Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #10 Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Last cookie for the Christmas cookies for 2016.

Chocolate dipped Macaroons

1 package (14 oz.) sweetened flaked coconut

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sweetened cream of coconut or sweetened condensed milk  ( I used the sweetened condensed milk)

¾ tsp. almond or vanilla extract

Dipping chocolate (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine coconut and flour together in large bowl.  Stir in cream of coconut or milk and extract.  Drop by tablespoons onto well-greased or parchment lined cookie sheets about an 1 inch apart.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom of cookies and tops starting to brown at the tips.  Cool on rack.  Temper chocolate and dip bottom of cookies into tempered chocolate.  Let set up. 

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #9 Holiday Spiced Snickerdoodles

Holiday Spiced Snickerdoodles

3 cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened ( I used 6 tbsp. butter and ½ cup butter flavored shortening so the cookies wouldn’t spread so much when baking)

1 1/3 cup sugar plus ¼ cup, divided

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cloves

Combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  In separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Add flour mixture on low speed just until blended. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar with spices in separate bowl.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar/spice mixture, place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are puffed but still slightly soft.  Cool on wire rack

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #8 Sour Cream Sprinkle Bars

Sour Cream Sprinkle Bars

1 box (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup butter, softened

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 egg

¾ cup white baking chips

¼ cup colored sprinkles, plus extra for garnish

1 can (16 oz.) cream cheese frosting

Grease 13" x 9" pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix cake mix, sour cream, butter and nutmeg.  Add in egg.  Fold in chips and sprinkles and then spread evenly in pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on rack in pan.  Frost and sprinkle on remaining sprinkles.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #7 Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter, softened  (I cut it down to 6 TBSP. butter)

1 egg

½ tsp. almond extract

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup white baking chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy then add in extract and egg and blend.  Meanwhile, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just until blended.  Fold in cranberries and chips.  Drop by Tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8- 10 minutes or until edges turn light brown and cookies look set and not moist.  Cool on wire rack.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #6 Raspberry Almond Sandwich Thins

Raspberry Almond Sandwich Thins

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter (cut down to ¾ cup butter) softened

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp. almond or vanilla extract plus ¼ tsp, divided

½ cup raspberry preserves

Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Directions: Whisk together flour and baking powder.  Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and extract, mix well. Beat in flour mixture on low speed until just combined.  Divide dough into two balls and flatten into discs.  Wrap or cover in bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll dough on well-floured surface to ¼ thick.  Use a 2 inch cookie cutter to cut sandwich shapes.  Place on greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown on edges.  Cool on wire rack, repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps.  Combine preserves with remaining extract.  Spoon approx. 1 tsp. filling onto bottom of a cookie-then top with another cookie to make cookie sandwich.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes approximately 28 sandwich cookies.  Adjust baking time and filling amount if making smaller cookie sandwiches.  

These were very elegant looking.  Be careful not to let them brown while baking and sprinkle on the powdered sugar just before serving.  Use a good quality raspberry or other preserve. 

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #5 Lemon-Poppy Seed Drops

  Lemon-Poppy Seed Drops

o    2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

o    1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

o    1 tsp. baking powder (cut down to 3/4 tsp. for high altitude)

o    ¼ tsp. salt

o    1 ½ cups sugar (cut down to 1 1/4 cup for high altitude)

o    1 cup butter, melted (cut down to 3/4 for high altitude)

o    ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

o    2 eggs

o    2 tsp. grated lemon peel

GLAZE

o    1 ½ cups powdered sugar

o    2–3 Tbsp. lemon juice

o    2 tsp. light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in bowl.  Beat butter and sugar in another bowl.  Add yogurt, eggs and lemon peel to butter/sugar mixture then just add in flour mixture until blended.   Drop by 1 tbsp. onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes, just until light brown on edges. Cool on pan on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Make glaze by combining glaze ingredients. Put glaze on warm cookies, let stand until set.


(This is the halfway mark.  Five more cookies to go.)

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #4 Salted Peanut Bars

SALTED PEANUT BARS

Ingredients:

1 cup flour, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 6 TBSP chilled butter plus 3 TBSP, divided

¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream plus 1 tbsp. cream divided, 1 TBSP corn syrup, 1 cup marshmallow cream, 1 ½ cups cocktail peanuts

20 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped, ½ tsp. coarse salt (I cut it down to 1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line 8 x 8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Combine flour and brown sugar, then mix in 6 tbsp. chilled butter with pastry blender to make coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom of pan and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.   Combine remaining 3/4 cup white sugar with 1/4 c. heavy cream, 3 tbsp. butter, and corn syrup in medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add marshmallow cream.  Spread onto warm crust and then place peanuts on top, pressing in gently.  Finally, combine caramels and 1 tbsp. cream in medium microwave bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir until smooth.  Spread over top of peanuts, sprinkle with salt.  Refrigerate for a few hours to set up.  Store in fridge.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #3 Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints

o    Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints  

     

o  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour  

    ½ cup unsweetened cocoa    

  1 cup butter, softened  (cut down to 3/4 cup butter)

    ¾ cup sugar, plus ¼ cup, divided  (may need a bit more for dipping)

    1 egg  

    1 tsp. vanilla extract   

    1 cup canned purchased white frosting   

    ¼ tsp. peppermint extract   

    4–6 drops red food coloring

o    Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix flour and cocoa with whisk to get out any lumps.  Cream the butter and 3/4 sugar until fluffy, then add in egg and vanilla.  Beat in flour mixture just until mixed.  Place remaining sugar in a small bowl.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip in sugar.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake 5 minutes then make impressions with a small measuring spoon in center of each cookie and bake an additional 4-5 minutes or until cookies are lightly set.  Cool completely.  Combine frosting, extract, and coloring.  Pipe onto cookies using a plastic bag with the corner cut off.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #2 Pizzelles

Pizzelles (recipe adjusted for high altitude)

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 TBSP vanilla
4 c. flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs, adding in sugar.  Mix in cooled and melted butter along with vanilla.  Add in baking powder and flour and mix until smooth.  Mixture will be a bit thick and sticky.

Bake in Pizzelle iron.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #1 Vanilla Crescents

Cookie #1 Vanilla Crescents  These were just a simple nut shortbread rolled twice in powdered sugar after they baked.  They were actually a little better over baked to give them more of a biscotti-like crunchy and dry texture that went well with hot cocoa.

My co-workers seemed to like the Christmas cookies that I made this year.  I don't have the recipes readily available for all of them but I'll try to include some of the recipes I do have. The recipe will follow the name of the cookie if I have a recipe to share.