Christmas Cookie Exchange 2020 – Recipes To Enjoy!

• In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until blended. Beat in eggs, on at a time, and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt, gradually beat into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in plastic refrigerate until firm enough to form into balls, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°. For topping, combine sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, refrigerate again if dough becomes too warm. Place 2 – 2½ inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes. Press a deep indentation in center of each cookie with the back of a rounded teaspoon. Fill each with honey and walnuts, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Return to oven and bake until edges begin to brown, 7-9 minutes longer. Cool on pans 1 minute. remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

• Heat oven to 350°
• In large bowl, combine first 3 ingredients, blend until crumbly. Press mixture into ungreased 8×8 pan. Bake at 350°for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, by hand, combine all filling ingredients and mix well. Pour over crust (okay if curst is arm). Bake at 350° for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The filling will puff up a bit, then settle into a lacy look as before. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, combine all frosting ingredients except the coconut. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Sprinkle with coconut. Cut into 16 squares (four by four).

• Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 2 tsp of vanilla, beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Add the flour slowly until combined. Dough will be very wet.
• Drop bu dough by the tbsp onto parchment lined sheets. Bake in the preheated over for 10-12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting

• Beat all of the ingredients until soft and whipped.
• Frost cooked cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.

• Preheat oven to 325°
• Cream butter and sugar in medium bowl until creamy. Add vanilla,; beat until well mixed.
• Add flour and pecans; beat at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed.
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 16-19 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cool.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 
• Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until they are a fine meal. Add the oats, flour and salt and process until blended. Transfer to a bowl. In the food processor, combine the butter and sugar and process until light and fluffy. With the motor running, add the egg and vanilla. Process until smooth. Add half of the dry ingredients back into the processor and pulse to combine. Add the remaining half and pulse again until combined.
• Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful (I use an ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cookies. Use your thumb to make a thumb print in each cookie. 
• Bake until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 
• Stir the jelly in a small bowl to loosen it up and fill each thumbprint with about 1 teaspoon.

• Remove Hershey's kisses from wrappers. Do this a few day ahead and those them at room temperature or unwrap them weeks ahead and freeze them for up to 6 months. (This is a great job for kids).
• Heat oven to 350° F
• Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use parchment paper or a Silpat Baking Mat).
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add both sugars and beat on high until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla extract, eggs and milk and mix on high until smooth.
• Add dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls (be sure to keep these small so that you have a good ratio of cookie to Hershey's Kiss in he finished cookie).
• Place cookies on prepared sheet pan, leaving a couple inches between each.
• Bake until cookies are just barely set (they will still look very soft), 9-10 minutes.
• As soon as cookies come out of the oven, gently press a Hershey's Kiss into the top of each cookie.
• Let cool on sheet pan for a couple minutes before transferring them to a sire rack to cool completely.

• PREPARATION
• Preheat oven to 325°
• In a large bowl, cream butter, margarine and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed.
• Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture one-third at a time. Stir in pecans, ginger and dates.
• Using 1 inch scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated over for 13 minutes, until golden. Cook on racks.

GLAZE

• When cool mix together powdered sugar, cardamom and milk and drizzle glace onto cookies. Top with chopped dates and pecans.

• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition. Scrape the sides od the bowl as needed.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. (You can eyeball it or use a kitchen scale to measure the pieces.)
• Place one piece of dough back in the bowl and add the red food coloring. Beat with your mixer until the color is completely incorporated. (Be sure to use a bowl that won't stain.) Clean you mixer paddle or hand mixer blades.
• Place one piece of dough back in the bowl and add the green food coloring. Beat with your mixer until the color is completely incorporated. Leave the third piece of dough as is.
• Press each piece of dough into a flat square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or until firm.
• Remove the dough squares from the fridge. Place the red dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a 10-inch square. Leave dough between parchment.
• Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough. Refrigerate cookie dough for 30 mins.
• Remove dough from fridge, and take the top layer of parchment off each sheet of cookie dough. Place the red dough down on a counter. Top with the white dough, non-parchment sides touching. Be sure to try and line up the edges of the dough as much as possible.
• Remove the parchment from the white dough. Top the white with the green, non-parchment sides touching, being sure to line up the edges. Remove parchment from green dough. Use a pizza cutter to trim the left and right edges of the cookie dough into straight lines.
• Very carefully, starting with one of the straightened sides, roll the dough into a long shape until you reach the other trimmed dough edge. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough to get it started. Once the dough log is complete, gently pinch the seam closed along with any breaks on the outer red layer.
• Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough log into 1/4-inch thick slices. (Discard the ends since they don't make a nice pinwheel design.) Place the cookies 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are set.
• Carefully remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.