December 6th!

December 6th!

Candy Cane Mint Float

24 ounces hot chocolate
4 ounces Peppermint schnapps or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
16 ounces mint chip ice cream
whipped cream or topping such as Cool Whip
1 candy cane, crushed
4 coffee mugs

Pour 6 ounces of hot chocolate and 1 ounce of liqueur or 1/8 teaspoon of extract into each coffee mug. Top each with scoop of ice cream. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy cane.

Sugar Cookies (Christmas Cookie Cutters needed)

3/4 cup Golden Crisco or Butter-flavored Crisco (shortening)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Coloured decorations or icing

Cream Crisco, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy. Cmbine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing on low speed until well blended. Cover dough and chill 1 hour, if desired, for easy rolling. Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll half of dough at a time. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut in desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll leftover pieces. Sprinkle with coloured decorations or leave plain to decorate when cool. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown. (Time will vary with cookie size.) Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack.

Buckeyes

2 lbs. Peanut butter 
1 pound butter 
3 pounds powdered sugar 
two 12-ounce packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use a high quality chocolate.
1/2 of one bar of paraffin wax 
toothpicks for dipping 
waxed paper

Place wax paper onto cookie sheets and set aside. Cream peanut butter and butter until combined. Add sugar a little at a time. Make sure it is mixed well. Roll peanut butter mixture into approximately 400 1-inch diameter balls. Insert one tooth pick into each small peanut butter ball. Set all of them aside. Melt chocolate and paraffin (parafin helps the chocolate become shiny when it cools) in a double boiler. Be careful not to over-heat the chocolate. Dip the ball into the chocolate so as to ALMOST cover the entire ball. Leave small portion of ball uncoated. Let cool on waxed paper. Store in a cool place.

This recipe makes 400 cookies. Halve or quarter the recipe if you can't eat that many!