Chocolate Cookies

Day two of Christmas Cookie baking, and this time it's my Best Ever Chocolate Cookies. These cookies are like brownies in a cookie shape. They are great plain or topped with peppermint butter cream frosting.

The Best Ever Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter softened

1 cup white sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cup Hersey’s Cocoa Powder

1 ¾ cup flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream together butter, both types of sugar, egg and vanilla.
3. Blend together Cocoa Powder, flour and baking soda.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients until completely mixed.
5. Bake for 9 minutes. Let cool a bit before moving to cooling rack. 

Peppermint Butter Cream Frosting Recipe 

1 cup of softened butter

3 cups of confectioners' sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla 

1 or 2 tablespoons whipping cream 

Crushed peppermints for garnish

1. Whisk the sugar and butter together in a medium bowl on low speed until blended well.
2. Increase the speed to medium and beat 3 minutes. 
3. Add the vanilla and peppermint and cream. Beat 1 more minute.
4. Frost cookies and garnish with crushed peppermint.

Also it SNOWED!!! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Christmas Cookies

One of my favorite Christmas time traditions is cookie baking. This year I am making five family favorites. I try to pick a variety of flavors so that not everything on the plate is the same. The plan: One simple cookie, one citrus flavored, one fruity, one spicy, and one chocolate. The simple cookie I picked was my Aunt Lettie's Powdered Sugar cookies. They are lighter version of shortbread, but have the same sort of simple taste.

Aunt Lettie's Powdered Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter - softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream together butter, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla. 
3. Combine flour, soda, and cream of tartar in a separate bowl. 
4. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture a third at a time, combing completely before adding more. 
5. Roll into tablespoon sized balls and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on bottom. 
6. Store in an airtight container after cooled.