Keto Creme Brulee

Keto Creme Brulee

4 egg yolks
2 cups of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of Swerve granulated sweetener

1-2 teaspoons of Swerve granulated sweetener for the topping of each serving

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl; mix the egg yolks, heavy cream, and Swerve together with a whisk.

Divide into containers -- the original recipe said that the mixture made 4 servings... but that seemed a bit much for us. Additionally, I bought a creme brulee set with the torch from Bed Bath and Beyond for $20 -- if you do that though -- make sure you get the butane from them when you buy it because it didn't come with the set. Anyway -- our mixture became 7 servings -- we had the 4 vessels that came with the set -- and 3 from frozen creme brulee that I had gotten previously from H-E-B.

Place your containers in an oven-safe casserole dish with sides. Pour in about 1-2 cups boiling water until it's about 1/2 way up the sides of your creme brulee servings. Bake for 30 minutes or until it's set. Ours were a little jiggly when we pulled them from the oven.

I immediately took them out of the water bath, placed them on a sheet tray, and put them into the refrigerator. When we ate them last night - I wished that they had been able to have more time in the fridge because I love the cold custard underneath the warm sugar.

Before serving - sprinkle the top with 1-2 teaspoons of Swerve and use your torch to brown them OR if needed place your oven rack as close to the top as you can and use the broiler to brown the sugar. If you use your broiler -- watch it the entire time because it can burn really quickly.

I served mine with two sliced strawberries as seen in the picture -- but you could put some whipped cream on it as well.Pin It Now!

Low Carb Individual Cheesecakes

Low Carb Individual Cheesecakes
Servings: 12

16oz full-fat regular block cream cheese
1 cup granular Splenda + 1 tablespoon2 tsp pure vanilla extract4 Tbsp lemon juice3 Tbsp full fat regular sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup pecan halves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 and add cupcake liners to a 12 cup muffin pan.  In a small bowl mix, chopped pecans, 1 Tbsp pourable Splenda, and melted butter.  Press about a tablespoon in the bottom of each cupcake liner. With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Slowly incorporate the Splenda, blending well.  Stop using the mixer and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add vanilla, lemon juice, and sour cream.  Blend just enough to mix the ingredients.  Add the eggs one at a time, gently mixing after each.  Divide batter into the 12 cups (we used a piping bag, but a cookie scoop would work well too - they should be mostly full).  Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.  Let sit and cool for 30 minutes then transfer to fridge and cool for at least 2 hours before eating. We top with a little bit of homemade whipped cream for an added creamy element on top. 

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Crockpot Christmas Candy

Crockpot Christmas Candy

16 ounces Salted Peanuts
16 ounces Unsalted Peanuts
16 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
16 ounces Milk Chocolate Chips
(2) 10-ounce bags Peanut Butter Chips
(2) Packages of White Almond Bark

Place all in a crockpot on low for around 90 minutes -- but I'd check it after an hour, and then every 10 minutes or so until 90 minutes is up to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.

Then use a medium cookie scoop to make clusters of uniform size. Place the mounds of candy on wax paper to cool until they are solid.

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Rice Krispies Treat Cake

This is another crowd pleaser that can be adapted for all sorts of different holidays! In retrospect - I wish I hadn't done the white chocolate on the top, but it sure is pretty!

Adapted from a recipe I saw on the internet

12 cups of Rice Krispies
16 oz bag of mini marshmallows
1 stick of butter + butter for the pan
gel food color
white chocolate almond bark for the topping
Sprinkles or Candy for decorating if you do the topping

Generously butter your bundt pan - I used about 1 tablespoon or so off of a separate stick of butter -- and I'd recommend doing the same because mine slid right out of the pan easily. Make sure that all surfaces are completely buttered on the inside of the pan.

I split the stick of butter into 3rds --  measured 4 cups of Rice Krispies cereal -- and roughly 2 cups of mini marshmallows per "batch" -- I threw in an extra fist full of marshmallows to each of the batches.

Remember that when you invert the bundt "cake" the colors are going to come out in reverse -- so if you want a certain layer on the top -- make that color first and put it on the bottom of the bundt pan. 

Make each batch separately - in a large saucepan, melt the butter - add in the marshmallows until melted smooth - add in 2 drops of gel food color, and mix until the color is completely combined. Mix in the cereal, until combined - then spread it around the bundt pan. I used a 1/4 cup metal measuring cup and sprayed the bottom with butter flavored cooking spray -- then pressed the mixture firmly into the pan.

 Clean out the pan, and repeat for the next color. Repeat a third time. After the third color is pressed on top - set it to the side (away from any heat) for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a plate or glass cake holder.

If you choose to do the topping -- use about 1/2 of a package of white chocolate almond bark (it spreads a bit more easily than white chocolate chips) -- I had to help make the drips on the sides so that it looked a bit like a drip cake -- work quickly and add the candies or sprinkles while it is still warm enough for them to stick and adhere to the top. My son helped me with this -- we used M&M eggs for Easter -- and he followed a pattern.

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Individual No-Bake Cheesecakes

These were so wonderful that I've now decided we can make them for Easter as shown... but also you could do red, white and blue for Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day... red, white and green for Christmas... candy corn for Halloween... ombre red for Valentine's Day... whatever colors suit your fancy! The filling is white without the coloring added -- so it would really work! 

Adapted from Sugar Hero

6oz short bread cookies (I used a sleeve of Girl Scout Shortbreads)
2 TBS melted butter
1 packet unflavored gelatin
2 TBS cold water
1 lb (16 oz) cream cheese - at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream - at room temp
1/2 cup International Delight Sweet Cream creamer - at room temp
gel food color - I used pastel for Easter
Whipped cream for garnish
Candy or sprinkles for garnish

Make sure that a couple hours before you want to start making these -- you've pulled out your cream cheese and both types of cream so they can get to room temperature.

Place a jumbo silicone muffin pan on a baking sheet. Pulse the shortbread cookies in a food processor until they are finely crumbled OR you can put them in a large baggie and use a rolling pin to crush them up finely. Mix them with your melted butter in a small bowl.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon divide the crumb mixture in the cavities of the muffin pan evenly. (it was about 2 scoops per cup for mine) Press firmly into the bottom of each portion of the pan to form your crust. I used a small medicine cup from a children's nyquil bottle -- it needs to be the hard plastic kind for it to work.

Place the cold water in a separate small bowl and pour the gelatin on top. Mix it together and then let it sit to the side until you're ready to use it.

Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (a hand mixer could also be used) - using the paddle attachment - beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy without any left over lumps. Make sure you scrape the bowl completely and mix again before adding anything else.

Add in the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, and salt - mix well - scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl well.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the cream and creamer, mixing until everything is smooth. I put both of mine into the same measuring cup to come up to room temp - so I just poured in a 1/4 of the mixture at a time.

Finally, microwave the gelatin mixture for about 10-15 seconds until it is liquid again. Mix it for just a little bit, and then finish mixing it by hand to make sure you've scraped the sides and gotten everything mixed well.

Divide the cheesecake mixture by the number of colors you will be adding -- for Easter, I did 4 -- but for other holidays adjust accordingly. Stir in 1-2 drops of food coloring into each bowl and mix until the color is mixed in completely. (I used 2)

Using the same medium sized cookie scoop (again mine was 2 scoops per color) - you could also pipe in the colors if that make it easier for you. Place the scoops in the middle and spread outwardly with a spoon - I made sure that each color touched the sides of the pan all the way around each cup before adding in the next color.

Repeat with the remaining colors - layering until you've finished with all of the colors. Place the pan that is sitting on the sheet pan into the freezer for at least 2 hours. I did 2.5 to make sure that they were good and solid. They should feel solid to the touch before you try to unmold them.

To unmold - press up from the bottom of the pan, and turn it upside down - pushing the cake into your hand. We put ours in a rectangular 13x9 cake pan with a lid - and allowed them to sit in the refrigerator until time to be served the next day. You at least want them to have 30 minutes between the time you remove them from the molds and the time you're planning to serve them so that they aren't frozen. They can sit in the refrigerator for several days if you'd like to make them in advance.

To decorate - top with whipped cream (I used rediwhip so that it was fresh and looked pretty) & a pinch of sprinkles or candy. I used egg shaped M&Ms for our Easter version.

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Bite-Sized S'Mores

Bite-Sized S'Mores

48 Pretzel Chips
2 Hershey's Bars (broken into 24 pieces)
96 mini marshmallows (4 per pretzel)

- Lay out 24 pretzel chips (I only used the whole ones, not broken pieces)

- Preheat broiler to high -- I moved my rack down a little bit because I burned my first attempt.

- Place 4 marshmallows on each pretzel, and stick it in the oven for 2-3 minutes (watch them because you want to make sure the marshmallows & pretzels don't burn -- ask me how I know.)

- Place a Hershey chocolate piece on each pretzel on top of the marshmallows. Place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes so the chocolate will melt. We turned off our broiler for this step and just used the residual heat.

- Place a second pretzel chip on top of the chocolate.

- Enjoy them all warm or put them in the fridge to chill.

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Cookies and Cream Cakeballs

This year at my kids' school - I've used cake pops as their incentive to be good and not cry at drop offs. Since it has been a big help for the teachers too - I thought I needed to make them a treat as well. 

Cookies & Cream Cakeballs

1 white cake mix

1 vanilla cake icing

1 package of Oreos

2 packages of dipping chocolate 

Make the cake according to the package instructions, bake, and cool completely. In gallon sized zip bag or good processor, crush 3/4 of the package I cookies. 

Add the cookie crumbs to a very large bowl, and crumble the cake into the same bowl. Mix the cookie and cake crumbs together. Add in the icing and mix until everything is combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Use a cookie scoop to measure out the cake mixture into balls - you could also do this by hand if you want. Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet, and freeze for 30 minutes to an hour. 

Melt your dipping chocolate: you can use the microwave, a double boiler, or a Velata warmer. 

Dip each ball into the chocolate using a fork or lollipop stick - you want the cake ball to be completely coated so that it I sealed and keeps the cake fresh. Place on wax paper to cool an harden. You can refrigerate the balls after they are cooled or they can be left at room temperature in a sealed container. 

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Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Cookies

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Preztel Salt or Sea Salt (I didn't have this, but the cookies are great)

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and two types of sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. The cookies don't spread much when baking, so I flattened the cookies with my hand before baking. Bake for about 12-14 minutes. Allow them to cool for a couple minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

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TX Governor's Mansion Cookies

Texas Governor's Mansion Cookies
Originally: Laura Bush's recipe, but adapted slightly

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups quick rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.  In a mixer bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Gradually beat in the two types of sugar to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Beat in the vanilla.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans. I ended up transferring everything to the largest mixing bowl I have -- because this dough is packed with stuff and takes up some space when everything is combined.

Using an ice cream scoop -- I used a medium or large cookie scoop and still had good sized cookies, level off the dough and place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake 13-15 minutes or until slightly underdone.  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
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M&M Cookies

M&M Cookies
Courtesy of my Grandmother

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb package) M&Ms

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup of the M&Ms.Reserve the rest for decorating. Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate the thop of each cookie with 2-3 M&Ms. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
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Grandmother's Sugar Cookies

Grandmother's Sugar Cookies

** This dough has to chill overnight

2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Add sifted dry ingredients a little bit at a time -- I added a 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well, and refrigerate overnight. Working in small batches, roll and cut into desired shapes on a lightly floured board. I put mine back in the refrigerator between rolling batches and while cookies were baking. Sprinkle with sugar if you aren't planning on frosting them. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. If baking 2 sheets of cookies -- switch the baking position about 1/2 way through the cooking time. Cool on cooling racks until room temperature.

** I almost always double the recipes for the cookies and frosting

Frosting:

1 unbeaten egg white
7/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cook in a double boiler for 7 minutes. Beat constantly. It is best to have 2 people working to frost the cookies because the frosting gets harder to work with as it cools. It may take up to over night to have the frosting set -- we placed ours under a fan for 4 hours and they were ready to stack in a cookie tin.

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Prune Cake

Let me start off by saying that I know this sounds weird, but it's a childhood favorite of my mother's. You could easily leave the prunes out and have a nice spice cake... which is what I'd do if I made it for myself.

Prune Cake
Courtesy of: Meme

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp allspice
1 cup chopped prunes
1 cup chopped pecans

Icing:
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup prune juice (you could sub in orange juice or something else in lieu of the prunes)
2 tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans

Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer, I used my stand mixer for this because the batter is a tad bit thick. Add the buttermilk and eggs and mix until smooth.

In another mixing bowl - combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and allspice. Begin slowly mixing the dry ingredients in small amounts into the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. Add in the chopped prunes and pecans at the end.

You can bake this as a round cake, but for this time around my Mom was traveling with it to visit my Grandmother - so I baked it in a 13x9 pan so that it was easier to travel with and we didn't have to worry about the layers shifting.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. There wasn't a baking time on the original recipe, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't overdone. Always easier to check on it and put it back in for a little longer than to over bake it.

Once it is done let it cool. It is a warm icing, so it doesn't have to be completely cooled before you finish it.

When you are ready to frost it -- mix all the icing ingredients together and boil on the stove until it thickens. It is pretty thick when it is done. I start mine slow and add more heat gradually to make sure that the eggs don't scramble.

Enjoy!Pin It Now!

Microwave Pecan Pralines

Microwave Pecan Pralines
Courtesy of: Meme

1 box of light brown sugar
1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups pecan halves
Wax paper

In a large microwave safe bowl, mix the brown sugar with the whipping cream until smooth. Microwave for 9 minutes, then leave it for 1 minute. Add butter and vanilla -- it will bubble like crazy. Finally, stir in pecans. Stir until slightly thickened, and then drop onto wax paper. Once completely cooled, store them in an air-tight container.Pin It Now!

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse
Courtesy of: Pat & Gina Neeley

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (we used a bar of semi sweet baking chocolate)
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Dark shaved chocolate, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish

Melt the chopped chocolate using a double boiler - or a glass bowl fit over a pan of simmering water. Stir until completely melted and smooth - then remove from the heat.

Whisk together the egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream and a pinch of salt in a medium 2-quart curved bottom saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture is thick, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Strain the mixture into a large bowl using a fine mesh sieve and place in the refrigerator until chilled, at least 30 minutes. (We didn't strain ours, and I found a few lumps in it - but not too bad)

Beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled chocolate. Divide the mousse evenly among 4 individual serving dishes (I'd do more like 6 dishes or more - it's VERY rich) and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Serve with shaved chocolate and whipped cream. 

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Strawberry Jello Salad

I've made this for my work Thanksgiving party, and then again for Thanksgiving Day too.

Strawberry Jello Salad
Courtesy of an old family recipe

1 large package strawberry jello (I use sugar free)
2 cups boiling water
1 package frozen strawberries
1/2 pint sour cream (I think that I use the whole pint)
2 riped bananas, mashed
1 big can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup chopped pecans
1 container of whipped cream

Dissolve jello in water. Add strawberries and stir until thawed. Add bananas and pineapple. Pour 1/2 of the mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Let set up in refrigerator until firm. Place the bowl with the other 1/2 of the jello mixture in the refrigerator as well.

Mix the sour cream and the pecans together. Spread on first layer of jello. Pour the rest of the jello mixture on top of the sour cream layer. Refrigerate until firm.

Spread the whipped cream on the top. Serve and enjoy!

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Pinwheel Cookies

Pinwheel Cookies
Courtesy of: Our Italian Kitchen

2 cups flour, plus possibly a few more tbsp
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (cut in chunks)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp of food coloring of your choice
1/2 tsp of any desired extra extracts, optional
1 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles

I started by cutting each stick of butter in half, and then in half again... then into small cubes. I placed the butter in a small bowl and put it back in the refrigerator until I was ready to use it. In a stand mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars with paddle on medium until well blended. Add butter in, 2-4 cubes at a time, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. At this point, your dough will form a ball on your paddle.

Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. I used Wilton gel food coloring in leaf green and red and vanilla extract for my batches. You could add mint flavoring in with the red or green coloring. You could do these for other holidays as well with yellow coloring and lemon flavoring, orange coloring and orange flavoring - the possibilities are endless. Also, if you are using liquid food coloring, you will need to add a few tbsp of flour to keep the dough from becoming too wet. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.

I put the balls of dough back in the refrigerator before rolling out the dough. I wanted it to firm up slightly before the next step. Roll out each portions of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until is reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When firm, remove the top sheets of wax paper from both. Then flip the colored dough onto the vanilla uncolored dough so they are stacked atop each other and even. You can use a slight brushing of water between the layers to help seal the dough together. Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small pairing knife, trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.

Be sure your dough is still cold, but flexible. Once it's ready, begin rolling the long side of dough into a swirl, jelly-roll style. Don't get nervous if the outer layer of uncolored dough tears a bit. It's no problem, just pinch and pat those tears back together, and just keep rolling. I wrapped the dough in wax paper and placed the dough back in the refrigerator overnight to firm up completely before cutting. Having the dough cold, helps with keeping the pinwheels in shape.

You can also wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. You will need to allow the dough to defrost in the refrigerator for a day or so before continuing on with the next few steps for baking.

Pour your sprinkles onto a cookie sheet. Now gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll away. Cover the log completely with your sprinkles.

Slice your dough into 1/4-1/8 inch slices and bake on parchment lined baking sheets. Allow for plenty of room in between the cookies - as they spread a bit. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes until edges are slightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move them to a cookie rack to finish cooling. We ended up doing 4 batches of these - 1/2 red and 1/2 green... and alternated which colors were on the outside - I LOVE how they turned out! Enjoy your whimsical Christmas cookies!

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Fudge-Filled Cookies

Fudge-Filled Cookies
Courtesy of: Taste of Home

1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped walnuts
Confectioners' sugar, optional

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well.


Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide dough into fourths; cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Cool to room temperature.

Roll out each portion of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet into an 11-in. x 6-1/2-in. rectangle. Spread 3/4 cup chocolate filling down the center of each rectangle. Fold long sides to the center; press to seal all edges. Turn over so the seam sides are down.

Bake at 350° for 27-32 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Cut into 1/2-in. slices. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 3 dozen.Pin It Now!

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies
Courtesy of: Recipe Girl

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut up
1 Tbsp. red food coloring (I used gel food coloring and didn't measure it)
3 ounces white chocolate (or white Almond Bark), coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavored shortening
festive sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. I start by cutting the stick of butter in half, then cut the halves in half again - then just cut into small cubes. I then place the butter in a bowl and put it back in the refrigerator until I am ready to add it to the dough mixture.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Cover and pulse until combined. Add butter and red food coloring. Process by pulsing until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Then continue to process until mixture begins to clump together.


Scoop dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until nearly smooth. Roll or pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 1-1/2-inch round cutter, cut out dough. I used a regular biscuit cutter, but if I had it to do over again - I would use something with a more decorative edge. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press scraps together and roll again.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until centers are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

In a microwave safe bowl, add in 1 package of the white chocolate and shortening - heat for 1 1/2 minutes in microwave. Stir. If the mixture isn't melted and smooth - you can microwave it an additional 30 seconds at a time until melted. Make sure to not over do it with the heat or you will ruin the chocolate. I often pull mine out and am able to melt it the rest of the way by just stirring it in the warm bowl for a minute or so.

Once your mixture is melted, dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. If desired, sprinkle with festive sprinkles, nonpareils or chopped pistachios. Let stand on waxed paper until set.

Yield: About 24 cookies.Pin It Now!

Pecan Balls

Pecan Balls
Courtesy of: My Recipes.com

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans (about 4 oz.)

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and the vanilla until smooth.

In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture and beat on low speed to mix, then on medium speed until well blended. Stir in pecans.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (we used a cookie scoop for uniform size and shape) and place about 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

Bake in a 300° regular or convection oven until cookies are pale golden brown, about 25 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies stand on sheets until cool enough to handle.

Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a paper lunch bag or shallow bowl. Gently turn warm cookies, a few at a time, in powdered sugar to coat. Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

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Salty Turtles

Salty Turtles
Inspired by Pinterest

These are really not a true recipe - it's just layering ingredients. We were making a lot of these for John's employees & coworkers.

1 bag of square pretzels
2 bags of Rolos (Or you could use Hershey's Hugs)
1 bag of pecan halves

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Unwrap your Rolos or Hugs. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet, and put 1 candy on top of each pretzel. Bake for 5 minutes. The candy will not change shape in the baking process. Immediately upon pulling them from the oven, push a pecan down into the melted candy. You can then place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes or in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes - then they are ready to serve or package for gifts!
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