Christmas Cookies 2015

I made a ton of Christmas Cookies this year to give away and they were a huge hit! I didn't get a chance to take pictures of all of them, but I've made sure to post the recipes for all the ones that I've made below.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped pecans

14 soft caramel candies

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.

Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentations with teaspoon measure. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Citrus White Chocolate Macaroons

(Source: Kraft)

1 pkg. (14 oz.) flaked Coconut

3 ounces White Chocolate, finely chopped

2/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 ounce Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine coconut, white chocolate, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Add egg whites, lemon zest and almond extract; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased and floured baking sheets. Bake 20 min. or until edges of macaroons are golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

(Source: Pillsbury)

• Crust

  2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

  2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

  1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened

  
  

  Filling

  1 (12.5-oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping

  3 tablespoons All Purpose or Unbleached Flour

  1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

  1/2 cup chopped nuts

  
  

  Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour; blend well. Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Return to oven; bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Cream Cheese Roll Out Cookies

(Source: Taste of Home)

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk

Food coloring, optional

Assorted sprinkles or candies

In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. If desired, add food coloring. Decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles. Yield: about 7 dozen.