Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Santa's Naughty Coal - COOKIE CONTEST!

A few weeks back I discovered a cookie contest on one of my favorite blogs Tongue-N-Cheeky - "Mrs. Kringle's Holiday Cookie Bakeoff" and I just couldn't resist. The theme of the contest was "Santa's Cookies." I thought long and hard for weeks about holiday cookies: sugar, chocolate, peppermint, you name it! But finally, I had an A-HA! moment. Santa loves to eat cookies, that's a given, but we can't forget that he always needs something to wash them down with, hence the egg nog frosting. We also know that if you've been naughty and not nice...well, you know the deal, you get COAL. So alas, I landed on my idea:

SANTA'S NAUGHTY COAL DRIZZLED WITH EGG NOG FROSTING

MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter. softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups (12 oz pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate mini chips

CHOCOLATE GLAZE/EGG NOG FROSTING

  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup egg nog
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour until fully incorporated and the batter comes together. Stir in mini chocolate chips with a spoon.

Shape 1 1/4 inch balls. Don't roll the balls in your hands to make smooth but form a chunky shape with your fingers to insure it will look like a piece of coal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned.


While cookies are baking, melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave but BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERCOOK because chocolate burns very easily. If you're using the microwave, set it for 30 second intervals and stir only until it's just starting to melt (or else you'll have to go to the store again and start all over...like ME!) Melt the butter and warm the cream and stir into the melted chocolate.
After cookies have cooled on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, dip the tops of the cookies into the chocolate and let the excess drizzle on the cooling rack (make sure to put foil or parchment paper underneath the rack so there's not a huge mess).
For the frosting, whisk together the egg nog and powdered sugar and drizzle lacy strands of
frosting over the chocolate-dipped cookies. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens (takes a couple of hours, sorry).


So even if you've been naughty (but hopefully you've been nice), be sure to set these cookies out Christmas Eve and maybe, just maybe, Santa won't leave coal in your stocking!


NOW IT'S TIME TO VOTE FOR ME!
(PRETTY PLEASE!)
All you have to do is click on the button below:
Just follow the directions on the site and vote for:
SANTA'S NAUGHTY COAL
Write a comment at the bottom of the post with your vote. I get extra points too and SO DO YOU! Commentators qualify for prizes too!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

1 comment:

  1. Wow. These look great! I am very glad to be with such great competition. I can't wait to try to make thses for my babies.

    ReplyDelete