EDITORS OF WOMANS DAY - Christmas Cookies, Candies and Cakes

Copyright 2008 Filipacchi Publishing,
a division of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

Filipacchi Publishing

1633 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

Womans Day is a registered trademark of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-933231-96-9

First eBook Edition: September 2010

MAKES 48 PREP AND CHILL: 3 HR BAKE: 11 TO 13 MIN PER BATCH

DECORATE: ABOUT 20 MIN

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

tsp each vanilla extract and salt

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp mint extract

12 drops each green and red food color

1 cup white chocolate chips

12 each green and red peppermint candies, crushed

In a large bowl with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. On low speed, gradually add flour; beat just until blended. Divide dough in half. Shape half into a 6-in. disk; wrap and refrigerate. Stir mint extract into other half; divide that half in half. Stir green food color into 1 half, red into the other (colors will be pale). Shape each into a 5-in. disk; wrap separately and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 350F. Have baking sheet(s) ready.

Cut uncolored dough in 12 equal wedges and each disk tinted dough in 6 equal wedges.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 uncolored wedge and 1 tinted wedge into 15-in.-long ropes (keep rest of dough refrigerated). Place ropes side by side; cut crosswise in quarters. Holding ends of both ropes, twist together from 1 end to the other (handle gently; dough is soft). Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s). Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool.

6 To decorate: Melt chocolate chips as package directs. Dip about in. of both ends of each cookie in chocolate, letting excess drip off, then dip in crushed candies. Place on wax paper until chocolate sets.

PER STICK: 107 cal, 1 g pro, 14 g car, 0 g fiber, 5 g fat (3 g sat fat), 20 mg chol, 32 mg sod

Storage tip: Store airtight at cool room temperature up to 1 week.

MAKES ABOUT 40 PREP AND FREEZE: ABOUT 2 HR

BAKE: 10 TO 12 MIN PER BATCH

1 sticks ( cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

tsp salt

1 large egg plus yolk of 1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled as pkg directs

1 tsp vanilla extract

cup shelled pistachio nuts, finely chopped

tsp almond extract

8 drops each green and red food color

cup dried sweetened cherries or cranberries, finely chopped

Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with mixer on high speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in egg and yolk until well blended. Reduce mixer speed to low; beat in flour just until combined.

Divide dough in thirds; place each portion in a separate bowl. Add melted chocolate and tsp vanilla extract to 1 bowl; pistachios, almond extract and green food color to another bowl; and cherries, remaining tsp vanilla extract and red food color to the last bowl. Stir each until ingredients are blended.

Place each portion between 2 sheets of wax paper. With a rolling pin, roll each into a 10 8-in. rectangle. Remove top sheets of paper. Invert cherry layer on chocolate layer, remove wax paper, then invert pistachio layer on cherry layer. Freeze 10 minutes until slightly firm. Remove wax paper from top. Starting at a long side, tightly roll up jelly-roll style, peeling off bottom sheet of wax paper as you go and pressing together any cracks in chocolate dough. Wrap and freeze 45 minutes until firm enough to slice.

Heat oven to 350F. Have baking sheet(s) ready. Cut log in -in.-thick slices. Place pinwheels 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s).

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until bottoms are light golden. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

PER COOKIE: 87 cal, 1 g pro, 11 g car, 0 g fiber, 4 g fat (3 g sat fat), 19 mg chol, 69 mg sod

Storage tip: Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.

MAKES 60 PREP: ABOUT 25 MIN BAKE: 32 TO 38 MIN

2 large eggs

cup granulated sugar

cup oil

1 Tbsp anise extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 cups all-purpose flour

cup sliced almonds, toasted

Decoration: confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 350F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Vigorously whisk eggs, sugar, oil and extract in a large bowl until blended. Stir in baking powder, then flour until combined. Stir in almonds.

Spoon dough onto a prepared baking sheet. With floured hands (dough will be soft and sticky) form dough into an 11-in.-long, 2-in.-wide strip. Repeat with remaining dough, making 2 more strips. Place about 1 in. apart on the baking sheet.

Bake 20 to 23 minutes or until firm and bottoms are golden. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice strips diagonally into -in. thick slices. Lay slices flat on baking sheet(s).

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, turning biscotti over halfway through baking, until lightly toasted. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. If desired, dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

PER COOKIE: 46 cal, 1 g pro, 5 g car, 0 g fiber, 3 g fat (0 g sat fat), 7 mg chol, 16 mg sod

Storage tip: Store airtight at cool room temperature up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.