How about a virtual holiday cookie exchange?

[twoponys]

My mother loved to cook and entertain. She loved the period from Thanksgiving to New Year's. One of her favorite things was to make trays of cookies for people for the holidays. Her eggnog snickerdoodles and nutmeg logs were among my favorites. Last year my friend and I made a variety of cookies and gave them out to our favorite people.

So how about it? A virtual holiday cookie exchange? I propose we all share our favorite holiday cookie recipes and explain why we love them.

I look forward to trying new recipes and getting new ideas. This board has never steared me wrong!

[Newfygirl]

Great idea!

[Mary Ann]

I think that'd be fun! Of course that means getting up off my lazy butt to dig through the recipes....

Geez I'm a cow.

[Deleted]

I'll start!! I have this stored on computer so easy peasy.... These are snowballs, Mexican wedding cakes, many names. This is by FAR the best recipe for them I've come across. My brother's mil made them and my sil would grab some out and send to me here in MO because she knew I loved them. Well, her mom stopped making them and I started looking for recipes... none of them was close to these. I *finally* (DUH) asked the baker herself for the recipe and got it last year. yummmmm.... I sent her some from my batch, which she enjoyed immensely after not having any for years.


Pecan Snowballs (I use walnuts instead, but either way... or without nuts if you don't like them!)

1 cup (1 stick each) of butter and margarine
1/2 cup sifted powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finally chopped pecans

Cream butter and margarine in large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, nuts, salt and add to cream mixture blending well.
Shape in one inch balls.
Put 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees about 7 min until set, but not brown
Cool slightly and roll in powder sugar

They break easily so handle carefully.
Check at 6 min. at 400 degrees as ovens vary.

[snaffle]

My oldest son found this recipe and it has now become a favorite of our families.

OREO COOKIE BALLS

1 small package Oreos
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
white almond bark

Grind oreos finely
Add softened cream cheese and blend together

Form into 1/2 inche balls and dip in melted bark

Place on Waxed paper to harden

[Kit]

My sister found this recipe a long time ago.
They are super easy to make and taste like almond roca.
I make at least one batch every year for Christmas.


SODA CRACKER COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
•35 soda crackers
•1 cup butter
•1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
•3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
•1 cup packed brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 15 x 10 inch baking pan with foil and grease it well. Line the pan with soda crackers.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cook stirring it until it dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately pour mixture over the soda crackers.
3. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble. Spread the chocolate chips over the hot cookies. Let set for a minute. Spread the chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with nuts. Let cool, then cut into bars.

[MJ]

Kit - I've made those before, they are really good. I got the recipe from the Flylady website a long time ago.

[dpt13]

Since we are snowbound today, I'm going to try your recipes out this afternoon. They sound great. Does anyone have a good recipe for gingerbread cut out cookies? One that isn't too overly spiced for kids, please. Here is a recipe that we like all year round, but we always make them at Christmas time, too.

Peanut Blossoms

1 3/4 C flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C peanut butter
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
48 chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Combine all ingredients except kisses in large mixer bowl. Mix on lowest speed of mixer until dough forms. Shape into balls, roll balls in sugar, bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Top each cookie immediately after baking with a kiss pressing down until cookie cracks around edge.

[janepain]

I also make the peanut blossoms - but I bake them in mini muffin cups - just the right size for those kisses. I also use the mini peanut butter cups as well as the kisses

[janepain]

COCOA GINGERBREAD COOKIES

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon EACH: baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon EACH: salt, ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Cream butter, shortening, brown sugar and molasses in large bowl. Add egg, beat until light. Combine all other ingredients in small bowl, blend into creamed mixture until smooth.

If dough is too soft to handle cover and refrigerate until firm.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until firm.

When cool, frost with your favorite frosting.

[dpt13]

Ohhh Janepain, what a great combination: gingerbread and cocoa. The dough tastes great, can't wait to taste the cookies! Now, on to the next request: I have a quart of whipping cream in the refrig that needs to be used up. It is screaming homemade caramels at me. Anyone got a good recipe for caramels made with whipping cream? Also, my cupboard says the Ande's candy bits are ready to be made into something yummy. Any ideas? I'm thinking chocolate cookie base for the peppermint crunch chips, but what to do with the creme de menthe chips??

[janepain]

Here's a caramel recipe - found it on allrecipes.com

Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Butter a 9x13 inch dish.
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup cream and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then stir in remaining 1 cup cream. Heat, without stirring, to 242 degrees F (116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour into prepared dish. Refrigerate.
When cool, return candies to room temperature then cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in waxed paper.

[twoponys]

Ok it is my turn! Sorry it has taken me a bit. I could not find my recipe book. Someone who shall remain nameless, rearranged my cookbooks!

A holiday twist on shortbread!

Nutmeg Cookie Logs

Cookie

3/4 c sugar
1 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum
1 egg
3 c flour
1 tsp nutmeg

Frosting

2 1/2 c powdered sugar
3 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp half and half or milk
1 tsp rum
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350F. Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Beat all other ingredients until light and fluffy. Add the flour and blend well. Divide dough into 6 parts. On a lightly floured surface, shape into logs about 1/2 in in diameter. Cut into 3 inch lengths and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 min or until light golden brown. Cool.

In a small bowl combine frosting ingredients. Frost cookies and sprinkle with nutmeg.

42-48 cookies

Easy Eggnog Snickerdoodles

3/4 c margarine
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp brandy
1/2 tsp rum
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 3/4 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp colored sugar

Heat oven to 400F. Set aside the 2 tbsp sugar and 2tbsp colored sugar. Set the flour aside. Beat all remaining ingredients until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Combine the remaining sugar in a bowl. Chill dough for about 30 min then shape into 1 inch balls, roll into colored sugar. Place about 2 inch apart on cookie sheets, Bake for 8-10 min until lightly brown around the edges.

48 cookies



When I was a child I loved the snickerdoodles. Now that I have more grown up tastes I prefer to the nutmeg logs. But they both remind me of my childhood and my mother.

[snaffle]

I am making Kit's Soda Cracker Cookies tonight!!

Last year I used oyster crackers because I didnt have regular ones.
This year I am using oyster crackers because they turned out so good last year!