Here are the recipes for this years Christmas Cookies. I gave away platters to friends and neighbors. Ours of course are on a cake plate with a cover!
I made:
Tennessee Butter Cookies filled with Pineapple Preserves
Apricot Nut Bars
Cranberry Christmas Fudge
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Rugelach
Here are the recipes for you:
TENNESSEE BUTTER COOKIES (filled with Pineapple Preserves)
Source: Some Like it South! by the Jr. League Pensacola Florida
Makes 5 dozen
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. vanilla
Your favorite jam, jelly or preserves (for the filling)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and blend in flour.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Depress centers, forming a ridge around edges. Spoon filling into depressions.
Bake for 20 minutes.
APRICOT BAR COOKIES
Source: Some Like It South! by the Jr. League Pensacola Florida
Makes 24 bars
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups Smucker's Apricot Preserves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in egg yolk. Stir in flour and then walnuts.
Place 1/2 of dough in a 9x13-inch pan and spread evenly. Press gently to shape. Cover with preserves and top with remaining crumbled dough.
Bake until browned, 20-25 minutes.
CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS FUDGE
Source: Cranberry Corner Antique Shop, Maitland, Florida
Makes 81 squares
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup fresh cranberries
Cream cheese and sugar together til light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Knead in almonds.
Press half the mixture in a 9-inch square pan. Place cranberries evenly over the fudge, press down gently, cover with remaining fudge and press level. Chill. Cut in squares and store in fridge.
PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES
Source: Southern Living Christmas Cookbook
Makes 3 dozen
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. heavy (whipping) cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 (13 oz.) package Reese's mini peanut butter cups
Beat sugar, peanut butter and butter together at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg, whipping cream, and vanilla; beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture; stir well.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Press dough into mini paper baking cups into mini baking muffin tins.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; press a peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Bake for 3 more minutes. Remove from oven. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Made with Betty Crocker's Gingerbread Cake Mix. Recipe on side of box.
RUGELACH
(For this recipe with step-by-step photos click here)
Source: Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ina Garten
Makes 4 dozen
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 Tablespoons, divided use
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided use
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in food processor
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. milk, for egg wash
TO MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball into quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Combine 6 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
TO MAKE THE RUGELACH:
On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 Tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly onto the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges -- cutting the whole circle into quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush each cookie with egg wash. Combine 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.
Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.
