Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

Today I am excited to take part in the final day of a 30 Days of Christmas Series hosted by Carrie at Crafty Night Owls.  There are lots of fun ideas, so go check out the other posts. They are grouped with links at the bottom.

A while back I did a post similar to this for Mint Truffle Thumbprint Cookies.  I am a green mint fan, but I know there are lots of peppermint fans out there, so I altered it to make these Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies!  They might look a little thin, because I had to use parchment paper instead of my silicone baking mat, but I might have pressed them down a little too much as well.  Whoops!  In any case, these cookies are delicious!  They start with a cake mix & little helpers can unwrap the candy kisses for you!  They are the perfect family treat to make for your neighbors!  Enjoy!

Mint Truffle Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 box White Cake Mix
• 1 (8oz) tub Cool Whip
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 (2.25oz) bottle red sugar crystals
• Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, for drizzle

1. In a stand mixer, combine cake mix, cool whip, egg & peppermint extract.  Scrape bowl & re-mix until no cool whip streaks appear.  (Do NOT use a hand mixer, the dough is thick.)
2. Scoop balls of cookie dough & dredge (coat) the outside of the cookie dough in a bowl filled with the red sugar crystals.  Flatten cookie dough until about 3/4″ thick on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place an unwrapped candy cane kiss in the center.  Repeat with each cookie.
3. Bake at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have spread, cracked & look done. (I find they are thicker if they cook the full 12 minutes.)  HALFWAY THROUGH BAKING, open the door to the ove & quickly smooth the tip of the kiss the best you can with the back of a spoon.  Close the door & continue baking.
4. Heat the white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted.  Place melted chocolate in a plastic bag with the corner cut off.  Zig-zag the tops of the cookies.  Allow to cool completely before removing from pan & packaging for friends/neighbors.  You can place cookies in the fridge to speed the process along.  Enjoy!

*Makes 16 large cookies.

Today I am excited to take part in the final day of a 30 Days of Christmas Series hosted by Carrie at Crafty Night Owls.  There are lots of fun ideas, so go check out the other posts. They are grouped with links at the bottom.

A while back I did a post similar to this for Mint Truffle Thumbprint Cookies.  I am a green mint fan, but I know there are lots of peppermint fans out there, so I altered it to make these Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies!  They might look a little thin, because I had to use parchment paper instead of my silicone baking mat, but I might have pressed them down a little too much as well.  Whoops!  In any case, these cookies are delicious!  They start with a cake mix & little helpers can unwrap the candy kisses for you!  They are the perfect family treat to make for your neighbors!  Enjoy!

Mint Truffle Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 1 box White Cake Mix
• 1 (8oz) tub Cool Whip
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 (2.25oz) bottle red sugar crystals
• Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, for drizzle

1. In a stand mixer, combine cake mix, cool whip, egg & peppermint extract.  Scrape bowl & re-mix until no cool whip streaks appear.  (Do NOT use a hand mixer, the dough is thick.)
2. Scoop balls of cookie dough & dredge (coat) the outside of the cookie dough in a bowl filled with the red sugar crystals.  Flatten cookie dough until about 3/4″ thick on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place an unwrapped candy cane kiss in the center.  Repeat with each cookie.
3. Bake at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have spread, cracked & look done. (I find they are thicker if they cook the full 12 minutes.)  HALFWAY THROUGH BAKING, open the door to the ove & quickly smooth the tip of the kiss the best you can with the back of a spoon.  Close the door & continue baking.
4. Heat the white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted.  Place melted chocolate in a plastic bag with the corner cut off.  Zig-zag the tops of the cookies.  Allow to cool completely before removing from pan & packaging for friends/neighbors.  You can place cookies in the fridge to speed the process along.  Enjoy!

*Makes 16 large cookies.

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Cranberry Lime Spritzer {Guest Post}

Oh my gosh!  I am so excited to share today's recipe you guys!  It's one of those drinks that you just can't stop drinking!  Well, I guess if you like a tart & lightly sweet drink, that is.  It's only 3 ingredients to make!  And it's a show stopper drink since it's garnished with bright, fresh cranberries & sliced limes.  Impress your guests with this beautifully delicious drink this year!  This is a contributor post I wrote for Pretty Providence so hop on over & check out the recipe there!  

Find the Recipe HERE.

Oh my gosh!  I am so excited to share today's recipe you guys!  It's one of those drinks that you just can't stop drinking!  Well, I guess if you like a tart & lightly sweet drink, that is.  It's only 3 ingredients to make!  And it's a show stopper drink since it's garnished with bright, fresh cranberries & sliced limes.  Impress your guests with this beautifully delicious drink this year!  This is a contributor post I wrote for Pretty Providence so hop on over & check out the recipe there!  

Find the Recipe HERE.

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Mocha Parfaits { & A Little Help for the Holidays from Kraft}

With creamy layers of mocha custard, coffee whipped cream, and coffee liqueur-laced cookie crumbs, Mocha Parfaits are a perfect sweet treat for entertaining. Whip them up in shot glasses for a party treat, or cocktail glasses for a full-sized dessert.

Wow, is it ever getting close to Christmas day! How are you doing on your holiday-prep to do list? If you're anything like me, you're probably feeling a bit behind.

With all the extra fun that surrounds the holidays ... shopping, decorating, attending others' parties, planning and preparing for our own parties, gift wrapping, baking, and more ... all while still keeping up with the day-to-day routine, it can be hard to keep up with everything on the holiday to-do list.

Continue Reading >>

With creamy layers of mocha custard, coffee whipped cream, and coffee liqueur-laced cookie crumbs, Mocha Parfaits are a perfect sweet treat for entertaining. Whip them up in shot glasses for a party treat, or cocktail glasses for a full-sized dessert.

Wow, is it ever getting close to Christmas day! How are you doing on your holiday-prep to do list? If you're anything like me, you're probably feeling a bit behind.

With all the extra fun that surrounds the holidays ... shopping, decorating, attending others' parties, planning and preparing for our own parties, gift wrapping, baking, and more ... all while still keeping up with the day-to-day routine, it can be hard to keep up with everything on the holiday to-do list.

Continue Reading >>

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White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons

I have a confession to make.  Are you ready?  Even being a culinary graduate, I have NEVER made French Macarons until now.  Can you believe it?  How did I get out of that one?  Haha.  My friends Yvonne (from Tried & Tasty) & Jesseca (from One Sweet Appetite) tried out this foolproof French macaron recipe & had success on their first try, so when they wanted to get together again, I kind of invited myself.  Haha.  Not really, they invited me, & I am so glad they did.  It was hard coming up with which flavor I wanted to do, but these White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons are absolutely delicious.  The flavors compliment each other so well, it's definitely a "wow" in your mouth!

Now, I know french macarons can be intimidating, but if you follow the instructions (with the help of watching Beth's video) you can have success, even on your first try! My only additional tip to add to all of the great ones from Beth, is to use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper.  Silicone baking mats are rubbery, so they naturally have that traction to them that will help your macaron from spreading too much & rise to create the feet.  I got a great deal on a 4 pack of Sil-Eco brand baking mats on Amazon that are just like Sil-Pat mats, just made in China instead of France.  I used two of the mats & gifted the other two.  Since 4 cost about as much as 1 Sil-Pat, you can afford to be generous like that, & your friends/family will love it as much as you will!  Nothing sticks!  

Okay one last tip!  I measured my ingredients, but it's a good idea to scale (weigh) them for more accuracy.  If you are not going to scale them, make sure you stir up the dry ingredients before measuring them, so they are not heavy/packed into your measuring cup.

These cookies are adorable to gift for the holidays!  Your friends will be impressed with how good they look & taste, & even more impressed that you made them!  Good luck, & feel free to ask me any questions or refer to Beth's video to watch how they are made.

In other news, I've teamed up with 11 other bloggers in a virtual cookie exchange.  We are each sharing a cookie recipe on our blog today.   These twelve cookie recipes will keep you baking until Christmas.  Please click on each individual link for the recipe.

1. Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Night Owl Blog
2. Jam Thumbprints and Tea Cakes from Hungry Girl Por Vida
3. Popcorn Cookies from Betsy Life
4. Peppermint White Chocolate Covered Oreos from Mommifried
5. Peanut Butter Heath Cookies from Whatcha Makin' Now
6. Peppermint Cream Cookies from The Bitter Side of Sweet
7. White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons from Dessert Now Dinner Later
8. White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread from Joyful Scribblings
9. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies from Daily Cup of Kate
10. Toasted Almond Russian Tea Cakes from Meegan Makes
11. Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Cookies from What Katie's Baking
12. Grandma's Sugar Cookies from Writer Mom Blog

White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons

Recipe adapted from Beth's Foolproof French Macarons by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Gingerbread Macaron Shells:

• 3 egg whites, room temperature (MUST BE ROOM TEMP!)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (2ml)
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (50g)
• brown food coloring
• 2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar (200g)
• 1 cup almond flour (120g) (I used natural roasted almond flour, which I think added to the wonderful taste)
• 1 tsp dried ground ginger
• 1 tsp dried ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp dried ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp dried ground nutmeg

White Chocolate Ganache:

• 6oz (1 cup) good quality white chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
• 5 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

1. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add salt, cream of tartar, & white granulated sugar for 8 to 10 minutes.  Whip until they form a stiff peak that stands straight up.  Add food coloring & mix until desired shade.
2. Sift the powdered sugar & almond flour.  It's okay if some almond pieces don't sift through, just toss them in the garbage.  You want a really fine powder to create a smooth top to your cookies.  Add the spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg) & mix together with the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients half at a time to the whipped egg whites.  Fold with a spatula a total of 65 to 75 turns.  Under-mixing can cause lumpy cracked cookies.  Over-mixing will create flat cookies that have no feet.  Go for just enough turns to not see dry powder, but it should be close to 65 to 75 turns.
4. Transfer batter to a pastry bag.  Pipe out 1" rounds (think the size of a quarter) onto parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheets (using silicone mats is preferred.)  Tap the pan hard, 2 to 3 times, to release any air bubbles, which prevents the tops from cracking.  Allow them to sit out for 20 to 30 minutes or even up to 1 hour to dry out & be tacky to the touch.  This helps develop the feet.  When they are dried out they can't spread outwards, & will be forced to rise upward when they bake, creating the feet.
5. Bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes.  Do NOT under-bake even if they look done or they will stick to your tray.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling by bringing the heavy cream & vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan on the stovetop.  Once it reaches a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat & pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate chips in a bowl.  Stir until smooth & melted.  Allow mixture to cool & thicken to a piping texture.  To speed this process along, place the bowl of white chocolate ganache in the refrigerator, but keep a close eye on it, it can harden quickly.
7. Reverse cookie shells on their backs & pipe the ganache in a circular motion to cover the base.  Top with another macaron shell to create a macaron sandwich.  Repeat with all of the cookies.  Be gentle because they are fragile! Store in an airtight container.

Watch Beth's Video for detailed, step-by-step instructions.

I have a confession to make.  Are you ready?  Even being a culinary graduate, I have NEVER made French Macarons until now.  Can you believe it?  How did I get out of that one?  Haha.  My friends Yvonne (from Tried & Tasty) & Jesseca (from One Sweet Appetite) tried out this foolproof French macaron recipe & had success on their first try, so when they wanted to get together again, I kind of invited myself.  Haha.  Not really, they invited me, & I am so glad they did.  It was hard coming up with which flavor I wanted to do, but these White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons are absolutely delicious.  The flavors compliment each other so well, it's definitely a "wow" in your mouth!

Now, I know french macarons can be intimidating, but if you follow the instructions (with the help of watching Beth's video) you can have success, even on your first try! My only additional tip to add to all of the great ones from Beth, is to use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper.  Silicone baking mats are rubbery, so they naturally have that traction to them that will help your macaron from spreading too much & rise to create the feet.  I got a great deal on a 4 pack of Sil-Eco brand baking mats on Amazon that are just like Sil-Pat mats, just made in China instead of France.  I used two of the mats & gifted the other two.  Since 4 cost about as much as 1 Sil-Pat, you can afford to be generous like that, & your friends/family will love it as much as you will!  Nothing sticks!  

Okay one last tip!  I measured my ingredients, but it's a good idea to scale (weigh) them for more accuracy.  If you are not going to scale them, make sure you stir up the dry ingredients before measuring them, so they are not heavy/packed into your measuring cup.

These cookies are adorable to gift for the holidays!  Your friends will be impressed with how good they look & taste, & even more impressed that you made them!  Good luck, & feel free to ask me any questions or refer to Beth's video to watch how they are made.

In other news, I've teamed up with 11 other bloggers in a virtual cookie exchange.  We are each sharing a cookie recipe on our blog today.   These twelve cookie recipes will keep you baking until Christmas.  Please click on each individual link for the recipe.

1. Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Night Owl Blog
2. Jam Thumbprints and Tea Cakes from Hungry Girl Por Vida
3. Popcorn Cookies from Betsy Life
4. Peppermint White Chocolate Covered Oreos from Mommifried
5. Peanut Butter Heath Cookies from Whatcha Makin' Now
6. Peppermint Cream Cookies from The Bitter Side of Sweet
7. White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons from Dessert Now Dinner Later
8. White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread from Joyful Scribblings
9. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies from Daily Cup of Kate
10. Toasted Almond Russian Tea Cakes from Meegan Makes
11. Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Cookies from What Katie's Baking
12. Grandma's Sugar Cookies from Writer Mom Blog

White Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Macarons

Recipe adapted from Beth's Foolproof French Macarons by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Gingerbread Macaron Shells:

• 3 egg whites, room temperature (MUST BE ROOM TEMP!)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (2ml)
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (50g)
• brown food coloring
• 2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar (200g)
• 1 cup almond flour (120g) (I used natural roasted almond flour, which I think added to the wonderful taste)
• 1 tsp dried ground ginger
• 1 tsp dried ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp dried ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp dried ground nutmeg

White Chocolate Ganache:

• 6oz (1 cup) good quality white chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
• 5 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

1. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add salt, cream of tartar, & white granulated sugar for 8 to 10 minutes.  Whip until they form a stiff peak that stands straight up.  Add food coloring & mix until desired shade.
2. Sift the powdered sugar & almond flour.  It's okay if some almond pieces don't sift through, just toss them in the garbage.  You want a really fine powder to create a smooth top to your cookies.  Add the spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg) & mix together with the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients half at a time to the whipped egg whites.  Fold with a spatula a total of 65 to 75 turns.  Under-mixing can cause lumpy cracked cookies.  Over-mixing will create flat cookies that have no feet.  Go for just enough turns to not see dry powder, but it should be close to 65 to 75 turns.
4. Transfer batter to a pastry bag.  Pipe out 1" rounds (think the size of a quarter) onto parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheets (using silicone mats is preferred.)  Tap the pan hard, 2 to 3 times, to release any air bubbles, which prevents the tops from cracking.  Allow them to sit out for 20 to 30 minutes or even up to 1 hour to dry out & be tacky to the touch.  This helps develop the feet.  When they are dried out they can't spread outwards, & will be forced to rise upward when they bake, creating the feet.
5. Bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes.  Do NOT under-bake even if they look done or they will stick to your tray.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling by bringing the heavy cream & vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan on the stovetop.  Once it reaches a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat & pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate chips in a bowl.  Stir until smooth & melted.  Allow mixture to cool & thicken to a piping texture.  To speed this process along, place the bowl of white chocolate ganache in the refrigerator, but keep a close eye on it, it can harden quickly.
7. Reverse cookie shells on their backs & pipe the ganache in a circular motion to cover the base.  Top with another macaron shell to create a macaron sandwich.  Repeat with all of the cookies.  Be gentle because they are fragile! Store in an airtight container.

Watch Beth's Video for detailed, step-by-step instructions.

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HUGE Give-Away ~ 10 Prizes, 10 WINNERS!

WOW! Have I ever got a fabulous give-away for you! ... it's got 10 prizes, and there will be 10 WINNERS!! And I hope one of those 10 winners will be YOU!

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WOW! Have I ever got a fabulous give-away for you! ... it's got 10 prizes, and there will be 10 WINNERS!! And I hope one of those 10 winners will be YOU!

Continue Reading >>

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12 Days of Rhodes, Christmas Fun!

As you may or may not already know, I am a monthly blogger for Rhodes Bake N Serv.  If you have never had their rolls you are crazy & better head to the store now!  They are so versatile & delicious, & basically fool proof to use in any recipe that uses yeast bread.  

So Rhodes has a blog, as I briefly mentioned in the above paragraph, & guess what?!  Holiday help has arrived! To help you plan for the holiday, Rhodes is happy to bring you The Twelve Days of Rhodes! We are going to have a fun series of 12 posts on our blog and will feature lots of quick and easy ideas for you and your family. Do you have a magic Elf on the Shelf? We've got some funny ideas! Hosting a holiday dinner? Check out our post on beautiful shaped rolls. We've got great stuff for the kids, gift ideas, and tons more! Join us for The 12 Days of Rhodes Christmas Fun on our blog! http://rhodesbread.com/blog

Day one was yesterday & had an elf on the shelf idea from Amy using some Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls.  DELICIOUS! Check out that post HERE & then check back every day through the 21st for more easy, fun holiday ideas using Rhodes.  I can't wait to see what fun & easy idea they have for today...

As you may or may not already know, I am a monthly blogger for Rhodes Bake N Serv.  If you have never had their rolls you are crazy & better head to the store now!  They are so versatile & delicious, & basically fool proof to use in any recipe that uses yeast bread.  

So Rhodes has a blog, as I briefly mentioned in the above paragraph, & guess what?!  Holiday help has arrived! To help you plan for the holiday, Rhodes is happy to bring you The Twelve Days of Rhodes! We are going to have a fun series of 12 posts on our blog and will feature lots of quick and easy ideas for you and your family. Do you have a magic Elf on the Shelf? We've got some funny ideas! Hosting a holiday dinner? Check out our post on beautiful shaped rolls. We've got great stuff for the kids, gift ideas, and tons more! Join us for The 12 Days of Rhodes Christmas Fun on our blog! http://rhodesbread.com/blog

Day one was yesterday & had an elf on the shelf idea from Amy using some Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls.  DELICIOUS! Check out that post HERE & then check back every day through the 21st for more easy, fun holiday ideas using Rhodes.  I can't wait to see what fun & easy idea they have for today...

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Chocolate Cherry Coconutty Macaroons

Who likes coconut like I do?!  A while back I introduced you all to Shirley J's Coconutty Macaroon Mix.  I am in love with the stuff.  You add water & bake.  So easy & the texture of the cookies is soft & chewy.  Superb I tell ya!  Well, today's recipe is featuring that macaroon mix with the addition of cherry pie filling & melted chocolate chips.  These cookies are so festive & the flavors pair perfectly together.  Plus, they are pretty to look at & package nicely, so they make great neighbor gifts!

Check out the Recipe HERE.

Who likes coconut like I do?!  A while back I introduced you all to Shirley J's Coconutty Macaroon Mix.  I am in love with the stuff.  You add water & bake.  So easy & the texture of the cookies is soft & chewy.  Superb I tell ya!  Well, today's recipe is featuring that macaroon mix with the addition of cherry pie filling & melted chocolate chips.  These cookies are so festive & the flavors pair perfectly together.  Plus, they are pretty to look at & package nicely, so they make great neighbor gifts!

Check out the Recipe HERE.

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