2015 Christmas Cookies

COOKIES! (recipes below

 

Almond Blossoms

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• Sugar
• Almond Hershey kisses, peeled

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Beat in egg and almond extract.  Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.  The dough will be stiff; blend last flour in by hand.  Do not chill dough.  Roll dough into smooth 1 inch balls and roll in additional sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Press one kiss into each cookie, and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes.

SPRITZ COOKIES

• 1 1/2 C. butter (3 sticks), softened
• 4 C. flour
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
• 1 egg
• 2 T. milk
• (OPTIONAL) food coloring, colored sugar or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy;
Add flavorings, egg, and milk and stir till well mixed.  If you wish to color the dough, add color now and mix well.  Sift or mix flour and baking powder together, then add to dough (this is more easily done in two or three parts), Mix with hands if necessary. (Dough will be very stiff).Push dough into spritzer gun and press shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet. You can press decorations into the cookies before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes, no longer!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars (Idiot Proof)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted (if need you may sub canola oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with foil or parchment papper.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined and the dough holds together (the dough will seem oily, this is good). Mix in about 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.

Turn half the batter out into prepared pan, pushing the dough into pan. Sprinkle on the remaining dark chocolate chunks and then place the remaining half of the dough over the chunks. Some of the chunks will most likely be sticking out, that is fine. Don't worry about it looking perfect. If desired you may even add more chocolate to the top. Most of the time I do.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, just do not over bake. Underdone is always better in my opinion. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. The bars are crumbly so you may want to us a fork... My dad does.