Eric's Snowball Cookies

My husband, Eric, makes the most wonderful cookies.  He is the baker and I’m the cook in the family.  Every Christmas he makes big batches of cookies that my coworkers and family “ohhh and “awwe” over.  One of the very best cookies he makes are his snowball cookies.  This recipe is a little different from most as he likes to add more vanilla and powdered sugar than most.  The result is heavenly!

Snowball cookies are not only easy to make but so tasty!

Eric’s Snowball Cookie Recipe:

1 c. butter
1 c. confectioners sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Bowl of confectioners sugar for rolling the balls in

• Cream together butter and confectioners sugar. (Eric likes to use our KitchenAid mixer for this)
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Mix well to form cookie dough.
• Place dough in fridge for 1 hour to rest.
• Form into small shaped balls.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 12 to 15 minutes. Check for light brown color after 10 minutes.
• When completely cool roll in confectioners sugar.
• Enjoy!!

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Christmas Cookies

Want to make delicious and pretty Christmas cookies in almost no time flat?  Check out this wonderful video on how to make Christmas cookies in a snap!  I think I’m going to make the chocolate peanut butter ones today.  I like the idea of putting them in a simple decorative tin and giving them out as edible gifts.  Who doesn’t like a pretty cookie, after all?  These would also be perfect for serving around Thanksgiving time!

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Don't wait until the holidays to start planning your annual cookie exchange

(ARA) – ‘Tis the season for delicious treats and festive gatherings. The fun of baking, sharing recipes and getting together for holiday parties, such as a cookie exchange, are what make the season extra special.

Inspired by their more than 40 years of collective baking and entertaining experience, Hershey’s Kitchens Linda Stahl and Betty Crocker Kitchens Kristen Olson will share advice through a weekly blog on FavoriteCookies.com as well as provide recipes, cookie exchange tips and give holiday hosts the chance to share recipes and photos with each other.

For those looking to create the ultimate cookie exchange, Stahl and Olson offer the following tips to turn any party into a sweet success:

* Invite guests at least two weeks in advance and ask each guest to RSVP with the recipe they plan to make to avoid duplicates.

* Ask each guest to bring at least a half dozen cookies for each person attending the party.

* Encourage participants to bring an empty, sealable container to take home goodies, along with copies of their recipe to share. Be sure to have extra bags or containers on hand for guests to transport cookies home.

* Make it personal – showcase the cookies in a decorative arrangement and ask each participant to introduce themselves and explain why they chose their recipe and what ingredients they used.

* Be sure to offer refreshments, such as seasonal beverages, but keep it simple so the cookies are the stars of the show.

* Send guests home with a goodie bag filled with a homemade recipe booklet you’ve created to commemorate your party. Ask for participants’ recipes in advance so you can prepare.

Can’t decide what holiday cookie you should make as the host? Try the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Makes about three dozen cookies

Ingredients:
36 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates
1 pouch Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
Granulated sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Stir cookie mix, oil, water, and egg in a medium bowl until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake eight to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

For more recipes, tips and ideas for hosting a cookie exchange, visit www.FavoriteCookies.com.

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Bake up memories with your kids

(NC)—For many parents, the holiday season brings an endless stream of shopping excursions, festive gatherings to plan, and meals to cook. But the holidays are also a great time to embrace new family traditions and create memories with your loved ones that will be fondly recalled for years to come. Baking with kids is one of the best ways to bond with your little ones during the holiday season. Whether they are toddlers or teenagers, kids will enjoy lending an extra hand in measuring, mixing and decorating fun holiday treats. And of course, they’ll enjoy eating and sharing their treats after all the baking fun is over.

Looking for quality time together and a tasty treat? Try the Linzer cookie recipe below.

Linzer Cookies

Raspberry preserves sandwiched between buttery cut-out cookies

Time:

Hands On: 1 hour

Total Time: 3 hours

Servings:

Makes 18 servings (1 cookie each)

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds, toasted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pam Baking spray

3/4 cup red raspberry preserves

Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1 Mix flour, almonds and baking powder in small bowl; set aside.

2 Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended.

3 Divide dough into four equal portions; wrap individually with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

4 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Place one portion of dough between two sheets of waxed paper; roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into round shapes with 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place, 1 inch apart, on prepared baking sheet. Cut three (1/4-inch) circles from half of the cookies using a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining dough.

5 Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or just until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

6 Assemble cookies by spreading 2 teaspoons preserves onto each solid cookie; top with 1 cut-out cookie. Sift confectioners’ sugar over assembled cookies. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Tip: To prevent dough from sticking to your cookie cutter, spray it with Pam Baking.

Additional recipe ideas and more information about Pam Baking can be found online at www.pam.ca.

www.newscanada.com

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Gingerbread Men Cookies

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Good Housekeeping Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook

I love the idea of “Christmas Cookie Swap” parties.  This seems like the perfect idea to get my sisters and girlfriends together for the holidays to exchange recipes, eat cookies and just have some plain old delicious fun!  I like the idea of asking guests to bring an extra dozen to give to a local shelter.  I’m not sure how practical this idea is but I’m willing to try!

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Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

Today while I was looking around on Youtube for Christmas ideas — yes, it is not even Thanksgiving but I’m already looking forward to Christmas ideas — I found this great video for Candy Cane Christmas Cookies.  The video is a bit amateurish; however, it is simple to follow and I’m excited to try this!

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Makes: 36 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (175 mL) plus 2 tablespoons (30 mL) ground almonds*

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) confectioners’ sugar

3 large egg whites

2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar

Raspberry buttercream (recipe below)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300°F (190ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine ground almonds and confectioners’ sugar until very fine in a food processor. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, and whisk again until very stiff. Using a rubber spatula, add one-third almond mixture to egg whites and gently fold in, leaving some streaks. Gently fold in remaining almond mixture by thirds.

Make a piping bag for the batter: Place a sturdy plastic storage bag into a tall water glass, folding its top back around the rim of the glass. Spoon batter gently into plastic bag. Remove bag from water glass and close, snipping a hole in one bottom corner. Use this piping bag to pipe 1-inch kisses onto baking sheets. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, turning pans halfway through baking or until set but not dried out.

Let cookies cool completely, then remove from parchment paper with a small offset spatula. Sandwich cookies together with buttercream and serve, or store airtight for up to 2 days.

Raspberry Buttercream:

Using a mixer, beat 1/2 cup (1 stick, 125 mL) room temperature unsalted butter with a pinch of salt until fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) seedless raspberry jelly, 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) vanilla extract, and beat until blended. Store covered and refrigerated, and let come to room temperature before using.

Nutrition Analysis for 2 cookies:

Calories 125 Cholesterol 14 mg

Total fat 7.6 g Fibre 0.5 g

Saturated 3.4 g Calcium 15 mg

Monounsaturated 2.9 g Magnesium 15 mg

Polyunsaturated 0.8 g Sodium 11 mg

Carb 13 g Potassium 52 mg

Protein 2 g Vitamin E 1.5 mg

*4 oz. whole almonds = 1 cup (250 mL) ground almonds

Recipe courtesy of the Almond Board of California

www.newscanada.com

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