Chocolate Covered Butter Cookies Recipe

Basic Butter Cookies (Double  Dough Batch):

2 cups softened butter (I use salted, if you use unsalted add a 1/2 tsp of salt to recipe)

1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar 

3  lg. egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 3/4 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Cream butter & sugar (and salt if needed) at high speed.  (Use a large bowl this is a double batch of dough)

3. Add vanilla and yolks. Beat til smooth.

4. Turn mixer down to slow speed and slowly add flour, just til mixed in.

5. Separate dough into 2 or 3 manageable sized balls, for rolling out.

6. Lightly flour your counter and roll out dough  to about 1/4″ and cut your shapes.

7.  Place on Parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for approximately 12-13  minutes.  (if you don’t use parchment cookies will cook a minute or 2 faster).

8. Let cookies rest a couple minutes, before removing from baking sheet, to avoid breakage.

Chocolate Coating:

The chocolate used on these cookies is basically just a thick ganache.

8 oz. semi sweet baking chocolate squares

2 1/2  tbs of milk

1.  Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces to speed melting.

2. Combine milk and chocolate in microwavesafe dish.

3. Heat chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds, then stir with fork.  Repeat, until the chocolate mixes smoothly (it will still be a little thick).  Add a little milk if you need, but do so sparingly.

4. Let Chocolate sit for a couple minutes, just til not steaming hot.

5. Place cookie flat down on chocolate.  With smaller cookies, twisting while lifting may give you a nice swirled effect.  Larger cookies will probably require the chocolate be spread out with icing spatula or the back of a spoon.  (You can sprinkle nuts or crushed candy cane on at this point if you like).

6.  The cookies will need several hours to “set-up”.  I usually leave them overnight.

The chocolate will not be enough to cover all the cookies, as it is a single batch recipe and the dough is a double recipe.  I usually serve the plain butter cookies along side the chocolate covered ones as shown here, or use half the dough for another cookie style.

To effectively assemble a number of baskets at minimum cost, just takes a little planning. Adopting a less is more approach, will help ensure that you are able to maintain quality and attractiveness of presentation. Two-three well executed and packaged items can make a lovely gift.

Poor Santa has been able to find all necessary packaging materials for holiday gift baskets at local dollar stores. Most carry small baskets, gift bags, jars, cellophane wrap, tissue paper, tins, ribbons and gift tags. Of course you will probably not need all of these items for your project, planning ahead will avoid extraneous purchases.

Now for the contents of your holiday baskets…

For gourmet baskets consider these, as well as, your own specialties:
Homemade Jams or Jellies
Dessert breads
Cookies/Biscotti
Cocoa or Mulling spice mixes
Candies
Flavored syrups

Spa basket suggestions:
Bath Salts (Lavender Bath Salts)
Sachets
Candles
Cloved Fruits

To keep costs down, whenever possible, use seasonal ingredients for your baskets.  If you have a favorite craft or recipe, try and integrate it into your baskets. When planning your Christmas gift baskets, the choice of contents is all up to you, but having a theme or at least assembling items which relate to each other, will ensure successful results.

Poor Santa’s Lemon-Walnut Biscotti

3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 stick room temp. unsalted butter (if you want to use salted only use 3/4tsp. of salt)
1 1/3 cups sugar
Shaved peel of 1 large lemon (or 2 small)
2 lg. eggs
all the juice of 1 large lemon (aprox. 3-4 tblsp.)
1 3/4 c. chopped walnuts (8oz. bag)
Confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon peel in separate bowl until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just to blend after each addition. Beat in lemon juice.
3. Slowly add flour mixture, while still beating, then stir in walnuts.
4. Split the dough into 3.
5. Use plastic wrap to help form dough into 8-inch-long logs. Flatten them slightly, to about 2 ½ inches wide.
6. Keep in plastic wrap and chill until firm, (min. 3 hours / max. 3 days)
7. Preheat oven to 325°F & line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Transfer flattened dough logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
9. Bake until golden brown and just firm to touch (approx. 45 min.).
10. Transfer to cooling rack , and allow to cool completely.
11. Lower oven temperature to 300°F.
12. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
13. Cut the logs crosswise into 3/4 to 1″ thick slices.
14. Arrange the slices on prepared baking sheets.
15. Bake until golden brown around edges ( approx. 20 min.).
16. Dust the biscotti with confectionary sugar while still warm. Allow to cool completely, before storing to ensure crispness of the biscotti.
These can be stored at room temp, in an airtight container, for several days.

Poor Santa’s Yummy Banana Jam Recipe for Christmas

3 quarts. (12 c.) sliced ripe bananas (approx. 12-14 bananas)
6c. Sugar
1 ½ c. orange juice (can be substituted with pineapple juice if you prefer)
¾ c. lemon juice
Optional: ½ tsp. cinnamon

• Prep jars:
  Place jars& lids in a large pan & just cover with water. Bring water just to a boil, then shut it off. Jars are now ready for use.

• Make the jam:

3. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (approx. 15 min.)

4. Ladle jam into hot jars and seal.

5. You will know jars are sealed when you hear them “ping”, after this the lid will look pushed in, rather than bowing out.

These go great in gift baskets, since they don’t have to be refridgerated.  They also make a nice gift, for a teacher, neighbor, postman or as a small hostess gift.  Wrap it in tulle and add a bow for festive flair.

PS. This is great over ice cream or  with biscotti, not just for PB&J.