Special Christmas Cookie Edition 2012

'Tis the season for Christmas/Holiday cookies. Honestly, I am just glad to have an excuse to bake. Now I can bake as much as I want and just give the extras (if there are any) to my co-workers and friends to eat. I'm thinking of doing a Christmas cookie edition every year. Let the sugar and butter fest begin.

Cranberry Orange Cookies (adapted from Allrecipes)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1/4 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 tbsp and 1-1/2 tsp orange juice
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

Ingredients: craisins, orange zest, and orange juice

Orange glaze

Cookies with the glaze

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar, apple sauce and butter until smooth. Beat in egg until well blended. Mix in 1/2 tsp zest and 1 tbsp orange juice. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the cranberries.
3. Spoon teaspoons of dough on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart between each dough ball.
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes then cool cookies on wire racks.
5. In a small bowl, make the icing by mixing together 1/4 tsp of orange zest, 1 tbsp and 1-1/2 tsp of orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let it set.

Apple Spice Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup flour
• 2 apples peeled, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, apple sauce, and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla then mix in oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and flour until will blended. Fold in apples.
3. Make dough balls and place them about 2 inches apart from each other.
4. Bake 13-17 minutes. Then cool cookies on wire racks.

Ginger cookies (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons water
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon white sugar (for rolling)

The batter. It was very difficult to hold together let only try and make gingerbread men.

I gave up on the gingerbread men.

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat in egg, water, and molasses.
3. In a separate bowl mix the baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, salt, and flour.
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
5. Put dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Roll dough into balls and coat with sugar. Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. You can also roll the dough flat with a rolling pin and cut shapes out of the dough.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.