Dark & White Chocolate Holiday Cookies

Biscotti

Delicious plate of Pamela's Cookies decorated with gum drops

Delicious plate of Pamela's decorated cookies

Delicious plate of Pamela's iced cookies

Packages of Pamela's Vanilla Frosting

Pamela's Dark & White Chocolate Holiday Cookies

Use your favorite Pamela's Cookies from the box such as Pecan Shortbread, Chunky Chocolate Chip and Lemon Shortbread, or Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies, Biscotti or bake your own using Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. Then follow these instructions for dipping and decorating. Don't forget to experiment and add your own personal style and taste to your creations.

For dipping milk or dark chocolate chips: In a microwave safe bowl, add 1-1/2 tsp oil or shortening to 12 oz white or dark chocolate chips. Heat for 20 seconds, stir, heat for 20 seconds again, stir, repeat until stirred chocolate pours from the spoon in a thick stream. (Please note, chocolate will hold its form, and yet can be very hot. This is why you must heat for a very short time and then stir and repeat, it's important that you don't let the chocolate separate.)

When the chocolate is melted, simply dip your cookies however you'd like. Half, whole, or just the bottoms or tops. Place dipped cookies on wax paper, sprinkle with nuts or candies and then place in the fridge to set. Remember to occasionally stir the melted chocolate while dipping to keep it at a uniform temperature throughout. You can reheat the chocolate a couple of times. Too many times will separate the chocolate and cause a white skin to form. When that has happened, the chocolate is no longer good for dipping.

For dipping white chocolate and butterscotch chips: White and Butterscotch chips only needed 1 tsp oil or shortening per 12 oz. bag. Then follow directions above.

If you are doing a combination with caramel and chocolate dip, do one, chill on wax paper in fridge, then the other process, because otherwise they will melt into each other, making a mess of both ingredients.

Pamela's Gum Drop Decorated Cookies

Use your favorite Pamela's Cookies from the box such as Pecan Shortbread, Chunky Chocolate Chip and Lemon Shortbread, or Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies, Biscotti or bake your own using Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. Then decorate with gum drop candies (such as Dots)*. To make your own unique candy shapes,try cutting the candies in half and create your designs. To do so, warm candies whole in microwave 10-15 seconds and roll between wax paper or parchment paper with rolling pin to flatten, then cut into shapes. If the paper sticks, cool in fridge for a few minutes before carefully pealing the paper. Keep in mind, (white) chocolate dipped cookies are not as fragile as the frosted. The Royal Frosting recipe (below) hardens to a protective cover, while the regular recipe stays soft and deliciously buttery.

For creating the Chocolate Dipped cookies take a take a look at Pamela's Dark & White Chocolate Holiday Cookies (above).

Pamela's Peppermint Decorated Cookies

General preparation: To crush the peppermint: use two small brown paper bags and a mallet. After crushing, separate into two piles of small powdered crystals with small chunks, and larger pieces. Like the coconut preparation (below), peppermint goes equally well with white or chocolate frosting or dip.

Use whole peppermints for a dramatic effect. Try mixing the finely crushed pieces into frosting for delicious sandwich cookies. These are both great on Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies!

Linzer Style cookies: frost just the edges and then roll in hazelnut meal or very finely chopped nuts. Cook down raspberry jam in a small pan or microwave until slightly thickened. Use a rounded spoon to form a scoop on top.

Make butterscotch or white chocolate animals or other shapes by using small butter molds (found at kitchen and bakery supply stores). Start by heating butterscotch chips in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time, then stir, then heat, repeat until a smooth spoonable consistency is achieved. Using very small chocolate/butter molds, fill the molds and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge. They pop right out of the aluminum molds with a little cross tension twist. For dipping whole, half, tops or bottoms of cookies with butterscotch or white chocolate, add 1 tsp of oil or shortening when heating. For milk or dark chocolate add approx. 1.5 tsp oil or shortening during the heating and stirring process.

Then use hazelnut meal was sprinkled over the whole cookie for a nice dusting.

Pamela's Decorative Frosting Decorated Cookies

Use Royal Icing recipe (below). Add liquid food coloring for pastels or powdered food coloring for brighter colors. Spread different colors on cookies in different shapes, wait a few minutes, then use a toothpick to drag through the adjoining color, forming scrolls and curlicues. Don't forget the confetti sprinkles* (found in Pamela's Confetti Frosting), nonpareils*, and colored crystal sugars*. Royal icing will harden when it dries, so add a few drops of water to keep icing frostable or thin for a glaze effect.

Pamela's Reverse Iced Decorated Cookies

Use Royal Icing recipe (below). Thin with water to paintable consistency. Using a pattern paint around your own personal designs onto the cookies. For the reverse design effect, try tracing your favorite cookie cutters on paper, scan it into my computer and reduce the size of the designs to fit the cookies, then print them out (or use a copy machine for the same effect of reducing the design. You could also draw your own creations freehand). Cut out the newly reduced shapes and used them as patterns to paint around on the cookies. Then fill in the rest of the background using a simple repetitive stroke, in stripes or around the design. For simple stars and snowflakes, paint the designs freehand with a small paintbrush.

Pamela's Lemon and Orange Flavored Frosting Decorated Cookies

Use your favorite Pamela's Cookies from the box such as Pecan Shortbread, Chunky Chocolate Chip and Lemon Shortbread, or Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies, Biscotti or bake your own using Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. Then follow these instructions for decorating. Don't forget to experiment and add your own personal style and taste to your creations.

Make Pamela's Vanilla Frosting following the Simple Vanilla Frosting recipe on the bag replacing the water with part juice. how much will depend on how citrus you like. Add zest to frosting or simply sprinkle on top of frosted or dipped cookies. Chocolate and orange make an outstanding flavor combination. Try a lemon and ginger combination with Pamela's Spicy Ginger Cookies or Pamela's Simplebites Ginger Snapz Mini Cookies. Thin the frosting more if you are adding stripes or splashes to the biscotti.

Pamela's Coconut and Butterscotch Decorated Cookies

Use your favorite Pamela's Cookies from the box such as Pecan Shortbread, Chunky Chocolate Chip and Lemon Shortbread, or Pamela's Simplebites Mini Cookies, Biscotti or bake your own using Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. Then decorate with coconut.For creating the Chocolate Dipped cookies take a look at Pamela's Dark & White Chocolate Holiday Cookies (above).

General preparation: use shredded sweetened coconut. Try browning 1/2 of the coconut in a dry skillet on low, stirring constantly until it becomes a nice light brown color, cool. Coconut will stick to frosting or dipped chocolate, just remember the chocolate will dry very quickly so whatever you want to stick to it, do it right after dipping. You can dip the whole top or just roll the edges.

Like the peppermint preparation (above), coconut goes equally well with white or chocolate frosting or dip. Try combining it with you favorite type of nuts as well.

Make your own seasonal designs, such as snowflakes or christmas trees. Use royal frosting or chocolate as a"glue" to guide the coconut. Or use white corn syrup. Heat it in the microwave to thicken slightly (10-15 seconds, be careful with hot sugar) and then brush on your design with a small inexpensive paint brush, when completed gently dip into the coconut.

Make butterscotch animals or other shapes by using small butter molds (found at kitchen and bakery supply stores). Start by heating butterscotch chips in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time, then stir, then heat, repeat until a smooth spoonable consistency is achieved. Using very small chocolate/butter molds, fill the molds and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge. They pop right out of the aluminum molds with a little cross tension twist. For dipping whole, half, tops or bottoms of cookies with butterscotch or white chocolate, add 1 tsp of oil or shortening when heating. For milk or dark chocolate add approx. 1.5 tsp oil or shortening during the heating and stirring process.

Cookie Decorating Frosting/Royal Icing

1 bag Pamela's Vanilla Frosting Mix
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

Mix ingredients together, add food coloring*. Spread or pipe on cooled cookies. Add decorative sprinkles or candies if desired. Powder food coloring will net brighter colors.

* Consumers concerned about gluten should check that all candies, flavorings and additional ingredients added to recipes are gluten-free.