Microwave Peanut Brittle

We made this every Christmas to give to friends and teachers on the Christmas cookie plates we handed out. Very quick and easy. I have fond memories of stirring in the soda and watching it bubble; also of smashing the brittle into pieces when it was done (my mom gave us each a freezer bag with a few very large pieces in it, and a can, and let us smash it up into littler pieces). This is an old recipe, and calibrated for older microwaves. Adjust cooking time down if you have a newer microwave. You can use other nuts instead of peanuts with the same yummy results. Vegan if you use vegan margarine. Makes about 1 1/4 lbs. Continue reading

Gumdrop Cookies

My favorite Christmas cookie ever. I always liked spicedrops better than gumdrops. To make cutting the gumdrops easier, you can divide out 1/4 cup of the flour, flour some kitchen shears, and toss gumdrops with the reserved flour as they are cut to keep them from sticking to everything. Then just mix the flour and gumdrops in together where it says to add the oats, coconut, and gumdrops. Makes about 5 to 6 dozen. Continue reading