Coconut Creme Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-5 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes, divided
• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates (your choice of type)

Directions

1. 1 Beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3 cups coconut.
   
2. 2 Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in remaining 2 cups coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. (I use 3 cups coconut and choose not to roll in additional coconut.)
   
3. 3 Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate on top of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Naughty or Nice??

Linzer Cookies

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup Raspberry jam

Directions

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse pecans, confectioners' sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; re-roll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
4. Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners' sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Espresso Shooters

2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1¼ cups of espresso
¾ cup of brandy
3 tablespoons of brown sugar

Add all ingredients together in a small pan. Bring to a boil and boil for a minute. Pour into an ice cube tray. Freeze until set and then enjoy.


Now don't go driving after eating the "brandy enhanced" jello shots. Could be easy to carry in a Ziploc bag or even inside a water bottle.

Turkey Focaccio

 

• CRANBERRY PECAN SAUCE:
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 
  SANDWICH:
• 1 loaf (8 ounces) focaccia bread
• fresh Watercress
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked turkey
• 1/4 pound grated Smoked Gouda cheese
• 8 slices tomato (preferably Yellow)
• Sliced Avocado

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cranberry sauce, mustard, pecans and honey.
• Cut bread in half horizontally; spread with cranberry pecan sauce. Layer with Watercress, turkey, cheese, tomato and avocado; replace bread top. Cut into wedges. Yield: 4 servings.