Cookies, Cookies, and more Cookies!

As the end of the semester is near, all I can think of is the Holidays! I love the holidays. Its a great time with family and friends and a ton of food! My family is notorious for sweets around the holidays, so I am going to share my favorite cookie recipes. I don't think I have told you guys yet, but I actually love Paula Deen. Her recipes are to die for. YUMMY! They are so good and so bad for you. So I try not to cook to much of her stuff or to often. But I just have to share her three chocolate cookies recipe. My Mom always makes these cookies late Christmas Eve night and we eat them while they are still warm with a big glass of milk. Mmmmmm...

What are the holidays without Gingerbread cookies? :)

Gingerbread People Cookies

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1/3 cup of water

1/3 cup of molasses

1 egg

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

white or colored frosting

1 bag of M&M's

Allow the butter to soften and beat with brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium until creamy. Add water, molasses, and the egg until they are all blended thoroughly. Next add flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and cloves beat until well blended. This will be your dough. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate about two hours or until firm.

Next preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease the cookie sheet with Pam. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and roll out dough on this surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. You will want the dough to be about 1/8 inch thick. Use your gingerbread cookie cutter shapes to make the cutouts. Place the cutouts about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Remove cookies and place them on wire rack to cool completely. You can decorate them with frosting as desired. Bu I like the outline the whole cookie, then make little cuffs around each arm and leg. Then I make a happy face. Then I use the M&M's as three buttons down the middle.

These little guys are so cute and always a big hit with the kids. I don't have a picture of my gingerbread men. But I found a picture at http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2115058144_8a165966c6_o.jpg

that look very similar to mine. The picture actually looks better than mine because mine hands are not very steady and my icing is usually curvy haha

Cinnamon Nut Chocolate Spirals

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus three table spoons of soften butter

1 egg

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup of finely chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons of ground Cinnamon

First separate the sugar into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup. Soften butter and separate into 1/3 cup of butter and 3 table spoons. Next, combine combine the flour and the salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup of soften butter together with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add egg, continue to mix until blended well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. This will form your stiff dough. Next, roll the dough out between 2 sheets of wax paper. You will want to shape it into a 12x10 inch rectangle. Remove wax paper from top of rectangle. Combine chocolate chips, walnuts, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. melt the three tablespoons of butter and pour into chocolate mixture and stir. Spread mixture evenly over dough leaving 1/2 inch border on edges. Now, using the bottom sheet of wax paper begin to roll up the dough in a jelly roll style. Begin on the longer side and be sure to remove the wax paper as you go.Wrap up the roll in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Next, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the Cookie sheet. Unwrap the dough. Cut the roll into 1/2 inch slices, and place the slices 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until edge is lightly golden. Place on wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Kisses

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup Crisco all-vegetable shortening

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons of vanilla

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1 bag of chocolate Hershey's kisses

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and peanut butter. Then add the 2 eggs, milk, and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Add this to the peanut butter mixture and blend well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the additional granulated sugar. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and place a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie. Return to bake an additional three minutes.

Now for Paula's Three Chocolate Cookie Recipe you can find it at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/three-chocolate-cookies-recipe/index.html But I have share it below too!

Three Chocolate Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
3 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup almond brickle chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels and almond brickle chips. Drop cookies by 1/4 cupfuls about 3-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool.

I love every single one of the recipes! They make me want to cuddle up by the fire place, enjoy yummy cookies, and read a good holiday book. I hope you will try them and enjoy them as much as my family and I have!

Happy Cookin' and I don't guess its to early to say Happy Holidays too! ;)