Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes

I love the holiday season and Christmas is right around the corner.  Here is a great basic recipe you can use for this busy holiday season!

Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes - One Recipe with Many Variations

By Karen Ciancio

There are so many Christmas cookie recipes around but often so little time to bake during the busy holiday season.

The solution? A great tasting basic cookie recipe that quickly and easily turns into such a variety of easy to make Christmas treats, friends and family will think you poured over all your favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

Let’s start with the basics.

Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter (or margarine) at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the flour. Beat with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture is light and fluffy. With mixer at a low speed, add the flour gradually, beating just until everything is well blended.

Place the mixture on a baking sheet using a tablespoon measure and press down with a spoon to flatten a bit. Or roll our and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350ºF for about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

This basic cookie mixture is also the base for the following cookie recipes (all baked in a preheated oven at 350ºF).

Orange Cookies
(Makes about 32)

Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest to the recipe. Shape into a log that is about 1 1/2″ in diameter and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Slice dough into 1/4″ thick slices. Place on cookie sheet. Cookies can be decorated with candies, rolled in colored sugar, or cut into pretty holiday shapes before baking. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cherry Coconut Chocolate Squares
(Makes about 54 squares)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, well drained and coarsely chopped

Line a 13″x9″ baking pan with foil.

Stir cocoa powder into basic dough mixture. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust looks dry.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, almond extract and baking powder until well blended. Stir in coconut and cherries. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top just begins to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Lift it out on to a cutting board using the foil ends and cut into 1 1/2″ squares. Squares can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Coconut Pineapple Cookies
(Makes about 36)

In addition to the basic dough you will need:
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup pineapple preserves (use raspberry or apricot if you prefer)

Add 1 cup of the flaked coconut to the basic dough mixture and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 1/2″ balls and roll in the remaining coconut to coat them. Place the balls 1″ apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie with your fingertip.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookie is firm and the coconut is lightly toasted. When cooled, fill each hole in the center of the cookies with the preserves.

You can vary this basic dough to make a wide variety of Christmas cookie recipes. Add other flavorings like maple, ginger or cinnamon. Add chopped dried fruits like apricots or dates. Or bake them plain in holiday shapes and decorate with colored icing.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Here’s hoping these quick and easy Christmas cookie recipes help keep the pressure off the cook.

Karen Ciancio is a cook and lover of all things food and cooking related. Her website http://www.cookingnook.com contains easy dessert recipes, plus lots of other recipes, cooking tips, measurement conversions and kitchen ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Ciancio
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Christmas-Cookie-Recipes—One-Recipe-with-Many-Variations&id=88269

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Posted under Easy Dessert Recipes, Holiday Dessert Recipes

This post was written by Stacie on November 20, 2008

Tags: , , , ,

Easy Frozen Peach Dessert Recipe

I love just about any dessert that has ice cream involved.  Ice cream, after all, is my favorite food.  So when I saw this recipe I just had to share.  Plus it’s a no bake dessert which is my second favorite kind of dessert!

Frozen Peach Dessert Surprise Recipe

By Shelley Pogue

This is a great recipe for ice cream lovers; it will be a good recipe for the first batch of fresh peaches. It is also a good recipe for the family get together, or just a lazy hot summer afternoon. I am a peach fan, and when I have a recipe that calls for the fresh juicy peach, you will see it on this website! I hope that you enjoy this wonderful peach recipe.

Frozen Summer Peach Ice Cream Surprise Recipe:

  • 1 ½ Cups of crushed/crumbs vanilla wafers, divided
  • 2 ½ Cups sliced fresh peaches, or frozen peaches if they are out of season. Fresh peaches work the very best!
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
  • ½ Tablespoon of a really good vanilla bean paste

1 Cup of softened Blue Bell Home-made Vanilla ice-cream if it is available, if not use a very good store brand in your area. If you have your own ice cream make you can make your own vanilla ice cream and use it if you prefer. This is an easy to make recipe, so we are using a store bought ice cream.

First you will spread half of the vanilla wafer crumbs in the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch baking dish. In a food processor or a blender you will add the peaches, sugar, lemon juice and the vanilla bean paste. You will run the blender or food processor for about a minute. You will stop the blender at least once to scrape down the sides to make sure you get all of the peaches and sugar blended until it is a smooth texture. You will then pour the peach and sugar mixture into a large bowl, and gently fold in ice-cream. You will then pour over crust and sprinkle any remaining cookie crumbs on top of the peach dessert. You will then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about eight hours until good and frozen. When you are ready to serve this peach dessert you will then remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving. You should be able to get about 8 servings from this dessert, and there should be eight happy people after trying this easy to make peach dessert.

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. Shelley is also the desserts editor for http://www.BellaOnline.com

Technorati Tags: , ,

Posted under Dessert Recipes with Fruit, Frozen Desserts, No Bake Dessert Recipes

This post was written by Stacie on November 20, 2008

Tags: , ,

10 Quick and Easy Holiday Dessert Recipes

The holidays are a busy time of year so I wanted to share with you 10 Quick and Easy Dessert Recipes you can use for all those holiday events you’ll be attending….OR just to use at home for a nice treat for yourself or your family.  Either way, these 10 easy dessert recipes will save you time during this hectic holiday season.

Quick and Easy Holiday Desserts

By Mary Crowther

These simple and stress-free dessert ideas will have you out of the kitchen in no time and enjoying the holiday season.

1. Banana Coconut Cream Pie. Slice two bananas and layer half on the bottom of a prepared graham cracker crust. Prepare two packages of instant vanilla pudding according to package directions for pie filling. Stir 2 cups whipped topping into pie filling. Spread half of this mixture over bananas. Layer remaining bananas and then rest of pie filling. Top with 1 cup toasted coconut. Chill about two hours or until set.

2. Mini Pies. Using two prepared pie crusts, cut three inch circles (I use the top of a glass as my “cutter”). Fit each pie crust into a muffin cup. Prick the pie bottoms and bake according to package directions. After pie crusts are cooled, fill with assorted pudding flavors. Use either package mixes or even easier, already prepared pudding flavors. Top each pie with fresh fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles or chopped candies depending on the pudding flavor.

3. Mini Tarts. Fill mini phyllo cups with fresh fruit and whipped topping.

4. Parfait Cups. Layer berries and whipped topping in small plastic cups. For a more formal presentation use wine or cordial glasses.

5. Mini Cheesecakes. Prepare a no bake cheesecake mix according to package directions but instead of using a pie plate, divide mix evenly among 12 cupcake papers. Top with fresh fruit, pie filling or candy morsels.

6. Decorated Cookies. Mix confectioner’s sugar and a small amount of milk until spreading consistency. Use to frost store bought sugar cookies. Decorate with seasonal sprinkles or sugars.

7. Chocolate Strawberries. Wash and dry 1 pint of fresh strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes. In a microwavable bowl melt 12 oz. milk chocolate and 1 tsp shortening at 15 second intervals until melted, stirring each time. Dip strawberries into milk chocolate covering half of the fruit. Place on foil lined baking sheet and cool in refrigerator.

8. Gourmet Brownies. Prepare one box of brownie mix. Add to prepared mix 6 ounces of chocolate chips. Spread in pan. Top with 1 cup chopped nuts. Bake according to package directions.

9. Chocolate Nut Fudge. Combine a 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave one minute. Stir until smooth. Add ½ cup chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 8 X 8 pan. Chill until firm.

10. Cupcakes. Using a simple box mix, prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Frost with ready-made frosting. Use seasonal colored sprinkles to decorate in holiday colors.

Mary Crowther is a writer, webmaster and cook. Visit her successful website KitchenTerms.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Crowther

Technorati Tags: ,

Posted under Chocolate Dessert Recipes, Easy Cake Recipes, Easy Dessert Recipes, Holiday Dessert Recipes, Pie Dessert Recipes, Tips and Tricks

This post was written by Stacie on November 18, 2008

Tags: ,