Chocolate Candy Cane cookies

Agnes Ward Stratford, ON    Made by Cari and Zander

350°F 8-10 min.      YIELD:                                 REFRIGERATE

Cookie Ingredients:

¾ cup butter, softened

1 pkg 8oz. cream cheese softened

1 cup granulated sugar

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½  cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

Drizzle:

6 oz. white baking chocolate

2/3 cup crushed spearmint candies

·       In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.

·       Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.

·       Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

·       Refrigerate for 1 hour.

·       Divide dough into 48 pieces; shape each into a 3-inch rope. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets, curve the top of each cookie to form the handle of the candy cane.

·       Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before moving parchment to wire rack to cool completely.

·       Melt chocolate in microwave – in 20 second increments, stirring after each 20 seconds – until smooth.

·       Drizzle over cookies and sprinkle with candies. Let stand until set.

Classic Sugar Cookies

https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/classic-sugar-cookies-1/5626a5fbf79cf9120df39113

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¹/₂ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¹/₄ cup(s) salted butter
• ¹/₄ cup(s) Neufchâtel cheese
• 1 cup(s) sugar, granulated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg(s)
• ¹/₂ cup(s) fat free skim milk
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
• ¹/₃ cup(s) sugar, colored (for decorating)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg; set aside.
Place butter and cheese in a large bowl; cream using an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until batter is pale yellow; beat in vanilla extract and egg.
Add about 1/3 of flour mixture and 1/3 of milk to cheese mixture; mix batter on low speed until just combined. Repeat 2 more times with remaining flour mixture and milk, until thoroughly combined.
Shape dough into a ball and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Using your palms, press down on plastic wrap to flatten dough into a hamburger shape; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour on a flat work surface. Pull off about 1/3 of dough and, using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch circular cookie cutter, cut cookies out of dough and place on ungreased baking sheets. Roll up dough scraps and add back to dough ball. Pull off another 1/3 of dough and repeat process until all dough is used — recipe will make approximately 45 cookies.
Sprinkle cookies with colored sugar and bake until edges just start to turn golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks and cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

Notes

Make these cookies any shape you want. You can sprinkle them with colored sugar as we’ve done here or make colored icing and paint on your own designs (could affect SmartPoints value). To ice the cookies, bake them without the colored sugar topping. While they are cooling, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 to 3 teaspoons of hot water in a small bowl. Divide icing in half and add drops of different food coloring to each half; paint designs on cookies using small painting or basting brushes.

Lemon Crinkles

 Ingredients
1 box Lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1/8 cup flour

2 boxes 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp baking powder

1 extra drop yellow color (optional)
the zest of 1/2 lemon
1/8 tsp lemon extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.

Line baking sheet with parchment

In a large mixing bowl mix together your lemon cake mix, baking powder, eggs, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon extract, and food coloring. (If batter is too sticky, add 1/8 cup flour). Scoop out your dough with a tablespoon and form it into 1” balls. Place dough balls into the powdered sugar and cover. Place dough balls onto parchment lined pans – allow space for spreading.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Carefully press down cookie with back of spoon.

Cool on cooling rack and enjoy!

Made by Vicki