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Makes 24 cookies.
½ cup (125 ml) butter, slightly softened
1½ ounces cream cheese (42.5 g), slightly softened
¼ cup (60 ml) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup (250 ml) sifted all-purpose flour
food coloring (optional)
colored sugars, jimmies, and dragées (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cream together
the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Slowly
stir in the sifted flour, mix well. If desired, tint dough with
a few drops of food coloring. Fill a cookie press with the dough
and form cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. If desired, decorate
with colored sugars, jimmies, or dragées.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to
cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies
www.christmas-cookies.com
For the cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
milk
sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all of the cookie ingredients
well until the dough sticks together into a big ball. It will be
sticky. Drop by teaspoonfulls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake
10 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden brown. Let cool for
1 minute and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. In
a small saucepan slowly stir milk into the powdered sugar until
it creates a glaze thin enough to be spread over the cookies. Stir
over low heat then spread over cooled cookies. Quickly top with
sprinkles.
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies
www.christmas-cookies.com
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large
saucepan, stir together cocoa, sugar, milk and butter. Boil for
5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, coconut
and oats. Combine well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie
sheets. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Keep refrigerated.
Makes 3-4 dozen sandwiched cookies
www.christmas-cookies.com
2/3 cup butter
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (11.5 ounce) package of milk chocolate morsels
Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in a medium
saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour,
corn syrup, milk, vanilla extract and salt; mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls,
about 3" apart, onto foil-lined cookie sheets. Spread into
thin circles with a rubber spatula. Bake 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool
on cookie sheets. Peel foil away from cookies. In the top of a double
boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate morsels; stir
until smooth. Spread chocolate on flat side of half of the cookies.
Top with remaining cookies while chocolate is still warm. Allow
chocolate to cool and harden before serving.
Makes 3 -4 dozen cookies
www.christmas-cookies.com
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup milk (or evaporated milk)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large
heavy saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, and salt.
Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until
mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Without stirring, let mixture
boil for exactly 3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in
peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until peanut butter has melted.
Quickly stir in the oats, mix well. Working fast, drop mixture by
tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Allow to cool and become
firm, about 30 minutes.
With the array of packaging materials available anyone can
package a food gift beautifully. To cleverly package and present
your gift, use your imagination and creativity.
· Small colorful bags or tiny Christmas tins
make festive cookie carriers. Or, cookies can be wrapped in plastic
wrap and nestled in tissue tied with a festive bow.
· On hand ribbons or fabric scraps can be turned
into big beautiful bows, and fresh evergreens, jingle bells and
small pinecones make clever tie-ons.
· Your cookie recipe might be written on a
special card or with metallic ink and tucked in or tied onto the
package.
· Cover boxes and coffee cans with decorative
paper, and line the insides with foil/. Children might even like
to design and color their own wrapping paper.
· Place cookies in a basket tied with a big
plaid ribbon - anything from wicker to plastic can look great.
· Shop card shops and drugstores for party
bags and fancy paperboard boxes. Look for baskets, cookie tins and
decorative plates in import shops and housewares stores.
· Present cookies in double--duty "totes"
to be kept long beyond the last nibble. For example, a new tool
box from the hardware store can be filled with spicy, buttery gingersnaps,
or give a youngster fish-shaped butter cookies cut outs swimming
in a fish bowl.
· Add a special touch to packages with practical
tie-ons, such as cookie cutters, wooden spoons or spatulas.
· Give cookie gifts with a theme. For example,
a "Let's go Nuts" cookie basket might include
a nutty cookie favorites as well as a nutcracker, an assortment
of peanuts, walnuts and pecans, and a jar of gourmet peanut butter.
· An old-fashioned ice-cold bottle of milk
makes a perfect accompaniment for both the gift packaging and the
cookies. Or try some of the new flavored single serve varieties,
and pair chocolate chips with vanilla milk, and fruit cookies with
banana or strawberry.
· Before arranging food inside, line
boxes, baskets and tins with brightly colored papers, tinsel, foil,
festive napkins or kitchen towels.
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