Chocolate tallbreads

I promised the chocolate tall breads recipe today and here it is.  It is actually pretty addictive if you use bittersweet chocolate!

Chocolate tallbread

1 cup butter

4 ounces melted chocolate (if bittersweet, add 1/2 cup more sugar)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  Cream together.  Mix in the flour.

Take a teaspoon of dough roll it in a ball and dredge it in sugar.  Put on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat.

Bake for 20 minutes.  This is why the temperature is at 325.  I am underbaking a bit.

I have made these with bitter sweet and semi sweet chocolate.  NO cocoa powder.  I just do not like how it tastes.  I have to admit that I prefer the bittersweet chocolate ones, probably even more then the plain.

tallbreads or the start of Christmas baking

I do a lot of baking as Christmas presents.  I started this weekend with tallbreads.  And what are tallbreads you ask?  What my family calls shortbread.

Shortbread

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.  Cream together.  Mix in the flour.

The dough is going to remind you of pie crust.  Very crumbly.  

Take a teaspoon of dough roll it in a ball and dredge it in sugar.  Put on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat.

Bake for 20 minutes.  This is why the temperature is at 325.  I am underbaking a bit.

These melt in the mouth and disappear magically when you are not looking!  

I created a chocolate shortbread recipe too.  I will share the semi-sweet and dark chocolate version tomorrow.

Christmas cookie party

We had another cookie decorating party this weekend.  This time the theme was Christmas which does not mean you ever know what you are going to get.  Especially if the boys are feeling creative.

Here is the cookie recipe again (because I was asked for it):

http://panaminthandmade.squarespace.com/blog/2010/11/2/a-party-around-cookies.html

I do believe people had fun!

Cookies were eaten and decorated.  Soup was eaten and rolls devoured.  The Teahouse was climbed on.

To all those who came to decorate cookies, we enjoyed ourselves bunches!