Christmas Cookies 2011

Every year for the past few years I've enjoyed baking different kinds of cookies to give to family and some friends.  I am scaling it back a little, only giving to out-of-town family and bringing them to Christmas gatherings.  I said this year that I would simplify Christmas, including the cookies.  You know what that plan ended up producing?   Seven different kinds of cookies.  This was supposed to be a scale-down year but I found myself making a batch every day or two starting Dec. 1st, and storing them in the freezer.  So now I have seven different kinds of cookie to bring with us tomorrow.  Oh, whoops, that doesn't even include the 3-minute fudge I made to satiate my mint chocolate craving this week and the Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bars I just had to try (they contain garbanzo beans, butternut squash and my kids loved them!).
Here are how some of my recipes turned out:



Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars 
I think these were probably my favorite this year.  Should have made a second batch!

Yes, that is a doll hand on the right and I didn't bother cropping out the ugly dish towel.

 Samoas Bars 
These weren't as much like the cookie as I'd hoped, and they were a lot of work.

 3-Minute 3-Ingredient Mint Fudge
Super easy and delicious.  I used Andes mint chips and saved a few to melt on top after mixing the fudge, and got this cool marbled look by holding the pan on its side and letting them run a bit.

 Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars (flourless)
These are very soft and yummy.  Butternut squash and Garbanzo beans (pureed) take the place of flour!  Gluten free (if you use gluten-free oats) and could be dairy-free if they make dairy-free chocolate.  They must, although I've never tried it.

In addition to these, I also made:
Pecan Crescents (family recipe for Almond Crescents that I use Pecans in instead.  Similar to this recipe.)

Double Chocolate M&M Cookies (a Family Circle Recipe)
Chewy Gingerbread - our favorite gingerbread cookie!
Peppermint Kisses - also from Family Circle, I think- basically a peanut butter blossom but with sugar-type cookie and Hershey's Candy Cane kisses instead.
White Chocolate Cherry Almond Sandwiches   These are just ok, I don't think I like almond butter, sadly.  They are better after sitting a day or two though.

Merry Christmas (or Happy Festivus, or Christmas Eve Eve!)
~Sally