Baking!

After school today I plan on baking a bunch! I plan on baking Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Cowboy Hats, and Ginger Bread Cupcakes with Eggnog frosting.

I've made the Cowboy hats plenty of times! :) Some people call them Hershey Kiss Cookies. I like them because they're small and not too sweet. I've already made them twice this month, once for Home Group after church and another time just for my family. They get eaten FAST. Here is the recipe!

48 Kisses

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375. Unwrap kisses. Beat shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Sift dry ingredients then beat into peanut butter mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes on ungreased pan. Press kisses into baked cookies then remove from pan.

It's really quick and easy! Just make sure you don't press the Hershey kisses down to hard on the cookie or else the kiss might is squished. But don't press too lightly so that the Hershey kiss won't stay on the cookie. Enjoy!

I've made the Peanut Butter Fudge a couple times before. I usually only make it around Christmas time. It's REALLY sweet! Here's the recipe...

2 cups sugar

2/3 cups evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup fluff

1 cup peanut butter

1 package (2 cups) chocolate chips

Butter sides of 2 quart saucepan. Heat sugar, milk, and vanilla over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Cook to soft ball stage (234 degrees - candy thermometer). Remove from heat and stir in fluff, peanut butter and chocolate chips.  Pour into 9x9x2 baking pan. Score with sharp knife while fudge is still warm to make it easier to cut later.

Now for the Ginger Bread Cupcakes with Eggnog frosting. I have not tried this recipe yet but it sounds delicious so I wanted to try. :) 

1/4 c shortening
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c molasses
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/2 c hot water
Cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the egg, then molasses. Sift the dry ingredients and add. Add the water and beat until smooth. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. 

Eggnog Cream Frosting:
1/2 c milk
3 T flour
1/4 c shortening
1/4 c margarine or butter
1/2 c sugar
1 t rum extract or 2 t rum
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg (or more to taste)
Cook the milk and flour in a saucepan until it thickens. Cool it thoroughly and then beat in the remaining ingredients until light and fluffy.

Enjoy! I'll let you know how they turn out in tomorrows blog post!