I made a few new desserts that I promised in the last blog that I would share the recipes for. I found them all on Pinterest.

First I’ll share the Five Ingredient Hot Cocoa Mix that I found at https://www.sixcleversisters.com/the-best-homemade-hot-cocoa-mix/

3 1/3 cups of Dry Milk

1 1/2 – 2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup powdered non-dairy-creamer (coffee creamer)

1 small pack of chocolate pudding mix

1. Measure out the milk powder and sift or crush until smooth (I pulsed a few times in my food processor.
2. Add remaining ingredients. (The recipe says to sift together. I just put it all in a large bowl with a tight lid and shook until mixed well.)
3. Mix 1/3 cup of mix with a cup of boiling water to make the perfect cup of hot cocoa. (I just put the scoop in my cup, add water and stir until mixed well. I don’t measure my water.)
4. Top as you choose. We just use canned whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

We’ve enjoyed the hot chocolate and I’ve made us more since Christmas.

Next was the Pound Cake Cookies. I topped the with a Hershey’s Kiss rather than a pecan. I got this recipe at https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2016/02/pound-cake-cookies.html

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 oz softened cream cheese

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

36 pecan halves

1. Beat butter, cream cheese and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
2. Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture until combined. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
3. Roll into 1 in balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. If you want to add a pecan, press into top at this point. If not topping with a pecan press the cookie a little bit with a spoon or something to sort of flatten it our.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. This was when I added a Hershey’s kiss to the center of the cookies. Transfer to a cooing rack to cool completely. Can be store in an airtight container for a week.

Next was the Peppermint Sugar cookie that I found at https://www.recipegirl.com/peppermint-sugar-cookies/

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg yolk

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract

1/2 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies or candy canes

additional powdered sugar for rolling

1. In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat until blended. Add the egg whites and peppermint extract and blend well. (The mixture will look grainy.) Gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in the peppermint pieces.
3. Gather dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Form the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in powdered sugar and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Use a fork to press down the center making a criss-cross pattern.
6. Bake until cookies are golden on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

The last one and Jeff’s favorite was 3 Ingrdient Cool Whip Candy. It was probably also the most time consuming, but they were delicious!!

I found the recipe here https://www.shugarysweets.com/cool-whip-candy/

2 packages (11 oz each) milk chocolate morsels

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip

24 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate morsels for 1 minute. Stir and microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Julie’s note: This concerned me, but trust the recipe and let it is.
2. Line an 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, fold together gently the cooled, melted chocolate with the Cool Whip. As you combine the chocolate may harden into tiny bits This is normal, keep gently folding until completely combined. Pour into the baking dish.
4. Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove and cut into 36 squares. Place candy back in parchment lined pan and place back in the freezer for at least 3 minutes.
5. Melt chocolate wafers according to package directions.
6. Remove candy from freezer and dip in the melted chocolate. Add any toppings if you choose to. Place on parchment paper and allow to set.
7. Store in freezer until ready to serve. Best served cold. Can be stored up to 30 days.

Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we and our family did.