Holiday Baking
Holiday baking is one of my very favorite things to do each season! Here are my faithful standbys for goodies.
Meme’s Chocolate Cookies
One of my very favorite things to do is bake goodies for family and friends. I typically set aside a day or two (or three if you have boys at home eating them as fast as you cook them) and bake away. The overwhelming favorite item I make is my Meme’s chocolate cookies. These little bite size cookies are really hard to resist and my Meme made them every Christmas for her friends and family and I took over about 15 years ago.
The first year I baked these her recipe card read Dime Brand Milk and I was clueless but thankfully my other grandmother was able to clue me in. You can find the full recipe here.
These cookies are slightly temperamental depending on the Texas weather and I learned through trial and error you absolutely cannot use non-stick spray on the cookie sheets or they will turn out completely flat. Finding out about parchment paper from a friend was the best thing that ever happened to these cookies!
I use a small spoon to drop bite size amounts onto the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. One batch typically makes approximately 88 cookies. If you love chocolate you will absolutely love these cookies.
Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters
I make these because they are delicious and pretty much make themselves. All you need is chocolate almond bark and dry roasted peanuts and you have a winner. Regular peanuts will not do the trick…the dry roasted are a must for the perfect combo of salty and sweet. Melt the almond bark in the microwave in a large bowl and then add the peanuts and stir.
Drop by spoonful onto wax paper and let dry and you have a perfect little treat.
Pecan Sandies
These cookies are a little more time consuming but I like to use them to add a little variety and something other than chocolate.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until combined. Beat in 1 tablespoon water and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour and pecans.
I pulled out this relic I inherited last year when my Mamaw relocated to an assisted living facility. Hard to justify a new model when it still works perfectly.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool. Gently shake cooled cookies in a plastic bag with powdered sugar. Makes about 36 cookies.
Cookie Packaging
There are so many ways to put together goodies for friends and this year I chose generic containers from our local grocery store, HEB. They come with red lids so they seem somewhat festive and I created a tag for the top using PicMonkey and tada!
Gifting
I love putting together a few treats for the UPS/Fed Ex delivery drivers, our mailman and the sanitation worker.
I LOVE the pic of Carly and the sanitation worker!!! Look at his smile! You guys made his day!
Those cookies look so good!
Melanie @ meandmr.com