Plot Monkeys

Well, to start off, THANK YOU everyone for pulling for me on the book–I did end up getting it finished. A whopping 443 pages–but I loved every one of them and so did my editor–yay!

Anyway, I’m actually starting to think about the holidays now that SHE’S NO ANGEL is behind me. I’ve been doing a lot of shopping online, so I’m okay there, but I now am looking forward to diving into another holiday tradition: baking!

I am not a huge fan of cooking most of the time. I mean, I do okay–there are a couple of dishes I make that are extremely good. But on a daily basis, I’m pretty lazy. My hubby is much more creative in the kitchen.

But I really do love making Christmas cookies. I have a whole list I have to repeat every year, some from my childhood, some that I’ve added to my holiday tradition as my kids have grown. I like trying something new every year and there have been a few that have been so fabulous, they “make the cut” for the entire family and get added to the list.

That list is long.

So’s my shopping list.

So’s the number at the bottom of the grocery store receipt when I buy everything on that shopping list! Chocolate’s expensive!

Here are a few that I’ll be tackling with my girls in the upcoming week…(note: that’s all 3 girls…my oldest baby came home from college Thursday night. YAY!)

Pecan Sandies –a holdover from childhood–my Mom always made them and I still love them, simple little vanilla cookies with pecan chunks tossed in powdered sugar. Yum.

Chocolate-Caramel thumbprints–this is one of those recipes I found in a cookbook a few years ago, tried, and the whole family went nuts over! They’re like those jam thumbprints you see everywhere only the cookies are chocolate based and have a melted caramel & cream center, with dark chocolate striped over them. Unbelieivable!

7 Layer bars (easy but so delicious!)
Fantasy Fudge (the kind on the Marshmallow fluff jar. Anything with marshmallow fluff in it has to be good.)
Fruitcake Cookies (I know, everybody hates fruitcake, but these cookies are soooooo good! They don’t taste like the cake, they’re just yummy.)
Rum balls (my 11 year old’s favorite…lol!)
Strawberry cookies (another newer favorite. They never really get eaten, but they’re just so darn pretty on a platter–shaped like strawberries complete with almond stem!)
White Chocolate Raspberry bars — To die for. They have a cream cheese/white chocolate layer, a raspberry layer and dark chocolate smeared over the top. Oh, man.
Rum Cake– my favorite holiday dessert. I follow my Mom’s recipe which is just perfect.
Peanut Butter Balls–a homemade version of Reese’s cups but BETTER.
Almond Rocka–my mother’s top secret recipe. It’s like homemade Heath Bars. I have scars on both hands from making this every year and having 310 degree boiling sugar & butter splatter on my hands. Hard Crack? They should call it 3rd Degree. But it’s worth it. I’d tell you the recipe, but then I’d have to kill you.

Here’s one I gave up on but only under diress: Almond Cookies from the old Betty Crocker cookbook I got as a wedding gift 20 years ago. These cookies were absolutely amazing–everyone who ever tasted them begged for the recipe. Then, when they found out one of the key ingredients is lard, they vowed to never taste one again. I know, I know, lard…might as well just smear it on my ass. But I sometimes dream about those cookies…

There are a few other basics–sugar cookies, gingerbread, etc.–that I’ll make just so the kids can use the cookie cutters, sprinkles and icing. That’s always a fun cookie decorating event.

I am already excited about getting started! Can’t do it too soon or they won’t be fresh for Christmas Eve, which is the first time any of them will get put out. Then they’ll be dragged out day after day through the holidays as we go visiting and have visitors, have game days and movie nights and just enjoy each other for one of my favorite weeks of the year.

Just for fun, I thought we might do a little cookie recipe exchange. If you have one that’s fabulous, post it and we’ll see who else decides to give your special recipe a try!

I’ll offer up the Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints…be warned, they’re addictive.

½ c Butter or margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup very finely chopped pecans
16 milk caramels
2 ½ tablespoons whipping cream
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
2 teaspoons shortening

Beat butter at medium speed with mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add melted chocolate and egg yolk, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1” balls; roll balls in chopped pecans. Place balls 1” apart on greased cookie sheets. Press thumb gently into center of each ball, leaving an indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until set. Meanwhile, combine caramels and whipping cream on top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cook over medium-low heat, stir constantly until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.

Remove cookies from oven, cool slightly, then press thumbprint again. Quickly spoon about ¾ teaspoon of caramel mixture into the center of each cookie. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool.

Place chocolate morsels and shortening in a heavy duty, zip-top plastic bag. Seal and microwave on high for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, squeeze bag until chocolate melts. Snip a tiny hole in one corner using scissors. Drizzle chocolate over cooled cookes.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

ENJOY!