Marina's Hazelnut Biscotti

Basic Cookie Dough

5 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs and 4 egg yolks
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp any extract
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts or any nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar, and eggs (4 whole) thoroughly. Add extract. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture. At a low speed, add 4 egg yolks and nuts. Add flour as needed until dough is not sticky.

Divide dough in half and add cocoa to one half.

Roll each half of dough into 2 ropes. Place ropes on well greased baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until very firm to the touch.

Let cool.

Slice ropes at an angle and place side down on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes again or until golden brown.


For Christmas add Craisins and pistachios.

Fig Cookies or Cucidatti

Filling:
3 lbs figs
2 lbs chopped dates
1 lb raisins

2 jars orange marmalade
1 jar honey
2 lbs almonds and walnuts, toasted
1 whole orange including rind
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Grind up figs, dates, raisins, and cherries.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Put the mixture into a large ziplock bag. 

Dough:
5 lbs flour
dozen eggs
4 cups shortening
8 tbsp baking powder
2.5 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
2 cups milk

Beat eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, shortening. Make a well and add the wet ingredients. When the dough comes off your hands it's ready. Cover with a towel.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Put the filling into a plastic freezer bag and cut off a corner to form a tip.

Squeeze a line of filling onto the dough; roll the dough over the filling and repeat. Then cut the logs into cookies on a diagonal.

Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned. Let cool and frost cookies with confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla. Sprinkle with colored decorations.

Easy Oreo Truffles AKA Reindeer Droppings

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/bakerschocolate/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&recipe_id=95085

Lynsey's Red Velvet Cookies

‎1 box of white cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of oil, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, 1 bottle of red food coloring. Mix and bake for 8 minutes at 375°

Sugar Cookies from All Recipes

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/soft-sugar-cookies-iv/Detail.aspx

Lynne's Sweet Potato Casserole

1 can sweet yams(40oz.) I buy the Tops brand

3 medium apples

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

butter pats for the top

I drain the juice from the potatoes and put it aside. Put the potatoes in a baking dish. Pare and toss the apples with the potatoes. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg. Beat the egg and mix the ingredients at the same time. Spread over the potatoes. I toss it a little bit. Now pour some of the juice over the top to moisten some of the topping. Lastly place butter pats over the top. I use as little as possible, about 6 thin pats should do it. Bake at 375 for about 45 mins. If you're in a hurry you can microwave for about 15 mins. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't overflow.

Buttercream Frosting-From What's Cooking America -Best Yet

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
2 cups Crisco shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (Wilton’s makes the best flavored version)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use Wilton’s Clear Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 pounds powdered (confectioners') cane sugar, divided*
1 tablespoon meringue powder (optional but the texture will be smoother)**
Water or milk as necessary (I usually add about 2 tablespoons but you may need more or less depending on the humidity in your neighborhood)

* 2 pounds unsifted powdered sugar = about 8 to 9 cups.

** You can purchase meringue powder at your local grocery store under the brand name of Just Whites.

In the electric mixer, combine butter, Crisco shortening, and salt together to incorporate, about 5 minutes on low.

Add butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix together well. Add about 1 pound (4 to 4 1/2 cups) powdered sugar and the meringue powder; mix until incorporated.

Add the remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time, and mix until you get the consistency you want. You may not need to use all the powdered sugar.

Add a little water or milk, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary to thin the frosting. Blend well on low for several minutes.

Use immediately or cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Buttercream Icing will last for weeks as long as it is well sealed.

Makes about 3 1/2 pounds of Buttercream Icing.