Christmas Cookie Recipes, Last-Minute Gift Ideas, Cookbook Reviews and More!

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      Welcome to the 6th issue of the 2003 season for the
Christmas-Cookies.com newsletter. Keep reading for exclusive recipes,
gift-giving ideas, cookbook reviews, and more!

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      I N    T H I S    I S S U E
        a.. Christmas Cookies Are for Giving
        b.. Recipe: Mint Chocolate Pinwheels
        c.. Recipe: Mocha Cheesecake Squares
        d.. Recipe: Cordial Cups (Liqueur Fudge Tassies)
     a.. Recipe: Maple Walnut Bars
        b.. Article: Low on Cash for Christmas? Try Gifts in a Jar!
        c.. More Christmas Cookie Recipes!

      C O O K B O O K     S P O T L I G H T

      Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories and Tips for Making
Heartwarming Gifts
      by Kristin Johnson and Mimi Cummins

      List Price: $16.95 + qualify for free shipping in time for Christmas!
      Edition: Hardcover, 208 pages, color photos
      Features: Lay-flat binding, wipe-clean cover
      Avg. Customer Rating:



      The Rebecca Review, one of Amazon.com's Top 10 Reviewers, had this to
say:

      "This cookbook is the most meaningful book I've read this year. It
brought back my own memories of my grandmother baking more cookies than we
could ever eat in one holiday season...Since no one in our family seems to
make as many cookies for the holiday season, I've tried to carry on this
tradition by making tins of cookies for my family each year. This book has
given me some new ideas..."Christmas Cookies Are For Giving" is filled with
Christmas spirit, loving memories and delicious buttery cookie recipes! If
you are looking for a Christmas gift for your friends and family, this book
is more than a cookbook, it is a wish for future holiday memories." -The
Rebecca Review. Visit Rebecca at SeasonedWithLove.com

      Read the full review at Amazon.com




      G E T   W H A T   Y O U   N E E D   I N   T I M E   F O R   T H E   H
O L I D A Y S

      order by noon PST 12/18 for Christmas delivery via regular shipping
Get it in time for Christmas! Cooking.com $10 flat-rate express shipping on
orders over $99. Offer ends 10am 12/19/03.

      Click Here! Save 20% on 1 item at Cooking.com. Use coupon # C89982 at
checkout. Offer ends 12/31/03

      sale on upgrade to express shipping
      E X C L U S I V E     R E C I P E S


      Mint Chocolate Pinwheels

      3/4 cup butter, softened
      1 cup granulated sugar
      1 teaspoon baking powder
      1 egg
      1/4 teaspoon mint extract
      green food coloring
      2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
      6 Oreo cookies (regular flavor), finely crushed
      1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

      In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30
seconds. Add sugar and baking powder and beat until combined. Beat in egg,
mint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring until mixture reaches a
mint green color. Stir in flour until well blended. Divide dough in half,
wrap halves in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour or until somewhat firm. Roll
one half of dough between two sheets of waxed paper into an 8x7-inch
rectangle. Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper and sprinkle half of the
crushed Oreo cookies over the dough, to within 1/4 inch of sides. Starting
from the short side, roll up dough and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining
dough and crushed Oreos. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and stand upright in
tall drinking glasses, then chill about 4 hours or until very firm. Pre-heat
oven to 375 F. Remove one roll of dough from refrigerator. Unwrap and slice
into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. Cool on baking
sheet for 1 minute then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with
other roll. When cooled, melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler
over hot (not boiling) water. Transfer melted chocolate to a resealable
plastic bag and with a scissors, snip off a tiny corner of the bag. Drizzle
melted chocolate over cookies. Allow chocolate to set and harden, then store
in an airtight container in layers separated by sheets of waxed paper for up
to 3 weeks. Makes about 50 cookies.



      Mocha Cheesecake Squares

      1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
      1 cup sifted powdered sugar
      1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
      1/4 teaspoon baking soda
      3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
      1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
      1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
      1 (14-ounce) can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
      2 large eggs

      Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour,
powdered sugar, cocoa and baking soda. With a fork, cut in butter until
crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 13.9.2-inch baking pan. Bake for 15
minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve coffee in 1 tablespoon hot water and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually
beat in condensed milk. Add coffee mixture and eggs; beat just until
combined. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Allow to cool
completely on a wire rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
When firm, cut into 1.5-inch squares. Store refrigerated in an airtight
container, in layers separated by sheets of waxed paper. Makes appx. 48
cookies.



      Cordial Cups (Liqueur Fudge Tassies)

      This recipe is adapted from one found in an old 1986 Better Homes &
Gardens magazine.

      1/2 cup butter, softened
      1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
      1/3 cup sugar
      3/4 cup all-purpose flour
      1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
      2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
      2 tablespoons butter
      1/2 cup sugar
      1 large egg
      1 teaspoon vanilla
      1 tablespoon chocolate or coffee liqueur (ie. Kahlua, or any of your
      favorite liqueurs such as Frangelico (hazelnut), Grand Marnier
(orange), or
      Chambord (raspberry) for a different flavor)
      2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips

      Beat the 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an
electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 1/3 cup
sugar. Add flour and cocoa; beat until well combined. Cover and chill about
2 hours or until easy to handle. Divide mixture into 24 balls. Press each
ball into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased mini-muffin cup.
Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Melt unsweetened chocolate and the 2 tablespoons
butter in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Remove
from heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup sugar, egg, vanilla and liqueur. Divide
mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake about 25 minutes or until set. Cool
slightly; remove from pans. Cool completely. Melt milk chocolate pieces in
the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Spoon about 1/4
teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each cup. Makes 24 Cordial Cups.



      Maple Walnut Bars

      1 package yellow cake mix, divided
      1/3 cup butter, melted
      4 large eggs, divided
      1-1/3 cups maple syrup
      1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
      1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
      1 cup chopped walnuts

      Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13×9-inch pan. Reserve 2/3 cup of the
cake mix; set aside. Combine remaining cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg in
large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Press
into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light
golden brown. Combine reserved cake mix, maple syrup, remaining 3 eggs,
sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with electric
mixer for 3 minutes. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 30 to 35
minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut
into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.



      For over 365 more Christmas cookie recipes, visit
Christmas-Cookies.com!





      E S S E N T I A L    C H R I S T M A S     B A K I N G     S U P P L I
E S
      Still time to order and get it in time for Christmas using both
regular and express shipping
      (check retailer's shipping info for details)
      Christmas Cookies
      Are for Giving

      $16.95    Buy  KitchenAid 250-Watt
      4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer

      $169.99 FREE shipping   Buy  11-piece Nonstick Bakeware
      Set by Chicago Metallic

      $99 FREE shipping   Buy
     15-pc Snowflake Cookie Cutter Set

      $27.95    Buy

      100-piece Cookie Cutter Set


      $9.99     Buy  Cookie Cutter & Stencil Set - Christmas Tree

      $3.50   Buy  Cookie Cutter & Stencil Set - Gingerbread Boy

      $3.50   Buy  Cookie Cutter & Stencil Set - Snowman

      $3.50   Buy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

         L O T S   M O R E   B A K I N G   P R O D U C T S !
      cookie cutters   sprinkles    colored sugars   candy-making   cake
pans   cupcake liners
      click here



      Low on Cash for Christmas? Try Gifts in a Jar
      by Kristin Johnson

      Time is money, and right now you don't have either the time or the
money to answer the call of the shopping mall at Christmas. The only way you
can show your friends love, peace on earth, goodwill
      towards men is by shopping at Macy's, so you think.

      It's a safe bet that the Three Kings didn't buy the gold, frankincense
and myrrh given to Jesus Christ in the manger from Macy's or Pottery Barn.

      This year you, too, can give frankincense and myrrh of the tasty kind.
The best part is, the ingredients come from your neighborhood grocery store
or even your own kitchen. The Three Kings used ornate
      containers, but you can make do with an inexpensive 1-quart mason jar
to hold your "sand art" cookies, or "Gifts in a Jar."

      What do you need to make "Gifts in a Jar"? Let's take, for example,
the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
and baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal and
      raisins. All of these are available for under $5 at your local grocery
store. If you buy in bulk, you'll save more time and money-- -just make sure
to create your "Gifts in a Jar" as soon as possible before you plan on
giving them. The ingredients have a shelf life of 3 months in most cases, so
use fresh ingredients.

      Layer the dry ingredients in the order listed above, alternating light
and dark-colored ingredients for that "art" effect. Your recipient supplies
the moist ingredients, and you can attach your favorite recipe or the
Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar recipe, printed on fancy paper (such
as the kind you'd find inexpensively at Kinko's) with a decorative font from
your computer, and tied to the jar with pretty ribbon or raffia (inexpensive
at craft and sewing shops). Cover the top of the jar with a circle of pretty
fabric--- maybe from a tablecloth, curtains or a dress that's headed for the
rag bag.

      To turn your favorite cookie recipe into "Gifts in a Jar," just make
sure the total of dry ingredients is 1 quart (1 L) or less. You may have to
cut your current recipe by half or one third to get the correct amount of
dry ingredients but it will work. Remember to adjust the amounts of wet
ingredients needed when writing out your directions to place on the jar. Or,
rather than cutting your recipe, you can use the larger 2-quart (2 l) mason
jars, and if there is any space left at the top of the jar, pack it tightly
with tissue paper or add a few extra raisins and a sprinkle of oatmeal--this
adds pizzazz!

      Your thoughtful, personal gift will delight everyone on your list and
save you money when you make "Gifts in a Jar." Besides, you'll no doubt get
invited to eat the cookies---when was the last time a
      sweater from Macy's gave you that kind of sweet rewards?

      Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar

      1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
      1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
      1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground nutmeg
      1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
      1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
      1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
      3/4 cup (175 ml) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
      2 cups (500 ml) quick cooking oatmeal
      3/4 cup (175 ml) raisins

      Sift together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and
salt, then place in the bottom of a 1-quart (1 l) glass mason jar. Tamp down
the flour mixture so it is packed in firmly. Add the rest
      of the ingredients in the order given, making sure to pack down each
layer firmly before adding the
      next. Screw the lid on the jar. Attach the following directions:

      Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

      Note: Store this jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months before
using.

      contents of this jar
      3/4 cup (175 ml) butter or margarine, softened
      1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

      Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment
paper. Empty the jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, blend the
mixture thoroughly. Stir in butter or margarine, egg, and vanilla. Mix until
completely blended. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches (5
cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until
edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a
wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room
temperature for up to 3 weeks. Makes 36 cookies.

      _______________________________________________________

      Copyright October 24, 2003 --- Kristin Johnson is an award-winning
writer whose book, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving, co-written with Mimi
Cummins, makes a perfect holiday gift! Order now!




      M O R E   C H R I S T M A S  R E C I P E S
        24 No-Bake Recipes
        10 Cookies In A Jar Recipes
        15 Fudge Recipes 39 Cookie Cutter Recipes
      14 Cookie Press Recipes
      12 Refrigerator (Icebox) Cookie Recipes
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