Mocha Cookie Pretzels
Looking for a little something special to bake up for the holidays? These elegant mocha-frosted cookies are wonderful with coffee and make an eye-catching addition to any cookie platter.-- Country Woman Test Kitchen
You Will Need
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
GLAZE
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
2 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate, chopped
Green colored sugar, optional
What to Do
1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Divide dough into fourths; divide each portion into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6-in. rope; twist into a pretzel shape. Place 1 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.
3. For glaze, in a microwave, melt the chocolate chips, shortening and corn syrup; stir until smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar and enough coffee to achieve desired consistency. Dip cookies in glaze; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper until set.
4. In a microwave, melt white chocolate; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Decorate with green sugar if desired; let stand until set.
Yield: 4 dozen.
No-Bake Spruce Cookies
These easy treats won first prize at our last cookie exchange for prettiest and best-tasting cookie! They're fun to make, and your kids will like trimming them with red-hot candy ornaments.-- Jeanette Alessi, Orange, California
You Will Need
36 large marshmallows
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 to 2 teaspoons green food coloring
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups cornflakes
Red-hot candies
12 Tootsie Roll Midgees, cut in half, optional
What to Do
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the marshmallows, butter, food coloring and almond extract. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from the heat; gently stir in cornflakes until well coated. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.
2. Using a 3-in. Christmas tree cookie cutter, shape into trees. Add red-hots for ornaments. Press a Tootsie Roll half into the base for tree trunk if desired.
Yield: about 2 dozen.
Brown Sugar Cutouts
I bake so many cookies for the holidays that I have one recipe box just for cookies alone! But of all of them, these simple cutouts are among my husband's flavor favorites.-- Norma Mueller, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
You Will Need
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
FROSTING
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Green food coloring, optional
What to Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and lemon peel; beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda and ginger; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
2. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with 2-in. cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
3. For frosting, in a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough cream to achieve spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired to some or all of the frosting. Decorate cookies.
Yield: about 6 dozen.
Chocolate-Dipped Maple Logs
For as long as I can remember, these fancy little maple logs have been a Christmas tradition at our house. My girls loved working the assembly line and dipping the ends in chocolate.-- Lorraine Caland, Thunder Bay, Ontario
You Will Need
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup ground walnuts
What to Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar. Beat in vanilla and maple flavoring. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
2. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into 1/2-in.- wide logs. Cut into 2-in. pieces. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 15-18 minutes or until set and very lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
3. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate, then roll in walnuts. Place on waxed paper until set.
Yield: about 6 dozen.
Peppermint Twist Kisses
As rosy as Santa's cheeks, these merry morsels with the chocolate kisses on top are a delightful Yuletide favorite.-- Traci Krick, Bear, Delaware
You Will Need
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 8 drops red food coloring
36 chocolate kisses
What to Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and extracts; mix well. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; tint one portion red. Divide each into four portions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Shape each portion into a 9-in. log. Place one red log next to one white log; twist gently to create one swirled roll. Roll gently until roll becomes one log. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Cut each log into nine slices; roll each into a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Press chocolate kisses into the center of warm cookies. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Yield: 3 dozen.
Raspberry Treasures
Light and flaky, these delicate fruit-filled cookies have the look of petite and elegant pastries. We like them with a spot of raspberry or apricot filling -- and a cup of Christmas tea.-- Country Woman Test Kitchen
You Will Need
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry filling
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
What to Do
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 teaspoon raspberry filling in the center of each. Bring three edges together over filling, overlapping slightly (a small amount of filling will show); pinch edges gently. In a small bowl, beat egg and water; brush over dough.
3. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks.
Yield: 2 dozen.
Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Solo filling.
Cookie-Making Tips
- Use your electric knife to easily cut rolled and chilled cookie dough. You will get perfectly even cookies every time.
- Save the paper wrapping from sticks of butter and store in the freezer. When a recipe calls for a greased pan or cookie sheet, rub with one of the wrappings.
- Freeze unbaked cookie dough for up to 4 months.
These cookies are gorgeous and no-bake cookies? Why not...so simple, especially for kids. But the pretzel shaped ones with coffee, yum!