Christmas Cookies

I was home on Friday and the weekend was a miserable, snowy and cold mess. Windchills were down to -25 ish and we broke a snow shovel trying to dig out. SP takes such good care of me...I thought I'd bake a few batches of cookies this year and give him a little care package, even though I really feel like time is whizzing by me.

I started with Anise & Date Biscotti. This recipe is pretty simple. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and greased and floured a cookie sheet.

In large bowl, I beat 3 eggs with 1/2 c. canola oil and 1 t. anise extract until combined. Then I added 1 c. granulated sugar and mixed five minutes, using a stand mixer, until well combined and pale in color. To that mixture, I folded in 1/2 c. finely chopped dates with a spatula.

In a separate bowl I sifted 2 1/4 c. all purpose flour with 2 t. baking powder. I added the dry mix little by little to the stand mixer, stopping the mixer each time to prevent having to redecorate the house. It still gets flour all over the place, but if you stop and then start slow, it cuts down on flour dust.

At this point the dough is very sticky. I carefully used my hands to divide the dough into two logs and baked them for 25 to 30 minutes. When they were golden brown, I removed them from the oven, turned the oven down to 300 degrees, and cooled them for about 10 minutes on the sheet. I then removed one log at a time, cut them into 1/2" slices with a serrated knife and put them back on cookie sheets and back into the oven for another 15 minutes until nicely browned and crisp. After they cooled, I put them in a decorative Christmas tin lined in wax paper for storage. I got this recipe out of a cookie book I have and have made them over and over for years. Very good with coffee.

Tip: You can substitute any "extract" you want for any flavor you want. You can dip the ends in chocolate, too.

I also made The Best Damn Peanut Butter Cookies Ever, but I substituted chocolate chips for peanut butter chips or chunks, because I forgot to buy them. If you can, get the PB chunks, because these cookies are serious and will blow your mind. I made up the recipe when I lived in New Orleans and accidentally made really good chocolate chip cookies and thought, hmmm...I wonder if...

These are easy, and they're drop cookies, so even better because they don't have to be pretty.

Preaheat your oven to 350. Cream 1 c. peanut butter (creamy Jif works best...but whatever) with 1 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 3 eggs and 1 t. vanilla extract. Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, sift 2 c. flour with 1 t. baking soda and 1 t. salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix well. With a wooden spoon, add in 2 c. (yes two cups) of peanut butter chunks...or, in my case, chocolate chips. The chocolate chips worked out nicely this time.

Drop the cookies in small ice cream scoop sized balls on an ungreased sheet, and then for best appearance, criss cross with a fork...so they look like traditional peanut butter cookies, only better.

Bake 10 minutes or until nicely browned. OMG. These are serious cookies! Very good right out of the oven, and still a very nice, soft texture and delicious taste for a week or two if stored in an airtight container in a cool place. I would imagine these would freeze well too, but I've never had them stick around long enough to have to try it.

It's a definite food O.

Finally, I made what seem to be everybody's favorite. They're somewhat of a pain because they're a crumbly mess to work with to get into shape and baked, but they're so good, they melt in your mouth. My dad and SP LOVE them. I haven't met a man who doesn't like them, actually...I'll have to test that out in a contest or something.

Rum Almond Crescents are indulgent because they're made from butter, rum extract, flour, powdered sugar, and ground almonds. I wasn't sure SP would like them, but he said, "They're so buttery. These are GOOOOOOD!"

Preheat your oven to 350. Cream 1 c. of softened, unsalted butter with 2/3 c. confectioners (powdered) sugar, 1 t. vanilla extract, and 1/2 t. rum extract. Mix well. Put 1 c. of almond slivers into a food processor and make them into a fine chopped blend. Add them to the mix and incorporate completely. Then incorporate 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour and a pinch of salt, making sure to fully blend all ingredients. It should be like a brown sugary texture when you're done.

The recipe says you can divide the dough into two logs and slice them and then form them into crescents, but that's a little misleading, I mean a blatant lie. Instead, basically take a small amount, maybe what would fit into a tablespoon, and form it into a tight piece of dough, then form it into a crescent once it is placed on a baking sheet. You have to do this one at a time, and this is where it gets tedious and a little frustrating, because some of them break up and you have to reform them, and it just seems they're going to be a crumby mess when you pull them out of the oven, but do not dispair. You will be greatly rewarded when they come out of the oven and you share with your friends or loved ones.

Bake about 18 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar immediately, while piping hot, and then cool on a wire rack or foil. When cool, store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Very decadent!

I remembered why I don't bake much. I like one dish meals, not too much detail and measurement (I'm a throw in some of this, add a pinch of that kinda cook), and baking really messes up the kitchen. I stopped while I was ahead at three recipes.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!