Pay it Forward with Kohl’s and Buy some Holiday Cheer (for $5!)

We love to bake and do a ton of it during the month of December! Kohl’s knows that this is a family tradition for a lot of families and has just the right item to add on as a bonus gift…and it helps pay it forward too! Next time you are at Kohl’s, pick up a copy of Holiday Cheer for just $5! It is filled with fun and delicious recipes that will add a special treat to holiday festivities.

The Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program is also featuring exclusive hardcover books including A Charlie Brown Christmas, You Can Be Anything, Be Yourself!, Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, and a Peanuts Classic Gift Set, along with coordinating plush toys. Each hardcover book and coordinating plush toy is an incredible value at only $5 each, with 100 percent of the net profit going to support children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

Since the program began in 2000, the Kohl’s Cares philanthropic program has raised more than $231 million for children’s health and education programs in local communities across the country!

Here is one recipe to get you excited about it:

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Sticks
(Reprinted with permission from Holiday Cheer © 2010 by Hearst Books, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.)

From Good Housekeeping

Prep 1 hour plus freezing and cooling
Cook 11 minutes per batch
Makes 5 dozen cookies

Basic Cookie Dough (page 14)
1⁄4 tsp. peppermint extract
Green and red paste food coloring
5 oz. white chocolate, melted
6 green or red starlight mint candies, crushed

1. Prepare Basic Cookie Dough. Transfer half to another bowl.
Stir peppermint extract into 1 portion of dough. Divide peppermint dough in half; transfer half to another bowl. Tint 1 portion green, the other red.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9- by 9-inch metal baking pan with plastic wrap, extending wrap over 2 sides of pan. Pat plain dough in pan. Freeze 10 minutes. Pat green dough over half of plain dough; pat red dough over remaining plain dough. Freeze 10 minutes.

3. Lift dough from pan using plastic wrap; place on cutting board. Cut dough into thirds so that one-third is all red on top, one-third is all green on top, and middle third is half red and half green on top. Cut each third crosswise into 3⁄8-inch strips. Twist strips and place, 11⁄2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden-brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat.

4. Dip 1 end of each cookie into chocolate and place on waxed paper. Sprinkle chocolate with crushed mints. Refrigerate 15 minutes to set.

5. Store Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Sticks in tightly sealed container, with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.