B O N U S   R E C I P E S  

Bonus Christmas cookie recipes not found in the book; delicious, easy, tried-and-true favorites. For more Christmas cookie recipes, see the book Christmas Cookies Are for Giving! It contains all tried and true recipes, some modern, some traditional, some easy and some works of art! See the full list of cookie recipes, plus sample photos, here.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoons baking soda
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
cinnamon and sugar mixed to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix together butter and sugar until smooth, then add eggs, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Stir in flour until well mixed. Roll into balls about 1" in diameter and roll in cinnamon and sugar to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when they are just barely browning. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 48 cookies.

Chocolate Rum Balls

3-1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup rum
additional confectioners' sugar

Combine crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa and nuts. Blend in corn syrup and rum. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container several days to develop flavor. Roll again in confectioners' sugar before serving.

Forgotten Cookies

equivalent of 2 large egg whites (pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder with water)
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff, slowly add sugar, fold in chips and food coloring if desired. Drop by teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet. Turn oven off and let sit for at least 4 hours undisturbed.

Note: Use pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder to avoid the risk of Salmonella poisoning. Fresh egg whites in meringues do not reach a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria.

Minnesota Munchers

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two baking sheets. In a medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in milk chocolate and semisweet chips, toffee bits and pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks. Makes about 48 cookies.

Amish Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
extra granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until creamy. Add egg and molasses; beat until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the extra granulated sugar. Place balls on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 5 - 7 minutes until barely turning brown. Allow to cool for 1 minute on baking sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 48 cookies.

Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, vanilla and salt on low speed of mixer about 1 minute. Blend well. Gradually add flour at low speed until just combined; stir in nuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls; place about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until firm to the touch but not brown. Do not overbake. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool; re-roll in powdered sugar before serving. Makes about 36 cookies.

Toffee Butter Crunch

1 cup butter
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1 cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds, toasted
4 (4.5 ounce) bars milk chocolate, melted
1 cup finely chopped blanched almonds, toasted

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, to hard-crack stage (300 F on your candy thermometer) - watch carefully after temperature reaches 280 F. Quickly stir in coarsely chopped nuts; spread in prepared baking pan. Cool thoroughly. Turn out on waxed paper; spread top with half the melted chocolate; sprinkle with half the finely chopped nuts. Cover with waxed paper; invert; spread again with remaining chocolate. Sprinkle top with remaining nuts. If necessary, chill to firm chocolate. Break into pieces. Yield depends on how large you make the pieces!