Last night was my favorite night of the year. The annual Samuels family holiday party.

And oh what a holiday party it was.

As usual there was great food, great drinks and a ridiculous amount of singing and dancing.

I would like to point out that our holiday parties are never advertised as a party that you would dance at. But every year with out fail, at a certain point in the night a switch turns on and everyone starts singing into wooden spoons and paper towel holders and dancing like a crazed dance troop. Usually right after some sort of group shot.

The rest of my weekend is going to be spent recovering from all the fun and dancing and shots.

Part of my resting is making yummy things.

Like these little tasty suckers.

You will need…

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

8 ounces sweetened condensed milk

Pinch of salt

Roasted salted almonds

16 ounces good milk or dark chocolate, chopped

Start by combining the coconut, condensed milk and salt in a bowl. Make sure it is completely combined.

Pop it in the fridge and let it refrigerate for 20 minutes. Just till it is hard.

While the mixture is cooling, place a metal bowl in a large pot of gently boiling water and add in the chopped chocolate.

Use the double boiler to melt the chocolate until it is smooth.

After the coconut has cooled and hardened, remove it from the fridge and use your hands to roll coconut balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Place and almond in the top of each ball, pressing it gently into the coconut.

Freeze the balls for 7 to 10 minutes.

When the chocolate is melted and the balls have been in the freezer, use 2 spoons to place the balls in the chocolate and roll them around until they are completely covered.

Place them back on the sheet and allow the chocolate to harden.

Serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Dark Chocolate "Almond Joy"

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

8 ounces sweetened condensed milk

Pinch of salt

Roasted salted almonds

16 ounces good milk or dark chocolate, chopped

Start by combining the coconut, condensed milk and salt in a bowl. Make sure it is completely combined.

Pop it in the fridge and let it refrigerate for 20 minutes. Just till it is hard.

While the mixture is cooling, place a metal bowl in a large pot of gently boiling water and add in the chopped chocolate.

Use the double boiler to melt the chocolate until it is smooth.

After the coconut has cooled and hardened, remove it from the fridge and use your hands to roll coconut balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Place and almond in the top of each ball, pressing it gently into the coconut.

Freeze the balls for 7 to 10 minutes.

When the chocolate is melted and the balls have been in the freezer, use 2 spoons to place the balls in the chocolate and roll them around until they are completely covered.

Place them back on the sheet and allow the chocolate to harden.

Serve.

When it comes to sweets, most of the time I could take them or leave them.

It is no secret that I would choose salty over sweet any day.

But there are a few sweet treats that will suck me in any time.

I am literally incapable of turning down Red Vines, any chocolate lava cake or any dessert where lemon is involved.

Seriously, if there is even a hint of lemon I’m sold.

These are lemony, and buttery and not to sweet.

They are the perfect coffee or tea cookies.

Which means they are the perfect excuse to eat cookies for breakfast.

You will need…

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons of lemon juice, divided

1 egg yolk

7 tablespoons butter, cold and chopped

2 cups powdered sugar

Start by combining the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl.

Add the butter into the flour mixture and combine it well with your hands until it is the texture of large crumbs.

Stir in the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Then, kneed the dough with your hands just until it comes together in a ball.

Slice the ball in half and roll it into 2 separate long circular rolls anywhere from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. 

Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

When the dough has frozen, remove it from the plastic wrap and slice into ¼ inch slices. Make sure to rotate after every slice so that it stays circular.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes.

While they are baking, combine the remaining lemon juice and the powdered sugar with a spoon.

When the cookies are done baking and have cooled slightly, use the back of your spoon to glaze the cookies.

Let the glaze set and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Lemon Butter Cookies

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons of lemon juice, divided

1 egg yolk

7 tablespoons butter, cold and chopped

2 cups powdered sugar

Start by combining the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl.

Add the butter into the flour mixture and combine it well with your hands until it is the texture of large crumbs.

Stir in the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Then, kneed the dough with your hands just until it comes together in a ball.

Slice the ball in half and roll it into 2 separate long circular rolls anywhere from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. 

Wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

When the dough has frozen, remove it from the plastic wrap and slice into ¼ inch slices. Make sure to rotate after every slice so that it stays circular.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes.

While they are baking, combine the remaining lemon juice and the powdered sugar with a spoon.

When the cookies are done baking and have cooled slightly, use the back of your spoon to glaze the cookies.

Let the glaze set and serve.