Christmas Baking

[Malpka]

So every year when friends stop by with a tasty little plate of their Christmas treats as a show of friendship and caring, I make lots of excuses about how "I keep putting off my baking this year" "Going to get around to it this weekend" "Things have been SO crazy". Truth be told, I have never done any Christmas baking. Ever.

So this year, while trapped insde the arcitc blast with two willing little helpers, all that has to change! I *am* going to do it this year. Really


So tell me, dear ladies and gents, what are your fave Christmas treats? Recipes to share? I will be taking notes!

I managed to sucker myself into hosting a Christams baking night with my girlfriends tonight...basically it's like a cookie exchange, but everyone picks easy recipes and does it in the same place while drinking copious amounts of wine...fun! Great way to get it all done.

I am making potato chip squares, they sound disgusting, but taste amazing in a horribly fattening kind of way...just melt 1 package of chocolate chips with1 pkg of butterscotch chips and crunch up a bad of Ruffles chips stir it all in and voila...I put them in little muffin papers and refrigerate or freeze them, they thaw in minutes. Everyone who has tried them eats more than one so I guess that's a good thing ...

[Sheherezade]

Seven Layer or Magic Cookie bars are really easy and good to do with kids. You take a stick of butter and melt it. Add in about 2 cups of crushed graham crackers (either buy them crushed or have the kids beat them with a mallet in a heavy duty ziploc). Smush that mixture along the bottom of a 13 x 9 dish. Add a cup of chocolate chips, a cup of walnuts, some butterscotch chips, M and Ms, coconut....whatever you fancy on top in layers. Then, pour a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk on top all over. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes. Let cool completely then cut in to squares.

Of course, all kids like the sugar cookies and decorating. Very messy....but easy to do. You can even buy the refrigerated dough, roll it out to cut and just concentrate on the decorating.

[Ravenclaw]

I second the Magic Cookie Bars. They are SOO good and SO easy to make...and so bad for you but it's holiday time so no calories count then right?

[Stella]

I don't bake. Why did I sign up for the cookie exchange again??

Anyway, no one bakes me cookies either, so I guess it's okay. Just tell them you don't bake at Christmas time, but would you like a roll of Pillsbury chocolote chip cookies to heat up when you get home?

[Michele]

One of my favorite holiday cookies is the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey kiss on top...they aren't necessarily 'holiday' but my mom was smart enough to only make them one time a year!

[DCJenn]

My mom also makes them only one time a year. She has a similar peanut butter cookie that is a bar that upon removal from the oven fullsize hershy bars are placed on top so that they melt and become "frosting".

Jenn

[pstone]

I am usually a chocolate person, but that being said, I eat these till I either get sick or pass out. sometimes both.

Pecan Balls:

1/2 lb butter
2 cups pecans chopped
4t sugar
1 3/4c sifted flour
1T vanilla
Pinch of salt
bowl of powdered sugar

Combine ingredients, Roll into small balls. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes
When slightly cool, roll in powdered sugar!



Chocolate Meringues

2 egg whites
1t vanilla
1/8t salt
1/8t cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 -6oz pk. chocolate chips
1/4 walnuts (optional of course)
food coloring (if you want to color them)

Beat first 4 ingredients until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate and nuts. cover cookie sheet with plain brown paper. (paper grocery bag) Drop mixture by rounded teaspons. Bake at 300 degress for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing. Keep in AIRTIGHT container...tend to lose their crisp.