Gingerbread Tiramisu

GINGERBREAD TIRAMISU
1 box Gingerbread Cake & Cookie Mix, 14.5 oz
2 pkg Cream Cheese, softened, 8 oz. each
¼ cup Plus 1 T. Powdered Sugar, divided
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
½ cup Strong Coffee or Coffee Flavored Liqueur
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan with nonstick baking spray then coat with flour. Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Cut cake in half, forming 2 (10 x 7.5 inch) pieces. Cut each half lengthwise into 1 inch strips; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. In bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish, arrange half of gingerbread strips in single layer, trimming to fit if needed. Brush coffee or liqueur evenly over gingerbread. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over top. Layer with remaining half of gingerbread strips, trimming to fit if needed, and remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and remaining 1 T. powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Makes 12 servings.

*Found on the Christmas Spirit facebook fan page

Candy Cane Snowballs

3 c. powdered sugar, divided

1 1/4 c butter, softened
2 t. vanilla (or if you’d prefer a stronger peppermint flavor, you can replace vanilla with peppermint extract)
1 egg
3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. finely crushed candy canes, divided
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2-3 T. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Slowly add to mixing bowl, beating until combined, about 1 minute. Stir 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes in by hand.

3. Roll dough into small balls using just under a teaspoon of dough. Rolls balls through granulated sugar to coat and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

4. While cookies bake, stir together remaining 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 T. of milk. Add just enough milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with remaining crushed candy canes immediately.

Lemon Berry Trifle (Easter)

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese
3 3/8 ounces instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest - grated
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 ounces Cool Whip Lite or fat free (I made my own whipped cream..much better)
4 1/2 ounces ladyfinger cookies - split (I left my whole)
1/4 cup strawberries - hulled and sliced or raspberries, left whole

In a food processor fitted with metal blade, combine cream cheese, lemon pudding mix, skim milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Process until smooth. Gently fold in Cool Whip.

Arrange 1/3 of ladyfingers in bottom of baking dish, bowl, or casserole dish. Spoon 1/3 of pudding mixture. Spread evenly. Arrange a 1/3 of strawberries over pudding mixture. Repeat twice. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours.

*recipe from neighbor but changed a little by myself

Bunny Pancakes with Strawberry Butter

2 cups buttermilk baking mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Assorted candies or fruit

1. prepare strawberry butter (recipe below); set aside. Preheat electric skillet or griddle to 375 deg.

2. Combine baking mix, milk, eggs and yogurt in medium bowl; mix well. Spoon scant 1/2 cup batter into skillet. With back of spoon. gently spread batter into 4-inch circle. Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter onto top edge of circle for head. Using back of spoon, spread batter from head to form bunny ears.

3. Cook until bubbles on surface begin to pop and top of pancake appears dry; turn pancake over. Cook until done, 1 to 2 minutes. Decorate with candies or fruit to make face.

Makes about 12 (8-inch) pankcakes

Strawberry Butter

1 package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen strawberries

Place cream cheese and butter in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Add powdered sugar; process until blended. Add strawberries; process until finely chopped.

Makes 1 1/3 cups

*recipe and photo from tlc cooking

Soft Molasses Cookies

If you've ever been to Ben's cookies at the Gateway mall in Utah you know how amazing their cookies are. Every cookie they make there uses Kodiak Cakes mixes:
The last time I was there I went for one of their molasses cookies. I was an instant fan! They are perfectly soft and tasty. They offered me the recipe that I am now sharing with you. Make them as soon as you can. They are so easy and not just a holiday cookie.



Ingredients:

2 C Kodiak Cakes Flapjack Fix (you can find their mixes at popular grocery stores in almost every state. I got mine at Smith's here in Utah. I know they have them at Fresh Market, Fry's, Albertson's, Safeway,)
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
1/2 C + 1 t vegetable oil
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg

Mix oil, sugar, molasses and egg until smooth. Blend the spices and Kodiak Cakes Flapjack Mix, then add to the sugar and oil mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about six minutes. Do not over bake. They are better if a little on the soft side.

* I replaced the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil with the same amount of plain greek yogurt. We thought it was healthier and very good.

**recipe from Kodiak Cakes Kitchen

Creamy Fudge

3 – (6.8 oz) Symphony Bars

4 cups Sugar

2 Cups Cream

2 sticks of real butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Stir together Cream and sugar in large heavy buttered pot. Place over medium heat and stir constantly just until it comes to a rolling boil. Once it starts to boil, DO NOT STIR, and put the lid on for ONE minute and then remove the lid.

Continue Cooking to a soft ball stage, and Do not Stir: Use your Candy Thermometer.

I cook mine to about 230 degrees. Every thermometer is different, so test yours, or do the cold water test. Take off the heat, and add 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter that you have cut up in chunks, and the vanilla…. let sit in the hot candy mixture for ONE minute – WITHOUT STIRRING!

Now – Without scraping the pan, pour over 3 big (the 6.8 oz) symphony bars that you have broke up into a large bowl. Beat until very smooth with beaters. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Put in the fridge until nice and set up…preferably over night.

*I line mine with parchment paper, that way you can lift the entire slab of fudge from the pan, and cut them easily. This fudge rarely turns to sugar, and is very creamy and smooth. Nuts are optional. Makes a large batch. Once cut, put in a container with a sealed lid, and keep refrigerated. YUM!

*recipe from a neighbor

Peppermint Pound Cake

I’ve been on a peppermint roll lately! Recipes with peppermint have been sounding really good to me this holiday season. This recipe did not come from a cookbook or from the internet…it came from a Christmas kitchen towel a friend had given me. I added a glaze and crushed candy canes as a finishing touch. If you like peppermint, you’ll enjoy this, and even if you are not a big peppermint fan, I think you’ll still like this because the peppermint flavor is definitely on the lighter side.

PEPPERMINT POUND CAKE

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 sticks butter (1 1/2 cups), softened
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (just use one teaspoon for a light peppermint flavor, or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons for a stronger peppermint flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan (I used a 12-cup bundt pan, but I think it would work fine in a 10-cup pan, too–the baking time would be slightly longer).

In large bowl, blend sugar and softened butter. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Alternate adding flour and milk to mixture, blending well. Add peppermint and vanilla extracts, and stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 70-80 minutes (for a 12-cup pan, baking time will be about 70-75 minutes; for a 10-cup pan, it will be more like 80 minutes). Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. While cake is cooling, you can make the glaze…

CREAMY PEPPERMINT GLAZE

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme (half of a 7-oz. container)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk or half and half
• 3 crushed candy canes, for garnish

Blend softened butter and marshmallow creme together until smooth, then add peppermint extract and mix well. Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add milk or half and half and blend well.

Shortly before you are ready to serve the cake, spoon the glaze over the top, letting it run down the sides (you’ll have some glaze left over). Then sprinkle top of cake with crushed candy canes, and serve. (Note: this glaze is a little gooey because of the marshmallow creme, so you may need to wipe your knife occasionally as you’re slicing the cake).

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups peppermint bark, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Position the racks in the middle of the oven, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. At this point you should have a moist uniform dough. Stir in the peppermint bark by hand, mixing only until evenly distributed. Reserve a bit of the bark to sprinkle on top of the cookies after you have dropped them onto the baking sheets.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 - 14 minutes, until golden on bottom and top. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen medium-large cookies.

*recipe from a family cookbook