Easy Christmas Baking

Merry Christmas from Little Rock!

I am going to be sharing two recipes one for the baking challenged and another that is incredibly easy yet looks and tastes awesome.

First up, Cinnamon Pinwheels.  My stepmom, Jane, found this recipe in the Sunday paper and put in the request.  I obliged.

Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1-2 sheets puff pastry dough (from a box!)

Thats it for ingredients, looks complicated doesn't it.

Here's what you do:

1.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.  Find a work surface to roll out your dough.  Dust the work surface with 1/4 of the sugar.  Place the sheet of puff pastry on top of the sugar mixture and sprinkle another quarter of the mixture on top.  *The recipe told me not unfold the pastry before rolling it out.  I did it anyway and it was easier and worked fine* Roll the dough out just a little to be 13-x-15 rectangle.  

2.  Starting from the short end, roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Cut off 1/2 inch thick slices and place them 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  

3.  Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, make sure the centers are done.  Take them off the cookie sheet right away and place them on a clean sheet of parchment to cool.  

4. Repeat 1-3 with second sheet of puff pastry.

Done!!

The next recipe actually requires no baking at all.  

*Warning: The following recipe does contain booze and since there is not heat to burn off the alcohol... you get the idea*

Place in a mixing bowl:

2 cups sifted crumbs of graham crackers, or Nilla wafers  (I recommend chocolate graham crackers)

Add and stir to combine:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nut meat

1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips

In another bowl combine:

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/4 rum or brandy (I say go rum)

Add the liquid ingredients slowly to the crumb mixture.  Use your hands to mix.  This is important because your fingers are going to tell you when the consistency is right because of the way the mixture will feel.  When the ingredients will hold together stop adding liquid. 

 Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls.  

Now you can go two ways

1.  Rolls the balls in powdered sugar and let them sit for 12 hours to ripen.

2.  Make chocolate ganache and coat the balls in chocolate and let them sit for 12 hours to ripen.

Ganache:

12 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons rum

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a boil on the stove.  Pour the cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.  

Whisk the chocolate until it is smooth and shiny.  Add rum and stir till combined.  Dip your rum balls in the chocolate and coat them all the way around and place on parchment paper until chocolate cools and sets.  Store the balls in an airtight container for at least 12 hours, they get better with time.