Italian Chocolate Balls

I've been baking like crazy this month...Cake and Cupcakes for Ben's 5th birthday party, a baby shower cake for a coworker and friend, cookies for The Great Food Food Blogger Cookie swap, cookies for a work cookie exchange....and then good old christmas cookies for family and friends. Woohoo! I've used some of my old standby recipes- Orange Drop Cookies (15 dozen made so far...woah!), Cutout Cookies (6 dozen), and Angeletti (3 1/2 dozen) as well as some new recipes. Preparing for Christmas stresses me out....but the baking relaxes me, which explains why I am making so many cookies!!

Two of the new recipes I tried came from a little box set of cookie recipes I found in the gift shop at the hospital I work in. It's called One Smart Cookie, and it's published by Daymaker inspirational gifts, and it has 50 cards with cookie recipes. It's a cute little gift set...and I have one to give away to one of you as well!

This is a great recipe...coconut, nuts and chocolate all rolled into one, and the best part is that it doesn't require any baking!

Italian Chocolate Balls adapted from One Smart Cookie
Makes 2 dozen


1/2 Cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1 tsp salt
1 16 oz bag milk chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in large bowl, and stir  with wooden spoon until combined. Roll into small balls. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions, stirring until smooth. Dip* balls in chocolate and pace on waxed paper to cool.

* I have issues dipping things in chocolate...so I melted the chocolate, and spooned it onto each of the cookies. Might not be as pretty, but they're still a big hit around here!

Giveaway Time!- 

Leave a comment here telling me what your favorite christmas cookie is, and you're entered to win. You can gain additional entries by following Baked by Beth on  twitter and/or facebook and then leave me another comment with your handle(s). Winner will be chosen 12/30 and notified by email.

Congrats to Cindy B, the one and only entrant! Those are some odds...I'll email you to get your shipping info, Cindy. Enjoy the recipes!
Enjoy!

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Let's just say that I pretty much swear by any recipe posted by The Pioneer Woman. Let's also say that Pie-making and I haven't had much of a relationship in the past. My last attempt at pie was a massive failure. In my defense, it was my first shot at making Coconut Cream Pie from scratch- crust,filling,whipped cream- completely from scratch. The crust worked. The Whipped Cream worked. The Coconut Cream part...didn't work so well. It was more like soup. Tasted great..but no one wants to eat Coconut Cream Soup with a side of pie crust and whipped cream!

This week is Pie Week- at least on Twitter and in the food blog universe it is! I read a post called Love the Pie on TidyMom.com that involved a contest with fun kitchen prizes, and of course I wanted to enter the contest..so this post serves as my official entry. I can't ever let a baked goods contest/celebration pass by without some sort of participation! We all know I like a good challenge, and this one is right up there since Pie and I weren't on speaking terms at the start of this week.

When I came across this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's site, I knew it was the pie for me. I knew not only could I handle making it....but that it would taste A-maz-ing. It's a pie..but not really a "pie". No scary pastry crust or cream filling means that it totally works for me! I love all things cranberry, and I love trying new recipes, so this was a no-brainer. I have to say that when it was all said and done (even after the cats knocked my first pan of cranberries and pecans onto the floor....bad kitties!) that I think I have a new favorite pie!

Do yourself a favor. Check out The Pioneer Woman's post about this pie- there are beautiful step by step pictures that make my pictures look like my almost-4 year old took them..Then, get yourself into the kitchen pronto and make this "pie" now...and eat it while warm. It's to die for. Then make it again to share with your family (or coworkers for those of us working the holiday) for Thanksgiving. It's that good- it deserves a spot right next to the classic Pumpkin and Pecan pies on the holiday dessert table!

The pie that's not really a pie

Nantucket Cranberry Pie from The Pioneer Woman

Printable Recipe

Butter, to grease pan
2 heaping cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a cake pan or pie plate with unsalted butter. Dump cranberries into pan, then top with chopped pecans. Evenly sprinkle 2/3 cup sugar on top of pecans.

Combine 1 cup each flour and sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt and almond extract. Mix gently by hand until ingredients are combined.

Slowly pour batter over cranberries and pecans, making sure to cover the entire surface. Spread gently to fill in any holes.

Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle remaining Tablespoon sugar on top. Place back in oven for 5 additional minutes.

Serve while warm, and top with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream for a real treat.

Fresh out of the oven...look at that crunchy layer of sugar on top!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!