Pre-Christmas Christmas Cookies

I guess since I made my Halloween goody post after Halloween, I could redeem myself by posting Christmas cookies in November!  But, don't let the time of year stop you, you can make these cookies anytime!

Here is a little view of my Kitchen at it's cleanest point after I started baking......notice my Sous-Chef in the corner debating wether or not o choke herself with the teaspoon...sometimes I can be a good mother.

Here's a closer view.  She wasn't much help, she cried for the last 20 min of prep.  I would fire her, but she's just too darn cute.

Santa Surprise Cookies

Both of these recipes are from a cookbook my Mom gave al of us kids for Christmas last year....it's fantastic!!!

Ingredients:

      2 sticks butter, softened  

 1 cup creamy peanut butter

      1 cup light brown sugar, packed   

      1 cup sugar    

 2 eggs

      1 tsp. vanilla     

3 ½ cup flour

      ½ tsp. salt     

1 tsp. Baking Soda  

32 oz. bag Snicker Brand Miniatures 

11 oz. Dove Brand Milk chocolate    gifts

Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars using a mixer on a medium to low speed until light and fluffy.  Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.  Then mix in the flour, salt and baking soda. Up wrap all the Snickers.  Divide dough into 1-1 ½ inch pieces and flatten.  Place a snicker in the center of each piece of dough.  Form the dough into a ball around each Snicker.  Add more if needed.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  Let cookies cool on bak

ing rack or wax paper.  For a real restive look, Drizzle melted Dove Milk chocolate gifts over the top of each cookie. 

Cashew-Carmel Cookies

Ingredients:    

  1 2/3 cup all purpose flour  

 ½ tsp. salt

      2 ½ cups roasted, salted cashews

      2 TBLS. Plus 1 tsp. canola oil   

½ cup butter, softened

      ¾ cup white sugar   

 1 large egg

      1 tsp. vanilla     

24 soft caramel-candy cubes (Kraft)

     ¼ cup heavy cream 

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour and salt together.  Coarsely chop 1 cup of cashews; set aside.  Process remaining 1 ½ cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped.  Pour in oil.  Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.

Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in a bowl.  Mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in egg and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture.  Mix in reserved chopped cashews.

Shape dough into 1 ½ inch balls; space 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula.  Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6-7 minutes more.  Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring.  Let cool.  Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookie; let set.  Store airtight in single layers.