Christmas Cookies Recipes!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Hi there!

I'm so sorry I've been absent lately. With Christmas right around the corner, working full time and all the things that go with the holidays, I haven't had time for much else this week. I've also been working on a Christmas present that takes up all of my spare time. I'll share it with you after the holidays.

But as promised, I'm back with some more Christmas Cookie recipes! I tested these two out this past weekend and they were both a hit at the cookie swap. (The pistachio one, especially!)

Pistachio-Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients
Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Optional - green food coloring

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. The only way you can ruin these cookies is to overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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Philadelphia S'More Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup colored sugar


Directions
BEAT cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add granulated sugar and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour, beating well after each addition; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes with 2-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle half of the cookies with colored sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets.

BAKE 12 mins or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

SPREAD bottom side of each plain cookies with 1 tsp. Jet Puffed Marshmallow Crème; cover with remaining sugared cookies, bottom-sides down, to form sandwiches.

DRIZZLE with 2 squares of Bake’s Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted.

Enjoy!