Phyllis Garrett’s World Famous Chocolate Mint Cookies 

 

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 ½ cups brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons water

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 eggs

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 3 (4.5 ounce) packages Andes thin mints 

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10  – 20 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, Press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. 

Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppermint Cookies

Makes about 14 cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup  unsalted butter, softened

• ¾ cup  plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1½ teaspoons Peppermint Extract

• 1⅔ cups ) all-purpose flour

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup  crushed soft peppermint candies 

• Garnish: crushed soft peppermint candies

Instructions

 

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and ¾ cup sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in egg and peppermint extract until well combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture all at once; beat at low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.

1. In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until well combined. Cover cream cheese mixture and dough with plastic wrap; freeze for 25 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F . Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a small shallow bowl, place candies.

1. Using a 1-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough into balls; flatten into 2-inch disks. Place 1½ teaspoons  cream cheese mixture in center of 1 dough disk; cover with a second disk, and crimp edges to seal. Gently shape into a ball; roll in candies.  Repeat with remaining dough and remaining cream cheese mixture. Place dough balls 1½ inches apart on prepared pans, and gently flatten to ¾-inch thickness, pressing together any cracks in edges, if necessary.

1. Bake, one batch a time, until edges are set and bottoms are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully garnish warm cookies with candies, if desired. Let cool on pans for 3 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Sugar and Spiced Nuts

I have made these for decades and they are DELICIOUS! They would make a nice little hostess/teacher gift in a festive tin.

 

Ingredients:

½ pound blanched whole almonds

½ pound pecan halves

⅛ t. Salt

2 egg whites

1 c. sugar

¾ t. ground cinnamon

¾ c. butter, melted and cooled

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in a shallow cookie sheet with edges (very important that the pan has edges for later!), sprinkle with the salt and roast for 8 minutes or until they are lightly toasted. Let nuts cool. 
2. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Beat in the sugar and cinnamon. Continue to beat until it forms a soft meringue.
3.  Pour the melted, cooled butter on the nuts and then fold nut and butter mixture into the meringue. Spread the mixture back into the shallow cookie sheet with edges and bake in oven for 30 minutes, turning the nut mixture every 10 minutes.
4. Let cool and store nuts tightly covered in the refrigerator. These can stay out to be served in a covered container for a couple of days, but store the rest in the fridge and get out more as needed. Makes 6 cups.

 

Grandma Helen’s Peanut Butter Bon Bons

I got this recipe from my sweet grandma, Helen. She made them every Christmas when i was growing up and we have  carried on the tradition most years! If you like Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, you’ll LOVE these!

 

Ingredients:

1 18 oz. jar of crunchy peanut butter

1 lb. powdered sugar

3 c. Rice Krispies cereal

1 stick melted margarine (½ c.)

12 oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips

 

1. Mix together the first four ingredients and form them into balls, about ping pong ball size works well. 
2. Melt the chocolate chips* in a double boiler. This melts quickly, so keep an eye on it.  Turn the heat down or off, it can be reheated if it gets too thick. 
3. Dip about 5 or 6 balls into the chocolate using a small spoon, completely coat balls with chocolate and carefully remove and set them on tray which has been covered with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours to set up. Can be frozen for later, if desired. 

 

*The original recipe calls for 2 oz. of paraffin to be melted in with the chocolate chips, this helps keep the chocolate from being so messy and melting on fingers etc. when eaten. Many chocolate products have added wax for this reason, but I have omitted doing this because 1. I’m lazy and don’t feel like buying the paraffin, 2. I don’t like the idea of eating wax. 

 

Easy Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

These are easy to make and look really cute! Great one to make with kids! Note: these are the Christmas version, but you can make these with any cake mix flavor you want, chocolate and lemon ones are good! Makes 3 dozen.

 

Ingredients:

1 box Red Velvet cake mix

6 T. butter, melted and cooled

1 c. powdered sugar

1 t. cornstarch

2 eggs

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Combine cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter and eggs. Mix with a spoon until cake mix is incorporated. 
4. Drop by spoonful into powdered sugar mixture. Coat completely and then roll them into 1 inch balls covered in powdered sugar. 
5. Place on cool, ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set.
7. Cool several minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Note: Can add white chocolate chips or a cream cheese icing drizzle for more fun flavor!

 

Beverages:

 

Coffee Punch

An absolute favorite in our house! We have traditionally served this on New Year’s Eve, but have also done it at other times during the Christmas Season. I got this recipe from my mother, Joyce, and the note on the card says “A punch served at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion- Mrs. John M. Dalton. (I first served it New Year’s Eve 1976. – JSS)”  Makes 30 servings. 

Ingredients:

4 quarts strong coffee

1 c. sugar

1 quart cold milk

1 T. vanilla extract 

2 quarts vanilla ice cream

Whipping cream*

Cinnamon

 

Make strong coffee (4 quarts) and stir in sugar until dissolved. Cool

Add milk and vanilla. Chill.

Whip cream and chill.*

When ready to serve, scoop out ice cream into a large punch bowl and pour coffee mixture over it. Top with dabs of whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

 

*Can use premade canned whipped cream if desired. Makes pretty puffs on the punch!

Note: leftover punch can be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed as a yummy iced coffee drink, if you have any leftovers! 

 

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Have made this for years and my kids still love it! Make about 20 servings.

 

Ingredients:

3 c. dry milk powder

2 c. powdered sugar

1 ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ c. semi sweet chocolate chips

¾ c. while chocolate chips

¼ t. salt

 

Add powdered sugar and semi sweet and white chocolate chips to food processor and process until chips are finely ground. In a large mixing bowl combine all other ingredients. Add chip mixture to the bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Can store up to 3 months. 

 

To make hot cocoa: ⅓ c. (or to taste) mix with 1 c. hot milk.

 

Frosted Mistletoe Margarita Punch

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/frosted-mistletoe-margarita/

 

Red Moon Over Manhattan

This cocktail is absolutely one of my favorites. It is so simple and sooooo good. I found this recipe on Pinterest, but have tweaked it a bit by using a maple spiced syrup instead of the simple syrup. Unbelievable. Also good with the regular simple syrup. 

 

https://sugarandcharm.com/red-moon-over-manhattan-cocktail-recipe

 

I use the Spiced Maple Syrup from here (and this is another great cocktail, by the way):

 

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/spiced-maple-bourbon-fizz/