Talk about a winter wonderland. There's a blizzard raging just outside my window, and with an afghan on my lap and the Christmas tree twinkling away, I couldn't ask for a prettier sight. I absolutely love winter. For the duration of a storm or two. Then I hate it. Fickle, aren't I?
I may curse snow come January, but right now I'm really enjoying the swirling flakes. They're piling up slowly but steadily--we're supposed to have 7-10 inches by tomorrow morning. Makes me want hot cocoa, a good book, and a batch of warm Christmas cookies.
Thankfully, I have all those things. And some bonus goodies too--a puppy asleep beside me and my boys playing games on the floor.
Anyway, I'm going to share my favorite Christmas recipe with you. I made a batch of these this morning and as soon as I'm done blogging you can bet I'll have one. So yummy... They combine my two holiday favorites: turtles and shortbread. Wish I could pass one through the computer to you.
Hope it's winter wonderlandy wherever you are!
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Turtle Shortbread
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups flour
caramels
4 premium chocolate bars
pecan halves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add egg yolks. Stir well. Add flour. Incorporate flour with a wooden spoon or spatula. When you can't work with the dough anymore, turn it onto an unfloured surface and knead until smooth. (If the dough is too sticky to do this, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until firm enough to knead.) Form the dough into small balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball of dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fill thumbprint with 1/2 a caramel. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes more. Let the cookies cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, melt 4 chocolate bars (I use Dove Dark Chocolate). When the cookies are cool, dip the tops in chocolate or use a spoon to drizzle chocolate on the cookies. Immediately place 1/2 a pecan in the chocolate.
These are sinfully good. If I were Catholic, I'd have to go to confession after eating one. ;) It would still be worth it!
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Oh, dangerously good. I'm the same way about the snow. We are having a beautiful snowfall right now and I'm good with it. Give me 3 more snowfalls and I'll be done.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
Mmm. Sounds delicious. Perfect timing for my Christmas break devotion to learning how to cook and bake before Spring semester. Haha. I wish I were enjoying Winter Wonderland, but it's still in the 60s some days where I'm at. We won't get the cold front 'til after the New Year most likely. Enjoy the snow for me too! ;)
ReplyDeletePerfect for my favorite holiday. :)
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks amazingly delicious!! Glad I came across your site through Kristen Torres-Toro's blog.
ReplyDeleteNo white stuff in GA yet. But as a former Michigander, I've seen enough of it to last a lifetime! Ok, so maybe one good snow around Christmas would be enjoyable...
Hope you like them!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Jennifer and Maria. :) Maria, you live in one of my dream destinations... Georgia seems so foreign and romantic to me. Florida is my only experience of both the south and the east. I'm not sure it counts. ;)