blue artichoke

GC and I are flying home for the holidays this year, so my whirlwind holiday baking is somewhat diminished. I won't be giving many baked goodies as gifts because delicate cookie trays are no match for TSA baggage handlers. Still, I wasn't about to let that stifle my holiday baking urges, so I made cookie trays for my neighbors. If you keep in mind that I have only two intended recipients (though those neighbors will undoubtedly share with their friends and families), you will grasp the ridiculous magnitude of these cookie trays. I like to include five selections in a cookie tray. One selection doesn't make a tray. Two says I couldn't decide which to make, so I made both. Three is OK, but provides many cookies in few varieties, so if someone doesn't like one selection they're stuck with 1/3 of a cookie tray to dispose of. Four may be the perfect number, but it's even and therefore results in a too-symmetrical arrangement. Five says I like you and want to make everything for you, but I must restrain my goodwill; these are the recipes I just could not bear for you to miss. Plus, five selections give plenty of options for flavors and textures and are aesthetically pleasing.

On the cookie tray this year: gingersnaps, mini-chocolate chip snowballs, white-chocolate cranberry-orange fudge, peppermint brownies, Christmas tree butter cookies and peanut butter cookies. Ooops. That's six. The peanut butter cookies are the anomaly here, not very Christmasy and probably should have been left out. But I was in the mood for peanut butter cookies, so I made them. Back off.

Each recipe made 2-4 dozen cookies. Remember that I had two intended recipients and note that there are about six of each cookie on the tray. It doesn't take a mathlete to figure out that we have dozens of cookies tempting us at the Blue Artichoke headquarters.

The three best cookies are, in no particular order, the gingersnaps, the Christmas tree butter cookies and the mini-chocolate chip snowballs. Recipes follow. The peanut butter cookies are good, but are nothing special compared to all the other holiday superstars. The peppermint brownies are also good, but if you're going to make a chocolate-peppermint treat, the cookies that I made for GC's office party are far superior to these brownies. The white-chocolate cranberry-orange fudge is excellent, but I won't give the recipe because my mom and I usually make it as gifts. We'd have to find another super awesome treat to give if everyone we know already has the recipe for this fudge. Until that happens, consider this a secret family recipe.

Mini Chip Snowball Cookies

1-½ cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels
½ cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 sprinkle of powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

BEAT butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired. Store in airtight containers.

These made ~ 2 1/2 dozen awesome cookies.
Nestle: www.verybestbaking.com

Somebody Named Beth's Gingersnaps

¾ cup butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground allspice
sugar to roll the balls in

1. Beat shortening or butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
2. Add the egg and molasses.
3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to molasses/shortening mixture.
4. Chill the dough. Beth says she often skips this step. Blue Artichoke chilled the dough for a few hours.
5. Roll into 1" balls, then roll the balls in sugar.
6. Place the balls on cookie sheets, then bake at 375° for about 10 minutes.

The recipe makes two to three dozen cookies, which will be delicious and soft. They'll remain delicious but slowly get crunchier as time goes by, assuming you can restrain yourself. And they're wonderful with vanilla ice cream!

This recipe made ~3 dozen gingersnaps.
http://www.stuttercut.org/hungry/archives/recipes/000101.html

The recipe for the Christmas tree butter cookies deserves an entry of its own, so look for that recipe later this afternoon.

Getting to Know All About You: Holiday shopping: done, in progress, or not yet begun?