Southern Living: Minted White Chocolate Balls Recipe + Cranberry Cider

Today’s Kitchen: Christmas Cookies

Southern Living’s Kimberly Schlegel Whitman visited Today’s Kitchen with some ideas from the magazine’s new book, Christmas All Through The South. She explained the concept of Cookie Swap Parties and shared recipes for Minted White Chocolate Balls and Gingerbread Linzer Cookies. Plus, try the Cranberry Cider Sparkler punch.

Today Show: Cookie Swap Parties

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman talked about Cookie Swap Parties with Carson Daly and Savannah Guthrie on Today Show. She explained that each guest is responsible for making a batch of a particular type of cookie. Then at the party, everyone has the chance to collect a variety of seasonally appropriate cookies. “You can make a beautiful cookie spread with tons of varieties of cookies,” she said.

Today Show: Southern Living Minted White Chocolate Balls Recipe Ingredients

This Minted White Chocolate Balls is a no-bake recipe, which is perfect if you lack kitchen confidence, like Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie. Once they’re mixed together, the minted balls are dipped in white chocolate.

• 56 crushed Vanilla Wafers
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp Light Corn Syrup
• 3 cups White Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped, toasted Pecans
• 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
• 6 tbsp Peppermint Schnapps
• crushed Peppermint Candy

Southern Living: Today Show Minted White Chocolate Balls Recipe Directions

1. Stir the vanilla wafers with powdered sugar, corn syrup, pecans, cocoa, and schnapps.
2. Form the mixture into 32 equally sized balls.
3. Microwave the white chocolate on high for 30 seconds in a bowl; then stir. Microwave about another 20 seconds, or until smooth.
4. Coat the balls in the melted chocolate. Then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.
5. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for about half an hour to set.

Today Show: Southern Living Cranberry Cider Sparkler Recipe

Try serving this special winter cocktail at your cookie party or any holiday event.

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground Cloves
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 tsp Orange Zest
• 1 12-oz can frozen Cranberry Juice Cocktail
• 2 chilled bottles Sparkling Apple Cider
• Rum (optional)

Directions

1. Combine ginger with cloves, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and frozen cranberry juice in a saucepan.
2. On medium-high, bring this to a boil and stir until the juice is melted. Take off heat and let cool for about half an hour.
3. Pour juice mixture into a pitcher or carafe. Stir in cider and rum, if using. Serve with ice.