Ming-Wai's Brazillian Rich Chocolate Truffles

Warning - these are less like chocolate French truffles and more like chocolate flavored caramels.  Totally yummy and easy too!  Different variations to the recipe can be found on FoodandWine.com.

INGREDIENTS
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (at least 60 percent cacao), chopped
1 teaspoon salted butter, plus more for rubbing
Shredded coconut, for rolling

In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine the condensed milk with the chocolate and 1 teaspoon of butter. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until shiny and very thick, 15 to 18 minutes. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish and let cool for 15 minutes.

Arrange 30 paper candy cups on a baking sheet. Pour the sprinkles into a small shallow bowl. Rub your hands with butter. Scoop up rounded teaspoons of the candy mixture and roll them into balls. Roll the candy in the sprinkles and set them in a paper cup. Repeat to form the remaining candies. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Catherine's Chocolate Crackle Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1, 20 oz package or 1 pouch Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar (reserve for coating dough)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place brownie mix, flour, eggs, oil and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Stir until blended. (Dough will be stiff.) Place powdered sugar in separate bowl. For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough and place in powdered sugar. Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Caroline's Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Here's a recipe that I apparently forgot to post last year and I can't find a photo of it.  I do remember it being delicious though!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
(I used 1 and a half packages of Rolos-depends on how much dough you put with each. I was trying to make it stretch to have at least 5 dozen)

In a large bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.

Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each candy. In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and sugar; dip each cookie halfway.

Place with nut side up on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until top is slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Caroline's notes: I used about a tablespoon of dough and quickly patted it putting the rolo in the middle and sort of folding the sides of the dough around. Quickly rolling in a ball seemed to even out the dough around the rolo.

New Twist on Claire's Italian Butter Cookies

Here's a delicious new twist to an oldie but goodie recipe that Claire brought to the cookie swap a couple years ago.

Click on the original recipe here.

Instead of piping out the dough, she just made regular round cookies, spread jam in the middle of two of them, then dipped in chocolate.  A great variation to a great Christmas cookie!

Sonja's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. (I didn’t use a mini muffin pan, just a regular cookie sheet and they were fine. They spread a little).

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. (Other people’s suggestions from All Recipes was to put peanut butter cups in freezer so that they don’t melt as much when they’re placed in the cookie. I followed their advice and I think it worked well). Cool and carefully remove from pan.

NOTE: Original recipe makes 40 cookies, I doubled the recipe for the cookie swap

Recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Victoria's Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Waxed paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

Recipe from the Food Network.