Walnut-Bourbon Pound Cake

This cake contains an eyebrow raising 1/2 of a fifth of whiskey.  I used Makers Mark.  My recipe is heavily based on one in the 'Bundt Classics' cookbook which I recommend even though a bunch of the recipes call for boxed cake mix which is where I draw the line when it comes to baking.  Here's the link.  I seem to only get reliable bundt cakes when I use nonstick spray with flour in it and I'm pretty much to the point that I'm going to make something else if I don't have that.  My bundt cakes always take a lot longer than the recipes indicate--  I think it's my oven--  so keep an eye on yours and make sure you don't take it out to early because then it'll be raw in the middle and it will never unmold.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

8 eggs
1 cup bourbon + 1/2 cup for drizzling

1 tsp vanilla

1 8oz bag chopped walnuts

Oven to 325


Whisk flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves together in a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar carefully
Add eggs (1 at a time) and salt
Slowly add 1 cup bourbon and vanilla
Add walnuts
Put into greased and floured bundt pan
Bake 65-75 minutes or much longer.
Let cool for ten minutes and unmold
Slowly brush or spoon reserved 1/2 cup of bourbon onto cake.
Wrap carefully and set in a cool dark place for at least a couple of days but better yet a week.

Gingersnaps

These are one of the few cookies that I make that don't have any chocolate in them.  The spice mix screams 'Christmas' and they always turn out well. 

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

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

Nutella Cookies

I've been making these for years and they're always very popular.  Nutella is super messy to work with so be forewarned. 

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
26.5 oz jar nutella
1 tsp vanilla

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 then nutella
Mix in the dry ingredients
Roll in sugar
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake 12 minutes

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

 
I only ever make these at Christmas because they're kind of a lot of work.  Unwrapping kisses is time consuming and each cookie must be rolled in sugar before it goes on the baking sheet.  Still, I couldn't imagine Christmas without them.  On cookie baking day, I'm always relieved when I'm finished making these.  The peanut butter cookie recipe comes from Joy of Cooking.

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

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
Roll in sugar
Bake 12 minutes
Top with kiss as soon as they come out of the oven.
*Don't unwrap too many kisses as once because unwrapped kisses are basically useless except for these cookies.

M&M Cookies

 
I made these a couple of times this year with varying degrees of success.  The M&M's don't melt, obviously, and that can cause the cookies to spread unevenly if you aren't careful.  I got the best results when I creamed the sugar and butter together very carefully with the butter being very soft.  Also, be careful when scooping them out on the cookie sheet and make sure that they're even and as round as possible.

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 13 minutes

Cookie Bonanza II - The Temple of Snacks

I've baked another round of Christmas Cookies.  Because nothing exceeds like excess.
 

Fruitcake Drop Cookies

This is based on a Paula Deen recipe but I changed the fruits to suit what I had.  I was a little troubled that there's no leavening in it but they turned out like I wanted them to so I it wasn't an error in the original recipe.  The end product is fruitcake bites and will be popular with people who like fruitcake.

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
16 oz fancy fruitcake mix
4 oz chopped dried apricots
2 oz golden raisins
2 oz currants
16oz chopped pecans

Oven to 300

Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs(one at a time), salt, vanilla and cinnamon.
Slowly add flour and mix well.
Fold in fruit and pecans.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes.


Nutella Cookies

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
26.5 oz jar nutella
1 tsp vanilla

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 then nutella
Mix in the dry ingredients
Roll in sugar
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake 12 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

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
Roll in sugar
Bake 12 minutes
Top with kiss as soon as they come out of the oven.
*Don't unwrap too many kisses as once because unwrapped kisses are basically useless except for these cookies.


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

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

Chocolate-Cherry-Almond 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
1 cup mini choc chips
8 oz dried cherries
6 oz slivered almonts


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 chocolate chips and then the cherries and finally the almonds.
Drop onto baking sheets
Bake about 10 minutes
 
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip-Walnut-Raisin-Currant Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup currants
1/2 bag butterscotch chips
3/4 - 1 cup walnuts

Oven to 350

Whisk in a bowl flour, soda and baking powder
Cream together butter and sugar
Add salt, eggs(one at a time) and vanilla
Slowly add oats, raising, currants, butterscotch chips and walnuts
Place in golf ball sized amounts on a lined cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes.