Easy and Festive Christmas Desserts

Chocolate Cinnamon Cake, Glass Candy and Molasses Cookies

© Kenda Williams

Dec 18, 2008

Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 sticks margarine
• 4 tablespoons dried cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together dry mix of flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a pan, melt margarine, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil and pour over dry mixture.
3. Add to the mixture the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix and pour into a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

For the icing:

1. Melt 1 stick margarine. Add 4 tablespoons dried cocoa, 5 tablespoons buttermilk and bring to a boil. Add 1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped pecans. Mix and spread over hot cake.

Glass Candy

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 ¾ cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon flavored extract OR 1 teaspoon flavored oil
• Food color to “match” flavor

Directions:

1. Line a 15x11x1 inch pan with foil and grease.
2. In a medium pan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Then increase heat and bring to a boil.
3. Boil rapidly until it reaches 300 degrees F.
4. Remove from heat, stir in flavoring and coloring (I make cinnamon, with red food coloring).
5. Pour into prepared pan.
6. When cool and hardened, remove from pan and break into pieces with a kitchen mallet or a dough roller.
7. Lightly toss with powdered sugar and store in airtight container.

Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. regular Crisco shortening
• 1/4 c. butter flavor Crisco shortening
• 1 c. white granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. dark molasses (I use “Grandma’s Unsulphered Molasses”)
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/8 tsp. ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. real vanilla flavoring

For coating:

• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, sift together with a fork, and set aside.
2. In a medium or large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine both solid shortenings.
3. When combined, beat in the sugar.
4. When fluffy, add egg and beat until well combined.
5. Add vanilla, and molasses. Mix well.
6. Use a spatula to stir in the dry ingredients until all are taken up. It is important that you do not chill; bake immediately.
7. Use a cookie scoop to form doughballs to drop in a bowl containing 1 cup (or more) granulated sugar.
8. Gently coat all sides and place balls on ungreased cookie sheets.
9. Bake for approximately 10 minutes (10 to 12 minutes baking allows the cookies to spread out and “crackle” on top).
10. Remove and allow cookies to sit on the cookie sheet 1 minute, then remove to cool on waxed paper or foil.( These freeze well and store well, so you can make them in advance for the Holidays, for mailing, or for gift giving.) Yield: about 30 cookies

Have an easy, fun Christmas celebration, and serve festive appetizers like Sausage Stars. For the main course, try out these recipes with a Christmas-theme: Angel Biscuits, Gingerbread, Rudolph the Red Mashed Potatoes, and Red and Green Talarini.

Christmas Desserts

Print Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds