#49_CHRISTMAS COOKIE PLATTER

AHHH, CHRISTMAS IS HERE!! (almost)

My sister Melita e-mailed me a few days ago wondering if I was sick as she noticed that I haven't posted a new entry in this blog for a while.

I have been so pre-occupied baking some yummy cookies and yes, I had slight flu which slowed me down quite a bit for the baking marathon, but in spite of all that I am still managing to bake these yummy cookies, which is a holiday ritual that I look forward to each year. Baking goodies is my JOY of the Christmas season.

I hope to be able to plate up 35 of these tonight and deliver them to friends and neighbors by tomorrow night.

A SAMPLE OF MY COOKIE PLATTER

Sugar Cookies, Mudslide Cookie Sandwiches, Lace Cookies, Honey Balls Cookies, and Rugelach.

#15_ Devils Food Cake Mix (Subs)

This is in response to a reader's query if there's a substitute or alternative for the boxed Devil's Food cake mix,(entry #13). She caught me off guard! I'm sure there is. But I have never used anything but my aunt Betty's mix, (you know, Betty Crocker). I've been so spoiled since these pre- mixes are so convenient and are so cheap, even nowadays when everything is so expensive I bought few of them the other day from W-mart for $.89 per box. Still cheap, considering I don't have to measure and sift the dry ingredients....Aunt Betty already done the dirty work for me.

Anyhoo, I searched around my kitchen and found BETTER HOMES & Garden cookbook and pulled out a recipe for a devils food cake. Since you're not making the cake itself, I'll just give you the list for the dry ingredients to use for the mudslide cookies.

Here they are:
2 1/4 cups all-pupose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup white sugar
Combine and sift all ingredients

Note:
According to the cookbook, the reaction of the cocoa powder and the baking soda gives the devil's food cake or cookies its characteristic reddish brown color. There you go, I learned something new today! Thank you for asking the question.
Just remember that I just pulled this recipe out from the book. I did not try it, so please let me know how you did. thanks a lot.

#13_ Mudslide Cookie Sandwich

Mudslide Cookie Sandwiches, Whoopie Pie or BFO (Big Fat Oreo)

Got an idea to make with the mudslide cookies? .....how about cookie SANDWICHES!!

Ooey, gooey,cookies. Very simple to make:

FOR THE FILLING:

Take 1/2 a brick of cream cheese. Soften in microwave for 20 seconds. Beat well. Add a jar of marshmallow creme. Mix together well. Put a dollop of this filling on the center of a cookie and top with another cookie, lightly pressing them together to spread out the filling. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. They keep well in the freezer too.

To make the Mudslide Cookies, click here.

#12_ Mudslide Cookies

Mudslide Cookies

I call this emergency cookies because you can make a batch of this in under 20 minutes. It is super simple that it only calls for 3 ingredients and baking time is 9-12 minutes if you want soft and fudgey and gooey, 12 minutes if you want them crunchy. Its as easy as 1 2 3!

Ingredients:

1 box devils food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortening

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
2.In a bowl, empty the cake mix. Add the eggs and shortening. Mix until well blended
3. Roll dough into 1" to 1 1/2 " balls, (use an ice cream scooper for a more uniform size) and place them onto the prepared pan
4. Bake for 10- 12 minutes
5. Cool on racks

NOTE:
This will make about 2 dozen cookies or more

For the soft and fudgey kind, I bake them for exactly 11 minutes. The cookies will be really soft and will look like they are under bake at this point but once transferred on to the cooling rack to cool for a few minutes, they will be perfect. Ovens vary so you need to do a little experimenting.