Sunday, December 19, 2010

Christmas Cookie List

1. Taste of Home's Peppermint Meltaways




Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

  • FROSTING:
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
  • 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions

 In a small bowl cream butter and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstrarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.


Shape into 1 in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.


In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired, beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Yields 3 1/2 dozen.

    Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 90 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 36 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fat, 1/2 starch.
    Peppermint Meltaways published in Simple & Delicious November/December 2008, p33









    • 60 Servings
    • Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
    • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 package (14 ounces) caramels
    • 1 cup butter, cubed
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 1 package (16 ounces) large marshmallows

    Directions

    Line two baking sheets with waxed paper, set aside. Place cereal in a shallow bowl. In a large saucepan, cook and stir in milk, caramels and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla.

    With a toothpick, dip each marshmallow into warm caramel mixture, turn to coat. Press marshmallow bottoms in cereal; place on prepared pans. Let stand until set. Yields 5 dozen.

    Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 pieces) equals 106 calories, 4 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.
    Caramel Marshmallow Treats published in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2005, p80









    Ingredients
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 5 HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each), unwrapped
    • 3 cups miniature marshmallows

    Directions

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch baking pan.

    Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.

    Arrange unwrapped chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming a top layer. 

    Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. 
    Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 16 bars.




    These were one of my favorite cookie bars that Grandma Humes would put on her Christmas cookie plate.
    Crust:
    2 C. graham cracker crumbs
    1/2 C. melted butter
    1/4 C. brown sugar.

    Topping:
    Combine 1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
    2 C. coconut
    3 Hershey chocolate bars or 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

    1. Combine 2 C graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C. melted butter and 1/2 C.. brown sugar. Press into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
    2. Combine 1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and 2 C. coconut. Pour over baked crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes longer.
    3. While still hot, place 6 Hershey bars over the top, spriading as they melt to cover.
    4. Optional: spinkle with chopped nuts.

    5. Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

    This is another recipe from my neighor, Trish Nichols. I could eat a whole pan of these in one sitting! (That is, if I had plenty of milk to go with them!)

    Boil together:
    1 C. Karo syrup
    1 C. sugar

    Add: 1 C. peanut butter
    Stir together off of heat until it melts.

    Pour over 5 1/2 C. rice crispies and mix together. Press into greased 9 x 13 pan.

    Melt together: 1 C. milk chocolate chips and 1 C. butterscotch chips.
    Pour over the top of rice crispies


    6. My Favorite Sugar Cookies

    This was given to me by a neighbor, Trish Nichols (of Centerville, Utah). We used to have fun swapping our favorite baked goods and trying out new ones on her 4 little boys! One bite and these became my all-time favorite sugar cookies.

    3 eggs
    3/8 C. butter
    3/8 C. shortening
    1 1/3 C. sugar
    3/4 tsp. vanilla
    4 1/2 C. flour
    pinch of salt
    3/4 tsp baking soda
    1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    3/4 C. sour cream

    1. Combine all ingredients.
    2. Chill 1 hour
    3. Allow to sit at room temperature to soften.
    4. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
    5. Bake @ 375 degreesfor 8-10 mins.

    8.  Sugar N' Spice Cookies

    These are my favorite cold winter night cookie! Mom made these when I was little and they are still a family favorite!

    3/4 C shortening
    1 C. granulated sugar
    1 egg
    1/4 C molasses
    2 C flour
    2 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp cinnamon
    3/4 tsp cloves
    3/4 tsp ginger
    confectioners sugar

    1. Heat over to 375 degrees
    2. Mix: shortening, sugar, egg, molasses thoroughly.
    3. Blend dry ingredients. Stir into shortening.
    4. Form 1 inch balls. Place on greased baking sheets (or on parchment paper covered sheets)
    5. Bake 10-12 minutes
    6. Roll in confectioners sugar while still warm.

    9.  Thumbprint Cookies
    My sister gave me this recipe over Christmas and I've been addicted to them ever since! I make the butter cookie recipe, roll it into little balls and push a thumbprint in each, then fill with my favorite preserves (I like apricot pineapple or raspberry preserves the best!) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until just lightly brown and cool! Drizzle with icing or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yummm!

    You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108915

    BASIC BUTTER COOKIES
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
    1 cup sugar
    1 large egg
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla

    Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

    Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

    Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cooks' note, below.)

    Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

    Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.

    Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

    Cooks' notes:
    • Dough log can be chilled up to 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced.
    • Instead of forming dough into a log and chilling, you can roll tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, then roll balls in finely chopped nuts (about 1 cup) and coarse sugar. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are browned, about 15 minutes total.
    • To garnish cookies with chocolate, melt 3 1/2 oz chocolate and cool slightly. Transfer to a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and snip a 1/16-inch opening in 1 corner. Pipe chocolate evenly back and forth over cookies. Let chocolate set before storing cookies.
    • Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.


    Gourmet
    December 2003

    10.  Apricot Bars


    Ingredients:

    3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
    1 cup sugar
    1 egg
    1 1/2 tsp vanilla
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp. baking powder
    2 cups flour
    1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
    8 oz apricot preserves (or I like to use apricot pineapple preserves)
    1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
    3. Mix in salt, flour, baking powder and coconut. Stir well.
    4. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping. Spread rest in greased 9x11-inch pan.
    5. Spread apricot preserves over mixture. Sprinkle nuts over preserves.
    6. Crumble reserved 3/4 cup dough over top.
    7. Bake for 30 minutes.
    8. Cool slightly and cut into squares

    11. 
    Russian Tea Cake Cookies (Kimmy's favorite!)

    1 cup butter, room temperature
    1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
    Powdered sugar


    In a large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Sift in flour and salt; stir until well mixed. Mix in nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire racks. While cookies are baking place the powdered sugar in a shallow dish.

    While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar. Store in an airtight container.

    Variation: Melt 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips and drizzle over the tops of cookies.
    Yields 4 dozen cookies.

    Wednesday, November 24, 2010

    Tuesday, October 26, 2010

    Yummy site!

    http://www.bakerella.com/lunch/

    I just LOVE her blog!!! She has such creative baking ideas! Check it out!

    Monday, August 9, 2010

    Yummy Blogs

    Blogs to check out:

    One Perfect Bite
    http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com, has a terrific Blueberry Buckle recipe (http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/07/blueberry-buckle-cowboy-camp-meeting.html)   as well as a yummy easy wheat bread recipe (http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-07-27T00%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7)

    Better Recipes
    http://www.betterrecipes.com/
    This has a wonderful homemade granola recipe! (http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2791527003745657541&postID=7890449590986102004)


    Cookie Madness
    http://www.cookiemadness.net/


    My Recipes
    (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/) This includes recipes from
    Recipes from Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, All You, Real Simple, and Health)


    Sugar Crafter
    *http://sugarcrafter.net
    I really want to try making her recipe for Vanilla Bean Strawberry Jam! (http://sugarcrafter.net/2010/07/31/strawberry-vanilla-bean-jam/)


    Tigress in A Jam
    (http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com) This is a wonderful resource for all your canning needs!

    Simply Recipes
    * http://simplyrecipes.com ) This is a wonderful blog chalk full of delicious recipes! I love the recipe for the Perfect Blackberry Pie (http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blackberry_pie/) and the Perfect Butter Pie Crust (http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_pie_crust/)