Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Christmas Goodies!!!

Brownie Lollipops Use any good fudgey brownie recipe or mix from box. Cut out brownie rounds with any size biscuit cutter. Insert lollipop stick. Dip in chocolate and/or caramel sauces to make extra yummy!

Sugar Spritz Cookies photo from verybestbaking.com

Eggnog Spritz
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter -- softened
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, spices, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For Glaze, in small bowl stir together powdered sugar, butter, water, and rum extract until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies.
Recipe from here

Finnish Ribbon Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raspberry or apricot jam
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in the yolk, vanilla and lemon zest. In another bowl, stir the flour and salt together and gradually add to the butter mixture, blending thoroughly. If the dough is too soft to handle, chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 3 even pieces, then roll each piece into 3 ropes about 3/4 inch in diameter. Place the ropes 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With the side of your little finger, press a long groove down the center of each rope, taking care not to press all the way down to the sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven and carefully spoon the jam in the grooves down the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes until the cookies are firm to the touch and light golden brown. While cookies are baking, in a small bowl mix the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, drizzle each ribbon with the glaze. Immediately cut the cookies at a 45-degree angle into 1-inch lengths.
Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack; they are fragile while warm and will break easily. Cool completely.
Recipe from here

Mexican Wedding Cookiesphoto from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. At low speed gradually add the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula. With floured hands, take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape into a crescent. Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.
Recipe from here