Play Dough Cookies

Play Dough Cookies
3/4 C butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
assorted food coloring (gel or paste is best)

1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide dough into Fourths. Tint each with a different food coloring. Wrap in plastic and chill for two hours. (I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes because I hate to wait!)

3. Preheat oven to 350. Shape colors into 3/4 inch balls. For each cookie place one pink, one orange, one green, and one blue ball together and roll to make one giant ball. Roll into a 12 inch long snake, and then starting at one end coil roll to make a cookie. Place cookies 2 to 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet to allow for spreading.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.Enjoy!

Christmas Caserole

Christmas Casserole

10 eggs beat until thick

Add

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 pint of cottage cheese
1 lb of jack cheese
8 oz can of diced green chilies
1/2 cup melted butter


Stir well. Pour into well greased buttered 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until the top has browned and the center is done.

Snow Balls

Snow Balls 350* 20 min

¾ C butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl water
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 C sugar
1 ½ C flour
1 C choc chips
1 C chopped nuts

Cream butter, vanilla, water, sugar and salt. Add flour and mix well. Add chips and nuts. Form into 1” balls. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Makes about 3 doz. (unless you eat lots of dough:)

Looks like Pecan Sandies to me! YUM! via: isawtoday

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Peppermint Bark Popcorn, via OurBestBites


(you'll need twice the amout of almond bark shown, I just made a half-batch for pictures)

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

16-20 C popped popcorn (fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn)
1 lb Almond Bark
1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total and Bob's are the best! Don't use Spanglers!)
2 tsp. peppermint extract
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

*one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups.

Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.

Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a heavy marble rolling pin.


Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.

Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a heavy marble rolling pin.


One they're crushed, dump them into the bowl with the popcorn.


To melt the almond bark, follow the instructions on the package. I just break it up and put it in a glass measuring cup and microwave on 1 min intervals until it's nice and smooth.

When your almond bark is melted, add the peppermint extract. It will seize a little bit (get kind of lumpy) but it's totally fine. Pour over popcorn and candycanes.

Stir it up really well until the candy is evenly distributed. Pour the popcorn out onto a piece of waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Spread it out into an even layer and leave it alone!



While the popcorn is setting, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. I really like dark chocolate to counter-balance the sweetness of the almond bark, but I know there's a lot of dark haters, so do what you want!

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. You can use a fork, or put it in a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off.


Leave it until the almond bark and the chocolate is hardened. If you need to hurry it up, do this whole process on lined cookie sheets you can pop in the fridge.

When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break up popcorn into chunks. Toss in a bowl, a jar, a cute package, or in your mouth :)

Chocolate Nut Bark

Makes: 2 gifts (22 ounces in all)
Total time: 45 minutes


What You Need

* 12 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
* 2½ cups mixed nuts

What to Do

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally.
2. Spread the chocolate evenly on a parchment-lined 9-by-13-inch baking pan and sprinkle with the nuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Break the bark into pieces. Keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.

How to Package Your Gift

1. Line two tins with wax paper or food-safe colored tissue. Try the Metallic Tins available at jampaper.com (six by 2½ inches, $3.50 each).

Easy Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Cream Pie



INGREDIENTS

* 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1/2 cup key lime juice
* 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, condensed milk, lime juice, and lime rind. Beat on medium speed with electric mixer for about 1 minute or until mixture is thoroughly blended. Pour into baked pastry shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until center is set. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then chill at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Immediately refrigerate any leftovers. Do not store for longer than 3 days.

CRUST

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 ounces butter (I don't use margarine)
3 T sugar

Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Melt butter and combine until all dry ingredients have been coated. Press into bottom of greased 9 inch pie plate. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until crust starts to brown. COOL THOROUGHLY before filling, that is critical.

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

1 cup cold cream and 1 T powdered sugar, beaten together until whipped (about 2 minutes).

Thanks Linsey!