November 2018 – Christmas Cookies & Holiday Treats

Soft Sugar Cookies

Elsie Reiff, Ephrata

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup lard shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 cups Pillsbury flour

Combine all ingredients. Drop by tablespoonful on cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for about 8 minutes, or at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Top with icing and sugar sprinkles.

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Holiday Mini Kisses Treasure Cookies

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup flour
• 2 teapsoons baking powder
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1¹/₃ cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup Hershey’s mini kisses, milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate baking pieces
• 1¹/₃ cup (10 oz. package) Hershey’s Holiday bits

Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder; set aside. Beat sweetened condensed milk and butter until smooth; add reserved crumb mixture, mixing well. Stir in coconut, Mini Kisses and Holiday Bits.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies.

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Pecan Meltaways

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cups finely chopped pecans
• additional confectioners sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Chill.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Roll in confectioners sugar while warm. Cool on wire racks. Roll in sugar again.

Yield: about 4 dozen.

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Turtle Bars

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup pecan halves

Topping:

• ²/₃ cup butter
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, beat flour, sugar and butter on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Press firmly into an ungreased 13”x9”x2” baking pan. Arrange pecans over crust.

Combine butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over pecans.

Bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top; let stand for 3 minutes. Spread chocolate, but allow some chips to remain whole. Cool completely. Cut into small squares.

Yield: about 8 dozen.

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Rum Balls

Carol Ann Taylor, Denver
(No cooking needed)

• 3 cups vanilla wafers, finely chopped into crumbs
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1½ tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons white corn syrup
• ½ to ¾ cup rum, brandy or whiskey

Mix ingredients together very thoroughly (best done with the fingers). Pinch off small piece the size of a large marble. Shape in the palms. Roll them in confectioners sugar.

Pack in a nice box or ice cube trays. Freeze until ready to use.

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Cheesecake Cookies

Carol Ann Taylor, Denver

• 15 oz. box oatmeal raisin cookie mix
• 1 tablespoon water
• (2) 3 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine cookie mix and water. Reserve one cup of crumb mixture for the topping. Stir raisins into remaining crumb mixture and press into a lightly greased 9” square pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Pour over crumb layer. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes; cool. Cut into 2”x1” bars. Chill till ready to serve.

Yield: 3 dozen

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Italian Cookies

Carol Ann Taylor, Denver

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• juice of an orange
• 4 cups of flour (more may be needed)
• 1 cup oil
• 6 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons anise seeds

Mix together ingredients. Form into balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F.

Cookies can be frosted with an orange flavored glaze and sprinkled with nonpareils.

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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Edith Zimmerman, New Holland

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1¼ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ lb. peanut butter cups

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugars and egg until light and fluffy. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients (except for peanut butter cups) and stir well. Chill for about 2 hours.

Roll batter into 1 inch balls. Bake in a tart pat at 350°F for about 8 to 10 minutes. Take cookies out of the oven and put a peanut butter cup into each cookie.

Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from the pan. The peanut butter cup gets soft when put into a hot cookie.

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Cranberry Lemon Sandwiches

Deb Bucher, Ephrata

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup dried cranberries

Filling:

• ²/₃ cup butter, softened
• 2¾ cups confectioners sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1¼ teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, peel and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Yield: about 4½ dozen.

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Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Deb Bucher, Ephrata

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 1¾ cups sugar, divided
• 2 eggs
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon rum extract
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and 1½ cups sugar. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

In a shallow bowl, combine the nutmeg and remaining sugar. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 6½ dozen.

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Peppermint Snowballs

Deb Bucher, Ephrata

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup ground nuts, optional

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 3 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy
• 1 drop red food coloring, optional

Topping:

• ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
• ½ cup confectioners sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in nuts if desired. Knead dough until pliable. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk, candy and food coloring if desired. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a deep indentation in the center of each. Fill with 1/4 teaspoon filling. Cover with 1/4 teaspoonful of dough; seal and reshape into balls. Combine topping ingredients; roll balls in topping. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes or until firm. Roll warm cookies in topping again; cool on wire racks

Yield: 4 dozen.

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Root Beer Cookies

Lonita Wise, Reinholds

• 1 egg
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1¾ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk or water
• 1 teaspoon root beer extract

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Bake at 350°F till set. Cool.

Root Beer Frosting:

• 2 cups 10x sugar
• ¹/₃ cup butter
• 1½ teaspoon root beer extract
• 2 teaspoon hot water

Beat all ingredients together till smooth. Frost cooled cookies.

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Rolo Chocolate Cookies

Lonita Wise, Reinholds

• 2¼ cups flour
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
• 48 Rolo candies, unwrapped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 oz. white chocolate coating wafers (if desired)

Heat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well.

In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture, blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup of pecans.

Flour hands. For each cookie, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around a Rolo, covering it completely. In small bowl combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place, nut side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Melt coating wafers in sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Note: When taking cookies off of trays lay them upside down on table till hard because the candy will just stick to the table. More caramel stays in the cookie this way instead of on the table!