Snow People Cookies
These cookies are adorable and fun to make. They also taste really good. They are a fun cookie for kids to make. The cookies are made from a rich, cream cheese dough. They stay soft in the middle, with a little crunch on the outside. They are even cuter if you use the candy-striped kisses available this time of year.
Snow People
Dough:
4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, softened
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
¼ t. almond extract
Decorations:
Mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms
Kisses, whole, or mini peanut butter cups, halved
Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
Few drops green food coloring
Milk
Extra powdered sugar for sprinkling
Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and flavorings then stir in dry ingredients. Chill dough overnight. For each snow person rolls out 3 balls of dough, 1-inch, ¾-inch and ½-inch in diameter. Place balls in descending order on ungreased baking sheet. Press together lightly. Use 2 mini chocolate chips for eyes in smallest ball and use either chips or mini M&Ms for buttons (2 on largest ball and 1 in medium). You can also add a tiny dot of frosting once they are cooled for the buttons, too. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 18 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute then remove to rack to finish cooling. Combine powdered sugar with green food coloring and just enough milk to make a frosting that can be piped. Use a little dab of frosting to attach either a chocolate kiss (unwrapped) or half of a peanut butter cup as a hat. Pipe a small amount of frosting to form a scarf. Dust cookies with a little extra powdered sugar for snow when finished decorating. Makes about 48 cookies.
Soft Butter Cookies
If you are looking for a truly tender cookie, this may be it. These cookies are so delicate, they just melt in your mouth!!
The secret ingredient might surprise you. It is oil. Yes, I know I said butter cookies – they also contain butter. But the combination of oil and butter makes them soft and delicate, even days after baking.
They also contain both granulated and powdered sugar. Not your typical cookie recipe, for sure. This just may be my “go to” butter cookie recipe from now on.
You don’t have to chill the dough and they roll very easily, without sticking to your fingers. You could chill the dough, but let it warm up a little before rolling. The dough can also be made ahead and frozen- I tested it.
In class last week we pressed the tops in colored sugars, nonpareils or sprinkles before baking. You can also bake them plain, then dip in melted chocolate and sprinkles or nuts after baking,
Soft Butter Cookies
1 c. butter
1 c. oil, I used avocado oil
1 c. sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
½ t. salt
4 ½ c. flour id f dough is too soft, you might need to add a little more flour.
In mixing bowl, beat together butter, oil, sugars and vanilla. Once well blended, beat in eggs. Stir in the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt, then add the flour, mixing until well combined. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into one inch balls and press tops of cookies in sprinkles or colored sugar, if desired. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, or until light golden on bottom. Leave cookies on baking sheets 3 minutes before placing on cooling rack. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.
Russian Teacakes
This is the first cookie I can remember making with my Mother. She sat me down at the kitchen table with a pile of chilled dough. I think I was 7. She put a piece of wax paper on the table, then rolled out one small ball of dough. She told me to do what she had just done. Roll out the rest of the dough into little balls. I sat there and made one tiny dough ball after another, until I was done. I can’t make these cookies without thinking of her. A special memory, indeed. Wouldn’t seem like Christmas without them.
Russian Teacakes, also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes are a delicate nut-filled shortbread cookie coated in powdered sugar. The magic is created when the cookies, hot from the oven, are rolled in powdered sugar. The powdered sugar clings to the hot cookies and makes a sort of sweet coating. Once cooled, they are dusted with more powdered sugar. Whether you call them Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or as another friend always refers to them, butter balls, these cookies are a must for your holiday cookie baking.
Russian Teacakes
1 c. butter
½ c. powdered sugar, plus extra for coating
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour
¼ t. salt
¾ c. finely chopped nuts, nearly ground
Mix butter, ½ cup sugar and vanilla well. Stir flour and salt together and then add to butter mixture. Mix well and stir in nuts. Wrap dough and chill. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on the bottom. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. Dust again with sugar once cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.
Cream Wafers
Cream Wafers
Cream Wafers are a little more work than most cookies but they are worth it. They are the most requested cookies of all the ones I make. The secret is the dough, which contains no sugar. It is made from only three ingredients- flour, butter and heavy whipping cream. When baked they turn into flaky layers that melt in your mouth. We made these in class recently and they were a hit, as expected. Seriously, if you want to really impress this holiday season, show up at a party with these cookies. They are coated in sugar before baking and you can use tinted sugar, if you like. You can also tint the frosting if you like. Here is the recipe. Hope you enjoy!!
Cream Wafers
1 c. butter
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. flour
extra fine or granulated sugar
Frosting:
¼ c. butter, softened
¾ c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
food coloring, if desired
Mix butter, cream and flour well. Wrap and chill at least an hour. Roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut out into 1½ inch rounds or even little hearts or stars. Transfer cookies to a sheet of wax paper heavily coated with extra fine or granulated sugar and coat both sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and prick each cookie 4 times with a fork. Bake at 375-degrees 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. Cool on rack. Mix frosting ingredients. Put 2 cookies together with frosting to make “sandwiches”.
