Twice Baked Potato Casserole

A quick and simple post today. I decided to make my ultimate favorite potato casserole as a side dish for my family's Christmas meal. It's everything you love about twice baked potatoes, but in a casserole form.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

(Source: Woman's Day)

5 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and quartered

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 cup sliced scallions

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350. Lightly coat a shallow 3 qt. baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook potatoes in a large pot with water to cover 20 to 25 min until tender when pierced. Drain in a colander. Return hot potatoes to the pot. Add butter; mash with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in 1 1/4 cups cheese, the milk, sour cream and eggs until blended, then 3/4 cup scallions, 1/2 the crumbled bacon and all the salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the bacon. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes or until top is light golden. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup scallions.

Christmas Cookies!!!!

When I was a child, I absolutely loved baking Christmas Cookies with my mom. I loved mixing all the ingredients together and watching the cookie dough bake in the oven. Who doesn't love a cookie that is fresh out of the oven? Especially since these cookies are more than just your ordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Now that I'm much older, I do all the Christmas Cookie baking and I try to mix it up every year. I tend to bake different cookies every Christmas. However, there was one exception this year, the Cranberry Tassies were just too good to pass up this year, so I baked it again! The cookies look wonderful in a festive box to give to family/friends for the holidays.

(Going from left to right: Snickerdoodles, White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies, Russian Tea Cookies, Cranberry Orange Tassies, Cranberry Cashew Clusters) 

Snickerdoodles

(Source: Better Home and Gardens)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a sturdy rubber scraper or wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Cover and chill the dough for about 1 hour, or until easy to handle. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

(Source: Better Home and Gardens)

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 drops red food coloring (optional)

2 teaspoons shortening

White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.

Russian Tea Cookies

(Source: Emeril)

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling cookies

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla then gradually add the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture. Add the pecans and mix well. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly using the bottom of a glass, then bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and roll in powdered sugar while still hot. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar before serving. Once they are completely cooled, cookies may be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

Cranberry Orange Tassies

(Source: Better Home and Gardens)

1 cup water                                                                                          

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup orange marmalade                                                                  

1/4 cups walnuts (toasted and chopped)

3 ozs white chocolate chips

15 oz package unbaked refrigerated pie crust  (Found in the refrigerated cookie dough aisle)

Combine water and cranberries in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Drain well and let cranberries cool to room temperature. Stir in marmalade, walnuts, and white chocolate and set the filling aside. Per the package instructions, let the piecrust stand at room temperature. Unroll the crust and cut out 24 rounds using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Preheat oven to 375F. Press the dough into ungreased mini-muffin pans. Spoon cranberry filling into pastry cups until almost full (do not overfill because the filling will make a mess). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Carefully run a small knife around the edges of the tassies in the pan. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cranberry Cashew Clusters

I found this Cranberry Cashew Clusters recipe last year after Christmas and couldn't wait to try it out this year! First of all, who doesn't love a recipe that can be whipped up in just minutes! It's seriously one of the easiest treats to add to your holiday cookie collection. Plus, it looks incredibly festive and it tastes as good as it looks. I think next year I'll add a touch of grated orange zest :o)

Cranberry Cashew Clusters

(Source: Better Home and Gardens)

1 cup puffed rice cereal

1 cup lightly salted cashews, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

10 ounces white chocolate

Line a large baking sheet with foil; set aside. Place puffed rice cereal in a resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Using a rolling pin, roll over bag to crush cereal lightly. In a large bowl combine crushed cereal, the 1 cup cashews, and the cranberries; set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl microwave white chocolate, uncovered, on 100 percent power for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or chocolate melts, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour melted chocolate mixture over cereal mixture; stir until thoroughly combined. Quickly drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let clusters stand about 30 minutes or until firm. 

Rum Balls aka Drunk Balls

I've been in the Christmas Cookie baking mood for a while, and decided to kick it off with some Rum Balls. I had the Rum Balls for the first time last year and got absolutely addicted! It's a no bake cookie and super simple to make. The best part? The Rum! You can definitely taste the Rum but it blends well with the other flavor components. If you're a fan of the chocolates with liquor inside, I'm bettin you'll like these just as much.

Rum Balls

(Source: Taste of Home)

2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)

1 cup ground pecans

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa

1/4 cup rum

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons water*

Additional confectioners' sugar and/or crushed vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Combine the rum, honey and water; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional confectioners' sugar and/or wafer crumbs. Store in an airtight container.

* I added another tablespoon of water to help the dough come together since it was too dry and crumbly.