Christmas Cookies

 

Baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition in our home. I have pictures of my son helping me make cookies from an early age. He grew up to be a pretty good cook, actually more adventuresome in the kitchen than me.

If you are baking cookies for your family, friends, neighbors or a cookie exchange check out some of these recipes. Some are oldies but goodies, some are new! You probably have a favorite sugar cookie that you frost and decorate so I didn’t include one in this post.

Maple-Walnut Shortbread
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Watkins Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and egg yolk until smooth. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Spread the dough into an ungreased 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet with sides.

Beat the egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Spread evenly over the dough. Sprinkle on the nuts and press them gently into the dough.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the shortbread shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan. Do not overcook; you want them to be a little chewy. Cut diagonally into 3-by-1 1/2-inch bars. Yield 36 bars.

Pecan Snowballs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1-1/2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract

1. Place 1 cup flour and the pecans in a food processor; pulse until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in remaining 1 cup flour and the salt.
2. Beat together butter, 1/2 cup sugar, the zest and extract in a large bowl on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour-nut mixture, beating until just combined. Chill dough until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake cookies until bottoms are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer cookies on sheets to racks and let stand until just cool enough to handle but still warm.
6. Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a bowl. Roll cookies in sugar, coating well. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Roll cooled cookies in sugar one more time. (Can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container, in single layers separated by waxed paper, up to 2 weeks.) Makes about 30 cookies.

Almonds, macadamia nuts, or walnuts may be substituted for the pecans.

Magic Cookie Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Recipe Variations for Magic Cookie Bars
Substitute chocolate chips or nuts with candy coated pieces, dried cranberries, raisins, mini marshmallows or butterscotch chips.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup Watkins Baking Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar, broken into chunks, or one 10-ounce package white baking pieces.

In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda; beat till combined. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Beat in the cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Stir in the semisweet chocolate, white baking bar, or white baking pieces.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or till tops look dry. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute; remove cookies and cool on wire racks.

Merry Christmas!

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/december15-08newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com
and http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

More From Eleisia

• Blueberry Blintzes
• Irish Cream Glazed Bundt Cake
• Noodles Romanoff
• Cherry Walnut Scones
• Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

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