In the Kitchen…

Merry Christmas!  Last night I really got into the spirit of the holidays by cracking open a bottle of wine & baking some holiday cookies!  

I thought i'd share these cookie recepies that NO FAIL everyone will love & think you spent hours slaving over!  :)

Oatmeal Penut Butter Sandwiches

Red Velvet Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Oatmeal Penut Butter Sandwiches 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
3. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.
4. To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (I left this out)
•  
• Icing
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut (left this out)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (left this out)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, and bourbon in a large bowl. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops start to crack, about 8 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
4. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, and coconut. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well with each addition. If consistency is too stiff, add more milk.
5. Place the chopped pecans in a bowl. Spread a generous amount of icing on the bottom of a cookie, sandwich it with another cookie, pressing firmly so that the icing comes all the way out to the edge. Roll the edges of the sandwich cookies in the chopped pecans. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, and the butter stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whip eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and the chocolate mixture until well mixed. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips. Cover dough and chill for at least an hour or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets so they are 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.