Candy Cane Blossoms

The cookies have by far become the most popular post on Baked Perfection.  I made them last year and they became an overnight hit on Pinterest.  Therefore I decided to make them again for you.  This time I rolled a third of the cookies in Christmas colored non-sprinkles to make them extra festive.   These cookies are really delicious and you should definitely try to make them!

Note:  A couple people commented on my last post that these cookies came out flat for them.  A couple tips, don't roll them too large and make sure your butter is not too soft or warm.  If your dough is too sticky, just add up to 1/2 cup more flour. 

Candy Cane Blossoms

recipe from Hershey's

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and Green colored sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approximately 35 cookies. 

Peanut Butter Rudolph Reindeer

Source: http://www.lhj.com/recipe/cookies/peanut-butter-rudolph-reindeer/

Yield: 48 cookies

Prep   40 minsBake  375°F   8 mins  to  10 minsStart to Finish  1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 3/4 cup peanut butter

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 48 large red M&M candies

• 96 mini semisweet chocolate chips

• Pretzels, broken into 96 1-inch pieces

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and place rack in center. Grease two baking sheets. In a large mixer bowl beat together butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add egg and extract; beat until combined. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until a dough forms. Roll into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.

2. Bake, one sheet at a time, until just set and bottoms are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. For each cookie, immediately place 1 M&M in center for nose, 2 chocolate chips for eyes and 2 pretzel pieces on top for antlers. Transfer cookies on sheets to a wire rack and let cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, in single layers separated by waxed paper, up to 2 days.)

Nutrition Facts

• cal.(kcal)80,
 
• Fat, total(g)5,
 
• chol.(mg)10,
 
• sat. fat(g)2,
 
• carb.(g)9,
 
• pro.(g)1,
• sodium(mg)101,
 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Scones caseros

* colocar en un bol grande el 1/2 kilo de harina,junto con la azúcar y la sal,mezclar.
* en otro bol batir los huevos y la leche.Esta preparacion se le agrega a la anterior ayudandonos con una cuchara de madera.
* hechar la masa sobre la mesa expolvoreada de harina común unir bien la masa luego aplanarla con las manos hasta que quede unos 2 cm de espesor.
* Cortar con un molde de unos 2 1/2cm de diametro.
* Colocarlo en bandejas enmantecada y llevar a horno hasta que queden apenas doradas.
***Ricos,rapidos y economicos***

Ingredientes

• 1/2 k harina leudante
• 1 tasa de azúcar
• 1 cuchara de sal fina
• 200 g de margarina

• 3 huevos
• 1/2 tasa de leche
• harina común necesaria para ayudar en el amasado

Blondies Secrets

Published July 1, 2005.

Cooks Illustrated

Had a chewy, full-flavored blondie lately? No? Well, neither had we.

The Problem

Blondies are often greasy, cakey, cloyingly sweet, and bland--an inferior cousin to the brownie.

The Goal

We wanted our blondies to be chewy but not dense, sweet but not cloying, and loaded with nuts and chocolate.

The Solution

Trial and error produced the best texture. We started by testing several traditional recipes, keeping equal parts of light brown sugar and flour but reducing the usual amounts of butter and eggs. We also added baking powder for extra lift. We boosted flavor by adding several stiff shots of vanilla, oven-toasting the nuts, and using a mixture of white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips. We found the baking time was crucial and learned to disregard the usual signifiers of an adequately baked bar cookie (the cooked dough pulls away from the sides of the pan, a toothpick comes out clean), using color and textural indicators instead: Our blondies were done when they had a light golden brown top that appeared shiny and cracked.

Congo Bars

Makes 36 bars.   Published July 1, 2005.  

Cooks Illustrated

Despite their name, Congo bars have nothing at all to do with Africa. In fact, they are little more than blondies enriched with coconut -- an ingredient that was exotic in years past perhaps but is far from it these days. We tried adding both sweetened, flaked coconut and unsweetened, shredded coconut to our blondies, and tasters unanimously preferred the unsweetened. Sweetened coconut did little but make the bars overly sweet and unpleasantly chewy. We were able to extract a bit more flavor from the unsweetened coconut by toasting it golden brown before adding it to the blondie dough. If you have trouble locating unsweetened shredded coconut, try a natural food store or an Asian market. Keep a close eye on the coconut when toasting as it can burn quickly.

Ingredients

1	cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped coarse
1 1/2	cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon table salt
12	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 1/2	cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2	large eggs , lightly beaten
4	teaspoons vanilla extract
6	ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on larged rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. 2. While nuts and coconut toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. 3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. 4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate, coconut, and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
5. 5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Scones caseros

* colocar en un bol grande el 1/2 kilo de harina,junto con la azúcar y la sal,mezclar.
* en otro bol batir los huevos y la leche.Esta preparacion se le agrega a la anterior ayudandonos con una cuchara de madera.
* hechar la masa sobre la mesa expolvoreada de harina común unir bien la masa luego aplanarla con las manos hasta que quede unos 2 cm de espesor.
* Cortar con un molde de unos 2 1/2cm de diametro.
* Colocarlo en bandejas enmantecada y llevar a horno hasta que queden apenas doradas.
***Ricos,rapidos y economicos***

Ingredientes

• 1/2 k harina leudante
• 1 tasa de azúcar
• 1 cuchara de sal fina
• 200 g de margarina

• 3 huevos
• 1/2 tasa de leche
• harina común necesaria para ayudar en el amasado

Meringues TIPS and Secrets

Shaping Meringues

Use 2 soupspoons to drop 2 tablespoon dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place 3 rows of 5 cookies on each sheet.

Beating Egg Whites for Meringue

Properly whipped meringue is glossy and smooth, with the consistency of shaving cream.

Chocolate Chip Meringues

30 cookies.   Published December 8, 2006.  
Cook´s Illustrated

Avoid making meringues on humid days, as they will never crisp. If your whites happen to have a little yolk or cracked shell in them, use a clean half eggshell to fish it out. Contrary to the old wive’s tale, we found that a speck or two of yolk won’t prevent the whites from whipping. If you have no cream of tartar, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.

Ingredients

4	large egg whites , room temperature
1/4	teaspoon cream of tartar
1	cup sugar (7 ounces)
3/4	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2. With electric mixer, beat egg whites at medium-low speed until opaque and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high, and, watching carefully, beat egg whites until white, thick, voluminous, and consistency of shaving cream (see photo below), about 90 seconds. Slowly sprinkle in half of sugar and continue to beat until incorporated, about 60 seconds. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to lowest possible setting, sprinkle in remaining sugar, and mix just until incorporated.
3. 3. Fold chocolate chips into the meringue.
4. 4. Following illustration below, use 2 soupspoons to place dollops of meringue, 2 tablespoons each (about size of walnut), 1 inch apart, fitting 3 rows of 5 cookies on each sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until cookies have smooth, dry, and firm exteriors. Turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in oven for several hours. Once cool, store cookies in an airtight container, where they will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Individual Brownies

Published November 1, 2003. - Cook´s Illustrated

When baking brownies, Michelle Miceli of Cranston, R.I., pours the batter into greased muffin tins rather than a baking pan for easy no-cut brownies. The treats are perfect for tossing into a lunchbox or for portable snacking. Fill regular muffin tins with brownie batter to a depth of 1 inch, or two-thirds full. We found that our recipe for Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies (see the May/June 2000 issue) cooked up in just 15 minutes, less than half of the normal baking time. See Illustrated Technique

Brownies TIPS: Knowing When Cookies and Brownies are Done

Published September 1, 2005. From Cook's Illustrated.

Here are our tips to determining when cookies and brownies are done.

Cookies

Brownies

Overbaked brownies are dry and chalky and the chocolate flavor is diminished. Use the skewer test to determine doneness, but look for moist sticky crumbs.

 

A toothpick inserted into brownies should emerge with moist crumbs.

 

We think most cookies are best when they are chewy. This means taking them out of the oven when they are slightly underdone—in fact, the cookies are often so soft they will droop over the end of a spatula. Bake cookies on parchment and cool on baking sheet for a few minutes; after they have set up slightly, slide the parchment onto a cooling rack. if the cookies have crevices, the crevices should appear moist. When baking smooth cookies, look at the edges, which should be lightly browned; the center should be set but not fully dry.

TIPS:

Don't be alarmed if cookies droop over the edges of a spatula. When set, your cookies will be perfectly chewy.