Merry Christmas

Well folks, I can't believe that the 25 days of Christmas cookies has ended.  When I started it seemed like a long time but it has flown by.  I hope you have enjoyed the many different cookies.  I'm sure there was something for everyone.

I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a New Year full of fun and good food.  Come back next week for some new recipes that are NOT cookies.

25 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 6 Soft Baked Monster Cookies

Now Monster cookies are good to keep in your freezer year round.  There's just something nice about being able to bake some warm cookies on a cold evening.  What makes these Christmas Monster cookies is the red and green m&m's. I bet there is someone in your family that would love these cookies.

I might have to bake some of these tonight. 

These cookies have lots of good things in them; peanut butter, oats and chocolate!

Start with 1 stick of softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar.  Mix well

1 egg

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup quick oats

3/4 cup for Christmas red and green m&m's.

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

It makes a pretty dough.

Scoop out on a lined cookie sheet and flash freeze.

Then add it to a labeled zip lock bag for the freezer. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake 9-10 minutes.

Soft Baked Monster Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup quick oats

3/4 cup M&M's

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 9-10 minutes. 

25 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 8 Chocolate Chunk Cherry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

This was the first cookie I made for the freezer this year.  I love chocolate and cherries so I had to make it. I think of the boxes of chocolate covered cherries when I see this recipe.  It doesn't have the syrupy sweet filling but the flavors are all there.  Of course you don't have to have these cookies only at Christmas. 

These cookies are so good.  The flavors all blend really well.  If you don't like cherries you could probably leave them out if you wanted to but as a cherry lover I would never leave them out.

This recipe calls for the chocolate chunk pieces.  If you don't have them or can't find them you could use semisweet chocolate chips.

Start with 1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar.  Mix all well.

You want it to be fluffy.

Add an egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup regular oats.  Mix well.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all that goodness together.  Scoop out onto a cookies sheet.  Flash freeze.  Then put in a labeled zip lock bag. 

To bake cookies preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Cherry Pecan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup regular oats

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350  Bake for 10 minutes.

25 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 11 Christy Johnson's Lemon Meltways

This recipe comes from a sweet lady at church.  She opens her home to ladies from church and teaches us her amazing cinnamon roll recipe.  She also shares other recipes with us in a nice little book. This is one of those recipes.  I thought this lemon recipe would be a nice addition to all the other cookies I have made.  I look at this recipe as a palate cleanser like sherbet.  These are a nice slightly tart cookie.  

The powdered sugar balances the tartness in these cookies.

I think this recipe wins the prize for having the fewest ingredients.  That is always a winner.

Zest one orange

Then juice the orange

Start with 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter.  This is 1 stick and 6 Tablespoons

1 cup powered sugar

Now the zest from the orange

2 Tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the dough well.  The lemon smells so good.

Now roll the cookies out into small balls.  I froze mine. To bake preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 13 minutes.  Cool for about 5 minutes before the next step. 

When you are ready to bake yours pour out a little powdered sugar into a small dish.

Roll the cookie around in the dough to coat well.  You will want to roll the cookie while it is still warm.  Be careful and don't roll too hard and break your cookie.

I think you will like the lemon flavor of this cookie. 

Christy Johnson's Lemon Meltway Cookie Recipe

1 stick plus 6 Tablespoons softened butter

1 cup powered sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 13 minutes.  Roll in powdered sugar.