Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies

Funny thing...I got this recipe off the internet and wanted to try it and the very next day Tamara Daniel, in my ward, gave them to me. TO.DIE.FOR.
CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BUTTER RITZ COOKIES
Made by Tamara Daniel

Peanut butter
Ritz crackers
Melting chocolate
About half as much white melting chocolate as the other
(You can also use milk chocolate and white chocolate chips melted with some shortening)

Spread peanut butter on crackers and top with more crackers to make cookie sandwiches. Melt chocolates together. Dip crackers in chocolate with fork and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. If using melted chocolate chips put in the fridge to set up. If using candy coating then they should set up at room temp. in just a few minutes. Sometimes I dip these in milk chocolate but I like them better dipped in both chocolates melted together. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We can thank Martha for this one. Jake requested it for his birthday. It was good, but it's not the easiest recipe in the world. I guess a man can make a tough request for his 30th birthday!

Red Velvet Cake
Martha Stewart, submitted by Emily Hutchings

(Makes one 8-inch cake)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for pans
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 one-ounce bottles liquid red food coloring
3 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, and butter again. Dust with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa, and baking powder; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, salt, food coloring, and water; beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well combined. Add reserved dry ingredients in additions, alternating with the buttermilk; beat on low speed until well combined. In a small bowl, stir together baking soda and vinegar; add to batter. Beat on medium speed for 10 seconds. Be sure not to over beat. Divide batter between prepared pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so surfaces are level. Place a layer on a cake stand or cardboard round, and spread about 1/3 of the frosting over top. Place the second layer on top, and spread with the remaining frosting over the tops and sides of assembled cake. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(Makes 2 cups)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Place butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Fold in walnuts.

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls
from the kitchen of Kay Wilkinson

These are a Christmas tradition at my house growing up. They are so good that my mom usually ended up making two or three batches. They are fun to make together as a family - they can be time consuming but worth it!

1 cube butter (soften)
2 cups plain peanut butter
4 cups powder sugar
3 cups mashed Rice Krispies*
1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
1/2 lb Milk chocolate Hershey bar
1/4 block of paraffin wax (buy in the canning section - a box has 4 bars. Use 1/4 of one bar)

Cream butter, powder sugar, Rice Krispies & peanut butter together. (Add the peanut butter last.) Roll the mixture into small balls. You may have to add more peanut butter if the mixture is not sticking together well. Chill the balls in the refrigerator.
In a double broiler melt wax. Add chocolate chips and Hershey bar. After the chocolate has melted, turn to low heat. In the double broiler let the water roll gently, don't let the water boil vigorously.
Get the peanut butter balls out of the fridge and drop each ball into the chocolate. Coat evenly. I use a fork when I dip the balls into the chocolate that way most of the chocolate will drip back into the pan.
After you dip all the balls put them in the fridge so they will set up.

Enjoy

* I put the Rice Krispies on wax paper and use a rolling pin to mash.

Don't double this recipe - it has never turned out whenever we have tried to double it.

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

The unexpected favorite of the holiday baking. This stuff is really strangely addicting. I'm telling you...you need to make this.

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

from Our Best Bites

2 bags microwave popcorn* (use natural/lightly salted, one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups)
1 lb Almond Bark
1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total and Bob's are the best!)
2 tsp peppermint extract
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and hit it with a heavy marble rolling pin. My toddler loves to help with the meat mallet. (And just so everyone knows, that's the only time he gets to play with the meat mallet. :))
To melt the almond bark, follow the instructions on the package. I just break it up and put it in a glass measuring cup and microwave on 1 min intervals until it's nice and smooth.
When your almond bark is melted, add the peppermint extract. Place your popcorn in a large bowl and pour the almond bark over it, then stir to combine. Then sprinkle the candy canes all over. Stir it up really well until the candy is evenly distributed. Pour the popcorn out onto a piece of waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Spread it out into an even layer and leave it alone!
While the popcorn is setting, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. I really like dark chocolate to counter-balance the sweetness of the almond bark, but I know there's a lot of dark haters, so do what you want!
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. You can use a fork, or put it in a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off. Leave it until the almond bark and the chocolate is hardened. If you need to hurry it up, do this whole process on lined cookie sheets you can pop in the fridge.
When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break up popcorn into chunks. Toss in a bowl, a jar, a cute package, or in your mouth!

Fudge

This was really, really good! It had that rich, store-bought taste. However, it was definitely a little more intense than just throwing some stuff in and nuking it in the microwave. Classy stuff--definite recommendation for Christmas give-aways! This recipe doubled makes a perfect sized batch for those big jelly roll/cookie sheet pans.

Fudge

1 can evaporated milk
2 sticks butter
4 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt (plus maybe a little pinch - I think the salt brings out the flavors a little)
1 package of Ghiradelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts of your choice

{before you start cooking, get a little bowl of ice water and set it next to you} Add first four ingredients to a large pot; cook and stir constantly on medium-high heat until it starts to boil. Turn the heat down to medium, and continue to stir. You want the mixture to reach the "soft ball" stage, which is where you drop a spoonful into that bowl of ice water and if the mixture holds together in a soft ball, then you're ready to move on. However, if it dissolves quickly then you've got to keep stirring. Don't rush this part because it's what makes your fudge creamy and not grainy and runny. Even if you think it's at the "soft ball" stage but you're not sure, keep going a little longer. Read a book while you stir - that's what I do!

**ALSO, dump out your ice water and start again if you need. Don't keep using the same bowl because you won't be able to tell what's going on with your fudge.

Remove from heat and then add package of Ghiradelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips
jar marshmallow cream. Stir or whisk until everything is dissolved. Then, add vanilla and nuts of choice. Mix everything all together until it is all incorporated. Pour into buttered 9 x 13 cake pan, let it cool for a few minutes, and cover with plastic wrap. If it's cold outside, you can set it outside to cool faster or put it in the fridge.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are so, so good! It makes 40 servings, so they're great for a cookie exchange or party!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Kenda Purdy, submitted by Emily

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk

½ cup sugar

40 miniature Reese’s, unwrapped

½ cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Mock turtles

My mother-in-law introduced me to these and they are one my holiday favorites to eat and make. They are about as easy as it gets and very tasty and CUTE too!

Mock Turtles
Julie Allred

Ingredients: (I am NOT kidding...this is it)
Hershey's Rolos
Pecan halves
Snyder's pretzel "snaps"

Lay the pretzels out on a cookie sheet. Place unwrapped Rolos on top of pretzel. Put in oven on low broil until Rolos are soft (they will be shiny). Smash pecan half gently on top of caramel.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

These are intense! I actually didn't have any store-bought frosting on hand so I used homemade. I think the store-bought would be better. Mine was too moist and not quite rich enough.

Red Velvet Cake Balls
from Bakerella

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.) Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. Chill for several hours - make sure they are really firm. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.) Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra - two forks also works great if your chocolate is warm enough.) Drizzle with extra chocolate bark (I used melted semisweet chocolate to drizzle on top.)