Candy Cane peppermint cookies.

Merry Christmas! A great day for cookies! 

So these are great Christmas cookies. My kids like them even d who hates chocolate chips.

This recipe is interesting because the first time I did it they were great and the second- not so much. 

So the trick here is to chill them. Don't skip this! Maybe even leave it overnight. 

1/2 lb butter. I used kerrygold butter. I like the taste of European style churned butter. However if you have a local farmer buy from them! You will think you changed the world with cookie making skills. 

1 cup brown sugar (light) 

1 1/3 cup white sugar. 

Cream 2 minutes on medium speed. 

3 large eggs 

2 tsp vanilla 

1tbsp heavy cream

Add in 3 parts 

Mix until just incorporated. 

1tsp baking soda

1tsp cornstarch 

1tsp salt

(These should all be heaping teaspoons) 

4 cups flour 

Stir dry ingredients together. Then add them to the rest in at least 4 parts. 

3 peppermint bark candy bars or the equivalent of 3 cups. 

1 bag chocolate chips. 

Cut in small pieces and stir in 1/4 inch pieces for the measurement lovers. I found awesome candy bars at wegmans the first time then when to whole foods and found adorable candy cane pieces. 

Chill 4-24 hours. 

Scoop out on sheets and let chill an additional hour. 

Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes or until done. 

#christmas, #candycane, #cookies,#recipe, #cookiesunday, #peppermint

#merrychristmas 

Christmas Butter Shortbread Cookies

Butter Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are perfect for Christmas. I have to admit that one of the things that makes cookie Sunday possible is that I don't eat very many cookies. So these ones can't be made very many times. 

1 pound butter- chilled

I cut mine into pieces to mix more easily. I used 1/2 tilamook butter and 1/2 plugra butter. I think imported or farm made butter is the best. Never use salted butter! It keeps longer so it is usually older on the shelf. 

1 1/4 cup white sugar. Extra fine is the best option. 

Mix at medium speed until just creamed. Don't let the butter get warm! 

2 tsp almond extract (optional) if you like almond spread almond paste over the completed cookies while they are chilling. I love marzipan so this is great! 

Add 4 1/4 cups flour in 1 cup parts. 

Add it gradually or you will end up over mixing and have a floury taste. 

Press into greased cookie sheet with ridges. I used the Williams Sonoma gold collection cookie sheets. I also used my rolling pin from them with silicone. I want a marble one but that's a separate topic. I love them. I greased it with a cheesecloth and crisco. I would always use a cheesecloth or paper towel to grease a pan/ and cheesecloth is best. 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until edges start to turn gold. 

Cover with sanding sugar or powdered sugar to taste- I used about 1 cup and out it on while the cookies were still warm so it melted a bit.

Cut into squares with sharp knife while still cooling. 

Let cool 

My children got a plate and used them as Legos with a sort of rapt intensity. It was about an hour of using their cookies as a fun game and carefully taking bites out of each piece. 

These taste better after they are a few days old. 

Merry Christmas! Don't eat too much. 

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/products/usa-pan-goldtouch-nonstick-quarter-sheet-pan/?pkey=e%7Ccookie%2Bsheet%7C150%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C15%7C%7C6&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

Adding a link with my phone blogger is difficult so I'm including links here with this tacky method. 

http://www.plugra.com/ butter of champions. 

http://www.tillamook.com/products/butter.html

Everyone loves tilamook. 

http://www.deandeluca.com/pantry/baking-ingredients/dean-and-deluca-rainbow-sanding-sugar.aspx

Guys. Brand matters. Especially when it comes to butter.