What is your must have at Christmas
 

Are there any Christmas candy or cookie recipes that you make every year? I'm looking for some new recipes, we don't normally make anything but Sugar Cookies, but I want something different this year.
What are your must haves??

I love to make snickerdoodles. I'm going to try a new recipe this year. And actually, we usually pick 3 or 4 new cookie recipes every year that I bake to try. If I like them I add them to my cookbook and then I'll pick some of those for the neighbors.

Chocolate peppermint bark. I love peppermint bark. last year I made a variation that had a base of graham crackers that was awesome.

my grandmother makes fudge every year. plain old fudge, nothing special. but it's tradition.
my mom makes krumkaka, which are swedish cookies made on an iron, one at a time. it takes her all afternoon to do it. we only get them at christmas.
i think this year, i'm gonna do cake balls. and i want to try salted caramel butter bars, and double chocolate mint cookies (both recipes from cookies and cups).

I love sugar cookies at Christmas, but have no patience to bake and decorate them. I always have to make peanut clusters and white chocolate party mix.

I like simple!! My favortie is Peanut Butter Blossoms!!! I use the recipe on the back of the Hershey Kiss bag!!!

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...-12-10-024.jpg

Yeah, my poor kid. One year I made fudge and predone cookies and thought I was a baking goddess. I have no plans this year. ;)

My favorites are Peanut Butter Blossoms - but ds is allergic to peanuts so we don't make those anymore :( This year we will make sugar cookies, oreo balls and chocolate covered pretzels. Another one that we like to make are called Santa's Snicker Surprises (peanut butter cookie that covers a mini snicker bar - really yummy)

We always have peanut butter blossoms, fudge, and these chocolate coconut bars.

OMG yes these rock and if you buy the roll of PB cookie dough they are like a snap to make!!! I haven't made these is a while...I might just have to add them to our calendar!!!

We really like these and they are super easy:

http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/r...105ALMFA02.jpg

I love these.

they are so yummy!! I think they are DH's favorite. :)

Can you tell me the recipe for the Santa's Surprise cookies? The easy pre-made cookie dough please?

I recently made peppermint bark popcorn and it was TO.DIE.FOR. I ate it all and really craving some right now but I dont have any almond bark. :(

I've never used the pre-made cookie dough but I can't imagine it being much different. Here's the recipe that I have:

2 sticks butter (softened)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3.5 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pkg (13 oz.) Snickers Miniatures
1 pkg (11 oz) Dove Milk or Dark Chocolate (optional)

1. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on a medium to low speed until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then mix in flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cover and chill for 2-3 hrs.
4. Unwrap all Snickers minis
5. Remove dough from fridge. Divide into 1 tablespoon pieces and flatten.
6. Place a Snickers in the center of each piece of dough
7. Form the dough into a ball around each Snickers
8. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes. (Baking time and temperature may need to be adjusted if using more then 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie)
9. Let cookies cool on baking rack or wax paper. (Holiday Hint: Spruce up Santa's surprise by drizzling melted Dove chocolate over the top of each cookie!)

(and yes that was word for word my recipe lol) I've never actually sifted my flour and it turned out fine. Hope this helps a little bit :)

peanut butter fudge is my favorite

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3/4 cup peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

this is seriously the best peanut butter fudge I have ever tried

Shortbread cookies!

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...eadcookies.jpg

Let's bring in some Eastern European exotic flair. :-)

These are my musts (I can provide recipes on request):

Half-moons with rum icing (real rum, no essence). These are always a hit and I think they're the most US compatible.
http://helenvader.net/adrianka/sweet/mesiaciky_02.jpg

Vanilla miniolls.
http://helenvader.net/adrianka/sweet...rozteky_01.jpg

Bear paws. I also do them for Easter, hence the picture.
http://helenvader.net/adrianka/sweet..._dlabky_01.jpg

Rum balls filled with cherries.
http://helenvader.net/adrianka/sweet...gulicky_01.jpg

Walnut balls with yolk filling.
http://helenvader.net/adrianka/sweet...gulicky_02.jpg

How funny you mention the Snickers cookies because I came across this recipe yesterday and decided to make them this week. These ones stuff the dough into mini muffin cups and top with frosting.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-...deaa1a8b09.jpg

those are adorable!! And really easy!! You'll have to let us know how they turned out!

Sand tarts and apricot balls are both yearly favorites in our family...made sand tarts yesterday and I'll probably make the apricot balls Christmas Eve while mom is here.

I love this! Have you tried the other popcorn recipes yet? They are amazing too!

Yum - these look good! I just made some last night that were the same thing done with mini Reese's cups (but no frosting). I don't have a mini muffin tin so I just used mini-muffin liners on a cookie sheet and now I have all these cute little cookies each with their own holiday wrapper. (Recipe here)

There are 3 things that a "required" by my family to make at Christmas time. I just made 3 batches of peanut brittle and 9 dozen bourbon balls as well as 2 doz. molasses crinkles.

1) Peanut Brittle (microwave recipe - super easy and soooooooo yummy!)

1-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup (Karo)
dash of salt
2 c. raw peanuts
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Butter a medium sized cookie sheet. Put sugar, corn syrup, water and salt into a microwave proof bowl (I use the large pampered chef classic batter bowl because it has a handle). Stir and cook in microwave for 5 minutes. Add peanuts and cook 12-15 minutes or until syrup is at hard crack stage (300 degrees on a candy thermometer). Stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet. Spread. Let cool and break into pieces. Store in a dry cool place.

2) Bourbon Balls

1 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
1/4 c. bourbon (or rum)
1-1/2 tbsp. white corn syrup

Powdered sugar, sifted (for rolling)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend bourbon and corn syrup. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls. Roll in sifted powdered sugar. Chill.

*Freeze or refrigerate balls before rolling in powdered sugar for best results.

3) Molasses Crinkles

Recipe courtesy of Ms. Betty Crocker herself. :D

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/...c-f42830d14f76

hey Kat have you ever tried those bourbon balls with Captain Morgan's spiced rum? Also since the rum/bourbon is not cooked these are probably not good for kids to try?

Yep! Sure have! They are yummy and definitely NOT for kids. :D The longer they are stored the stronger they get too. My dad likes them about 2 weeks old. :D

Angel all you do is buy the roll of peanut butter cookies from the dairy depart and a bag of miniature snickers. slice the dough into about 20-24 cookies and wrap each slice around a mini snickers. bake according to directions on back of package!!!

We make these every year for Keira to give to her teachers.