2013 Christmas Baking

Here is what I baked for Christmas this year:

• 2 Sour Cream Pound Cakes
• Christmas Crack Toffee
• Butter Melt-away Cookies
• Spritz Cookies (I have an ancient Wear-Ever Cookie Shooter Gun) 
• Gingerbread Men
• Refrigerator Roll, Cut, and Ice Cookies
• Quick Dry Hard Cookie Icing
• M&M Cookies

The nativity cookies were a lot of work, then we ate them!

The donkey and one of the Wise Men are gingerbread.

Gingerbread Men

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN BIG GUYS.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour 2 teaspoons McCormick® Ginger, Ground 1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground

1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla;mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. I use parchment paper. Decorate with red hots or nonpariels before baking.
3.	Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to5 days.

Roll and Cut Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. I use parchment paper.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.               MAKES ABOUT FIVE DOZEN COOKIES
4. 

COOKIE ICING - dries quick, hard and shiny

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• assorted food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. I USED VANILLA EXTRACT INSTEAD OF ALMOND.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

MAKES ENOUGH TO COVER 3 DOZEN COOKIES OR MORE.

Christmas Crack Toffee

Christmas toffee

Ingredients

• 50 saltine crackers (approx.)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup M&M's

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°.
2. Line 9x13 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray and then line pan with saltine crackers.
3. Place butter and sugar in a medium sized pot over low medium/low heat. Stir until butter is melted. Once butter is melted, bring to a boil for exactly 3 minutes. Stir constantly.
4. Once it's nice and bubbly, remove pan from heat and pour evenly over saltine crackers. Spread mixture with a knife... however it doesn't have to be perfect. Try to move fast during this part so the toffee doesn't harden.
5. Place pan in oven and bake for 7-8 minutes. The mixture will spread evenly over the crackers as it bakes.
6. Remove pan from oven and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the toffee while it's still hot. Let the chocolate chips melt for a few minutes and then spread all over the toffee with a spatula. Sprinkle M&M's on top and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once chocolate has hardened break pieces off the foil and store for up to two weeks in an container.