Countdown to Christmas Day 4 From My Christmas Kitchen to Yours
Anyone who knows me knows that Christmas is one of my favorite seasons. It’s the time of year that people and families come together and share in the magic of the season. Traditions new and old are created and passed down this time of year, that opens our hearts and minds to those gathered around us. Christmas Cookies are one of my favorite things. For some reason they just taste better, especially when you receive them as gifts. So here are some delicious cookie recipes and tips to help you start the season right.
TIPS:
Cooling Cookie Sheets: Be sure to cool your baking sheets between baking batches of cookies. Rotate cookie sheets and rinse and wipe clean between batches. A baking or cookie sheet should be either cool or at room temperature when the cookie dough is place on it. Otherwise, the dough will start to melt, adversely affecting the cookie's shapes and texture. If the sheets are still hot when you add more dough, the cookies can start to melt and spread before they even get in the oven. To cool your cookie pans in a hurry, run them under cold water and then wipe dry before using.
Baking Cookies: Bake one cookie sheet at a time, and be sure that the cookie sheet fits in your oven with at least one-inch of space around its edges for proper heat circulation. Avoid placing one sheet above another sheet in the oven, as this causes uneven baking. Cookies should be baked in the center of the oven.
Cookie Sheets with little or no sides will allow the cookies to bake quickly and evenly.
Preheat the oven 10 to 15 minutes before you begin baking cookies. This is usually consistent unless a recipe specifically calls for you to start with a cold oven.
Follow your cookie recipe (you can always experiment with later batches, testing how alterations affect the final product). One common cause of cooking failures is inaccurate measurement of ingredients. You can use the best ingredients in the world, but if you do not measure correctly, the recipe will not come out properly.
Use top-quality ingredients and assemble the ingredients before starting
Gooey-Buttery Goodness Cookies
1 - 8 oz Pkg. Softened, Cream Cheese
½ C. Softened, Butter
1 Egg
¼ tsp. Vanilla
1 - 16.5 box of cake mix (Butter, White, or Yellow)
¼ C. Powdered Sugar
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the cake mix, until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls, and then roll in powdered sugar. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 13 minutes. Approximately 2 DZ cookies.
Peanutty Brittle Cookies
½ C. Margarine
1/3 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1Tbsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ C. Crushed Peanut Brittle
1/3 C. Peanuts
Cream margarine and sugars, Beat in egg and vanilla till smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Peanut Butter Snowball
1 C. Powdered Sugar (more if needed)
½ tsp. Vanilla
½ C. Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp softened butter
1 bag of Vanilla Chips
Mix sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and butter until well mixed. Shape into 1 inch balls place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator to firm. Melt Vanilla Chips and coat chilled balls chilling again before serving. Makes approx. 24-30
Multi-Use Cookie Mix
5 C. All-purpose flour
3 ¾ C. Sugar
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp. Salt
½ tsp Vanilla
1 ½ C. plus 2 Tbsp soft Butter
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until blended. Add vanilla, and then work the butter into the mixture until it resembles oatmeal.
Use this mix with other add-ins and complete like you would your favorite cookie. This dough makes a great “From the Kitchen,” gift.
Marmalade Cookies
1 C. Orange Marmalade
2 C. Flour
½ tsp Salt
1 Egg
½ C. Margarine
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix all the ingredients and drop by the spoonful onto parchment or a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 -10 minutes.
For variations add dried fruits or nuts
Snickerdoodles
1 C. Soft Shortening or Butter
1 ½ C. Sugar
2 Eggs
Mix these ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Then sift and stir into the above mixture:
2 ¾ C. Flour
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Vanilla or Cinnamon
Mix until well blended. Chill dough for about 1 hour. Roll into 1 inch balls and then a mixture of cinnamon sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
1 C. Margarine
2 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Lemon Extract
4 C. Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
Mix margarine and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and extract and mix until well combined. Mix in remaining ingredients. Form into rolls of dough with wax paper and refrigerate for three hours or more. Once cold, slice into thin slices and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 12 dozen.
(For added touch roll in sugar before baking.)
Peanut Butter Cookies
Mix together:
¼ C. Shortening
¼ C. Butter
½ C. Peanut Butter
½ C. Sugar
½ C. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
Sift together and add to above mixture:
1 ¼ C. Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
¾ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
After ingredients are well mixed, chill the dough, and then roll into balls. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Flatten each one with a fork and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set but not hard. Makes 3-4 dozen.
Shortbread
1 C. Butter, softened
½ C. Sugar
2 ½ C. Flour
Pinch of Cinnamon
Cream together the butter and sugar until well blended, then stir in flour and cinnamon. Mix well, and then chill overnight. Roll out to ½ inch on lightly floured surface, cutting the dough with a biscuit cutter. Bake on cookie sheet at 300 for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from pan. Makes 3 dozen.
Dusted Shortbread Cookies
2 Sticks real Butter, Softened
2 C. Powdered Sugar
2 C. All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
Beat the butter until fluffy, and then add 1 Cup of powdered sugar slowly, mixing thoroughly. Stir in flour and salt and mix until a smooth ball forms. Place dough on plastic wrap and flatten out to a disk shape and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and bake at 300 until cookies are dry but still pale in color about 25 minutes. Let cool and then dust with remaining powdered sugar. Makes about 36 cookies depending on size of cutter.
Honey-Nut Crisps
¾ C. Powdered Sugar
½ C. Soft Butter
1 Tbsp Honey
¼ tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
½ C. Finely Chopped Nuts
6 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
Preheat oven to 325. Mix together sugar, butter, honey, vanilla and salt with a mixer until smooth. Add remaining ingredients just until blended. Drop by teaspoonful 3 inches apart onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Joe’s No Bake Cookies
2 C. Oats
2/3 C. Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 C. Coconut
¼ C. Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
1 tsp Vanilla
2 C. Sugar
½ C. Cream
¼ C. Butter
½ C. Crispy Rice Cereal
Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. In a bowl mix together the oats, cereal, peanut butter, coconut, cocoa, and vanilla. In a saucepan bring cream, sugar and butter to a boil. Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Pour over dry mixture, stirring quickly to mix well. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper, let cool. Makes 38 cookies.
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies
1 ½ C. Oats
1 ½ C. All-Purpose Flour
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
¾ C Soft Butter
1 C. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
½ C. Chopped Pecans
1 Bag of Toffee Chips
Preheat oven to 350. Mix oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until blended. Mix in dry mixture just until mixed; stir in pecans and toffee chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool and serve. Makes about 48 cookies.
Joe’s Secret Chunky Chip Cookies
½ C. Oats
2 ¼ C. All-Purpose Flour
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cinnamon
1 C. Soft Butter
½ tsp Grated Orange Peel
¾ C. Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
¾ C. Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 C. Raisins
2 Eggs
1 C. Chocolate Chips
1 C. White Chocolate Chips
1 C. Butterscotch Chips
1 C. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (or ½ of each)
Preheat your oven to 350. Grind oats until fine. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, cream butter, sugars, orange peel, vanilla and lemon juice. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add bowl of dry ingredients and all remaining ingredients, blending well. Use a ¼ cup of dough for each cookie, make into round balls and place 2 ½ inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned. Makes 2 dozen.
Butter Crescents
2/3 C. Finely Ground Almonds
1/3 C. Sugar
1 C. Soft Butter
1 2/3 C. All-Purpose Flour
¼ tsp Salt
Cream together almonds, butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in flour and salt gradually until well blended. Shape dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325. Work with ¼ of the dough at a time, allowing the remaining dough to stay chilled until you are ready to work with it. Make ¾ inch balls and then roll into 3 inch log, shaping them into crescents when you place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 14-16 or until set but not brown. Cool for 10 minutes then roll in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. Makes about 5 dozen.
Oatmeal Cookies
1 C. Melted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
2 C. Packed Dark Brown Sugar
½ C. Buttermilk
2 C. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
4 C. Oats
Beat together butter, vanilla, sugar, and buttermilk, then gradually add remaining ingredients until well mixed. Heat oven to 350. Drop cookies onto parchment lines cookie sheets using a teaspoon, leaving 2 inches between each one. Flatten cookies out with a wet finger. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Makes about 10 dozen.
Gingerbread Cookies
2/3 C. Room Temperature Butter
½ C. Packed Brown Sugar
½ C. Light Molasses
2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Cloves
½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Water
3 C. Flour
Cream butter and brown sugar add molasses and spices, mixing well to blend. Mix together salt, baking soda and water until dissolved, add to batter. Add flour, mix until blended. Place in refrigerator for two hours. Roll out dough a little at a time cutting into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees.
May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Holly Jolly Holiday. From our house to yours. - Joe
