Sunday, December 4, 2011

Cookie Exchange Recipes

Here is a compiled list of recipes for some of the cookies that were brought to the cookie exchange. Thanks ladies for a wonderful evening. I hope everyone is enjoying their cookies. I can't believe what talented friends I have, they all looked lovely!

Chocolate Chews

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt the chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan over very low heat. Stir to evenly melt.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars until light. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture slowly. Blend thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes. Let sit on cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing to a rack to cool.


M&M Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups candy-coated milk chocolate
pieces
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add 3/4 cup of M&M candies.
2. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 11 minutes, to your liking









Peppermint Biscotti
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup crushed peppermint candies

FROSTING:
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Directions
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff). Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Candy Cane Blossoms



1 bag Hershey’s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons milk
Red and Green colored sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approx. 35 cookies.

NILLA Turtle Cookie Balls

What You Need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
70 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 2-1/3 cups)
3 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Make It
MIX first 3 ingredients until well blended.
SHAPE into 42 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.
How to Easily Dip Balls
To easily coat balls with the melted chocolate, add balls, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll balls in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place balls in prepared pan; let stand until firm.
Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
PHILADELPHIA Sugar Cookie Cutouts
What You Need

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup colored sugar

BEAT cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add granulated sugar and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour, beating well after each addition; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with 3- to 4-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle cutouts with colored sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets.
Or…instead of cutting out and decorating divide half the dough and color one ball with food coloring then roll them both out separately; then put one on top of the other and then roll it up like a log; wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for a few hours...then pull out and roll in your choice of sprinkles; cut and bake.
BAKE 12 to 15 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 2 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Rolo Pretzel Bites

Ingredients
Rolos, pretzels, pecan halves
Place pretzel on cookie sheet, top with a rolo.
Bake in the oven at 250*F for 4-5 minutes (no longer).
When you remove them from the oven, the Rolo will still be in the same shape as when it went in the oven. Place a pecan half on top of the Rolo and press down a bit.
Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for about 5-7 minutes to allow the Rolo to cool.
Remove from freezer and enjoy! Or place in a container to enjoy later.




Eggnog Cookies

Cookies:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Eggnog Glaze:
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons eggnog




Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C)
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Cream sugar and butter until light
4. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth.
5. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.
6. Do not over mix
7. Spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets or parchment paper and make the dough balls rather small, they will spread generously in the oven.
8. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
9. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown.
10. While cookies are in the oven, make the eggnog glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with 3 T eggnog.
11. Gaze your cookies warm or cooled and top with cinnamon.

Chocolate Chip Surprise
Bake a pan of brownies according to recipe of choice.
Mix together a recipe of Chocolate chip cookie dough of choice.
Once brownies are cooled, cut into small square, take cookie dough and scoop one scoop on top, and another on the bottom. Gently form around brownie and bake at 325 til golden brown.

Fudge Puddles
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fudge Filling-
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed
milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecan halves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream butter, peanut butter and white and brown sugars. Mix in egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into creamed mixture. Shape the dough into 48 balls, 1 inch each. Place each ball in one compartment of a mini muffin tin.
4. For filling, put chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in milk and vanilla, mix well.
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately make wells in the center of each using a melon baller. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove to wire racks. Using a measuring cup fill each shell with the chocolate mixture. Top with a pecan half