What kind of cookies are you baking this year?

[bengalbelle]

Why does your mom get credit for the "Christmas cookies," but I get nothing for the cut-out cookie recipe?!!

And Paula, you crack me up too!

I'm baking:

crunchy peanut butter cookies (done!)
white chocolate macadamia cookies (done!)
M&M cookies (done!)
festive lemon cut-outs
cream cheese sugar cookies
and
Amy's famous cut-out cookies

I'll be making Amy's famous cut out cookies!!!

My mom got the credit because I have absolutely NO IDEA what they're called

 

[bengalbelle]

Oh yummm, can you tell me about the caramel filled chocolate cookies? they sound delicious!

Here you go! They're worth the effort and they are beautiful cookies!

The recipe is from Southern Living.

My tips: Keep the dough chilled when shaping around candy, it's much easier to work with. I buy my Twix bars after Halloween when they go on sale 50-90% off. Don't overbake them, and don't store them with peppermint candy

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
6 (2-ounce) packages chocolate-caramel cookie bars, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
2 (2-ounce) vanilla bark coating squares

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour, cocoa, and soda; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Shape 1 tablespoon dough around each candy piece, covering completely, to form balls.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Gently press the top of each ball into pecan mixture. Place balls, pecan sides up, 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove from baking sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Melt coating squares in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Twix Caramel Cookie Bars.

Yield: 4 dozen

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Yummy thread!
Every year without fail, we make:

Melting Moments (done, were in freezer, but eaten, so more were made)
Almond Cresents (done and in freezer)
Candy Cane Cookies (wouldn't be Christmas without them)
Kolacky (the easy kind, not the true Bohemian version with the raised dough)

...and whatever else we're in the mood for.

Today I bought some Tollhouse morsels in a chocolate and raspberry swirl, so we will try those. I make gingerbread men out of a sugar cookie recipe since I don't particularly like the taste of gingerbread. However, I would like to make a gingerbread house again this year, because there is nothing as sweet, wonderful, and Christmasy as the smell of gingerbread wafting through the house. The whole first floor is treated to the spicey scent for weeks just from one little gingerbread house. Between that and the scent of a real Christmas tree, I'm in holiday heaven.

I love Christmas cookies! I used to give my cookies away to friends and neighbors, but it got to be too much. Now I try to only make them for a few chosen people and bring many many cookies to wherever we will be on Christmas Day.

Tink
ps. the cookies are stored in our freezer in the basement. My treadmil is down there also. So what kind of looney toon logic is it to hop off the treadmil and sneak cookies out of the freezer, then hop back on the treadmil? ... more than once I might add.

 

[bengalbelle]

Yummy thread!
Every year without fail, we make:

Melting Moments (done, were in freezer, but eaten, so more were made)
Almond Cresents (done and in freezer)
Candy Cane Cookies (wouldn't be Christmas without them)
Kolacky (the easy kind, not the true Bohemian version with the raised dough)

...and whatever else we're in the mood for.

Today I bought some Tollhouse morsels in a chocolate and raspberry swirl, so we will try those. I make gingerbread men out of a sugar cookie recipe since I don't particularly like the taste of gingerbread. However, I would like to make a gingerbread house again this year, because there is nothing as sweet, wonderful, and Christmasy as the smell of gingerbread wafting through the house. The whole first floor is treated to the spicey scent for weeks just from one little gingerbread house. Between that and the scent of a real Christmas tree, I'm in holiday heaven.

I love Christmas cookies! I used to give my cookies away to friends and neighbors, but it got to be too much. Now I try to only make them for a few chosen people and bring many many cookies to wherever we will be on Christmas Day.

Tink
ps. the cookies are stored in our freezer in the basement. My treadmil is down there also. So what kind of looney toon logic is it to hop off the treadmil and sneak cookies out of the freezer, then hop back on the treadmil? ... more than once I might add.

LOL!

I'm interested in hearing more about the melting moments and your candy cane cookies.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

[/B]
LOL!

I'm interested in hearing more about the melting moments and your candy cane cookies.

Alrighty! Hohoho!
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MELTING MOMENTS

1/2 cup butter (real butter, softened)
1-2/3 cup flour (not sifted)
1 teasp vanilla (real vanilla, not imitation)
3 Tablsp powdered sugar

Combine flour and sugar with butter and vanilla. Chill dough. Roll dough in hands into small balls less than 1" wide. You may dip each dough ball into cookie decorations, if desired, then place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 5-6 mins or until bottom is slightly golden brown. Then enjoy a melting moment.

Notes: I actually usually make these cookies without chilling the dough first. It's just a little messier to form into balls, but you may also drop dough from a teaspoon onto sheet. These cookies are very delicate and cannot be shipped because of that. Keeping the cookies small helps to keep them from breaking. Sorry if the recipe is a little sketchy. It came from my sister's MIL, over 30 years ago. She was a wonderful baker. All I ever had was the list of 4 ingredients, the time, and the temp.

**************************************
Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/4 cups butter or margarine (2-1/2 sticks, softened)
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp red food color
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1. Into a large bowl, measure first 6 ingredients. With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl.
2. Set aside half of dough. Into dough remaining in bowl, knead red food color and peppermint extract until blended.
3. Preheat oven to 375. On lightly floured surface with hands, roll 1 rounded teaspoonful plain dough into a 4 inch long rope. Repeat, using 1 teaspoonful of red dough. Place ropes together side by side and gently twist together; pinch ends to seal. Curve one end of twisted rope to form "handle" of candy cane. With pancake turner, place cookie on ungreased large cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Bake cookies 10 minutes or until lightly browned. With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Store cookies in tightly covered container to use within 1 week. Makes about 4-1/2 dozen cookies.
Recipe says when you wrap your Christmas gifts, you may tuck one of these into each bow.

My notes: You may also use green food coloring. I have also seen these cookies with crushed candy cane pieces sprinkled on top of them (placed there before baking). I always use butter, not margarine or shortening. Cookies freeze nicely. This recipe came from a magazine that is over 20 years old. It's been a favorite ever since. My daughter said the other day, "You ARE going to make the candy cane cookies, aren't you?" Just so you know they are more work with all that rolling and twisting, but so worth it. Enjoy!
*******************************

Tink

 

[GraysMom]

Well, I've finished 22 batches of cookies so far this year, and I have 5 more batches to make.

Here's what I make:
Chocolate Chip
Oatmeal Raisin
Oatmeal Scotchies
Chocolate with Peanut Butter Chips
Soft Molasses
Chocolate Crinkles
Shortbread Bites
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Kris Kringle Bars

DH also makes Toffee. I also made Cream Cheese Mints and stashed them in the freezer for the holidays.

I usually make Orange Drop Cookies, but there is just new room left in our freezer to store them. Please don't think I eat all these cookies myself (although I could if they sit around long enough). I actually give cookie tins to several friends and neighbors, as well as two of my unmarried brothers. I have also started making extra cookies to give to my grandparents, since my grandmother's health does not allow her to bake anymore. DS is almost 2, so this is the first Christmas he has discovered homemade cookies (and apparently he has inherited mommy's sweet tooth ).