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CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE COOKIES

Everybody loves a cookie (or a biscuit if your English) – no matter what the occasion. Celebrations, parties,festive get-togethers or just a glass of milk and a cookie at bed time. Kids love a cookie, most adults love a cookie, so here is a cookie recipe collection to add to our already vast cookie library.

(Winning recipe)

Team: Steve Prybylla, Ron Daugherty, Greg Adams, Ashley Conti

13/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

Filling

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

For cookies: Whisk flour, cocoa and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not over bake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and two drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of one cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling. Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling).

Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Source: Epicurious.com

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK AND DRIED CHERRY
OATMEAL COOKIES

Team: Greg Fallon, Ivy Farguheson, Mark DiFabio

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

1 cup dried cherries

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in oats, cherries and chocolate. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined or lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottom edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

Source: Bakeorbreak.com

DARK CHOCOLATE FLORENTINES

Team: Betsy Meyer, Erika Strebel,
Jordan Kartholl, Danyel Decker, Kristen Londt

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 whole wheat flour

1/4 cup low-fat milk or low-fat plain soymilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup toasted almonds or walnuts (see tip), finely chopped

1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with foil or nonstick baking mats. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add oil, oats, sugar, flour, milk (or soymilk), vanilla, salt and nuts and mix well. Drop level teaspoons of dough 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Spread or press each cookie into a thin, 2-inch circle with a fork or damp fingertips. Bake the cookies in batches, until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the foil or mats. (The cookies will appear somewhat lacy). When the cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water (or microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between). Gently spread the chocolate on the flat side of half (about 36) of the cookies. Gently spread a little jam on the flat side of the remaining cookies. Press the apricot and chocolate halves together to make a sandwich cookies.

Tip: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees, stirring once, until fragrant, 7-9 minutes.

To make ahead: Store in an airtight container at room for up to 2 days.

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

ROBIN’S NESTS

Team: Amy Reed, John Carlson, Sam Wilson

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

21/4 cups all-purpose flour

11/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 drops blue food coloring

1 drop green food coloring

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour and mix well. In a shallow dish, such as a pie pan, beat egg whites until foamy. Spread walnuts on a plate or waxed paper. Roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball; roll in egg whites then in walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Make a depression in each ball with your thumb. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with corn syrup, blue and green food coloring and almond extract. Gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar. Roll 1/2 teaspoon of fondant mixture into egg-shaped balls. Place fondant eggs into hollows of baked cookies.

Source: Allrecipes.com

BUCKEYE BALLS

Team: Heather Ault, Donna Penticuff,
Rachel Crockett, Emily Malloy

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

11/2 cups peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

Combine the melted butter or margarine, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter and the vanilla together and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on waxed paper. In the top half of a double boiler melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly. Use a toothpick to dip balls into the melted chocolate, leaving a small uncovered area so balls resemble buckeyes. Place balls on waxed paper. Use fingers to blend in toothpick holes. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Source: Allrecipes.com

WHITE CHRISTMAS JEWEL FUDGE

Team: Kimberly Townsend, Patti Blake,
Janet Wagner, Jeff Ward

3 (6 ounce) packages premium white chocolate

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped green candied cherries

1/2 cup chopped red candied cherries

Over low heat, melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt. Remove from heat; stir in cherries. Spread into foil-lined 8- or 9-inch square pan. Chill for 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off foil and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

Source: Recipehub.com

SWEET TORTILLA SNOWFLAKES

Team: Carey Jones, Meagan Fisher,
Jane Jakubiak, Mary Vannatta

6 flour tortillas

Canola oil or vegetable oil for baking

Confectioners’ sugar

Edible glitter (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Warm the tortillas (about 15 seconds) in the microwave. Individually fold the tortillas in half once and then in half again, so that you end up with a shape that resembles a wedge of pie (it will be thick). Using clean scissors, cut triangle, circles or squares out of the edges as if you were making paper snowflakes. Unfold the tortillas. Lightly brush the tops of the snowflakes with canola or vegetable oil and place them on a cookie sheet, slightly apart. Bake them until lightly browned and crisp (about 4 minutes). Sift confectioners’ sugar on the snowflakes while warm. For an extra sparkly effect, you can sprinkle on a bit of edible glitter. Makes 6.

Source: FamilyFun.com

PEANUT BUTTER REINDEER COOKIES

Team: Michelle Kinsey, Phil Beebe,
Sherry Anderson, Deb Garner

3/4 cup peanut butter

11/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

13/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels

Mini brown MMs

Regular-sized red MMs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer’s antlers. Press two mini brown MMs in for the eyes and one red MM (or any other color) for the nose. Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely. Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

Source: Baker Girl Printable Recipes

SANTA GRAHAMS

Red food color

11/4 cups vanilla frosting (from 16-ounce can)

12 (21/2-inch-square) graham crackers

1 cup (about 75) miniature marshmallows, halved crosswise

6 small red gumdrops, halved crosswise

24 red cinnamon candies

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In a small bowl, stir 1/4 teaspoon red food color into 1/4 cup of the frosting; blend well. In a separate bowl, stir 1 drop red food color into remaining 1 cup frosting; blend well. For each cookie, frost 1 inch of one corner of cracker with dark red frosting for Santa’s hat. Place one marshmallow piece in corner for pom-pom. Frost remainder of cracker with pink frosting. Place marshmallow pieces on pink frosting around 2 sides for beard. Add gumdrop for nose and cinnamon candies for eyes. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Makes 12 cookies.

cookie baking with Bill & Sheila

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