It is December 1st all ready!  The days have gotten shorter and colder and the frost and snow have already made an early entrance.  Time for holiday parties, putting up the Christmas trees and decorating the house, making cards and getting them in the mail, shopping, and of course–baking cookies for the cookie exchange.  Everyone brings one type of cookie and takes home a beautiful variety.  Best part, we have some amazing bakers in this group!   Here are some recipe choices to consider for the occasion.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter
• 1  2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups Royal Icing
• White sanding sugar, optional

Variations:

• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Cream butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add vanilla, baking powder and salt and beat at medium speed until mixed.  Add eggs; beat until blended.  Add flour and mix at low speed until combined, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Divide dough in half.  Using hands, shape dough into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven a preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment.

Remove 1 disc of dough from refrigerator.  Roll out o a lightly floured surface to _1/4-inch to _1/8-inch thickness.  Cut cookies into stars, snowflakes or any other shapes.  Transfer cookies, with a metal spatula, to baking sheets and chill for 10 minutes.  Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes, depending upon thickness and size, rotating pans halfway through, until golden and firm to touch.  Cool for 5 minutes, transfer with a metal spatula to racks and let cool.  Repeat with remaining dough.

For Spice Cookies:

Beat 2 tablespoons sugar, ginger, cinnamon and allspice into full batch of Sugar Cookie dough.

For Lemon Cookies:

Beat lemon zest into full batch of Sugar Cookie dough.

For Chocolate Cookies:

Follow directions for making Sugar Cookie dough, but add cocoa powder after beating in eggs and then add only 2 _2/3 cups flour.

Royal Icing

• 3 tablespoons powdered egg whites
• 1/2 cup warm water
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 pound confectioners’ (powdered) sugar (4 cups)

(I also add a little flavoring; lemon, vanilla, or almond extract)

Gel food coloring

In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat powdered egg white, water and cram of tartar.  Add confections’ sugar and mix on medium speed until blended.  Increase speed to high and beat until icing is thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.  Add more water as needed to thin to desired consistency for piping or spreading.  Use immediately, (or refrigerate in a covered plastic container.  Beat icing again to soften before using.)

To decorate cookies:

Put some Royal Icing in a pastry bag with a small plain, round tip.  (Or put icing in a sturdy plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner.)  Pipe around edge of each cookie and let dry.  Stir 1 tablespoon water into another portion of Royal Icing to soften; put thinned icing in a clean pastry bag or new plastic bag.  Pipe icing onto each cookie, flooding inside of border.  Let dry.  Re-pipe border.  Sprinkle cookie with sanding sugar, shake off excess and let dry.

Cookies may be stored, tightly covered, in a tin for up to 2 weeks.

I used this sugar cookie recipe to make the party favors for TAPA THAT! –A peacock cookie cutter, colorful ‘feather frosting’,  placed in individual boxes for guests to take home after the party.

Grandma’s Spicy Gems

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg, (well beaten)
• 1/2 cups molasses
• 2 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2 cup hot water

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add egg and molasses and mix well.  Sift dry ingredients together and stir into molasses mixture alternately with hot water mixed with soda.  Chill dough thoroughly.  Drop by teaspoonful 2″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes and then frost.

Frosting

1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2-3 teaspoons hot milk or coffee.  Mix until thick and smooth.

One more thing to consider frosting:

Make ahead Applesauce bread pudding to serve for breakfast on Christmas morning!

First thing on Christmas morning, my husband makes coffee and brings it and our Christmas stockings to our room.  (I look forward every year to see what beautiful, sparkly thing ‘Santa’ has taped to the Christmas orange which he nestles down in the toe of my stocking!…Yes, I am spoiled.)  Eventually, we find our way to the kitchen to start breakfast.  It is really handy to have something already to go into the oven to bake while we unwrap gifts and enjoy the morning.  A bread pudding is just the ticket.

Christmas Morning Bread Pudding

Bread pudding:

• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 8 slices Texas toast bread, cubed

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp milk

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, milk and cinnamon.  Whisk to combine.  Add the bread cubes and toss lightly to coat.  Add to prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar over the top.

Put in refrigerator over night.  Christmas morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is set and the pudding has puffed.  Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes.  Drizzle frosting and serve warm.