Baking Exchange - My favourite time of year!

Well...maybe it's not my favourite time of year because I don't really like baking. I do enjoy baking with kids, I love watching them get involved in the measuring, pouring and stirring. This week I taught my dayhome kids how to crack an egg gently and was genuinely amazed as I watched them crack a perfect egg. I just don't really bake on my own it's much more fun to watch kids marvel at cookies slowly rising in the oven.

What I do love about this time of year is Baking Exchanges! I love making one enormous batch of cookies and coming home with a multitude of Christmas treats. They are so popular with our momstown mamas that we had two this year! I attended one and came home with delicious homemade treats that I can impress my family and friends with this season. Cookie exchanges definitely make me look like much more of a super mom than I actually am!  I shared my Holiday Secret, what's yours? :)

Here are the delicious recipes I got to come home with this year!

 

Ting-A-Lings

1 - 6oz pkg (170 grams) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (approx. 1 cup)

1 - 6oz pkg (170 grams) of butterscotch chips (approx. 1 cup)

1 cup of Salted Peanuts

1 cup or more of Chow Mein noodles (broken into pieces) (DO NOT buy Farkey - it's gross) - Taipan label - must say "in canola oil"

Put wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Break the chow mein noodles into short lengths (less than one inch).  Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler and mix together.  Add 1 cup of salted peanuts and 1 cup or more of broken chow mein noodles. Mix together to coat the peanuts and noodles in chocolate.  Drop mixture onto wax paper with a teaspoon.  Should make 48 pieces. I usually get less out of a recipe because I make mine bigger.

Butter Tarts

Ingredients Needed

1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of raisins
1/3 cup or margarine or butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tsp vanilla
unsweetened and unbaked tart shells

Melt your margarine, then add in the vanilla,egg, cream and brown sugar. The lovely part about these is they are SO easy and fast to make. Throw it all in, mix the ever-livin’ devil out of it, and you are good. Now add in your raisins, and half a cup is the bare minimum I use. I find that sometimes there is too much liquid and not enough raisins by the time I reach the end, be brave and just add in what you need at that point.

Put your tart shells, still frozen, on the tray and fill a good 3/4 of the way. I say still frozen because I have found when they are defrosted the filling leaks through the pasty, not ruining them, but making them softer. A good frozen tart shell will hold the contents in, and cook at the same time.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until the rims of the tarts are beautifully browned.
Recipe from: http://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/my-butter-tarts-theyre-even-famous

White Chocolate Peppermint Delights

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

3/4 cup white chocolate chip

1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets.  Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. In big bowl cream butter, sugar and brown suger.  Beat in egg, peppermint extract and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Fold in crushed candy cane and white chocolate chops.  Drop by teaspoon into greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes

Easy Decadent Truffles

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls.

Brownie Peppermint Cookies

Yields about 3 dozen　

Ingredients:

1 (18.3 oz) pkg brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

1 recipe vanilla cream frosting, recipe follows

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, flour, brown sugar and salt. Add in eggs and milk and stir with a large spoon. Add in melted butter, vanilla and peppermint extract, stir until well blended. Spoon dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (you can fit 12 per sheet). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. Once cool, frost each cookie and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

Vanilla Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together sugar, butter and cream until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt, blend well.

Gooey Turtle Bars

1/2 cup Butter

1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

1 (12oz) jar caramel topping

Combine butter and wafer crumbs in a 13x9 pan. Press into bottom of pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chops and pecans. Heat caramel topping for one minute or until hot, stirring every 30 seconds. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Chill at least 30 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.

Snowballs

1 devils food cake

1 cup sugar

5 cups unsweetened medium coconut (1cup for rolling)

5 cups quick oats

1cup 2% evaporated milk

2 cups of melted margarine

Mix ingredients, roll into balls and chill.