Nutmeg Cookie Logs

I first made these a couple years ago for Christmas. I was kind of surprised at how well they were received, and these quickly became a holiday favorite. It calls for rum extract, but I think it's somewhat optional. I know that this past Christmas I made them without it, and everyone still seemed to love them.

Yields 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp rum extract (optional)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp margarine or butter, softened
• 3/4 tsp rum extract (optional)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 to 3 Tbsp half-and-half or milk
• Nutmeg

Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine sugar, 1 cup margarine, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp rum extract, and egg. Beat until light and fluffy.

2. Add flour and 1 tsp nutmeg; mix well.  Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes for easier handling.

3. Heat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into 12 pieces. On floured surface, shape each piece of dough into a long rope, 1/2 inch in diameter and about 15 inches long. Cut into 3-inch lengths; place on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; place on wire racks. Cool about 20 minutes or until completely cooled.

5. In small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients except nutmet, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Spread on top and sides of cookies. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Let stand until frosting is set before storing.

And here's another video on making cookies. I don't think this one turned out as well as my first. Oh well. Let me know what you think.

Cream Cheese Candy Cane Cookies

I got this recipe from the Nov 2001 issue of Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks, and I've made these cookies pretty much every year since. It's a relatively quick and easy recipe - as far as cookie recipes go.

Yields 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

• ¼ c butter, softened
• 1 (3-oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 (18.25-oz) white cake mix
• ¼ tsp red gel or paste icing color

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and egg; blend well. Add cake mix; mix until well blended. Divide dough in half. Add food color to half of dough; blend well for even red color.

2. For each cookie, measure 1 tsp white dough and 1 tsp red dough. Roll out each into 4-inch rope. Place ropes side by side. Lightly roll together; twist. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet; shape each to resemble a candy cane.

3. Bake at 350°F for 7 to 9 min or just until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

Check out my first baking video for a demonstration of how I shaped these cookies.

Peanut Brittle

A friend of mine over at Recipe Shoebox asked me to participate in her Baking Through The Holidays theme. My contribution was a tasty recipe for Peanut Brittle. So easy, so divine!


She's posting yummy treats everyday in December. You should really check them out!

Christmas Goodies Recipe Exchange

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Jeanette, over at Sweet Jeanette, is hosting a recipe exchange on December 15th. Blog your favorite Christmas goodies recipes, and then hop over to her website and link your recipe to her site.

I'm excited to share my recipes...and hopefully find some new favorites.

Denise's Holiday Cookies

I LOVED these cookies when I was growing up. My older sister would make them during the holidays, and they were so tasty. I had some leftover Halloween plain M&Ms, and these cookies sounded so yummy that I thought it would be a perfect way to use up the plain M&Ms plaguing my cupboards. I wasn't sure that Jeff would like them, so I was surprised to find them on the coffee table this morning when I woke up. Husband approved!

Click here for Printable Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c Shortening
• 3/4 c Sugar
• 3/4 c Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 c Flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 2 c Coconut
• 1/2 bag of Holiday M & M's (I used Halloween)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream shortening, sugar and brown sugar.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Sift dry ingredients together and add. (I just added the dry ingredients directly to the mixture, to save on washing yet another bowl). Add coconut and M&Ms.

Spoon dough on to baking sheets. You can use two regular teaspoons, or I prefer using a scoop like the one shown in the picture below.

Bake at 350°F  for 10-12 min. The recipe I got from my sister didn't have a temperature on it, so I guess at 350°F. Her recipe indicated a baking time of 15-25 minutes, but my cookies were quite done in 10.