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We have a winner! Congratulations to #12 Lisa. She’ll be receiving a box of holiday goodies!
Thanks to all who participated and thanks for all the yummy new recipes I can’t wait to try!
My kids are spoiled by our baking week.
I thought when the big kids got to high school, the teacher gift load would be substantially reduced. I thought we didn’t really have to give high school teachers gifts (sorry but the kids don’t usually bond with them nearly as much as they did their elementary and middle school teachers).
I thought wrong.
My darling twin daughters believe differently and love to take goodie bags into their teachers. Since I’m not above the brown-nosing I let them but the gift bags are a bit smaller than the gift baskets that Scary Baby will take to school.
The girls have also added a list of friends that they MUST give gift bags to before the holiday break. Your popularity increases significantly for at least a few hours when you bring in fudge, cookies and chex mix on exam day.
PhilBillPaul takes a tray into work. We send packages to our mothers so they can make a tray for themselves and guests.
I figured since I have to make about 25 goodie bags and packages, what’s one more?
I am going to send one lucky reader an assortment of holiday goodies.
All you have to do is enter one of your favorite holiday cookie or confection recipes into the comment box below.
Then we’ll all have some great new recipes to add to our holiday collection!
Leave a recipe in the comments by Friday, Dec. 19th midnight EST. I will post the winner on Saturday and if my good intentions and priority mail don’t fail me, I will mail your box on Saturday as well!
Here are the 5 star chocolate mint cookies from allrecipes.com that I tried out last year that we all loved!
How “sweet” of my friend Leigh Anne to make them and take one her beautiful pictures for me so you could see what they look like. We seem to have a bad habit of eating the food before I ever think to take a picture of it.
Chocolate Mint Cookies
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 36 chocolate mint wafer candies
Side note: If you can find the Andes® holiday mints with light green on the outside and chocolate in the middle, they look pretty when melted and swirled on top of cookie. And if I remember correctly we used a whole mint on each cookie which really shouldn’t surprise anyone.
1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350º
4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie.
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P.S. If no one enters this FIRST EVER giveaway, I will silently weep and eat all the goodies myself. Save me from that. Type a favorite recipe in the comment box right now. Please.
Tell at least one friend to enter. Two would be better. And telling three friends would be your personal Christmas gift to me. If your friends mention your name in their comment you get an extra entry for the drawing! I’m obviously not above bribing you with baked goods 
One year ago..
I’m hoping that since I’m first to post, that you’ll forgive me for not entering a recipe. I DON’T BAKE. So you know for sure that a box full of home-baked goodies would not go to waste here! And I promise to give you all the credit when I share them with family and friends at our holiday gathering.
Sherra…seriously? A recipe? I work outside of the home – and have NEVER baked at the holidays (ok, I made your poppy seed bread one year) – but for the most part I rely ont he kindness of others to send me goodies!!! Must I be disqualified?
There is one recipe that a friend gave to me and I love, so I will share it, but please know that I have never made it at the holidays! By the way, there is a TUB OF COOKIE DOUGH (because I have no time to make dough from scratch) in my fridge that I still haven’t found time to make! Pitiful isn’t it y’all? So please take pity and let me win???!!!
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
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DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Combine the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
Mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs and mix well. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and the chopped nuts. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
I would love to have some of your treats! This year my fave recipe is the Hot Fudge Sauce from Leigh Anne’s website. I made 17 jars last weekend in no time at all, very little mess, and it’s a nice gift for my co-workers. And, it tastes great! I even let my teenage boys open a jar to use themselves and they quickly reminded me that I need to get more ice-cream. Hello, it’s 5 degrees here and they want ice-cream?
This is just funny. I’ve been reading all of your posts about all of your baking and thinking how LAME I am that I don’t bake. Guess I’m not the only one of your “friends” though that doesn’t. I CAN copy a recipe as well as the rest of them though and since I JUST got the NEW GMOM cookbook, I’ll use that! You know my sister bakes so I’ll ask her to share her peanut brittle recipe here as well.
This is one of our very favorite family treats for christmas and I didn’t see it included in your spread. Of course it includes peanut butter so maybe that’s why you don’t include it. There’s so many folks these days with peanut allergies.
Buckeyes
2 lbs creamy peanut butter
1 lb butter (kinda reminds you of a Paula Deen recipe, doesn’t it?)
3 lbs confectioner’s sugar
2 (12 oz) pkgs chocolate chips
toothpicks
Mix peanut butter, butter, and confectioner’s sugar with your mixer. Roll mixture into balls and dip in melted chocolate chips with toothpick. Place on wax paper.
oh, I thought of another one after I submitted the Buckeyes. I really like this one as well:
7 layer cookies or Magic Cookie Bars
1 c. graham cracker crumbs 1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. shredded coconut 1 c. walnuts (or pecans) chopped
6 oz. butterscotch chips 1 stick of butter
6 oz. chocolate chips
Melt butter in a jelly roll pan. Spread in pan in layers: graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. Drizzle the condensed milk on top and then add the nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Remove and let cool. Cut into squares to serve.
I actually make a few standard items myself this time of year (and rarely at any other time!). The recipe I’m going share is one that we often give to teachers, neighbors, etc. as it is a good complement to all the sweets people usually receive. No one believes it is as easy to make as it is–there is really no baking involved! You have to try these–they are really good! We get requests for the recipe every year . . .
Doctored Pretzels
1 small bottle of Orville Redenbacher popcorn oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
2 pkgs. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (dry)
4 pounds of pretzels (small, not the sticks!)
Put ingredients all together in a good-sized plastic trash bag, double-lined, (unscented!), and shake gently.
Well, you know that Tiny does all the cooking at our house but I’ll send you my mom’s recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge.
Melt 12 oz. package of peanut butter chips, 1 cup Eagle Brand Milk, and 1/4 cup butter together in the microwave. Spread it onto a 12 in. pan (or plate). Then: using the same bowl, melt 6 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips, the rest of the Eagle Brand Milk, and 2 TBS. butter together. Spread all of this over the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate until semi-solid.
My kids (and all of her 13 grand kids) make light work of this recipe. She usually has to make a double batch of it and it really is quite easy. Enjoy!
Sparkling Butter Toffee Cookies (from Land O Lakes)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup English or almond toffee bits
Sugar
Heat oven to 350*. Combine sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes.). Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda; reduce speed to low. Beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in toffee bits by hand.
Shape rounded tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each with bottom of glass to 2 1/4 inch circles. (If glass sticks, dip glass in sugar.)
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. (Do not over bake!) Let cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar while warm.
Pick me, pick me!! I would LOVE to get some yummy goodies in the mail and I might even share them with my family! Here’s one of our favorite receipes:
Caramel Pecan Bars
Base:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
Filling:
1 egg
1 can eagle brand milk
1 tsp vanilla
bag of heath toffee (broken into small pieces)
2 cups chopped pecans
Base: Combine all ingredients in mixer at high speed until crumbly. Press into a greased 9×13 pan
Filling: Mix milk, egg and vanilla. Stir in toffee and pecans. Pour over base. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Center will be loose. Cool completly before cutting. Enjoy
I’m not a baker…I prefer dips BUT this is easy and the kids always love it.
They can be Happy Birthday Jesus cupcakes!
Self-Filled Cupcakes
1 box German Chocolate Cake mix
White or Chocolate icing (your preference)
Prepare cake as directed, fill each cupcake holder 2/3 full. Drop one teaspoon of filling on top of each cupcake. The filling sinks to the bottom as they bake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Frost when cooled.
Filling:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 egg beaten
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 pkg (6 oz) chocolate chips
Cream together the first four ingredients. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips.
Since I’ve actually tasted a couple of your baked goodies, I’m dying for more – SAVE ME!!! Here’s my contribution…also never baked in my house! But they are great.
Gingerbread Cookies (30 servings)
1 1/2 C dark molasses
1 C packed brown sugar
2/3 C cold water
1/3 C shortening
7 C all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16 oz) package chocolate frosting
Preheat oven to 350F & lightly grease one cookie sheet.
Mix together the molasses, brown sugar, water & shortening.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Add to sugar mixture and mix well. Cover and refrgerate for 2 hours.
Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on floured board. Cut with floured cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool and decorate with frosting.
I want the goodies even if I don’t win the give-away. OK, here is my mom’s pumpkin bread recipe that I have been making for years. Didn’t you get some last year? Great in the morning with butter and coffee. Yum!
Pumpkin Bread
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 small can Libby’s solid pumpkin
1 cup oil
2/3 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg(optional)
Beat eggs and sugar then add rest of ingredients. Put in bread pans. Makes 2-3 loaves. Double the batch and make 5 good size loaves. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Leave it a little extra moist on the center of the top.
Please. please let me win. Cheat if you have to. Wait,
PhilBillPaul doesn’t cheat does he???? Do you?
Ok. I LOVE other people’s goodies. My MIL makes the BEST sugar cookies ever but I don’t have that recipe. Here’s a recipe that’s really yummy and easy. (I only do easy). My kids like helping roll into balls.
Peanut Butter Balls
1 lb milk chocolate (melted)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbls melted butter
2 cup rice krispies
Mix all ingredients well with hands. Roll into small balls and dip in melted milk chocolate. Refrigerate.
Yield: 20-25 balls
Keep hands wet or spray with non-stick spray when rolling balls.
Okay, clearly “birds of a feather” here in the comment boxes! ;0) Although you DO bake, Sherra…at least annually! ;0/
Here is my recipe, although it’s a candy not a “baked good.”:
Bon-Bons
1-18 oz. Peanut Butter, creamy or chunky, whatever you prefer
2-cups Rice Krispies
1-box of Powdered Sugar
1-stick margarine
Mix well and form into about 80 or 85 balls. Put in freezer until ready to dip.
Melt milk or dark chocolate over low heat on stove. Dip the balls into chocolate to cover and let set on waxed paper.
Yummy! ;0) Like a “Reeses/Nestle’ Crunch combination.
Shoot! “Cancel” that one! I didn’t see that it was already posted!
Here’s another that IS a “baked good!” ;0) This came from a friend that is actually a food scientist ( seriously!, did you know that there WAS such a thing?!?) So if you follow exactly, these cookies are honestly amazing.
Chocolate Cookies
2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter, melted in a pan on the stove ( don’t ask, simply refer to the top for explanation…but it WORKS!)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
10 oz. ( give or take a couple!) semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Use an air-bake cookie sheet, put 9 to a sheet (stagger them so they can be completely surrounded by heat),roll them into good sized balls. (Probably 1-2 T. worth of dough) Bake at 350, 12-14 minutes until the tops crack.
Again, while she’s picky, they’re GREAT and would be GIFT WORTHY, that’s for sure! ;0)
Here’s what we make for our friends: Cranberry Orange Relish. This is SO easy to make, and it’s delicious. You can serve it with turkey, or even put it on toast like jam.
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries, picked over and washed
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. water
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1/4 C. orange juice
2 oz. blanched almonds, slivered
Combine all ingredients except the almonds in a saucepan and cook until the cranberries pop open, about 10 minutes. Add the almonds and cool. Makes about 4 cups of relish. We put it in 1/2 cup plastic containers for gifting. The relish should be kept in the frig.
Oh I love me some treats! LOL
Here is my favorite Golden Rum Cake! I leave out the nuts in mine.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1 (18.25 ounce) package butter or yellow cake mix
* 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
* 4 eggs
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup dark rum (I’ve even used coconut rum)
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup dark rum
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.
4. To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.
This is our family’s very favorite Christmas cookie. We love chocolate and mint. Enjoy your site and would enjoy your cookies, I am sure.
Creme de Menthe Squares
CAKE LAYER:
1 C sugar, 1/2 C butter, 1 C flour, 1/2 tsp. salt,
1 tsp. vanilla, 4 beaten eggs, 1 – 16oz. can Hershey Syrup.
Mix and pour in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 min. at 350 degrees and cool in pan.
MINT LAYER:
2 C pow. sugar, 1/2 C softened butter, 1/2 tsp. mint extract, 1 T water, 3 drops green food color.
Mix and spread on cooled Cake Layer.
GLAZE LAYER:
1 C chocolate chips, 6 T butter.
Mix and melt glaze together. Cool slightly and spread over mint layer. Chill at least 10 minutes before cutting in squares. This recipe freezes well.
OK – high altitude ruins most of what I try to bake, but here’s a good recipe for toffee that I can actually make! (PICK ME – I’ve got three growing, HUNGRY boys who need more sugar!!)
TOFFEE
1 stick butter (has to be butter)
1 stick margarine (has to be margarine)
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP water
2 Hershey bars
Crushed nuts (optional)
Melt all ingredients except Hershey bars in a large frying pan over low heat. After it’s melted, cook over med heat until it boils, stirring constantly. Boil 8 minutes by the clock. Mixture will start to turn a light brown. Pour onto a teflon coated cookie sheet. (I spray with Pam, too). Place 2 broken Hershey bars on top, spread with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle crushed nuts on top. Break into pieces when cool.
YUM!!
Since I don’t like to bake, it would be great to have something to feed my family on Christmas. Hope you pick me!
2 cups sugar, 2 cups canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding, 4 large egg whites, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Comine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack and remove from pans. My friend made it for me last year, it’s from Cooking Light, and it’s awesome. We’ve already made it twice this season. Favorite Christmas album is Mariah Carey.