Sarah loves Christmas and the holiday season. She’s sharing her favourite, easy-tomake cookie recipe that’s a hit with her family: Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (no baking)
2 c peanut butter
2 c icing sugar
1 c crushed Rice Krispies (put Rice Krispies in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin)
2 scoops Merckens chocolate disks
To coat frozen balls:
1 scoop Merckens chocolate disks, melted
1 c milk
Mix the top 3 ingredients in a bowl and then make into small balls (about 1-2″ thick).
Place the small balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze.
Once Frozen:
Melt 2 scoops of Merckens chocolate disks in a double boiler. It has to be Merckens chocolate (I get it at Bulk Barn). Be sure to melt the chocolate at a VERY low temperature so the consistency stays smooth. The chocolate cannot be directly on heat, because it will get too thick. Use a double boiler or heat water in a pot and put chocolate in a separate bowl on top of the pot to melt the chocolate. I use 1 scoop (1 cup) of milk and 1 scoop of dark chocolate. Dip the frozen ball in the chocolate and return to the cookie sheet. Use a toothpick or fine fork to retrieve the ball from the chocolate. Freeze the dipped balls.
Enjoy!
When it comes to holiday baking, Wendy loves a classic Toblerone shortbread cookie.
Toblerone Cookie
2 c (500 ml) butter
1 c (250 ml) fruit sugar
3 ¼ c (800 ml) all-purpose flour
½ c rice flour
12 oz (375 g) Milk Chocolate Toblerone bars, chopped in chunks
2 tbsp (25 ml) icing sugar
- In a large food processor or large bowl, beat butter until very light. Gradually beat in fruit sugar and continue to beat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, sift together both flours. Stir into butter mixture and combine well.
- Save about 50 of the biggest chunks of chocolate (1/2”-1 cm) and mix the rest into batter until just combined.
- Arrange mounds of batter (about 2 tbsp-25 ml each) on parchment lined baking sheets. Press a chunk of chocolate into each cookie.
- Bake in preheated 325F (160C) oven for 20-25 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Sift icing sugar over cookies.
Makes about 50 cookies.
Perfect for holiday breakfasts, Jeff loves sourdough bread. Especially a pre-fermented sourdough bread for its higher nutritional content, the fact that it promotes a healthy gut and is easy to digest. Who doesn’t love fresh, homemade bread?
Beginners Sourdough bread from The Perfect Loaf
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/
Every Christmas Eve, Barbra makes this dessert: Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce. A perfect way to end a holiday meal.
Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce
2 c water
1 1/2 c packed chopped dates
4 tsp baking soda
1/3 c butter
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ginger
Toffee Sauce
3/4 c butter
1 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
3/4 c whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
- Line 9 inch (2.5 L) square metal cake pan with parchment paper or grease, set aside.
- In saucepan, bring water and dates to a boil, boil until soft and light caramel colour–about 5 mins. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda. Let cool (about 20
mins.). - In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
- In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and ginger. Stir into butter mixture alternately with date mixture, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2
of date mixture. - Scrape into prepared pan and set pan in large shallow pan. Pour in enough hot water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up sides.
- Bake in centre of 350F oven until tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1.5 hrs.
Toffee Sauce
In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened
slightly, about 5 mins. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm with pudding.
Makes 12 servings