How Sweet It Is

Made With Butter & Love

Cookies are probably the one treat most closely associated with Christmas. Bakers have been making them at Christmastime for hundreds of years. Mothers pass down treasured snickerdoodle or oatmeal raisin recipes to their daughters. Families gather to share their annual tradition of baking cookies together. And a big platter of homemade confections makes a most welcome gift for those who have a sweet tooth. The employees at Aroundabout Local Media would love to be able to send a fresh plate of cookies to our readers this holiday season, but since that’s not possible, we’re sharing the next best thing — some of our favorite Christmas recipes — as our gift to you. So break out the butter, flour, chocolate chips and nuts, and get baking!

Mocha Walnut Christmas Cookies

CANDI HANNIGAN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

INGREDIENTS

1 12-ounce package chocolate morsels, divided 2 tablespoons instant coffee 2 teaspoons boiling water 1¼ cup all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg ½ cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt ½ cup chocolate morsels over hot (not boiling) water. Stir until smooth and cool to room temperature. In a small cup, dissolve coffee in water; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and coffee; beat until creamy. Add egg and melted morsels, and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in remaining 1½ cups morsels and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar for a festive look!

INGREDIENTS

1 box carrot cake mix 2 eggs ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix ingredients until well combined. Use a medium cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart. (If you would rather roll cookie dough balls by hand, refrigerate the dough for 10-20 minutes. Doing so will help it stay firm, and less dough will stick to your palms.) Bake for 9 minutes or until lightly golden. Tip: You can make sandwich cookies by spreading 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese or buttercream frosting between two cookies.

Snickerdoodles

MICHELLE MCCULLOCH, PRODUCTION MANAGER

INGREDIENTS Cookies:

1½ cups sugar ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup shortening 2 eggs 2¾ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon topping:

¼ cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, shortening and eggs in a large bowl, and stir in remaining dry ingredients. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and, on a large plate, roll balls in cinnamon mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet promptly, and cool on wire rack.

MICHELLE SMITH, MARKET AND ADVERTISING SPECIALIST

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened ⅔ cup sifted powdered sugar 1 tablespoon instant espresso (dry) 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups flour 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, finely chopped Additional powdered sugar and cocoa for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat butter on high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, coffee crystals, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until combined. Slowly beat in flour and chocolate. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake about 12 minutes until set. After cooling, combine additional powdered sugar and cocoa to a light brown and sift over cookies.

Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

DONNA HARRIS, MANAGING EDITOR

INGREDIENTS

½ cup butter 2 cups sugar ½ cup milk 4 tablespoons cocoa powder ½ cup smooth peanut butter 3½ cups quick-cooking oats 2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Combine butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Blend well. Drop onto wax paper, and let cool until set. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Wheaties Oatmeal Cookies

LAURA LATCHFORD, PAGE DESIGNER

INGREDIENTS

1 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, well beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups Wheaties cereal 2 cups oatmeal 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then add to the cream mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Shape dough into 1½inch balls, and place 1-2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown on edges and nearly set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes 4 dozen.

Twix Cookies

KAT HOLT, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

INGREDIENTS Shortbread layer:

⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened ½ cup sugar 2 eggs, yolks only 1 teaspoon vanilla 1½ cups all-purpose flour

Caramel Filling:

14 soft caramel candies, like Kraft Caramels 3 tablespoon heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle:

6 ounces milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour; beat at low speed until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely. Melt the caramels and heavy cream in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until fully melted. Using a teaspoon, fill each indentation with caramel. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring 30 seconds at a time until smooth, and scoop into a zip-top bag. Barely snip the corner, and drizzle chocolate over the cookies.