Christmas Cookies Recipes: Brian's Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
1 cup Sugar, granulated
1 large Egg, beaten
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Mint extract
1/2 tsp Mint extract
1/2 cup Flour, unbleached
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking powder, double-acting
2 oz Chocolate, unsweetened
Non-paralleils, multi-colored
2 tsp Water

Instructions

1. Beat butter until soft; gradually add sugar and blend until creamy. Mix in beaten egg and extracts. DON'T USE A FOOD PROCESSOR!!!
   
   
2. Stir salt and baking powder into flour; stir into butter/sugar mixture.
   
   
3. Melt chocolate over a double-boiler; add to dough. Form into a long roll approximately 2" - 3" wide. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
   
   
4. Slice dough 1/4" thick and place on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with non-paralleils and press in slightly with back of spoon. Bake in 400 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool cookies on rack.
   

Vicki's notes: Can substitute 3 oz. semi-sweet chips for the chocolate. These cookies came about when my husband asked me to make chocolate-mint cookies for Christmas. (They are based on the refrigerator cookies in "Joy of Cooking," with my own variations.) Although disappointed because he really wanted Girl Scout cookies (!), everybody else likes them and I've had several requests for the recipe. (Actually, my husband usually asks for chocolate chip cookies, no matter what time of year...)


Source: i chef .com

Christmas Cookies Recipes: Carole's Christmas Cake

Ingredients

6 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1/2 lb Melted butter
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Vanilla

Fruit stuff:
1/2 cup Flour
1 lb Candied cherries
1 lb Candied pineapple
4 cups Chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Batter: Mix batter items together. Flour the fruit stuff items. Place the fruit stuff into a greased Angel Food cake pan (I use a Bunt pan). Pour the batter over the fruit stuff. Bake at 300 degrees until done (about 1 1/2 hour).
   
   
2. For a cupcake version: Bake 15 minutes at 300 degrees, brush on Honey. Continue to bake for 15-30 minutes more. (use two cupcake papers per serving).
   
   
3. With the cake freshly removed, I use a hypo and inject with one shot of the following: Rum Amaretto (Almond flavour), Triple Sec (Orange flavour), and Grand Marnier (Orange flavour)
   
   
4. Make these a month or so early. Wrap in Saran Wrap and place in refrigerator. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
   

Source: i chef .com