Holiday Cookie Recipe... Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies


Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Sugar Cookies

You can't have Holiday Cookies without the traditional Sugar Cookie, here is a great recipe from Real Simple Magazine.

Makes 4-6 dozen cookies, depending on shapes
Hands-on Time: 1hr 15m
Total Time: 3hr 30m

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
• 2  large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•   colored or coarse sugar, for decorating

Directions

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

2. Combine the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream until smooth. Slowly add the sugar, beating on medium. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture 1 cup at a time.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide in half. Place each half on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks about 1 inch thick. Wrap separately then refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

4. To bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Roll to 1/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface. Cut into shapes. Sprinkle with the colored sugar, if desired. Using a spatula, transfer to a large greased baking sheet, sugared-side up. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack. 

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Eggnog Spritz & Chocolate Peppermint Cream Bars

Eggnog Spritz

Cookies
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 egg
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Rum Drizzle
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F (if using dark or nonstick cookie sheet, heat oven to 325°F). In large bowl, beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, 2 teaspoons rum extract and the egg until smooth. Beat in flour and 1 teaspoon nutmeg.

2. Place 1/4 of the dough at a time in cookie press. On ungreased cookie sheet, form desired shapes with dough.

3. Bake 6 to 10 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

4. In small bowl, stir all glaze ingredients except nutmeg with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Pour mixture into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle glaze on cookies. Before glaze is set, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg over cookies.

 Chocolate Peppermint Cream Bars

	1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
	1 bag (12 oz) dark chocolate chips (2 cups)
	1/3  cup whipping cream
	1 cup butter
	¼ cup dry pudding mix from 1 box (4-serving size) vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
	½ cup whipping cream
	½ teaspoon peppermint extract
	½ teaspoon vanilla
	1 bag (2 lb) powdered sugar
	½ cup coarsely chopped peppermint candy canes
	Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Reserve 1/2 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips. In 2-quart saucepan, heat remaining semisweet chocolate chips, the dark chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cream over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Pour into pan; spread evenly. Refrigerate.
	Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat butter, pudding mix and 1/2 cup cream to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in peppermint extract, vanilla and powdered sugar, beating well, until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly over cooled chocolate layer; freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
	Place reserved 1/2 cup chocolate chips in small resealable freezer plastic bag. Microwave on High 45 to 55 seconds, turning bag over after 30 seconds. Squeeze bag until chips are melted and smooth. Cut small tip off one corner of bag, and drizzle over top. Immediately sprinkle with chopped candy. Cut into 15 rows by 5 rows.

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Mini Snowball Cookies

Mini Snowball Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• Powdered sugar

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

BEAT butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Store in airtight containers.

Holiday Cookie Recipe... White Chocolate Dipped Cookies with Peppermint Drizzle

This is for Kim, I hope these are good enough for ya. These are easy, no baking. This is the only reason I like Sandra Lee, otherwise she annoys me.

 

White Chocolate Dipped Cookies with Peppermint Drizzle

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

2 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

40 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce) boxes white fudge covered cookies
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions

Arrange cookies on wire baking rack that has been placed on top of a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave some space between cookies. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add red food coloring and peppermint extract. Stir until combined. Spoon or pour red icing into a zip-top bag. Press out air and close. Snip off a small corner of bag.
Drizzle icing back and forth over the tops of the cookies. Allow to dry for 1 to 2 hours or until icing has hardened.

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Cinnamon Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

These looked too good to pass up.  It is part of the 12 Days of Cookies over at FoodNetwork.com

 

Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

Recipe courtesy Aaron Sanchez

Prep Time:

40 min

Inactive Prep Time:

45 min

Cook Time:

14 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder (or substitute by adding 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Generous pinch ground black pepper
• Generous pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche, optional
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped, optional

Directions

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps. (Combine in a food processor if lumps are stubborn.)

In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or until needed.

Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.

To spice things up, after the cookies are baked, let them cool on a wire rack, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

© 2009 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

 

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Chocolate Caramel Layer Bars

Chocolate-Caramel Layer Bars 



With a crust made from refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, these bars are layered with peanuts, cereal, milk chocolate and caramel to indulge any sweet tooth.
Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 1 Hr 20 Min
Makes: 36 bars



Pillsbury Bake-Off
Kathleen Kildsig
Kiel, WI
Bake-Off® Contest 40, 2002
$2,000

INGREDIENTS:
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 container (18 oz) caramel apple dip (1 1/2 cups)
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 cup chopped peanuts
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 13x9-inch pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
2. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, cook 1 cup of the chips and 1 cup of the dip over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal and peanuts.
4. Spread cereal mixture over cooled crust. In 1-quart saucepan, heat remaining chips and dip over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Spread over cereal mixture. Refrigerate until chocolate mixture is set, about 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store tightly covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake crust 16 to 19 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
1 Bar: Calories 180 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 130mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 17g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Try using semisweet chocolate chips instead of the milk chocolate chips.

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies

Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies

Photo Courtesy of David Prince

Serves 8

Hands-on Time: 15m

Total Time: 50m

Ingredients

* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
* 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with butter. Add a spoonful of flour, tilt to coat, and tap out any excess; set aside.

3. In a double boiler or a large heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat; let cool.

4. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

5. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl until foamy. Add the sugar and whisk until light and frothy, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, whisking until incorporated after each addition. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake until a skewer or toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes (a bit of moist batter should cling to the skewer). Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tip

Gourmet chocolate contains high-quality cacao beans and a high percentage of cocoa butter. Inferior chocolate often has sugar added to mask the flavor.

So you can add flavor extracts such as peppermint to them to change the flavor

Recipe available at http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bittersweet-chocolate-brownies-10000001186295/

Holiday Cookie Recipe... Premuim Macadamia Macaroons

PREMIUM® Macadamia Macaroons 

 

Prep Time:

20 min

Total Time:

54 min

Makes:

About 3 dozen cookies or 36 servings, 1 coo...

What You Need

1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut

1 cup  PLANTERS Macadamias, chopped

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp.  vanilla

30 PREMIUM Saltine Crackers, finely crushed

3   egg whites

2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spread coconut and macadamias into 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake 10 min. or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Cool.
COMBINE milk and vanilla in large bowl. Add coconut mixture and cracker crumbs; mix well. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add to coconut mixture; stir gently until well blended. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased baking sheets.
BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Melt chocolate as directed on pkg.; drizzle over cookies. Place in wax paper-lined shallow pan. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Recipe taken from: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/premium-macadamia-macaroons-55274.aspx

 

Recipe Tuesday ... Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies



Makes 48 cookies

Hands-on Time: 15m

Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 12-ounce package small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the peanut butter cups.

3. Drop tablespoon-size mounds of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until light brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Tip

The cookies can be baked and stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days in advance.

Nutritional Information

Calories 90; Fat 4g; Sat Fat 2g; Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 72mg; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 12g

These are yummy and a good treat for the kiddos. Enjoy