November 2021 – Christmas Cookies & Holiday Treats

Peanut Butter Cup

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

“Delicious!”

• 6 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (3/4 of an 8 oz. package)
• 16 oz. Nutter Butter cookies, finely crushed (about 3½ cups)
• ¼ cup Planters creamy peanut butter
• 12 oz. Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Mix cream cheese, cookie crumbs and peanut butter until blended.

Shape into (40) 1” balls. Place in a single layer on a waxed paper-covered rimmed baking sheet. Freeze 10 minutes.

Dip balls in chocolate; return to baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Keep refrigerated.

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Magic Peanut Butter Middles

Emily Zimmerman, New Holland

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.

Filling:

• ¾ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup 10X sugar

Combine peanut butter and sugar. Roll filling into (30) 1” balls.

For each cookie, shape about 1 tablespoon of dough around a peanut butter ball, covering it completely. Place 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes, until set and slightly cracked. Do not over bake.

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Sour Cream Cookies

Christina Hursh, Ephrata

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 cups flour

Cream sugar and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Frost with your favorite frosting and some colorful sprinkles or other desired topping.

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Cherry Winks

Anna Martin, New Holland

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 2½ cups corn flakes, crushed
• 30 to 35 maraschino cherries, halved
• frosting

Mix all ingredients together except cornflakes, cherries and frosting. Roll balls of dough in crushed corn flakes. Bake at 375°F just until brown.

Frost, and immediately press a cherry half in the middle of frosted cookies.

Notes: Cherries should be dry. Lay halved cherries on a paper towel. To create a pretty pink frosting, make your favorite vanilla frosting, substituting cherry juice for some of the liquid.

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Sour Cream Orange Cookies

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• ½ cup butter
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Alternately add the sifted dry ingredients with the sour cream beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend well, then stir in the nuts.

Drop from a teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. While warm, frost with a creamy orange frosting.

Orange Frosting:

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

Combine confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter and orange rind. Blend in orange juice to spreading consistency.

Makes 6 dozen cookies.

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Pecan Butter Cookies

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• about 1 cup pecan halves

Cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the flavorings.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Roll the dough into 1” balls and place about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press a pecan half into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about 3½ dozen cookies.

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Chocolate Coffee Drops

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 2¼ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• ²/₃ cup shortening
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 oz. package mini chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped nuts

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the coffee and let cool.

Cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour alternately with the coffee. Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts.

Drop by tablespoons full on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes.

Makes about 4½ dozen.

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Date Nut Balls

Rachel Hoover, Ephrata

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup chopped dates
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups Rice Krispies
• fine flaked coconut

Heat butter, dates and sugar and bring to boiling point. Add egg and stir well. Cook about 1 minute.

Remove from stove and add nuts, vanilla and Rice Krispies. Mix together well and roll into little balls. Roll balls in flaked coconut. Put on wax paper and let cool.

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Nutty Fingers

Rachel Hoover, Ephrata

• 1 cup butter
• ¹/₃ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped nuts

Cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add flour gradually, then add nuts and mix well.

Form cookies the size of a little finger. Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, then roll in powdered sugar.

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Holstein Cookies

Rachel Hoover, Ephrata

Chocolate Dough:

• ½ cup margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 small box chocolate pudding mix

Vanilla Dough:

• ½ cup margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 small box vanilla pudding mix

Mix one bath of chocolate dough and one batch of vanilla dough. Take a small portion of each dough and roll together. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F or until lightly browned.

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Chocolate Mallow Drops

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1¾ cups flour
• ½ cup baking cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 18-22 large marshmallows, halved

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in pecans.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2” apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes.

Press a marshmallow half, cut side down, onto each cookie. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer, or till edges are set and marshmallows are softened. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting:

• ¼ cup butter, cubed
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 to 6 tablespoons brewed coffee

In a microwave, melt butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth. Whisk in confectioners sugar and enough coffee to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cookies.

Note: You can also frost cookies with a vanilla frosting.