Easy Christmas Cookies in Under 30 Minutes

The Christmas tree is up, the Christmas lights are draping the front yard, the Christmas cards are mailed and shopping done and all gifts wrapped and it's only December 8th! Does this sound like your life? Most likely ...NO! During this busy but festive holiday season there is so much to do and so little time. However, amid the hustle and bustle, there is one holiday tradition that you should not leave off your list. Take a break on a weekend afternoon, gather your kids or grand kids and have a holiday bake-a-thon. Our kids are all grown and scattered across the country and it is the one tradition I dearly miss. From the time they were little we spent a couple of hours baking Christmas cookies during each holiday season. It is such a beloved tradition that I still mail boxes of cookies to each of them before Christmas. Yes, they will be home for Christmas, but that box of Christmas cookies is just a small reminder of a favorite family tradition.

When my kids were young, I will admit our Christmas cookie baking day did try my patience. However, they loved it so much, I did not have the heart to disappoint them. There were four of them trying to help measure, mix, blend and fold in a multitude of ingredients. Then, of course, they all wanted a hand at decorating the cookies. One year I tried a short cut and bought slice and bake cookies but the kids insisted that these were not real cookies. About 4 years ago, as I was baking with the last one left at home, I discovered the most amazing shortcut..

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix In A Bag.

This mix is not quite as quick as the slice and bake, but you actually make the dough! You add butter or oil and an egg to the mix. Presto, you have a batch of dough. You can roll the dough to make cut outs, add additional ingredients such as white chocolate chips or just spoon out balls of dough and you are ready to bake and decorate. 20 minutes later, you have a batch of easy Christmas cookies! Best of all, the cookies come out as delicious as the more time consuming recipes you may have in your files.

The cookie mixes include chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, peanut butter and even gingerbread. So you can quickly and easily make a fun assortment of Christmas cookies. Add an assortment of decorating sugars, sprinkles, candies, raisins or dried cranberries to your baking area and the kids can have a ball decorating their cookies. You can now have a stress free holiday baking session with your little ones. For a fun finale to your Christmas cookie bake-a-thon; the kids can wrap up their cookies and deliver them as gifts to friends.

For additional tips on Christmas cookie baking as well as a free printable really cute card to go with these packages visit Celebration Ideas Online. So start your own annual Christmas Cookie bake-a-thon with your kids or grand kids... it is a wonderful tradition!

Carol is married with four grown children who loves to celebrate everything! Their family celebration experiences and traditions can be further viewed at http://www.CelebrationIdeasOnline.com There are some great ideas for creating lasting family memories!

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A Succinct Article On A Few WonderfulMerry Preparations for Christmas

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com:80/food-and-beverage-articles/a-succinct-article-on-a-few-wonderfulmerry-preparations-for-christmas-3911189.html



For additional information on xmas recipes please go to Xmas Recipes. You may also take a look at some great christmas dinner ideas by going to christmas dinner.

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Everything You Need To Know About the Christmas Cookie Cutter

Christmas is a very popular time of the year that brings out many different traditions including the tradition of making cookies with the use of Christmas cookie cutter. One of the traditions that is enjoyed by many is the tradition of gathering together to make Christmas cookies for the entire family. Kitchens are filled with laughter and joy as cookie baking activities go on for hours and hours.
The Christmas cookie cutter can take on a number of different shapes and forms, and they can also be made from a number of different materials. You probably can name some of the more famous characters of the Christmas holiday, and these characters are what you often see cookie cutters being shaped into. Santa Claus, Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, Christmas trees, stars, snowflakes, candy canes, and presents are all objects of this spectacular holiday that you will often find as the focus of the Christmas cookie cutter shape. Every family has their own Christmas traditions, and their favorite characters when it comes to the different Christmas tales that you hear about, so which ones are used to in the cookie making process will vary from family to family.
Christmas cookie cutters are most commonly made from either plastic or metal. Plastic is usually used in the items that are generally only going to be used in the baking process because they are cheaper to make, and a large amount of production of these items is required because they become very popular during the holiday season. In order to mass produce them in a more cost effective manner, the cheapest material has to be used, which in most cases is plastic.
Different types of metal can be used when making the Christmas cookie cutter. Some of the types of metal that are more commonly used are metal, tin, and copper. Copper is one of the more popular metals desired when cookie cutters are purchased strictly for decoration. There is just something about the shiny copper look that seems to add a little extra touch of class to any home decoration.
The Christmas cookie cutter doesn't necessarily have to be used in the process of making cookies. It can actually be used for a number of other purposes as well. One great way that you can use this item is to add a little extra décor to any gifts that you give out during the holiday season. It's easy to incorporate any one of the different Christmas symbols into your gift wrapping presentation. Simply wrap your present that you are going to give someone, tie a string style bow around it, and then type a
Christmas cookie cutter or two into the bow. You can use matching colors or you could use one red and one green to get both of the primary Christmas colors, whatever you prefer. The point is when you are done you will have a nicely decorated present that is well accented with a Christmas cookie cutter or two that your gift receiver can use for themselves.
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To Learn More About Cookie Cutters, Feel Free to Explore a Very Informative Site <a href="http://ecookiecutters.com/">here</a>.  We've Searched Far and Wide and this Site Definitely has the Largest Selection, Most Competitive Pricing, Awesome Customer Service, and the Most Enjoyable <a href="http://ecookiecutters.com/">Cookie Cutter </a>experience!

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first beautiful dusting of fluffy white snow all the time puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up huge batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have all the time loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for original Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient aggregate slowly and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured outside and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of house and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured outside and cut into your popular Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a house project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into distinct bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie recipe transfer - Fun Holiday Event

Who doesn't like homemade Christmas cookies?

When I was a little girl my favorite holiday treat was no-bake cookies. I remember the sweet aroma throughout the house and the delightful gems lined up across the kitchen counter on waxed paper.

Cookie Bake

Mom made them perfect. She always made them around Christmas time. She made other kinds of cookies, but the no-bake ones stick in my mind.

Are you pressed for time or energy this holiday season and you just don't have the time to make a big variety of homemade cookies? I have a authentically fun solution for you!

Host a Christmas cookie method replacement party. This is an exquisite way to obtain a nice assortment of Christmas cookies. The key to this event is "how many show up"...the more guests you invite, the more recipes and cookies you will end up with.

This event can even involve a holiday meal before hand as well to make it more festive. This is authentically up to you. But, the whole one rule is...each guest that attends has to bring so many dozens of only one type of homemade cookie along with their recipe. (the exact whole of cookies are decided upon by the hostess).

Important Tips For Your Cookie replacement Event

1. It's best to print the recipes on index cards. Each guest will need to bring many copies of their recipe. Make sure your guests include their names on top of each method copy. It would be a good idea for you to have extra index cards on hand just in case there is not enough to go around to each guest that attends.

2. Have your guests call you to let you know what method they will be preparation and bringing to the event. (just to make sure none of them are bringing the same recipe) Of course, you want them all to be unique to contribute a good variety.

3. Have some festive throw away containers or trays available for each of your guests to obtain their cookies in.

4. If you decide on a meal...to make it easy on yourself, finger foods work authentically well for this type of event. Make it a buffet style. A good idea for a beverage would be some hot cider.

5. Have fun with this event and set a festive table display!

A cookie replacement party is a authentically fun way to visit with house and friends and end up with some special holiday treats and recipes all at the same time...not to mention, it saves You time and energy when it comes to baking.

Below is my Mother's method for no-bake cookies:

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Milk
1/4 c. Cocoa (unsweetened)
1 stick margarine
1/2 c. Plane peanut butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/2 c. Quick oats

Directions

Combine sugar, milk, cocoa in small saucepan. Bring to boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Drop by tsp. Onto waxed paper. (May need to refrigerate)

Christmas Cookie recipe transfer - Fun Holiday Event

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Bake Cookies and Still Cut fat - Learn How to Avoid Gaining 10 Pounds This Christmas

When you open your popular magazine, you see yummy Christmas cookie recipes. Stop by the grocery store and you can't avoid the extra baking displays lined with brown sugar and cake mixes. Christmas means "start baking!" The old Pillsbury advertisement said it well, "Nothing says loving like something from the oven!" So how can a mom bake delightful treats for her children without gaining ten extra pounds in December?

1. Bake & Give. Make a list of the neighbors and friends you'd like to bless and then make up a plate for each household. Pull out your popular recipes: sugar cookies, seven layer bars, chocolate peanut butter balls, and go to town! Have your kids help you bake and decorate your yummy cookies. By the time you get all your cookies wrapped up, there shouldn't be too many leftover. Just enough for you and your house to enjoy as a extra treat, instead of a cookie invasion to last for weeks.

Cookie Bake

2. frost & Save. frost leftover cookies and enjoy them moderately in the New Year. They will keep perfectly yummy in your freezer for three months. If you receive lots of treats from dissimilar neighbors or co-workers, you can frost those also. Just enjoy a few cookies and frost the rest to enjoy in January, February and March. You can divvy up the cookies evenly among house members and bet on who can make the cookies last the longest.

3. Shop & Skip. When you're out grocery shopping, skip buying the gingerbread pound cake they're sampling, the egg nog, and the extra holiday M&Ms. Don't buy any extra treats for yourself or your family. There will be plenty of opportunities for treats at school Christmas parties, office parties, neighborhood parties...you get the picture.

You don't need to be a Scrooge and outlaw all cookies in December. But you can't say yes at every temptation or else you'll look like Santa Claus come New Year. So bake your popular cookies, share them with your friends and loved ones, and enjoy the tastes of Christmas in moderation.

Bake Cookies and Still Cut fat - Learn How to Avoid Gaining 10 Pounds This Christmas

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Christmas Cookie change

If you are someone who loves cookies and any other type of baked goods, Christmas is the time of year where many are being made and enjoyed. If you have never heard of a Christmas cookie exchange, it may be something you would be curious in attending or even hosting for your friends and family. If you are a baker or love baked goods this will be right up your alley when it comes to a Christmas cookie exchange.

A Christmas cookie change is one great way to taste many distinct cookies you might not have ever known existed. You are able to swap recipes of distinct cookies and desserts you make with your friends and house who attend. The holiday season is one time of year where it seems alright to indulge in sweets without feeling bad about it. For a Christmas cookie change or swap you regularly will have at least ten individuals which you can swap cookies with. So how exactly does the Christmas cookie change work?

Cookie Bake

First you want to send out invites to those who you feel would enjoy this type of Christmas exchange. You will of course need them to Rsvp so you are aware of how many will be attending. Also include the instructions on how a Christmas cookie change works for those who might not have ever been to one before. This will give them a bit of insight before they arrive so they do not feel lost when the exchanging begins. But again, you will need to elaborate the change and how it works once all of your guests arrive.

When you host a Christmas cookie change you will ask every participant to bring at least a half a dozen to a dozen of distinct cookies. regularly a good three or four distinct kinds is great. You will swap a dozen or half a dozen of your cookies for someone else's which interest you and place them on your tray. You go around the room to all the distinct individuals' cookies until all of yours are dispersed. Many hosts will also ask you to bring an additional dozen of your cookies for them to be shared throughout the party as a snack. It is also another great way to outline out which cookies you are seeing to swap with yours.

In the end make sure you ask each participant to bring a copy of their cookie recipes so you can hand them out to those who are highly curious in a specific cookie which you made. This is one great way you can taste distinct original cookies that many have made in their house for centuries. You may taste something you would have never view you would enjoy but came out loving them.

Christmas cookie exchanges are becoming more and more favorite including at work locations. This is a great twist on a Christmas party to keep everyone going. It may also be a new tradition you bring every year to those friends and house members of yours which love to bake around the holidays.

Christmas Cookie change

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow all the time puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up huge batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have all the time loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for former Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient composition gently and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured surface and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of house and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into your favorite Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a house project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into distinct bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow all the time puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up immense batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have all the time loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for customary Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient aggregate slowly and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured face and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured face and cut into your beloved Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into distinct bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow always puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up huge batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have always loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for former Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient aggregate slowly and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured surface and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of house and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into your beloved Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a house project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into distinct bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow always puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up immense batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have always loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for customary Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient combination moderately and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured surface and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into your beloved Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into different bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow always puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up massive batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have always loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for primary Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient composition slowly and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured face and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured face and cut into your popular Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into dissimilar bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first gorgeous dusting of fluffy white snow always puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up immense batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have always loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for former Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient compound gradually and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured covering and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured covering and cut into your favorite Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into separate bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

The first beautiful dusting of fluffy white snow all the time puts me in the mood for baking Christmas cookies. At this time of year I tend to spend longer hours in the kitchen, baking up massive batches of cookies and candies as holiday music and movies play in the background. I love and have all the time loved the tastes and smells that come from a kitchen filled with love at Christmas time. Here are two of my recipes for traditional Christmas cookie favorites.

Gingerbread Cookies

Cookie Bake

6 cups flour

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon). In a large bowl, mix the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredient composition moderately and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, make into pieces no bigger than 1 1/2 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Roll the dough (about 1/4 inch thick) out on a slightly floured surface and cut into shapes (smaller shapes work best with this dough). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar icing (milk or cream and powdered sugar). Word of warning on this recipe, it makes a very large batch so I hope you have a lot of family and friends to share this with.

Sugar Cookies (roll-out)

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup soft butter

1 beaten egg

3 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine softened butter and sugar until creamy. Add in egg, cream, and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add it to the liquid mixture. Chill for at least one hour. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into your favorite Christmas cookie shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If desired, put red and green sprinkles on top of the cookies before putting them in the oven. If you would rather make it a family project, bake the cookies, allow to cool, and make a powdered sugar frosting (milk and powdered sugar). Divide up the frosting into dissimilar bowls and color it with food coloring. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and mini M&Ms can help add fun to the frosting process.

Christmas Cookie Baking Recipes

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Easy Kid Recipes – An Early Christmas Treat

‘Tis the season to be jolly – or so the song goes. But for us, Christmas isn’t just about giving and tree-decorating and all that pizzazz … it’s also the time to show our mini-me’s that it is also the time to make nutritious and healthy kids snacks – the same as what you’ve been doing for the past year (actually, since they were born).

Are dips considered as fun kids food? Click on the link for more info.

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The Excitement Of Cooking During Christmas

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com:80/food-and-beverage-articles/the-excitement-of-cooking-during-christmas-3835032.html



For details on Christmas cookie recipes by visiting Christmas cookie recipe. You can also have a peek at some tasty chocolate recipes by visiting chocolate recipes.

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Baking Christmas Cookies

As kids, as adults, we all love cookies. It's probably one of the favorite desserts of people of all ages. And while cookies are certainly great all year round, there is just nothing like those couple of days before Christmas when mom starts making the Christmas cookies. This is a time of year when cookies take on a whole new meaning.

Christmas is a magical time, especially for children. We all gather around eagerly to set up the Christmas tree. There isn't enough tinsel and ornaments to cover our masterpiece of nature. And after the tree is trimmed and we eagerly await Santa Claus, what do we do? We put out a plate of Christmas cookies for Santa to take with him on his way out. Of course what we don't tell our kids is that in the middle of the night we wake up, nibble on the cookies and leave just enough crumbs so that the kids know that Santa was there.

Cookie Bake

Then of course there's Christmas Day and the week following when we have about 6 tins of these treats to munch on. This is our excuse to have cookies at breakfast, lunch, dinner and at every chance we get during the day. Snack time takes on a whole new meaning during the Christmas season. And what about these cookies? How many different kinds do you think there are? Well, there are probably more kinds of Christmas cookies than you can imagine.

There are of course your traditional Christmas cookie shapes. These come in the form of candy canes, Santas, stars and just about any kind of shape that you can associate with the Christmas season. And the cookies themselves are made from various ingredients. You have your plain old sugar cookies, chocolate, nuts, cinnamon and the list goes on and on. Most of these cookies are made out of molds that you can buy at just about any baking goods store. They're pretty common.

Then you have your not so traditional Christmas cookies. This is where people get to be a little more creative and yet still add that Christmas touch. These can range from something as simple as a jelly cookie with small gum drops in the center to something as elaborate as the ever popular seven layer cookie, made up mostly of chocolate. These cookies would put a diabetic into a coma, but they are sure good.

The truth is, the kind of cookies you could make at Christmas time are limited only by your imagination. And if you've got a lot of little kids in the house, you're going to need quite a bit of that imagination. Nobody wants to eat the same old candy cane cookies day after day. So make sure you whip up at least 5 or 6 different varieties of cookies if you want to keep everybody happy. After all, a happy family is what Christmas is all about. Yes, Christmas is a magical time and Christmas cookies are a big part of that magic.

Baking Christmas Cookies

Ann Marie Krause has been making cookies for over 30 years, at persent I am retired, for over 23 years I owned a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner.You can visit my site at http://www.annsgoodies.com.

NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).

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Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu - 101 Xmas Recipes

Christmas is the most awaited time of the year to be merry and being with the ones you love sharing a wonderful moment of giving and praising the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. In this special moment, special things have to be done in order to celebrate a perfect moment. The idea is letting your Christmas spirit guide you through with a traditional Christmas dinner menu for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
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Generally getting a roasted turkey dinner is most preferred with stuffing but you can have an alternative without ruining the tradition. Have a traditional ham baked or a large chicken roasted with some cranberry sauce and a salad to make it a hearty celebration. You can also have roast beef to really get a package of fun and high Christmas spirit.
You can compliment your roast with some mashed potatoes or potato salad to warm up.  Ideas like serving pasta dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, or cheese will be a good traditional alternative. It sure is to turn the cheers up. Or you can simply have fresh bread to accompany your roast.
Desserts are really good to have in a Christmas dinner. You can serve a warm apple pie or some butterscotch. Macaroons are also good to have to sweeten up the dinner also; you can have some cookies or even a fruitcake for that traditional touch of a sweet Christmas dinner. Or simply you can stack some candies that surely you and the kids will love.
Nothing beats a good Christmas dinner with a good drink. For a wholesome event eggnog or hot cocoa will be a perfect comfort for the heart. Alternatives are there such as tea or coffee is a good to have when cocoa or eggnog is not available. Nothing can ever be better than having a traditional Christmas dinner menu with the family or with your loved ones. The moment of joy and giving accompanied by a dinner that brings the hearts and spirits close and warm with everyone. Enjoy your holidays and make it better with great Christmas spirit that you share and show in getting a true meaning of Christmas.
Click Here For 101 Xmas Recipes Instant Access Now!

This author writes about Fun Christmas Dessert Recipes and 101 Xmas Recipes.

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Christmas Cookie Swap

Hosting a Christmas Cookie Swap is a wonderful way to "kick off" your celebration of Christmas. A Christmas Cookie Swap provides the opportunity to take a break from the holiday rush to share the Christmas spirit with old and new friends.

My friends and I hosted a Christmas Brunch for the occasion of our Christmas Cookie Swap. We scheduled it around the second week of December so that everyone could go home with a variety of scrumptious Christmas cookies to serve throughout the holidays. Each year we rotate the home and the hostesses where the brunch is held.

Cookie Bake

In order to have a successful Christmas Cookie Swap, we offer the following guidelines: (which were included in the invitation)

1. All cookies are to be "homemade," baked and main ingredient is to be flour. No "no-bake" cookies, meringues or bars. Fudge or pralines are ok.
2. It's great to make cookies that freeze well.
3. Please bring 80 total cookies, divided into 40 Ziploc bags of 2 cookies each.
4. The theme is "Christmas Cookies"-no chocolate chip cookies, please.
5. Arrange bags of cookies in a basket or on a platter (be creative).
6. Bring 40 copies of the recipe printed on 8 ½" X 11" (to make individual recipe books.)
7. RSVP as soon as possible to let us know what type of cookies you are planning to bring. We'll try not to duplicate recipes.
8. If you cannot attend but would like to swap cookies, you may deliver your cookies to the host house the day before the brunch. We'll swap them for you.
9. *If you don't have time to bake, or have ruined your recipe, but still want to attend, you can bring cookies from a "real" bakery.

In preparation for the brunch, the hostess prepares brunch food, a bag in which each participant can put her cookies, and a cover and back sheet for the Christmas Cookie Swap Recipe Book. During the brunch, one of the hostesses assembles the recipe books so they are ready to pass out at the end of the activities.

The hostesses also prepare activities for the guests before the cookies are distributed. One activity that all seem to enjoy is for each guest to tell why they chose their cookie recipe to prepare, especially if the recipe has a special meaning, e.g. it was grandmother's favorite sugar cookie recipe.

Christmas Cookie Swap

And...everyone is encouraged to wear Christmas attire (especially a ChristmasTee) to the Brunch.

ChristmasTees http://www.tees-4christmas.com is a website that provides ladies the opportunity to own a fashionable, festive shirt, with rhinestone appliques, to enhance their celebration of the Christmas season. Shirts may also be designed and purchased to use as Christmas gifts for friends and family.

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Saving &amp; Storing Your Christmas Cookies

Baking cookies is a favorite activity during the holiday season. The smell of the cookies baking, the warmth of the oven, the joy when you see the results, and of course, the taste! Here are some tips for saving and storing your cookies:

Preparing

Cookie Bake

Make sure your cookies are completely cool before preparing them for storage or freezing. Any frosting or icing should also be fully set and firm.

Storing

Cookies should be stored in an airtight container or bag. Some cookies will keep better if individually wrapped, such as very large gourmet type cookies, large cutout and frosted cookies and very thick cookies. Plastic wrap, foil or waxed paper works well for individually wrapping the cookies.

Freezing

Just about any type of cookie will freeze well and can last for up to 1 year from when you baked them. Make sure the cookies are wrapped well in waxed paper, plastic wrap or foil. Wrap them individually to make them last longer, hold their shape better and preserve their taste and texture. Then put them in an airtight container like a Tupperware or other container. You can also use a Ziploc freezer bag, just make sure you have sealed it tightly. Cookies that have been frosted will only keep for a few months in the freezer.

Using Frozen Cookies

Unwrap the cookies carefully and let them thaw completely and come to room temperature before serving. You can also microwave them on high for about 20-30 seconds.

Freezing Cookie Dough

Many people don't realize that you can freeze the actual cookie dough for up to 1 month. Then thaw it out completely before preparing to bake. This can save alot of time during the holiday season and give you the same fresh from the oven taste as fresh baked cookies. Cookie dough that is very, very soft should not be frozen. Any dough that is firm will freeze very well. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag.

When storing or freezing dough or baked cookies, don't forget to write the date and type of cookies on the package.

Saving & Storing Your Christmas Cookies

Ricky Alberta writes for Cookie-Recipes.net, home of hundreds of cookie recipes of all kinds plus a cookie recipe forum and blog. Visit us at: www.cookie-recipes.net

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