Day One: Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints Recipe

Welcome to the first day of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences ! Thanks for stopping by.  I am so excited for holiday baking season!  It brings me so much joy to cook and bake for people that I love.  It must be my mix of Irish/Italian blood always cooking and baking for a small army.  I must have learned this from my mother.  At any family gathering, she always serves at least 4 vegetable sides, a main dish, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls and a table full of beautiful desserts.  It is fantastic because we always leave extra full and with at least one large grocery bag full of leftovers for the week!

Ok, onto the first holiday indulgence; Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints.  I stumbled upon this recipe while going through the Sunday paper.  My Sunday morning ritual is to go through the paper and clip my coupons before I head off to the grocery store.  I love coupons and saving money where I can!  In the weekly fliers was an advertisement featuring cookie recipes.  I started salivating immediately when I saw the chocolate caramel thumbprints photo.  These cookies combine some of my favorite things; chocolate, cookies, caramel!  Unite those three into one creation and it sounds perfect to me and my taste buds.  We tried them out the other weekend and they stood worthy of being part of the 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences.  So without further ado, I present the Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints cookies!
 

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints Recipe
Recipe adapted from Host A Cookie Party
Makes 4 dozen cookies
Preheat oven to 350^o

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature 
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup caramel flavored topping

Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  

Beat brown sugar and butter in medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour and cocoa on low speed until well blended.

Beat egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Measure about 2 teaspoons dough for each cookie. Form into balls by rolling between your palms. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. It may be necessary to recreate the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1 teaspoon caramel topping into the indentation of each cookie. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Tips:

1)      As I always preach on this blog, use what you have.  If you don’t have pecans, no problem.  Use walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds instead!  They would all work really well.

2)      Invest in cookie scoops!  These help save so much time and size all the cookies the same.  This helps save time and ensuring consistency through your entire batch.

S'mores Cookies Recipe

One of my favorite summer pastimes is sitting by an outdoor fire with family and friends.  The cool summer night, the warmth from the fire and the smell of the smoke just makes for a perfect setting.  Can you tell it is the middle of winter in New England and I am dreaming of the summer?!?!  S’mores, aside from ice cream, are one of my favorite summertime treats.  But why only enjoy the amazing flavor combination of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow in the summer?  These cookies can easily be made year round and make you feel like you are sitting fireside. 

    

S'mores Cookies Recipe

Recipe from What Megan’s Making
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 375^o

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Tips:

1)   I couldn’t find graham cracker crumbs in my grocery store, so I just picked up some whole graham crackers and used my food processor to turn them into a fine crumb.

2)   These are one of Bill’s favorite cookies, so make them often because your family and friends will be asking for them!

Day Nine: Spiced Hot Chocolate Recipe

Day 9 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences brings you Spiced Hot Chocolate.  This hot cocoa will warm you right up on the coldest winter night.

Even though we have had some warm weather these last few weeks, it is finally starting to feel like winter in New England.  We don’t want to think about it, snow will be coming soon, and what better way to warm up after a day outside in the snow than a cup of hot chocolate spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and chili powder! 

This sounds like a strange combination, but trust me that it is wonderful.  The rich chocolate flavor is complemented well by the spices and vanilla.   Whether you like to top your hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows or leave it plain, you will love this different take on hot chocolate. 

Spiced Hot Chocolate Recipe

Fills 2 Large Mugs

4 cups milk (I used Skim)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Dash of cloves

Dash of nutmeg

In a medium sauce pan, heat milk until lukewarm.  Once the milk is warm, add the cocoa powder and sugar.  Whisk well into the milk.  Next add the vanilla, cinnamon, chili powder, cloves and nutmeg.    Whisk and continue to warm for another 5 minutes while all flavors meld together. 

Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream, marshmallows or leave plain. 

Day Seven: Chocolate Covered Popcorn Recipe

Day 7 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences brings you chocolate covered popcorn.  This snack is so easy to make, yet festive and fun. 

This popcorn is just as fun to eat as it is to create by drizzling chocolate over the popcorn like a painting.  The quick preparation for this treat allows you to focus on other things on your To Do list for the holidays. 

Chocolate covered popcorn is great as an appetizer or as a party favor in cute Chinese food take out boxes.  Get creative with what you can do with this popcorn.  But I promise, you are going to love the crunchy, chocolaty, salty flavors in each bite!

Chocolate Covered Popcorn Recipe

1/4 cups popcorn kernels

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt

5 ounces red melting chocolate

5 ounces green melting chocolate

Pop kernels with vegetable oil in a popcorn popper or on the stove top.  This should yield about 4-6 cups of popped popcorn.  Transfer hot popcorn evenly onto two cookie sheets lined with wax paper in a single layer.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.   

Melt the red and green melting chocolate in two separate bowls per package directions.   Using a spoon for each color, drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn.  Once the chocolate is set break the popcorn into pieces. 

Enjoy!

Tips:

1)       If you don’t want to pop your own popcorn, use plain popped lightly salted popcorn.

2)       Use any colored chocolate for any holiday you are celebrating.

Day Three: Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

For Day 3 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences I wanted to give you all a super easy, very delicious dessert recipe; Peanut Butter Bars.  These bars only have 4 ingredients!  It can’t get much easier than that.

I love buckeyes {peanut butter chocolate balls}.  They are always a party favorite, but I never seem to have the time to roll out each of the peanut butter balls and then dip each one in chocolate.  But this recipe gives you all those flavors in a one step bar form.   

Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Preheat Oven 350^o

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

2 cups chunky peanut butter

3 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.  Then, blend in the peanut butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips.  {Here I actually used mini-chocolate chips}. 

In a square 8 X 8 baking pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper with the paper overflowing out of the pan.  The paper overflowing out of the pan will later be your handles to pull out the bars, making it easier to cut. 

Pour the peanut butter mixture into the baking pan on top of the parchment paper.  Use a small, flat bottomed spatula to smooth out the top.   Evening pour 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips on the top.  Place the pan in the oven for 25 minutes. 

Remove the bars from the oven and immediately smooth the melted chocolate chips with a small spatula.  Let this set up at room temperature for at least 2 hours, before cutting.  To speed it up, you can place it in the refrigerator for an hour. 

To cut the bars, I found it easier to place the chocolate side down on my cutting board.  This gave me a cleaner cut and piece. 

Enjoy!

Tips:

1)      If you don’t have chunky peanut butter, smooth would work fine.

2)      To make these festive for the holiday, I added some Christmas themed sprinkles. 

Day One: Chocolate Nutella Cookies Recipe

Cookies can always be found on the holiday dessert buffet, so I only found it fitting to start the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences with chocolate nutella cookies.  These cookies are simple to make, but they make a statement.  With a fudgy center and amazing nutella flavor, they will accompany any holiday party perfectly. 

If you leave these cookies out for Santa, he will definitely stop at your house!

Chocolate Nutella Cookies Recipe

Recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

Makes 3 Dozen

Preheat oven to 325^o

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy.  Next, add the vanilla and hazelnut extract.  Once the extracts are well incorporated, add the Nutella and mix batter until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients in two batches while alternating with the milk.  Mix the dough until all ingredients are incorporated.  Chill the dough for 15 minutes before baking.

Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.  Scoop tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into balls.  Gently press down on the dough balls and place on the lined cookie sheets.  Make sure to leave enough space between the cookies while baking.

Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes or until soft and starting to set.  Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes.  Transfer to a cooking rack and let them cool completely before plating. 

Chocolate Butterscotch Cookie Recipe

Chewy, chocolate, butterscotch heaven!! These cookies far exceeded my expectations!  I have had a bag of butterscotch chips in my pantry for a while now, just screaming at me to bake with them.  I had thought long and hard about what I wanted to create with them, and chocolate cookies came to mind. 

Chocolate Butterscotch Cookie Recipe

Inspired by All Recipes

Makes approximately 4 dozen

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups butterschotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be soft. Cool slightly on cookie sheet; remove from sheet onto wire rack to cool completely.

Tips:
      1)  These cookies freeze well.  So, if you don't want all 4 dozen + cookies tempting you on your counter, you can freeze some away for later.
      2)  If you don't have butterscotch chips in your pantry, no worries.  You can juse chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, etc.  Anything you have around.  You can just make the plain chocolate cookies. 

These cookies are so soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate flavor baked in, accompanied by the creamy butterscotch chips. 

Warning: You can not eat just one of these! I couldn't even control myself while taking the photos.