Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Bars

You will need:

1. 1 cup butter, softened
2. 1-1/2 cups sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
5. 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1-1/2 cups finely chopped Hershey's Candy Cane mint KISSES, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, then spray foil lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well mixed.
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until just combined. Stir in one cup of the chopped candy cane KISSES.
4. Press dough evenly into the pan.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges are light golden-brown. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1. 1/2 cup butter, softened
2. 4 cups powdered sugar
3. 1/4 cup milk
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat together butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar and milk until combined. Slowly add in the remaining two cups of powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and salt. Beat until creamy and no lumps remain.
2. Frost cookie bars. Sprinkle the remaining chopped Candy Cane KISSES evenly over frosting. Cut into bars and serve!

Spiral Stuffed Rolls

• 1 can (13.8 oz) Refrigerated Pizza Dough
• 6 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped Ham
• 3/4 cup finely chopped Broccoli
• 1 cup shredded Cheese ( I used mild cheddar)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped Green Onion

Directions:   Unravel dough from can and lay out onto a greased baking sheet. Press dough out into a large rectangle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Top with chopped ham, broccoli, cheese, Parmesan cheese and green onion. Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into one inch pieces. You should get about 12 rolls. Place the rolls onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Ingredients:

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

• 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (133g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I use 1 package Baker's Semi Sweet chocolate)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 Tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips

CANDY CANE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2.5 - 3 cups (300-360g) confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy cream or milk
• 1/2 cup candy cane dust, sifted (about 8-10 candy canes pulverized in a food processor)
• crushed candy canes for rolling, optional

Directions:

Begin with the cookies. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute. Stir. Continue to melt in 30 second increments until fully melted and smooth. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla. Set aside. With an electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Beat in the sugars, scraping down the sides every 10 seconds or so. The mixture will be granular.

Mix in the beaten egg/vanilla until incorporated. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients on slow speed. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Do not overmix at any point in this process.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a slightly flattened ball. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies have just begun to set with the centers still appearing very soft. They will firm up as they cool.

As the cookies cool, make the buttercream. Beat the butter for 1 minute with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 2.5 cups of sifted powdered sugar and slowly mix on low speed. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 Tablespoon of cream/milk. Beat for about 1 minute. Manually stir in candy cane dust. If your buttercream needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk/cream. If frosting is too sweet, add a pinch of salt.

Frost the bottom end of a cooled cookie and top with another to make a sandwich. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Twix Bars

Shortbread:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup butter, softened slightly

Caramel:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup

Chocolate:

• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine the flour and sugar in a medium size bowl. Then cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two forks, until it forms a crumb mixture. Then press down into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the caramel add the butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir an additional 2 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Pour over cooled shortbread bars. Allow to cool.

Once the caramel has become firm, mix the chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute. Stir and cook in 15 second intervals, until the chocolate is melted. Then pour over the caramel layer and allow to set. May place in the fridge to help set faster.

Once the chocolate has hardened, cut into squares with a warm knife.