Holly White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps

I made these cookies the other day for our work Christmas party and they were all devoured!  The original recipe just had red frosting for the holly berries, but I used Red Hots instead for some extra cinnamon flavor.  They were a bit time consuming to make, but I’m really happy with how they turned out.  Merry Christmas everybody!

Holly White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps (adapted from Cooking Classy)

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t ground ginger
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t allspice
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup + 3 T granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 t vanilla extract
• Red Hots
• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup powdered sugar (or enough until icing gets to desired consistency)
• 5-6 drops green food coloring

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg for 20 seconds, set aside.

2.  In electric stand mixer, cream together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Mix in egg, then blend in molasses and vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.

3.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 10 minutes of chilling.

3. Scoop dough out about 1-1/2 T at a time, shape into balls then roll in remaining 3 Tbsp granulated sugar. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart and flattening them slightly.  Press in red hots off center to resemble holly berries. 

4. Bake in preheated oven 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.  Boil water in a small saucepan.  Fit a glass bowl on top and melt the white chocolate chips in the bowl.  The double boiler method ensures that your chips don’t burn. 

6.  Dip half of the cookies into the white chocolate and let completely dry on parchment paper. 

7.  Once the white chocolate is completely dried, mix together the egg whites, powdered sugar, and green food coloring.  Use a toothpick to draw out leaves on the cookies to complete the holly decorations.  

Pine Cone Cheese Ball & Christmas Strawberries

We had our 4^th annual Secret Santa Christmas party with our friends last night.  It was potluck style and we actually had a really awesome variety of food this year (it seems like lots of our potlucks end up being only desserts).  I made almond-coated cheese balls that looked like pinecones and dipped strawberries in white chocolate with festive sprinkles.  Both these recipes were really easy – so if you’re looking for something to bring to Christmas dinner, try one (or both!) of these out!

Pine Cone Cheese Ball (adapted from Chicabug)

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz package cream cheese
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (the original recipe called for mayonnaise, which I always substitute for yogurt in recipes)
• 6 strips bacon
• ¼ cup white cheddar cheese
• 1 T chopped green onion
• 1 t chopped dill weed
• ½ t pepper
• 1-1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. Cook your bacon until crispy. 

2.  Combine the cream cheese and yogurt (you can use a food processor or blender, but I used my KitchenAid mixer…) Stir in the cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, green onion, dill, and pepper.  Cover and chill overnight. 

3. Shape the cheese into two pinecone shapes on a serving platter.  Starting at the narrow end, place toasted almonds into the cheese at a slight angle, forming rows.  Garnish with rosemary and serve with crackers.

Christmas Strawberries

Ingredients:

• Strawberries
• White chocolate chips
• Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Wash strawberries and allow to dry completely.   

2.  I used a makeshift double boiler to melt the white chocolate chips evenly without burning.  Boil water in a small saucepan with a glass bowl fitted on top.  Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until completely melted. 

3. Dip the strawberries into the white chocolate, then into sprinkles.  Let cool on a parchment paper lined sheet. 

You may want to make extra of these strawberries.  These were eaten almost immediately when we got to the party!