Peppermint Meltaways

TOTAL TIME: 40 min

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
24 chocolate teardrop candies (I like using Hershey's Kisses)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the butter and mix until light and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract and mix to combine. Next, slowly add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the peppermint candies.

Roll the dough into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch balls. Insert 1 chocolate morsel into each ball and re-roll to ensure that the cookie dough encases the chocolate. Next, transfer to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies rolling each to coat.

Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Bake until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to wire cooling rack. Cool until they are just cool enough to handle, 5 minutes. Return the cookies to the bowl with the powdered sugar and crushed candies and toss gently until each cookie is coated.

Store in an airtight container.

The White House's Molasses Spice Cookies "Gingersnaps"

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 30 min

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch ground white pepper
• 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

DIRECTIONS

Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat the butter and brown sugar with molasses until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg and ginger and beat 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture with the machine on low and then stir in the candied ginger by hand, do not over mix. Chill until the dough is firm and no longer sticky, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop with small ice cream scoop, about 1 tablespoon, and roll into a ball and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart and press flat, 1/4-inch high.

Bake about 16 minutes or until the edges are firm and the tops feel set to the touch. Cool 1 minute on the baking sheets and then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Eggnog Cookies

TOTAL TIME: 40 mins

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 whole nutmeg

VARIATIONS:

• Add white chocolate chips.
• For the most aromatic and delicious cookies, grind whole spices.
• Press a scoop of ice cream between 2 cookies.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and cream using the paddle attachment just until smooth, about 2 minutes. You do not want to create a lot of air.

Turn the mixer to low and add the egg yolks, one at a time, until just incorporated. Add the molasses, milk and brandy and mix just to combine.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Mix with a fork just to combine.

With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour to the egg mixture in a steady stream and mix until just combined.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Using a 1/4 cup measure or scoop, place 6 balls of dough evenly spaced on each baking sheet. (You can do twenty-four 1-ounce balls if you prefer smaller cookies.) Do not press down.

Grate nutmeg over the top of each ball of dough until there is an even dusting of nutmeg.

Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets (from top to bottom) halfway through the cooking to achieve even baking and color. Remove from the oven when golden brown and still soft in the center, after about 9 minutes.

Slide the cookies with the parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Once cool, carefully remove from the paper and enjoy.

These cookies are amazing eaten warm. Like a cup of holiday eggnog! Happy Holidays!

Cookie Monster's Famous Sugar Cookie Dough

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 30 mins

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• A medium sized mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• A fork
• Unsalted butter or margarine (soft, not melted)
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt

DIRECTIONS

Put 3/4 cup of butter or margarine (that's a stick and a half) into your mixing bowl. Measure 1 cup of sugar. Pour sugar over butter. With a fork, squash butter and sugar together until blended.
Crack shells of 2 eggs and pour eggs over the mixture in the bowl. Measure 1 tsp vanilla and pour over mixture. With fork, blend everything in bowl together.
Measure 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and pour over mixture in bowl. Measure 1 tsp baking powder and sprinkle over flour. Measure 1 tsp salt and sprinkle over flour and baking powder.
Mix everything together either with a fork or with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap or put in a zip bag and put dough in the icebox to chill (at least one hour). You can make lots of dough at once and keep it in your icebox in a plastic bag (it will last a long time). Then whenever you make cookies, just take out as much as you need.
Me heat oven to 400 degrees. Now take some cookie dough out of the icebox. If you all out of cookie dough (oh dear) just make some more!
Sprinkle counter with flour and put dough on it. Roll out dough flat, about 1/4-inch thick. Now come the tricky part-need to find things to make SHAPES with, 2 to 3-inches a good size. Let me see...Ah! Can use GLASS to make round cookies....and those box lids make good rectangles and squares. Me just push them down on dough and peel away dough on outside. Then me make squares and rectangles (or whatever shape cutter you have).
Put cookies on ungreased cookie sheet, and put cookie sheet in oven. O.K. now come the hard part again. Me have to wait about 10 minutes while cookies cook and turn golden brown on bottoms. What me going to eat?