December 2, 2011 · 5:20 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Maple Cookies

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DAY 8: Maple Cookies

A simple maple flavored cookie. No frills; just a quiet, unassuming cookie.

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RECIPE:

Maple Cookies

  • Servings: 60 small cookies
  • Print

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1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup real maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tsp maple extract (optional)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
Granulated or raw sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet or use silicon baking mat.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg, syrup, vanilla, and maple extract (if using). Mix until well blended. Stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir into mixture until well blended. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 60 small cookies

Recipe from AllRecipes

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December 1, 2011 · 5:24 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Sugar Cookie Bars

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DAY 7: Sugar Cookie Bars

Love sugar cookies, but hate all of the work rolling, cutting and decorating? These sugar cookie bars are the perfect substitute. The dough makes a thick, soft sugar-cookie-flavored bar cookie that you can top with your favorite icing and fun holiday sprinkles. These are topped by one of our favorites, a cooked vanilla frosting.

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RECIPE:

Sugar Cookie Bars

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COOKIE BARS:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ – 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda

FROSTING:
1 cup whole milk
5 Tbs flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar (do not use powdered sugar)
Optional: food coloring

Prepare bars:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla and almond extract, if using.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (you can use either a 12×17” pan for thinner bars or a 10×15” pan for slightly thicker bars).

Bake: 10-15 minutes for a 12×17” pan or 15-20 minutes for a 10×15” pan, until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Frost with desired frosting and add sprinkles, if using. Refrigerate the bars until firm… it will be easier to get nice, clean cuts.

Prepare frosting:
In a small saucepan, mix the flour and milk until combined. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until mixture thickens (and is just about to boil). Remove from heat and let it cool completely to room temperature.  Stir in vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl (a stand mixer works best for this) cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled milk mixture and beat for 5-7 minutes, until frosting is light, fluffy and completely uniform throughout.  Beat in food coloring, if desired.

Yield: about 32 bars

Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl

Other Frosting Options:
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Buttercream

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November 30, 2011 · 5:13 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Nanaimo Bars

100711 006-1DAY 6: Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo is a little town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is where my dear husband spent the first half of his childhood. These bars have a controversial history all their own, but Canadians are ever true to these bars originating in their little seaside town. More info and the recipe officially adopted by Nanaimo can be found on the Nanaimo city website.

These bars are definitely more like a candy than cookie. If you remember that before you take a great big bite, they will not seem so outrageously sweet. Think  “double frosted fudge”  not “brownie”  and you will take appropriate nibbles that will keep your blood sugar in check.

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RECIPE:

Nanaimo Bars

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Bottom Layer
½ cup butter (European style cultured)
¼ cup sugar
5 Tbs cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup shredded coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, almonds and coconut. Press firmly into a buttered 8″ x 8″ pan.

Middle Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbs plus 2 tsp cream
2 Tbs vanilla custard powder (Birds’ Custard Powder)
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Top Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over middle layer and chill in refrigerator until firm.  Cut into small squares.

Recipe from the City of Nanaimo website

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November 29, 2011 · 5:14 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

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DAY 5: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

It is usually the simplest treats that are my kids’ favorites. These chocolate covered pretzels definitely fall into that category. They are easy to make, and fun for kids to help with. Adding the sprinkles is a coveted job in our kitchen.

For easy dipping, pour melted chocolate into a tall narrow container, like a drinking glass, wide mouthed canning jar, or a Pyrex measuring cup.  For easy cleanup, line your glass or jar with a Ziploc bag. Fold the top edge of the bag back over the lip of the glass. When you are done, just throw the bag away: no scrubbing chocolate out of the glass.

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RECIPE:

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

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Pretzel Rods
Dipping chocolate: dark, white, and/or colored
Variety of sprinkles

Melt chocolates using a double boiler (or melt slowly in the microwave). For easy dipping, pour chocolate into a tall narrow container, like a drinking glass, wide mouthed canning jar, or a Pyrex measuring cup. (For easy cleanup, line your glass or jar with a Ziploc bag. Fold the top edge of the bag back over the lip of the cup) Use a spoon, if needed to coat about 2/3 of the pretzel rod with the chocolate.

Place dipped pretzel on a sheet of waxed paper. Drizzle with contrasting colors of chocolate, if desired (for easy drizzling, use a squeeze bottle, or a Ziploc bag with a hole poked in one corner). While chocolate is still wet, garnish with sprinkles. Let dry completely before storing.

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November 28, 2011 · 7:55 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chinese Almond Cookies

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DAY 4: Chinese Almond Cookies

A soft, delicious cookie especially for the almond lover (that’s me!). The dough contains almond meal (ground almonds) and is flavored with almond extract. The cookies are then topped with blanched almonds before baking. A quick egg wash over the cookies gives them a great shine when they are cooked.

Can’t find blanched almonds at your store? Or don’t want to pay so much for such a tiny bag? Then blanch your own! All you need is raw almonds. The process is very easy: Boil them (1 minute), cool them (1 minute), squeeze off the skin. For a quick tutorial, click here: How To. . . Blanch Almonds

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RECIPE:

Chinese Almond Cookies

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3 cups  flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds)
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs water
1 ½ tsp almond extract
42-48 whole almonds, blanched
Egg Wash: 1 whole egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground almonds. Set aside. With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg, water, and almond extract and mix well. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Roll dough in your hands to make 1-inch balls. Place 1-2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a silicon baking mat). Press a blanched almond into the top of each dough ball. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each cookie with the egg wash. Bake for 14-15 minutes.

Makes  42-48 small cookies.

To Blanch Almonds:

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add raw almonds to the hot water. Let sit for 1 minute (not longer). Drain and pour into a bowl of ice cold water. Let set in the water until cool (about 1 minute) Drain. Pinch almonds between your thumb and index finger to slide the almond out of its skin. Pat dry. Allow to dry completely before using in recipes.

If you oversoak your almonds and they don’t dry properly: preheat oven to 200°F. Turn oven OFF. Place almonds on a baking sheet and put into the warm (but OFF) oven. Leave almonds in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Cooking for Engineers

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November 27, 2011 · 7:50 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Cherry Shortbread Squares

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DAY 3: Cherry Shortbread Squares

These shortbread squares are light and tender, not hard and crumbly; almost more like a short little cake than a cookie, but firm enough to hold in your hand to eat.

The batter mixes together quickly, and is then spread onto a baking sheet. Use a toothpick to lightly score the batter into 24 squares. The lines will disappear as the cookies bake, but they make it easier to know where to place your cherries. The cherry topping is simply cherry pie filling-I used some that I canned this summer from tart cherries, but any variety of canned pie filling will work. Place about 3 cherries in the center of each square. As the cookies bake, the pie filling will sink about halfway into the batter. Little A loves these cookies: they are light and slightly lemony, and not a hint of chocolate.

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And if you are really  lucky  talented, you will get some cookies that bear a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse:1-11-11 001-1

RECIPE:

Cherry Shortbread Squares

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1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon lemon extract (or 1 Tbs lemon juice)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 can cherry pie filling or berry pie filling
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a half-sheet pan (about 12×17 inches) with a 1-inch rim, or spray it with baking cooking spray (with flour).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon extract, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl. On the lowest speed, stir in the flour until just barely mixed.

Spread the batter onto the sheet pan and smooth it into an even layer. Score the batter into 24-30 squares with a toothpick (don’t worry about perfectly even squares as the lines will disappear during baking; it just makes placing the cherries easier). Place 3 cherries in the center of each square.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Just before serving, cut into 24 squares and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Makes 24 3-inch squares

Recipe from Piece of Cake

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