Cookies for Santa and Others

The favorite cookies from my family include Pinwheels, Black Eyed Susans, Toffee Bars, and Holly Leaves. This year I tried a new recipe called Lavender Snowflakes. All told we have five platefuls.  It is hard to predict whether I will have to
remake depleting platefuls before the holiday.





I'm not sure where Pinwheels originated- perhaps in the Betty Crocker's Cookie Book popular in the 1960's or before?  This is my version:

 

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened 
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Using a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar and mix until well combined.  Add eggs, vanilla and flour (one cup at a time).  Add baking powder and salt.  Combine thoroughly.  Divide dough in half.  Add melted chocolate to one half of the dough.  Chill.  Roll out the white dough into a rectangle and separately roll out the chocolate dough.  Place the chocolate dough on top of the white.  Roll the two together which will later be sliced and display a spiral.  Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  When you are ready to bake the cookies, slice the roll 1/4" thick and place onto a baking sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
                                                   
The Lavender Snowflakes are a type of Shortbread
cookie flavored with Lemon Curd and Lavender

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon dried lavender

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the flour gradually until a smooth dough forms.  Stir in the zest and lavender.  

Divide dough into 2 parts and roll into 2 rectangles (each 10 X 7 inches).  Place onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Refrigerated overnight.  

Cut chilled dough with a snowflake shaped cookie cutter.  Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 325 degree oven or until edges start to brown

Toffee Squares

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
4 Hershey's chocolate bars (no nuts)
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
Mix butter, brown sugar, yolk and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt.  Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet .  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Separate chocolate bars into segments.  Place over top of hot mixture.  As the chocolate melts, spread evenly over the top of the dough.  Sprinkle with pistachios evenly.  Cut into small squares.

Holly Leaves

6 tablespoons  butter
32 large marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon green food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups cornflakes
red cinnamon candies

Melt butter, marshmallows, and green food coloring in a large pot. Stir in vanilla.  Off heat- add cornflakes and mix until color in even throughout.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Place 2 or 3 cinnamon candies on each cookie.  

Black Eyed Susans

Black Eyed Susan recipe was printed in an earlier blog from last summer.  

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