The World According to Me

Once I started pulling out the recipe books I found more of my favorite holiday recipes. Is there anything better than the smell of cookies baking?

Candy Cane Cookies

These I can remember making with my grandmother and my sister in the big kitchen on the farm.

1 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp peppermint extract

2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp red food coloring

Mix first 6 ingredients well. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Add food coloring to one portion and blend well. Roll 1 tsp of each color dough into rope about 5 ½ inches long. Lay them side by side and pinch the ends together. Twist to form a spiral. Lay them on an ungreased baking sheet and shape them into canes. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until pale gold. Makes 4 ½ dozen.

You can also use green food coloring and make wreaths using the same recipe.

Orgasmic Squares

I’m not sure where these originated or what there real name is, but this is what my mother has always called them. They take a little more work but are definitely worth it!

Base:

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups flour

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in flour until well combined. Press mixture to the bottom of an 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Toffee Filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

While base is baking, mix condensed milk, butter and corn syrup. Cook, stirring, over medium low heat 5 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour toffee over baked base. Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.

Chocolate Drizzle:

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Melt chocolate until smooth. Drizzle over filling, making a criss-cross pattern. Chill and cut into bars.