T'is the season for freshly baked cookies, cakes, and endless other festive treats. There is no shortage of sugar this time of year and with that comes great responsibility. Not only do you have to make sure to keep your braces and teeth clean, but you should also be careful of any crunchy or chewy goodies that can cause breakage.
Remember: Our office will be closed from Friday December 18, 2020 @ 12:00pm until Monday January 4, 2020 @ 7:00am. This means we will not be available to fix any broken brackets or wires.
Here are 5 delicious recipes that won't break a bracket or bend a wire this holiday season!
Sugar Cookies
Original recipe yields 48 servings
Ingredients
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup white sugar for decoration
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, confectioners' sugar and white sugar until well blended. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until well blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet. Flatten cookies to 1/8 inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Coloured sugar may be used if you do not plan to frost cookies later.
Bake for 9 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Oreo Truffles
Original recipe makes approx. 30 truffles.
Ingredients
450g Oreos (3 packets)
250g cream cheese, cubed
375g milk chocolate melts
200g white chocolate melts (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Directions
Place Oreos in food processor and blend until ground to a fine crumb. Add cream cheese and pulse until well combined and mixture clumps together.
Roll mixture into small balls and place on lined baking tray. Place in fridge to firm for approx 15 minutes.
Melt milk chocolate melts in microwave in 30 second bursts, mixing between each. Dip each truffle in chocolate using a fork, tapping off excess before replacing on lined baking tray. Finish with sprinkles.
Place in fridge to set completely.
Top with sprinkles or decoration of choice.
Marshmallow Snowballs
Original recipe makes 45-50 snowballs
Ingredients
500g caster sugar
4 tsp glucose syrup
2 Tbsp gelatine powder
2 egg whites
2 tsp peppermint essence
Red food colouring
½ cup icing sugar
½ cup corn flour
Directions
Grease and line a rectangular tray with baking paper. Lightly spray top of baking paper with non-stick spray.
Place 200ml of water in a bowl and sprinkle with gelatine. Set aside.
Place sugar, glucose and 200ml of water in a large saucepan. Place on low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat to medium-high and insert sugar thermometer. Boil for 3-5 minutes until the mixture reaches 120 degrees Celsius.
Remove from heat and carefully add gelatine mixture. Whisk until gelatine dissolves and no lumps remain.
Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat with whisk attachment on high until foamy. Gradually add hot sugar syrup while mixing.
Continue to beat on high until white and glossy – about 5 min with stand mixer, 10 with hand mixer. Fold peppermint through mixture.
Pour into prepared pan. Drop red food colouring randomly on top and pull a table knife through to create a marble effect. Leave to set overnight
Sift together icing sugar and corn flour. Dust large knife with icing sugar mixture and slice marshmallow into squares.
Roll each piece in icing sugar mixture and place on cooling rack. Leave to dry for at least 3 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate Yule Log
Original recipe makes 1 cake
Cake Ingredients
3 eggs
85g golden caster sugar
85g plain flour (less 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Filling & Icing Ingredients
50g butter
140g dark chocolate, broken into squares
1 tbsp golden syrup
284ml pot double cream
200g icing sugar, sifted
icing sugar and holly sprigs to decorate
Directions
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
Grease and line a 23 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
Beat 3 eggs and 85g golden caster sugar together with an electric whisk for about 8 mins until thick and creamy.
Mix 85g plain flour (less 2 tbsp), 2 tbsp cocoa powder and ½ tsp baking powder together, then sift onto the egg mixture. Fold in very carefully, then pour into the tin.
Now tip the tin from side to side to spread the mixture into the corners. Bake for 10 mins.
Lay a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface. When the cake is ready, tip it onto the parchment, peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.
To make the icing, melt 50g butter and 140g dark chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Take from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp golden syrup and 5 tbsp double cream from a 284ml pot. Beat in 200g sifted icing sugar until smooth.
Whisk the remaining double cream from the 284ml pot until it holds its shape.
Unravel the cake, spread the cream over the top, scatter over 2-3 crushed extra strong mints, if using, then carefully roll up again into a log.
Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Lift the log on to a plate, then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch.
Spread the icing over the log and branch (don’t cover the ends), then use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Scatter with unsifted icing sugar to resemble snow, and decorate with holly.
Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Original recipe makes 7 cups
Ingredients
6 ½ cups milk I used 2%
1/2 cup heavy cream or just use more milk
1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups chocolate chips start with less, add more for richer and sweeter hot chocolate
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 -1 teaspoon peppermint extract I used 3/4 teaspoon. Start with less, add more to taste. Peppermint extract can be very strong!
pinch of salt
To Garnish:
whipped cream
crushed peppermint candies
chocolate shavings
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and warm water to make a paste.
Add the milk, heavy cream, chocolate chips and cocoa paste to the slow cooker, set to low for one hour.
Stir a few times with a whisk during cooking.
When chocolate is melted, whisk until fully combined and smooth. Add the peppermint extract, vanilla extract and salt. Taste and add more peppermint extract if needed. If you want a sweeter, more chocolatey hot chocolate, add 1/4 cup more chocolate chips and stir until fully melted.
Serve with whipped cream, crushed peppermint candies and chocolate shavings to garnish. Hot cocoa can be keep on the warm setting for several hours, but will need to be whisked a few times as it forms a skin on top.
From all of us here at the office of Dr. Timothy Agapas:
Merry Christmas, happy baking, & don't forget to Brush and Floss!!!