The cookies themselves are made with Hershey’s Dark Cocoa. It is important that for this recipe you use a very rich, dark cocoa to get the level of chocolate intensity that these need. After the cookies are baked they are cooled and filled with a bittersweet ganache, sprinkled with crushed candy cane, and then topped with a Hershey’s Mint Kiss. These are a specialty kiss that I found, a traditional Hershey’s Kiss but filled with a mint truffle type filling.

Roll the cookie in sugar.

The result is amazingly rich, dark, and chocolatey with a fresh burst of peppermint flavor that cools your mouth and cuts through some of the chocolate.

This are going to be a popular addition to the cookie trays or gift baskets you create this year!

Triple Chocolate Mint Christmas Kisses

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
• 1 cup sugar or confectioner’s sugar for rolling
• Ganache filling
• 24 unwrapped chocolate mint Kisses
• 2 candy canes coarsely crushed

1. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and cream and beat well.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt and blend into the creamed mixture
3. Chill for at least two hours
4. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat
5. Roll  teaspoons of the dough into balls, roll in confectioner’s or granulated sugar, and place on baking sheet
6. Indent the balls with your thumb
7. Bake 10-12 minutes
8. Push the middles back down with your thumb and cool
9. Add 1/2 tsp ganache to each cookie and press a kiss into it
10. Sprinkle with ground candy canes
11. Cool completely

Makes about 2 dozen

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

These are one of the types of cookies I sent to Chris in the Middle East a few weeks ago. They took nine days to get there and he said that they were great, unbroken and still very fresh tasting. They are based on one of the recipes in my Everything Cookies and Brownies Cookbook.

Chris, as are all my kids, is a big tea drinker. He likes all kinds of tea. I wanted to make something a bit different, and wanted to stay away from dairy fillings so I used this recipe (which calls for water in the filling) and used a strong infusion of Earl Grey instead. Another great possibility would be coffee. I also used unsalted Plugra because it has a higher fat content than American butter. I think when you are shipping using a higher quality butter will make a huge difference. And don’t…Do NOT…DESIST…just don’t even think about using margarine or shortening in these.

These aren’t an especially sweet cookie and they are not only pretty on a cookie plate but are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon (or evening, or for breakfast).

The cookies are crumbly, melt in your mouth delicate and yet not one was broken in shipping. I used the method I outlined in Shipping Cookies Overseas without Tears. Here are some pictures from that baking extravaganza…

This butter is awesome for keeping baked goods fresh.

First the dough is crumbly.

Then it forms a ball...more or less.

Roll in the sugar.

That’s it! It was fun for Kyrie and I, Chris and some of his friends enjoyed them..and everybody wins!

Brown Eyed Susans

from Everything Cookies and Brownies, by Marye Audet

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Sugar for rolling
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbs Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
• 1 tbs strong hot Earl Grey Tea infusion
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (or orange juice)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Beat the butter, vanilla, and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Blend in the flour and salt
4. Shape teaspoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. You can use colored sugar for the holidays
5. Place on a silpat covered baking sheet
6. Press thumb down in the dough to create an indentation
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden
8. Remove from oven and press the center down again if it need it
9. Cool
10. Combine confectioner’s sugar and cocoa.
11. Add the hot coffee and vanilla – stir until smooth
12. Fill the depression in each cookie with the chocolate mixture
13. Add a pecan half, or apricot, or whatever you desire as garnish if you like.

Makes about 4 dozen but I think I made them bigger than teaspoon size.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I FORGOT to add the 1/4 c molasses ….sorry if this caused a problem..the recipe is fixed now….

I am making these in the next day or so, so will post pictures then..I am about to run to the store because our pantry seems to be oddly empty. I can’t imagine why…except that my kids seem to eat enough to keep a herd of elephants alive.

I love gingerbread, and gingerbread man cookies! The recipes I have used in the past have been borderline at best because they  were either very tasteless or very hard or something. they never had quite the flavor I imagined they would or should.

Now, I have a gift in that I can taste things in my head.  I guess it is kind of like the way my oldest daughter, Erin, plays the piano by ear.  She listens to music and then plays (she also has a voice that is incredible- operatic soprano with no training!) whatever it was.

I can think of things, flavors and what-not, in my head and know how they will taste together. It is cool. So, when I was thinking about how I thought gingerbread should taste I came up with these.  And…they are exactly as I think gingerbread should taste!

Let me know what you think.

 Gingerbread Men

1 cup dark brown sugar packed
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 c crisco (do not substitute)
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/4 c molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300F

Mix dry ingredients (not sugars) in bowl, set aside.

Cream wet ingredients (including sugars) together until fluffy and sugar crystals are pretty much dissolved.

Mix in dry ingredients until smooth.

Added this: For the first time ever I had to chill this dough before I rolled it out. I don’t know why but keep in mind that you may need to chill the dough about 30 minutes in the freezer.

On a heavily floured surface ( or a silpat sheet) roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutter. You can poke small holes in the tops to string ribbon through ( after cookies are baked) if you want, so that they can be hung on the tree or just look festive.

You can bake them as is…or you can try this:
Mix 1 whole egg with a tsp of cream. Brush over tops of cookies and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Place on parchment, or silpat or cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 300 for 15-18 minutes. Only bake one sheet at a time for the best results…the oven temperature needs to be very steady.

Allow to cool and decorate as desired. You may need to adjust time to get just the texture that YOU like.

Post from: Baking Delights

Today is the last day to ship packages overseas by parcel post. December 11 is the deadline for sending packages overseas by priority. Hopefully if you are planning to send cookies to loved ones far away you are planning on sending them priority anyway. Some cookies seem to keep well and arrive intact while others seem to fall apart the minute they are stamped with the postal stamp. If you are sending cookies the ones from this list, if packed properly, will work.

1. Molasses Crinkles are moist so they don’t crumble, and the molasses helps them stay fresh a long time.

2.Ranger Cookies
filled with good things like coconut, oatmeal and pecans are festive sprinkled with colored sugar crystals

3. White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies stay moist and delicious.

4. Any kind of biscotti will keep wonderfully for a very long time but why not send a taste of the holidays with these Pumpkin Pie Biscotti?

5. Chocolate Pixie cookies are an old standby in Christmas packages

6. Brown Eyed Susans can be made with frosting or a Hershey’s Kiss.

7.If you can’t find the raspberry chips use dark chocolate in these Chocolate Chip cookies

8. Holly Hermits stay moist because of the candied fruit.

9. Amazing Rum Bars are festive and keep well.

10. My mother in law made these Cranberry Cookies every year for my husband. They travel well, I know this from experience!

11. Peanut Butter Kisses …yum! Use Hershey’s Hugs for a different look.

12. Rich, buttery Checkerboard cookies keep exceptionally well if packed carefully.

13. My son in law loves these Double Chocolate Toffee cookies and I have mailed them to him successfully.

14. Quaker Famous Oatmeal cookies stay moist and chewy. Another traditional cookie for mailing.

15. Caramel Brownies are perfect.

16. Oh Henry Bars have been being shipped to loved ones “over there” for decades.

17. I suggest these Espresso & Cream Brownies with one caveat. Leave the frosting off, and add white chocolate chips to the batter for the best results.

18. Rice Krispie Treats are just fun. You can color the marshmallow green and make them into wreaths…Or leave them in bars. These are different because they are Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

19. Toffee Pecan Blondies are another delicious bar cookie that will travel well.

20. Alot of people really love the Neiman Marcus Cookie. Personally, I think it is o.k. It travels well and the bit of coffee flavor adds a nice touch.

21. Mmmm..Chocolate Peppermint Slices are festive and delicious.

22. Mexican Wedding cakes look delicate but aren’t. They are beautiful as part of a cookie assortment.

23.Spicy Speculaas are a traditional Christmas favorite.

24. Butterfinger Cookies with chopped up butterfingers bars. I have to tell you..I love these.

25. Eggnog Sparkle Cookies. Doesn’t the name just make you think of Currier and Ives Christmas Cards and Hallmark Made for T.V. Tear Jerkers? Yeah. Me too.

26. Cuccidati are Italian date and fig cookies, something like fig newtons.

27. Cherry Christmas Slices. For a really festive cookie use both the red and green cherries in these.

28. Surprise them when they bite into these luscious Chocolate Caramel Filled cookies

29. Christmas Cornflake Wreaths are a no bake cookie that kids will have fun making.

30. Because of the way these are made and shaped, these Cinnamon Sugar Cookies will not crumble during shipping.

31. Lebkuchen

32. Surely I don’t have to say this twice. Oreo Crunch Brownies

33. Can anyone resist M &M cookies?

35. Cranberry, Orange, and Dark Chocolate cookies.  Add some pistachios and they will be perfect.

36. Chocolate Florentines. Bakery perfect with homemade flavor.

37. Caramel Rum Spice Blondies. Mmmm..tastes like hot buttered rum. Sort of.

38. Add some zest to your Holiday with Lime Pistachio Cookies.

39. Christmas Cheer Cookies.

40. Rocky Road brownies are dense and chocolate. They do travel well. For a more Holiday appearance try using the pink and green marshmallows rather than just white.

Basically any sturdy cookie will travel well. Usually sugar cookies are too delicate. Bar cookies are great if they are moist enough. Dried fruit adds moistness and helps cookies stay fresh.

Be sure and package flavors in different packaging. The more delicate cookies can take on the flavors of the spicy types, or anise types, if you are not careful.

This tutorial on how to ship food items is fantastic!

These shipping and packing instructions are shorter and to the point.

So, what are you waiting for. You don’t have much time left!

Post from: Baking Delights

Week 7. You didn’t really think I was going to forget, did you? These Hermits are an old, old recipe…but still awesome good. They keep really well unless the kids find out where you have them stored.

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 c brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbs water

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

3/4 c mixed candied fruit

1/2 c raisins (I prefer currants or dried cranberries here)

1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add egg and water and beat well. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture, then stir in fruit and nuts.

Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased, or silpat baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Try adding 1/2 cup white chocolate chips to this and see how you feel about it then.

Don’t forget to double check the contests page to make sure you are not missing out on anything!

** Lucy mentioned that her batch had come out thin and crispy. I don’t know if anyone else has had a problem?  Mine come out thick and cakey.

Post from: Baking Delights

Have you noticed that other people have begun to jump on the baking bandwagon? It is moving into mid October so people are thinking more about the holidays..and stressing a little.

Well we are at week 6. If you have been following along you now have an assortment of 5 different cookies in your freezer. Well done! Next week I am going to focus on Thanksgiving preparation for a bit, so that you can serve absolutely stress free, homemade, delicious dinner with little to no clean up.

Mmm…but this week. This is one of my favorite cookies for Christmas or anytime. They are beautiful, keep well in the freezer, and because they are slice and bake you can bake as many or as few as you need, very quickly. I know, I know, it is really retro-50’s of me, maybe I watched too many episodes of Leave It To Beaver and imprinted on Mrs. Cleaver but I like it when someone drops by unexpectedly and I can serve cookies fresh from the oven. They are so impressed by my susie- homemaker style! Ha! If they only knew.

So put your pearls on, and heels, get a really cute apron like this one from Annie’s Attic at Esty and mix up a couple of batches of these!

Mincemeat Swirls

3/4 c mincemeat

1 c unsalted butter

1 c brown sugar-packed

2/3 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp rum or brandy extract

3 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each. Add vanilla and either brandy or rum flavorings.

Sift together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly. Divide dough in half and chill for 30 minutes. Roll each half, on a floured surface, into a rectangle that measures approximately 13 x9 inches. Spread with mincemeat and roll up like a jelly roll. Wrap tightly in waxed paper and refrigerate over night. If you are making ahead then put the waxed paper rolls into a ziploc and freeze.

Cut chilled dough into 1/4 inch slices. Grease or silpat baking sheets. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen or so.

Post from: Baking Delights

Well, now if you want to know what wine to serve with your Veggie enchiladas or those delectable whoopie pies that you are craving you can check out B5’s newest blog, Behind the Vines. Farley is a wine enthusiast and will answer all your questions, plus give you great advice, and introduce you to wines you might not have considered. Head over there and check it out, then come back and bake something fabulous!

I know I haven’t mentioned it in awhile but don’t forget about B5’s Home and Dining Channel Scavenger Hunt that is coming up for the whole month of October! This is an awesome event that you will not want to miss so check back for details. I am going to be cleaning up the blog roll this afternoon so that you have access to the very best foodies on the internet so no recipes today…start getting those Christmas cookies ready or begin baking your way through the hot Autumn desserts list!

Post from: Baking Delights

Nope…I didn’t forget at all. I have a busy day today, but at some point I am going to make time to do these. I will make the dough and freeze it unbaked in teaspoon size balls. After it is frozen I will put all of the balls into a ziploc to wait patiently until needed. If you freeze the cookies unbaked it also helps keep the kids out of it.

These are awesome. My husband’s favorite cookie as he was growing up. I like to dip half the cookie in melted white chocolate and add red and green sprinkles.

Cranberry Cookies

Makes about 72

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tbs grated orange peel
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2-1/2 cups coarsely chopped frozen or fresh
cranberries
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Stir in milk, orange juice and egg. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and cranberries.
Drop dough by tablespoons about 2″ apart on greased baking sheet.
<———————flash freeze and add to freezer bags——————>

Bake 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Post from: Baking Delights

Another mainstay in our holiday lineup. I use the handle of a small baby spoon to get the cookie bottoms pressed into the mini muffin tins, and taught Aisa this technique. As you can see, she has done very well! This is a very popular cookie; I know several friends who make it at Christmastime, including fellow foodie blogger Stel of Baby Rambutan.

The recipe can be found at Epicurious. We always double the recipe, as one is never enough. This is almost always the first thing that disappears when we serve it on a dessert tray at parties. People love it!

Post from: Baking Delights