Christmas Cookies, Two

Egads!  Busy weekend!!  You know, the shopping and wrapping, baking...and wrapping up the homemade gifts, cooking - no wrapping!, blogging, cleaning, final Christmas decorations, tedious adjusting of the spotlights on the wreaths outside, laundry, etc., etc...the same stuff you were busy doing, too.  By 7:00 p.m. Sunday night I couldn't wait to get back to work today for a break!

Mark's favorite Fudge Thumbprint Christmas cookies FINALLY 

made it into the oven on Friday night.  Did I feel like baking after a long week at work?  Not really.  (Actually, the real response to that question was "Hell, no!")  But, I sure didn't want to let his Christmas cookie craving down. 

This cookie combines a non-traditional short chocolate chip cookie cup chock full of smooth, deep, rich chocolate fudge. Make a double batch...you'll be glad you did.  I make them gluten-free now - and you know I don't make anything GF if it tastes GF.  Nope, nobody would know the difference.

Fudge Thumbprints

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour (for gluten-free cookies, use either Jules or Tom Sawyer gluten-free all purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup Nestles mini chocolate chips
• powdered sugar

• 3/4 cup Nestles mini chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Heat oven to 375.  Mix butter, salt, vanilla & brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Blend in flour, milk and mini chips.  

Shape into 1" balls and make thumbprint....make it nice and big to fit LOTS of fudge in there!  

Bake 10-12 minutes (or more - make sure they're set) and while still warm, roll in powdered sugar.  Cool.
 
In a double boiler over simmering water on the stove, melt 3/4 c. chocolate chips with shortening.  Cool slightly and add corn syrup, water and vanilla.  Heap into center of cookies. Let these set on a tray until the filling is solid before storing.


I store these in one of my Christmas cookie jars.  However you store your cookies, be sure to put wax paper between layers of cookies to keep the fudge pretty!

The Captain's Balls

 

On Sunday, I made The Captain's Balls.  You've had bourbon balls or rum balls (or whatever you make them with yourself) and you know it isn't really a cookie at all.  Don't you think it's more of a cross between a cookie and a truffle?  Yeah, me too.
I changed mine up a number of years ago for my friend Judy, in Maryland.  Judy loves her Captain!  Instead of regular rum, I used Captain Morgan.  I added ginger and cinnamon to the dough to pick up the spiced rum flavor and added the same warm spices to the powdered sugar/cocoa powder coating mixture.  They pack a nice punch of spice AND rum now!  

I haven't done a gluten-free version of The Captain's Balls yet, but plans are in the making....I'll let you know after I nibble a few whether the new balls are worthy of your own nibbling pleasure.  I've been making The Captain's Balls and lame Captain's Balls jokes since long before SNL's Schweddy Balls came along - by a good number of years!  

 

• 60 vanilla wafer cookies
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
•  2 t. ginger 
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup Captain Morgan

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. ginger
• 1 t. cinnamon

In food processor, whirl cookies, cocoa, powdered sugar, ginger, cinnamon & walnuts.  Process until fine.  Add corn syrup and Captain Morgan.  Process until well-blended and there are no dry spots.

Make the coating by mixing the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, ginger and cinnamon together and mix until thoroughly combined.

Next, form the dough into 1" balls and roll in the coating mixture.  Let sit on a tray for an hour or so until they've firmed up nicely.  Set each ball into a truffle cup for easy storage and to look pretty when you serve them!  Store in an airtight container.  

It's best to make these a week (or more!) ahead of time because the rum seems to get more potent as they age.  Yum.