Sunday, February 9, 2025
Most of us would agree that there’s almost nothing better than the aroma of fresh-baked goodies wafting through the house. Especially during holiday time. Nothing says “love” like fresh baked cookies and treats. So give the gift of homemade goodness, whether it’s a gift platter or by hosting family and friends for a cookie exchange. Everyone can get in on the act and share their creations all around.
Your gang will enjoy tasting these luscious creations in your makeshift holiday workshop.
Chocolate Mint Squares
Notes of crisp peppermint perfectly complement the flavors of coffee in this festive alternative to a brownie. Add some crushed peppermint to each cookie to create a beautiful and seasonal presentation.
Dough
Frosting
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil
• 2 tablespoons milk
Glaze
• 3 tablespoons baking chocolate or unsweetened chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter
Garnish
• 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” x 9” pan.
To make the dough: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, salt and eggs.
Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then the flour, nuts and peppermint, mixing until well-blended.
Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the squares for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool to room temperature.
Remove them from the oven, and cool to room temperature.
While cooling make the frosting and glaze.
To make the frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter or margarine, peppermint and milk. Spread the frosting over the cooled squares in a thin layer.
To make the glaze: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. Drizzle this over the frosted squares, and sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candy.
Refrigerate the squares until they’re well-chilled. To serve, cut into 1 1/2” squares.
Dreidel Hanukkah Cookies
You can’t spin these dreidels, but you sure can gobble them up. The versatile dough that can be customized to create chocolate or colored cookies.
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Dreidel-shaped cookie cutter
• Piping bag
• Blue frosting
Cookie dough
In a medium-size bowl, mix the flour and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, stir in the egg, then the corn syrup and vanilla extract. One third at a time, add the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.
Pat the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll. If it is too firm, soften at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Roll one disk of dough between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top sheet and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters.
Using a metal spatula, transfer the shapes to baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies start to brown lightly around the edges. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.
Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely before frosting and decorating. Makes 12 to 50 cookies, depending on their size.
For chocolate dough: After the last third of flour has been added to the dough, mix in 1 ounce melted, slightly cooled unsweetened chocolate. Use your hands to knead in the chocolate.
For colored dough: Divide the dough into portions and use a toothpick to add food coloring paste (available at party supply stores) to each one. Knead until the color is evenly distributed. For a flavor surprise, omit the vanilla extract and add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the yellow dough, mint extract to the green dough, and strawberry extract to the red dough.
How to prepare
Cut out the dreidels from the rolled-out dough and bake as directed (if you cant find a dreidel cookie cutter, make a pattern out of lightweight cardboard). When cooled, pipe one of the four classic dreidel symbols on each cookie (either gimel, shin, nun, or hay) with blue frosting.
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 44 candy-coated chocolate pieces
• 88 semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 44 pretzels, broken into 1-inch pieces
Heat oven to 350° F.
Beat peanut butter, butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Add combined flour and baking soda; mix well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Bake 7 to 9 min. or until cookies are just set.
Place 1 chocolate piece immediately in center of each cookie for a nose (press down slightly if cookies aren’t flat enough), 2 chocolate chips for eyes, and 2 pretzel pieces at top of cookie for antlers. Carefully remove cookies to wire rack; cool completely.
