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Holiday Cookies
Since we are talking about it... For a variety of reasons I am on a very strict budget this year for the holidays. I'm planning on doing as much homemade gift giving as possible- and i'm going to play to my strengths and I'll be doing some baking. I'd love to do some handmade crafty things, but realistically, there just is not enough time in my day. 
I pretty much know what I am going to make (a dessert bread, a regular bread loaf from my breadmaker, a store bought jar of stonewall kitchen jam), but I am thinking about a great cookie recipe to round out my gift baskets. Something relatively easy but really cute looking. I want something that really doesn't get seen all the time in my circle of family/friends, so I thought I would check in here. My other option is to do a big batch of homemade granola, which I may do in place of the breadmaker loaf since it does take a few hours each time, even on the fast cycle.
Please post your recipes. I appreciate it!
Re: Holiday Cookies
Oreo cookie truffles or nutter butter truffles!!!
SO easy and so good...
or maybe Peanut butter cup surprise cookies
I want some now!
um, you cannot post that picture of an oreo truffle and not post the recipe. That's just bad form. Oreos are my favorite.
sniffle.
Here you go: They are so rich but so good. I made them last year for Christmas and they were a hit!
1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground in blender or food processor (filling and all)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 package Almond Bark or Chocolate ..depending on what you prefer
1 square of the Chocolate Bark for drizzling
1. Mix ground oreos and cream cheese until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.
2. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt chocolate bark and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip a small corner and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.
can be chilled or left out
About 30 truffles each recipe
I love that the food processor does all the work. And they look super gourmet. Fantastic.
And they look wintery, too!
Keep them coming, ladies!!!
I got this email last year-heres alll the holiday dessert recipes you could ever want
http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/
My mom makes these every year. You can do any flavor of cookie for the base and it works out well. She changes up the flavor every year, she has done sugar, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter, and they always come out awesome.
Reindeer Cookies
1 roll of pre-made sugar cookie dough
small pretzel rings
M & Ms
1 bell shaped cookie cutter
flour
baking sheet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Open cookie dough and mix in about 1/4 cup of flour to make the dough a stiffer consistency. Lightly flour the table, then roll the dough out to 3/4 inch thickness.
Using the bell cookie cutter, cut out 12 bell cookies - this will vary depending on how thick you roll out the cookies. Lay the cookies, all the same way with bell facing you, onto the cookie sheet. Now, turn the cookie sheet around so that the bells are upside down. This is your reindeer face! Place a red M&M in his nose and one pretzel on each side of his head for the ears. (See photo)
Bake for 10 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/recipes/reindeer_cookies.shtml
there is a picture of what they look like and a slightly different recipie here http://recipes.kaboose.com/reindeer-cookies.html
This is another one. My grandma makes these every year and they are SO effing good. She always makes an extra pan just for me because she knows they are my absolute fav. I would eat them every day if I had the chance. She doesn't use the bag of cranberries, she uses a tub of Ocean Spay's whole cranberry sauce, I bealive it's called 'Whole Fruit'. She doesn't put the choclote on top, she sprinkes confectioners sugar on top instead.
1/4 cup (50mL) butter, softened
1/3 cup (75mL) packed brown sugar
1 cup (250mL) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp (1mL) salt
Topping
1 cup (250mL) packed brown sugar
1 tbsp (15mL) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp (1mL) baking powder
pinch salt
2 tbsp (30mL) butter, softened
2 Naturegg? Omega 3 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
1 pkg (170g) Ocean Spray? Craisins? Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1 square each bittersweet and white chocolate, melted (optional)
2. Topping: Stir brown sugar with flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter, eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Stir in the Craisins?.
3. Pour filling over crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the centre. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Drizzle with chocolate (if using). Slice into squares.
Tip: Recipe doubles easily to fill a 9-x 13-in (3 L) baking pan.
This website doesn't have cookies per say but it has a lot of fun/great ideas - LOVE Bakerella!
http://bakerella.blogspot.com/
I also know that you can sign up for the 12 days of cookies newsletter on the Food Network, come the end of November...
I will get the recipe when I get home, but I make eggnog cookies at the holidays and it's always a HUGE hit.