Almost done...

More baking today, and I'm almost finished! I have one more recipe I want to try, and am going to attempt it tomorrow night. It's taken me the last 2 weeks to find cinnamon oil to make hard cinnamon candy. I found it today at a quilt shop, of all places, that happens to have a very extensive cake making section. Anyways, here are the recipes de jour!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not going to type out the recipe because it's the basic Tollhouse one on the back of the chocolate chip package. I do, however, make one small change...well 2 I guess. I don't ever put nuts in them even though the recipe calls for it. The other change is Crisco. When cookie recipes call for 1 cup of butter, I split it half and half with butter and Crisco. It makes a huge difference in how they turn out! These cookies are a staple item!!!



Next, I made Peanut Candy Popcorn Balls

4 quarts popped popcorn
1-1/2 cups salted peanuts
1 pkg (16 oz) red and green M & Ms
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pkg mini marshmallows

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl ( I used my turkey pan ) In large saucepan, combine butter, oil and marshmallows and cook over low heat until smooth. Poor over popcorn and mix well. When cool enough to handle, shape into balls. Leave at room temp until they firm up before wrapping them in a baggie or saran wrap.

TIP - I wrapped my hands in plastic baggies and sprayed the baggies with Pam Cooking Spray so I could shape them into balls without having to touch everything and to keep it from sticking to my hands. Here's a picture of them "firming" up and then a picture of them all wrapped up. I just used fold over sandwich bags and gift wrapping ribbon.





Finally, I made gingerbread cookies. I wasn't planning on making these, but Eric asked if I would since they are one of his favorites. I don't particularly like gingerbread, but what my man wants, my man gets. I had a recipe, but it looked overly involved. I ended up using the recipe off the back of the jar of molasses I bought today.

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and mix into sugar mixture. Chill dough in fridge for at least 2 hours. Roll out, cut out your favorite shapes...be sure to use lots of flour to keep it from sticking...trust me. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and decorate.

I used raisins and chocolate chips for the eyes. I wish I would have put them on before I baked them. Instead, I put them on as soon as they came out of the oven. The chips melted into the cookie, but I'm sure the raisins will fall off. I wanted to use raisins because the boys can have these! I used the egg replacer I found last week at the health store in this recipe so Brandon and Connor could eat them.

I used white chocolate to attach the M & Ms. Here's a little trick I learned about writing with melted chocolate. Melt it in the microwave. Meanwhile, put a baggie in a coffee cup with the edge of the bag folded over the cup. Pour in melted chocolate. Pull baggie out of the cup, snip one corner off and use it to "write" on the cookie. Works like a charm! I think the girls look like they have aprons on and have pot holders on their hands...fitting since I've had an apron and pot holders on since Friday. If the boys have been sleeping...I've been "a cookin'" Sorry the boys look like they are frowning, but I ran out of room for their mouths! Once the cookies cooled, it only took me about 25 minutes to decorate them. This picture shows about 1/3 of what I actually decorated. These didn't take long at all.