Peppermint Barktini

Happy Christmas Eve! I made up this dessert cocktail for my sister and me a couple of weeks ago - it's very festive and perfect for Christmas.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 3/4 oz crème de cacao
• 3/4 oz crème de menthe
• crushed candy canes
• simple syrup
• 1/2 cup crushed ice

Combine the vodka, crème de cacao, crème de menthe, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Spread the crushed candy canes out on wax paper. Line the edge of a martini glass with simple syrup and then dip the rim of the glass onto the crushed candy canes.

Pour the drink into the candy cane rimmed glass and enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Almond Crunch Cookies

I also made these almond crunch cookies this year. I basically followed the recipe on Cooks.com, except I didn't use any whole wheat flour. This makes a ton of cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup vegetable/peanut oil
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 8-oz. package of brickle baking bits (I used the Heath Bits O' Brickle Toffee Bits)
• sugar  

Yield: Approximately 80 cookies

First you need to chop the almonds - don't chop them too finely.

Combine the sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and oil using an electric mixer.

Mix until well-blended.

Add the almond extract and the eggs.

Mix well.

Add the salt, cream of tartar, baking powder, and flour to the mixture.

Mix at low-speed until well-blended.

Add the almonds and brickle bits.

Slowly stir in. 

Using your hands, shape the dough until round balls (approximately tablespoon size).

You can either roll the balls in sugar, or use fork tines or a potato masher to add a little decoration and sugar. I used a potato masher. 

Dip the masher in a bowl of sugar and then press down on each cookie.

Ours leaves sort of a flower design on the cookies.

Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes (or until light golden brown around the edges).

Allow to cool on a wire rack. 

Tonight we're decorating our sugar cookies - are you doing any Christmas baking still?

Chocolate Mint Pinwheels

Another one of the cookies I made this year was chocolate mint pinwheels - these are really tasty! I got the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookies Cookies Cookies.

If you're a fan of chocolate and mint, you'll definitely like these. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg 
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• green food coloring (I used the Wilton's gel (paste) kind.)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Yield: 48 cookies

Beat the butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is softened (about 30 seconds). 

Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. 

Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Divide the mixture in half and place one half in a separate bowl. 

Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/8 tsp. salt, the peppermint extract, and the green food coloring to the half of the shortening mixture you took out.

Stir together until combined. 

Add 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/8 tsp. salt, and the unsweetened cocoa powder into the remaining half of the shortening mixture.

Mix well.

Place each mixture between 2 sheets of wax paper. 

Using a rolling pin, roll each mixture into a 12x11 inch rectangle.

Peel off the top sheet of wax paper off of each rectangle and flip the green dough on top of the chocolate dough.

From one of the 12-inch sides, roll the dough up. 

Wrap the 12-inch roll of dough in wax paper.

Chill for at least 4 hours (I did it overnight).

Cut the dough into 1/4 inch-thick slices and place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 13 minutes at 375ºF or until the edges are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

This year, my mom and I made lemon sugar cookies for Christmas. These are good any time of year, but if you add some red and green food coloring, they are especially festive. This is my Nana's recipe, with some modifications by my mom.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar 
• 3 1/2 cups flour (3 3/4 if you are using food coloring)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• grated rind of 2-3 lemons (2 if they're large lemons, 3 if they're smaller)
• optional: food coloring (if you use food coloring, be sure to use the paste (or gel) kind - the liquid can mess up the recipe.  We use Wilton's, and it works well.)

Yield: 60-70 cookies

Beat the butter in an electric mixer until it is soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat well.

Add the eggs and extra egg yolks. 

Beat well.

Add the baking powder and salt. Add the flour a little bit at a time, alternating with adding the lemon juice.

Beat well after each addition.

It should be 3-4 additions.

Slowly stir in the grated lemon rind.

Add the food coloring if you choose. 

We made red and green.

Drop the batter by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Allow some room for the cookies to spread.

Bake at 350ºF for about 14 minutes, or until the edges are a pale golden brown.

Remove the cookies to a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with a little sugar while they are still hot.

Allow them to cool and enjoy!