Day 9-Baking for our Friends

Another thing I love to do is designate a day for baking for our friends and neighbors. Each year I do it a little differently. Sometimes I just bake one thing, and give them a tin full of that. This year, I thought I'd try some new recipes and see how it goes. I actually had a great time doing it. The only thing I've decided is that I love cooking with others. Maybe one day I'll get to do my holiday baking with family or a close friend! I really planned on taking pictures this year because I thought the tins turned out cute. I cut everything micro size and put the individual pieces in little decorative paper cups (small cupcake foils), and then arranged them in tins. However, by the time I got them all done, I was ready to deliver and totally forgot about pictures. Here are the recipes I did this year (and some pictures from other blogs):

OREO BALLS-The recipe I get asked for most! (Thanks Leigh, for the recipe and idea for this one!)

OREO BALLS

Ingredients:

- 1  Package Oreo cookies, crushed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 bag chocolate chips, melted or 2 packages dipping chocolate  (white, dark, milk – whichever you prefer!)

Directions:

1. Crush Oreo cookies in blender or food processer. Add softened cream cheese and mix together (I used my Kitchen aide).
2. With your hands, roll Oreo and cream cheese mixture into small balls.  Place on baking sheet lined with wax paper.
3. Chill in freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Melt chocolate chips or dipping chocolate in the microwave until melted.
5. Using a toothpick, dip the Oreo balls into the melted chocolate.  Cover well.
6. Let Oreo balls harden on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet in fridge or freezer. Takes about 15 minutes.
7. Keep in fridge! Serve cold and enjoy!

Makes about 25 – 40 Oreo Balls, depending on how you make them

You'll probably have left over chocolate so grab some pretzel twists and dip them too. I like to use which chocolate to dip mine in, and then I drizzle some chocolate over the top. YUMMY!

  

Chocolate Nut Bars

Chocolate Nut Bars (with optional coconut)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided

1 cup flaked coconut (optional)

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

 2. In small saucepan, over low heat, mix milk, 1 cup chocolate chips and vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over prepared crust. Top with  remaining 1 cup chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

 

Brownie Mint Sundae Squares (note, this is a frozen dessert!)

Ingredients

• 1 (19.5 ounce) package Pillsbury® Classic Traditional Fudge Brownies
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 5 drops green food coloring (optional)
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

 

Directions

1. Prepare brownie mix as package directs; stir in walnuts. Turn into aluminum-foil lined and greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake as directed. Cool thoroughly.
2. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and food coloring (optional). Fold in whipped cream and chocolate chips. Spoon over brownie layer.
3. Cover; freeze 6 hours or until firm. To serve, lift from pan with foil; cut into squares. Serve with hot fudge sauce (optional). Freeze leftovers.

  

Brownie Raspberry Bars

 


 Ingredients

• 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 2 cups biscuit baking mix
• 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 cup red raspberry preserves
• Red food coloring, optional
• Chocolate Drizzle

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In small saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with margarine.
2. In large mixer bowl, combine melted chips, biscuit mix, sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir in nuts. Turn into well-greased 15x10-inch baking pan.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until center is set. Cool thoroughly. In small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, preserves and food coloring, if desired, until smooth; spread over brownies. Garnish with Chocolate Drizzle. Chill. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.
4. Chocolate Drizzle: Melt 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon shortening. Immediately drizzle over bars.

Preparation Time
15 minutes

Baking Time
20 minutes

Chilling Time
1 hour

Serves
Makes 36 to 48 bars

  

 

 

Mini Cheesecakes

 

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 cup  (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/2  cup plus 2 TBSP. sugar, divided

2 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla, divided

1/2 cup  Sour Cream

2 eggs

 

HEAT oven to 325°F.  Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar. Place small liners in your small cupcake pans. (or you can do regular size cup cake tins and just cook longer). For the small tins, I used 1 tsp. mixture in each tin and used the back of the teaspoon to press the mixture firmly into tin. 

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add  sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon into tins. (I put the mixture into a pastry bag and then piped it in to make it easier.)

BAKE 15 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Add strawberry pie filling topping to each cheesecake just prior to serving.

Fantasy Fudge

Prep Time:

10 min

Total Time:

25 min

Makes:

3 lb. or 40 servings, about two squares each

What You Need

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup  (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine

1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)

1-1/2 pkg.  (12 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

1 cup  chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Make It

 

LINE 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in large heavy saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

ADD chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted. Add walnuts and vanilla; mix well.

POUR immediately into prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled; cut into 1-inch squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

I did sugar cookies too, and just cut them really small. I used a medicine cup as my cookie cutter. Frost and add sprinkles and place in paper liner.

I'd love to hear what you made, and get a recipe for it. I'm going to try out several recipes this next year to see what I want to make next Christmas.