Handmade Christmas Kitchen: Little Bitty Bakes

Welcome to the Handmade Christmas Kitchen – a very special segment ofHandmade Christmas 2010. I’ve asked a few of my favorite blog-land bakers to share a bit of their own holiday traditions found folded into batter.  Be prepared to tie your apron and be inspired to spend some time in your own Christmas Kitchen.

Hi everyone!  I’m Liz from Little Bitty Bakes.  If this is our first time meeting, you should know that I am a firm believer that allowing little indulgences are key to maintaining a healthy diet and overall quality of life.  This is a especially true at this time of year.  Don’t say no to the cookies.  Just make sure you say yes to your running shoes.

When Heather asked me if I’d be interested in sharing a holiday treat (that could be given as a gift) with her readers, it took me about ten seconds to reply.  Of course!  And after about thirty seconds of thought, I knew the recipe I’d share with you guys.  It’s one that I first made with my childhood best friend and her mom in fourth grade.  These chocolatey little guys were the first ‘outside the box’ cookie I ever made, so it’s fun to revisit those memories at Christmas, and to share them with others.  It’s a pay it forward type of thing, you know?

These cookies are great for holiday gift-giving for countless reasons.  They’re delicious.  The recipe is simple and fail-proof.  They’re indulgent without putting you in a sugar coma (so long as you only have one or two at a time).  They pack and travel very well — no worrying about spoiling or smudged frosting.  And, well… they’re just so darn cute.  Go ahead and try to tell me you wouldn’t smile if you received these in the mail this holiday season.

 

Mhmm.  That’s what I thought.   You see, there’s no reason to go out and spend your hard-earned cash at the mall when you can put together a delightful, from-the-heart cookie gift in your own kitchen!

Holiday Fudgy Bon Bons
1 12 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup margarine (recommended over butter)
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla (almond or peppermint extract work, too!)
2 bags Hershey kisses (any flavor!), unwrapped
2 ounces white chocolate
1 tsp. vegetable oil

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt chocolate chips and margarine in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the milk, then flour, then vanilla.
• Wrap dough around kisses and roll to form 1 ½ inch balls.  Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 6-8 minutes. Transfer cookies to wax or parchment paper and cool completely.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and oil (about 30 to 45 seconds on HIGH).  Drizzle over cookies and decorate as desired.