The Thursday before Christmas my friend Aimee came over for some Christmas baking and wrapping. We had a super fun christmasy night! : )
1st on the Agenda - Open the wine and blast the Christmas tunes!
2nd on the Agenda - Peppermint Kiss Cookies from Sing for your Supper
Peppermint Kisses from Sing for your Supper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup candy cane flour**
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
crushed peppermints, for garnish (about 1/2 cup)
6 ounces (3 squares) white chocolate flavored almond bark or candy coating
I just used white chocolate chips
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and candy cane flour together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably one fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy, and malleable.
I don't have a mixer, so just stirring with a large spoon works too!
Drop the dough onto the baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Cool completely.
Heat the almond bark in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled cookies (I used a ziploc bag with the tip snipped off, but you could also just drizzle with a spoon), then sprinkle with the crushed peppermints.
The white chocolate chips burned in the microwave, so I heated them up on the stove top with a touch of oil in it to keep from sticking. And then just used a regular spoon to drizzle the chocolate on. It worked well. : )
**Like I noted above, “candy cane flour” is just finely crushed candy canes- you can make it with your food processor or just use a hammer (or rolling pin) and a ziploc bag.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: We used a hammer in a large ziploc, which worked well....BUT we left a few dings in the counter! Opps! (one benefit of just having ikea furniture! haha) SO if you try these, put a cutting board down before hammering!!!! haha
I did the baking and Aimee did the white chocolate drizzling and crushed peppermint sprinkling! Go Team Work!
3rd on the Agenda - Cutout Cookies
I once again used the dough from the finger cookies from Recipe Girl.
Almond Shortbread Dough from Recipe Girl
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extracts.
Again, I have no beater, so just hand mixing works too!
2. Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to wet mixture and beat just until moistened. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly grease them.)
4. Work with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping the remainder refrigerated.
For the icing, I mixed powered sugar, a drop of vanilla and milk. Just add milk until it is the constancy you wanted. Then add your food coloring.
The dough itself isn't that sweet, so the icing makes the over cookie much tastier! : )
Aimee also did some Gingerbread Decorating!
1st on the Agenda - Open the wine and blast the Christmas tunes!
2nd on the Agenda - Peppermint Kiss Cookies from Sing for your Supper
Peppermint Kisses from Sing for your Supper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup candy cane flour**
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
crushed peppermints, for garnish (about 1/2 cup)
6 ounces (3 squares) white chocolate flavored almond bark or candy coating
I just used white chocolate chips
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and candy cane flour together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably one fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy, and malleable.
I don't have a mixer, so just stirring with a large spoon works too!
Drop the dough onto the baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Cool completely.
Heat the almond bark in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled cookies (I used a ziploc bag with the tip snipped off, but you could also just drizzle with a spoon), then sprinkle with the crushed peppermints.
The white chocolate chips burned in the microwave, so I heated them up on the stove top with a touch of oil in it to keep from sticking. And then just used a regular spoon to drizzle the chocolate on. It worked well. : )
**Like I noted above, “candy cane flour” is just finely crushed candy canes- you can make it with your food processor or just use a hammer (or rolling pin) and a ziploc bag.
IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: We used a hammer in a large ziploc, which worked well....BUT we left a few dings in the counter! Opps! (one benefit of just having ikea furniture! haha) SO if you try these, put a cutting board down before hammering!!!! haha
I did the baking and Aimee did the white chocolate drizzling and crushed peppermint sprinkling! Go Team Work!
3rd on the Agenda - Cutout Cookies
I once again used the dough from the finger cookies from Recipe Girl.
Almond Shortbread Dough from Recipe Girl
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extracts.
Again, I have no beater, so just hand mixing works too!
2. Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to wet mixture and beat just until moistened. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly grease them.)
4. Work with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping the remainder refrigerated.
For the icing, I mixed powered sugar, a drop of vanilla and milk. Just add milk until it is the constancy you wanted. Then add your food coloring.
The dough itself isn't that sweet, so the icing makes the over cookie much tastier! : )
Aimee also did some Gingerbread Decorating!
4th on the Agenda - Wrapping
I got paper from Target this year, one classy and one sassy! : )
I also downloaded these FAB gnome gift tags from Michelle My Belle. I stumbled on her blog from another blog I read. So generous of her to share!
I also downloaded these FAB gnome gift tags from Michelle My Belle. I stumbled on her blog from another blog I read. So generous of her to share!
