christmas cookies

Christmas In July

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Frosty Polar Bears

Frosty Polar Bears

  • Makes: 2 ½ dozen
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 60 round butter-flavored crackers
  • 24 oz. White candy coating, melted
  • 60 miniature marshmallows
  • 30 mini butter-flavored crackers
  • Blue chocolate M&M’s
  • Black sugar pearls
  • Black decorating icing, optional

Spread peanut butter on half of the crackers; top with remaining crackers to make sandwiches refrigerate until firm. Dip sandwiches in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Dip marshmallows in coating; allow excess to drip off. Place two marshmallows on top each cookie for ears. Dip mini crackers in melted candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on top of sandwiches for snouts. Top each snout with an M&M. Add black sugar pearls for eyes and, if desired; use black decorating icing for mouths. Let stand until set. Refrigerate cookies in an airtight container.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

Count Down To Christmas

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Christmas Sugar Cookies.jpg

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick salted butter, plus 2 tbsp.
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Use an electric mixer to cream the sugar and butter, whipping the two until the butter is almost white and the mixture is light and fluffy, almost like a slightly frosting. Stir in the flour.  Form the cookies into 1 inch balls, placing them about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.  Flatten them into a disc shape if you’re topping with sprinkles before baking.  Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden.  Decorate as desired.

Short on time, buy frozen sugar cookies, bake according to the cooking directions. Decorate with M&M’s, ready made icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, etc. Have fun!

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas Cookies

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Gingerbear Cookies

Gingerbear Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup margarine or butter
  • 1/3 cup packed soft brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar to decorate

Sieve the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, cream the margarine or butter, sugar and syrup until soft and light in texture. Work in the dry ingredients and knead the mixture thoroughly. Roll out the dough to a ¼ in thickness. Make a template for the bear’s head using thin cardboard. Dust the surface of the rolled out dough with a little flour, lay the template in position and carefully cut around the outside with a sharp knife. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake the cookies on greased baking sheets in the center of a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. When the cookies are cool, pipe eyes, nose and mouth using the powdered sugar blended with a little warm water to give a flowing consistency. Makes 8-10 cookies.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas Cookies

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Christmas Tree Platter

Christmas Tree Platter

  • 1 package peanut butter cookie dough
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice
  • Assorted food colors, colored sugars and assorted small decors

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide dough one half. Reserve 1 half; refrigerate remaining dough. Roll reserved half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out tree shapes with cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Reroll scraps; cut into small circles for ornaments, squares and rectangles for gift boxes and tree trunks. Bake 8 to 12 minutes depending on size of cookies. Mix sugar and milk for icing. Tint most of icing green and a smaller amount red or other colors for ornaments and boxes. Spread green icing on trees. Sprinkle ornaments and boxes with colored sugars and decorate as desired. Arrange cookies on flat platter to resemble tree. Makes about 1 dozen cookies.

Tip: Use this beautiful Christmas Tree Platter cookie as your centerpiece for this holiday’s family dinner.  It is sure to receive lots of “oohs” and ahs”!

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

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Frosted Butter CookiesFrosted Butter Cookies

Cookies:

  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ½ sticks (1/2 pound plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cups all- purpose flour

Frosting:

  • 4 large pasteurized egg whites
  • ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoons almond extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 to 6 teaspoons milk, if needed
  • Food coloring gel (optional)
  • Sprinkles, jimmies, sanding sugar (optional)

For the cookies: In a large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat the powdered sugar, butter egg yolks, salt almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour and beat on low speed until large clumps of dough form. The dough will look too dry at first, so be patient. Pour the dough clumps onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Gather into a ball & flatten into a disk. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. It will be a very large piece of dough. Slide onto a rimmed baking sheet to keep the dough flat and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Discard the plastic wrap. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Stamp out cookies with cutters of your choice. Simple shapes with clean edges work best. Arrange the cookies on the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown on the edges, 12-15 minutes, depending on size. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet.

For the frosting: In a large glass or metal bowl, with electric mixer at low speed, beat the egg whites until frothy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. With the mixer running, add the powder sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat on low speed until smooth Increase the speed to high and beat until still, shiny peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Decorate the cookies as desired.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies depending on size & shape

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

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Decorated Sugar CookiesDecorated Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all- purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoons salt
  • Royal icing

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well. Combine flour, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, blending well. (Dough will be very stiff.) Divide dough into thirds; roll each portion to 1/8- inch thickness on lightly floured waxed paper. Cut with desired cutters, and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 deg. For 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Spoon red Royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 3 round tip, and pipe outlines on cookies. Fill in between outlines by piping green connecting stars, using a No. 16 or No. 18 metal tip. Let icing dry. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Royal Icing:

  • 3 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
  • Red and green paste food coloring

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Tint one- fourth of icing red; tint remaining icing green. Yield icing for about 5 dozen cookies. Note: Icing dries very quickly; keep covered at all times with plastic wrap. Food coloring may be substituted or omitted if icing is used for other cookie recipes.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

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Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 (14 oz.) package chocolate kiss candies

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well. Stir in flour. Press dough from a cookie press 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets, using a star or other desired shaped cutter. Bake 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Press a chocolate kiss in center of each warm cookie, point side up. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6 dozen.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Christmas In July

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Christmas Gingerbread MenChristmas Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 egg yolk, unbeaten
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cups plain flour, sifted

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add molasses and egg yolk. Blend well. Add salt, soda, baking powder and spices. Slowly add sifted flour. Roll out dough and cut with gingerbread man cookie cutter. Bake 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Decorate. Yields 2-3 dozen, depending on size of cutter.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

Getting Ready For Christmas

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Christmas Treats

Christmas Treats

 Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ oz. graham crackers
  • 4 oz. icing or powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp. cocoa
  • 4 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon or dissolved instant coffee
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract

 Method:

Put the graham crackers into a clean plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush them until they make fine crumbs. Sift the sugar and cocoa into a big bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, coffee and vanilla. Pour the crumbs into the bowl. Mix them in. Then, use your hands to squeeze the mixture into a ball. Break off pieces of the mixture and roll them into small balls. Make them about the size of walnuts. Put the finished balls onto a large plate. Leave them in a cool place until they become firm.

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com

 

Christmas In July

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Delicate Almond Cookies

Delicate Almond Cookies

 Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp. almond extract

 Method:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine butter, oil and peanut butter. Cream in sugar. Add flour and stir. In separate bowl, combine water, baking powder, baking soda, egg and almond extract. Mix well and pour into middle of flour mixture. Stir well. Roll into teaspoon size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Makes 8 dozen cookies

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com