Ann - Christmas Recipes: 25 Holiday Favorites

Take the time to create this adorable and delicious treat with the children in your life. Great cookie for holiday parties or winters treats for a school, Church or family gathering. Allow the fun of a snowman to enter into the world of goodies.

Sugar Cookies:

• 1/2 cups (1 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. Gradually mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Shape the dough into two balls, flatten, and wrap in plastic wrap.
3. Freeze for an hour or two (or refrigerate overnight). Either pinch of pieces of dough and flatten or roll it out and cut out shapes.
4. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 13 minutes at 350F, without letting them get brown.
5. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

• 3 egg whites
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar

1. Beat the egg whites and lemon juice together.
2. Gradually add in the sifted sugar on low speed until smooth. Beat for several minutes until shiny.
3. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate or it will begin to harden.
4. For this recipe - thin the icing out (with water) until you can swirl a spoon through it, and the mark will disappear in a second or two. Only add a tablespoon or so at a time.

1. With your cookies on parchment paper, spread the icing over each of the cooled cookies, making sure that a little drips over the sides in a few places. You don't want too much to pool on the parchment paper, just a little puddle.
2. Right after you finish with the icing, place the marshmallows on a microwave-safe plate, and zap them for 20 to 25 seconds. You want them to puff up considerably.
3. While they're microwaving - grease up your fingers (spray with cooking spray). Pull them out, then carefully lift each one and place them on the cookies.
4. Now comes the fun part - decorating. I used an edible ink pen (you can find them at most craft or baking supply stores) to draw on the arms, and the faces. For the bottoms, I used a combination of icing, mini chocolate chips, and sugar pearls for some variation.
5. Some of the snowmen seemed quite happy with their impending deaths, some were sad, some were pretty shocked at the occurrence.

An all-time favorite the Ginger Snap is as yummy to taste as it is to smell. Whip up a batch and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• cup margarine
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• tsp. salt
• cup white sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup white sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended.
4. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough.
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar.
6. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

This is yummy beyond belief. One of the most requested and favorite cookie of all time. An ooey gooey delectable delight will put a smile on everyones face.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute.
5. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.
6. Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets.
7. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.
8. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes.

1. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.

This is not just your Grandmas cookie, this is THE oatmeal cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 2 tsps. Vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups quick-cook oats
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• tsp. salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, molasses and vanilla; beat well.