Cookies

How about posting some of your favorite holiday cookie recipes? Thanks

Cookies With a Hug from Recipezar

This isn't one of my traditional cookie recipes but I do like quick & easy recipes. I like recipes that begin with something else and end out entirely different.

24 -30 Cookies

Ingredients
1 (18 ounce) box devil's food/chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
24-36 Hershey's Hugs chocolates (unwrapped)

Directions

Combine all ingredients together.
Mix well. Batter will be very firm.
Drop on ungreased cookie sheet by the teaspoonsful.Bake in oven of 350 degrees for 8-13 minutes.
Press a hug in the middle of each cookie when you remove from oven.
Chocolate will melt in the middle.
Let cool.
After thoroughly cooled, dust with a tiny bit of powdered sugar (optional).
Enjoy. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

What did you do with the 6 leftover "hugs"??

Another one of my Grandmothers Recipes... she made them every Christmas...
Fantastic with a cup of coffee after dinner!
goes well with a cup of tea or a cold glass of milk if you don't drink coffee.

It's the only cookie I can make... Deb makes all the rest!
She makes the BEST Toll House Cookies!

[color:"blue"]Dream Cookies[/color]

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup Crisco Butter Flavored Shortening (or regular white shortening, the butter flavor can be hard to find at times)
1/2 (+ a little bit) cup granulated white sugar (don't try with brown sugar, just doesn't come out right)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
whole almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350F...

Cream butter, shortening, sugar and almond extract.
Add sifted flour, mixing gently to blend thoroughly.
Shape dough into balls using 1 level tablespoon of dough for each.
Press two whole almonds into tops of each ball, allowing almonds to show slightly.
Dust lightly with a little bit of white sugar granules.
Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, until only lightly browned.
Don't overcook or they will become too hard...
a little browned around the edges, but still light golden on top...
They should be "crumbly" in your mouth...

Your Grandmother's recipe sounds wonderful. Thank you.

I get tired of cookies with chocolate and oatmeal... that's all anyone makes these days!
and these are just soooo buttery! It's a nice change from the norm...
BTW... you can also add the almonds just chopped coarsly in the cookies too...
But I like the presenttion with the two whole almonds on top...
a variation I found online used a marachino cherry to replace the almonds on top... That might be good too...
I love those butter cookies with the cherry in the middle...

This is a great site for all types of cookies. Enjoy!

http://www.bhg.com/app/cookiegallery/



<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa


BTW.....Danny, wiseguy, everyone knows you always give extra hugs away!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

These are super easy, no bake cookies, good for anytime of year, and very popular. And they look great, too! See the pic in the website (scroll down to the 3rd recipe). I just made a double batch this morning to have on hand for holiday guests. They freeze beautifully.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

makes about 45 sandwiches

1 cup of peanut butter (creamy works best)
2 Tbsp softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar (you may need more)
3/4 cup brown sugar (you may need more)
Pretzels (the waffle shaped ones)
1 bag good quality chocolate (I like milk)

Using a mixer, or by hand, combine peanut butter and softened butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugars and stir to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go. If not, add more sugar ( a little bit of each) until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll. I find I do add about 1/2 cup more of each sugar. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball and set on a cookie sheet. I like to roll all the balls and then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.
Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Recipe from Stephanie's Kitchen blog

Grand Marnier Truffles from http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/marnierdktruff.htm?nl=1


Rich chocolate truffles are enlivened with a bit of Grand Marnier and orange zest in this delicious recipe. Ganache and the proper rolling technique are the secrets of this recipe's success.

For a whimsical touch, attach a bit of candied orange peel or an orangette to the top of a finished truffle using a bit of melted chocolate for glue.


Ingredients:
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
1/3 cup premium cocoa

Preparation:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream and orange zest just to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately. Add the chopped chocolate and Grand Marnier and stir until the mixture – ganache - is completely smooth.

Chill the ganache until it is hard enough to roll into balls. Measuring out a heaping teaspoon, quickly roll the ganache into a ball. Roll the ball in the cocoa powder and chill.

This recipe makes about 16 truffles.



<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Yummmm... I love anything with Grand Marnier!
not bad, neat, in a brandy snifter, either... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

My family's favorite-Toffee Bars-very easy to make....

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup all purpose flour
6 m(1.05 oz) milk chocolate bars(you could also use a pkg of chocolate chips)
2/3 cup crushed nuts
Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, brown sugar, and egg yolk. Add flour gradually, stirring until well blended. Spread dough in a lightly greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until medium brown. After removing from oven, lay chocolate bars on top. Spread when melted. Sprinkle with nuts. When cool, cut into about 75 bars or diamonds.
Sally

OH My! I love toffee! One of my favorite candy bars is a Heath Bar!
Love them chopped up and sprinkled over vanilla ice cream...

I'm gonna have to see if Deb will make these bars...
Mmmmm, maybe I could even make them and have them turn out right?

These are the cookies my grandmother always made at Christmas. She was an immigrant from the Austro-Hungarian Empire before WWI. As you can see, the ingredients are simple but would have been precious to peasants. The cookies are somewhat time consuming to make but very light and a big hit with everyone. This is the first time I’ve tried putting the recipe into writing, so feel free to ask questions if it’s not clear. The name is probably a combination of German and Hungarian and means “nut crescents”


Nussekipfle

Dough:
½ pound butter
6 egg yolks and 1 egg white
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt

Filling:
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 pound of walnuts ground finely

Cut the VERY cold butter into slices. Place flour butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal. Stir the egg s and vanilla with a fork to combine and add the food processor. Process until just combined. Then turn out onto a well floured board and knead briefly. Divide the dough into 48 pieces, rolling each piece in the palm of your hand to forma ball. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, beat the egg whites until very stiff. Beat the sugar in gradually. Fold in the ground walnuts.

Roll out each dough ball on a well floured board as thin as possible. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling towards the lower part of each dough circle and roll up. Gently curve into a crescent and loose close the ends. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. I roll out 6 then fill and shape them and then repeat.

Bake in a 375 oven for 13 minutes. This works in my over, since oven temperatures can vary, check carefully at first as they can go from golden to burned in an instant.

When cool, dust with powered sugar.

alltime favorite Christmas cookie in our family is the Mexican Wedding Cake and they look like little snow balls:

Recipe:

2/3 cup (65 grams) toasted nuts walnuts

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners' powdered sugar

1 teaspoon (2 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup (110 grams) powdered confectioners sugar, sifted

Mexican Wedding Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.

Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar on the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies

These are also Greek cookies called Kourabiedes. I make them all the time but without nuts and add an egg yolk. They're a staple in the Contessa household @ Christmastime! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

MMMMM. Haven't had those for a long time! I really don't do much baking, but might have to make some of those for Christmas! They need to be watched carefully though, as I seem to always have a bit of a problem with overcooking them, often end up with really brown bottoms on them! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" />

Leagle49, That recipe is awesome. My grandmother also (and from the same region in Europe) had a similar recipe but did put yeast in her dough. Yes, they are time consuming, but the end result is fantastic. I make them every year at Christmas. She called them Roskis or Kipfli, but did add a touch of cinnamon and a little lemon rind to the filling. Gave it an extra touch. Nice to share a recipe from our heritage! Have a Merry Christmas!

Thanks, LB. Made 4 dozen on Thursday and they'll be gone by tomorrow. Got to make a couple more batches for gifting. The addition of cinnamon and lemon zest sounds very interesting. I just may give it at try!
George

Thank you everyone for the great recipes! I was just wondering tonight what I'm going to bake tomorrow.....now I know! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

I made these to take to my in laws today for Christmas. They were GREAT, although very rich! I ended up with about 38 sandwiches, so I made my filling for the sandwiches a little large, and it would have been better if the filling was smaller. They taste a bit like Reese's cups in pretzels. I had a question prior to making them, what SIZE bag of chocolate chips. It was the small size bag and I actually only used about 2/3 of that bag. I would definitely make them again, very good, very easy and very rich!! ...but I would make the balls for the filling a little smaller. I was worried about getting the SQUARE pretzels, but was able to find them at Publix. So if you want to make these, make sure you can find the square pretzels, although possibly you could do them with the real small knotted ones, although there wouldn't be much space for the chocolate to cling to.. BTW, I used milk chocolate, although a dark chocolate sounds kinda good to me!