White Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Here is the last of the Christmas cookies!  This is a simple little recipe, just a reverse of your regular chocolate chip cookies.  As with any cookies of this sort, you can bake them for any occasion or no occasion at all!  I hope you enjoy them!    

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.  Fold in the white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cookies are set.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets first then remove to wire racks.
 

Raspberry Nut Pinwheels

Here is the second last installment of my Christmas cookies!  I mentioned in the previous post that I made these for my team at work for the holiday season and only now was I able to get them posted.  These cookies are great!  I had never tried them before making them which seems to be true for most of what I make.  But I am glad I did.  I mean with a name like that how can you not be intrigued.  These cookies have a bit harder texture then what I usually make but for good reason.  That being that they need to be to hold the filling and nuts.  I think these are good for any occasion be it Christmas or even just for guests at your home.

Just one note about these before we get started.  The ingredients call for seedless raspberry jam but being as I am not a big fan of store bought jams, I took fresh raspberries and sugared them lightly before doing my best to remove the seeds.  That way I avoided overly sweet jams and it worked just as good as any jam would.  On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Combine flour and baking powder, gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll out dough between two sheets of waxed paper into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.

Remove top piece of waxed paper.  Spread dough with jam and sprinkle walnuts on top afterwards.

Roll up tightly like you would a jelly roll and wrap in plastic wrap.  You may need two people for this.

Chill for 2 hours or until firm.  Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

 
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Gently remove and place on wire racks to cool.

Delicate Mint Thins

Hey again!  I managed to steal some time away from work to try and post a handful more recipes that were meant to go up for the Christmas season.  As you can gather, time's been against me and it's mid February and I'm trying to post these babies.  Oh well, better late then never right?  For my team at work I decided I would do as I did last year and make them each a box of assorted cookies for the holidays.  Two recipes, of which I already posted.  This batch, I think, are my best ones yet.  Of course, I only did this once before haha.  The recipe for today are these Mint Thins.  These are great for the Christmas season because they use fresh (not dried) mint.  Last year I made a couple of cookies in which I used mint extract.  But after trying these, I don't think I will go that route again.  These just taste so much more natural and refreshing then any extract.  Let me know what you think about this unique cookie!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbps milk

1 cup FRESH mint, finely chopped

1 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp shortening

Method:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla.  Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture altenately with milk, mixing well after each addition.

 
Stir in the fresh mint.  Shape into 8 inch rolls.  Wrap each in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least two hours or until firm.

Unwrap and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.

 
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Remove and gently place onto wire racks to cool.  In a microwave or double boiler, melt your chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth.  Dip each cookie halfway and allow any excess to drip off.  Place each cookie on wax paper to set.

There you go!  Fresh mint thins (almost) ready to eat!