Tasty Tuesday - Christmas Cookies

One thing that I want to start in 2009 is a weekly blog post sharing my recipes. I thought that I would get a jump start today by sharing some of Christmas cookie recipes. We just finished dropping off plates full of cookies to all of our neighbors and some of our friends. I only wish that I had thought to take pictures of all of the cookies before they were gone.



Holly Berry Cookies
30 large marshmallows (one bag)
1 stick margarine
3 cups corn flakes
Green food coloring
Red Hot candies

Melt marshmallows and margarine together on low heat. Add enough food coloring to make bright green. Slowly mix in corn flakes one cup at a time until well blended and all flakes are covered. Drop onto wax paper and add 2-3 red candies. If you want to shape cookies into wreaths spray your fingers with cooking spray and shape. Allow to cool.


Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 tbs. milk
1 tbs. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Hershey kisses unwrapped

Heat oven to 375*. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until blended. Roll into small balls and roll in sugar. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 7-8 minutes or until the just start to brown. Place unwrapped Hershey Kiss into each cookie.


Sugar cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400*F. In large bowl cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; and to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Knead in a small amount of food coloring if desired. Do not chill dough. Divide into 2 balls.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to approx. 1/8 inch thick. Dip cookie in flour before each cut. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.


Oreo Truffles
1 package of Oreos (mint Oreos are very good too)
1 8oz. block of cream cheese (softened - must be full fat cream cheese as lite or fat free will not set correctly)
1 package of either white chocolate chips, milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips
Optional decorations; sprinkles, chopped peanuts, melted white chocolate, cookie crumbs etc.

In food processor or blender chop oreos until they are nothing but fine crumbs and dump into a mixing bowl. Fold in cream cheese (I do it with my clean bare hands like making meatballs) until you have a dark brown ball of 'dough'. Make sure that there is no cream cheese showing. It should be dark brown and not marbled.
Pinch off small pieces and roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Melt chips in crock pot, fondue pot or double boiler.
Using bamboo skewers or a spoon dip/roll truffles in chocolate and return to wax paper. Add decorations if you want. Return to freezer for additional 15 minutes. I like to keep these in the fridge so that they are nice and cool and hard. Makes 30-40 truffles depending on size.

Chocolate cake mix cookies
1 (18.25 ounce) package of chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup swmisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350* F. In a mediu, bowl, stir together cake mix, butter and eggs until smooth and well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls or roll into balls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate covered peanuts and raisins
1 package milk chocolate (or semi sweet) chocolate chip
2 cups salted peanuts
2 cups raisins
1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

I melt the chocolate in a small crock pot but you can also do it on the stove in a double boiler. Once chocolate is melted add oil then stir in peanuts and raisins until the are totally coated. Drop onto wax paper and allow to cool.

Mint Meringues
4 large egg whites (at room temp)
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. mint extract or peppermint extract
Red and green food coloring
2 candy canes finely chopped

Heat oven to 200*F. Line 2 large cookie sheets w/foil. In a large bowl combine egg whites and cream of tarter. Beat on high speed until whites become foamy (approx. 5-10 minutes). Gradually add in sugar until thick and then mint extract. Once foamy the 'dough' should form peaks. Divide batter in half. Tint half with red food coloring and the other half with green food coloring. Transfer to 2 large ziploc bags (or use pastry bags). Snip 1/2 inch corner off of the bags. Squeeze batter onto foil (you can put these very close together, they will not get any bigger). Sprinkle with candy cane. Bake meringues at 200* for 2 hours. After 2 hours, turn off the oven and allow them to cool in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Cool completely.