Please Help Me...?

Question

Hello,
I am baking a whole bunch of cookies for all of my relatives this year for christmas. I Have done this alot of times, but this year I can't find my book of recipes. do any of you have any specail treats that you make for the holidays? And if you do, can you please give them to me, along with a picture ?
Thanx

Answer 1

Amaretto Butter Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated
3 tablespoons almond-flavored liqueur, such as amaretto, or 1 tablespon almond extract
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
About 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

Preparation
1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk, liqueur, and orange peel and beat until well blended.
2. In another bowl, mix 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir to mix, then beat until well blended. Gather dough into a ball, divide in half, and flatten each portion into a disk; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm enough to roll without sticking, about 30 minutes.

3. Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll one disk at a time to about 1/4 inch thick. With a floured, 2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies. Place about 2 inches apart on buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. Gather excess dough into a ball, reroll, and cut out remaining cookies.

4.In a small bowl, beat egg white with 1 teaspoon water to blend. Brush cookies with mixture and sprinkle or arrange about 1/2 teaspoon sliced almonds on each.

5. Bake cookies in a 325º regular or convection oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; if baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through cooking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Gingerbread People
Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients
Cookies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg

Decorations:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/4 cup colored sugar sprinkles

Preparation
To prepare cookies, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth and well blended. Add molasses and egg; beat until well blended. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Divide dough in half; shape each dough portion into a flat disk. Wrap dough portions separately in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove 1 dough portion from refrigerator; remove plastic wrap. Roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut with a 3-inch boy or girl cookie cutter. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portion. Bake at 350° for 11 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare decorations, combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth. Spoon mixture into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag. Pipe onto cookies. Decorate as desired with sugar sprinkles.

Chocolate Thumbprints
Yield: 50 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
About 1/3 cup turbinado sugar (see notes)
Chocolate ganache (recipe follows)

Preparation
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until dough is firm but pliable, about 30 minutes.

3. Place about 1/3 cup turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar to coat. Place 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment- lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie to make a 1/2-inch-deep indentation.

4. Bake cookies in a 325° oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely (if indentations have disappeared, make them again while cookies are warm).

5. Carefully fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon chocolate ganache. Let stand until ganache is shiny and firm to the touch, about 1 hour (or chill for about 30 minutes).

Chocolate ganache:

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), occasionally stir 6 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons whipping cream, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon butter until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until thick but not firm, about 15 minutes. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Peppermint Bonbon Cookies
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Additional coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons milk (optional)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels, melted (optional)

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup crushed peppermint and 6 Tbsp. sugar. Let cool 30 minutes.
Add eggs to melted chocolate, 1 at a time, stirring well. Stir in extracts.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate morsels. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until firm enough to shape.

Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked on top. Sprinkle coarsely crushed peppermints onto cookies; press candy lightly into cookies. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Whisk together powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over cooled cookies, if desired. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Sprinkle cookies again with chopped peppermint, if desired. Let cookies stand until glaze and chocolate are firm.

hope these help. enjoy.

Answer 2

try the website www.northpole.com they have tons of christmas recipes . good luck and god bless.

Answer 3

head to foodnetwork if you want recipes and pictures.

Answer 4

Sorry I don't have any pictures. However, if you visit the websites, most of these recipes have pictures of the final product.

double-chocolate sandwich cookies

For dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 pound fine-quality white chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Equipment: a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cookie cutter
Garnish: decorative sugar (optional)

Preparation

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch square, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Make ganache while dough chills:
Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, then stir into melted chocolate. Stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover surface with parchment paper and chill, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 30 minutes.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 14- by 10-inch rectangle (1/8 inch thick). Slide dough in parchment onto a tray and freeze until dough is firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut out as many rounds as possible from first chilled square with cutter, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to a buttered baking sheet, arranging them 1/2 inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft, return to freezer until firm.)

Sprinkle half of cookies with decorative sugar (if using), then bake cookies until baked through and slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely (cookies will crisp as they cool).

Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll only once).

Assemble sandwich cookies:
Beat ganache with an electric mixer at high speed just until light and fluffy. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag (snip off 1/8 to 1/4 inch from 1 corner with scissors). Pipe ganache onto flat sides of plain cookies, then top with sugared cookies to make sandwiches. Chill, layered between sheets of parchment, in an airtight container until filling is set, at least 1 hour.

Cook's notes:
• Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.
• Ganache can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment. Bring to room temperature, then beat with mixer before using.
• Sandwiched cookies keep, chilled, 4 days.
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Pecan Sandies

1 c butter or margarine
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c chopped pecans
1/4 c powdered sugar

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and water, beating well. Stir in flour and pecans. Shape into 1-inch balls or 1 1/2 x 1/2 inch fingers. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Gently shake a few cookies at a time in a plastic bag with the powdered sugar.
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Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
* 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.
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lemon cheesecake with strawberries and port glaze

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature

Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Port Syrup
1 750-ml bottle tawny Port
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

8 large strawberries, unhulled, halved through stem
Preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend graham cracker crumbs and sugar in processor. With machine running, add melted butter and lemon juice; blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until fluffy and smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add sour cream, whipping cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat just to blend, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just to blend after each addition.

Pour filling into crust (filling will just fill crust). Place springform pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake cheesecake until top appears set, puffed, and golden at edges but still moves slightly all over when shaken, about 55 minutes. Cool cake 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare topping:
Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl.

Spoon topping over hot cake, spreading to edge of pan and covering completely. Bake 10 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes. Run sharp knife around top 1/2-inch edge of cake to loosen. Place hot cheesecake directly in refrigerator; chill uncovered overnight.

For port syrup:
Stir Port, sugar, and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Cool. Mix in lemon peel. (Cake and syrup can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover cake and keep refrigerated. Cover syrup and let stand at room temperature.)

Starting below stem end of each berry half, make 3 lengthwise slits through tip. Fan berries and place around edge of cake. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Release pan sides. Slice cake and drizzle with Port syrup. Serve syrup alongside.