8 Delicious Cookies & Bars for Santa
Christmas Eve is on its way and this collection of cookies and bars are wonderful to gather your loved ones in the kitchen and spend some time building some joyful memories. Traditions are built heart-to-heart so let the love grow this week!
We've had a few requests for a healthier option for dessert. Not all of the the cookies in this collection fit the bill, but these Oatmeal Jam Thumbprints are on point! These cookies are a lower-sugar option for those watching their sugar intake. We use a combination of low-glycemic index coconut sugar and a stevia sugar replacement for a delicious sweetness. The addition of the rolled oats makes them a great healthy choice.
Oatmeal Jam Thumbprint Cookies
3 cups Texas Pure Milling All-Purpose Flour
3 ½ cups Rolled Oats
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
2 eggs
1 cup Coconut Sugar
1 cup Pyure Organic Stevia Baking Blend
1 cup butter, softened
¼ cup molasses
½ cup Milk
1 cup Smucker's Pure Fruit Spread (no sugar added)
½ cup Pecans, chopped
Directions:
Wash and sanitize all work surfaces and tools before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
On the lowest speed, add the egg, coconut sugar, stevia blend, coconut oil, molasses, and almond milk. Mix for 2 minutes until well combined.
Scoop by rounded Tablespoon about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Flatten balls of dough slightly. Indent the middle of each cookie with your thumb. Do not eat the dough. Fill each cookie with 1 tsp. fruit spread. Sprinkle the fruit spread with chopped pecans.
Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Yield 36 cookies. Yield 3 dozen
These sugar cookies don't require any rolling or cooling of the dough. The frosting is a creamy buttercream that is divine. We decorate ours with gold but you can use any sprinkles you desire.
Supreme Soft Sugar Cookies
¾ cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 ½ cups Texas Pure Milling All Purpose Flour
Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup butter softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
Directions:
Wash and sanitize hands, tools, and work surfaces.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond until combined. Add salt, baking powder, and flour and mix until well incorporated.
Cover dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Roll cookies into 1-inch balls and flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass until 1/4-inch thick. Never eat raw dough.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the bottom. Let cool completely.
Wash and sanitize work surfaces that raw dough came in contact with and don't allow baked cookies to contact those surfaces.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together powdered sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and milk until smooth.
Frost cooled cookies with frosting and top with sprinkles if desired. For an elegant touch, lightly spray the top of the cookies with Wilton edible gold spray.
Peanut butter sandwich cookies are a sneaky way to eat two cookies at once! They stay soft and delicious for several days and are a family favorite.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Cookies:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter softened
1 ¼ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups Texas Pure Milling All-purpose Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup butter softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-in. balls and place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 3/8-in. thickness with a fork. Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Frosting:
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together powdered sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and milk until smooth.
Spread a layer of frosting on the bottom of one peanut butter cooking and sandwich with a second cookie.
Running short on time? These soft ginger molasses cookies give you all the flavor of a great gingerbread, but a tender chewy texture. We roll ours in a Demerara sugar for a delicate crunch.
Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ cups Texas Pure Milling All-purpose Flour
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root (or 1 tsp dry ground)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. Ground Saigon cinnamon
½ tsp. Ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
1/2 cup Raw Demerara Sugar for Garnish
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla.
Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in Raw sugar.
Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F until puffy and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Buttery shortbread cookies with a tender crisp crunch take center stage when you make these Italian Butter Tea Cookies. Based on a recipe used in Italian bakeries, it has the most delightful flavor. Using the shortening and butter combination adds to the tenderness of the cookie's crumb. Dip the finished cookies in chocolate and sprinkle with colorful sugar if desired.
Italian Butter Tea Cookies
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1/2 cup butter
¾ cup confectioners powdered sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Texas Pure Milling All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
Directions:
Wash and sanitize all work surfaces and tools. In a 2-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugars on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla on low speed and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Increase speed to high and whip for 4 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. On low speed, slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture. When all the flour is added, mix on low speed for 1 minute.
Line sheet pans with parchment paper. Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip. Fill the bag 3/4 of the way full of the cookie dough and form into cookies the size of a quarter, allowing 1-inch between cookies for spreading.
Sprinkle with sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking. Bake 375°F 12-15 minutes, or until lightly brown.
Wash and Sanitize work surfaces. Decorate or dip in chocolate. Yield 2-3 dozen 1 ½-inch cookies.
These chewy and gooey caramel butter bars are gourmet restaurant quality with a perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Gourmet Salted Caramel Butter Bars
For the Crust:
1/2 lb. butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups Texas Pure Milling All-Purpose Flour
For the Filling:
1 bag (11 oz.) caramel candies bits (Kraft®)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt (French Grey preferred)
Directions:
Wash and sanitize hands, tools, and all work surfaces.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars.
Using a mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy.
Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and mix until smooth.
Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.
Place remaining crust mixture in the refrigerator.
Preheat to 325°F. Bake crust until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes.
While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the caramel bits in a saucepan. Add the cream, vanilla, and dash of cayenne. Cook and stir over low to medium heat until completely melted. (You can also use the microwave in short bursts to melt the caramel mixture.) Pour the caramel filling over the crust. Generously salt with sea salt.
Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel. You may find the chilled dough doesn't "crumble" that easily. If so, place on a cutting board and chop into the size pieces you want for the topping.
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden about 25 - 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Thick and fudgy brownies are one of Santa's favorites and you'll need to tuck this recipe away to use all year! They are absolute perfection!
Texas Classic Fudge Brownies
1 cup butter
4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
8 eggs
2 cups Texas Pure Milling All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Wash and sanitize all work surfaces, utensils, and hands before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a half-sheet pan (18-in x 13-in x 1-in). Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer with a paddle attachment.
Add the flour, cocoa, and salt, mixing for 2 minutes. Pour into the prepared half-sheet pan and spread out evenly.
Bake 40-45 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center will come out with moist crumbs (150°F). Wash and sanitize all work surfaces, utensils, and hands after baking.
If you like the texture of a brownie with rich caramel flavor these classic blondies are for you! We added a spicy layer of cinnamon sugar to fit the season and give the distinct flavor of a snickerdoodle to a chewy caramel bar.
Butterscotch Snickerdoodle Blondies
Blondie
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup Texas Pure Milling All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. brandy extract
Cinnamon Sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Directions
Wash and sanitize all work surfaces and tools. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
Mix all the Blondie ingredients in a large bowl and combine well. Spread in the blondie mixture into the pan.
In a separate container, combine the sugar and spices. Sprinkle generously over the top of the Blondie and bake 25-30 minutes-- or until they look dry on top and almost firm to the touch.
Let cool 10-15 minutes and cut into small squares. Yield 36 Blondies.
