Christmas Pita Tree Appetizer Recipe

Cinnamon Bun Eggnog Martini Recipe

Cinnamon Bun Eggnog Martini Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Cinnamon Bun Bite infused vodka
• 4 ounces non-alcoholid eggnog
• 2 ounces Irish cream liquor

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice.
2. Shake for 30-40 seconds and pour into chilled martini glasses.
3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or skewered Cinnamon Bun Bites

Red Velvet Fudge Recipe

Red Velvet Fudge Recipe

2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp red gel food coloring

Using a 5×9 pan (typically same size as banana bread pan, if you want thinner pieces, use 8×8) line pan with wax parchment paper or wax paper. Make sure you have some extra on all four sides.

Combine sugar, cocoa, buttermilk, sweet condensed milk, and food coloring in a non stick pan. (I used a big pot) Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, but do not scrape down the sides. (to avoid getting crystallized sugar in fudge)

Using a well calibrated thermometer, make sure the fudge gets up to 238 degrees.

Reduce heat and allow fudge to simmer. DO NOT STIR. At all. Like seriously dont even touch the pan.

Allow fudge to cool to 110 degrees and add butter and vanilla.

Beat by hand or use electric mixer until fudge loses its sheen. (I used an electric mixer for 20 minutes. Not kidding. Some folks say this stage takes 3-5 minutes.)

Place in prepared pan and allow to cool, usually 1-2 hours.

This recipe yielded 25 small squares.

Turtle Cookies Recipe

Turtle Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Cookie:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling:

14 soft caramel candies 

3 T. heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle (optional):

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 

1 tsp. shortening

Directions
Prepare the Cookies:  
1.  Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

2.  With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.

3.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

4.  Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in another bowl.  Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Prepare the Caramel Filling:  
6.  Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7.  Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations.  Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Chocolate Drizzle (optional):  
8.  Place chocolate and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag.  Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften.  Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed.

9.  Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.  Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

Pumpkin Pie Bites Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Bites Recipe

Ingredients

• Butter-flavored cooking spray
• 3/4 cups all-natural, whole-grain, crunchy, high-fiber, low-sugar cereal (I used Kashi 7 Whole Grain Nuggets)
• 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 large egg whites
• 15-ounce can (1-¾ cups) solid pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 32 teaspoons whipped topping, divided (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11" x 7" glass or ceramic baking dish with spray.
2. Add the cereal to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process it for 15-20 seconds, or until the cereal is crushed. Transfer it to a small mixing bowl and add the maple syrup and cinnamon. Mix them until well combined (the mixture should be slightly sticky). Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Using a small piece of parchment paper, gently press down on the cereal mixture, spreading it evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Bake the crust for 7-9 minutes, or until it is slightly browned. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Using a sturdy whisk, lightly beat them until they bubble very slightly. Still using the whisk, stir in the pumpkin, agave, and flour until well combined. Stir in the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt and continue mixing until well combined. Pour the filling over the baked crust. Using a rubber spatula, spread it into an even layer.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay). Transfer the dish to a wire cooking rack, allowing it to cool to room temperature. Carefully cut 32 pumpkin "bites" (3 cuts along the width of the pan, 7 cuts along the length, creating 4x8 bites).
5. Just before serving, top each bite with 1 teaspoon whipped topping, if desired. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup red, white & green candy sprinkles
1/2 cup powdered icing sugar

Preparation 

- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

- With an electric mixer or stand mixer, you'll whip the butter until it is smooth and fluffy. This is probably the most important step in making these cookies! Star in the sugar, corn starch and flour. Continue to mix on low for another two minutes, then increase the speed to high for three extra minutes.

- Place spoonfuls of the mixture on an ungreased cookie sheet, keeping about 2-3 inches of space between the cookies.

- Bake for about 14 minutes in the oven. You'll want to keep a close eye on these to ensure they don't get too brown on the edges. If you have a gas oven vs. electric, you may need to leave them for a few extra minutes -- this was something we noticed when we switched to gas a few years ago.

- You can finish the cookies with the powered icing sugar and Christmas themed sprinkled for an extra touch. Enjoy!