Easy Christmas Cookies-How to Make Gingerbread Men and Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Author: Carrington Wells
Christmas is a time for giving presents, being with family, celebrating Jesus and eating.  While many of us spend much of our time shopping for the perfect Christmas gifts to give to our loved ones, sometimes we forget to slow down and enjoy ourselves and those around us.
Baking around the holidays has become very popular for many of us.  It is a way to spend time with loved ones, while making a special treat to share.
One of the most loved cookies for centuries for children has been the gingerbread cookie. 
Below is an easy and yummy recipe for gingerbread men.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 molasses
1 egg yolk, unbeaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups plain flour, sifted
Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add molasses and egg yolk.  Blend well.  Add salt, soda, baking powder and spices.  Slowly add sifted flour.  Roll out dough and cut with a gingerbread man cookie cutter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
You and your family can decorate the gingerbread men with icing, sprinkles, and all sorts of different toppings.  My family even likes to make a few women.  After they are cool and decorated, hang them on the tree.  They make such a wonderful addition to a Christmas tree.
Obviously, keep some in the kitchen to eat or take to friends.  Watch out for the ones on the tree however, my children love to eat them right from the Christmas tree when I am not looking.
Another one of my favorite cookie recipes is for Eggnog Snickerdoodles. 
Many people love Eggnog during the holiday season.  It is rich in texture and makes a perfect drink for Christmas parties with friends and family.
Below is the recipe for Eggnog Snickerdoodles.
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon brandy extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cup flour
Directions;
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine margarine and sugar.  Add eggs, extracts, cinnamon, soda, and salt.  Blend well.  Stir in four, mixing thoroughly.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons colored sugar.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.  Makes 48 cookies.
The Eggnog Snickerdoodles are sure to be a huge hit at your cookie exchange this holiday season.  They are fun and easy to make.

Save Time at Christmas With a Christmas Cookie Exchange

Author: Karen Ciancio
The weeks leading up to Christmas are so busy. You want to bake a variety of Christmas cookies, squares and goodies, but where do you find the time?

The answer may be in organizing a small Christmas cookie exchange. Here is how it works -

Having a variety of holiday treats on hand means baking at least 6 or 8 recipes. Instead, gather together a group of 4 to 6 people who are each willing to make a large batch of 1 or 2 recipes.

If 4 people each make a large batch of 2 recipes and share them with the other 3 bakers, each person will have a variety of 8 different holiday treats for family and friends. It works best if each person ends up with at least a dozen pieces of each recipe. Getting together to divide up the treats can be a fun time too.

Here are three large batch recipes that are perfect for sharing with members of your Christmas cookie exchange group.

Decadent Truffles

1 1/3 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light rum
2 teaspoons vanilla
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
16 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
Finely chopped nuts and assorted sprinkles
1/4 cup (or more) cooca powder

Heat cream, sugar, salt, rum and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.

Remove from heat. Add chocolates, stirring until melted (return pan to low heat if necessary). Pour into a shallow dish.

Cover and refrigerate until just firm, about 1 hour.
Shape the mixture into 1 1/4" balls. Rolls balls in nuts, sprinkles or cocoa powder to cover.

Refrigerate truffles until firm, about 1 hour.

Note: If your kitchen is very warm, keep a portion of the truffle mixture chilled as you shape and roll balls.

Makes 6 dozen truffles

Sugar Cookie Wreathes

1 package Sugar Cookie Mix
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon water
Green food coloring
Candied or maraschino cherry pieces, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine cookie mix, egg, oil and water in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. Tint dough with green good coloring. Stir until desired color.

Form into balls the size of miniature marshmallows.
For each wreathe, arrange 9 or 10 balls with sides touching into a ring and place 2" apart, on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with fingers. Place small pieces of candied cherry on the center of each ball.

Bake for 5-7 minutes or until set but not browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets, then remove to cooling racks.
Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Chunky Butter Christmas Cookies

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned or quick oats, uncooked
1 package (10 ounces) vanilla milk chips
1 cup flaked coconut
1 jar (3 1/2 ounces) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat butter and brown sugar together in large bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in sour cream, egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix well. Stir in oats, vanilla milk chips, coconut and nuts.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute then remove to cooling rack and cool completely.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

If you would like to have a variety of holiday cookies and treats on hand, but are short of time, consider the benefits of a Christmas cookie exchange for a more relaxed, and tasty, holiday season.

Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes One Recipe - Many Variations

Author: Karen Ciancio
There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.

The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Let's start with the basics:

Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.

Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

This basic cookie mixture is also the base for the following cookie recipes (all baked in a preheated oven at 350ºF).

Orange Cookies
(Makes about 32)

Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to the recipe. Shape into a log that is about 1 1/2" in diameter and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Slice dough into 1/4" thick slices. Place on cookie sheet. Cookies can be decorated with candies, rolled in colored sugar, or cut into pretty holiday shapes before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Squares
(Makes about 54 squares)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely chopped

Line a 13"x9" baking pan with foil.

Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Coconut Pineapple Cookies
(Makes about 36)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup pineapple preserves (use raspberry or apricot if you prefer)

Add 1 cup of the flaked coconut to the basic dough mixture and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 1/2" balls and roll in the remaining coconut to coat them. Place the balls 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with your fingertip.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookie is firm and the coconut is lightly toasted. When cooled, fill each hole in the center of the cookies with the preserves.

You can vary this basic dough to make a wide variety of Christmas cookie recipes. Add other flavorings like maple, ginger or cinnamon. Add chopped dried fruits like apricots or dates. Or bake them plain in holiday shapes and decorate with colored icing.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Here's hoping these quick and easy Christmas cookie recipes help keep the pressure off the cook.

Favorite Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes

Author: Karen Ciancio
We all have memories of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Whether chocolate covered, fruit filled or icing topped, holiday baking recipes have to include a few fantastic cookie recipes to satisfy the sweet tooth in all of us.

I love easy cookie recipes. Most of us don't have enough time to accomplish all we hope to, so quick and easy recipes, especially at this busy time of year, make it a bit easier on the cook. That's always a good thing.

This is a selection of delicious but very easy Christmas cookie recipes that are a perfect fit for the festive season. 

Any of these treats would be a wonderful contribution to a Christmas cookie exchange too, where a group of friends each makes a bulk amount of one or two cookie recipes, then trades, so all have a variety of cookies to serve throughout the holiday season.

Create holiday memories for your family with this batch of sweet and delicious easy Christmas cookie recipes.

Christmas Surprise Cookies

3/4 cup of shortening
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Any flavor jam or jellyPreheat the oven to 375ºF.

Cream the shortening and the sugar together. Add the egg and mix it all together well. Sift the dry ingredients together and add them to the wet mix. Add vanilla and mix. Drop the dough by teaspoons-full onto an ungreased cookie sheet. With your finger or a spoon, make an indentation in the center of the cookie ball and fill with jam or jelly. Sprinkle coconut over all and bake at for 10-12 minutes.


Fruited Shortbread Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 - 9 ounce jar mincemeat
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 eggPreheat oven to 375ºF. 

Combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg.  Stir in the vanilla and the mincemeat. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix. Mix together well. (The batter will be stiff.) Roll into 1 1/4" balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Tip:
You can ice these cookies with a glaze mixture if you would like. Mix confectioner's sugar with a few drops of milk and vanilla until it reaches a runny but thick consistency. Drizzle over the Christmas cookies while they are still warm.


Almond Christmas Balls

1 cup of soft butter
1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar
2 cups of sifted flour
1 cup of ground almonds
1 teaspoon of almond extract
Candied or maraschino cherries
Granulated sugar (for rolling cookies after baking)

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the flour, ground almonds and almond extract and mix until it forms a dough.  Roll a teaspoon of the dough into a ball, press down in the middle and place a cherry in the center. Cover the cherry completely with the dough.  Bake the cookie balls on a greased cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 325ºF.  Roll in granulated sugar before cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.