Top Two Christmas Gift Recipes

For my kin and friends who are too far to partake of my Christmas
concoctions, I collected great Christmas gift recipes that I’m sure they have
the time and talent (or lack of it) to try.

Christmas Gift Recipe Number One:

This recipe is adapted from Christy Thelan (TasteofHome.com).

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
¾ cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
vanilla frosting
red and green food coloring

Gingerbread Men Preparation

(image credit)

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown
sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and
molasses.

Combine flour, ginger, baking
soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; add
creamed mixture and mix well.

Cover and refirgerate for 4 hours or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to
1/8-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2½-
inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on
ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until
edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Tint some of the frosting red and some
green.
This great Christmas gift recipe yields
five dozen gingerbread men.

Christmas Gift Recipe Number Two:

This one is adapted from Holly Wilkins (AllRecipes.com).

Meringue Mushrooms

(image credit)

Ingredients
½ cup egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces chocolate confectioners coating

Meringue Mushrooms Preparation

Preheat oven to 225°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a glass or metal bowl, use electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy.

Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla. Continue whipping until whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to bottom; whip until mixture holds stiff, shiny peaks.
Place a round tip into a pastry bag. Fill bag halfway meringue. To pipe caps, squeeze out round mounds of meringue onto a cookie sheet. Dust caps lightly with cocoa using small sifter.

For stems, press out a tiny bit of meringue onto the other sheet to resemble
candy kisses. Bake for 1 hour or until caps are dry enough. Set aside to cool. Melt coating chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Poke a small hole in a mushroom cap bottom. Spread chocolate over bottom of cap. Dip the tip of a stem in chocolate, press lightly into hole. When chocolate sets, the cap and stem will hold together. Repeat with remaining pieces.

This great Christmas gift recipe yields three dozen mushrooms.