Best Hot Cocoa EVER

Made in the crock pot, served at a recent holiday party... devoured and applauded by all....

Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
a packet of instant hot cocoa mix
6 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into crock pot.
Turn on crock pot
Wait.

Enjoy!

(I ran mine on high for an hour then turned it to low... the pot was empty soon thereafter.)

Oh, and a great addition to this bit of heaven? A Marshmallow Accompaniment! (pictured)

Marshmallow Accompaniments

These things are great.... plop one in your coffee, plop one in your cup of hot cocoa... plop one in your milk... plop one in your mouth! So many options!

Ingredients:
Marshmallows (as many as you want)
1 package (4oz) chocolate bark (any flavor but I recommend plain chocolate)
5 candy canes

The measurements are all really based on how many you want to make.

Grind the candy canes up in your food processor (magic bullet for the win!) so that you have a peppermint powder









Melt the chocolate.

(Break it into pieces, place in microwavable bowl, heat on high for 30 seconds, stir -I use a plastic chop stick to stir- repeat until the chocolate is creamy... You can also use the little kits but buying the chocolate is usually cheaper and works just as well.)




Stick toothpicks into the marshmallows, dip in the chocolate, swipe through the peppermint powder and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet, plate or lasagna pan (9 by 13).

Refrigerate at least an hour - better if overnight-.

Done!

Now plop away!!!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

These cookies come out with just a lovely peppermint glaze on top... a tid bit of peppermint to go along with your cookie! What's not to love?

Ok... so you can either buy a bag of sugar cookie dough mix at the store or use my sugar cookie recipe .. (just don't add in the sprinkles).

Either way you will have sugar cookie dough.

Grind up candy canes in your food processor (hooray for the Magic Bullet!).

Pinch the dough out to form little one inch balls and roll them through the peppermint powder.
Bake as normal!


Now... wasn't that simple?

And delicious!

Oreo Balls of Awesome!

Oreo Balls of Awesome

There are so many variations that can be done with these, but I am going to discuss the basic approach first.

To make the balls themselves…

Ingredients

1 package regular oreos (resist the urge to buy double stuffed etc)

1 package cream cheese

don't do this.

Crush the oreos and mix with softened cream cheese.

Note: At first I used a rolling pin to crush the oreos… this made a mess and was totally the wrong thing to do. Thankfully, I remembered that I own a Magic NBullet (keep your naughty thoughts to yourself, it is a food processor thing) and thus I was able to carry on properly.

Once the cookies and the cream cheese have become one, pinch out a bit at a time, roll them into little balls and set on wax paper. I laid my wax paper in an aluminum baking sheet (lasagna 9 by 13) which worked perfectly.

Pop in the fridge for around 20 minutes

Stick a toothpick into each ball, put back into the fridge… for at least an hour, preferably over night.

Now it is time for the toppings! Again I am going to discuss the basic approach first.

Melt one package (4oz) of chocolate bark in a microwave bowl.

Break it up into pieces, warm on high for 30 seconds, stir, repeat. It took me three times before the chocolate is all nice and melty.

Pick up the ball by the toothpick, swipe it through the melted chocolate and place on new wa paper.

Back in the fridge for at least an hour!

Ok… now to make it fun….

I crushed candy canes in the Magic Bullet (food processor) into a fine peppermint powder. I used this in one batch by mixing it with the cookies and the cream cheese so that the balls were already a bit peppermint flavored. Another time I swiped the balls through the powder after the chocolate for a crusty peppermint coating. (This was by far the favorite.) You can also use mint oeros, flavored oreos, and of course different flavors of bark… The possibilities are endless!

Whatever you do to make the balls your own, you won’t regret the bit of prep time entailed…. These treats and so darn yummy they are dangerous. (The sticks can be removed prior to serving if you wish…. Makes transport easier too!)

M&M Christmas Cookies

These are pretty much chocolate chip cookies with red and green M&Ms instead of chocolate chips.
But… but I have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and therefore here goes!

(I have no photos because I totally forgot to take any. Also, these cookies tend to disapear very quickly.)

Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
½ teaspoon salt
1 bag holiday red and green M&Ms


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
5. Add to batter along with salt.
6. Stir in flour,
7. Add M&Ms.
8. Roll into small inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets
9. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.


These cookies are always a hit… and this recipe can be doubled very easily… just make sure you are using a bowl big enough for 6 cups of flour plus everything else.

Kay’s Joyful Sugar Cookies!

There is a bit of prep work to these.... but I find that it is worth it.

 Yes, you can buy the bag of sugar cookie mix that just needs water or oil or whatnot.... but I promise you that these taste better.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened (not melted)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of nutmeg
¼ cup milk
Red and Green Sprinkles!



Directions:

In large bowl beat softened butter with electric mixer on medium until mostly creamy.
Add sugar and blend.
Add vanilla and egg and blend until smooth

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, and dash of nutmeg (I used 2 shakes)

Pour half flour mixture into butter mixture
Add milk
Stir in the rest of the flour mixture

Mix well, the dough will be thick and sticky.

Here’s where it gets fun.

Scoop out half the dough and place in the bowl you had used for the flour etc.


Pour green sprinkles into dough ball one and red sprinkles into dough ball two… mix each dough ball well (I use a spatula).

Once mixed separate each dough ball into two to three mounds or logs or clumps… whatever you want to call ‘em. Place these in foil lined baking pan (lasagna sized 9 by 13) or casserole dish.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge overnight.

The next day….

Roll each mound of dough into a small snake like log and then use a sharp knife to cut into , err slices. You may need to re-roll the dough and pat it down at the ends to make it the right shape.

I make small cookies because I like them tiny and crispy.

Bake on greased sheets for 8 minutes (longer if you have thick slices), cool for 4 minutes then transfer to wire rack.

If you make ‘em small like in the photos, you will end up with around 80 cookies.