Winner, Winner, Dessert for Dinner...

And the winner of the Sam's Club $25 gift card is....

Jess from Life's Simple Measures! Congrats Jess on your prize.

And, guess what? I decided to give away two gift cards!

The second winner is...

The almost-last-comment...Susan at The Weekly Sweet Experiment.

Congrats ladies! Be sure to let me know your mailing info ASAP and I'll mail your cards and one-day pass to you.

Happy New Year's everyone! Stay safe tonight.  I'll be back on Monday with some yummy treats.

2011 Recipe Review {Oh what a year it's been...}

So, now that I've officially been around for an entire calendar year, I thought I'd do one of those round-up posts I see so often.

I feel like I've arrived!

In all seriousness, this year has been awesome. I started off not knowing what the heck I was doing and just in the last eight months or so I feel like I've grown leaps and bounds as a blogger. In the past year I've found my voice. I've found so many other great blogs that I read every day. I've made blogger friendships with people I hope to meet some day. I am more sure now than ever that this is what I want to be doing.

So let's take a look back, shall we? First up, the top nine from a statistical perspective. Here are the top viewed posts to date:

Patriotic Pops, Elf Munch, Cake Batter Coffee Creamer, Red Velvet Brownie Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles, Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Bars, Zucchini Brownies, Pie Cookies, and S'mores Cookies.

I'm proud of everything I make, but these are, in fact, some of the ones I'm most proud of. Why? Because a few of them were my own recipes, and the others were ones that I changed a great deal. It also happens that these were all recipes that were featured by one of the linky parties I joined, so thanks so much to all you hosts out there!

While my favorites from the year are definitely represented in that collection, here are a few that didn't statistically make it to the top, but are ones I love just as much:

Peanut Butter Oreo Brownies, Ice Cream Cookies, Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches (using the best and easiest peanut butter cookie recipe ever), Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies, Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Frosting, Popcorn Marshmallow Treats, Baby Peeps, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Dough Cupcakes, and Peanut Butter Crispy Treats.

You know what is curiously missing from this list? Pie. Crust. My passion.

Which is why in 2012 I am going to (try) to focus more on Crust. My goal is to give every treat I love some of the crunchy good stuff. I've got a few recipes saved you'll flip for. Be sure to stay tuned.

Thank you all for making 2011 such a great year. Let's hope 2012 is even better!

Happy New Year everyone! I'll see you next year, with some great new recipes.

Almond Spritz Cookies with Chocolate Almond Glaze

I cannot believe that another year has passed us by. I swear, it was just yesterday when we rang in 2011.

When I was a kid and complaining about how sssssllllloooooowwwwww summer was going, my mom used to like to tell me that not to fear, the years would speed up as I got older.

In my kid-mind I was all, "Sure. Mmmhmm. I believe you. (NOT!)"

But, as usual, Mom was right. Now I want the year to slow down so I can actually experience it instead of it passing me by in a blur.

This year has been full of highs and lows, as any year is. Fun things, like Jordan turning 6 and going to Disneyland where Jordan finally, finally would take photos with the princesses. Exciting things like finishing Kindergarten and starting first grade. Mel and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary and renewed our vows with Elvis. He turned 50. I turned 34 and (even though I have awhile to catch up to him) finally understand when people complain about their age in relation to aches, pains, age spots, and grey hair.

We started the year having no idea we would end the year in a new house. Several months were spent dealing with buying and moving. But it was worth it. THIS house is our forever home. (Well, until this blog makes us rich and we can buy a house on the beach somewhere.)

We've lost some family members this year. Two of them passed within weeks of diagnosis, and should have had many years still ahead of them. That alone makes me appreciate what I have in front of me. I am thankful for what I have!

Honestly, I was trying to sum up 2011 to myself. And really, I couldn't. Because it went so fast I had a hard time even remembering everything that happened. Maybe one of my goals in 2012 should be to slow down?

Speaking of 2012, do you need a quick cookie to take to a party? There's no need to worry about calories until the 2nd, after all (the first is spent eating to recover from the party the night before, right?)

I've never made spritz cookies before and they are so super easy! I know that they don't traditionally have glaze, but they looked sorta naked. They needed a jacket, a chocolatey almond jacket. They are for New Year's Eve, right? They needed some glitz, glamour, and sparkle.

Make to eat, make to take...whatever, just make them!

Almond Spritz Cookies with Chocolate Glaze

Recipe adapted from Land ‘O Lakes

{The print link is in the footer.}

Ingredients:

For the cookie:

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon almond extract

2-3 tablespoons milk

Sprinkles

Directions:

1.       Mix butter, sugar, egg, and extract in a mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping as needed, until creamy. Add flour and salt and mix on low until combined. If dough is too soft, chill before spritzing.

2.       Preheat oven to 400°. Do not grease or line your cookie sheets. Fit cookie press with desired template and fill with dough. Press onto cookie sheets. (If your dough won’t stick, try chilling your cookie sheets for a few minutes. (Cold cookie sheets = easy release.) Bake 8-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely

3.       Make the glaze: Mix powdered sugar, cocoa, and extract  in a small bowl. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a good dipping consistency. (It should be runny.) Dip your cookies upside down into glaze and top with sprinkles. Let set before stacking.

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies, depending on shape.

Enjoy!

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

Crazy Sweet Tuesday {and a Giveaway!}

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Ready for New Year's?? (Just kidding! The way we celebrate New Year's? We cheer with New York...at 9pm and then go to bed. I got old a long time ago.)

Before we get to the features this week, I have a giveaway to celebrate the upcoming New Year! The folks at Sam's Club contacted me and wanted to give one of my readers (one of YOU) a $25 gift card to Sam's Club! Have you heard of Sam's Club? They sell just about everything there. Having a party? No problem, Sam's Club has you covered on the best deals for everything you need to entertain. You can turn to Sam's club for meal solutions, everyday items, and even tires for your car.

You know one of the things I love about Sam's Club? That they sell soft pretzels in their cafe. So. Good.

Not a member of Sam's Club? Don't worry! The gift card includes a one-day pass to use your gift card.

How can you enter to win? Super easy - just leave me a comment here! And for an extra entry or a few extra entries, link up to my dessert party below!

Giveaway will run through this Friday night, December 30th. Winner will be announced on Saturday.

On to the features from last week...

Andes Mint Cookie Dough Truffles by Shugary Sweets. You know me when it comes to chocolate and mint...

Peanut Butter Crisp Balls by Trilogy Edibles. I never get tired of peanut butter. Ever.

Skinny{er} Mini Chocolate Swirl Cheesecakes with an Oreo Crust by Feeding My Temple. {1} They have a crust. {2} They have some low-fat ingredients...which means I can eat six two.

Nutella Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies by The Pastry Chef's Baking. Um, that center makes me want to go grab my jar of Nutella. Badly.

Spiral Cookies by The Wednesday Baker. These are so pretty. My daughter has requested a "rainbow birthday party" and I have a feeling these cookies will make an appearance...

Yuppy/Puppy Chow (with Nutella!) by The Kitchen is My Playground. Nutella. Pretzels. Puppy Chow. The end.

Peppermint Stick Sauce by Vanessa's Values. Genius!

I'm hungry just going back over the list! Thanks to all for linking and I hope you join again this week.

If you've been featured, be sure to grab a button on the Crazy Sweet Tuesday page.

Time to start the party! I only have a few rules:

*Desserts only! Link to the URL of your post, not your homepage.

*Please follow me in some way, I am your host. :)

*Go visit some of the other links...spread the sweetness!

And remember, to enter the giveaway for a $25 Sam's Club gift card, all you have to do is link up at the party and/or leave a comment! Check back Saturday to see who wins the giveaway and come back next Tuesday to see if you'e been featured!

Fine Print: Sam's Club contacted me to do a little promo for them and give away a $25 gift card. One-day membership requires a 10% service fee on all charges. Hey, I don't make the rules but I gotta enforce them! Good luck!

**The giveaway is now closed. Thank you all for entering! Winner will be announced Saturday morning.**

Whatever Friday {Merry Christmas and all that}

From my family to yours, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. This weekend I will be baking, cooking, eating, and spending time with my family. Thank you all for stopping by here each day and leaving your sweet comments. It means so much to me that I have actually developed a sense of community and friendship from this little corner of the internet. I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday!

I will still be hosting Crazy Sweet Tuesday next week (with a giveaway!), and I hope to still post a few of the many recipes I have saved for you. But my posting and commenting and replies may be a bit sporadic. You see, my husband has the week off and Jordan is supposed to spend a few nights with my parents. At their house. This means I will be alone with my husband for the first time since summer. And I can think of a few things I might rather be doing that blogging.

What? Don't give me that look. I meant hanging artwork, organizing, and watching TV. What did you think I meant?

Have a wonderful weekend and an awesome Christmas!

Peppermint Pie

"Honey, let's run by Ikea."

I wonder how many marital fights have been caused by that simple statement. I bet more than I could count on my hands.

You know what Ikea is, right? The Sweedish mega-store that sells everything from spoons to sofas? Pretty nice stuff for pretty low prices. The catch? 99% of it comes in a flat-pack box. Which means you have to put it together. Yourself. Or you have to make your husband do it.

Recently we bought a new dresser. The two bags of screws and bolts were bigger than my head.

The directions that come with the furniture are pretty good. They transcend the language barrier by using no words, just pictures. So before you use your tiny allen wrench to tighten that screw, you have to make sure the long black board you're attatching to the long black plank is the one that has two holes on the left side and three holes on the front instead of two holes on the front and three on the left.

My house is slowly becoming assimilated into Ikea, like the Borg assimilates the human race: one piece at a time. Currently our Ikea collection includes: 2 dressers, 2 nightstands, 4 bookshelves, 3 drawer storage units, an end table, a coffee table, 3 desks, and numerous baskets, dishes, and linens.

I really want a pair of sofas, but that concens me a little. How, exactly, do I assemble a couch?

I guess the pictures would explain it.

Plus, I think furniture has more personal value if you build it yourself.

At least that's what I tell my husband. You know, pride of ownership and all that.

What I don't mind assembling? Pie.

Remember how I don't like pudding? Well, I still don't, but I like it in pie. Sometimes. This would be one time. There's enough other stuff in there to make it worth it.

I made this pie for my dad, so I used all sugar-free ingredients. BUT you can use the regular stuff too. This is a kind of feel-as-you-go recipe. Add a little more, make sure it fits in pie dish, then add a little more to that. It's no-bake so it doesn't really matter. And it's super easy. Serve it chilled or freeze it for an ice cream like treat. 

And it's pink. Which is a win-win for me. I don't think my dad minded either.

{Note: There is a print link embedded in the footer of the post. Please visit the post to print.}

Peppermint Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

20 Oreos*

4 tablespoons butter

Filling:

1 (1.34 ounce) instant vanilla pudding box, plus milk called for to make pudding (about 2 cups)*

1 tub Cool Whip, thawed*

½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract

10 mini candy canes

Red food coloring

Directions:

1.       To make the crust: Finely grind Oreos in a food processor. Melt the butter in a medium bowl and add the crushed cookies. Stir with a fork and press into a 9” pie plate. Chill until ready to fill.

2.       To make the filling: Prepare pudding according to package directions. Stir in thawed Cool Whip and peppermint extract. Add red food coloring (if desired) to create a pink pie. Crush candy canes and add to filling, reserving about 1/3 of them for garnish.

3.       Pour filling into chilled crust. Top with remaining crushed candy canes. Chill until ready to eat, or you can freeze to eat as a frozen pie.

*This pie has a SUGAR-FREE OPTION: Use sugar-free alternatives to the Oreos, pudding, and Cool Whip.

{Recipe by CrazyforCrust}

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

Kiss My Cookie Bark {Peppermint Edition}

I am very spoiled.

Within a five minute drive from my house I have at least three grocery stores, three drugstores, a Target, a Walmart, and a Starbucks or six. But I'm still frustrated.

Because the closest Trader Joe's is at least 15 minutes away, plus more in bad traffic. It's just not fair. I want a Trader Joe's in my city and I want it to be less than five minutes from my house.

Because I love Trader Joe's. (Too much, it seems.)

Since it's so far away, I always stock up when I go there: chicken stock, salsa, dog treats. Peanut butter pretzels, almond butter, and salted caramel sauce.

And at Christmas?

Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. (I stock up on those Hershey's Kisses too...but not at TJ's. I get those at Target. And I buy LOTS OF THEM.)

So here I was, sitting in my living room, being lazy and eating Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. I ate two the first day, three the second, six the third. Then I realized I needed to get rid of them because otherwise I would eat the whole pack.

To stop myself from eating the cookies, I decided to make bark with them.

Because adding semi-sweet chocolate chips,

White chocolate chips,

and Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses to the cookies to avoid all those calories makes so much sense.

At least it makes perfect sense to me, anyway.

But we already know I'm not normal when it comes to food. Or grocery store requirements.

At least making it into bark makes it give-able. Because I can't very well package up some Joe-Joe's without dressing them up first.

The unfortunate thing is that now I need to go back to Trader Joe's. To get more of these cookies, because now I'm out. And to get some regular ones, because I need to make more versions of this bark.

Enjoy!

{Note: There is a print link embedded in the footer of the post. Please visit the post to print.}

Kiss My Cookie Bark {Peppermint Edition}

Ingredients:

20 Peppermint Joe-Joe Cookies (from Trader Joes; or you could use regular Oreos)

30 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses

1 package (about 12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package (about 12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Unwrap your Kisses and coarsely chop them. Coarsely chop your cookies.

2.       Melt semi-sweet chips and spread on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle chopped cookies on top and press down with your hands. (Lick hands to clean.)

3.       Melt white chocolate and spread on top of cookies. Sprinkle with chopped Kisses and press down with your hands. (Lick again to clean.)

4.       Chill until hardened. Break apart and enjoy!

{Recipe by CrazyforCrust}

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

Crazy Sweet Tuesday {Peppermint Edition}

Five days until Christmas! How in the heck did that happen? My daughter has school until tomorrow and then I can relax and get into the spirit!

It's Peppermint Week here at Crazy for Crust! Welcome to the Peppermint Edition of Crazy Sweet Tuesday. I can't believe I had over 80 links last week! That's a record. Thank you all for coming by and linking. All of the recipes looked SO good! Here are the minty ones I wanted to highlight:

Candy Cane Brownies from A Little Less Meat.

Christmas Tree Brownies by What's Cooking Love?

Mint Fudge Ecstasies by Bakeaholic Mama.

Candy Cane Kiss Shortbread Cookies by Something Swanky.

Peppermint Bark Brownie Bites by Tales of a Trophy Wife.

Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookie by The Farm Girl.

Peppermint Espresso Ice Cream Shakes by Sugarbeams and Other Half Baked Adventures.

Chocolate Peppermint Cream Sandwiches by Stella B's Kitchen.

Candy Cane Blossoms by With Love and Chevrons.

Now I want to get back into the kitchen and make more peppermint goodies!

All these recipes have been pinned and stumbled. If you've been featured, you can grab a button on the Crazy Sweet Tuesday page.

Let's party!

Just a few rules...

*Dessert recipes only! Link to the post, not the blog.

*Please follow me in some way (pretty please with pie on top!)

*Grab a button and/or link to me in some way (anywhere is fine).

*Visit some of the other links, say hi. Makes it more fun that way!

Check back next week to see if you've been featured!

White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies {Peppermint Week}

I'm so excited for this week. While going through all the recipes I was planning on making for the holidays, I realized that I had four peppermint recipes. So welcome to Peppermint Week!

See, I really love peppermint. Peppermint ice cream, peppermint with chocolate, cookies, cake, brownies, pie, candy. Bring it on, I love it.

But I don't love candy canes. Or those peppermint candy things you get at restaurants. I love the flavor of peppermint in any and all baked goods, but hand me a stick of the stuff? *Gag*

And yes, I am perfectly aware of my crazy food issues. Condiments, bananas, pudding, candy canes. I know I'm abnormal. I am fully expecting to shell out money not only for braces for my daughter (bad genetics), therapy (for what she will inevitably see as bad mothering), but also for a nutritionist to deal with all the fun food issues I am surely passing on.

You all love me for my quirks, right?

Don't answer that.

Anyway, first up this week: these White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies, inspired by this recipe.

I knew I was going to make these as soon as I saw this in the store:

I don't normally buy store-bought cookie dough because I love making my own, but it has candy canes in it! How could I not buy it???

Mix up your cheesecake filling and chill it. When you're ready to fill, slice your roll of dough and place a teaspoon of the filling on half the slices. Top with the other half and press to seal.

Now, leave lots of room on your cookie sheet. Lots.

These are some seriously big cookies. I'd forgotten how much that cookie dough roll spreads. Massive. But good!

Because there wasn't enough sugar, I topped them with white chocolate and sprinkles.

You can't really see the filling, but it's there. And when you bite into it? Oh, yum.

{Wow, I need a manicure. Hubs, you paying attention?}

I hope you enjoyed the first Peppermint recipe of the week. And if you don't like peppermint...well you love my witty content, right?

Don't answer that either.

Happy Monday!

White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies

by Crazy for Crust (Adapted from Cookies & Cups)

Keywords: peppermint cheesecake cookie

6017304

Ingredients (about 16 very large cookies)

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ cups white chocolate chips, melted
• 1 tube Peppermint Sugar Cookies (Pillsbury)
• 1-2 cups additional white chocolate chips, melted and sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate with a hand-held mixer until combined. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
2. When ready to assemble cookies, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice cookie dough about 1/4” thick and line them up on a cutting board. Place one teaspoon of the chilled filling in the center of half the rounds. Lay the empty cookie dough rounds on top the filled ones and press the edges together. Form it into a patty. Make sure it is sealed. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and repeat with rest of dough. Be sure to place at least 3” apart on baking sheet.
3. Once cookies are all formed, chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake cookies for about 12-16 minutes (mine took 15), rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool completely.
5. If you want to make the cookies fancier, melt the additional white chocolate chips and spread about a tablespoon on each cookie. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.

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This recipe may be linked with:
Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

Whatever Friday {Monkey Bread}

For a long time I had no idea what monkey bread was. People would mention it or I'd see it in the frozen section and just have question marks above my head like a cartoon character. I'd chuckle a little to myself because I'd come up with some 12-year-old boy joke about it's name. Hee, hee...monkey bread...

Then I saw a recipe for it on the Pillsbury website, using Grands! biscuits. The recipe looked easy enough, so I made it for Christmas breakfast about four years ago. And I haven't stopped making it since.

Because oh. My. God. Do you know what monkey bread is?

Dough. With sugar and cinnamon. And butter.

The first few Christmases I made monkey bread because it was easy, fast, and could be mostly done ahead of time. Who wants to deal with lots of cooking on Christmas morning?

Now? Now I make it because I am commanded too. Like, seriously.

I always say I'm going to try cinnamon rolls instead for Christmas. I mention it at dinner in November and my daughter almost has a fit because she "wants MONKEY BREAD!!!" She's been asking me for it since October this year, I'm not joking.

So that's what I'll be making come Christmas morning.

Grands! Monkey Bread (Pillsbury)

That's just the basic model. This puppy comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. A simple search yielded me these awesome looking ideas:

Caramel Apple Monkey Bread (Pillsbury)

Maple Crescent Monkey Bread (Pillsbury)

S'mores Monkey Bread (Pillsbury)

Overnight Pumpkin Monkey Bread with Maple Cream Cheese Icing (Barbara Bakes)

Chocolate Brioche Monkey Bread (Melissa's Cuisine)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Skillet Monkey Bread (Picky Palate)

I'd love to make a different version like one of these this Christmas, but I think I'd have a revolt on my hands. Oh well, there's always a Saturday morning treat to be had!

What are you Christmas breakfast traditions?

{Hey, if you like peppermint...be sure to stop by next week! It's Peppermint Week here at Crazy for Crust...cookies, pie, and lots more!}

Thanks for reading and TGIF!

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Truffles

Last weekend I bought one of those gingerbread house kits. We decorate one every year and use it as a centerpiece for Christmas. And every year I look at it and relive one of the most horrifying events of my (sheltered) life, but I still keep buying a gingerbread kit. What could be so horrifying, you ask?

I usually refer to it as the "Ant Incident of 'Ought Seven."

Or, "the day I called my husband on the phone and I was so hysterical he couldn't understand what I was saying."

Or, better yet, "the year the ants invaded my house and filled up my gingerbread house kit and I didn't know it until I opened it on the kitchen table."

We'd been having an ant problem for awhile, something to do with cold weather and rain and the neighbors behind us installing a swimming pool. The ants weren't in the kitchen, they were in the bathrooms. And the office. And then, the linen closet where I was storing my "it's not sealed even though it looks like it is" gingerbread house kit.

Every single towel in that linen closet was full of ants. They were on the walls. On the floor. Trails, trails everywhere.

Hence the hysterical phone call to my husband.

To this day, ants creep me out. My daughter thinks it's funny to joke and say, "hey mom! There's an ant on the kitchen counter!"

It's not funny. Really, it's not. Because there is never just one ant.

Strangely, I'm not creeped out by gingerbread house kits. But I'm wary of them. Very wary.

Gingerbread I'm not wary of? These truffles.

I think these were one of the easiest truffles I've ever made. I have realized it is so much easier to dip stuff in chocolate when it is winter and not 85 degrees in my house.

I used a King Arthur brand Gingerbread box mix for my cookie dough. I won it last month from Flour Me With Love and was dying to try it. I don't know if you can buy King Arthur mixes near you, but almost every major brand at the grocery store makes a Gingerbread mix with a cookie variation on the back.

The most important part of making the cookie dough is do not use the egg called for! You don't want to kill your recipients, just make them fat. Substitute the egg with a tablespoon or so of water, just until the mix comes together, like this:

Roll the truffles into little balls and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. (Unless you're cheap like me and refuse to turn on the heater.)

Melt your almond bark or white chocolate melts and dip, dip, dip away.

I topped mine with little gingerbread men sprinkles that were in one of those multi-sprinkle packs. I was giving these away and wanted everyone to know what was inside, but you could use any sprinkle you want, of course. I'm a sprinkle lover, not a dictator.

Package up to give as gifts or keep them for yourself. After trying them I'd wish I'd made them for me!

And in the meantime, I'd keep an eye on the gingerbread house kit. You just never know.

It's the last week of the 12 weeks of cookies!

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Truffles

by Crazy for Crust

Keywords: gingerbread Christmas truffle

6017305

Ingredients (about 3-4 dozen, depending on)

• 1 box gingerbread cookie mix (any brand), plus ingredients called for to make the mix EXCEPT NOT THE EGG.
• 1 package of white almond bark or white chocolate melts.
• Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

1. Mix cookies according to box directions, substituting about 1 tablespoon of water for the egg. Mix until the dough comes together into a large ball.
2. Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill until hardened, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt your almond bark according to package directions. (I like to keep mine warm while I dip over an electric griddle set at 200 degrees and covered by two kitchen towels.)
4. Dip each ball into the white chocolate. Tap to remove excess and place on a new cookie sheet. Garnish with sprinkles and chill until firm.

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