Ho Ho Ho Holiday Goodies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing says "I like you" like a batch of fresh cookies shared as a gift or friendly neighbor treat!

Chocolate Turtle Candy

The holidays are the perfect time to share goodies and homemade treats with friends, family and others!

Fudge Sandwich Cookies

I encourage you to be brave and try a few new recipes this year to serve at your next holiday party!

Peach Cobbler Crumb Cake

Also, I love giving and receiving a plate of homemade cookies to friends, co-workers and even my sons' teachers!

Chocolate Bar Cookies

Visit Annie's Recipes to find more recipes to enjoy for holiday parties or chilly winter evenings with warm tasty drinks! 

Connect with us on where I share other inspiring food blogger recipes
Facebook  
Twitter
Pinterest

Divine Desserts for the Holidays!

Can you believe Christmas is less than two weeks away? It's literally just around the corner. I don't know about you but I have plenty of shopping, wrapping and baking left to do. Thankfully, my approach to the holidays is a laid back one - whatever I get done, I get done.

And speaking of done - I've rounded up some delicious desserts for you to bake this holiday season to share with loved ones or enjoy at home. These lovely concoctions are sure to make your Christmas taste divine!

Angel Food Cake

Blueberry Pie

Boston Creme Pie

Blueberry Square Cake

Brownie Pudding Cake

However you prepare for the festivities of the season, enjoy a little time in the kitchen creating something sweet and inspired! Connect with us on Facebook to share your favorite holiday dessert recipes of visit Annie's Recipes for more divine dessert ideas!

Happy Holidays!

More Homemade Gift Ideas for Christmas

I love giving gifts at Christmas. And I don't want to sacrifice the meaning behind the gift. My mom taught me a secret to gift giving at Christmas. She bakes a lot of her gifts. Mom (to this day) makes Gingie cookies using my great-grandmother's old German recipe.

(Sorry, it really is a protected family secret.) She packages them up for special people like my grandfather and uncles' families. And it's a once a year thing. Making the Gingies is truly a labor of love. It takes all day to make one or two batches and (having helped many times) it's strenuous for a cookie recipe.

My grandfather looks forward to his bag of Gingie cookies more than almost any other gift. He freezes them and only takes out one or two per week, making them last well into March! He treasures those cookies because they remind him of his mother, now passed on.

I challenge you to find your own signature holiday recipe that you can create and pass on for years to come, and that your family will come to treasure. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Fudge Sandwich Cookies

Peach Cobbler Crumb Cake

Apple Butter

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies Mix

Rock Candy

Make your gift giving a little easier by baking the gifts this year. Visit Annie's Recipes for more dessert and holiday baking recipes or connect with us on Facebook to share your favorite Christmas goodie recipe!

Baked Gift Ideas for Christmas!

And now the question of the season: (drum roll please) Do you bake any of your gifts for Christmas? We do! I should clarify. I bake. Hubby stuffs tins, gift bags and his mouth with goodies, post baking. We usually give baked goodies to the neighbors, teachers and friends. Because all of our close neighbors have little kids I try to keep things simple but yummy (stuff kids will eat that parents can enjoy too).

In trying to find new recipes to add to my growing repertoire of easy treats, I found some sweet looking goodies to share with you! These all look delicious and are just the tip of the baking iceberg as far as what you'll find in our Dessert section.

Chocolate Bar Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

German Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Raisin Jumbles

Chocolate Turtle Candy

As you are preparing for the holidays, don't forget to visit our Bread and Muffins section too. I love it when the neighbors bring me banana bread or blueberry muffins at Christmas - makes for some find Christmas morning eating!

Connect with us on Facebook to share your favorite holiday baking recipes or visit Annie's Recipes for more delicious ideas!

Fig Filled Cookies

Today's recipe is...

Fig Filled Cookies

1/2 cup shortening (butter preferred)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
1 1/2 cups chopped figs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream sugar and shortening together. Add vanilla
Add eggs and beat until fluffy
Sift flour
Measure and add salt and soda
Sift again
Add dry ingredients alternately with sour milk
Beat after each addition
Roll on floured board to 1/8 inch thickness

Cut with cookie cutter and spread with filling:

Make Filling:

Combine sugar and flour
Add chopped figs and nuts
Add water and stir until smooth
Cook until thickened, stirring constantly
Put a teaspoon of filling on each cookie
Cover with another cookie and fasten edges securely
Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet
Baked at 375 until a golden brown
Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Apple Pie

Today's recipe is...

Apple Pie

1 can apple pie filling

Mix together:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon

Pour apples into a pie plate (oven proof) cover with a light dusting of cinnamon. Spread crust mixture over top. Bake at 350 degrees until golden.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Chocolate Fudge

Today's recipe is...

Chocolate Fudge

2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
3/4 cup milk
2 squares chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Cook sugar, syrup, milk and chocolate together until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water (236 degrees). Remove from heat and add butter. Cool until you can hold your hand on the bottom of the pan (112 degrees). Add vanilla and nuts and beat until creamy. Pour into buttered pan 4x8 inches. Mark into squares and cool. This is a creamy, moist and delicious fudge.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

PA Dutch Applesauce Gingerbread

Today's recipe is...

PA Dutch Applesauce Gingerbread

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour or 2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sliced apples
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x10 pan, or a 9x9 round cake pan.

Cream butter and sugar together and beat until fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add molasses and beat until thoroughly blended.

Sift flour; measure and add salt, baking soda and baking powder. Sift again. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Beat thoroughly after each addition.

Cover the bottom of the greased pan with sliced apples. Pour the batter over the apples and bake for about 45 minutes.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Raisin Jumbles

Today's recipe is...

Raisin Jumbles

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together margarine or butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until well incorporated. Blend in sour cream.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and mix until well blended. Stir in pecans and raisins.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Optional: Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies when cool.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Hawaiian Cookies

Today's recipe is...

Hawaiian Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 tsp almond extract or 1 tsp vanilla
pineapple jam

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Sift flour, sugar and baking powder together in a bowl. Cut in butter until you have coarse crumbs. Beat egg with extract then add to crumbs and mix. Knead the dough to mix well.


Divide dough into 30 pieces and roll into balls. Flatten each ball to half an inch thickness. Place on cookie sheet, then with a wet finger, make an impression in the center of each cookie. Fill center with pineapple jam or preserves. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Chocolate Butter Balls

Today's recipe is...

Chocolate Butter Balls

1 cup butter
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add extract and milk, mix. Sift the flour and cocoa together then add to creamed mixture.

Add nut, you should have a medium stiff dough. If too stiff add a few more drops of milk.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Form dough into small balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Chocolate Bar Cookies

Today's recipe is...

Chocolate Bar Cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour 2 8x8 square pans.

Cream shortening in mixer for about 3 minutes. Add sugar and eggs, alternating and beat well.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or in a glass dish over simmering water. Blend melted chocolate into sugar mixture, stir in salt and vanilla.

Whisk together flour and baking powder then stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan before cutting into squares or rectangle bars.

Notes: You can substitute chocolate chips for the nuts.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes

Butter Gems

Today's recipe is...

Butter Gems

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cream butter and shortening together and gradually add the sugar, mix until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until well incorporated. Add almond extract and mix well.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix dry and wet ingredients until incorporated.

Use a cookie press and pipe cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Click the recipe name to:

• Get a printer friendly version
  
• Leave a comment
  
• Upload a photo
  
• Save to your recipe box
  
• Send to a friend
  

More you might like:

Cookie recipes
Apple Pie Recipes
Sugar Cookie recipes