TARBORO —
Christmas will be here before you can blink. I swear it comes earlier every year! At least it seems that way. I am not the best cookie baker in the world. I don’t know why. My BFF, Debbie Bridgers, can bake any cookie, any time. I struggle and struggle and can’t get half as good a cookie as she does. It’s just not fair!
These cookie recipes are easy. They make wonderful gifts, treats or Santa snacks. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know how they turn out. You can always find me on Facebook or by email. My email is kvfreeman@triad.rr.com. Our first few recipes are for gifts in a jar. However, you can also just bake them yourself and enjoy them during the holiday.
Our first recipe is uses cinnamon and pecans – what can be better than that. You should have all of the ingredients in the pantry with the possible exception of the almond extract. I don’t care for almond flavors, so I leave it out. It’s up to you.
The second recipe is M&M cookies. Do I even need to say any more? I totally love M&M’s! Remember to buy the red and green Christmas colors for holiday cookies and then the regular M&M’s the rest of the year.
The third recipe is also a gift in a jar recipe. It’s French Vanilla Cocoa. That is perfect for a cold winter night. You may not have all of these ingredients in the pantry but they are not expensive ingredients.
If you are doing these as gifts in a jar, remember either use pretty jars or cut a swatch of fabric to fit between the lid and the ring. Use a ribbon to tie the instruction card to the jar and you will have a beautiful gift.
Cinnamon Pecan Sugar Cookies
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar
7 tbsp butter, softened
1/4-cup skim milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground pecans*
1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine 3 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Set aside
Beat 1 cup sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, extracts, and egg white, and beat well.
Combine flour, almonds, and salt, add to butter mixture. Beat well to combine.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar, and place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Flatten cookies with bottom of glass. Bake at 325° for 18 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.
*Pulse pecans quickly in food processor. Do not over process. Makes 60 cookies
Holiday M&M's Cookie Mix
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 1/4 Cups M&M Candies (use red and green for Christmas)
2 Cups Flour mixed with 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda & 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
Layer ingredients in order given in 1-quart wide-mouth canning jar. Press each layer firmly in place before adding next ingredient.
Attach this to the jar on a recipe card or index card:
M&M's Cookies
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Empty the jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly blend mix.
Add:
1/2-Cup (1 stick) Butter or Margarine, very soft
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1 Tsp Vanilla
Mix until completely blended. You will need to finish mixing with your hands. Shape into balls the size of walnuts, flatten. Place 2 inches apart on sprayed baking sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
Cool completely and store in a airtight container.
French Vanilla Cocoa Mix
10 1/2 Cups Nonfat Dry Milk
4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
2- 8 Oz Jars of French Vanilla Flavored Nondairy Powdered Creamer
3 1/2 Cups Nestlé’s Quick
2 3/4 Cup Nondairy Powdered Creamer
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar. This recipe will yield approximately 8-pint size gift jars.
Attach this to the Jar:
French Vanilla Cocoa Mix
Combine 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa mix into hot water or milk. Stir & enjoy.
Did You Know?
How to make your holiday cooking healthier.
Appetizers: Choose appetizers that help you get your "5 a day" fruits and vegetables such as fresh vegetable platters or fruit kabobs. Substitute low-fat or non-fat sour cream or yogurt for your dips.
Soups: Make cream soups using nonfat evaporated milk rather that cream. Chill soups, stews and chili and then skim solid fat off top and discard.
Salad: Salads are a great way to add fruits and vegetables into your menu.
Choose low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise. Add pear, orange segments or dried fruit.
Meat/Poultry/Fish: Choose plain over self-basting. Baste with low sodium broth, wine or fruit juice, or place foil tent over as it cooks to avoid drying out. Roast on a rack to allow fat to drip into pan. Remove any skin before cooking or before eating.
Gravy/Condiments: Use a fat separator or zippered bag to recover pan juices but eliminate the fat layer. (Clip a small hole in the bottom of bag and allow only juices to flow out, discard fat layer and bag.) Freeze pan drippings so you can remove hardened fat.
Side Dishes: For mashed potatoes, use skim milk, garlic powders, a little Parmesan cheese and just a small amount of low-calorie margarine. For stuffing, use whole grain bread or wild or brown rice.
Dessert: Other dessert ideas: baked apples, fruit tarts or bread pudding. Try decreasing sugar in recipes by 1/4 to 1/3; increase sweet spices or double vanilla or almond extract or add citrus zest for more flavor. In baking, substitute half of fat in recipe with applesauce. Try fat-free sorbet -- lemon or strawberry. When making holiday cookies, use small cookie cutters or cut bars into smaller pieces. Top cakes with powdered sugar, cinnamon or cocoa instead of thick frosting. For pumpkin pie, use nonfat evaporated milk for filling and eliminate crust and serve soufflé' style. For fruitcake, add nontraditional fruits such as dried apricots, cherries, prunes and cranberries.
Karen's Kitchen
Related Photos
-
cinnamon pecan
Baking Christmas Cookies
- Karen's Kitchen
-
-
It’s grilling time but don’t forget the sides
When you think of grilling, what is the first thing that pops into your head? A big juicy steak? Shrimp? That’s what most of us think about when we think about the backyard grill. However, that is only part of the meal. If the protein that you cook isn’t accompanied by great side dishes, the meal is still missing a key component. Here are some great side dish recipes that may even out shine that steak!
-
Lemony Lemon Balm
You never know when you are going to run across something that impacts you. I was shopping in Charleston for groceries for my work week. At the entrance to the supermarket, were some tomato plants. I decided to buy one to keep in front of the window in my hotel room. As I was looking at the tomato plants, I saw a small pot that had a lemon balm plant in it.
-
Cool Summer Drinks
Before we know it, summer will be here. It felt like summer today. I love it! But, with summer comes very hot weather. It won’t be long until we are looking for ways to stay cool. These summer drink recipes will help.
-
Getting the Green
We started planting our garden, as I’m sure many of you have. Of course, we have probably planted it too early. But, we have that problem every year. When it warms up just a little, we get anxious for “real” spring, so we plant. Sometimes multiple times.
So, then I start looking for recipes for some of the things that we grow. We give away a lot of the produce but we also keep a lot of it. That means that I look for a lot of veggies. -
Easter Greats
Everyone get to hide Easter eggs. It’s a tradition that I love to hold up. I enjoy every aspect of the egg from dying and decorating them to figuring out what to do with the leftovers. Even though I don’t have kids at home any more, doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy Easter eggs.
-
Bananas
I love bananas. They are good for you but I love them for the taste not the health benefits. Also, almost everyone I know loves bacon. How could you not? So, combining bacon and bananas just seems like a natural to me. I was right. They are great together! I really hope you try some of these recipes. They are easy but so delicious. Each one has either bacon, bananas or both.
-
Pot Luck with a difference
Have you ever just opened your pantry door and stood there looking inside, trying to decide what to cook for dinner? I think most of us have done that at one time or another. It could be because we just don’t know what we are in the mood for or it may be that we didn’t have time to grocery shop and things are getting a little thin! Whatever the reason, we need some easy “go to” recipes for those situations.
-
Easy can be delicious
Just because a recipe is quick, easy or inexpensive, doesn’t mean that it can’t be delicious. With the use of spices and presentation you can make even the most inexpensive meal into a work of culinary art! I am not very good at presentation, I tend to cook really good food but then just slap it on the plate. I’m working on that and so should you. A pretty plate, a colorful mix of foods and a little garnish changes a ho-hum meal into a wow meal.
-
Ground Beef Primer
From time to time, I receive requests for articles and recipes on a specific topic. I have received several of those lately and will be trying to incorporate them as I can find the info and recipes. One recent one was for beef recipes. With the cost of food lately, inexpensive beef is a great meal make.
-
Great Pies
Most everyone loves a good pie. But, everyone also has their own favorite. I love easy pies, both sweet and savory. What is your favorite pie?
Our first recipe is an old family favorite. My aunt Daisy used to make the best sliced sweet potato pie. Our family really looked forward to her pies at family events and Thanksgiving. - More Karen's Kitchen Headlines
-
Ravi Spared Prison in Rutgers Webcam Case
Miss. Prison Quiet After Riot; 1 Dead
Obama Confident Afghans Can Take Security Lead
Raw Video: Deadly Bombing at Yemen Parade Preps
Professor: Chinese Activist's 'Spirit Is Good'
Ring of Fire Eclipse Seen in U.S., Asia
Golden Gate Bridge Celebrates 75 Years
G-8 Seeks Unity on Euro-debt Crisis, Iran
Prosecutors: Trio Planned to Attack Obama's HQ
Obama: G8 Unified in Stance on Iran, Syria
