The Fun Stuff:
Rustle up that rugelach recipe, share your family’s favorite gingerbread cookies, or let us in on the secret to your perfect candy cane martini. Post your favorite recipe in the comments below. We can’t wait to start testing them out!
The Fine Print:
To be entered for a chance to win a $25 Title Nine Gift Card, submit your cookie recipe and/or cocktail recipe in the comments below. Recipe must be received no later than December 11, 2015 at 11:59pm PST to qualify. Entrant must be a legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) and 21 years or older. Title Nine employees and their families are not eligible. One cookie recipe winner and one cocktail recipe winner will be announced on December 16, 2015. Each winner will receive a $25 Title Nine Gift Card.
Almond buttercream wafer sandwich cookies.
Crust: 1 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla. Mix well and chill
Roll out on floured surface to 1/8″- (thin!)
Cut with small festive cutters (1-2″ max), sprinkle colored Sugar on top of cookies. prick each well with a fork. Bake 7-9 minutes at 375. Carefully remove from pan Cool
Filling:
1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Yolks of 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond flavor
Food color if you want
Mix well and put filling between 2 wafers.
Refrigerate but let sit to warm slightly before serving
Use a small snowflake or tree cutter.
Aunt Marilyn’s Famous Sugar Cookies
4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Gather first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and lightly whisk or use a fork to slightly mix. Beat butter, sugar, and egg with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture slowly until well mixed. Scrape down bowl as needed to incorporate all ingredients. Chill dough and roll out to 1/4″ thick on floured surface. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Brush lightly with egg wash (using a fork or whisk beat an egg with a teaspoon of water) and sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake on greased or parchment lined baking sheets at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. This recipe, which originated with my late Aunt Marilyn, is a favorite with my family and friends. My son says it’s not Christmas until the sugar cookies are baked. This recipe makes alot – about 4 dozen cookies, You will be glad.
Cocktails! I call it the Girl Scout cookie. 360 double chocolate vodka and Ice 101 peppermint schnapps. Put both bottles and a shot glass in the freezer, the colder the better. Fill 2/3 of the shot glass with the vodka then top the rest off with the schnapps and shoot! Tastes just like a thin mint cookie!
THAT sounds amazing…and a little dangerous!
Cilantro Whiff
Muddled cilantro
Malibu
Pineapple juice
Pour over crushed ice
Top with a sprig of cilantro.
omg yum!!!
The salted chocolate chunk cookies from Smitten Kitchen! I’ve made the same chocolate chip cookie recipe for a decade after years of perfecting…and this recipe just swooped down and stole the show. I make them with a chopped up dark chocolate Pound Plus bar from Trader Joe’s. So delicious! http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/04/salted-chocolate-chunk-cookies/
Snickerdoodles
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Grease a cookie sheet. Stir together flour, soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds; add the 2 cups of sugar and beat till fluffy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating till just combined. Form dough into 1 inch balls; roll in a mixture of the 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Place balls 2” apart on a cookie sheet; flatten slightly with bottom of a drinking glass. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes or till lightly golden. Makes about 66.
*Note- I use flat stones that and slide the cookies in and out of the oven on parchment paper. I also set my oven to the convection setting at 375 degrees.
Eggnog Thumbprints!
Dough:
2/3 c butter
½ c sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ c flour
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 c finely chopped walnuts
Filling:
¼ c butter
1 c powdered sugar
¼ tsp rum extract
1-2 tsp milk or eggnog
Beat butter with sugar & nutmeg. Add egg yolks & vanilla, and then stir in flour. Chill dough 1 hr if necessary. Roll dough into 1” balls. Dip in egg whites then roll in chopped nuts. Place on greased or parchment covered cookie tray. Push your thumb into the middle of each cookie to make a deep depression. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, until just starting to brown on the edges. Allow to cool completely, then pipe in the eggnog filling, and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Bourbon Balls:
1 Box (12 oz) vanilla wafers, broken into pieces
6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup bourbon
Pinch of salt
2 cups pecans, lightly toasted (325*F 8-10 min.) then finely chopped
Finely crush the vanilla wafers in batches in a food processor, or place them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Remove from heat and add the brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon and salt; stir to blend. Stir in the crushed vanilla wafers and half of the pecans.
Spread the remaining pecans on a plate. Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the nuts to coat evenly. Arrange the balls in layers, separated by waxed paper, in a tightly covered container. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving to blend the flavors.
These cookies will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies
Grandma’s Rum Balls
Grandma always brought Toll House Cookies when she came to visit.One Christmas,she brought these instead…and I have been making them ever since! They are a rum infused no-bake treat…cookie or cocktail? You decide!!
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp raw honey (I use local)
1/3 c dark rum
Mix all ingredients well and roll into 1 inch balls.Roll in additional confectioner’s sugar and they are done.They get better w/ age, so let them marinate in a tupperware in a cool place(fridge is ok) for a few days.You can roll them in additional sugar before eating.
I ALWAYS double the recipe and they are in high demand at my annual Christmas party!!
Now you’ve really upped the ante! It’s a cookie cocktail.
Shoot!!!forgot the 2 1/2 cups of crushed vanilla wafers!!
and confectioner’s sugar should be 1 cup not 2 1/2cups…sorry!!
Let’s try this again!!!
2 1/2 cups of crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp raw honey
1/3 cup dark rum
Best Pancakes Ever!
Follow this recipe exactly as to the greatness of it is all in the order of mixing the ingredients. It is impossible to resist eating all of the pancakes this batch makes after you have had just one! I’m not kidding!
Ingredients for Mix:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.
Use the mix within 3 months.
Best Pancakes Ever!
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups of above Pancake Mix
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired
Heat griddle to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top go the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don’t try to work all the lumps out.
Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.
Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
Gently Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancakes and the griddle-side of the pancake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place like the oven for 20-30 minuets.
Yield: 12 pancakes