I love giving creamy, chocolaty fudge to folks—it's always a hit and it's so easy to make. I have a new cookie recipe to share this year, too, and I'm very excited about it. These lemon cookies have just the right amount of ight, lemony flavor that balances beautifully with the white morsels in every bite. And dipping them in the melted morsels not only adds more of that great taste, it makes them very pretty, too.
I hope you have as much fun as I do baking and sharing your favorite recipes this holiday season. You can find even more giftable goodie recipes at www.VeryBestBaking.com.
Very Best Fudge
This recipe makes 4 pounds or 48, 2-piece servings
3 cups granulated sugar
1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups miniature marshmallows
4 cups (24 ounces) or two 12-ounce packages Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
2teaspoons vanilla extract
Line a13 x 9-inch baking pan or two 8-inch-square baking pans with foil. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in 4- to 5-quart heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared pan(s). Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.
Premier White Lemon Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels, divided
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
Combine flour and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add flour mixture just until blended. Stir in 1 cup morsels.
Divide dough into 4 even pieces. Gently shape each piece into an 8 x 1-inch diameter log. Wrap logs tightly in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Unwrap logs; cut each log with serrated knife into 16 slices, about 1/2-inch thick. If necessary, reshape edges of cookies. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 13 to 14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Line baking sheets with wax paper.
Microwave remaining 1 cup morsels and vegetable shortening in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70%) power for 1 minute; stire. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.
Dip top half of cookies into melted morsels. Scrape off excess against side of bowl. Place on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set.
NOTES:
Dough logs may be frozen up to 1 month in advance. Place wrapped logs in plastic freezer storage bags.
Jenny Harper is Consumer Test Kitchen Project Manager for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.
Photo courtesy of Nestlé
