Favorite Christmas Recipes

• Janie – Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

  

  Janie loves this Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze recipe from Food Network!

  Ingredients

  Cookies:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 Braswell Family Farms eggs
  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, zested

  Glaze:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, zested

  Preparation –

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

  Cookies:

  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

  In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

  Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

• Mike Wheless – Chocolate Reindeer Cookies

  

  Check out Mike’s favorite Chocolate Reindeer Cookies recipe from Taste of Home!

  Ingredients

  • 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 Braswell Family Farms large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting

  DECORATIONS:

  • Candy eyes
  • Reese’s mini white peanut butter cups
  • Miniature pretzels
  • Peanut butter M&M’s

  Preparation

  Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Place butter, brown sugar and water in a large saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Stir in eggs and extract. Stir in flour mixture. Let stand until firm enough to shape, about 15 minutes.

  To freeze dough, shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; flatten each to 1/4-in. thickness. Place in a covered container, separating layers with waxed paper; freeze until firm. (May be frozen up to 3 months.)

  To bake, preheat oven to 350°. Place frozen dough portions 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set, 12-14 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

  Spread cookies with frosting, reserving a small amount for mouths. Decorate faces with candy eyes; add peanut butter cups for snouts, pretzels for antlers and M&M’s for noses. Pipe mouths with reserved frosting.

• Heather – Chocolate Crackle Cookies

  

  Try out Heather’s favorite recipe for Chocolate Crackle Cookies from MarthaStewart.com.

  Ingredients

  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
  • 2 Braswell Family Farms large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Set aside, and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.<

  Mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

  Divide each piece into 16 (1-inch) balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners’ sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

  Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.

• Mad Dawg – Snickerdoodles

  

  This is Mad Dawg’s favorite Snickerdoodles recipe from his wife!

  Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 Braswell Family Farms large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

  In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and remaining sugar. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

  Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.