Xmas cookie #8

Best Linzer Cookies
Yields 96 cookies
Recipe from Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:

2 bag(s) (8 ounces each) pecans

1 cup(s) cornstarch

3 cup(s) (6 sticks) butter, softened (no substitutions)

2 2/3 cup(s) confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

2 large eggs

5 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup(s) seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse pecans and cornstarch until pecans are finely ground.

In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and 2 cups confectioners' sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. At medium speed, beat in vanilla, salt, and eggs. On low speed, gradually beat in flour and pecan mixture just until blended, scraping bowl.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll, 4 to 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator; let stand 5 minutes for easier rolling. On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. With floured 2 1/4-inch fluted square cookie cutter, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. With floured 1 3/4-inch star cutter, cut out centers from half of cookies. With spatula, place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased cookie sheets. Refrigerate trimmings.

Bake cookies until edges are golden, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.

Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar through sieve over cooled cookies with cut-out centers.

In small bowl, stir jam until smooth. Spread top of each whole cookie with scant teaspoon jam; place cut-out cookies on top. Store in tightly sealed container, with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 2 months. (If cookies are stored in freezer, re-sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.)

I received a large batch recipe book for cookie exchanges from my friend Lisa last year for Christmas. These cookies have always looked so adorable and I wanted to give them a try. They were quite the process. First to make the dough, then to refrigerate the dough then to roll the dough, then to cookie cut the dough, then the cook the cookies, then to cool the cookies, then to fill the cookies, then to powdered sugar sprinkle the cookies then to sandwich the cookies. ahhhhh....and deep breath. They took forever but they were definitely worth the effort. They were so yummy. However, I did burn a pan of these the first time around. I tried to speed up the process by using two smaller pans instead of my one big pan. They were different pans that I just wasn't used to using, which was a bad idea. So, for the next batches, I used the normal pan and they turned out great! I had a lot of seedless raspberry jam left over so I have been eating it on toast every morning for a month now and it never gets old! I love these! But they are definitely a once a year cookie due to all the work they entail.

Xmas cookie #7

Decadent Double Chocolate-Cherry Cookies
Gluten Free!
Yields 32 cookies
Recipe from BettyCrocker.com

Ingredients:

1 box (19 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free chocolate chip cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix dry cookie mix, dry pudding mix, cherries and pecans. Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla; stir until soft dough forms.

Drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and cream uncovered on High 30 to 45 seconds; stir until smooth. Spoon generous teaspoonful on each cookie; spread over cookies. Allow chocolate to set until firm, about 1 hour.

I am always looking for new Gluten Free recipes for my mother-in-law. Especially during the holidays since everyone else gets tons of cookies and I don't want her to feel left out. I love the fact that Betty Crocker has come out with boxes of GF mixes for cookies, brownies, etc. These cookies were very yummy and my husband had no idea they were GF until I told him! The cherries were a tarty contrast to the sweetness of the cookies and chocolatey topping. Please note: when you make GF recipes, make sure everything is cleaned out from the last batch of cookies you made so there are no lingering flour particles on any piece of kitchen equipment.

Xmas cookie #6

Coconut Macaroons
Yields 20-24 cookies
Recipe from Ina Garten, FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

My grandmother used to make macaroons and they were her favorite dessert. My mom used to love her macaroons and would always think about them when she'd see macaroons in the store. I tried this recipe to see if I could replicate hers, but I am sure they didn't come close. I never had hers, but my mom did enjoy these as well. They were actually far too sweet for me and I never got past the first bite. They were super easy to make with only a few ingredients. I think they would be even better dipped in chocolate, which I may try next time. My husband was impartial. I'm sure if I never made them again he wouldn't miss them. My mom, however, still misses my grandmother and her macaroons. I'll never replicate them, but I hope one day to come close.

Xmas cookie #5

Snowy Bon Bons
Yields 36 cookies
Recipe from BettyCrocker.com

Ingredients:

Bonbons

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2  tablespoons milk

1/2  teaspoon vanilla

1/2  package (7- or 8-ounce size) almond paste

White candy sprinkles, edible glitter or coarse sugar

 

Almond Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 to 5 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, beat flour, butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Cut almond paste into 1/2-inch slices; cut each slice into fourths.

Shape 1-inch ball of dough around each piece of almond paste. Gently roll to form ball. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until set and bottom is golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small bowl, mix all Almond Frosting ingredients until smooth. Dip tops of cookies into frosting. Sprinkle with edible glitter.

Another Christmas staple, these fly off the counter. I have to hide them from my husband before everyone else gets their cookie tins because he would eat them all. I usually make a double or triple batch and each batch makes way more than 36 cookies. I also think that I own every color of edible glitter ever made, if you could imagine that of me. I used the clear and the pink glitter this year to mix it up. You can usually find it at Michael's or anywhere else that would sell Wilton baking essentials. I think I actually found mine at the Wilton tent sale as well as a craft fair. I also bake them for the least amount of time listed so they are moist and yummy. They go by the handfuls!



Xmas cookie #4

Baked Hazelnut Truffles
Yields 42 cookies
Recipe from BettyCrocker.com

Ingredients:

4 oz semisweet baking chocolate

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts)
About 40 milk chocolate stars
1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Betty Crocker® candy sprinkles, if desired

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In large microwavable bowl, microwave baking chocolate and butter uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once, until softened. Stir in condensed milk, liqueur, flour and hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each chocolate star. On ungreased cookie sheet, place 1 inch apart.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until dough is shiny and set but still soft. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool about 30 minutes.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips and oil uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds, stirring once, until softened. Stir until smooth. Dip top of each cookie into melted mixture; immediately top each with candy sprinkles while mixture is still soft. Let stand until coating is set.

Sorry the pictures are so blurry. Apparently a smudgey, sugary finger had grazed over the lens of the camera and I didn't figure it out until all the pictures were already taken. These are another must have on the cookie list for Christmas. My husband likes to eat them before they are fully cooled because the chocolate in the middle comes oozing out like a volcano. I can never find chocolate stars so I always use Dove milk chocolates for the middle. I also have never boughten hazelnut liqueur. I have always used amaretto, but they are still delectable. Last year I tried to top them with edible glitter but I like the smooth shiny appearance of them plain on top. I might have actually taken them out of the oven a little too early this year, but they were still super yummy!

Xmas cookie #3

Dulce de Leche Cookies
Yields 40 cookies
Recipe from Pilsbury.com

Ingredients:

Garnish

1 cup flaked coconut

Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons dark rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1 cup caramel apple dip (from 16-oz container)

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut in ungreased shallow pan. Bake uncovered 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Turn off oven. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place cooled coconut. Cover; process until ground. Set aside. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolks, rum and vanilla. On high speed, beat about 1 minute or until blended. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. On ungreased nonstick (not insulated) cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. Dip bottom of small glass into 1/4 cup sugar; press on cookies to make about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake 10 to 11 minutes or just until edges begin to brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1 teaspoon of the caramel apple dip on bottom of 1 cookie, spreading to edge of cookie. Top with second cookie. Gently squeeze until filling oozes out a little around the side. Roll edges of cookies in ground coconut.

These are little sandwiches from heaven! They look so pretty but they are super easy! I was initially a little intimidated by toasting my own coconut, but it was easier than I thought. Plus, it tasted super yummy and I didn't use it all for the cookies so I ended up using it in some brownies that I made. I was apprehensive that the caramel dip would be too runny to sandwich between each cookie, but after I squeezed it in and rolled it in coconut, it stuck like glue. They were very sweet and caramelly. My husband says they were awesome. I happen to agree...

Xmas cookie #2

Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Yields 1 1/2 dozen
Recipe from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups apple cider

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for rolling

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped red and green crispy apple chips, plus whole chips for garnish

2 teaspoons apple pie spice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the cider in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the light brown sugar in a separate bowl on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the reduced cider and the egg (the mixture may look slightly curdled). Stir in the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the chopped apple chips until combined.

Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of chopped apple chips and the apple pie spice in a small bowl. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, using lightly moistened hands if the dough is too sticky, and then roll in the spiced sugar mixture. Place the dough balls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and top with a few pieces of whole apple chips. Bake until the edges are just set but centers are still soft, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Let me tell you a little story about a cookie named Apple Cider Snickerdoodle. We are not friends, nor will we ever cross paths again. I never tried one and will never, ever, ever make them again. It was the worst cookie experience I've ever had. Ever.

I didn't have apple pie spice, nor could I find any in a store. Therefore I had to use a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg that I came up with on my own. Then, the recipe said to bake them for 11 to 13 minutes with the apple chips on top. This is extremely inaccurate. They were done after about 6 minutes when I was supposed to turn the pan. And, by that time, the apple chips on top of the cookies were burnt to a crisp by that time. I had to chip the burnt cookies off the pan and suffer through the smell of burnt failure for the rest of the night. I'm lucky I got the batch that is pictured above after much trial and error. My husband says they were ok. The world may never know...

Xmas cookie #1

Raspberry Frosted Candy Canes
Yields 36 cookies
Recipe by Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tsps vanilla
1 egg
3 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
3 tbsp raspberry flavored syrup
2-3 tsp milk
3-4 drops red flood coloring
1 cup white baking chips
1 tsp veggie oil

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F (if using dark or nonstick cookie sheet, heat oven to 325°F). In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, 1 cup butter, the vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in flour.

Divide dough into 9 pieces. On floured surface, shape each piece of dough into 16-inch rope, slightly less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 4-inch lengths; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bend 1 end of each cookie into candy cane shape.

Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, the syrup, milk and food color. Spread on top and sides of cookies; let stand until set before drizzling with melted white chips.

In small resealable plastic food-storage bag, place white baking chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 1 minute. Gently squeeze bag until chips are smooth. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to make stripes on cookies to look like candy canes. Let stand until frosting is set before storing.

These are a hubby fave, so they were required on the cookie list. These are so soft. I bake them the least amount of time so they bake just enough to stay together. I also used to cut each rope like it says to do in the recipe. This year, however, I knew about how much goes into each cane so I picked off pieces of dough from the bowl and rolled them into canes. The dough is yummy and stays in the shape of the candy canes. Only one broke this year! I use Smuckers raspberry syrup for the frosting because it has the best taste. And I can't find anything else!!

Christmas Cookies!

Christmas Cookies!!!!
Well, the time has finally come for the penultimate cookie experience. The cookies have been made, and eaten, and the recipes are in the process of being blogged. I will keep posting all the recipes until each and every one has been posted. Since I am up to my elbows in cookies, I am taking a hiatus from baking. I will continue to bake after a few weeks so no worries my fond followers. Stay tuned!!