Christmas Cookies & Holiday Treats

For best results I recommend repeatedly playing George Strait's ‘Christmas Cookies’ while baking…just a suggestion.


Gluten Free Gingerbread Men

The Fixin's:
1/2 c margarine
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 egg yolk
2 c sifted all-purpose Gluten Free flour
1/2t salt
1/2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/2t ground cinnamon
1t ground cloves
1t ginger
1/2t ground nutmeg


What to do:
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the margarine and sugar until smooth. Continue mixing and add molasses and egg yolk. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg, then combine with the molasses mixture. Blend until smooth, cover and chill for an hour.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll your dough until its about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your gingerbread men (women and children) and place 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Step 3: Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Decorate as desired.


Mint Chocolate Truffles

The Fixin's:
1 package of semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2t peppermint extract
3/4 lb dark chocolate candy coating
1/3 c crushed peppermint candies


What to do:
Step 1: Using a double boiler* (if you don't have one, no worries, see below, I used a make-shift one myself), melt your package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, stir in the condensed milk and peppermint and blend until smooth. Cover and chill for 45 minutes.
Step 2: When firm, shape into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed lined baking sheet. Chill for 1-2 hours.
Step 3: Melt the candy coating using the same double boiler used earlier, dip the chilled truffles in the melted candy coating, allowing the excess to drip off and place back on the baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with peppermint chips.
Step 4: Chill again for about 15 minutes until the outer chocolate layer is firm.


Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

The Fixing's:
1 package of white or semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 pretzel rods (8-oz. package)
1t vegetable oil
Candy sprinkles/desired toppings


What To Do:
Step 1: Prep your work station so each step transitions smoothly. If possible, I suggest using the counter space right next to your stove or pulling a table up right alongside it so you don’t ever actually have to move your feet. We’ll call this the ‘Pivot.’ Place your pretzel rods in a dish, removing the broken or unwanted pieces. Do the same thing with your sprinkles. Lastly, designate cookies sheets or a flat surfaced area to be covered with wax paper to serve as the cooling area.
Step 2: In a double boiler, add the vegetable oil and the chocolate chips, melt down and stir until smooth.
Step 3: Holding one end, dip your pretzel rod into the chocolate while, with your other hand, spooning the melted chocolate over ¾ of the stick. I used a silicone brush and it worked awe-sooome (said in a sing-song voice)!
Step 4: Allow excess chocolate to drip off the end of your pretzel rod before gracefully removing it from the pot and placing onto the prepped cooling surface. Immediately sprinkle with toppings and let sit.
Step 5: Repeat with each pretzel rod until finished. If you’re feeling adventurous, this same method can be applied to Madeline’s, strawberries, almonds, espresso beans, gummy bears, bacon, gum, tic-tacs, string cheese, cold cuts or whatever else you think of, you weird-o.


Sugar Cookies

The Fixin’s:
1 ½ c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1t vanilla
5 c flour
2t baking powder
1t salt


What To Do:
Step 1: Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill for at least an hour.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll your dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your holiday shapes and place 2 inches apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.
Step 3: Place in oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks. Decorate as desired.


Fudge

The Fixin’s:
3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ c butter
1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 c walnuts
¼ c toppings


What To Do:
Step 1: In a microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk for 3 minutes. Stir and heat for another minute or two until melted and smooth. Add nuts if desired.
Step 2: Pour into a well greases 8x8 glass baking dish. Refrigerate over night.
Step 3: Join a gym.

*Make Shift a Double Boiler
It's super easy. In a large skillet, bring water to a boil, place a smaller pot with your chocolate in it inside the skillet full of boiling water, and stir as it melts. See! Easy peasy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

So good you'll wish you could eat them twice!

The Fixin's:
4 large potatoes (or 8 smaller ones)
1 c of sour cream (I use Fat Free - go ahead. Judge me.)
1 c of cheddar cheese
1/2 c of milk
4 T of butter
1/2 t of salt
1/2 t of pepper
8 green onions, chopped

What To Do:
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub your spuds with produce soap and some elbow grease.
Step 2: With a fork, pierce each potato 3 or 4 times and slather with olive oil.
Step 3: Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and slide a baking sheet directly underneath on the rack below to catch the drips. Bake for 1 hour.
Step 4: After baking for an hour, remove from the oven and let cool.
Step 5: Slice each potato lengthwise, Scoop the insides into a bowl and place the skins aside on a baking sheet.

Step 6: Add the sour cream, milk, half of your cheddar, butter, salt and pepper, half of your onions to your spud guts, and whip with a hand mixer until creamy.
Step 7: Now the fun part! Refill your potato skins with this creamy concoction and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and chives.
Step 8: Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 9: Say grace. Eat!

Bath Fizzies

Pamper yourself or spoil your friends. After all, who doesn't love a hot bath that fizzes?


The Fixin's:
1/2 c of citric acid (Can be found at most whole food or vitamin stores.)
1 c of baking soda
3/4 c of cornstarch
1/4 c organic cane sugar
food coloring
essential oil(s)
spray bottle (travel size works great!)
silicone ice-cube tray (Bed, Bath & Beyond)
storage jars

What To Do:
Step 1: Whisk together the citric acid, baking soda and corn starch in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add sugar and whisk some more.
Step 3: Fill your spray bottle with water and add desired amount of food coloring. Spritz a few sprays at a time so the mixture becomes damp, knead with your fingers, spritz some more.



Step 4: Add 15-20 drops of essential oil, and continue step 3, until you can clump the mixture together.


In the spirit of Christmas I went with candy cane colors and peppermint oil!


Step 5: With a metal spoon fill your ice cube tray and firmly pack each square. If your mixture becomes crumbly or starts to dry out, spritz again.

Step 6: Let sit overnight at room temperature.
Step 7: Gently pop out and store cubes in an air tight container.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas

This fast became my favorite meal after my mother-in-law made it a couple months ago. It is SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!

I like my food spicy, so I made some minor additions to this Martha Stewart original.

The Fixin's:
10 corn tortillas
A bunch of fresh cilantro
1lb chicken
2 cans of diced green chilies
2 jalapenos with seeds
6 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

4 cloves of garlic
15 oz, can of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon of chili
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 1/2 cup chicken broth

What To Do:
Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Blend together a generous pinch of cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, pumpkin puree, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and chicken broth.

Step 3: Spoon about a cup of the pumpkin sauce the bottom of your casserole dish and spread to cover the entire bottom.

Step 4: Strain the corn and black beans and mix together in a large bowl along with the cans of diced green chilies and cooked chicken (Your chicken can be shredded, cut into cubes or as I like to make it chopped in the food processor).


Step 5: Spoon the chicken, bean and corn mixture into the tortillas and place them seam down into the sauce cover dish.



Step 6: Saturate the dish of tortillas with the remaining pumpkin sauce and sprinkle with cheese. As a finishing touch, add springs of cilantro sporadically over the cheese.

Step 7: Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is browning and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before devouring!


A dollop of sour cream or sprinkle of Trader Joe's Chili Pepper Sauce is awesome with this!!!

Homemade Snow Globes

The Fixin's:

• Glass Jar w/ Lid

• Plastic or Ceramic Figurine

• White or Silver Glitter

• Glycerin

• Epoxy glue

• Distilled water

• Hot Glue Gun

What To Do:

Step 1: Begin by washing and drying your jar and lid.

Step 2: Next take your figurine and glue it using the Epoxy to the inside of the lid. (Figurines can be found at dollar stores, hobby shops or you can even use a small Christmas ornament as long as they aren’t metal -metal will rust.)

Step 3: Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water. Make sure to leave room for the figurine.

Step 4: Add a dash of glycerin to thicken the water and a pinch of glitter.

Step 5: Surround the inside crease of the lid using the hot glue gun and carefully screw on tightly.

Step 6: For extra holiday spirit tie a bell to a festive ribbon around the lid.

Step 7: Flip right side up and let it snow!