Mint Surprise Cookies
1 C Butter
1 C Sugar1 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt3 C Flour
1 package Andies Mint Squares
* Preheat oven to 375
* Unwrap Andies mints and cut mint rectangles in half, making squares.
* Soften butter, add sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
*Mix with electric mixer until smooth.*Add flour and stir until mixed.
* Chill for an hour in fridge ( you don't have to do this but it makes it easier to form balls.)
*Spoon dough and roll around a mint square by using the palm of your hand. Cookie balls should be about 1 inch to 1.5 inch balls. The mint should not be showing.
* Bake 375 for 10-12 minutes.
English Toffee
1 C Butter
1/4 C Water
2 Tablespoons Karo Syrup (Corn Syrup)
1 1/4 C Sugar
1 Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Smashed Walnuts
Candy Thermometer
*Melt butter in a medium size saucepan. You must use real butter for this.
* Add water, corn syrup, and sugar.
* Stir until boiling.
* Turn heat down a bit so that the sauce is still boiling but not extremely hard. (usually medium low)
* Put candy thermometer into the liquid. Make sure it is not touching the bottom of the pan.
* Cook to 285 degrees. This will take about 20 min or more.
* Pour onto lightly greased cookie sheet (must have four sides)
* The toffee will look bubbly for a minute or two but then will become smooth.
* Pour bag of chocolate chips on the top, wait for them to melt and then smooth them all over the toffee.
* Add crushed walnuts
* Allow the toffee to set, either by leaving it out for several hours or by placing it into the fridge. Once cooked and set you can cut it with a metal spatula or butter knife.
Have any of you tried to make a gingerbread house lately?
Welllll, ummm, all I can say is good luck and have fun.
Emmi and I started making these three years ago. The first one was a tree and was fairly easy. Last year we made a train and I struggled with it, but still, comparatively speaking it was easy. This year Emmi wanted this cute little house.
The box showed a uniform house, with cute gumdrops all in a row and a checkerboard roof that made me say... "awww, that will be fun."
Boxes can be deceiving!
Very deceiving!
We started on the roof. I figured that if we started there and let it dry then it would be easier than trying to frost and decorate the roof when it was ON the house. This was a very good decision and I think the only good decision we made.
Next we put the house together. I used the decorator bag and piped frosting on the sides and then Emmi and I squished them together into a cute little box house. We held them for a few minutes and then let go. And it held. I was so happy.
We waited for a while for the house to dry and then decided to put the roof on. So once again I piped the edges with white goo and then carefully placed the roof on the house.
Only to find it didn't fit!
It freaking didn't fit!
I'm no architect, so I stood there for a few minutes, ticked off, trying to figure out what the crap we did wrong.
These things don't come with instructions you know.
Finally I realize that the side walls of the house should have gone inside the front and back parts of the house and we had done it wrong.
So I got a knife and cut the house apart and started over.
After letting it dry a second time we once again carefully placed the roof parts onto the house. I held them for a few minutes and then let go.
And the house fell apart!!!
It fell....It freaking fell down.
I guess it wasn't as dry as we thought.
So once again we took the house apart, put it back together and then I went to lye down and let it glue itself together.
For the third time we carefully place the roof on the house and the house held. But when I let go of the roof it started a slow downward crawl towards the floor.
I watched the sliding roof in horror, not quite knowing what to do. I really didn't want to stand there holding the roof forever until it dried, so we tried proping it up with jello boxes, cups and such. But it just kept sliding.
So we held the roof on.
And held...and held.
We let go and it seemed to stay. So Emmi finished decorating her roof with a row of gumdrops while I sat down and rested. LOL
When we finished with the house I stepped up to the counter for a look and wouldn't you know it, the freaking roof had continued to slide leaving a gumdrop gap at the top.
*bash head*
Emmi said next year she is getting out the hot glue gun and gluing it together. I think my daughter is brilliant.
However, even though our house is drafty and has a leaking roof and lopsided decorations...it is super cute.
On Friday we had our Great Grandma Christmas Party. My grandma does this every year and has since we were little.
Hi Grandma!
It is a tradition for the kids to put on a reenactment of Luke 2, the birth of our Savior. We did it every year that I can remember and now the torch has been passed to our children. The only difference is that when we were little we used sheets and robes. Last year my mom bought some costumes and I made like 10 costumes. It is so much cuter with the costumes. I wish I could be a sheepie.
Our star got stage fright at the last minute and the play must go on, so my cousin "took one for the team" (her words), and played the part of the star. What a bright and shinning star she is.
Last night we shoveled snow and my little one wanted to make a snowman. We tried to roll the balls of snow, only to have them fall apart. So we decided that we could pile the snow into a snowman instead.
Isn't it cute?
Look, she is an angel. *cough cough* *snort snort*
