Candy Cane Cookies

Servings: 4 to 8 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (or almond)
1 egg
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
red food coloring
crushed candy canes



Directions:
Mix sugar, margarine, milk, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 375°F.


Peppermint Candy Canes: Substitute 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for the almond extract. Divide dough into halves. Add ½ teaspoon red food color to one half. For each candy cane, shape 1 teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and 1 white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. Bake as directed above. Mix 2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candy and 2 tablespoons sugar. Immediately sprinkle over baked cookies. About 4 dozen cookies.

Grinch Cookies

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6 to 8 drops green food color
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature

Ted our Magic Elf

Russian Teacakes

Russian Teacakes - Mexican Wedding Cakes - Swedish Tea Cake

Yields: 4 dozen
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted powdered (confectioners') sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely-chopped toasted nuts (nuts of your choice)**
Powdered (confectioner's) sugar

* To ensure recipe success, do not use self-rising flour.

** How to toast nuts - Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking pan (one with walls is best) for toasting in the oven. Cook at 400 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes or until the nuts start to turn golden. Shake the pan halfway through toasting.


Preparation:

In a large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Sift in flour and salt; stir until well mixed. Mix in nuts. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Tip: A small ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized cookies.

Place dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets with about 1-inch of space between them. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire cooling racks.

While cookies are baking, place the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar until completely coated. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar. The first rolling allows the sugar to melt into the cookies - the second rolling gives the finished snowy-white topping.

Store in an airtight container. Variation: Substitute 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips for the nuts.

Yields 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies
Source: Betty Crocker Cook Book

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Gold Medal flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Jelly


Preparation Instructions:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough by teaspoonfuls into 1 inch balls.

Beat egg white slightly. Dip each dough ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet. Cool; fill thumbprint with jelly or tinted icing (recipe follows). About 3 dozen cookies.