Cherry Snowballs

I remember this from growing up. My mom made them every Christmas. If you get a red cherry in the middle it means you get a kiss from the closest person to you. If you get a green cherry it means you get a hug.

We only bought red cherries so everyone got kisses!!!

Pepper added by Joey - seriously??

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1/4 cup icing sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla
36 candied cherries

1. Cream butter with sugar until fluffy
2. Add remaining ingredients except cherries, mixing well with your hands
3. Flatten a small bit of dough (about a teaspoon) in the palm of your hand
4. Place a candied cherry in the circle of dough
5. Cover cherry by pinching dough up and around it
6. Roll between the palms of your hands until smooth
7. Place on a greased baking sheets
8. Bake at 325F for 35 minutes
9. Roll in granulated sugar

Thumbprint Cookies

Another regular staple on our Christmas baking list. I didn't realize we were out of grape jam which is Joey's favourite but he was okay with the strawberry cookies (or at least he pretended he was).

Pepper added by Joey - Nadda

Ingredients

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg yolk

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a bowl beat brown sugar, margarine, vanilla, egg yolk with an electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls

4. Place onto a cookie sheet and press thumb into the center of each cookie (do not press all the way through)

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown

6. Remake the indentations with the end of a wooden spoon if necessary

7. Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack

8. Fill each with jam

The recipe called for the cookies to be coated in egg white and then rolled in chopped nuts prior to baking but as a personal preference I omitted this step.

Snow Capped Cookies

I wasn't sure about these and if they would be tasty enough. I thought they may be a bit bland but I was very surprised when they turned out to be flavourful and slightly addictive.

Pepper added by Joey - His problem isn't that big

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup softened butter (I used margarine)

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 squares semi-sweet chocolate. chopped

3 squares white chocolate, grated

1. Preheat oven to 325F

2. Combine flour and pecans and set aside

3. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla

4. Gradually add flour mixture until well blended

5. Roll dought into 3/4 inch balls and place on a baking sheet

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown

7. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks

8. Microwave semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave on medium for 90 seconds. Stir until smooth and completely melted

9. Grate white chocolate into a separate dish

10. Dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate then sprinkle with grated white chocolate

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

Last year was the first time I had made these and Joey nearly fell off his chair when he tasted them. What could be better than a brownie with chewy coconut on top?? NOT MUCH! This is a must make treat for us at Christmas time now. Knowing Joey I will have to make it some other time in the year too.

On a funny note Joey did the grocery shopping for the Christmas baking. I guess I wasn't specific enough because he came home with 2 coconuts instead of bags of shredded coconut!

Pepper added by Joey - Oh hell no

Ingredients for chocolate base
1/2 cup unsalted butter (I used margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour

Ingredients for coconut topping
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 package (7 oz) sweetened shredded coconut (1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling)

Preheat over to 375F and line a 9 inch square baking pan with alunium foil, leaving a slight overhang. Butter bottom and side of foil (not overhang)

Chocolate bottom
1. Place butter in a large microwave safe bowl and melt in microwave
2. Add sugar and salt and whisk to combine
3. Whisk in egg, cocoa and flour until smooth
4. Spread batter into prepared pan
5. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan (10-15 minutes). Allow to cool slightly.

Coconut topping
1. In a medium bowl whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla
2. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except for 1/2 cup)
3. Drop mounds of mixture over the chocolate base. Spread and pat in gently with moistened fingers
4. Sprinkle with reserved coconut

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached (about 25-30 minutes). Cool completely in a pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil and cut into bars.