Well, pooh! The Christmas spoilers must getting into my head as I found myself typing into the subject line "Holiday cookies"...duh! I don't make holiday cookies, I make CHRISTMAS cookies! LOL
I spent the morning going through recipes at Better Homes and Gardens and found a bunch of yummy sounding recipes to share with you today. I hope you find one or two to try out this year. I know I did. Enjoy!
Cappuccino Love Bites
Ingredients
1 cup butter-flavor shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon coffee-flavor liqueur or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
48 milk chocolate kisses with stripes or almonds
Directions
1. Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, liqueur, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough in the refrigerator about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheets; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and coffee crystals. Roll dough balls in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and sides are set; do not let edges brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. If desired, while chocolate is still warm, swirl it gently using your finger or with a knife. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely. Makes 48 cookies.
4. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.
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Ruby Linzer Bars
Ingredients
1 cup butter-flavor shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped toasted almonds*
1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry preserves or apricot jam
Almond Glaze
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300F. Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
2. Divide dough into three equal portions. Roll each portion into a 10-inch log. Roll logs in nuts. Place logs 3 to 4 inches apart on an ungreased large cookie sheet. Flatten each log to 1-inch thick. Make a 1/2-inch-deep, 1-inch-wide indentation down the center of each log, using fingers or the back of a spoon.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes or until edges are firm and lightly brown. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. If necessary, reform indentations by pressing with a spoon. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.
4. Spoon some of the preserves evenly down center of each log. Drizzle each log with glaze. Let stand until set. Cut each log diagonally into 1-inch-wide slices. Makes about 36 bars.
5. Note: To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until nuts are slightly golden brown, stirring once or twice. Cool completely. Finely chop nuts and set aside.
6. To store: Bake cookie logs as directed; cool completely. Do not fill indentations with jam; do not drizzle with glaze. Place cookie logs in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Or place logs in resealable freezer bags; seal to close. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookie logs about 15 minutes. Fill logs with preserves, drizzle with glaze, and cut into slices as directed.
7. Almond Glaze: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon milk, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract in a small bowl. Stir in enough additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to make glaze of drizzling consistency. Makes 1/4 cup.
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Peppermint Palmiers
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons white creme de menthe
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white creme de menthe
Few drops liquid red food coloring
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (about 20)
Directions1. For dough, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, the 2 tablespoons creme de menthe, the milk, and vanilla. Beat in as much of the 2-3/4 cups flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any of the remaining 2-3/4 cup flour. Divide dough in half. Cover; chill about 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and the 1 tablespoon creme de menthe. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until smooth. Stir in a few drops red food coloring until filling is pale pink. Gently fold in crushed candies. Cover and chill up to 2 hours. (Do not chill longer than 2 hours or the candies will bleed into the filling and the filling will become too soft and sticky.)
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling over the dough rectangle to within 1/2 inch of each long edge. Roll both long edges, scroll fashion, to meet in center. Brush seam where dough spirals meet with water; lightly press together. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap. Place rolls on a trayor cookie sheet. Freeze for 4 hours to 24 hours or until rolls are firm.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Using a serrated knife, cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 80 .
5. To store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Powdered Sugar Icing (optional)
Directions
1. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll each half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough with a floured 3-1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are set. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. If desired, spread with Powdered Sugar Icing. Let stand until slightly set; pipe icing in decorative designs over iced cookies. Let stand until icing is set. Makes 36 cookies.
4. Powdered Sugar Icing: Stir together 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl to make of piping or spreading consistency. Divide icing and tint portions with desired food coloring. Makes about 2 cups.
5. To store: Place uniced cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen. If desired, spread and/or pipe icing on cookies.
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Tender Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 300F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated about 15 minutes or until tops are slightly crackled and sides are set (do not let edges brown). Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Makes about 60 cookies.
3. Tip: For a colorful platter of cookies, roll the dough balls in different colored sugars instead of the white granulated sugar.
4. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.
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Spice Doodles
Ingredients
1 recipe Basic Dough (follows this recipe)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions
1. If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a small bowl stir together sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar mixture to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an unerased cookie sheet.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 40.
To Store: Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Basic Dough
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.
2. Continue as directed in individual recipes.
To Store: Pack dough into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
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Peppermint Stars
Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring (optional)
Directions
1. Place egg whites in a medium mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Line two large cookie sheets with brown paper or foil; set aside.
3. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form (tips stand straight) and sugar dissolves. Quickly beat in peppermint extract. Tint pink with several drops of red food coloring, if desired.
4. Using a pastry tube with a large star decorating tip, pipe cookies onto prepared cookie sheets (form cookies about 1-1/2 inches in diameter). Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cookies dry in oven with door closed about 30 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. Cover and store in a dry place. Makes 45 cookies.
I've a million things to do today. More cookies...buy the stamps and finally get those cards in the mail...do a load or 2 or laundry...maybe a wee bit of Christmas shopping...YIKES! {{{looking at the floor))) ...And I need to run the sweeper too.
Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!
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