Christmas Recipes: Treats to Give or Keep

My grandmother is a world-class baker and chef.  At least that’s what all her family and friends think!  She loves to cook and bake and loves to share it with others even more.  Every weekend when I was growing up, she would bake bread and then drive around delivering loaves and rolls to neighbors, family, friends and others.  At Christmastime, she always baked a huge variety of Christmas cookies, and then put together a “sampler” of each and took them around to everyone.  It’s a tradition I loved (and also looked forward to – her candy cane cookies are awesome!).

So last year I decided now that I live in Kentucky, to continue the tradition myself with our friends and family that live around here.  This past Friday and over the weekend, I did my baking, and then we made deliveries.  I chose to make Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls, Chocolate Pecan Fudge, Coconut Macaroons, Hello Dolly Bars (also called Magic Bars), and Chocolate Pudding Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and my grandmother’s Candy Cane Cookies.  Here are some of  the recipes that I used – you might decide to make a few yourself this year!

Chocolate Pecan Fudge

1 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C evaporated milk
2 T butter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 C mini marshmallows
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 C chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Line 8″ square baking pan with foil.
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces.

Hello Dolly Bars

3/4 C butter or margarine, melted
2 1/4 C graham cracker crumbs
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 C chocolate chips and 1 cup peanut butter chips)
1/3 C flaked coconut
1 C chopped nuts

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13×9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour 1/2 sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Mix chips, coconut & nuts and spread over crumbs. Press down firmly with a fork. Cover w/remainder of the milk.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

1 C butter, softened
1 C packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (3.9oz) chocolate instant pudding
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 C flour
6 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped (or white chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Add eggs and baking soda; mix well. Gradually add flour, beating after each addition until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips or chunks.
3. Drop tablespoons of dough (if you have one, a mini-scoop works well for this), 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.
4. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 min. on baking sheets; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

2/3 C sweetened condensed milk
1 lg. egg white
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
3 1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut
10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325; line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and salt.  Stir in the coconut until well-combined.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets.  Space the macaroons about 2″ apart.  With wet fingers, shape the dough into haystacks (mounds with a point).  Continue to wet fingers as necessary if they start to get sticky or hard to shape.
4. Bake one sheet at a time for 15-20 minutes, until they turn a light golden brown.
5. Cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, until starting to set.  Use a metal spatula to move the macaroons to a wire cooling rack.  Cool for an additional 30 minutes, until they reach room temperature.
6. Melt 8 ounces of the chopped semi-sweet chocolate.  I did mine in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.  You can also melt it in a heat-proof bowl set over a bowl of barely-simmering water.  Once melted and smooth, add in the remaining 2 ounces of chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth.
7. Holding the tips of the macaroons, dip the bottoms and 1/2″ up the sides of the macaroons.  Scrape off excess chocolate, and set back on the parchment-lined baking sheets to set.  I dipped about half and left half plain just to mix it up a little.

I wish I could share the finished product with each of you, but maybe some of you will find these recipes tempting enough to want to try for yourselves.  The macaroons are an especially big hit around here; my husband loves them and asks for them often.

What is your favorite Christmas recipe to make or bake?