Christmas cookies, Yum.

I made a ton of yummy desserts this holiday season, sadly they were eaten before pictures were taken! :(  I made 3 wonderful types of cookies, a cheesecake and biscotti.  All these recipes were found in my new cookbook:  "Christmas Cooking From the Heart" from the Better Homes and Gardens collection.

White Chocolate-Cherry Shortbread

• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 12 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 drops red food coloring (optional)
• 2 teaspoons shorting
• White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  Spread chopped cherries on paper towels to drain well. 
2. In a large bowl combine flour and sugar.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of chopped white chocolate.  Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring.  Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls.  Place balls 2 inches apart on an uncooked cookie sheet.  Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls into 1 1/2-inch rounds.
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
5. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 8 ounces of white chocolate and the shortening.  Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth.  Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off.  If desired, roll dipped edge in in nonpareils and/or edible glitter.  Let cookies stand until chocolate sets. 

Pumpkin-Spiced Cookie Cutouts

• 1 17.5 ounce package sugar cookie mix
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.  In a large bowl combine dry cookie mix, butter, egg, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.  Stir with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough forms (if necessary, knead dough to combine).
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough until 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out dough.  Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake about 8 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.  Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• In a small saucepan heat butter over low heat about 15 minutes or until brown (be careful not to burn).  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Immediately drizzle over cooled cookies (icing will harden quickly).

Cranberry-Eggnog Twirls

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cranberry preserves or jam (since I couldn't find cranberry I picked a raspberry pomegranate preserve, it was yummy)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

1. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and rum extract until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Divide dough in half.  Cover and chill dough about an hour until easy to handle.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small saucepan combine preserves and cornstarch.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Remove saucepan from heat; stir in pecans.  Cover and set aside to cool.
3. Roll half of the dough between two pieces of waxed paper into a 10-inch square.  Spread half of the filling over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up dough.  Moisten edges; pinch to seal.  Wrap in waxed paper.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.  Chill for at least 4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Peppermint-Twist Biscotti

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup coarsely chopped candy canes
• Red paste food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line cookie sheet with foil; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and peppermint extract.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Stir in the 1 cup of chopped candy canes.
2. Divide dough in half; tint one portion of dough with food coloring.  Divide each dough half into three portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a 14-inch-long rope.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown and tops are cracked.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 hour.  Carefully peel away foil.
5. Preheat oven to 300°F.  Transfer twist to a cutting board.  Use a serrated knife to cut each twist diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.  Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until crisp and dry.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
6. Drizzle cookies with Peppermint Icing.  If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped candy canes.  Let cookies stand until icing sets

Peppermint Icing

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• peppermint schnapps, or milk and 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

• In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps (or use 1 tablespoon milk and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract); stir until smooth.  Add enough additional peppermint schnapps or milk (about 2 tablespoons) to make icing drizzling consistency.