Christmas treats!

____________________— Here's what's been cookin'

CREAMY FUDGE TRUFFLES-   

1 cup cream
1/4 cup butter
1lb chopped semisweet chocolate
Powdered sugar & cocoa, or crushed candy canes
DIRECTIONS: Simmer cream & butter; stir until smooth. Pour over chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted & smooth. Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Chill for one hour. Then, roll into small balls. Coat with crushed candy canes or cocoa/powdered sugar. (I personally liked just plain cocoa, for more of a bitter-sweet taste.) Makes about 16 bite sized truffles. Warning: They are very rich. :)

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[Costco] AUSSIE BITES 

2 cups regular or toasted oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 31/2 cup can of unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1 cup (of each) dried fruit chopped: raisins, dates, figs, cranberries
1/4 cup honey
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
flax seed - about 1/2 cup (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350. Melt honey & butter in microwave, mix hot water with baking soda, add to butter mixture. Pour mixture into dry ingredients, mix well. Place tablespoons of thick batter into lightly greased non-stick mini-muffin cupcake pans, & flatten mixture slightly. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden. Makes around 40. 

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CHOCOLATE PEANUT CHUNCHIES - fun party snack
About 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(roughly) 3 cups dried chow mein noodles
Coarsely chopped peanuts or almonds or cashews  
DIRECTIONS: Melt chocolate chips. Stir in noodles. Drop from a tablespoon into an oiled baking sheet & sprinkle with nuts! Let cool. Makes about 24. Super easy. 

note: photos via various online sites. But they look very true to what I've baked. 

Triple Layer Stout Cake

Ingredients: 2 cups stout beer (I used Guinness) ⦁ 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter ⦁
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder ⦁ 4 cups all purpose unbleached flour ⦁
4 cups sugar ⦁ 1 Tbsp. baking soda ⦁ 1½ tsp. salt ⦁ 4 eggs ⦁ 1½ cups sour cream  

First: preheat oven to 350℉. Grease three 9x9 cake pans. Simmer butter in beer on
low heat, until butter is just melted. Add cocoa, & mix well.  Cool slightly. 

Beat eggs, vanilla  & sour cream. Then add melted butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix all remaining dry goods, then slowly add dry ingredients to the wets. 

The batter was bubbling & fizzy. Tasted really good. ;)_  

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cakes cool on rack for about 20 minuets, or until completely cooled. 

I made chocolate icing. Ingredients: 9 Tbsp. butter, softened ⦁ ¾cup cocoa powder ⦁ 3 or 4 cups powdered sugar-(depending on how thick ya want your icing to be) ⦁ 6 tablespoons milk ⦁ 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ⦁ sift sugar & cocoa slowly into mixed wet goods. Beat well. You know the drill. 

It serves 16. The pieces are big & tall. Very rich, but not too sweet.
Could taste the beer in it.