Tag Archives: Christmas cookies

Twelve (More) Days of Christmas Cookies: Raspberry Crumb Bars

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DAY 1: Welcome to the Second Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! This year, I have twelve new cookie recipes to share, starting with this recipe for Raspberry Crumb Bars. They are a shortbread based cookie, which makes them pretty crumbly to eat, but I love the combination of raspberries and nuts. For the raspberry filling, I used a combination of homemade Red Raspberry and Black Raspberry Jams that I canned last summer.

8-15-10 (9)-1The original recipe, from Family Fun magazine (printed below with a few adjustments), is baked in a 9” square pan, but I doubled the recipe and baked them in a rimmed 17×12” baking pan.8-15-10 (31)-1

Visit: First Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies for a recap of the cookies from last year.

RECIPE:

Raspberry Crumb Bars

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1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square pan with butter or cooking spray. (**See Note below for using larger baking pan)

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour and salt and beat just until the flour is incorporated. The dough will be crumbly. Press about two-thirds of the dough into the greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.

While the shortbread cools slightly, mix the oats and nuts into the remaining one-third of the dough. The mixture will be very crumbly; it is easier to use your hands to mix the topping.

Spread the raspberry jam on the shortbread, then evenly cover the jam with the crumb topping. (TIP: for easy jam spreading, heat the jam slightly in the microwave; stir and pour over crust.)

Bake the bars for 20-25 mins, or until the topping is golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes. While the shortbread is still slightly warm, cut it into 16 squares, then cut each square in half diagonally. Once the triangles cool completely (they are very fragile while warm), lift them from the pan with a metal spatula.

Makes 32 triangles.

**NOTE: I doubled the recipe and baked them in a 17×12” rimmed baking sheet for 7-8 minutes for the crust, and then the whole bars for about 18 minutes. Using this sized pan makes for slightly thinner bars than the original recipe, which I liked. Yield: about 70 triangles.

Recipe adapted from Family Fun magazine

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Recap

 

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We have done a lot of baking here in the last 12 days, and it has been a ton of fun. Luckily, I have many willing little hands who like to roll and cut dough. They are especially fond of rolling things in sugar, sprinkling things with sugar & sprinkles, and coating the kitchen floor in sugar.

So now my freezer is full of cookies, and the fridge still has many bags of dough waiting to be baked for a continuous supply of fresh, warm, soft Christmas cookies. And my floor could use a serious mopping! But I am really good at putting that off for one more day.

After polling the house on their favorite cookies, we could not come to a consensus, so I will share everyone’s favorites:

Little J: Russian Tea Cakes (especially the red ones)
Little A: Sugar Cookies (definitely with frosting and sprinkles!)
Middle K: Swedish Peppar Kakar
Big A: Mint Oreos
Big J: Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
Brian: Cherry Nut Mudslides (straight from the freezer: he says it makes them taste like a candy bar)
Kelly: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies

Let me know what your favorite is!

DAY 1: Swedish Peppar KaKar

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DAY 2: Mint Oreo Cookies

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DAY 3: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

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DAY 4: Cherry Nut Mudslides

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DAY 5: Snickerdoodles

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DAY 6: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies

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DAY 7: Peanut Butter Kisses

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DAY 8: Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies

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DAY 9: Chocolate Rolo and Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

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DAY 10: Russian Tea Cakes

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DAY 11: Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

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DAY 12: Sugar Cookies

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Sugar Cookies

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DAY 12: The ultimate classic cookie, adaptable to any holiday or occasion. I love this dough because it bakes up just slightly puffy in the middle and (unless you overcook them!) the cookies stay soft for days and days. The dough and cookies both freeze well, which is good because this recipe makes A LOT of cookies. These are most fun to have little helpers decorate, although I love them most plain, warm out of the oven.

This makes a wonderful soft sugar cookie. Frost with your favorite butter cream frosting, cream cheese frosting or a glacé icing. Check out Our Best Bites’ tutorial on Glacé Icing. Here are two basic frosting recipes, one for a buttercream and one for glacé icing.

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RECIPES:

Sugar Cookies

  • Servings: about 6 dozen
  • Print

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3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
About 7 – 7 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Beat sugar, butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add soda, salt, and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.

Chill for 20 minutes to 1 hour for easier handling. Roll out dough to desired thickness (I like these fairly thick) and cut with cookie cutter.

Bake at 375°F for 10 -11 minutes; if they brown, it’s been too long.  They should look white when done.

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Buttercream Icing

  • Servings: Makes 3 cups icing
  • Print

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1 cup butter
1 lb (4 cups) sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla or other flavored extract (almond is really good!)
Dash salt

Cream butter with a mixer. Beat in remaining ingredients. This yields 3 cups STIFF icing. Add additional milk for a thinner icing.

For Chocolate Buttercream: Add 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and 1 Tbs additional milk.

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Glacé Icing

  • Servings: Makes about 2 cups icing
  • Print

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1 lb powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
¼ cup+ 2 Tbs whole milk
¼ cup + 2 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
Gel food coloring

With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth. Stir in corn syrup and almond or vanilla extract. Add food coloring for desired colors.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. The way it is right now is the consistency you want for glazing. It’s smooth and thin. It easily runs off of a whisk in a thin drizzle.

To prepare the icing for piping, add more powdered sugar.

From Our Best Bites

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TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECAP:
DAY 1:
Swedish Peppar KaKar
DAY 2: Mint Oreo Cookies
DAY 3: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY 4: Cherry Nut Mudslides
DAY 5: Snickerdoodles
DAY 6: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
DAY 7: Peanut Butter Kisses
DAY 8: Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies
DAY 9: Chocolate Rolo and Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies
DAY 10: Russian Tea Cakes
DAY 11: Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

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DAY 11: These Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies combine three great tastes: chocolate, caramel, and pecans. They look complicated, but are actually pretty easy to put together. I like to use a dark chocolate drizzle, but you could use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips or even milk chocolate chips for a less-intense flavor.

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Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints

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1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
¼ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups finely chopped pecans

Caramel sauce:
30 caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Glaze:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs corn syrup

Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat until well combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place egg whites in a small bowl. Place finely chopped pecans in a bowl. Set aside. Roll dough into balls. Dip balls into egg white and then into pecans. (I find this easier if I make a whole baking sheet worth of dough balls, then dip them all in egg/pecans). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make a small indentation with your thumb in the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes, or until cookies are set. While cookies are still hot, press center again (the back of a measuring teaspoon or small melon-baller work well for this–no burned thumbs!)

To prepare Caramel Sauce: Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until caramels are melted. Spoon small amount of caramel into centers of baked cookies. Carefully remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.

For Chocolate Glaze: Combine bittersweet chips, butter, and corn syrup in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 20-30 seconds if not melted. Let cool slightly. Pour chocolate into a small Ziploc freezer bag (don’t use a regular bag-it WILL burst). Poke a hole in the corner of the bag (a bamboo skewer makes a perfect sized hole). Drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies. Cool until set.

To store: refrigerate or freeze cookies in individual layers; then store between layers of waxed paper in the refrigerator or freezer. They can also be stored at room temperature, but if you stack them, they will stick together.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

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TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECAP:
DAY 1:
Swedish Peppar KaKar
DAY 2: Mint Oreo Cookies
DAY 3: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY 4: Cherry Nut Mudslides
DAY 5: Snickerdoodles
DAY 6: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
DAY 7: Peanut Butter Kisses
DAY 8: Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies
DAY 9: Chocolate Rolo and Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies
DAY 10: Russian Tea Cakes

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Russian Tea Cakes

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DAY 10: These are my kids’ favorite Christmas cookies. They call them “Red and Green Ball Cookies.” Even the child who thinks she hates nuts loves these cookies. They were one of the cookies that I loved to make with my Mom every Christmas. They are a lot of fun to make with kids, even if they do leave your fingers (and the lips and tongues that lick those fingers) stained red and green for the next 24 hours.

DSC05070 Yes, Little J did roll all of these cookies in sugar for me. She’s an awesome helper!

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Also called Mexican Wedding Cookies, these cookies can be made all year round without the red and green sugar. Just bake them plain and then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.

RECIPE:

Russian Tea Cakes

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1 cup butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
Red & Green granulated sugar or Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt on low speed of a mixer for 1 minute. Add flour; mix just until combined. Stir in nuts. Roll into 1” balls. If using colored sugar, roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until firm to touch, but not brown. If using powdered sugar instead of color sugar, roll cooked cookies in powdered sugar while still warm.

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TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECAP:
DAY 1:
Swedish Peppar KaKar
DAY 2: Mint Oreo Cookies
DAY 3: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY 4: Cherry Nut Mudslides
DAY 5: Snickerdoodles
DAY 6: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
DAY 7: Peanut Butter Kisses
DAY 8: Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies
DAY 9: Chocolate Rolo and Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

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Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Two Great Cookies from One Easy Dough

Chocolate Rolo Cookies
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DAY 9: I first tried this dough in the Andes Mint version at a cookie dough exchange (thanks Jaimee!). The original recipe is from Recipezaar. Finding myself wanting a similar cookie, but not having any Andes mints in the house, I adapted them to make Chocolate Rolo Cookies. This is my favorite way to eat them now!

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The original Andes cookie recipe uses regular Andes, but when I make these I prefer the Andes Parfait, that have the 2 green layers on the outside and a chocolate middle layer. It makes a nice contrast with the chocolate cookie.

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Chocolate Rolo Cookies

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¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugarclip_image002
2 Tbs water
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups flourclip_image002[1]
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
Rolos

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, sugar, and water. Heat until melted and add chocolate chips until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix on low speed until well blended. Dough will be very soft, almost liquid. If desired, chill for 1 hour for easier handling (you can usually use the dough in less than an hour).

Take about 1 Tbs dough and wrap it around a Rolo (use just enough dough to completely cover Rolo). Place on baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes (Do not overcook; cookies will still look a little underdone). Cool on baking sheet 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies

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Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

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¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugarclip_image002
2 Tbs water
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups flourclip_image002[1]
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
About 24 Andes mints (Parfait variety, if you can find them)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine butter, sugar, and water. Heat until melted and add chocolate chips until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time on high speed. Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix on low speed until well blended. Dough will be very soft, almost liquid. If desired, chill for 1 hour for easier handling (you can usually use the dough in less than an hour).

Roll dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Place half of an Andes mint  on top of each hot cookie. Allow to melt slightly and swirl with a toothpick.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies (the original recipe says that it makes 2 dozen, but I got almost double that).

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TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECAP:
DAY 1:
Swedish Peppar KaKar
DAY 2: Mint Oreo Cookies
DAY 3: Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY 4: Cherry Nut Mudslides
DAY 5: Snickerdoodles
DAY 6: Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies
DAY 7: Peanut Butter Kisses
DAY 8: Peppermint and Vanilla Butter Cookies

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