Holiday Baking: Chocolate Crackle Cookies

It's the start of the 2018 Holiday Baking.  I love making the various cookie recipes that Tastefully Simple has and their 2018 Holiday Baking Kit has some new ones and some returning favorites.

This was a fun recipe to make - my Kitchen Aid "died" while trying to make this that I had to switch over to my hand held mixer.  Not fun!

Anyway, this was a success at our Grange Christmas Party.  I didn't do any substitutions but you could use egg substitute if you want.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix

1/2 c butter, softened

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 c powdered sugar

Instructions:

1.  In large bowl, combine Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix, butter and egg; mix until well combined.

2.  Using hands, knead until the consistency of a thick, moist dough.  Form into 1-inch balls.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish.  Roll dough balls in sugar and place 2-inches apart on a large greased baking sheet.

4.  Bake 11-13 minutes or until set.  Let cool on pan 1 minute.  Transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Make Ahead & Freeze:  Prepare through step 2.  Place between sheets of Press 'n Seal plastic, sealing around each dough ball.  Place sheets of dough in a gallon freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  Thaw completely.  Continue with step 3.

Chocolate Mint Cake Cookies - Holiday Cookie Workshop

YUMMY!  MESSY!  You could easily make this year-round.  I actually made my balls a little bit too big so it was quite a mouthful to eat.  Still very delicious.



Ingredients:

Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 c vanilla frosting
1/3 c hot fudge topping
15 peppermint starlight candies, crushed

Directions:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl until dough forms.  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Seal  cookies at a time in sealing wrap.  Place cookies in labeled 1 gallon freezer bag.

Baking Instructions:

Thaw frozen balls.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 8 minutes.  Cool completely.  Generously spread frosting on the bottom of half of the cookies.  Spread fudge on the bottom of the remaining cookies.  Sandwich together one frosted and one fudge cookie.  Place crushed candies in a shallow bowl.  Roll edge of cookies in candies.

Makes approximately 15 cookies.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bon Bons - Holiday Cookie Workshop 2016

These were fun to make . . . I made two varieties as my husband does not care for peanut butter cookies.  I used dark chocolate covered almond candies for his and the Reese's peanut butter cups for mine.  Trick learned is to make the dough into a ball, then flatten it by pushing the candy into it.  I've baked his but not mine.

Ingredients:

Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
24 mini peanut butter cups
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:  Combine first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl until dough forms.  Wrap 1 tablespoon of dough around one mini peanut butter cup; form into ball.  Seal 6 cookies at a time in sealing wrap.  Place cookies in labeled 1 gallon freezer bag.

Baking Instructions:  Thaw frozen balls.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely.  Microwave chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl 30 seconds; stir.  Repeat 10-second heat and stir intervals, if needed, until chocolate chips are smooth and shiny (overheated chocolate will become dry and chunky).  Spread melted chocolate 

 chips on tops of cooled cookies.

Makes approx 2 doz.