Wow! The girls did a great job! It is so heartwarming to see how far Sara has come. She has inspired me to make today count (and kudos to Meredith to let her work her way through the challenge.)
Jo

OUTSTANDING!

I bet you are so proud of both the girls and it looks like they had a great time. The results look fantastic - I would love to have those to nibble on with a hot cup of coffee.

Give them both a big hug - they did a great job!

Alexa

Those two are just beautiful, both of them, and I'll bet Meredith had as much fun as Sara did. I'll bet Sara is sure proud of her creations, too.

Good for Meredith, being so patient with Sara. Of course, she's your daughter, so I'm not surprised.

Merry Christmas to all of you. Now, could you just send me a couple of each?

Annie

Cute kids....now how about the recipes for each....

The cookies all look great! Glad you all had such a good time making them together. The girls look like they needed that nap.. lol. I love that plate.

Sharon, you must have worked them hard. They are both exhausted.

How nice to see both Sara and Meredith again. The teachers are going to love their Christmas gift.

Ann

Chase, I know those photos caputure moments that were a long time coming and hard fought and hard won. I know it must have been a very special day for you, I hope you're basking in the afterglow!
Virtual hugs to all!

How cool is that! They are both beautiful girls, all the way from the inside out. The cookies look great, too. Those are going to be some lucky teachers.

Sally

Thanks everyone, it was a special day.

Meredith is way ticked at me for posting a picture of her "on the net" in her sweatshirt and jammie bottoms, sans makeup.....what was I thinking! LOL

They just "shine" , Sharon. No matter what there'll always be the great memories of this special day. Thx for sharing those great pictures-- jammies & all !

Beautiful girls making memories. Cookies look good, too.

Here you go Linda and anyone else who may be interested.

Peppermint Bark - Sharon

1 Lb bittersweet chocolate (I use dark chocolate)
8 Drops peppermint oil
1 Lb chopped white chocolate
3/4 Cup chopped candy canes

Line a 11 X 17 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside

Melt bittersweet chocolate in a heavy pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in 4 drops of peppermint oil. Spread evenly over pan and chill for about 1 hour. Melt white chocolate in a heavy pot over low heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in remaining 4 drops of peppermint oil and then add in candy cane.

Spread white chocolate over chilled dark chocolate, spreading to the egde of the pan. Chill 4 hours.
Refrigerate just until just before serving then break into pieces. Will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks ( yeah right!!! LOL)

NOTES:
I use the microwave to melt the chocolate, way easier.

You must use peppermint oil. Peppermint extract will seize the chocolate

I use my meat malette to break the candy canes. Put them in a plastic bag and gently tap them so they break into little pieces but aren't crushed.

Santa's Helpers - Sherry
Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth

Add:
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Beat until smooth
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Stir until smooth and then add:
1 cup chopped walnuts

Divide dough into quarters. Form each quarter into 6 balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. With finger, make a wide deep depression in each cookie, clear to the edge. Fill with topping. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, (or in a convection oven, about 9 minutes)
If you unde rcook these, the filling is so heavy that it will break through when you pick them up, so I make them crunchy. You could also not make the depression in them as deep and there would be more dough to suport the filling so that it did not break through. These are my family's favorite cookies, and we have never ever seen them anywhere else. (They were my secret weapon)
Also, if I make a huge depression in them, I sometimes make half again as much filling so I don't run out.
Makes 24 cookies

Rich Chocolate-Cherry Cookies - Nancy

Yields: About 3 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 13 minutes per batch
Total Time: 45 minutes plus cooling

1 package (8 ounces) semisweet-chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, cut up
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet-chocolate chips (1 cup)
1 cup dried tart cherries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 3-quart saucepan, melt chocolate with margarine or butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat and, with wire whisk, stir in sugar and vanilla until blended. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. With spoon, stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add chocolate chips and cherries, stir just until evenly mixed.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until tops of cookies are set. Let cookies remain on cookie sheet on wire rack 1 minute to cool slightly. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.

Nancy

Eggnog Snickerdoodles - Alexa

2 3/4c flour
1 1/2c sugar
1 c butter
2 eggs
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional, but it is better with a little)
1/2 tsp brandy extract
1/2 tsp rum extract

Sugar mix:
1/4c sugar
1 tsp nutmeg

Mix cookie ingredients. Shape into walnut sized balls. Roll in combined sugar mixture.
Bake 8-10 minutes @ 375. Yields: 4 doz. (and I always double the recipe).

I sometimes even make a glaze from confectioners sugar and just a bit of egg nog (carton) to drizzle over the top.

Chase both the girls looks excellent and so do the baked goods! Thanks for sharing.

Awwww, that's so sweet!

Cute girls!! .... she shouldn't be upset since at that age you look beautiful even without makeup and in your jammies!!!

New to CF.... is Meredith the redhead and Sara the dark haired one??

Grace

Yes Grace, Meredith is the redhead ( at least today ) and Sara is the dark haired girl. Meredith is my daughter and Sara is my niece. The background on this is is that Sara had a massive brain bleed a year ago September which left her paralyzed and unable to speak.

After two brain surgeries and much therapy she is able to walk and talk but that darn right arm and hand are still not listening to the brain. Hopefully with more therapies and time she will regain the use of her arm.

She is a trooper and a joy......

Chase it is wonderful to see how well Sara is doing...I hope she progresses with the therapy..
They are both beautiful, and the cookies look delicious.
Have a blessed Christmas!

Hi Sharon, what great pictures! Just makes me tear up looking at Sara. What a wonderful time you must have had with them both.

I missed this post last night...What a fun day y'all had! Good to see the girls again...man, Sara has really "grown up" this past year...she looked like such a "little girl" from last years pics. The finally results look great and I love that platter Sharon. Hope you and Ms. Sara did some major damage to Dad's shopping budget on Sunday! Tell Meredith to chill...she's a looker even in her pjs! Hugs to all you gals and Merry Christmas!

David

Chase I did not know the background on your niece. She looks wonderful! It sounds like she has been through quite a bit and I am sorry for that. High hopes for the continued therapy and use of her right arm.

You have every reason to be proud of those two young ladies. Both beauties, make up or not. And I swear Sara has grown like a weed. She looks so good after everything she has been through the past year.

Everything looks so good!!!!! The girls did a great job and it looks like they had fun doing it. I've already got two batches of your pepperming bark in the freezer. Everyone loves it!

Tracey

The girls are beautiful, Chase.

They couldn't take bad pics! Love the jammies!

What lovely girls and cookies! Sara and Meredith are beautiful!

I am thinking I need some of those snickerdoodles.

(I get scullery duty at my house after all of Alice's cookie making, too.)

Absolutely gorgeous pastry elves!

Sol

Oh, what a fun day you all had! The treats look delicious and the girls are just so darn gorgeous!

So happy to see Sara doing so well, too!

Linda

Lovely photos of them both Sharon, and yes it's true that when girls are that age they look good with no makeup and even in pjs. But I know how maddening it is to be caught in candid shots as my dad always took photos of us kids when sleeping or otherwise not looking our best which didn't bother me until I was in my teens lol.

And yes Sara has really grown up a lot since the last photos. I sure hope that she will slowly regain the use of her right arm.
She has done marvellously well so far with her rehab.

The cookies look great too!

SharonCb

Hi Sharon, I had missed this (along with lots of other stuff, I guess!). Just did a search because I couldn't find my recipe for Sherry's Santa's Helpers and I HAVE to make those...:-)

I love seeing pics of the girls. They're both beautiful. (I love the one of them sleeping!)

Stacy