a morning and three christmas cookies

I mentioned yesterday that I spent a day baking some cookies and have now decided that since Matt has officially told me I am responsible for all cookie baking in the house heretofore the recipes are that good that I should share. Matt's not a big baker but he is the chocolate chip cookie making king. That is until now. Apparently. The ones I made ended up being puffy and soft and yeah so there you have it. 

I made a family favorite from childhood to adulthood, spritz (almond sugar) cookies, M&M cookies and buckeye balls. And I didn't take any photos during the whole process because I was trying new things so I had no idea they would be so popular with my house! So finished product only!
So here they are, the recipes in all their finest.

Spritz Cookies:
1 1/2 cups softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond. I always add more almond. Can't have too much almond. Sift flour and baking powder and add gradually to other mixture. I split the dough and used food coloring to make some red and some green. My family typically makes candy canes out of this dough as well.

Bake at 400° for 8 minutes.

M&M Cookies:
Original found here.

2 cups and 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 sticks room temperature butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup M&M's

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl for later. Cream the butter in a mixer. Then add brown sugar and the regular sugar until combined. Then add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Then slowly add the dry ingredients until combined, saving the M&M's for last. Then cover the dough and refrigerate for at least a  half  hour if not longer.

Bake at 325° for 8-10 minutes, or a bit longer to get those slightly brown edges.

Buckeye Balls:
These are so easy! No baking! Although I did get super frustrated with the melting of the chocolate but I got there!

1 1/2 cup peanut  butter
1/2 c room temperature butter
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Combine together till it becomes dough like. Then roll into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Put in the fridge for about a half hour. This is when I worked on melting the chocolate; I melted about 8 ounces. I had a few little dishes filled with various sprinkles to roll the balls in after the chocolate process, the sugar sprinkles being the group favorite. Something about the texture.

Anyways. After a half  hour I removed the balls and using a toothpick to skewer each ball I dipped it in chocolate and then the sprinkles and then quickly put them back on the wax paper. After I was done with them all I used my finger to cover up the toothpick hole in each before placing them back into the fridge. After another half hour I then put them into a tupperware for storage. Where now every time I walk by the fridge I help myself to another. And another. Come the new year I am going full on detox in my house... Goodness...





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