Christmas “Reef” Delights

Reef Ostendorf is a sophomore at PPCHS who celebrates big with the best of both worlds, Christmas and Hanukkah. When she is not decorating for the holidays, Reef enjoys baking, especially homemade cookies. Reef Ostendorf’s favorite holiday recipe is a batch of delicious homemade sugar cookies in the shape of Christmas wreaths. These cookies guaranteed will take your mouth to a different level of sweetness. She’s dubbed them Christmas “Reef” Delights. These beautiful cookies are one for the picture book and are sure to take your friend’s and family’s breath away. 

Here’s the recipe be sure to give these beautiful cookies a try: 

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter softened
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons grated lime peel
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice

Extra

• Green and red sprinkles
• white chocolate sprinkles for decoration

Steps

1. In a large bowl, mix butter, sour cream, and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed. Then add egg, lime peel, lime juice, and vanilla; mix until smooth. Afterward, place at low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, and salt until dough forms. 
2. Make the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Shape into circles like wreaths with wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for about an hour. 
3. Heat oven to 375°F. Place pastry cloth on the work surface; sprinkle with flour. With a floured cloth-covered rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a floured 3-inch fluted cutter. With a 1-inch scalloped or fluted canapé cutter, cut out the center of each circle. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place wreath cutouts 1 inch apart. Cut each small cutout in half; brush the backs of small cutouts with water and place on wreaths for bows. Repeat with the second disk of dough.
4. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely.
5. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice with a wire whisk. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is thin. 
6. Brush glaze over cookies and immediately decorate with sugars and sprinkles as desired. Store in layers with waxed paper between.

Melanie’s Hot Chocolate Bombs Recipe

Melanie Miguel, a junior at PPCHS, absolutely loves to make hot chocolate. She has shared with us a fun twist on hot chocolate that should only take as little as about ten minutes to make. They are little chocolate spheres filled with hot chocolate powder and marshmallows. She found this recipe while browsing Tik Tok and decided to create it herself. They are a huge hit with her family and friends and this recipe is perfect for cold nights.

Here we have Melanie’s take on hot chocolate bombs. We hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• chocolate
• half circle baking mold
• hot cocoa mix
• marshmallows

Steps

1. Melt your chocolate. 
2. Fill the molds. Scoop some chocolate into the mold and use the back of a spoon or pastry brush to push the melted chocolate around the molds, making it thick enough along the sides and edges. Put the molds into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to set.
3. Take the chocolate out of the molds. 
4. Melt the edges. On the stove in a pan for just a minute, you want the plate to be just hot enough to melt the chocolate. Pick up the empty half of the chocolate bomb and place it on the warm plate for a couple of seconds, just until it melts.
5. Fill. Add 1 tablespoon hot cocoa powder and mini marshmallows (and any other add-ins you want) to half of the spheres. Pick up another half and melt the edge on the warm plate then push the two sides together to seal.
6. Decorate. Drizzle on some extra chocolate, decorate with crushed cookies, candy, or sprinkles!

Image Source: https://atlantabusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1603225115_99_Peppermint-Hot-Chocolate-Bombs-Recipe.jpg