Home       About Us       Salsa Store       Referral       Lifebooks       Recipes       Videos       Blog Headers

Friday, December 16, 2005

We haven't decorated, but we have christmas cookies!

Mom had a cookie exchange this week with her zany Red Hat Society friends and invited me to tag along. So I found a cool-sounding recipe on the internet, put on my frilliest apron, and got to work. I was a little intimidated because these women have perfected the art of cookie baking, whereas my cookies are still kinda hit and miss. In fact, the last time I tried a new recipe the day of a cookie exchange it flopped horribly and mom bailed me out with some last minute snickerdoodles that she whipped up while on the phone consoling me (and with one hand tied behind her back). It was pretty embarrassing. Not embarrassing enough to keep me from coming to the party and collecting my tray of exchange cookies, but still... This year I made Chocolate Almond Snowballs and they turned out great! So good, in fact, that I am making them again today because TubaDad was bummed that I gave them all away at the exchange. I did a little photo shoot on our black couch, so you can see the fun surprise in the middle. Here's the recipe, in case you need some and can't come knock on my door. Chocolate Almond Snowballs Servings: 60 (if you can make them small enough) Ingredients: 1 (1 lb 1.5 oz) pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1 egg 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds 1 teaspoon almond extract 60 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped 3/4 cup powdered sugar Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, cocoa, almonds and extract until soft dough forms. 2. Shape dough into sixty 3/4-inch balls; wrap each around 1 chocolate. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. 4. Roll cookies in powered sugar. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. [Note: I only rolled once and the cookie was just fine. I might experiment with bittersweet cocoa also next time.] I'm also making another cookie today, Peanut Butter Cup Tarts (our family in Houston makes them every year), but I'll post that recipe later because I need to get started with the baking. The cookies should be done by about 3pm, so come on over!