Day 20 of 25 Days of Christmas: Seven Layer Cookies

More Christmas Cookies! I’ve heard these called Magic Cookie Bars also

Seven Layer Cookies

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter and place in bottom of 9 x 13″  pan.
Place remaining items in pan in the order listed.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or till brown.
Cool for 15 minutes and cut.

Day 19 o f 25 Recipes of Christmas: Snowballs

Christmas cookies again!

Snowballs

FILLING:
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped salted cocktail peanuts
COOKIE:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups butter — softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
Powdered sugar

To make filling:
Melt peanut butter chips and chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring till  smooth. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and peanuts, mix well. Chill until firm enough to shape. Roll into 3/4″ balls; set aside.

To make cookie:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, combine flour, butter and vanilla extract; knead until well blended. Shape into one 11″ log, cut into 1/4″ slices. Shape each dough slice around a ball of filling. Roll into a ball and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes. Cool. Roll in powdered sugar.

Yield: 3 dozen

Day 17 of 25 Recipes of Christmas: Christmas Bells

These are fun cookies to make and eat. They are shaped like bells. It is not difficult to do, but it does take a little pre-planning.

Christmas Bells 

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix shortening, margarine, sugar, egg and vanilla thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping or sifting. Stir flour, soda and salt together. Blend in to creamed mixture.  Color 2/3 of the dough red or green. Mold into 10 x 1 1/2″ roll. Mold this roll into a bell shape by squeezing the top together and leaving the lower half flared and curving; chill.

Save 1/4 of white dough for clappers. Roll out the rest of dough on waxed paper into a rectangle large enough to cover colored roll, about 10 x 4″; trim edges. Wrap around roll; chill again.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 1/8″ thick slices. Place 1/2″ apart on ungreased baking sheet. Press tiny ball of dough at bottom for clapper. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Day 6 of 25 Recipes of Christmas: Cut Out Cookies

Here is my family’s version of cut out cookies. This is the only time I ever make cut out cookies. Coincidentally, it is also the only time of year that I use swear words. I don’t get along too well with this type of cookie. I’m too impatient and try to be too perfect. Since my kids are older now, I’ve handed this tradition over to them to do and I stay out of the kitchen. The recipe is not difficult. In fact, I’ve tried many sugar cookie recipes and have the same results whenever I use cookie cutters. The problem lies with ME.

Cut Out Cookies

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup shortening
1 dash nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
ICING:
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1/2 stick margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces cream cheese — softened
1 teaspoon milk

Mix together sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, shortening, nutmeg and salt. Add flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Roll out dough to 1/4″ thickness and cut out with cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Cool and ice.

ICING:
Mix together ingredients and color with paste food coloring.

Day 4 of 25 Recipes of Christmas: Chocolate Date Envelopes

These are so pretty sitting on the cookie platter. They take a little time to make, so I only make them for special occasions, like Christmas.

Chocolate Date Envelopes

COOKIE:
1 1/4 cups flour
3 ounces cream cheese — softened
1/2 cup butter — softened
FILLING:
1 cup Nestle Little Bits Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
8 ounces pitted dates — chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons orange juice
powdered sugar

To make the cookie:
Combine flour, cream cheese and butter; knead until well blended. Shape into ball; wrap and refrigerate.

To make the filling:
Combine the Nestle Little Bits, dates, walnuts, orange rind and juice. Press into ball.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On floured board, roll dough into 13″ square; cut into 2 1/2″ squares. Shape rounded teaspoonful filling into log. Place in center of square. Bring two diagonal corners of each square to the center and pinch.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yield: 25 cookies

Day 3 of 25 Recipes of Christmas: Candy Cane Cookies

Here is the quintessential Christmas cookie. In our house, Christmas is not Christmas unless this cookie is on the plate. We used to put one of these cookies on Santa’s cookie plate on Christmas Eve.

Candy Cane Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
1/2 cup sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, butter, sugar, egg and flavorings thoroughly.

Mix flour and salt; stir into shortening mixture.

Divide dough in half. Blend food coloring into half of the dough. Roll a 4″ strip (using 1 tsp. dough) from color. For smooth even strips, roll them back and forth on lightly floured board. Place strips side by side, press lightly together and twist like a rope. For best results, complete cookies one at a time – if all dough of one color is shaped first, strips become too dry to twist.

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Curve top to form the handle of a cane. Bake about 9 minutes, until lightly browned. While still warm, sprinkle with mixture of crushed candies and sugar.