Holiday Cookies Tray

Woooweeeee almost time for cookie-exchange with your family, friends, and neighbors!

A box to the flyer delivery person, a box to the postman, a box to the teacher, or whoever you’d like to give some wonderful sweets. It is time to spread some cheeriness 🙂

Have you baked any cookies yet? If not, try my recipes! They are always a hit most especially the Festive Shortbread Logs (my favorite as well :-D)!

On this plate as you can see there are:

• Choc Cookies
• Shortbread Logs
• Rolo Cookies
• MnMs Cookies
• Molasses Cookies

They make awesome hampers for family, friends, neighbors, whoever you’d like to give!

No Fuss Choc Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 tablespoon choc paste (got mine while traveling in Indonesia, but they are available at most baker specialty store such as Bulk Barn in Canada, or online – Amazon)
• 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 c flour
• mini Rolo (leftover Halloween!)

Method

• Cream butter and sugar, add in essence and paste. Add in mixture of flour and cocoa, gradually.
• Get a tbsp dough, flat the dough and place mini Rolo and shaped into balls.
• Bake at preheated 350 F for 9 mins.
• Let cool on rack

Festive Shortbread Logs

• 1 cup butter (not margarine!)
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 c flour
• crushed mint candies
• chocolate chip/bar/melts

Method

• Cream butter and sugar, add in essence. Gradually add in the flour.
• Get a tbsp of dough and shaped into logs.
• Bake at preheated 350 F for 9 mins.
• Let cool on rack, dip one side in melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candies.

Rolo Cookies

• 1 cup smooth and creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 20-24 mini chocolate Rolo

Method

• Cream peanut butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla
• Roll into balls and place on an un-greased baking sheets, give some space
• Bake at 350 F for 10-12 mins (top will slightly cracked)
• Immediately press Rolo on each cookie, cool on sheet for 5-8 minutes (depending your oven!) then move to wire racks

MnMs Cookies

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup MnMs chocolate pieces
• 2 egg whites

Method

• Cream vegetable shortening and 3/4 c sugar, then beat in extract
• Combine flour, soda, salt, and gradually add to the creamed mixture, stir in MnMs pieces
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks, gradually add in sugar, beat until stiff peaks. Fold into dough
• Drop by tbsp on an un-greased sheet and bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes (golden brown)
• Cool for a minute on sheet then move cookies to wire racks

Molasses Cookies

• 3/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp each cinnamon powder, ginger powder, allspice powder
• 1/2 c sugar for rolling

Method

• Mix warm melted margarine, sugar, and egg. Add in molasses. Add in dry ingredients, mix well. Place in the fridge an hour.
• Take a tbsp of dough and shaped into balls, roll them in sugar, place on baking sheet (you can flat them slightly or as is).
• Bake on preheated 375 F for 8 mins.