Buckeyes

This holiday season I made two batches of buckeyes.  Joy really, really wanted to help me make them, so together we made the first batch.

The first time around I used Skippy Natural peanutbutter.  FAIL  The dough was way to soft and drippy.  I tried adding more butter, more sugar, but they never quite worked right.  With the next batch I used regular, off brand peanut butter.  Worked GREAT!  Just a tip, in case you might use natural peanut butter. 

Ingredients:

4 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

6 cups powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons shortening

In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Roll into small buckeye sized balls (About 1 inch in diameter)  Place on wax paper lined cookie sheets. Chill in the freezer for several hours, until very firm.

 Melt together the shortening and chocolate chips until smooth, being careful not to burn the chocolate.  Stick a toothpick into each ball, and careful dip into the melted chocolate, leaving just a small, round opening at the top, to resemble a buckeye.  Freeze until chocolate is completely set.  Store in the freezer or refrigerator.  Makes about 12 dozen.  (If you make them bigger around you will get less.  Or if you hand out samples frequently, as I did, you will get less :)
Store in fridge or freezer.

Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 Tablespoons water

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

On low heat melt margarine, sugar, and water.  Add chocolate chips; stir until half melted.  Remove from heat and stir until completely melted.

Coo for ten minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Reduce speed and add dry ingredients.

Chill one hour (Dough will be like fudge).  Preheat oven to 350°.  Roll into balls, about 1 inch in diameter.  Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 12 minutes, no longer.

Immediately put 1/2 an Andes mint on each cookie.  Let them sit for one minute, then spread the mint around the cookie with the back of a spoon.  Cool completely before stacking.  (I like these cookies better if they are cold, but some people at my house prefer them warm.  We keep some in the fridge, some on the counter.)

Homemade Eggnog

Many eggnog recipes are served containing raw eggs.  Not this recipe. Its cooked thoroughly. Its a great holiday treat!

Ingredients:

13 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 quarts milk, divided

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups whipping cream

additional nutmeg

To prepare: fill a clean sink with ice and cold water, until about half full. Mix 1 quart of cold milk measured, with vanilla, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg.  Have a large, heatproof bowl ready.

In a heavy 4-at. saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar, and salt.  Gradually add one quart milk.  Cook and stir over medium-low heat until a thermometer reads 160° F.  Be careful to keep stirring so the mixture does not turn into custard.  Once heated to 160° F. pour into a large heatproof bowl.

 Place bowl in the ice bath.  Hold on to the bowl at all times, making sure it does not tip into the water. Carefully stir in milk mixture.  Continue stirring frequently until mixture is cool.

Carefully strain mixture with a fine strainer, to remove all lumps.  (Sometimes small pieces of custard-like stuff form in the eggnog.)  Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Right before serving, beat the whipping cream in a mixing bowl, on high, until soft peaks form.  Whisk gently into cooled eggnog.   Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

Yield: 3 1/2 quarts.

Eggnog may be stored in the refrigerator for several days.  Whisk before serving.