Christmas Cookies!!!!

Merry Christmas!  We made some holiday favorites this weekend, Gingersnaps, Pecan Cups, and Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark- all taste tested and approved, so rest easy, if you make these cookies Santa will surely give you what you asked for this year! 

Pecan Cup Cookies

Filling

1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 egg

3/4 C. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch salt

Crust/dough

1/4 C. butter

1-3 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 C. flour

Directions:

- Spray 24 count mini muffin pan with Pam or the like.

- Cream butter and cheese, add flour, and blend well.

- Divide into quarters. Then divide each half into quarters.

- Make a small ball and drop into pan, fit each ball to cup.

- Fill each cup w/ filling, do not overfill, you should see the crust

- Then bake at 350 F for 17 minutes. Then at 250 F for 10 minutes.

- Knock pan to loosen, do not cool in pan.

- Place on cooling rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar

yeild: 24 Cups

Gingersnaps

1 C. sugar

3/4 C. margarine, softened (you can use butter)

1/4 C. molasses

1 egg

2 C. flour

2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

Directions:

- Lightly grease cookie sheets

- Combine first 4 ingredients; blend well

- Stir in remaining ingredients

- Chill dough

- Heat oven to 375 F

- Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar

- Place 2" apart on cookie sheet

- Bake 8-10 minutes; cool 1-2 minutes

 Yeild: 6 dozen cookies

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark

1 pound Dark Chocolate

1 pound White Chocolate

1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract (divided)

6 Candy Canes, crushed

Directions:

- Line a jelly roll pan ( or 12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1 edge) with parchment paper

- Place candy canes in a plastic bag, crush in to 1/4-inch chunks or smaller

- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler, stir in ½ tsp. peppermint extract

- Pour mixture evenly onto prepared pan and place in the freezer to harden

- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, stir in 1 tsp. peppermint extract

- Pour mixture onto dark chocolate layer in cookie sheet, spread evenly quickly and top with candy canes

- Place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm

- Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle)

Yeild: 2 pounds of candy