Tag Archives: christmas cookies

Gingerbread Hula Dancers

Posted in dessert, entertaining, holiday favorites, sweet treat by

IMG_1086Gingerbread Hula Dancers

My daughter Dani decorates these whimsical cookies around the holidays and they always make me smile.  The dough is easy to make thanks to Trader Joe’s.  We make the dough with their  Gingerbread Cake and Baking Mix.   Here is the easy recipe…

Cookie Ingredients

1 box Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Cake and Baking Mix
1 stick melted butter (1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup water

Frosting Ingredients

3 egg whites
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
1 tsp. cream of tarter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375degrees. Combine the mix, butter, egg in a medium sized bowl.  Form into a ball and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Roll out the dough on  a floured board about 1/8 inch thick  Cut into desired shapes.

IMG_7678 at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Cool 2-3 minute and transfer to a wire rack.  Yields 4-5 dozen small gingerbread cookies (Less if you use large cookie cutters)
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Just before you are ready to decorate the cookies, mix up the frosting ingredients using a high speed mixer until it peaks.  Place in a decorator bag with the smallest tip you can find.  This frosting is great for gingerbread house decorating too!  The recipe makes more than enough.

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Rainbow Rounds

Posted in dessert, holiday favorites, sweet treat by

Rainbow RoundsI bake these cookies every year for the Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange at my girlfriend, Suzanne’s home.  They are always a hit.  One year I broke tradition and made a different variety of cookie. My friends missed the colorful treats and now they request Rainbow Rounds every year.  They are a delicious sweet treat even in the morning with a cup of coffee.

I sometimes change the color of sugars when I bake them during different holidays (Halloween – orange and purple; Valentine’s Day- pink and red; Easter – lavender, pastel pink and mint green).  They are even fun to make using your favorite sports team colors.  Enjoy!

 

Rainbow Rounds

Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened
2¼ cups sugar
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1Tbs. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
5¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup each red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple crystal sugars

Directions
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Rainbow Rounds

Rainbow Rounds

Ready for the annual cookie exchange

Rainbow Rounds

2 cups butter, softened
2¼ cups sugar
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1Tbs. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
5¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup each red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple crystal sugars

1. In large bowl, with mixer on high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, egg, vanilla and salt and beat well to combine. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces, roll each piece into 8” log, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Working with 1 roll at a time, unwrap dough and roll in 1 color of crystal sugar. Cut logs into ¼ inch thick slices, and place on ungreased baking sheet ½ inch apart. Bake 12-16 minutes, until golden. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely. Repeate with remaining dough, using a different color for each roll.

Makes about 12 dozen.

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