Visions of Sugar Plums and Cookies and Candy

Christmas is less than a week away, so let's cut to the chase and get baking. Whether you are making cookies for Santa, creating something to give as gifts or just wanting another excuse to eat all the Christmas treats possible, let me be your guide to some of my fave seasonal sweets.

My Signature Sugar Cookies were the first thing I remember learning how to bake. They get made for various events throughout the year, but always get made on Christmas Eve and set out for Santa. 

White Chocolate & Cranberry Christmas Cookies need I say more? Mom made these a couple weeks ago for a cookie exchange party and I'll go out on a limb and guess they were a hit;)

Peppermint Bark is so Christamsy and what I have made the past two years for co-worker gifts!

Cookie Butter Rice Krispies get a festive flair added to them by using red and green sprinkles to decorate. Also great for co-worker gifts or work pot-luck parties.

This post has me questioning why I haven't made my White Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies this season yet? These suckers are BOMB for lack of a better word.

Christmas Crack courtesy of my blogger bestie Molly! Need a last minute gift idea? Here you go, and yes it's crack. "Say crack again."

Dreaming of a white Christmas? These Snowball Cookies help make dreams come true!

Homemade Turtles are the least scary homemade candy you can make. Because when else, but at Christmas do you make homemade candy?

Merry Berry Scones are perfect for Christmas morning.

Lastly, Perfect CCCs - Christmafied! I made a massive batch this year to give as gifts! Packaged them in Chinese take-out boxes, and tied with a red bow! 

Merry Christmas from Take A Bite!

Annie

White Chocolate & Cranberry Christmas Cookies

December 1st means Christmas is officially acceptable to be celebrated in all entities! Which means bring on the Christmas cookies, hot chocolate and Christmas movies on every night. 

The idea for these cookies popped in my head last week and I immediately started doing research to craft the recipe. I love the signature cranberry and white chocolate combo and it's v festive. The dough base is similar to chocolate chip cookies but I added lots of cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a seasonal spice! 

Cranberry & White Chocolate Christmas Cookies
yields 2 dozen

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried cranberries (reserving a little)
4 oz or 1 cup white chocolate bar, chopped (reserving a little)

Directions:
Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla until combined, scraping the sides as needed. In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. 

Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate. Make sure and reserve a little bit of the cranberries and white chocolate. I'll explain why. Form golf ball size balls of dough and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Don't over crowd the pan. I got 8 on each sheet. 

Now for the reserved cranberries and chocolate. The key to a pretty cookie is topping them with a few of the ingredients inside the cookie. I chopped up the cranberries and topped each ball of dough with a few pieces of each. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just lightly browned. 

I'm headed to Dallas later today for the OU vs. TCU Big XII championship game. These are name Christmas cookies, but there crimson and creme esthetic are making them a perfect game day treat too!

Boomer Sooner & Merry Christmas!  

Annie  

Last Minute Holiday Treats

I love my job, but if I could quit my job and just stay home and bake all day, I'd be the happiest. And probably the fattest. This time of year especially, all I want to do is bake.

I'm a little down to the wire, but I still had a few special people I wanted to gift with a little something. I made up a batch of my peppermint bark and cookie butter rice krispie treats, with festive sprinkles, of course. Packaged them up and I'm getting them delivered today. Below I have rounded up tasty holiday treats, some made by me, the rest inspired by others.  Co-workers, neighbors, classmates, instructors, yourself ;), anyone who is still left on your list would love one of these treats! Just click on any picture above for it to take you to the recipe. 

Peppermint Bark

Christmas Crack

Snowball Cookies

Merry Berry Scones

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

Homemade Turtles

Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Holiday Peppermint Brownies

Spicy Hermit Bars

The first few recipes are pulled from the TAB archives, but these other gorgeous recipes are from the gals below! 

Baked by Rachel's Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting

Sally's Baking Addiction's Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Cookie + Kate's Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Local Roots Dietitian's Healthy Holiday Peppermint Brownies

And Ina's Spicy Hermit Bars

And because it's the season of giving, I'm giving you a few more ideas that could easily be transformed Christmasy with a few sprinkles or red & green colored candies like my Signature Sugar Cookies (we make these for santa every year), Cookie Butter Rice Krispies, Cookie Butter Popcorn, M&M Cookie Pizza, Homemade Pop Tarts and Slutty Brownies.

I'm spicing my sugar cookies up a bit this year and adding crystallized ginger in them. Inspired by Ina of course. Because WWTBCD? Add crystallized ginger to her sugar cookies! I'll keep you posted on how they turn out. 

Annie

Peppermint Bark

Chocolate and peppermint are the pumpkin spice of Christmas. I am a huge mint and chocolate fan, so when peppermint bark makes it's appearance around Christmas, its gimme gimme gimme. 

I was so excited to make a fun treat for my co-workers. I know it's cheesy, but I've been thinking about what I could make for a while.  Perks of the working world is always having people to pawn my treats off on. I wasn't just pawning it off on this time, I made it special for them! Hint** if you are still needing a co-worker gift, go straight home and whip up a batch, you still have a day or two!

My first batch was a disaster. Chocolate chips do not qualify as "good quality" chocolate. My first attempt I used chips and the white and chocolate layer completely broke apart when I tried to break it up. I also didn't let it set up long enough. 

After doing some research, I found 3 tips that are imperative for peppermint bark. 1. Use good quality chocolate (I used Ghiradelli) 2. Don't rush the process, let it firm up in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. 3. Break into pieces face down. This keeps the mess to a minimum and doesn't crush the candy cane pieces. 

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
8 oz *good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Gihradelli)
12 oz *good quality white chocolate (More white chocolate, cause I love it)
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
5 candy canes or a handful of peppermints

Directions:
Line a 9x9 pan with foil. 

Place a heat proof bowl over a small sauce pan filled with about an 1-2 inches of water. You don't want the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer and keep simmering. Place about 6 oz of the chocolate in the bowl and stir often until melted. Add in the rest of the chocolate. Once it is all melted together, stir in 1/4 tsp. of the peppermint extract. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Refrigerate until firm. About 2 hours. 

While the chocolate layer is firming, place your candy canes in a Ziploc bag and crush into small pieces. Don't crush too small otherwise you will end up with powder.

Once the chocolate layer is firm and set up, repeat the melting process with the white chocolate. melting about 8 oz, then adding the rest at the end as well as then the remaining 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract. pour over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top and lightly press into the chocolate. Back to the fridge it goes for 2 hours or overnight. 

*Good quality chocolate is imperative, so you don't get separation between the layers. Chocolate chips will not work.

Once the bark is set up. Take it out of the pan and place face down on a kitchen towel. This will help from all of the peppermint pieces breaking. Using your hands break into random shaped pieces. Store in the fridge before gifting or in between eating!

Annie