Share your favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes!

[Robin]

Share your favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes in this thread!

[Robin]

Besides Toll House Cookies, this has got to me my all time favorite cookie. It is the BEST RECIPE on the planet for Peanut Butter Cookies. It's an old family recipe from my husband's maternal grandmother, who was born in Sweden and she was reknown as the best baker!

Betcha can't eat just one!!! They're delectable

Anna Olson's Criss Cross Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 C soft butter
1 C crunchy peanut butter
1 C lt. brown sugar, packed
1 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F.
1. Mix flour and baking soda, set aside. Mix all other ingredients in another large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
2. Pour the flour slowly into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3. Chill for one at least one hour or over night.
4. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
5. Dip fork tines in flour and criss cross each ball, flatten with fork.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, let site one minute, transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy!

[Robin]

I made the Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Pastry Cookies for my party tomorrow. (Recipe Below.)

I tried the recipe as it stands and thought it was "missing something". My husband loved them, but I thought it needed a little pizazz.

My additions to the recipe were sliced almonds, brushed on egg whites, before baking. I also sprinkled them Cinnamon Sugar right after they came out of the oven, and then and added a plain sugar icing, which I think this recipe needed to look like a "Danish Pastry".

Another tip would be to use MINI Choco chips. I used the regular size as I forgot to buy the mini's. Also, I think I used too many choco chips... I would use a bit less next time. These cookies are very rich. I think they tasted best straight out of the oven and I will recommend to my Cookie Ladies to warm them up in the toaster oven or microwave before serving. On the whole it is an interesting recipe and you could substitute other flavors instead of chocolate to make "mini-Danish's".

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Pastry Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sheets (17.25-oz. pkg.) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Milk Chocolate Morsels, divided

Directions:

UNFOLD 1 puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll out to make 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Combine cream cheese and sugar in small bowl until smooth. Spread half cream cheese mixture over puff pastry, leaving 1-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle with half morsels. Roll up starting at long side covered with cream cheese. Seal end by moistening with water. Repeat steps with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
CUT rolls crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Place cut side down on prepared baking sheets.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

[Lisa]

Oh Robin, this sounds delicious!!! Anything with cream cheese in it, I'll take it!!!

Lisa

[Lisa]

Here is my absolute favorite spritz recipe:

BUTTERY SPRITZ

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp almond extract or vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
few drops red or green food color if desired


Heat oven to 400. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed or mix with a spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugar or nonpareils before baking if desired.

Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

**It is recommended not using margarine or vegetable oil spreads.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe, its easy and tastes great!!!

Lisa

[Tracy OConnell]

Here are my family's favorites:

TRACY O'CONNELL'S WALNUT BALLS (this is my own recipe – everyone’s favorite!!!)

1/2 lb. Land 'O Lakes butter
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box confectioners sugar

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract and water until light & fluffy. Add nuts and flour one cup at a time. By hand, roll and shape into 1-inch balls. Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 7-10 minutes. While still hot, roll in confectioners sugar (repeat). Be very careful - these cookies are very fragile because there are no eggs to hold them together - but they melt in your mouth!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CREAMY CASHEWS

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt *
1 cup butter or margarine, softened (Land 'O Lakes)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream
3 cups roasted cashews, chopped
Whole cashews, for garnish

Brown Butter Frosting

1 cup butter (Land 'O Lakes)
4 cups confectioners sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. At low speed, beat in sour cream, then dry ingredients. Stir in cashews.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining dough.

Frosting: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, until lightly browned. Remove from heat; whisk in confectioners sugar, then cream and vanilla until smooth. Spread warm frosting on cookies. Garnish each with a nut. Makes 9 dozen.

* If using salted cashews, omit salt from dough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* OLD-FASHIONED OATMEAL COOKIES (Joe's Recipe)

3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened (Land 'O Lakes)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups baking raisins

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixter bowl combine all ingredients except flour and raisins. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Add flour; continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). By hand, stir in raisins. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. 4 dozen. 60 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOEY'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES - AWESOME!!!

1 cup Jif peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugars and peanut butter. When thoroughly mixed, beat egg and vanilla into the creamed mixture.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. After sifting, add flour mixture into the creamed mixture. When thoroughly combined mix in 3 tablespoons of milk.

[Robin]

After making (and testing!) 2 batches of the Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Pastry Cookies I was 'sick' of how rich it was so for my party I split the 6 doz and made half w/ the chocolate and the other 3 doz with Almond Paste and chopped sliced almonds... I happen to love almond stuff so it was a real treat! Yummy lil' mini danishes! You could use Apricot paste or raspberry jam or fig jam as well!

[liz]

What the host of the exchange will make....

Peanut Butter Christmas Mice
1/2 c. butter or margarine, room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 lg. egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
For Decoration: mini chocolate chips, Peanut halves, m & m mini green & red candies, licorice laces, cut in 3 inch lengths. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and baking soda until well blended. Cover and chill about 1 hour until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have cookie sheets ready.
Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 inch balls. Taper each ball by one end into tear drop shape. Press one side flat. Place flat sides down 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press in sides of balls to raise "backs of mice". (Dough spreads slightly as it bakes.) Gently push 2 peanut halves in each for ears and 2 pieces of mini chocolate chips for the eyes. Use green or red candy for it's nose. With a wooden pick make a 1/2 inch deep hole at tail end. Bake 8-10 minutes until firm. Remove to rack, insert licorice tails and cool completely.
Makes 60.

[Bonnie]

This recipe comes from the Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Ever book that I received several years ago from my husband. I make these cookies every year for us and made them once for the cookie exchange (I like to make different ones every year for the exchange). ;D

Cashew and Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces (1 cup) unsalted cashews
4 ounces (1 cup) chopped dates or raisins - OPTIONAL
2 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (about 1/4 cup reserved for topping.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter to mix and form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Add flour mixture, coconut, cashews and dates or raisins (I don't use either). Blend at low speed just until combined.

Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Sprinkle top lightly with some coconut (may have to press this in a bit on top).

Bake 18-22 minutes or until bottoms turn golden brown.

With every sheet there will be lots of excess toasted coconut - this is great to keep for toppings on ice cream or just to eat plain. ;D