Black Forest Cherry Cookies

Rich and full of cherries and nuts, I found this recipe awhile ago and made them for my husband, who loves black forest cake. The recipe had been put aside and I thought I'd lost it until recently when I found it again. Since the time I first made it, I quit baking with the sickly sweet and flaming red candied cherries it calls for. What's a girl to do? Well, I found a jar of sour cherries at the store instead, drained them well, and used them in place of the maraschino ones. You can use either, if you wish.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
2/3 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups maraschino cherries, drained and chopped (reserve 1/4 cup juice)

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. 

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat well. Combine with the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the cherries and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Icing
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla)
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the cocoa, almond extract and cherry juice. Whisk in icing sugar until smooth. Frost cooled cookies and top with 1/2 of a maraschino cherry.

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Candy Cane Brownies

I'm not really a candy cane fan, unless they are paired up with a chocolate brownie. Then I'm in heaven. Candy canes can be notoriously hard to crush as they make such a mess, but I like to put them inside a ziplock bag, seal it shut, then cover them with a tea towel and bash them until they are in tiny pieces.  These brownies are delectable and look gorgeous with the brightly colored bits of candy in amongst the chocolate. If you are a chocolate and mint fan, these are for you!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup crushed candy canes
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch cake pan, and pre-heat the oven to 350 F. You could, instead of greasing and flouring a pan, grease the pan and then line it with parchment paper. This works well, too.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate and butter. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt and flour. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center has only a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

For the topping, sprinkle the top with candy canes and chocolate chips after you remove the brownies from the oven and return the pan to the oven for about 30 seconds (don't let the topping melt). Allow to cool in the pan on a rack, and refrigerate until cold.

Makes about 24 brownies.

Adapted from Canadian Living

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Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Years ago, my sister-in law used to send us these cookies in a Christmas care package. It took a little bribing, but she eventually shared the recipe!  These remind me of Turtles chocolates, with a chocolate based cookie rolled in pecans, then filled with caramel and topped with more chocolate. They are a teeny bit fiddly, but oh SO worth it.  Make them for your family, tuck into a basket for end of the year teacher gifts, or ship them to someone special.  Either way, you'll be loved if you do!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, separated
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans

caramel filling:
14 Kraft caramels
3 tbsp whipping cream

chocolate drizzle:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening

Directions:

In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together.  Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla; beat well.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Blend with butter mixture until it just comes together in a dough. Scrape the dough out onto the counter and bring together into a disk shape, then wrap in plastic film and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Set up, assembly style, a small bowl with the reserved egg white, and another bowl of the chopped pecans.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls, dip in egg white, and the dredge in chopped pecans. Set about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Press your thumb in the center of each cookie to make an indentation.

While the cookies are baking, in a small saucepan stir together the caramels, whipping cream over medium low heat. Keep stirring while the caramels melt, until it's all smooth. Set aside until you bring the cookies out of the oven, but you may need to heat it up again on low to keep it runny enough to spoon into the cookies.

Bake about 10-12 minutes until mostly set, but they will still have a little give.  When you remove them from the oven, press your thumb in the center again to re-form an indentation. Yes, it's a bit hot but you can do it! Spoon 1/2 tsp caramel into the center of each cookie indentation, and allow to cool.  Be careful not to get the caramel on yourself, it would burn badly and be sticky to get off.

Melt the chocolate and shortening together in the microwave on low. Drizzle over the cookies and then allow to set.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

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Storm S'mores

It's amazing what will keep kids happy in a storm.

To make your own storm s'mores you need....



-one very large nasty storm
-a power outage
-a whiny child (optional-a happy one will do too)
-BBQ skewers
-candles
-marshmallows
-chocolate chips or leftover Halloween Chocolate
-graham crackers (optional)

Carefully combine the storm with a power outage and whiny child. Caution is required-stir gently. Add some lit candles. Skewer the marshmallows and roast gently over the flames, being very careful not to let them catch fire. Sing if you wish. When the marshmallow is lightly toasted, remove from skewer and stuff with leftover Halloween chocolate or chocolate chips. Set on top of a cracker and eat. Or, without the crackers, just enjoy the gooey, chocolatey-marshmallowy goodness. Makes 1 content child and parent.


Yum.

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Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

More cupcake like than muffin-like, these muffins are most and tangy with sour cream. They are perfect for Mother's Day breakfast with a cup of tea and possibly a bit of creme fraiche or lemon curd.  You could make them for smaller kids by baking them in mini muffin tins, just reduce the baking time to about 10 minutes.  They are best eaten the day that they are made, but you can also freeze them up to a month.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter 

3/4 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tbsp grated lemon rind (or orange is good too) 

1 tsp vanilla 

2 cups flour 

1/3 cup poppy seeds 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt 

1 1/2 cups sour cream

Directions:

1. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in lemon rind and vanilla. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture alternating with the sour cream, using three additions of dry ingredients and two of sour cream. 

3. Spoon into 12 paper lined muffin cups and bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 20 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Makes 1 dozen large muffins or approx 3 dozen mini muffins

Adapted from Canadian Living

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