Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheels

Makes: About 60 cookies
Source: Alton Brown via the Food Network

Peppermint Cookie Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg + 2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Chocolate Cookie Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make each flavor: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg, milk, and flavorings and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cookies 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Coconut Jam Thumbprints

Makes: About 32 Cookies
Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Jam (I used lemon curd & boysenberry jam)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1-ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

White Trash

Makes: About 10-12 cups of highly addictive snack mix
Source: Alton Brown

2 11-ounce bags of white chocolate chips
3½ cups Cheerios
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
1 pound plain M&Ms
2½ cups mixed nuts (optional)
2 cups small pretzels (Eagle Snacks work well)

Get a really big metal bowl and place it over a large sauce pan/pot containing about an inch of water. Put this over medium heat. Dump in the chips in the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula (every now and then) until they’ve melted smooth. You can walk away from time to time but be careful not to let the water get too hot or the cocoa butter will bog. Dump everything else in the bowl and fold over and over until the hunks and chunks are well coated. Spread the mess out on parchment paper or freezer paper and set in a cool place until it sets solid, then break it into pieces and seal in tins.

Spiced Rosemary Cashews

Makes: 1 lb
Source: Barefoot Contessa Paris by Ina Garten

1 lb roasted unsalted whole cashews
2 T minced fresh rosemary
½ t cayenne pepper
2 t light brown sugar
1 T coarse kosher salt
1 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Spread cashews on a cookie sheet and toast for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t burn. Transfer nuts to a large bowl and toss with spice mixture and melted butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.