Creamy Peanut Butter Soup
1/4 cup creamy, or chunky peanut butter
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup milk
In a saucepan (over low heat), stir soup into peanut butter;
adding a little at a time, stir until well blended.
Add milk, heat through; stirring occasionally.
If desired, season soup with a bit of black pepper.
Yields: 2 servings.
Valentine's Day Candy Bark
18 oz. Nestle's Premier White Chocolate Chips
(About) 1 cup red hearts cinnamon candy
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet, preferably with sides. I used a (15-1/2" x 10" x 1") baking sheet. Set baking sheet aside.
Place the white chocolate chips in a double boiler; melt the morsels over a low simmering heat ontop the stove. Be sure to stir the chocolate as it's melting. (I found it only took 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.)
Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Using a heat-proof spatula; quickly spread-out the melted chocolate, as evenly as you can on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle the cinnamon heart candies over the white chocolate. Allow to cool. (To set up the candy bark quickly, place baking sheet in your refrigerator freezer for just 5 minutes.)
Once removed from the freezer, you'll have noticed that the candy bark will separate from the parchment paper. Break up the candy bark with your hands, and either place in individual baggies to give as gifts, or place in a tin, or an air tight container. No refrigeration is required.
Yields: 10 servings (or more)
Note: When I made the Valentine Bark, I made a bit more than the recipe called for. I used 2-(12 ounce) bags of the white chocolate morsels, and a bit larger baking sheet. (A 17-1/4" x 11-1/4" x 3/4" baking sheet to be exact.) I didn't use an entire cup of the cinnamon candies, I just sprinkled on desired amount.
Here's a cookie sampler of the cookies I've been making so for Christmas.
Santa Claus Cookies
Holly Berry Cookies
Cherry-Chocolate Star Cookies
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cakes
Gingerbread Marshmallow Crispies
Peanut Butter and Jam Thumbprint Cookies
These Gingerbread Marshmallow Crispies are amazingly scrumptious! The extra added spices made these crispie treats oh so yummy!!!
Gingerbread Marshmallow Crispies
1 stick of butter or margarine
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (10 oz.) bag Gingerbread Marshmallows
5 cups Crisp Rice Cereal
Holiday Decorative Sprinkles (red, green and white)
Using a plastic sandwich bag, grease 1- (9x13-inch) baking pan with either butter, margarine. Set pan aside.
Melt butter over low heat in a large Teflon coated pan.
Add the spices and stir.
Add the marshmallows, and stir until the marshmallows have melted, and the mixture is smooth.
Remove pan from the heat, then add the crisp rice cereal; stir until cereal is coated well with the marshmallow mixture.
Pour the marshmallow/cereal mixture into the baking pan.
Using your hands, which have been coated with a bit of butter or margarin;, gently press the mixture into the pan.
Immediately sprinkle bars with some holiday candy sprinkles; gently patting sprinkles onto the bars.
Let the bars set for a few hours before slicing them.
Yields: 12 bars (I cut my bars large in size, as they weren't very thick bars.)
This recipe is from my 1982 Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook.
Santa Claus Cookies
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening, or butter flavor shortening
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. grated lemon peel (I omit this, dont really need it)
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Creamy Frosting (See recipe below)
Miniature Marshmallows
Red Sugar
Dark Raisins or Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
Red Hots Cinnamon Candies
Flaked or Shredded Coconut
Mix granulated sugar, shortening, milk, lemon peel and egg.
Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls.
Place about 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten each to about 2-1/2 inch in diameter, with greased bottom of a beverage glass dipped in sugar.
Bake until edges are light brown, 8 to 10 minutes; then let cookies cool completely before frosting them.
Spread cookie with small amount of Creamy Frosting.
Sprinkle top third of cookie with red sugar (to make Santa's cap).
Press on miniature marshmallow for tassel of cap.
Press 2 raisins (or 2 chocolate chips) for the eyes, and 1 red cinnamon candy for the nose.
Sprinkle bottom third with either flaked or shredded coconut, for the beard.
Frost and decorate each cookie before starting another.
Yields: about 2 dozen cookies.
Creamy Frosting:
Mix 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar, 3/4 tsp. vanilla, and about 4-1/2 tablespoons milk; mix until desired consistency.
Note: I baked my cookies on Pampered Chef Stoneware, and baked the first 2 batches for 10 minutes, and the last 2 batches for 9 minutes, as the cookies were starting to brown up a bit around the edges.
