Cute Sugar Cookie Lights

• Prep Time: 10 min.
• Bake Time: 45 min.
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Yield: Makes 18 cookies.

• 4 cups M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies
• 1 18 oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 16 oz. can vanilla frosting
• 1 14 oz. package red licorice laces
• Resealable plastic bags
• Drinking straw
• Christmas light shaped cookie cutter

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• 2. Knead the flour into the cookie dough until smooth.
• 3. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. By hand, or using a Christmas light cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
• 4. With a spatula, gently transfer the cookies to a baking sheet. Using a drinking straw, press a hole at the top of each cookie.
• 5. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• 6. Separate different colors of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies, and set aside.
• 7. Spread vanilla frosting on top of each cookie. Arrange a solid color of M&M’S® Brand Minis Chocolate Candies on top of each cookie.
• 8. Let the cookies dry for 30 minutes. Run licorice laces through each hole, connecting the cookies into one continuous strand.

Black Forest Cakes

Prep: 45 min.
Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup snipped dried cherries
• 3 tablespoons cherry-flavored brandy (kirsch) or cherry juice
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
• Truffle Frosting
• Powdered Sugar Icing (optional)
• Powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder
• Fresh Bing cherries with stems (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine dried cherries and brandy or cherry juice. Let stand for 30 minutes. Generously grease and flour six popover pans;* set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat just until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Stir in chocolate-flavored syrup. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in brandy-soaked cherries and any liquid.

3. Spoon batter into prepared popover pans, filling each half full (a scant 1/2 cup each). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean (centers may dip slightly). Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from popover pans and cool completely on wire rack. If necessary, trim cake top edges so they are even with the sides.

4. Place one cake (smallest end up) on a large slotted spoon. Hold the spoon over the bowl of Truffle Frosting. Spoon frosting over the cake, letting it drip down the sides, until the cake is coated. Let cake stand on rack over waxed paper until frosting is set. Repeat with remaining cakes. If desired, place Powdered Sugar Icing in a sturdy resealable plastic bag. Snip off a tiny portion of one corner. Pipe small dots of icing on cake tops.

5. Sift powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder over dessert plates. Place cakes on plates. If desired, garnish each one with a Bing cherry.

6. Makes 6 servings

7. *Test Kitchen Tips: Nonstick cooking spray for baking really helps these cakes unmold easily. This product is designed to grease and flour baking pans in one step. Look for it with other nonstick cooking sprays in your supermarket.

You can use six 6-ounce straight-sided ramekins instead of the popover pans. Grease and flour the ramekins. Cut three 15×12-inch pieces of foil; cut each piece in half lengthwise to make a 15×6-inch piece. Fold each into thirds lengthwise and place around top of a ramekin; secure with tape. Set aside. If you use ramekins, increase the baking time to about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean.

8. Powdered Sugar Icing: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing reaches piping consistency.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories 697,
• Total Fat (g) 36,
• Saturated Fat (g) 22,
• Cholesterol (mg) 146,
• Sodium (mg) 215,
• Carbohydrate (g) 88,
• Fiber (g) 4,
• Protein (g) 7,
• Vitamin C (DV%) 1,
• Calcium (DV%) 7,
• Iron (DV%) 18,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

CUTE! Festive Eggnog Cake!

Festive Eggnog Cake

Cake:
4 large eggs
1 package (18.25 ounces) French vanilla or yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) French vanilla or vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 2/3 cups (10 oz.) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE SWIRLED™ Holiday Morsels, divided

Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl for 1 minute or until frothy. Add cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, rum extract and nutmeg. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of morsels. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup morsels over batter.

BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Spread frosting over cake. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

FOR FROSTING:
BEAT cream cheese and butter in small mixer bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and nutmeg until smooth.

Yields 15 servings

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Nestle and Meals.com - used with permission

Russian Teacakes(Butterballs,Mexican Wedding Cakes,et al.) Recipe

[These are probably my all time favorite cookies. The trick to these tasting scrumptious is to use REAL butter and good quality vanilla]

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Powdered sugar

Sift flour and salt together. Using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients in 3 batches. Mix in nuts. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.Preheat oven to 400°F. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Space 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until just firm to touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. Roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Roll cookies in powdered sugar again. Store in airtight container.

Family Traditions

My little one is still too young to really get excited about Christmas, so I am planning our family traditions now while he is so young in hopes that he will acquire the sense of wonder that I had when I was young. I absolutely loved Christmas preparations, decking the halls and baking so many yummy treats. My Aunt Nancy used to make Christmas cookies. She had gingerbread men, peanut butter blossoms, butter balls(russian tea cakes) and my personal favorite, iced sugar cookies with dragees decorating them. My mother always prepared my paternal grandmother's nut roll recipe. She would make raspberry, apricot, poppy seed and traditional walnut all frosted with yummy vanilla frosting. My mom also had these white feather wreaths she hung on the living room wall, porcelain angels that would hang on the lamps and these strange lantern-like gold garlands that would drape across the windows. We always had to have an artificial tree because my mom was allergic to the real ones. My fondest decoration was the plastic, glittery candy garland that used to hang in the kitchen doorway. Oh and then there were also the little plastic elves that everyone seemed to have. We always opened one gift on Christmas eve then we would go to bed and Santa Claus would come and leave us more presents. We always woke up early to see what Santa brought and then we would go to church. As we got older we would start going to midnight mass. My maternal grandmother was born on Christmas day so she would come over every year for dinner which usually included a ham with all the fixings. My husband's family really didn't have any strong traditions, the only thing he remembers are the handmade felt ornaments his aunt use to make. Those and this odd family concoction called hamloaf!? I have the recipe, I just don't know if that is one tradition I want to encourage! :o) Over the next few months, I hope to share our traditions as well as some of my friend's and fellow Christmas lovers!(and if I can dig out the old Stamblesky nut roll recipe, I might just share that too!)

Another great how to from eHow

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

by eHow Food & Drink Editor

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

Introduction

Gingerbread has become synonymous with Christmas. This year, try baking your own gingerbread cookies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Steps

Step One

Gather ingredients. You will need 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. each ground ginger and ground cloves, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt, 2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 c. sugar, 2 eggs, 1 c. molasses, and 2 tbsp. water.

Step Two

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Mix butter and sugar until creamy.

Step Three

Add eggs, molasses and water. Mix well.

Step Four

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Step Five

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Blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

Step Six

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Chill for at least three hours or overnight.

Step Seven

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Roll out dough onto lightly floured cookie sheet.

Step Eight

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Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes.

Step Nine

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Place cookies about an inch apart on the cookie sheet and bake for five minutes at 375 degrees.

Step Ten

Cool on rack and then decorate cookies.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many variations on the gingerbread recipe. This one is a basic way to get started. Add more ginger and cinnamon for spicier cookies, more sugar for sweeter cookies, or more butter or shortening for moister cookies.

Overall Things You'll Need

• 1 c. molasses
• Mixing Spoons
• Cookie Cutters
• 1 c. sugars
• 1 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Measuring Spoons
• Cookie sheets
• Mixing bowls
• 1 1/2 tsp. ginger
• Cooling Racks
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butters
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• Measuring cups
• 2 eggs
• Oven mitts
• 5 c. sifted all-purpose flour