Learning With My Boys

The boys and I made Christmas Cookies to deliver to the neighbors. They love baking with me.

Mini Santa Hat Cupcakes

I decorated mini cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.

Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients Cookies:

• 1 Box Devil’s Food Cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. butter melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Ingredients Mint Frosting:

• 3/4 C. butter softened
• 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 2-3 C. powdered sugar
• milk if needed
• green food dye if desired

Ingredients Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips 
• 4 Tbsp. butter

Instructions:

1. 1. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
2. 2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar. That batter will be stiff.
3. 3. Make dough balls a little large than a Tablespoon and place on cookie sheets to bake. Pat each dough ball down a little bit.
4. 4. Bake for 7-9 minutes and let cool.
5. 5. Mint Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add peppermint extract and slowly add it powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1-2 Tablespoons milk if it gets too thick. Add green dye for color if desired.
6. 6. Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
7. 7. Assemble Cookies: Pipe on frosting, smooth over with a knife, spoon on your glaze in the middle, and top with roughly chopped chopped Andes Mints.

Christmas Lights Mini Cupcakes

I decorated mini cupcakes with white buttercream icing. I added a line of black icing around the buttercream, then I added Wilton Light Bulb Sprinkles.

Peppermint Fudge

Ingredients:

• 24 oz white chocolate chips
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Instructions:

1. Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with non-stick foil.
2. Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Stir in the peppermint extract.
5. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
6. Top with crushed peppermint candy canes.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
8. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Andes Mint Fudge

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup chopped up Andes Mints
• 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:

• Line 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with foil, then spray foil with Pam.
• In large microwave safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
• Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.
• Microwave for an additional 45 seconds, and stir until melted.
• Once melted, quickly transfer to foil lined baking dish and spread out evenly.
• Sprinkle chopped Andes Mints on top of the fudge.
• Chill for approx. 2 hours, or until set.
• Cut into 1 inch squares.

Candy Cane Hearts

Ingredients:

• Mini Candy Canes
• semi sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Place wax paper on baking sheet.
2. Place 2 mini candy canes next to each other in the shape of a heart.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
4. Spoon chocolate into the hearts.
5. Place a few candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a spoon.
6. Add crushed peppermint to the chocolate in the hearts.
7. Let the hearts cool.

Sugar Cookie Drops

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Red, Green food coloring
• Red, Green Sprinkles
• Variety of Hersey’s Kisses

Directions:

1. In a bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms.
3. Divide dough into 3 parts and color each part red, green, and white with food coloring. Place some sprinkles into the white dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Roll spoonful balls of dough in the sprinkles.
5. Grease a pan and place the balls of dough on the pan.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
7. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Place a Hersey Kiss into the center of each cookie.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I dipped pretzels into melted chocolate and then sprinkled crushed peppermint over them.

Christmas Candy Cookies

We placed various types of store bought cookie dough squares into our mini cupcake pan. We sliced the cookie dough and then cut them into fourths. Then we baked them for a few minutes and added the chocolate candies (Hershey’s Kisses and Mini Reece’s Cups). Let cool and removed from pan.

Rolo Pretzels

I placed wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread out square pretzels. Then I added a Rolo to each pretzel and melted in the oven for a couple minutes. Add another pretzel to the top of each Rolo and let them cool. Sweet and salty… my favoite!