Walnut Ref Christmas Cookies Day 8!

Walnut Ref Cookies                   B.Lowe

3¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 ¼ cup shortening

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup walnuts

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.  Cream sugar and shortening until fluffy, add eggs, vanilla, and beat on high speed.  Add walnuts, mix at low speed then add flour mixture and mix until blended.  Press and shape into 3 loaves, 3 inches sq and 5 inches long on waxed paper.  Chill cut 1/8 to ¼ inches thick.  Bake 1 inch apart, ungreased baking sheet at 400° for 5 -8 minutes.  Cool on rack, makes 6 dozen.

Currant Crisps, Christmas Cookies Day 7!

Currant Crisps   B. Lowe

1½ cup flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg beaten lightly

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup moist currants

Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.  With electric beater cream butter, add sugar, little at a time.  Beat 2 minutes.  Add the egg, vanilla and beat 1 minute.  Add flour mixture in 2 batches, blending at low speed until it is just combined after each addition.  Stir in currants, chill dough covered for 3 hours or overnight.  Roll level teaspoons into balls.  Arrange 2 inches apart on baking sheets with parchment paper.  (I just greased them)  Flatten each ball with tines of fork.  Bake cookies in middle of preheated oven 375° for 8 to 9 minutes or until golden around edges.  Put on rack, when cool store in airtight containers, makes 120 cookies.

Christmas Cookies Day 6! Chocolate Mint Melt Aways

Christmas Cookies Day 6

Chocolate Mint Melt Aways   Heather Adams ( a participant in this years 1st annual cookie exchange)
WARNING - these cookies take a long time to make and not for the novice, but they are worth the effort!

Cookies:
1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flour

Ganache:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
9 oz. imported white chocolate (such as Lindt), chopped
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Coating
9 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening

For Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350.  Butter 2 heavy large cookie sheets.  Using electric mixer, cream butter and extracts in medium bowl until light.  Beat in sugar.  Beat in half of flour. Stir in remaining flour.  Spoon half of dough into pastry bag fitted with no. 4 star tip.  Pipe 2 1/2 inch long ovals with solid centers onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies 1/2 inch apart.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Bake until golden brown on edges, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels and cool.  (Can also be shaped by hand)

For Ganache:
Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over low heat.  Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in extract.  Refrigerate until ganache is firm, about 30 minutes.

For Coating:
Melt bittersweet chocolate and vegetable shortening in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Remove from over water.

Dip 1 end of 1 cookie into bittersweet chocolate.  Grasp cookie on sides and dip ganache side into bittersweet chocolate; shake cookie to remove excess chocolate.  Place cookie on same sheet, chocolate side down.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  Chill until chocolate sets, 30 minutes.  Remove cookies from foil.  (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead.  Refrigerate in single layers in airtight containers.  Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies - With a Twist

Christmas Cookies Day 5!

Simple cookie w/a twist to make it extra delicious.

Chocolate Chip Cookies                 B. Lowe

2¼ cups unsifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package Jello Instant Pudding Vanilla

2 eggs

1 package (12 oz) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix flour with baking soda. Combine butter, the sugars, vanilla and pudding mix in large mixture bowl; beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chips and nuts.  (Batter will be stiff)  Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 375° for 8 to 10 minutes.  Makes about 7 dozen.  For chocolate chocolate chip cookies, substitute chocolate pudding.

Butter Party Cookies

Christmas Cookies Day 4!

Butter Party Cookies                                B. Lowe

1 cup confectionery sugar

1 cup Butter – softened

4 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

food coloring

Heat oven at 350°, makes 7 ½ dozen.

Cream sugar, butter, vanilla – lightly spoon flour into measuring cup to level off.  Add flour and mix until well blended – divide dough in half.  Tint with food colors.  Form (2) 8 x1 in rolls.  Slice each roll in half lengthwise and replace each half with dough of opposite color.  Put rolls back together and form 2 8x1 in. rolls.  Slice with sharp knife  bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.  Cool slightly before removing.  Tint half dough with ¼ teaspoon red and ¼ teaspoon green.  Decorate before baking.  Do not refrigerate.  Roll in hand to form ball.

Yes...these are happening this year in my house!

Cherry Winks

Christmas Cookies Day 3!

Cherry Winks                                         B. Lowe Written on the type of paper that used to hang next to the phone in the kitchen.

2 ¼ cup flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup nuts chopped

1 cup finely pitted dates

1 cup maraschino chopped cherries

2 2/3 cups Kellogg’s corn flakes crushed

15 maraschino cherries cut into quarters

Stir flour, baking powder, salt, set aside.  Beat margarine, sugar, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs beat well.  Stir in milk & vanilla, add flour mixture and mix well.  Stir in nuts, dates, and cherries.  Shape into balls.  Roll in crushed corn flakes and put on greased baking sheets.  Top each with cherry quarter.  Bake at 350 10-14 minutes, until browned.  5 dozen.

These sound quite tasty as well...I don't know how to decide what to make this year!

Christmas Cookies Day 2!!

Mackies Cracked Sugar                                       B. Lowe

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 cup butter (half margarine)

3 large egg yolks slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups sifted flour

1 tsp soda

½ tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven 350°, lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Cream sugar, butter, add yolks and vanilla.  Sift flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar, mix into butter sugar mixture.  Form dough into walnut size balls. Place 2 inches apart, do not flatten.  Bake 11 minutes until tops are cracked and just turning color.  Cook on wire rack.  Makes about 4 dozen.

It's getting close to Christmas!  I've just returned from a cookie exchange - best idea yet! And decided to post the 12 days of Cookies.  Enjoy!

Almond Butter Cookies                                       B. Lowe

1 cup butter or margarine

½ cup sugar

2 cups flour

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp Almond extract

Cream butter & sugar, add extract.  Add salt & flour.  Chill dough.  Form one inch balls & roll in sugar.  Stamp with cookie stamp.  Bake at 350° 12-15 minutes.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.  You can stamp these with a back of a spoon to flatten if you don't have a cookie stamp, they just wont have cute little figures on them but will still taste delicious!

Husky Chocolate Cake B. Lowe

¼ cup shortening
¼ cup oleo [butter]
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
¾ cup cocoa
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup milk

Cream shortening, oleo, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Mix flour, cocoa, Baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Add alternately with milk. Blend well. Bake 350 30-35 minutes. 2 – 9’ pans.


Can we say yum?

Deviled Chicken Wings Bernadette Lowe

½ cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup Parmesan
3 lb. (about 14) chicken wings – wing tips cut off


In shallow bowl, whisk mustard, oil, vinegar, and cayenne. In another bowl, toss together bread crumbs and Parmesan. Coat a chicken wing at a time with mustard mixture and put them thick skin side down into the Parmesan crumb mixture. Arrange them crumb side up on the oiled rack of a broiler pan. Salt & Pepper and bake for 450 for 30 minutes or until golden, tender when pierced. Transfer them until rack, can be made 1 day in advance. Keep covered and chilled. Reheat chicken wings on a baking sheet 400 for 15 minutes.

it's getting to the party season...these may have to make a holiday appearance!!