{Di’s Virtual Cookie Swap} Annual Cookie Exchange – something old, something new.

Welcome to…

.

It is a virtual exhcange. All we really exchange are the recipes. But it is fun to see what all the others are making for their Christmas Cookie Trays.

This year I made some of my standbys and added in a couple of new cookies. I am trying very hard NOT to eat all of them. Just a few of each.

There are a couple of cookies I make every year:

These are the Graham Cracker Pralines which I made for Di’s First Exchange. They became so popular with friends and family I now have to make them every year.

And the Spritz cookies are always fun.

My new ones this year included…

Brown Sugar Toffee Rounds

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 7 1/2-ounce package (1% cups) almond toffee pieces

BEAT butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat
till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and almond extract till combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in almond toffee pieces and remaining flour with a wooden spoon. SHAPE dough into two l Ovmch-long rolls. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper; chill in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours or till firm enough to slice. CUT rolls into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 oven about 9 minutes or till edges are firm. Transfer to wire racks and cool. Makes about 36.

We really liked these. The little toffee pieces add a little crunch to the soft, moist cookies. The recipe came from BHG Christmas Cookies (2000).

AND…

Cranberry Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cranberries, drained
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Cream sugar, butter and coconut flavoring until fluffy. Add milk, mixing well. Sift
together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to sugar mixture. Fold cranberries into batter. Divide dough in half. Roll each half coconut. Chill 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice cookie logs thin. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

The sour cranberries worked really well with the sweet cookie. The only problem was that they were difficult to slice. Don’t slice them too thin or they will crumble. (Home Cooking Cookies, Brownies & Bars Fall 2005)

This is really the only time of the year I make cookies. They are entirely too easy to grab and go. Several times!!!

Di will have a round-up of all the cookies on her site – Di’s Kitchen Notebook real soon.

 

Di’s Second Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange!

It’s the beginning of the holiday season. And that means COOKIES!!! Lots and lots of cookies!!
Cookies made for Di’s…..

Took me ages to find just the right cookies. I looked at Books!! Magazines!! Websites!!

I rolled, dropped, spooned, shaped, baked, drizzled, and tasted. And there’s the problem.

If you are baking cookies…

You. Have. To. Taste. Each. And. Every. One!!
It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!!

*******************

~~ANGEL WINGS~~

They are palmiers made with AP flour rather than Puff Pastry. Easy and tasty. And pretty.

Ingredients:

1 cup cold butter, cubed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
10 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
Colored sugar, optional

In a large bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sour cream. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times or until mixture holds together. Shape into four balls; flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Unwrap one ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on waxed paper; coat all sides of ball with sugar. Roll into a 12-in. x 5-in. rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. {I used multicolored sugar (red/green/white) under the rectangle as I rolled out the dough.}

Sprinkle dough with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. {I used cinnamon sugar.} Lightly mark a line down the center of the dough, making two 6-in. x 5-in. rectangles.

Starting with a short side, roll up jelly-roll style to the center mark; peel waxed paper away while rolling. Repeat with other short side. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat three times.

Place remaining sugar or place colored sugar if desired on waxed paper. Unwrap one roll. Cut into 1/2-in. slices; dip each side into sugar. {Putting the multi-colored sugar under the rectangle saved this step.} Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cookie sheets; bake 5-8 minutes longer. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen.

*****************

~~DOUBLE DRIZZLE PECAN COOKIES~~

I discovered my drizzling skills need a little practice. But they were sure good.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans, toasted

CARAMEL DRIZZLE:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:

1 ounce semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in pecans. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small saucepan, bring brown sugar and cream to a boil. Remove from the heat; whisk in confectioners’ sugar. Immediately drizzle over cookies.
In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

****************

~~EGGNOG THUMBPRINTS~~

Thumbprints are always fun. You can fill the little hollow with just about anything.
Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped walnuts {I used pecans.}

FILLING:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon rum extract {I used rum.}
1 to 2 teaspoons 2% milk {I used Eggnog.}
1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring, optional

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour, salt and nutmeg and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; dip in egg whites, then roll in walnuts pecans. Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

Using a wooden spoon handle, make a 1/2-in. indentation in the center of each ball. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until center is set. Carefully remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

For the filling, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, extract and enough milk eggnog to achieve a spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon into each cookie. Yield: 4 dozen.

The only thing I had trouble with was keeping the indentations open. But that was a small thing considering how tasty these cookies were. It was fun filling in the little holes with this yummy eggnog filling.

I found all of these at the Taste of Home Website.

There are LOTS of us participating in the Cookie Exchange. I don’t make many cookies during the year, so I look forward to Di’s Round-up! Di will have the round up in a few days so check her blog for LOTS of great cookies!!!