Noonan Family Christmas Baking Day!

It is March, but I have been meaning to post some of our Christmas Baking Day recipes and came across them today while cleaning out a cupboard.

For a few years now, Mom, Megan and Katie have gathered at our home early in the morning the first week in December and we have baked non -stop until the last batch comes out of the oven about 6pm.

Here are the recipes for some of the cookies we have made the last few year - it will take more than one post to showcase the yummy recipes we have made. Watch for more soon!

Brown Sugar
Shortbread

 Katie's Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 c. butter, softened

1/2  c.  packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

1/8  tsp. salt

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Nonstick cooking spray

Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, apple pie spice, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Gradually beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.


Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Coat the bottom of a cookie stamp with nonstick cooking spray and dip the stamp in granulated sugar. Flatten each ball of dough, imprinting the pattern.


Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up
to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Toblerone Shortbread (aka Rocky Mountain Shortbread)(original recipe from Canadian Living)

2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. instant dissolving (fruit/berry) sugar
3-1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. rice flour
2 c. coarsely chopped Toblerone chocolate

Beat sugar and butter till fluffy and light coloured. Mix together flours and then add to butter mixture, with wooden spoon mix just until combined. Reserve 60 larger pieces of the toblerone, add remainder to the dough, combine. Drop 1 rounded tsp onto ungreased baking sheet, flatten slightly, press one chunk on each cookie. Bake 325 degrees - 20-25 mins, let cool slightly before lifting off pan.

Store at room temperature for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Megan's Peppermint Chocolate Fudge

2 c. milk chocolate chips
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/4 c. crushed candy canes
dash salt

LINE 8- or 9-inch square pan with wax paper. MELT chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in peppermint extract. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with peppermint candy. CHILL 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of wax paper; peel off paper. Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

1/2 c. softened butter
3/4 c. white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. almond extract
3 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped candied cherries
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in almond extract. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in cherries and chocolate chips.

Shape dough into two 10 inch long loaves; place rolls 5 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; flatten to 3 inch wide. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until set and light golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.

Using a serrated knife, cut the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices cut side down on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. Turn and bake an additional 5 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool completely.

Melt white chocolate, stirring until smooth. Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Store in tightly covered container.

Gingerbread 101

In 2010, my brother Ken and his family and Barry's mom Bernie came out to spend Christmas with the family. I tried to think of something new and creative for us to all do - that didn't require any athletic ability or special equipment. Walking through the stores - it hit me! We should do a team gingerbread house challenge! We did - it was lots of fun. Jackie and Jess won the 1st Gingerbread House challenge - and so began a new tradition.



Barry and I with our 2011 Gingerbread House

 In 2011, we didn't have out-of-town family visit so we had fewer 'entries' but all were very creative and original. Megan and Will did a gingerbread 'barn' complete with a silo, farm animals and strawberry patch.

Megan and Will with 'the farm'!

Mom and Dad did a more traditional house, complete with a 'teddy bear lane' made with Dad's cinnamon gummy bears from Sweet's in Salt Lake. They also used up all of the original kit ingredients.



Dad and Mom with 'teddy bear lane'



After the work was done, our top secret judges carefully evaluated the entries and declared that there were two winners in the 2011 Gingerbread House Challenge. Most Original Gingerbread House went to Megan and Will,

while Katie and Clint won Most Creative Gingerbread House (the rice krispie trees put it over the top.

Katie and Clint with their 'Winter Cabin'

 Barry was a little disappointed that his 'triage teepee' complete with gummy infantry men didn't win. Oh well, there is always next year! I guess we all better start getting some new ideas - top secret of course. Don't want to give away our plans to our competitors!

Candy Cane Cookies

It is a very blustery day here and I also saw a reminder that Christmas is 43 days away - the two got me thinking that I should start getting a list together of what I would like to bake this Christnas.

When I was 12 or so, I got the Betty Crocker Cookie Book from my mom and dad for my birthday. It was the start of my cookie baking, and I still have the book - although it is missing a few pages and the back cover - and in it is one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

I made these a few times while growing up, and then when Megan and Katie were little, we made them as well. When they moved out, I had stopped making them - it isn't the same making them by yourself!

Then last year - Mom, Megan, Katie and I - had our first 'Baking Day' - we all got together early at our house and spent about  8 hours baking all sorts of delicious cookies - and of course, made the Candy Cane Cookies!

Hope you enjoy this - and have fun making it with your family or foodie friends!

Megan forming candy cane cookies

Candy Cane Cookies
(original recipe from Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook)

1 cup sifted icing sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red food coloring

1/2 c. crushed candy canes

1/2 c. granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375'. Stir together icing sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food coloring into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Stir together crushed candy canes and sugar.

For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane.

Bake about 9 minutes until lightly browned. While still warm, roll gently in candy cane/sugar mixture.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

...and more clippings!

Still sorting through newspaper clippings and recipes written on scraps of paper - and came across a couple of favorites.

The first is a recipe from my friend Rea. Rea has baked for the annual Community Christmas Dinner since it started - I think about 7 years now - and I help out a bit. Everything is great - but I have to say, Rea's Rum Balls are my favorite!

Rea's Rum Balls

3/4 c. whipping cream          2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter                        3 tbsp. rum
3 tbsp. sugar                       4 c graham wafer crumbs

Melt whipping cream, butter and sugar - bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips and rum. Stir until chocolate chips melt. Add the graham cracker crumbs and still well. Cool 3 hours or overnight. Form into balls. Roll in chocolate sprinkles.

When we lived in Terrace, I was lucky enough to make friends with Rhonda R. Rhonda was a great cook, seamstress and friend - and she shared the following recipe with me. My family loved these - and now I found the recipe, I can make them again!

Chocolate Billionaires

1 pkg. (14 oz) caramels                    1 c. crushed rice krispies
3 tbsp. water                                   2 c. chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans   

In double boiler, melt caramels and water. Remove from heat; stir in pecans and rice krispies. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Chill until firm,

Melt chocolate chips over low heat. Dip balls in melted chocolate. Place on wax paper and chill until set. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen.

About 3 years ago, I clipped the recipe below out of a Woman's Day magazine. It is quick to make and tastes great - and I have made it every year since I found the recipe!

Candy and Cookie Bark

4 bars (3 oz. each) mint chocolate, broken into pieces
3 packs (from a box of 6) 100 Calorie Oreo Thin Crisps, coarsely crumbles
3 medium peppermint candy canes, coarsely chopped

Line a baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate, stirring often until melted.  Stir in 1 cup crumbled cookies; scrape mixture onto lined pan. Spread about 1/4 inch thick. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes and remaining crumbled cookies. Pat down slightly.

Refrigerate until firm. Break into uneven pieces. Refrigerate in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers. Makes about 24 pieces.