Holiday Baking

Our home has recently been filled with holiday baking. We have made sugar cookies and several various other cookies galore. We always share some of our baked goods with our neighbors as a Merry Christmas Blessing. The kids also decorated gingerbread houses which was an afternoon of great fun for them. My intent was to post pictures of their creations, but the dog ate it. (This is no JOKE. She climbed up on the office window sill and pulled the house down).

I believe bringing the kids into the kitchen to create special Christmas goodies is a wonderful way to share special time with them. We do this all year long, but we make special efforts during the entire month of December. I wanted to share a FABULOUS recipe with you for a chocolate cookie. This cookie recipe is new to our family. I started baking them in October, and it has become my husband's favorite cookie of all time. Hope you enjoy!!!


Chunky Chocolate Gobs

3/4 cup butter softened
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped OREO cookies (16 cookies)
3 (1.75 oz) MOUNDS bars chopped
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and shortening until creamy. Add sugars beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in rest of ingredients. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until barely set. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Yields about 2 1/2 dozen nice size cookies. (Be sure that you do not over bake).

grace and peace,
julie