Cooking with the DGD

Cake Balls, from @Lorrriii.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
• 1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.
2. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

Spiced Holiday Bars, from @emilyking630

Spiced Holiday  Bars

3/4 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Fresh Grated Nutmeg

2 cups Flaked Sweetened Coconut, divided

1/2 cup chopped Pecans

8 oz. – 12 oz. Jam or Preserves (I used Apple Pie Preserves)

1/2 cup Vanilla chips (white chocolate)

3/4 cup Cinnamon chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in 1-1/4 cups coconut and the pecans.

Press three-fourths of the dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan.  Spread with preserves.  Sprinkle with chips and remaining coconut.  Crumble remaining dough over the top; press lightly.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool thoroughly on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Gingerbread Men, from @MercedesMaskalk.

Ingredients:

1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda1

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; stir into the pudding mixture. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. On a floured board, roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into man shapes using a cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks.

Double Fudge Cookies from @KitchenBitch

• 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter with white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in coffee crystals and vanilla until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients just until everything comes together. Cover, and let stand for 35 minutes so the chocolate can set up.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, or drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be set, but the centers will still be very soft because of the chocolate. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Shoo Fly Cake, from @HollyCleary

Shoo Fly Cake

Yummy Mounds Bars, from @HollyCleary.

Yummy Mounds Bars

One of my mama’s recipes! Cody just loves these.

½ Cup butter

2 Cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ Cup sugar

2- 2/3 Cups (8 oz.) flaked coconut

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

2 Cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Microwave butter in 12X8 glass baking dish on High (100%) power about 1 minute or until melted. (Be sure to cover pan with plastic wrap.

Stir in crumbs and sugar until combined. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Spoon over crust and spread evenly. Microwave on Medium (50%) power (uncovered) for 9-11 minutes, rotating dish once.

Microwave chocolate pieces in uncovered glass bowl on High (100%) power for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Stir until smooth, then spoon onto coconut mixture. Spread to cover. Refrigerate to set chocolate, about 1 hour. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cookies, from @debradebdeb.

1 (14-oz.)can Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3/4 to 1 cup peanut butter 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 cups biscuit baking mix 
granulated sugar 

Preheat oven to 350. In large mixer bowl, beat condensed milk, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add biscuit mix; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour. 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Flatten with fork. 

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned (do not over bake). Cool. Store tightly covered at room temperature 

PEANUT BLOSSOMS: Shape as above; do not flatten. Bake as above. Press solid milk chocolate candy drop in center of each cookie immediately after baking.

Sugar Cookie Dessert Pizza, from @DominosPizzaLA

Pillsbury Sugar cookie dough or your fav recipe.

Make a 10 to 12 inch cookie x 2.  Cook and cool.

Mix a frosting of 1 part butter, 1 part powder sugar. add a little Lemon Juice.  Mix until creamy, it’s the same frosting as Cinnabon.

Spread on the cookie, slice up bananas, kiwi fruit, any type of berries.  I like to cover it with whipped cream to hold things in place. Chill and serve.

Poor Man’s Candy, from @JanickM.

1 small potato

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

5-6 tbsps of peanut butter

Cook a small potato til tender. Mash. Add icing sugar until you get a dough (you’ll need about a pound… or a bag…)

The potato will be liquify in the beginning (it’s the starch that reacts to the sugar), but as you add sugar, it will stop.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin until you get a layer that you will be able to roll up.

Spread PB on the layer, roll up, wrap in plastic wrap and chill. Once chilled, slice the ‘log’ and you have potato candy!

Gingerbread Cookies (or Ornaments), from @DiannesDishes.

What You’ll Need:
1 cup packed natural brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In large bowl cream brown sugar, butter and molasses until smooth. Add water and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients and stir until well incorporated.

Sprinkle some flour onto the surface you’re working on and roll dough out to between 1/4-1/8th of an inch. Cut with the cookie cutters of your choice. If you are going to use the cookies for ornaments remember to make a hole for the string or ribbon to tie them onto your tree. You can do this by using a straw to make a hole at the top of each cookie.

Bake for 9-10 minutes and cool completely on the pan.

Decorate with icing, candy, sprinkles, raisins or other embellishments if you’re going to cookie route. Whatever you like works. Just let out your inner cookie creator! ;o)

If you’re making ornaments paint them with craft or acrylic paints and let dry completely. Once the paint is dry you can “seal” the ornaments by painting or spraying on a coat of polyurethane if you want them to last for many years. If you want to make “Pissy” Gingerbread boys and girls use a fluted cutter to cut a “bite” out of the side of their heads or even their foot if you want, because after all wouldn’t you be a little pissy too if someone did that to you? ;o)

Original recipe source here.