christmas

Daily Truth:  “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalms 119:103

Sweets, sweets, and more sweets!  It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving has past, the Christmas trees are up (actually they have been since the beginning of November), and the outside lights are up.  The parties start up this weekend which meant some baking needed to be done last weekend. Baking is NOT my thing for three reasons: 1.  My cookies rarely come out like the pics. (Those are NOT my cookies pictured above!) 2.  The mess, mess, mess, mess ,mess! 3.  Sweets are almost more temptation than I can handle! However, I do it for the kids.  I am going to give you three recipes that we like and the kids REALLY enjoy making. Our favorite sweet treat recipe are homemade mints.  These get made by the dozens and are handed out to our neighbors, teachers, and brought to parties every year.

Homemade Mints

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese

10 cups of powdered sugar

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

coffee, mint, or whatever flavor you want.

Mix the cream cheese in a mixer.  Slowly add the sugar one cup at a time. By 8 cups the mixture should be able to form balls easily without crumbling.  If this is the case – don’t add anymore sugar.  Add the flavoring of your choice.  Mix.

Lay wax paper on a table.  Take the mixture and form into 1 inch balls.  (This is where the kids come in.  They think it’s like playing with play dough.) Place the balls on the wax paper.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate.  Pour the melted chocolate over the balls.  Let the chocolate harden.  Place in small cupcake holders, place in a freezer container, and freeze until ready to use.

Side note:  We used white chocolate with coffee flavoring for one set of mints.  Andes mints are another option.  You can also sprinkle crushed candy cane on the balls AFTER you pour the chocolate.

This next recipe is a little more involved but well worth it!

Truffles

1 cake mix (your choice of flavor)

1 can of frosting

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

1 bag of milk chocolate chips.

Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.  Let it cool COMPLETELY.  Break the cake into pieces and throw in a mixer.  Add the can of frosting.  Mix until the cake and frosting are well incorporated.

Lay wax paper on a flat surface.  Take the mix and roll into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper. (Hint:  Have a bowl of water near by to dip your hands in.  Wet hands work better in making these balls.)

Once the balls are made, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Pour the melted chocolate over the balls.  Let the chocolate harden.  Place balls in mini cupcake holders, place in a freezer container, and freeze until ready to use.

Side Note:  We have used peanut butter chips with chocolate cake, red velvet cake with white chocolate chips, etc.  The flavors and varieties are as endless as the choices of batter and frostings!

Like so many families, we are starting to go gluten free due to one of my kiddos.  So, I found this gluten free sugar cookie mix.

GF Cookie Dough

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 c butter cut into small pieces

3 oz of cream cheese

2 3/4 c of white rice flour

2 eggs

2 tsp of vanilla

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1.  In a food processor add sugars, butter, cream cheese, and 1 c of flour.  Process until mixture is crumbly.

2.  Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.

3.  Put in a bowl, cover, and chill for an hour.

Roll out and make cookies to your hearts content. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Frosting:  I made the butter cream frosting on the back of a Hershey’s cocoa container, melted it enough so that I could drizzle it on the cookies, and sprinkled crushed candy cane on the chocolate.

Side note: I added peppermint flavoring in the cookies.

Let us not forget, as we go into this Christmas season, to crave the sweet words of the Bible as much as we crave the sweet treats we make with our kiddos.

Until next week,

Rebekah