The Misc Cookie

The misc. cookie

This year we have decided to give gifts from our very own kitchen. After scrubbing the oven down (an annoying, but important thing to do), a couple of friends and I began the task of rolling out sugar cookies and making truffle balls. 

There was a lot of cookie dough eaten, a lot of chocolate licked off of spoons, and fully baked cookies consumed. Now I remember why I shouldn't do that....

Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles 

Truffles never fail (who can say no to chocolate in any form?) and are surprisingly easy. 

Basic Truffles:

16 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1 package cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar. 

Flavor of your choice (I used orange extract, but I am excited to try raspberry sometime. Mint? Hazelnut? Go crazy)

Have the cream cheese at room temperature and melt the chocolate in a double boiler. 

Mix all of the ingredients well with a mixer or food processor until uniform in color and texture. Then put it in a bowl and into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes- up to about an hour. (its a good idea to cover it with plastic wrap so it doesnt start to dry out). 

I used a teaspoon to get about the same amount of chocolate in each truffle. Roll into a ball in your hands and coat in cocoa powder. Let them sit for a couple hours to get a little hard before putting them in a box or container. 

YUMM!

Candied Orange Peels (Orangettes)

Take the peel of three oranges and slice them vertically (it works best if they are very narrow, 1/4 inch or so). Boil them for about 10 minutes in a saucepan half filled with water. Drain the water and add about one cup of sugar and one cup of water. Boil until it forms a syrup, then simmer for 30 minutes. Continue to add a little water if the syrup is really getting too sticky (keep it at about maple syrup consistency). For the last 10 minutes, stop adding water and allow the syrup to thicken substantially. Before everything turns into one sticky burned mess, remove the peels and separate them onto a piece of wax paper. Coat with granulated sugar and roll them around so they stop being sticky. Let them cool and dry overnight. You can coat them in chocolate if you like. 

Sugar cookies with Apricot Jam

Basic sugar cookies + some really small cookie cutters + some jam = pretty cookies with jam (go figure). 

Happy Holidays!