CHOCOLATE NUT TARTLETS

These tartlets feature three kinds of caramelized nuts and chocolate in
a tender buttery crust–irresistible

!!

Preparation time: 45 min Baking time: 16 min
Yield: 36 tartlets

Crust Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup mini real semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup*
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cashews, almonds and/or pecans

Topping Ingredients:
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Beat at
medium speed until mixture forms a dough.

Press 1 level tablespoon crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 36
ungreased mini muffin pan cups. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges
are lightly browned. Remove from oven; sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon mini
chocolate chips into each crust. Set aside.

Combine 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and corn syrup in 1-quart
saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just
comes to a boil (4 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in nuts.

Spoon 1 level teaspoon filling mixture into each crust. (Do not over
fill.) Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven; cool in pan 5 minutes. Run
sharp knife around outside of crusts to loosen tarts. Remove tarts from
pans; cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*Substitute light corn syrup.

Recipe Tip
If filling becomes thick between baking batches of tartlets, reheat
filling over low heat. (Do not allow filling to boil when reheating.)

Recipe Tip
The yield will increase to 42 tartlets, if when measuring each mini
muffin cup holds less than 2 tablespoons water.

Nutrition Facts (1 tartlet): Calories: 120, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 15mg,
Sodium: 60mg, Carbohydrates: 15g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 2g

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DROPS

Bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate are blended in this rich, fudgy cookie.

Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 8 min
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup mini real semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening
Slivered almonds, toasted, chopped, if desired

Place 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on HIGH (100% power), stirring once, until melted and smooth
(1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Set aside.

Combine melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at
medium speed until smooth. Add melted chocolate; continue beating until
smooth. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat
until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (2 hours or overnight).

Heat oven to 350°F. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto
greased cookie sheets. (Refrigerate remaining dough between batches.)
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until just set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from
cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Place 1 cup mini chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe
bowl. Microwave on HIGH(100% power), stirring once, until melted and
smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Frost cooled cookies. Sprinkle with chopped
almonds, if desired.

Nutrition Facts (1 cookie): Calories: 110, Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 15mg,
Sodium: 20mg, Carbohydrates: 14g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g
13894 © 2007 Land O’Lakes, Inc.

CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

A flavorful cranberry, orange and chocolate chip biscotti made easy with
the use of a packaged muffin mix.

Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 43 min
Yield: 36 biscotti

Biscotti Ingredients:
1 (16.4 to 18.25-ounce) package chocolate chip muffin mix
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all biscotti ingredients in large bowl. Beat
at medium speed until well mixed.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 13-inch long log. Place logs,
4 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 25 minutes. Remove
from oven; cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Cut each log into 1/2-inch diagonal
slices with sharp knife. Place slices onto same cookie sheet, cut-side
down. Bake 10 minutes. Turn slices over; continue baking for 8 to 10
minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar and orange juice in small bowl; mix well. Drizzle
over cooled biscotti.

Nutrition Facts (1 biscotti): Calories: 120, Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 20mg,
Sodium: 115mg, Carbohydrates: 17g, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g
13895 © 2007 Land O’Lakes, Inc.

MINT BROWNIE TREES

Decorate these festive trees with a drizzle of frosting.

Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 16 min
Yield: 65 brownie trees

Brownie Ingredients:
1 (18.3 to 21-ounce) package brownie mix
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

Frosting Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops green food color
Decorator silver dragees, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15×10x1-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil,
extending foil over edges. Spray with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine all brownie ingredients in medium bowl; mix well. Spread batter
into prepared pan. Bake for 16 to 22 minutes or until brownie begins to
pull away from sides of pan. (Do not over bake.) Cool completely.

Carefully remove brownie from pan by lifting ends of foil; place onto
large cutting board. Cut brownies lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Gently
separate strips. Cut each strip into triangles, measuring 1 1/2 inches
at the base.

Combine all frosting ingredients except silver dragées in small bowl.
Beat at medium speed until creamy. Place frosting in resealable plastic
food bag. Cut a small tip from corner of food bag. Pipe frosting
diagonally onto triangles to decorate. Place 1 silver dragée at top of
tree, if desired.

Nutrition Facts (1 brownie tree): Calories: 70, Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol:
15mg, Sodium: 45mg, Carbohydrates: 10g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g
13896 © 2007 Land O’Lakes, Inc.

CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL DRIZZLED BARS

These bars feature melted caramel and bittersweet chocolate drizzled
over a cookie crust.

Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 25 min
Yield: 72 bars

1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, toasted, finely chopped
12 caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES™ Heavy Whipping Cream
2 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon shortening
1 to 2 tablespoons large crystal salt or large crystal sea salt

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil,
extending foil over edges. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium
speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour, beating
well after each addition. Stir in pecans.

Press dough evenly, with floured hands, onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.
Carefully remove bars from pan by lifting ends of foil; place onto large
cutting board. Immediately cut into 36 bars; cut each bar diagonally
into triangle shape. Cool completely.

Combine caramels and whipping cream in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over low
heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Drizzle caramel
mixture over cooled bars.

Combine chocolate and shortening in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over low
heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate
over caramel on bars. Immediately sprinkle with salt.

Recipe Tip
To toast pecans, place into ungreased shallow baking pan; spread out
evenly. Bake at 350°F. for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once, until lightly
browned. Cool completely.

Nutrition Facts (1 bar): Calories: 70, Fat: 4.5g, Cholesterol: 10mg,
Sodium: 170mg, Carbohydrates: 6g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g
13857 © 2007 Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Raw Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
Makes 9 small Men.

* 1 cup of golden flax (linseed)
* 1 cup pecans
* 3 teaspoons powdered ginger
* 2 Tablespoons of dark agave syrup
* 1/8 cup of pure water

Directions

1) Mill the flax seed and pecans together into a fine flour. (This is best done in the Vita-Mix dry jug, or by using a coffee mill; a food processor won’t get it fine enough on its own).

2) Pour the “flour” - saving just a little back for step 3 - into a food processor adding the remaining ingredients. Process until a dark sticky ball is created.

3) Remove the ball from the processor and lay it out on a flat surface ready for rolling out. This is where you may need to use the flour you held back from step 2 as it might stick to the surface or rolling pin! So lightly coat the board you are rolling on or the mixture itself in a fine dusting of flour and then roll out into a flat dough.

4) Using gingerbread men-shaped cookie cutters, cut out your men and either leave plain or decorate, according to your preference. Once finished, you can either eat as a “fresh” version which will be juicy and slightly chewy, or you can move to step 5 where you’ll need a dehydrator…

5) Lay your men out on your dehydrator tray. No protective sheeting is required as the mixture isn’t runny. Depending on how crunchy you want your men (!), dehydrate anything from a few hours to 24 hours. The full 24 hours at 100 degrees F will give you crunchy men, so long as they are no more than 5mm thick when they go in to dry.

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