December 5 , 2024 The Beacon • 41
Cookies can help bring delicious joy to Christmas
Cookies and Christmas go together like gift-giving and Jesus . We celebrate his birth by giving gifts to each other . He came so we might have life and that he might save his people from their sins .
Celebrating Christmas with making cookies and giving them away is a great way to show our love and concern for others . I remember the platters of Christmas cookies from when I was a child . My mom ’ s Mexican wedding cookies coated in powdered sugar were always a highlight . My cousin would make date filled cookies . Another friend made candy cane cookies .
For the past two years , the ladies from Chili Church have gathered at one of our houses . We bring the ingredients to make our favorite cookies , which we then do all together . We eat lunch together and have dessert , which is cookies , of course . We take tins of cookies home with some of each of other ’ s cookies to have on hand for company or for upcoming holiday gatherings .
I ’ ve included a recipes for peppermint meltaways , which are a festive version of my mom ’ s cookies . They are perfect for the holidays . Miniature peanut butter treats are crunchy , chocolaty and have peanut butter . There could almost be no improvement on this little gem of a cookie .
The final recipe is for the classic milk chocolate crumble cookies . I use semisweet , but some people absolutely love milk chocolate chips , and it does make these cookies a bit sweeter . I bought some for our staff once , and someone brought some last year for our school Christmas party . They are so good — gooey in the middle but crispy on the outside .
One of the secrets is to cream the butter well but don ’ t overbeat the eggs . They bake at a slightly higher temperature than most cookies because they need to be crisp on the outside and gooey inside , which is never a bad thing . Enjoy making these holiday treats this year . You ’ ll be so glad you did .
PEPPERMINT MELTAWAYS 1 cup butter , softened 1 / 2 cup confectioners ’ sugar 1 / 2 teaspoon peppermint extract 1 1 / 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 / 2 cup cornstarch
Frosting 2 tablespoons butter , softened 2 tablespoons 2 % milk
1 / 4 teaspoon peppermint extract 2-3 drops red food coloring , optional 1 1 / 2 cups confectioners ’ sugar 1 / 2 cup crushed peppermint candies Or use canned frosting and tint with red food coloring and add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Preheat oven to 350 F . Shape dough into 1-inch balls . Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets . Bake 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are light brown . Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely .
In a small bowl , beat butter until creamy . Beat in milk , extract and , if desired , food coloring . Gradually beat in confectioners ’ sugar until smooth . Spread over cookies . Sprinkle with crushed candies . Store in an airtight container .
( Adapted from www . tasteofhome . com / recipes / peppermint-meltaways /.)
PEANUT BUTTER TREATS 1 / 2 cup butter , softened 1 / 2 cup sugar 1 / 2 cup packed brown sugar 1 large egg , room temperature 1 / 2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 / 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1 / 4 cups all-purpose flour 3 / 4 teaspoon baking soda 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 42 miniature peanut butterchocolate cups
In a bowl , combine the butter , sugars , egg , peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth . Combine the flour , baking soda and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture . Cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle . Roll into 42 walnut-sized balls and place in greased miniature muffin cups . Bake at 375 F for 8-9 minutes . Remove from oven and gently press one peanut butter cup into each cookie , forming a depression . Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely .
( Adapted from www . tasteofhome . com / recipes / miniature-peanut-buttertreats /.)
COPYCAT CRUMBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE 1 ½ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar 1 ½ cup light brown sugar , packed 2 large eggs , room temperature 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 cups milk chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper . Set aside . Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment , beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes , until it becomes pale and fluffy . Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined .
In a large bowl , whisk together the flour , baking soda , baking powder , salt and cornstarch . With the mixer running on low speed , add the flour to the wet ingredients until it is fully absorbed .
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Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated . Add the chocolate chips and mix in by hand .
Use a third cup measuring cup to portion the dough into balls . Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets , leaving 3 inches between them . Bake for 12- 14 minutes or until lightly browned and remove from the oven . Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 10- 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack .
The centers of the cookies will look underbaked , but leave them on the baking sheet pan . This allows them to continue baking as they cool and they will set perfectly . The cookies can be served warm , chilled or at room temperature .
( Adapted from therecipecritic . com / copycat-crumblcookies /.)
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