My Christmas Cookie Tray

Ok, it's after Christmas, so this is kind of silly to write about now. But at least for my own record, I want to make a list of what Christmas cookies I baked this year, with links to recipes. I have to say I think I did a pretty good job on these, and I'd like to make them again next year. So, instead of thinking "hmm, those macaroons I made last year turned out perfect! Now, what recipe did I use again...?" - here's my list!

1. Sesame Wafers: This recipe was in my December Food Network magazine. I didn't have enough regular sesame seeds, so I used black ones. They were not the prettiest cookie, but very tasty. If you like sesame seeds, make them! If not, don't.
2. Dutch Spice Cookies: Also in the December Food Network magazine. I don't like molasses, so actual gingerbread is not that great to me. But these! All the goodness of gingerbread minus molasses! Mine were not soft at all - very crunchy, but this made them excellent with a cup of coffee.
3. Glazed Citrus Rounds: The last from the magazine that I made. These were one of the most popular on my cookie tray. Very tasty!
4. Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons: I have always had trouble making coconut macaroons correctly. This recipe is the first that has been a major success for me. Use good chocolate; I melted down a chocolate Santa that someone gave us, and it was great. I wish I knew what kind of chocolate it was!
5. Chocolate Cherry Cordials: Chocolate + cherries = delicious!! I saw these in Parade magazine, and had to make them. I totally forgot to roll them in sugar before baking them, but they were still fantastic.
6. Chocolate Mints: I make these every year - my Mom's recipe!
7. Toffee-Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies: The name says it all.
8. Jam Thumbprints: I used pineapple and cranberry-raspberry jams, because that's what I had on hand.
9. Nestlé® Toll House® Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsel Cookies
10. Hot Chocolate on a Stick: Not a cookie, but worth mentioning, since it was as much work as cookies, if not more! I gave almost all of these away as gifts, and have just two sticks left, awaiting a cold day for me to try them myself.

Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsel Cookies

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Mints, Pretzel-Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies, Buckeyes (from a friend), Jam Thumbprints

Draftmark Tap System

I received a new Draftmark Tap System to try out through BzzAgent. When my BzzKit arrived, I was excited to try this new system, which allows you to serve draught beer right from your refrigerator. My husband, a bigger beer enthusiast than me, was excited too. We took the system out of the box and starting charging the battery. After we purchased our first refill, it was very easy to set up the system and get it going in the fridge.

The system takes its own refills, and right now there are only a few beers available: Shock Top Belgian White, Shock Top Wheat IPA, Michelob Amber Bock, Bass Pale Ale, and Goose Island Honkers Ale. We tried the Belgian White and Goose Island. I hope more beers become available soon.

We served the most beer from our Draftmark tap during our New Year's Eve party with eight friends. All who tried it thought it was good, and asked a lot of questions about the system. It was really great having the beer cold and ready to go in the fridge as soon as guests arrived.

At first I had trouble finding the beer refills. The system and refills are now available at many places in the Chicago area, including Binny's and Jewel. Unfortunately, Draftmark's own website does not have an updated list of where you can buy the tap system and refills (side note: I must say the website's splash page, where you have to choose your birthday from a timeline, is rather cool). Most of the refills are about $15 - a little more for Goose Island.

Is the system a good deal? Well, refills are one gallon. I didn't keep track of how many glasses we got from each gallon, but I can do some math: there are 128 ounces in a gallon, which is about the same as 11 12-ounce bottles of beer. For the $15 refills, that's about $1.36 per 12 ounces. A 6-pack of Shock Top Belgian White, one of the refills I tried, is about $8.50, so about $1.42 per 12 ounces. So, without accounting for the cost of the system itself, the beer IS slightly cheaper to buy this way.

Plus, my husband and I have been drinking the beer in small glasses, so it has been a lot more than 11 servings for us. And that's part of what makes the system great: you can have as much or as little as you want.

But the best part about the whole system is that the beer's NOT in a bottle: it's ON TAP!! The taste and texture are very similar to getting a glass from the tap at your local bar. Except it comes right from your own fridge! The refills say the beer stays fresh for 30 days. The one I've got in the fridge now has been in there for about 35, and it still tastes ok. The beer has been quite frothy - sometimes too much - no matter how I've poured it. But it goes down smoothly and tastes great!

The system does make some noise - enough to be a little annoying. There's a sound like a growling generator that it makes every once in awhile. But only while the beer is being poured. I'm sure it's necessary to make the system work, but it was enough to scare my four-month-old, so I'd prefer it was a little quieter. Otherwise, no complaints about this new tap beer system. We'll definitely keep using it, and will recommend it to friends!

Chocolate Mints

These are the best Christmas cookies in the entire world. If you like mint and chocolate (and who doesn't?), I think you'll agree with me. My mom has been making these since I was a little girl, so I don't know where the recipe originally came from. I make them every year, and people are always surprised at how good they are. Of course, you don't have to make them just at Christmas - but that is usually when it's easiest to find a box of Andes mints.

Here is my mom's recipe, with a few of my own modifications. It makes 80-90 cookies, depending on how large you make them - so half it if you don't want that many! Also, note that the dough has to chill, so be sure to allow time for that.

Chocolate Mints

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Andes mints, about 1 pound, unwrapped

In a large saucepan, over low heat, cook butter, sugar, and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate pieces and stir until partially melted, remove from heat, stir until melted, and pour into large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.

With mixer at high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time. reduce speed to low and add combined dry ingredients, beating just until blended.

Chill dough at least 1 hour for easier handling. Chilling overnight is even better.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line cookie sheets with foil. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls; place on cookie sheets about two inches apart. Bake at 350˚ for 11-13 minutes - not longer as cookies crisp as they cool.

Remove from oven and IMMEDIATELY place one mint on each hot cookie. Allow mint to soften, then swirl the mint over the cookie (I use the back of a spoon to do this). Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely.

You can decorate with chocolate sprinkles, but I like them without. I sometimes make the cookies a bit smaller, then use just half a mint on each. These cookies also freeze well, so you can enjoy for a few months like I do.