November 2020 – Christmas Cookies & Holiday Treats
Peanut Butter Cups
Gloria Dougherty, Akron
- 6 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 16 oz. package 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.
No-Bake Energy Bites
Gloria Dougherty, Akron
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (raw)
- 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted and cooled
- ½ cup ground golden flaxseed meal
- 6 tablespoons chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to refrigerator or freezer and chill until set.
Remove from refrigerator and shape into 1” balls.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Rosemary Cookies
Tera McFarland, Reinholds
“You will either love these or hate them. I love them. Recipe given to me by Carol Swindler.”
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup butter
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup rosemary (chopped and cut fresh)
- 4 to 5 cups whole wheat flour
Combine all ingredients except flour. Add 4 to 5 cups of flour until stiff. Refrigerate overnight.
Roll and cut. Place on sprayed pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen.
Maple Cookies
Tera McFarland, Reinholds
Cookies:
- 1 cup shortening
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups vanilla or white chips (optional)
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts (chopped)
Frosting:
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 4 to 6 tablespoons milk
- 3½ pecan or walnut halves
In bowl, cream shortening, butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and maple flavoring. Combine flour and baking soda and add to cream mixture. Stir in vanilla chips (if adding) and nuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
To prepare frosting, cream butter and powdered sugar; beat in maple flavoring and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cookies when cooled and place pecan or walnut halves to decorate.
Butter Crunch
Tera McFarland, Reinholds
“Everyone loves these and they are so easy to make.”
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- saltines
- 1 bag milk chocolate morsels
Line cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.
Place a layer of crackers on foil. Melt together sugar and butter. Heat until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Pour over crackers.
Bake at 350°F for 10 min.
Take out and let cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle chips on top and spread around as they melt. Refrigerate until solid and then break into pieces.
Soft Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and the sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the pumpkin mixture.
Drop by teaspoonfuls 2” apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Makes 7 dozen cookies.
Frosting:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 cups chopped pecans
In a bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and water. Frost cookies and sprinkle with pecans.
Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons light color corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and peanut butter with a mixer for 30 seconds. Beat in the brown and white sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add corn syrup, water and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, then fold in the chocolate pieces.
Drop by 3-tablespoon portions 3” apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 11 to 12 minutes until edges are golden.
Makes 28 cookies.
Coconut Cranberry Bars with Pecans
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ cups sweetened dried cranberries
- 1¼ cups pecan halves
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9”x13” baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2” overhang.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter in a bowl; press evenly into the baking dish.
Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then gently spread over the graham cracker crust.
Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 25 to 28 minutes. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut into 36 bars. Store in an airtight container.
Soft Sugar Cookies
Mary Ann Good, Terre Hill
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup soft margarine
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 11/3 tablespoon vinegar
- 4 to 5 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Beat eggs well; add sugar and margarine and continue beating.
Add vinegar to evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat into egg mixture. Add flour and the rest of the dry ingredients. Chill dough.
Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes (do not brown). Cool and frost.
Makes 2½ dozen.
Emma’s Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mary Ann Good, Terre Hill
- 1 cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 small package instant vanilla pudding
- 2 eggs
- 2¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 oz. package chocolate chips
Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and pudding mix until creamy; beat in eggs. Add flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes 72 cookies.
“Like Chocolate Crinkles”
Mary Ann Good, Terre Hill
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 stick butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- chocolate cake mix, any brand
- 10X sugar
Cream together cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla. Mix in cake mix. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Scoop dough and roll into balls. Roll in 10X sugar.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let cool. Cookies should be chewy.
Potato Chip & Pecan Sandy Cookies
Mrs. Shumaker, Lititz
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup sugar, divided
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup crushed potato chips (2 cups whole)
Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla, salt and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
On low speed, beat in flour until just incorporated. Stir in pecans and potato chips.
In a small bowl, place ¼ cup sugar. Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2” apart. With a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass, press each ball into a 1/4” thick round.
Bake until lightly golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Coconut Macaroons
Mrs. Shumaker, Lititz
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 stiffly beaten egg whites
Combine the coconut, almond extract, salt and sweetened condensed milk. Gently stir the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop from a teaspoon about 2” apart onto a well-greased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F. Remove from baking sheet to cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate.
Rocky Road Cookie Pizza
Mrs. Shumaker, Lititz
- 1 tube (16½ oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped salted peanuts
- 1/3 cup hot caramel ice cream topping, warmed
Let dough stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Press dough onto a greased 12” pizza pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Sprinkle with marshmallows, chips and peanuts. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Drizzle with the caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack.