Chocolate Ganache Dipped Sugar Cookies

I began this recipe with the intention of using a Christmas shaped cookie cutter to cut out various shapes, then dip those shapes in chocolate... However, after about 15 minutes worth of frustration when the cookie dough stuck to both the  countertop and the rolling pin I decided to stick with classic circles. The recipe was really easy to follow which I like- a lot of times when there's a long list of complicated instructions in a recipe I won't try it, even if it looks like it'd be good. I put the cookies in the oven then started on the ganache. I mixed the semi-sweet chocolate chips with a little bit of half and half milk which created a nice smooth chocolate-y mixture. The only downside about using a ganache as opposed to regular melted chocolate is that the ganache takes longer to harden (I even went as far as to put the finished product in the fridge as to speed up the process). The final step was to drizzle white chocolate over the cookies for an aesthetic appeal. They turned out really nice, and I think I'll definitely try this recipe again.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html

Snowball Cookies

Yesterday I finally got out of the house to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for the first few things on my list of treats to cook over christmas break. The main thing I was interested in baking was snowball cookies. My dad had expressed interest in them so I figured I'd give them a shot! There was one ingredient that got me a little worried though- pecans. I don't have much experience incorporating anything other than chocolate chips into my recipes, so I was a little nervous seeing how they'd work into the cookies. I got home and first things first I got all my ingredients out- I was shocked at how little granulated sugar the recipe called for (only 1/4 c.)- but I chopped up the pecans by putting them in a plastic baggy and hammering them. They didn't come out quite as fine as I'd hoped but they seemed to do the trick. I like that these cookies have a longer baking time, so I was able to work on more than one recipe at once. After the cookies finished baking for around 25 minutes I took them out and thoroughly doused them in powdered sugar, then covered them in sugar again after they'd completely cooled. They were a little bit delicate when I picked them up to cover them in powdered sugar the first time because they hadn't cooled yet so I had to be extra gentle when handling them. These cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness- just make sure you have a glass of milk handy when you're eating them!

28 Days, 17+ Recipes

I just got home for winter break from UNCW, and I cannot wait to get started on all the recipes I've been bookmarking while being away at school. Not having a kitchen to cook in has given me lots of time to store away recipes that seem like they might be fun to try. There is one hitch in my plan though, I just recently got my tonsils taken out so I've been limited to a diet of popsicles and mashed potatoes- my inability to eat solid food has only increased my longing to make a dent in my list of recipes!!  I'm hosting a secret santa party on the 21st which will thankfully give me an excuse to fill my house with lots of (hopefully) delicious baked goods. At the top of my list is a recipe for snickerdoodles, a oldie but goodie, so that hopefully I can start my holiday baking on a good note. However, I'm most excited to try and recreate the mouth watering zucchini fritte from Carrabba's- I'm going to try my hardest to try that recipe by the end of the week so I can figure out if its worth cooking again before the end of break.
Wish me good luck in my cooking!!
Aubrey