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Decorating Ideas

Chocolate Malted Cookies

1 c butter, softened
1-1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c malt powder
2 T chocolate syrup
1 T vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 c chocolate chunks
1 c milk chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar, malt powder, syrup, vanilla. Add egg. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate. Shape into 2-inch balls, place 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Let cool 2 min. on sheets, then transfer to racks. 

Sour Cream Drops

1/4 c shortening
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 t vanilla
1-1/3 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Frosting:
2 T butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 t vanilla
3-4 T hot water

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, stir into egg mixture. Chill 1 hour.

Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 8 min at 425 or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Melt butter; stir in sugar, vanilla, and enough water to reach a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. 

 

Chocolate Mallow Cookies

2 cups basic cookie dough
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1 egg
1/4 c milk
20 marshmallows, halved
1 16-oz can chocolate frosting

Combine cookie dough, sugar, cocoa, egg, and milk. Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Press a marshmallow half on top of each cookie and bake 2 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool on wire racks; pipe a frosting star on each cookie.

Basic Cookie Dough

2-1/2 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 c milk
2 t vanilla
8 c flour
4 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients, add gradually to egg mixture. Divide dough into four two-cup portions, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies

2 16-oz cans chocolate frosting
1 large egg
1 c peanut butter
1-1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 375. Reserve 1 can plus 1/3 c frosting. 

In large bowl, mix rest of frosting, egg, and peanut butter. Add flour and stir just until moistened. 

Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until firm. Cool on wire racks.  Frost. 

Cinnamon Star Cutouts

1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
2-3/4 c flour
1/3 c cinnamon

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs 1 at a time, then slowly add dry ingredients. Chill dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough out to 1/4-inch, cut out into 2-inch stars. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are brown. 

Mom's Pie Crust (Single)

1-1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
4-5 T cold water

Sprinkle flour in pie pan and pastry rollout bag.

Sift sugar, flour, and salt together. 

Mix with shortening using masher til crumbly, then switch to a fork and continue mixing. Add cold water  1T at a time as you go til it mostly holds together with mixing (like biscuit dough).  At absolute last step, knead with hands to get it all together. 

Dump 3/4 into pastry bag and roll thin (make sure it's consistently thin in the middle—you can cut off thick edges if need be). Place into pie pan. 

 

 

Rich Cocoa Fudge

3 c sugar
2/3 c cocoa
1/8 t salt
1-1/2 c milk
¼ c butter
1 t vanilla

Butter 8- or 9-inch square pan; set aside.

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil without stirring, to soft-ball stage, 234 degrees. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla, do not stir. Cool at room temperature to 110. Beat until fudge thickens and loses gloss. Spread quickly in prepared pan; cool.

Cocoa Bavarian Cream

2 envelopes gelatin
1-1/2 c milk
1-1/4 c sugar
¾ c cocoa
1 t corn syrup
3 T butter
1-3/4 c milk
1-1/2 t vanilla
10-12 ladyfingers, split

 

Sprinkle gelatin into 1-1/2 c milk in saucepan, let stand 3-4 minutes to soften. Combine sugar and cocoa; add to gelatin. Add corn syrup, cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture boils. Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted. Blend in 1-3/4 c milk and the vanilla, pour into large mixing bowl. Cool; chill until almost set. 

 

Line bottom and side of 1-1/2 quart mold with ladyfingers, round side against mold. Whip cream until stiff. Beat chilled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add whipped cream to chocolate on low spend just until blended. Pour into ladyfinger-lined mold; chill until set. Unmold before serving.