Holiday Baking

Holiday baking is one of my most favorite things to do during this Christmas season.  I made my grocery list and Ben and I headed to the store.  The buggy was packed to the brim with lots of yummy sweet ingredients.

I timed my cooking while Ben snacked and napped.  It is much more challenging to juggle baking and a 13 month old!!

On the list this year......
Ooey Gooey Bars
White Chocolate dipped Oreos
5 Chip Cookies
Red Velvet Cake Balls

My Mom's Ooey Gooey Bars:
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 box confection sugar

In a bowl, mix 1 box cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick of butter.  Place in 9 x 13 in baking dish and press down to form even layer.
In the same bowl (all about saving dishes), mix cream cheese, 2 eggs, and conf sugar.  Pour on top to make second layer
Cook at 350 deg for 30-35 min.....edges will be golden brown.....center will be gooey!  Don't overcook!
Let cook before cutting!

White Chocolate Oreos

1 package of Oreos
1 package of either chocolate or vanilla candy

I only dip 1/2 of the Oreo to make it a) easier and b) less messy
Sprinkle with sugar

5 Chip Cookies (My friend, Diane Murray's recipe!)
Ingredients:
1 C marg
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C sugar
2/3 C lt brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 egggs
2 C All purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C oatmeal
2/3 C of each:  peanut butter chips, semi sweet choc chips, milk choc chips, white choc chips, butterscotch chips

Mix peanut butter, sugar, br sugar and marg
Add eggs 1 at a time and mix well.  Add vanilla
Mix dry ingredients in another bowl:  flour, baking soda, salt, oatmeal
Add dry to wet
Stir in chips by hand
Drop onto cookie sheet

Cook each batch, 250 deg for 10--12 min
Don't overcook!  Take them out right when the edges turn slightly brown.....they will settle and finish cooking!

Red Velvet Cake Balls
(I got this recipe off Pinterest (http://gonnawantseconds.blogspot.com/2011/01/red-velvet-cake-balls.html))
You can make cake and icing from scratch....I chose to use box
Ingredients
1 box red velvet cake
1 container of cream cheese icing
white chocolate
I made the cake as instructed on the box.  Let it completely cool!
Mash up the cake in a large bowl, and mix in cream cheese with hand mixer.  I used 1:1 ratio.  The more icing  you use, the creamier the balls.  (Side note, this is super messy!)
Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Place in freezer to allow outside of balls to freeze.  Roll the balls in the melted chocolate.
Ok, I did a few in the chocolate and the rest without!  I served them on cupcake paper because they were so messy.  I sprinkled them with conf sugar to make them pretty.

And the last thing, that requires no baking!
Classic Hershey kisses in a pretty Christmas bowl