups of cooled melted sweet or semi sweet Chocolate, I used Milk Chocolate Wilbur Melting Wafers!

1 Teaspoon Pure Mint Extract

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Dash of Salt

1/2 to 3/4 Cup Light Cream or !/2 & 1/2

Beat butter & chocolate together, add a little of sugar, salt, mint extract & little of the cream & beat. Ad sugar & cream a little at a time until frosting is incorporated & the consistency you desire! Frost cookies like in the picture & decorate with candy  I used Pastel Mint Candies! Store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers! Makes about 5 dozen big cookies!

Chocolate Pecan Clusters

                                                                         

CANDY at CHRISTMAS CAN BE EASY & FUN!

3 Pounds of Wilbur Melting Chocolate Wafers. I use 2 Pounds Milk & 1 pound of Dark Chocolate. Melt on low in your Crock Pot.

Stir in 3 Pound of Choice Chopped Pecan Pieces or more if you want them extra nutty! I just eyeball it! Stir the nuts & chocolate all together. Now drop by large spoonfuls onto a wax papered surface. I happened to have these Kraft Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows on hand so I popped one in the center of half of my clusters! YUMMY! If you choose to add a Marshmallow just gently press one in the center of the cluster so the chocolate will harden & hold it in place!

 Let cool until hardened! I usually let my sit out over night! Gently run a knife under the wax paper under each candy piece & they will pop right off the wax paper. Store in an air tight container! EASY & DELICIOUS!

HERMITS my Mom's Christmas Cookie Recipe!

                                                                       

These are a great cookie for storing, nicely spiced & have a great nutty & yet chewy texture! 

1 Cup Butter Softened

2 Cups Brown Sugar ( I used light but I like Dark Brown Sugar in these & switch it up!)

3 Eggs

3 & 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda Dissolved in 1/2 Cup Hot Water or Coffee

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Allspice

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Finely Chopped Raisin ( I did mine if the Food Processor)

1 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts ( I use Pecans because I am allergic to Walnuts!)

Cream Butter add brown sugar & beat again. Add eggs, vanilla & beat. Now add your baking soda liquid & beat again. Stir all the dry ingredients together well & the gradually beat those into your batter. Chill dough. When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto your cookie sheets spaced far apart, these will spread out & flatten, I put about 9 on a sheet! Bake one sheet at a time for about 9 minutes, cookies will look dark, but not burnt! That is what you want! Let cookies rest on your baking sheet for about 1 minutes & then remove to cool the cookies! SO YUMMY! Makes about 5 dozen! & no I have no idea why these are called Hermits but they are HAPPY HERMITS!