Christmas Cookies
So today marked the end of my Christmas shopping and the start of some Christmas cookies. Usually we would bake farther in advance; but since they are only for us we have left them until the last minute.
Our gingerbread, straight from the refrigerated section, had to be shaped like penguins! So I made a penguin outline in Paint Shop, printed two of them on cardboard and cut them out. Miss Muffin had a grand time being allowed to use a sharp knife and did a great job following the safety rules.
The baked cookies only vaguely resemble penguins, but I’m sure large amounts of black and white frosting will fix that.
The second kind we made this afternoon are No-Bake Chocolate Balls, I have no idea where the recipe came from, only that we’ve been making them since I was a kid. All you do is crush up enough Nilla wafers to make 2 1/2 cups, add 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, 3/4 cup of Hershey’s Chocolate syrup (preferably from the little can), and 1/2 a teaspoon of real vanilla extract.
You mix all of it together into one big gluey mess and then roll it into 1/2 to 3/4 inch balls. Roll the balls in some more confectioner’s sugar (or toss them in a bag with the sugar) and you’re done.
You can substitute generics for the ingredients in these but you will miss out on the extreme vanilla rush that happens when you mix the name brands together. It kills me to pay the extra, especially when I’ve been searching for cheap health insurance; but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do. Let these sit for at least a day before you scarf them all down, they are best when the flavors have had a chance to blend.
Tomorrow it’s peppermint sugar cookies and Beulah’s Delights (aka snowballs), and perhaps some party mix. Oh and there’s all the wrapping!
