Butter Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, toast pecans until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, scraping down sides of bowl, just until dough comes together. Fold in pecans.
3. Separate dough into 12 pieces; squeeze dough to shape into balls. Roll in sugar. Place, 3 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass (reshape sides if necessary). Sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheet halfway through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Source:  Martha Stewart

Snickerdoodle Creme Cookies

Ingredients

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir sugar cookie mix, butter, egg and cream of tartar until soft dough forms.


In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Coat balls with the cinnamon-sugar mixture; place on cookie sheet.


Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until cookies are just set. Watch them closely! You don’t want them crispy, browned, and over baked.


Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.


For each sandwich cookie, spread frosting on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together.




Source:  Betty Crocker


I'm sharing this recipe at Talking Dollars and Cents 

Cherry Cordials

One of my favorite chocolate candies :)

Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Cooking Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup (stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 (10 ounces) jar stemmed maraschino cherries, well drained
• 1 (11 ounces) package milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet with waxed paper.
    
2. In small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, and milk; mix until stiff dough forms. Shape dough evenly around each cherry and place on baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes, or until firm.
    
3. In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat until smooth. Remove coated cherries from freezer and dip each into the chocolate mixture, coating completely.
    
4. Return to baking sheet and chill for 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

The Golden Box from Chocolate.com would make

an excellent gift for your favorite chocoholic!

Brownie Bonbons

Great idea for gifts or entertaining!

Quick and easy semi-homemade . . . 

my favorite kind of recipe :)

A variation I would try is a chocolate

coating instead of  candy canes.

Ingredients

• 1 (19.8-ounce) package brownie mix, batter prepared according to package directions
• 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes
• 
  

Instructions

1. Bake brownies according to package directions.
    
2. Place crushed candy canes in a shallow dish. Remove brownies from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes. While brownies are still warm, use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop them out; roll into 1-inch balls.
    
3. Immediately roll in crushed candy canes, coating completely. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Source:  Mr. Food

No time for baking? 

Bakery in a Box from 

Chocolates.com is a great choice!