Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Christmas Cookies Part 1

So I decided to go all-out with the Christmas cookies year. The plan? make a bunch of dough, freeze it, and take it out as needed for the various gatherings in the next couple weeks

So- my assistants and I got to work today...


I settled on 3 different doughs:

Vanilla (double batch)


Chocolate (single batch)


and Peanut Butter (double batch)


They are all wrapped up and in the freezer.
Here's the game plan for each dough:

Vanilla:
1- Rasberry pistachio layer cookies
2-Coconut raspberry thumbprints
3- Classic roll out sugar cookies

Chocolate:
2- Chocolate caramel pecan turtle cookies

Peanut Butter:
2- Snickers "surprise" cookies
3- Resse's PB cup cookies

Here are a couple "action shots".

Mosie is the designated Kitchen Aid operator-
well, after we added the flour and cocoa to the chocolate dough, he slid the lever a bit too fast....

POOOF!- cocoa in the face (and everywhere else in the kitchen within 3 feet of the mixer) he's saying "wooow!"


and of course- the licking of the mixer paddle/bowl- the true favorite part of baking with Mommy!  We didn't even make any cookies today- and they didn't even seem fazed!

Oh- I thought I'd share a little project I completed today.  I have had the rattiest old spiral bound notebook- from college that I have been writing my recipes in for years.  I finally "bit the bullet" today and ripped all the pages out and filled them into a binder with plastic sheet covers-(much more practical in the kitchen).  I seriously toyed with the idea of retyping all of the recipes and starting a totally new notebook- but it would have been sort of sad to get rid of these old pages.


I know- kinda gross- but it has character!


Here are the cookie dough recipes I used today- I'll do more posts with the most successful of the bunch next week!

Basic Vanilla Dough- (chocolate recipe too)

2 sticks room temp butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (21/3 cups for chocolate dough + 1/3 cup cocoa)
3/4 tsp. baking powder (if making roll out cookies- omit for thumbprints)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugar, add vanilla and egg- beat until smooth.  Add flour (and cocoa), baking powder and salt.

recipe origin- Martha Stewart Living, December 2010 issue

Peanut Butter Dough

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk
1 egg
13/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream together butter and sugars, add remaining wet ingredients (peanut butter, milk, vanilla, egg)- combine.  Add flour, baking soda.


2 comments:

  1. Wow, Hannah. You are an inspiration! I feel like I'm accomplishing something when I can make cookies from dough bought from the store! Zella & Moses are so big...time flies. Can you msg me your address when you have a sec? I have a xmas card for you & the Fam. Also, would you happen to have Jonathan's? Thanks so much. Hope to see you all very soon. Enjoy the Holidays! Love,Rachel

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  2. YOu know a recipe is delish when there is batter all over the page. I might have to bake some of these!

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