Christmas Cookie Bonanza

Behold the output of my first run of Christmas cookies.  I adopted a very assembly line process for these and managed to make a surprising amount of cookies without completely destroying the kitchen.  Which completely floored Mr. Poe who had been expecting to arrive home to a horrifying dystopian kitchen.

Here's all of it laid out on the dining room table:

Here are some hints to avoiding bakocolypse:

1) Clean as you go
2) Use a scoop to scoop batter out.  It allows you to keep at least one hand clean the entire time and that really has an impact on the amount of mess you make.  Also, you end up with uniform cookies that are all done at the same time.
3) Schedule your time.  If you're planning on cooking all day, start out with something easy and then move on to cookies that get rolled in sugar because those are the most work.  When you start getting worn out, put cakes in the oven.
4) I use the double shelled cookie trays with silpat mats.  They're easier to deal with and produce superior output.
I'll cover the cakes and the candy in another entry.  Here are the recipes for all of the cookies that are pictured above.  Most of the cookie recipes are just variation on the Toll House recipes and none of these are hard to make.  Keep an eye on baking times.  I'm using the timing for my oven and my oven is terrible.  Keep an eye on yours and don't over bake.  I've tried to note where I got the recipes.


Toll House Cookie
recipe from the chocolate chip bag

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
12 oz package choc chips

Heat oven to 375.

Whisk flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
 Cream butter and sugarsAdd eggs (one at a time), salt and vanilla
Work in the dry ingredients
Add chocolate chips
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 11 minutes


Chocolate Mint M&M Cookies

2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 soda
1/4 salt
9.9 oz bag of mint M&M's

Heat oven to 350.

Whisk flour, cocoa and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
 Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs (one at a time), salt and vanilla
Work in the dry ingredients
Mix in the M&M's by hand or they will get broken.
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 10 minutes


Gingersnaps
recipe from Joy of Cookin'

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 baking powder
1/2 soda

5 tsp ginger
2 cinnamon
1/4 cloves
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup molassas
orange/lemon zest
2 tsp juice

Heat oven to 350. 

Whisk flour, soda, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl and set aside
 Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs (one at a time), salt and vanilla
Add in molassas, zest, and juice
Work in the dry ingredients
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 13 minutes


Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
recipe from Joy of Cookin'

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Hershey Kisses

Heat oven to 375

Whisk flour and baking soda together in a bowl and set aside
Cream butter and sugars
Add eggs (one at a time), vanilla, and peanut butter
Mix in the dry ingredients
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake 12 minutes
Top with kiss as soon as they come out of the oven.


Walnut Cookies

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup choc chips
1 10 oz bag finely diced walnuts

Heat oven to 375.

Whisk flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
 Cream butter and sugars
Add eggs (one at a time), salt and vanilla
Work in the dry ingredients
Add nuts and chocolate.
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 12 minutes


M&M Cookies

I wasn't crazy about the way these turned out.  I thought they spread too much.  I'm gonna look for a better recipe.

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 2.6 bag M&M

Heat oven to 375.

Whisk flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
 Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs (one at a time), salt and vanilla
Work in the dry ingredients
Stir in M&M's by hand or they will break.
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 12 minutes



Nut Bars
recipe from old Joy of Cookin'

For the base:

1 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
 pinch salt

1 1/4 cup cups flour

For the topping:

4 egg whites
stir in
8 oz bag walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 /2 tsp cinammon

Heat oven to 350

Cream  butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar.
Mix in egg, salt, vanilla
Mix in flour
Pat into greased 9 X 13 pan
Bake 15 minutes

In heavy saucepan over medium heat, beat egg whites until they start to froth
Stir in nuts, sugar, cinammon.
Continue stirring until mixture dries out a little and starts to leave the side of the pan.
Spoon mixture over the base above
Bake 15 minutes longer.
Cool and cut.