Xmas Cookies

Christmas cut-out cookies are classics. Mom always made these cookies and would put us kids to work in rolling out the dough, cutting out the cookies, and carefully lifting the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Then, Mom would further occupy our Christmas break by making us frost and decorate these cookies. But these time-consuming cookies are so delicious, that it is worth the time to make them.

This recipe is quite similar to this one. But one important difference for this recipe is that it uses confectioner's sugar, resulting in a lighter cookie. The dough needs to be made ahead and chilled for a bit. The chilled dough is overall easier to work with, so if the dough becomes too sticky, put it back in the refrigerator for a bit. The recipe calls for self-rising. To make your own self-rising flour, add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt for each cup of all-purpose flour.

Xmas Cookies 

• 1 cup soft butter
• 1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• Confectioner's Sugar Icing 

Mix the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and almond extract well. Blend in flout. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half to 3/16 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Make the icing by combining 2 cups confectioner's sugar with 3 tablespoons of milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Adjust the amount of sugar or milk to get desired consistency. Add food coloring, if desired. Frost and decorate cookies. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pixies

For me, Christmastime means lots of delicious cookies. Chocolate Pixies are a classic. A simple google search reveals many websites with this exact or near exact recipe. So I cannot tell where or when this cookie originated. Some recipes call them chocolate crinkle cookies. Some recipes leave out the walnuts. But the recipe below seems to be a popular version of these cookies.

These Chocolate Pixies should not be confused with the Fannie May Chocolate Pixie candy, which consist of pecans, caramel and chocolate. The cookies are somewhat a mix of cookie and brownie. The recipe itself is easy and the resulting cookies look so nice. The Chocolate Pixies are a great choice for holiday parties or cookie exchanges.

Chocolate Pixies 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• confectioner's sugar

In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Gradually drizzle in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add walnuts. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Shape into one-inch balls and roll in confectioner's sugar. Place on a cookie sheet leaving some space for cookies to spread. Bake at 300 for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Gingersnaps

When December rolls around, it is time for Christmas cookies. Mom has an entire separate recipe box filled with just cookie recipes. Mom's gingersnaps recipe caught my eye this year. When I was a kid, I did not like gingersnaps. I was not used to molasses, so maybe that is the flavor that was hard to like. Or maybe it was the ginger that was too much for me. But now that I am an adult, I love all the flavors found in gingersnaps.

Gingersnaps are an old-fashioned cookie, but are so easy to make. And, they come out so perfectly that others will ask you if they are purchased from a store. The dough does need to chill, so it is best to make the dough the day before and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight. Mom's recipe calls for cloves, but since I did not have any, I simply left it out of the recipe.

Gingersnaps 

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• sugar for coating the cookies

Blend together all the ingredients except the sugar for coating. Chill the dough overnight. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Place on a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!