White Chocolate Holiday Cookies Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE HOLIDAY SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter in a mixing bowl until light colored and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt to make a smooth dough.
• Place dough into cookie press cylinder fitted with 1 inch sawtooth ribbon disk. Press dough into long strips on prepared cookie sheets. Use a paring knife dipped into flour to score the strips every two inches.
• Bake in preheated oven until edges are slightly golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and cut along score lines while they are still warm. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt white chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler placed over medium heat, or in the microwave. Add food coloring, if desired. Spread white chocolate icing on the bottom of one cookie and place the bottom of a second cookie into the icing to form a sandwich. Place cookie sandwich onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat to assemble remaining cookies, and refrigerate on the baking sheet 10 minutes to set icing. Remove and dip ends of cookies into white chocolate, then into candy sprinkles. Place cookies on wax paper until white chocolate is set.

WHITE CHOCOLATE HOLIDAY COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in white chocolate and pecans. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

WHITE CHOCOLATE HOLIDAY BARK

Steps:

• Tempering the chocolate for the bark requires a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, improvise one by using a saucepan and a stainless steel bowl: Nestle the bowl into the saucepan, allowing a few inches of space to remain between the bottom of the bowl and the bottom of the saucepan. Keep an extra bowl of a similar size on hand to transfer the chocolate for cooling. Rest the chocolate thermometer on a towel. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Pour a couple inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler and heat over medium-low to just below a simmer. Put the chocolate in the top half of the double boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. As the chocolate melts, check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays between 82 and 86 degrees F. If it starts to rise above this temperature, quickly transfer the chocolate to the bowl on reserve and stir briskly to reduce heat. Return bowl to double boiler to maintain heat between 82 and 86 degrees F.
• Remove bowl from over the hot water just before all the chocolate melts. Stir vigorously until the chocolate melts completely. Check temperature again. Stir in the oil until evenly blended. Chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. Keep within the 82 to 86 degree F range, returning bowl briefly to the double boiler if necessary.
• Quickly stir the fruit and nuts into the chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture out on the prepared baking sheet so it's about 1/2-inch thick and the fruit and nuts are coated. Set bark aside at room temperature to harden. Break into angled pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.