Merry Christmas

Scarf

My coworker made this for me for Christmas.

Chocolate Bears

2 sticks butter
1 C. sugar
1 egg
2 C. flour
1 C. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix. Refrigerate until firm. Bake 350* 12 minutes.

Peanut Brittle

I did a nice job this year. I added the peanuts at the last minute so they didn't get over cooked and spongy. The brittle has a good snap to it.

Snowman Pretzels

Super easy! They make circle pretzels now. Just fill with melted white chocolate and use dragees and chocolate covered sunflower seeds for decorations.

Pretzel Wreath

Here is a link the recipe at Pillsbury.com The size pretzel you use will greatly influence the finished size of treat. Rold Gold makes a twist the size of a nickle, now. Too time consuming for a holiday treat, would only recommend as an activity to occupy children.

Gingerbread

Any gingerbread recipe will work. Scoop dough with #40 disher, then hand roll into balls. Lightly dust the top of each roll by first dipping finger in flour, then gently tapping top of ball, so you leave a fingerprint. More flour leave noticeable traces behind, less flour and the stamper will stick to the cookie. Stamp the ball until it is flat. You should get a good impression this way.

Kolache

This is pre-made pie crusts smeared with home made jam, folded into traditional kolace shape, brushed with egg wash and sparkling sugar. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes.

Towel origami

I have been folding towel animals for Hilton Friends and Family visitors. I like them to think our hotel is a little better than theirs.

Dinner Buns

1 C. whole milk, warmed to about 110°F*
2 1/4 tsp. platinum yeast
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 C. honey
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour (spoon & leveled)

Pour warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Sprinkle yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar on top of the milk. Give it a light stir with a spoon and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. If not, start over with new yeast. With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the honey, egg, egg yolk, melted butter, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then add remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines. The dough should be thick, yet soft. And only slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. When it does, it is ready to knead. If, however, the dough is too sticky to handle add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Make sure you do not add too much extra flour; you want a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes, then place into a greased bowl. Turn the dough over to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Once doubled in size, punch down the dough to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down again to release any more air bubbles if needed. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 8 equal pieces for a total of 16 pieces that are about 1/4 cup each. Shape into balls as best you can and arrange in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size and puffy, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 18-21 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the edges of each roll look cooked.