Home and Garden Holiday Treats - The Winners for 2021

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of dark chocolate chips
• 1 bag of white chocolate chips
• 1 bag Peppermints
• 13 drops of Peppermint essential oil or 1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract

How to:

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler (or the microwave) then pour onto lined baking trays and spread evenly until about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place chocolate into the refrigerator to harden.
4. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler (or the microwave).
5. Add peppermint (oil or extract) to white chocolate and mix quickly.
6. Pour melted white chocolate over the hardened dark chocolate and spread evenly until dark chocolate is covered.
7. Sprinkle crushed peppermints over melted white chocolate. Gently press candy into chocolate to help it stay put when broken later.
8. Place bark back in the fridge and allow to set completely.
9. Once chocolate is set, break into bite-size pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp. white sugar
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup eggnog
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. rum
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
5. In a food processor combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and eggnog; process until smooth. Blend in eggs, rum and nutmeg. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center of the cake is barely firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately loosen the cake from the rim. Let the cake cool completely before removing.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 c. chocolate chips
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. Christmas sprinkles

How to:

1. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine melted chocolate, condensed milk, butter, cream, vanilla, and salt together.
2. Stir until smooth, then pour into prepared pan.
3. Top with sprinkles and refrigerate until set for 2 hours. Cut into squares to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
• ¾ cups sugar divided
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour – spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 1 cup butter cubed (and cold)
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 to 2 tbsp. of fresh orange juice (optional)
• Additional sugar to coat cookies before baking if desired

How to:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine cranberries and 1/4 cup of sugar in a food processor and process just until the cranberries are broken down into smaller pieces. Set aside.
3. Combine flour and remaining sugar in a large bowl.
4. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut in butter. You want very fine crumbs.
5. Stir in extract, cranberries and sugar mixture, orange zest and orange juice (optional).
6. Use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together and forms a ball. If the dough is still crumbly, add orange juice, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
7. Shape dough into a log about two inches in diameter and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to 72 hours.
8. Preheat oven to 325°F.
9. Cut slices of cookie dough about ¼ inch thick.
10. Place about 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl and coat the cookie slices with sugar.
11. Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or just until cookies are set. Do not overbake.
12. Let cookies cool for several minutes on a baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
13. Store in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

• 10 tbsp. (2/3 cup; 145g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup (160ml) unsulphured molasses
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 and 1/2 cups (438g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger (yes, 1 full Tablespoon!)
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

How to:

1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy-looking.
2. Next, beat in egg and vanilla on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The butter may separate; that’s ok.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. Chill discs for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
5. Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Roll out disc until 1/4-inch thick. Tips for rolling– the dough may crack and be crumbly as you roll. What’s helpful is picking it up and rotating it as you go. Additionally, you can use your fingers to help meld the cracking edges back together. The first few rolls are always the hardest since the dough is so stiff, but re-rolling the scraps is much easier. Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. Repeat with remaining disc of dough.
6. Bake cookies for about 9-10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes. Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they’ll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow the suggested bake times.
7. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.
8. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.