Favorite Christmas COOKIES

My Favorites.

Pecan club cracker cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 box Club Crackers (appx 40)
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp Karo corn syrup
• ¾ cup chopped pecans
• ½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Place crackers in a single layer on paper and set aside
3. In a medium sized saucepan boil on med high heat your butter, brown sugar, syrup, and vanilla
4. Cook and stir for approximately 2 mins
5. Stir in pecans
6. Spread evenly over crackers
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins until top appears “dry”
8. Cool until able to separate but still flexible so it doesn’t crack.
9. Separate crackers and store in an airtight container

Pecan Crescent Cookies

(makes 3-1/3 doz)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup ground pecans

2- 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Mix butter until creamy, add the flour, nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and extracts. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate covered 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Shape cookie dough into crescents.

Bake 12-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle roll hot cookies in the remaining 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Cool on wire rack.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam
• sugar for sprinkling
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 teaspoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1. In a medium bowl beat butter medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the the 2/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Beat until well combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with electric mixer and then using a wooden spoon stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
   
   


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using your thumb, press an indentation into the center of each ball. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the jam into each indentation and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.
For icing, in a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon water and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract. Add enough of the remaining water to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle cookies with icing.

Linzer Cookies

Yield: About 2 dozen

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup (96g) slivered almonds
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
8 oz strawberry or raspberry jam, seedless if preferred (preferably freezer jam)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, set aside. In a food processor, pulse almonds with brown sugar until finely ground, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and powdered sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and whip until creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg, then blend in vanilla and almond extract. Mix in almond mixture, then with mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Form mixture into a ball and drop onto a sheet of plastic wrap, then flatten into a 6-inch round disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dust work surface with flour, cut disk in half and then evenly roll out each portion into 1/8 to 1/6-inch thickness. Cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter, then using a smaller heart shape cookie cutter, cut smaller hearts into the centers of half of the hearts. Carefully transfer to Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets (you can run a sharp knife or pastry scaper under cookies to help lift them if needed. Also, chill dough that's not currently being rolled or baked, the hearts hold their shape better when cold), spacing cookies 1-inch apart. Bake in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread strawberry jam over whole hearts, dust cookies with heart cut centers with powdered sugar then place those cookies over over tops. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

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White Velvet cut out cookies

"This is an excellent cookie to decorate."

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla. Stir in the flour. Gather the dough into a ball and chill overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to a thickness of 3/16 inch. Cut into desired shapes and place onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool. Leave the cookies plain or decorate with your favorite icing.
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Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 36 chocolate mint wafer candies 

Directions 

In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Kolachi Recipe:

2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb cream cheese

Mix all together by hand, divide in half and chill overnight.

Filling:

1 lb walnuts ground
milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla (you can omit)

Slowly add the milk to the nuts, sugar and vanilla.
Add only enough milk to make a stiff paste.
Make this right before you roll out the cookie dough.

To Make the Cookies:

Bring out the dough and roll out very thin on surface covered with powdered sugar.

Cut dough into 2 inch squares. ( A pizza cutter works great!)

Place a teaspoon of nuts in the center of each square.

Pinch opposite corners together tightly.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 400 for 7-10 minutes

Sift powdered sugar over top.

Nut Cups

Who ever heard of Christmas with out these little goodies.
Not my family..

1 cup butter, softened

2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and mix thoroughly. The dough should be somewhat firm. Roll into 36 small balls, place them on a plate and refrigerate for one hour.
Make the filling in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, melted butter, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth and well blended. Stir in the nuts. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press the chilled dough balls into the bottom and up the sides of tart pans or mini muffin cups. Fill each shell with filling almost to the top. Use a squeeze top honey container if you have one, to drip about 1/2 teaspoon of honey onto the top of each cup.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool in the tins completely before removing.

Hello Dolly Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl until evenly moistened; press into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. Pour 1/2 the can sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crust. Sprinkle semisweet chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, and white chocolate chips over the graham cracker crust; gently press chocolate, nuts, and coconuts into the crust. Drizzle remaining 1/2 can of condensed milk over the top.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until fragrant and coconut is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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