NEED AN EASY, DELICIOUS EDIBLE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA? LOOK NO FURTHER! #ad One of my favourite things to do leading up to the holidays is bake - I have fond memories of Christmas baking with my mom; the kitchen full of the sweet and spicy aromas of Christmas. It was and still is something that I look forward to every year. And I love watching friends and family enjoy the treats that we make thats the best part! Now that my daughter is old enough to be helpful in the kitchen (I say this looselyshes four!), we choose recipes and bake together, often singing and dancing to Christmas music in the background. I love that I can give my daughter the same fun and memorable experience that my mom gave me as a kid! As working parents of three young kids, our lives are full and busy, so were finding that we dont have a lot of extra time to make Pinterest-Worthy homemade holiday gifts, even though we really want to! Instead, we choose one Christmas treat recipe, bake double or triple the amount that we would normally make, and wrap small batches up in festive bags, boxes or jars for our loved ones. Let me tell youits the BEST gift over. Not only do my daughter and I get a special day together, but I also get to teach her about the spirit of giving. And our friends and family love it. Delicious food can bring so much of joy to someones life and makes them feel appreciatedand loved. This year, my friends and partners at The Egg Farmers of Canada are teaming up with Food Banks Canada to celebrate the holiday season with Recipes that Give (#RecipesThatGive). Theyre shining a light on those wonderful people who give back to their communities, and inspiring others to do the same. We wanted to jump on board and give back to the people who mean the most to us and fill our lives with joy. We chose this Chewy Chocolate Candy Cane Dipped Cookie recipe to make and gift this year. Its easy and fun especially the dipping and sprinkling part! To view the full (and very cute!) video of my daughter making, wrapping and delivering our cookies, simply download the free EggCentric TV app, and go to the #RecipesThatGive channel! Chewy Chocolate Candy Cane-Dipped Cookies Makes: 50 cookies, Total time: 2 hours 50 minutesIngredients: 2 cups chocolate chips 1.5 cups flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1.5 tsp espresso powder 1 tsp baking powder tsp salt cup butter, room temperature cup granulated sugar cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp peppermint extract 2 eggs, room temperature 8 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped 4 candy canes, crushedDirections: 1. Preheat oven to 375F and line or grease 2 large baking sheets.2. Melt 1.5 cups chocolate chips by transferring to a medium sized heat-proof bowl, set on top of a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. 3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in medium bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until blended. Add in melted chocolate as well as the dry ingredients; slowly beating (or mixing by hand with a spatula) until just blended. Add in remaining cup chocolate chips and mix gently. 4. Form 1-inch balls with dough and place on the cookie sheets about 1/5 inches apart. 5. Bake at 375 for 8 to 9 minutes, until set and cracked all over. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.6. Melt white chocolate (the same way as you melted the chocolate chips). Take off double boiler to cool for 3-4 minutes. Place crushed candy canes into a small bowl. Dip each cookie in melted white chocolate so that half of the cookie is covered in white chocolate. Place dipped cookie on a cooled and clean cookie sheet, and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Repeat with the remaining cookies. 7. Chill just until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. My daughter helped me wrap and deliver our cookie gifts, which was not only super cute to watch, but also brought a big smile to so many faces that we love. Its the simplest, yet most impactful gift, and thats why we continue to do it year after year! I want to know what is your favourite edible gift that youve given or received?
