Christmas Cookies to Make with the Kids
Build family memories and have lots of fun with these great Christmas cookie recipes…
Pistachio Cookie Tree
_ lb. butter
2 _ cups sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
4 tsp. almond extract
3-1/2 cups shelled pistachios, finely chopped
2 tubes white decorating icing
1 cup white sprinkles or silver candy beads for decoration
Cream butter in a large bowl and beat in sugar, egg and extract. Add flour and 3 cups of pistachios gradually. Roll out sections of dough on a floured board to _ inch thickness. Cut into oval cloud shapes of three different sizes making an equal number of each size. Drill a hole slightly off center in each using a chopstick or dowel. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Cover loosely with foil. Continue baking for 10 more minutes until centers are crisp. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Outline the edge of each cookie with icing and sprinkle with pistachios and other decorations while still wet. After icing dries stack cookies to form a tree shape on a 10-inch dowel glued into a wooden base eight inches wide with a _ inch hole in the center. Top the tree with a cardboard star. Makes 20 cookies.
Gingerbread Cookies
1 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
_ tsp. nutmeg
_ tsp. salt
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg
1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tsp. water
Candies for decoration
Place molasses, butter and sugar in a saucepan and heat just until the butter melts. Allow to cool. In a large bowl mix flour, spices, salt, nuts and baking powder. Add egg and cool syrup mixture and stir to form a dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the dough into two 12-inch rounds and cut out holiday shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets leaving at least one half inch between them. Brush with egg yolk and water mixture. Decorate with raisins, nuts and small candies. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges turn golden. Cool on wire racks. Makes 30 cookies.
Dalmatian Cookies
For Cookies
1 cup butter
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
For Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
1 (1 lb.) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Semi-sweet chocolate chips for topping
In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time beating well. Add vanilla and flour and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for one hour. Make the frosting while the dough is chilling. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powered sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla and set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Decorate with semisweet chocolate chips for a Dalmatian-like pattern. Flatten each ball until about _ inch thick. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes two dozen.
Cookies On A Stick
20 vanilla wafer cookies
_ cup peanut butter
1-6 oz bag white chocolate chips
Colored candy sprinkles in red and green
Red licorice cut into 1-_ inch lengths
M&M candies
Fruit rollups cut into four inch lengths
Cake decorating writing gel in green, black and red
Tube of white cake decorating frosting with flower tip
Popsicle sticks
Wax paper or paper plates
Spread peanut butter onto the flat side of the cookies. Place a Popsicle stick into the peanut butter on half the cookies. Top with another cookie so the stick is sandwiched between two cookies. Melt chocolate chips and dip the cookies in the melted chocolate covering them completely. Roll the cookie sticks in red and green sprinkles and lay on waxed paper or paper plates. For fun decorating variations you can decorate the cookies as snowmen, Santa’s, or other Christmas figures like reindeer. Use decorator gel for detail work like eyes and mouth and M&M candies for ear muffs, hats, etc. A fruit rollup can be wrapped around the stick for a snowman’s scarf. If you like you can tint the melted chocolate another color by using food coloring or vary the colors by using sprinkles. You may also use vanilla or chocolate frosting instead of peanut butter for the filling. Place in refrigerator to chill.
Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
_ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package (6 oz) sweetened dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in small portions mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Drop by round teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.
