Mint Brownies

Every year, we make some kind of chocolate-mint cookie - some years it is chocolate mint pinwheels, some years it is brownies.  I made mint brownies this year - I made them last year too, but I messed them up by not waiting until they cooled to try to cut them.  It's definitely important to wait when the recipe says too - even if they do smell delicious and you're hungry!

The recipe for the brownies comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookies Cookies Cookies book, but we use our own recipe for the chocolate glaze.

Ingredients:

• Brownies
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 18 Andes creme de menthe thins
• Chocolate Glaze
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 4 tbsp. hot milk
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• dash of salt

Yield: 36 brownies

Chop the Andes candies into small pieces.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat.

Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Lightly beat until combined.

Stir in the flour.

Spread the batter into a greased 9x9x2-inch baking pan.

Sprinkle the chopped mint candies over the batter.

Bake at 350ºF for 27 minutes.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

To make the chocolate glaze, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat.

Mix the hot milk with the powdered sugar in a medium bowl.  Add a dash of salt.

Pour in the chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth.

Spread the chocolate glaze over the brownies.  Allow the glaze to set for at least one hour.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Pecan Brittle

Along with peanut brittle, we also make pecan brittle.  We use the same recipe as we do for peanut brittle - we just use peanuts instead of pecans.   

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda

To begin, grease a cookie sheet with butter.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, pecans, and salt in a 2 quart microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Stir the ingredients. Microwave on high for an additional 4 minutes.

Add the butter and microwave on high for an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in the vanilla and baking soda until it is light and foamy.

Spread onto the buttered cookie sheet as thinly as possible.  Allow the brittle to cool and break into pieces.

If you like pecans, I definitely recommend trying this recipe out!

Peanut Brittle

Every Christmas, we make peanut brittle.  My mom used to do a more complicated method on the stovetop, but a couple years ago, we found that this microwave method tastes just as good and is a lot easier, so this is the recipe use now.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups raw peanuts
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda

To begin, grease a cookie sheet with butter.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, peanuts, and salt in a 2 quart microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Stir the ingredients. Microwave on high for an additional 4 minutes.

Add the butter and microwave on high for an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in the vanilla and baking soda until it is light and foamy.

Spread onto the buttered cookie sheet as thinly as possible.  Allow the brittle to cool and break into pieces.

Are there any cookies or candies you make every Christmas?

Pecan Pie

Today I'm sharing the recipe for another one of my favorite Thanksgiving foods - pecan pie!  Pecan pie is my favorite - I look forward to it every year.  We use the same pie crust recipe as I posted for pumpkin pie, but I'm going to repeat it here.  

Ingredients:

• Pie Crust
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 3 tbsp. water
• Pie Filling
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup dark Karo syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 cups pecans

Makes 1 10-inch pie.

To make the pie crust, sift together the flour and salt.  Take out 1/4 cup of the flour-salt mixture and mix with the water to make a paste. Add the Crisco to the remaining flour-salt mixture. Cut the Crisco in until the pieces are the size of small peas.

Add the flour paste to the Crisco-flour mixture.

Mix thoroughly until the dough comes together and can be shaped into a ball.

Roll the dough out about 1/8 inch thick.

Place the crust into the pie pan, pressing it to the sides and bottom.

You can shape the edges to make these look pretty - we chose to pinch together the edges to form points.

Mix the eggs, Karo syrup, sugar, flour, vanilla, and butter together.

Add 3 cups pecans and gently stir them in.

Pour into the pie crust.  Bake at 350ºF for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.

We like to serve ours with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla is the preferred one here).

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

Homemade Rolls

One of my favorite Thanksgiving foods is our homemade rolls.  Unlike some of the other Thanksgiving dishes, we make these at other times too, but we always have them on Thanksgiving.  We use the recipe from the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Manual.

These are so good - I love them in the winter.  You need to have a stand mixer to make these.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 5-6 cups flour

 Yield: 24 rolls

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in the mixer bowl. Add the lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour.

Attach bowl and dough hook to the mixer.  Turn to Speed 2 and beat for about 1 minute. Continue on Speed 2, adding the remaining flour a 1/2 cup at a time.  Mix for about 2 minutes, or until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl.  Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for about 15 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape as desired.  We rolled the dough into balls and then placed it a sprayed muffin tin. Cover and allow to rise for about 15 minutes.

Bake at 425ºF for 12 minutes - the rolls should be golden brown. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!