CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES

After tweeting and posting about my adventures in Holiday Cookieland, I had lots of requests to post the recipes of the cookies I made.  Of course you don't have to wait until December to whip up these delicious treats.  Cookies are good all the time!

A couple of things to know when baking: It's an exact science, so be exact with your ingredients and measurements.  DO NOT USE IMITATION VANILLA.  You deserve the real thing.  Mexican vanilla is my personal favorite.  It adds that certain je ne sais quoi that makes the cookies special.  If you don't have time to jaunt down to Mexico for spices, it can usually be found at Fiesta grocery stores or specialty baking shops.  Chill the dough overnight for best results.  Resist the urge to eat too much raw cookie dough.  It's good, but the baked cookies are much much better.

Please know that I didn't create all of these recipes, but I have mastered them.  My favorites among those pictured below: Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprints. Though they're all ridiculously good.  Enjoy!

 Left to right: Magic Peanut Butter Middles, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Russian Tea Cakes, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprints

MAGIC PEANUT BUTTER MIDDLES

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TSP baking soda

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2.  In small bowl blend flour, cocoa and baking soda. Mix until well blended.
3.  In large bowl beat sugar, butter or margarine and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.  
4.  To make Filling: Combine confectioner's sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Blend well.  
5.  Roll filling into 30 - 1 inch balls. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 Tablespoon of dough around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with glass dipped in sugar.  
6.  Bake at for 7-9 minutes. When cookies are done, they should be set and slightly cracked.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

1 1/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 TSP baking soda

1 TSP salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.

3.  Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
4.  Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

6 TBS confectioner's sugar

2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended.

3.  Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4.  Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar. I also like to roll mine in the sugar a second time.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

3 cups unbleached flour

1 TSP baking soda

2 TSP HOT water

1/2 TSP salt

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

3.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.

4.  Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
5.  Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. 

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 TSP baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
2.  In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla.

3.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
4.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER THUMBPRINTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 packed light brown sugar

1 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

1 1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/2 TSP salt

2 TBS whole milk

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chopped

1/4 cup skinless, unsalted peanuts

FILING

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 TBS creamy peanut butter

1 TBS water

1 TSP real vanilla or Mexican vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue creaming, then add the vanilla and mix. Mix in the flour and salt. Add the milk and chopped chocolate and mix.
3.  Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls and dip the top of the ball in chopped peanuts. Place on a cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart and push your thumb in the middle to make a depression.
4.  Bake until light golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
5.  To make the filling, over hot water melt the chocolate then stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool 5 minutes then fill the centers of the cookies. Allow to slightly set, approximately 10 minutes.