Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 8
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 7
A Man’s Rules for a Cookie Exchange
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 6
Mocha Nog Punch – Friday’s 5 o’clock Wet Your Whistle Call!
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 5
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 4
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 3
Snowflake Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Royal Icing, recipe follows
Garnish: silver dragees, sugar pearls, sparkling sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
Frost cookies with Royal Icing. Garnish with silver dragees, sugar pearls and sparkling sugar, if desired. Let cookies dry for several hours so icing can harden.
3 tablespoons Wilton meringue powder
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Food coloring, optional
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Silver dragees, sugar pearls, sparkling sugar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons Wilton meringue powder
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- Food coloring, optional
- Cookies: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Snowflake Cutouts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
- Royal Icing: In a medium bowl, combine water and meringue powder; whisk until foamy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Use immediately and keep covered because royal icing hardens as it dries.
- Frost cookies with Royal Icing. Garnish with silver dragees, sugar pearls and sparkling sugar, if desired. Let cookies dry for several hours so icing can harden.
Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies – Day 2
4 tablespoons water
2 tbs corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a heavy sauce pan add sugar, corn syrup, water and salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer.
Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated.
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 tbs corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Praline: In a heavy sauce pan add sugar, corn syrup, water and salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
- Raise heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue cooking to soft ball stage*, about 234° on a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup pecans. It is important to remove the saucepan from the heat just as the sugar begins to darken to an amber color.
- Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Let cool until completely firm.
- Transfer to a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and reserve for the cookie dough.
- Cookies: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand mixer.
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Stir in the flour and baking soda and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in the reserved crushed praline until combined.
- Drop 1 tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop of the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
- While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth.
- When the cookies are done, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies and sprinkle with the chopped pecans. You can dip the tines of a fork into the chocolate and drizzle or you can use a pastry bag with a fine tip.
- *To Test for Soft Ball Stage - A small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers (234° to 240°).