Day 12 of the 12 Tastes of Christmas

Today's the last day of our goodies... we sincerely hope you have enjoyed these treats at the store, or at least getting the recipes, maybe for some new goodies to add to your holiday cookies and treats!

The cookie today was Eggnog Snickerdoodles. There encompass all the best part of both Eggnog and Snickerdoodles and are now Carrie's favorite Christmas cookie. We hope you enjoy them too.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Day 12

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1½ tsp. rum extract

1½ cup powdered sugar

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1.    Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.    Whisk first 4 dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Using stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 – 6 minutes. Add eggs and rum extract and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

3.    Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Using greased bottom of measuring cup, press each ball into ½-inch thick round.

4.     Bake until edges are lightly browned, 8 – 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool completely, about 45 minutes.

5.    Combine powdered sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl. Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust cookies with sugar mixture before serving.

Cookie Recipe for Day 11

Day 11's cookies are called Joy cookies and they are a joy to each- shortbread with chocolate, coconut and almonds...

Day 11

Joy Cookies

4 dozen cookies

From: Eating Well Magazine

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. melted semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tbsp. toasted coconut

48 sliced almonds

1.    Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a 15-by10-inch baking sheet with 1-inch sides with cooking spray.

2.    Beat sugar, butter, oil, egg, milk and almond extract in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan in a thin layer.

3.    Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 48 bars.

4.    Decorate each bar with a drizzle of melted chocolate, a sprinkle of toasted coconut and an almond slice.

Day 9 & 10 of the 12 Tastes of Christmas

Due to our snow yesterday we had lots of leftovers, so the Coconut-Lime Dream Bites are the goodie of the day for both day 9 and 10. But they are soooo good! These have to be our new favorite bars!
We hope you think so too.

Day 9 and 10

Coconut-Lime Dream Bites

15 bars

From: Americas Test Kitchen

1 2/3 cups cake four, sifted

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

¾ tsp. salt

11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces and chilled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 cup (3 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut

4 tsp. grated line zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 limes)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1.    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Make a foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

2.    Process flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ tsp. salt in food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles course meal, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer with fingers. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 156 minutes. Let crust cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.

3.    Meanwhile, whisk brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, remaining ½ tsp. slat, and baking powder together in bowl. Stir in coconut and walnuts. Pout filling over warm crust and bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.

4.    Combine lime zest and remaining 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar in bowl. Whisk confectioners’ sugar and lime juice together in second bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over warm bars and spread into even layer. Sprinkle with lime sugar. Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. Life bars our to pan, Cut into 15 pieces.

Day 8 of the 12 Tastes of Christmas

Today's goodie was Festive Fruit & Nut Balls. They were rolled in coconut and are like all the best parts of fruit cake with out the cake!

Enjoy-

Day 8

Festive Fruit and Nut Balls

36 cookies

From: Eating Well Magazine

¾ cup sugar

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cut pitted and snipped dates

2 large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup chopped pistachios, preferably unsalted

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. rum extract

¾ cut shredded coconut

1.    Combine sugar, cranberries, dates and eggs in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, is pale yellow in color, registers at least 170°F and when a spoon is pulled through it, it leaves a clear trail. This will take 6 – 14 minutes, depending on how hot your stove’s medium-hot setting is.

2.    Remove from the heat; stir in pistachios, walnuts, pecans and rum extract. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 45 minutes.

3.    With damp hands, form mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coconut. Place the finished balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and store in the refrigerator.

Day 7 Recipe for 12 Tastes of Christmas

Harriet definitely out-did herself today! These Fuzzy Navel Balls were a huge hit! and who wouldn't enjoy a little orange/peach flavored Nila wafer rolled in powdered suger! They are light, refreshing and a new favorite of ours for sure!

Day 7

Fuzzy Navel Balls

1 box vanilla Wafers, crushed

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup undiluted frozen orange juice

1 Tbsp. Peach Schnapps

Mix all ingredients well. Form 1” balls. Rollin more powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container and enjoy – warning these are wonderfully addictive!

Tastes of Christmas Day 6 Recipe

Today Harriet made her wonderful Chocolate Thumbprint cookies A little bit of chocolate heaven!

Day 6

Chocolate Thumb Prints

From: Fine Cooking

Almond Cookie Dough:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. table salt

4 oz. (3/4 cup) whole almonds

12 oz. (1½ cup) unsalted butter, cut in large chunks and slightly softened

4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. pure almond extract

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1.    Process the sugar and salt in a food processor until it looks powdery and a little finer, 30 – 60 seconds. Add the almonds and process until they’re finely chopped, about 20 seconds. Add the butter and the vanilla and almond extracts. Pulse until the butter is smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary.

2.    Add the flour and pulse until a soft dough begins to form around the blade.

3.    Transfer dough to a large bowl and stir briefly with a rubber scraper to be sure it’s evenly mixed.

4.    Portion the dough into equal thirds, each weighing about 11 oz.

Chocolate Thumbprints:

Use 1/3 of the dough

¼ cup coarse sugar

2½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

5 tsp. unsalted butter

1.    Scoop a generous teaspoonful of dough and shape into a 1-inch ball. Roll the ball in the sugar and set it on a tray lined with waxed paper. Repeat to make 24 cookies.

2.    Press a thumb, dipped in flour, to create a depression into each ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

3.    Remove cookies from refrigerator and arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet. Position rack in center of the oven and heat to 325°F. Let the cookies sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Gently redefine the depressions if necessary. Rotate the sheet and continue to bake until the tops are lightly colored and the bottoms are golden brown, another 8 – 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

4.    Melt the chocolate and butter over boiling water. Remove from heat when almost completely melted. Stir until smooth. Spoon the filling into each depression.

The remaining cookie dough can be used to make Almond Sables or more Thumbprints.

Tastes of Christmas- Day 5 Recipe

Today's cookies are Lemon Snowflakes- like lemon sugar cookies on lemon steroids- they are that good! You will definitely want to add these to your Christmas cookie repertoire!

-->

Day 5

Lemon Snowflakes

From America’s Test Kitchen

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup powdered sugar

1¼ cups granulated sugar

4 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 tbsp. lemon juice

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.    Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl.

2.    Place powdered sugar in a small bowl and set aside

3.    Process granulated sugar and lemon zest in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter, oil, lemon juice, egg and yolk, and vanilla and process until pale and thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is firm, about 1 hour.

4.    Roll 1½ tbsp. dough into balls, toss in powdered sugar, and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are cracked and set on top but look moist within cracks, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

5.    Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

Day 4 of the Tastes of Christmas

Today's "Taste" was Pumpkin Brownies and they were SO good! If you can't get enough pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving these will keep you enjoying that taste into the Christmas season... and who doesn't love cream cheese frosting!
Yum, yum yum!!

Day 4

Pumpkin Brownies

From: Stonewall Jackson Inn

1 - 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. salt

Cream Cheese Frosting- use your favorite recipe

1.    Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.    Beat together eggs, oil, pumpkin, and sugars.

3.    Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly mixed.

4.    Pour into a greased and floured 9-by-13 inch baking dish.

5.    Bake 30 minutes, or until center springs back when touched.

6.    Cool and top with whipped topping or cream cheese frosting.

Cookie Recipe #3

Today's cookies was a Molasses Spice cookie- they are awesome- not to "spicy" not to sweet and awesome with hot apple cider.
Enjoy!

Day 3

Molasses Spice Cookies

2 dozen cookies

Americas Test Kitchen

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling

2 ¼ cup all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. salt

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup molasses

1.    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.    Spread ½ cup sugar in shallow dish. In medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, allspice, pepper and salt together. Using stand mixer beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 – 6 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Beat in molasses until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until combined.

3.    Working with 2 Tbsp. of dough at a time, roll into balls with wet hands, then roll in sugar to coat. Space balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.

4.    Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are set and beginning to brown but centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through

baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes.

Cookie Recipes- Part 2

Day 2 of our Tastes of Christmas goodies is Rugelach. These awesome little bites are easy to make and oooh so tasty!

Enjoy!

Rugelach

32 cookies

From: Americas Test Kitchen

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 package store-bought pie dough

½ cup apricot jam

1 cup walnuts, chopped fine

½ cup golden raisins

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1.    Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.    Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Roll each dough round into 11” circle. Spread ¼ cup jam on top of each round, then sprinkle each with ½ cup walnuts, ¼ cup raisins, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar.

3.    Using a knife, evenly cut each dough round into 16 wedges. Starting at the wide end, roll up each wedge into crescent shape. Space cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheets, with pointed end underneath.

4.    Brush each with melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Bake until pale gold and slightly puffy, about 30 minutes. Switch and rotate pans halfway through.

5.    Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Cookie Recipes- part 1

Hello to all and Merry Christmas!
We know many of you are following our 12 Tastes of Christmas at the store and would like to have the recipes for Harriet's superb cookies... so day by day I will be posting the recipes as Harriet gets them to me!
Thanks for joining our fun and we hope you enjoy the cookies!

Happy Holidays!
Carrie

Day 1

Scandinavian Almond Cookies

About 2½ dozen

From: Betty Crocker Kitchens

Cookies:

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1/3 cup softened butter

1 egg

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. almond extract

3 tsp. milk

1 cup sliced almonds

Almond Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ tsp. almond extract

5 – 6 tsp. milk

2 Tbsp. sliced almonds

1.    Heat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, and extract until dough forms. Divide into 3 equal parts; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Press each into 12 x 3-inch rectangles. Note – dough will spread to about 5” so leave plenty of room between logs.

2.    Brush each rectangle with 1 tsp. of milk; sprinkle each with 1/3 cup almonds. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; cut into 1-inch diagonal slices. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3.    In small bowl, stir powdered sugar, ¼ tsp. almond extract and 5 – 6 tsp. milk until desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. almonds.