Holiday Baking Schedule - the rush is on

November 25th: Order Nuts (http://www.SunnylandFarms.com)
November 30th: Grocery Shopping
December 2nd: Brandy Balls
December 5th: Mix Jelly Tart Dough
December 6th: Mix Maple Pecan Dough
                    Bake Jelly Tarts (do not assemble...freeze the baked cookies)
December 7th: Mix Bird Nest Cookies (remember 1 stick = 1/2 cup)
                    Bake Maple Pecan Cookies
December 8th: Mix Pinwheel Cookies (with time, you can do the chocolate one day and peppermint the next)
                    Bake Bird Nest Cookies
December 9th: Bake Pinwheel Cookies(no mixing of batter ... give yourself a day off if you made both peppermint and chocolate in one day.)
December 10th: Mix and Bake Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies (you have time if you want to mix one evening and bake the next day)
December 11th: Mix and Bake Chocolate Crackle Cookies (you have time if you want to mix one evening and bake the next day)
~~~~~~~~~~ This is the end of the cookies that can be frozen ~~~~~~~~~~~~

(begin 10 days before you want to deliver the cookies)

December 13th: Chop up all the chocolate
                    Mix Chocolate Chip Batter
December 14th: Mix White Chocolate Chip Batter
                    Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
December 15th: Mix Triple Chocolate Chip Batter
                    Bake White Chocolate Chip Cookies
December 16th: Mix Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Batter
                    Bake Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
December 17th: Mix Sugar Cookie Batter
                    Bake Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
December 18th: Mix Chew Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Batter
                    Bake Sugar Cookies
December 19th: Bake Gingerbread Cookies
December 20th: Mix & Bake Toffee Bars
December 21th: Mix & Bake Magic Bars
                    Defrost Cookies that you froze
December 22st: Assemble Cookies (takes 2-3 hours):
                    Add jelly to Bird Nest Cookies
                    Add jelly to and top Jelly Tarts (into sandwiches)
                    Powder the Jelly Tarts
                    Assemble Deliverable Packages

1. Always use UNSALTED (sweet) butter (the salt in salted butter is unpredicable)
   
2. Baking Soda and Baking Powder lose effectiveness after ONLY SIX MONTHS (buy new just before you start baking)
   
3. Have plenty of cookie sheets to minimize inbetween cleaning time
   
4. Make sure you have ALL the ingredients before you bake a cookie
   
5. Use high-quality parchment paper; it saves time and money in the long run (I order in bulk from Pastry Chef)
   
6. Use heavy baking sheets and jelly roll pans...the kind that won't "pop" in the heated oven. (Bridge's Kitchenware is the best for all cooking and baking supplies)
   
7. Use only pure extract
   
8. Never freeze cookie dough
   
9. Make batters one day in advance from baking
   
10. Have a wire rack for cooling cookies available (cool first while the cookies are still on the parchment paper and then remove for final cooling)
    
11. Cookies can be baked using the convention oven mode. Remember that the temperature should be 25 degrees cooler than the temperature stated in the recipe.
    
12. Store all cookies in a tight container in a cool place. Cookies will typically last up to 3 weeks this way
    
13. Cookies with or topped with chocolate should never be frozen
    
14. The better the ingredients, the better the cookies.
    
15. Store different type of cookies separately until delivery
    
16. Careful never to over soften the butter...in fact, put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before putting them in the oven for baking
    
17. Never bake more than two cookie sheets at a time (in fact, I usually stick to baking only one at a time)
    
18. It is better to remove a cookie that is soft than to over bake them
    
19. Buy a rolling pin that can be adjusted for height (recommend 1/4" and 1/2")...some come with wooden wheels as other use rubberbands
    
20. Eggs shoulod be at room temperature before using
    
21. Have PLENTY of towels for cleaning and hand washing
    
22. All recipe ingredients are for one batch only
    
23. All degrees are in Fahrenheit
    
24. All times are approximate. Check all baked cookies to be slightly brown ont he bottom for doneness
    
25. The cookie recipes order in this lens was found best for freshness after years of preparation (I have this down to a system)
    
26. Add a recipe a year to try something new
    
27. Watch what cookie is last ... it may be one to drop for your crowd
    
28. Cookie batter has no calories (just kidding...but it would be nice)
    
29. Remember, most animals (especially parrots) find chocolate TOXIC!

Preparation:
- 35 minutes to prepare
- makes about 36 cookies
- have a damp towel on hand when rolling

Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cups (about 60 cookies) Finely Crushed Vanilla Wafers
- 1 Cup Siften Powder Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (recommend using the basic milk choco...Hershey special dark creates a look like...do I need to be specific?)
- 1/4 Cup Brandy (more if you want a sip for yourself) Note: One airline bottle size is 1/5 not 1/4 cup.
- 1/4 Cub Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Granulated White Sugar (for rolling)

Directions:
1. Combine wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and nuts.
2. Stir in brandy and corn syrup
3. Add 1-1/4 teaspoon of water ONLY IF NECESSARY to form balls
4. Form 3/4" balls
5. Roll in Granulated White Sugar
6. Store in tight tuperware container
7. When distributing, wrap cookies separately in both plastic wrap and put in a separate ziplock container from all other cookies (to keep the brandy smell away from all the other cookies).

Preparation:
- 45 minutes to prepare
- Batter must be made one day in advance (recommend doing this on either a Friday or Saturday night)
- Makes about 24 cookies (I usually make 2 batches)
- Baked cookies can be frozen without jelly and powder sugar
- Will take up to 1 hour to assemble
- At one time I would make one batch using green food coloring. It makes the cookie look like a wreath. I have found that the food colored cookies are the last to be eaten. I stopped adding food coloring.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups all purpose white flour
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Almond extract
- 1 cup Jam (I typically use Palmier All-Fruit seedless raspberry even though it is not favored by the American Test Kitchen.)
- 2 cups Powder Sugar

Directions:
1. Cream together butter, granulated shite sugar, eggs, and extract.
2. Add flour and baking powder.
3. Refrigerate overnight
------
4. Preheat oven to 370 degrees.
5. Roll to 1/4" thick on a floured board
6. Cut using a 2" cookie cutter.
7. Cut a whole in the middle of 1/2 the cookies (for the top of the final cookie).
8. Bake 5-8 minutes (sometimes up to 10 minutes); turn once and bake another 5-8 minutes
9. Cook on rack.
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10. Add 1/2 teaspoon of jam on bottom (without hole) cookie
11. Place cookie (with hole) on top
12. Sprinkle powder sugar on top

Preparation:
- Makes about 2 dozen
- Can decorate with whole or large pieces of pecan
- These can be frozen

Ingredients:
- 2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecan (keep 26 whole if you want to use them for decorating...otherwise keep 1/2 cup large pieces)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (Martha likes grade b...grade a was fine)
- 2 large eggs (one for baking, one for topping)
- 1/4 teaspoon Pure Maple Extract
- 1/4 cup sparkling white sugar (aka turbinado)

Instructions:
1. Sift flours and salt and add 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans
2. Mix in salt, sugar, syrup, ONE egg, extract
3. Refrigerate overnight
-----
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Roll and cut (1-1/2" x 1/2") cookies
6. Brush with remaining egg (lightly beaten)
7. Top with pecan (whole or large pieces)
8. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar (aka Turbinado)
9. Bake 12 minutes (with one turn)

Preparation:
- 30 minutes to prepare
- Makes about 15 cookies
- Have something to make a finger press in rolled cookie dough about 1/4" diameter. (I use a sample 1/8 oz size Tabasco Sauce bottle...Hey, it works!)
- Freeze cookies without jelly

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg (separate yolk from white)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose white flour
- 1 cup chopped nuts (I use hazelnuts; original recipe uses walnuts)
- 6 tablespoons of jelly

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. beat butter, sugar, yolk, and vanilla
3. stir in flour
4. refridgerate at least 30 minutes to one hour (I refrige overnight)
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls
6. Dip in egg white
7. Roll in nuts
8. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet
9. Press denter of each cookie with thimble (tabasco bottle)
10. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (turning once in the middle)
11. Before distribution, place 1/4 teaspoon jelly in center of each cookie (where you pressed with the thimble)

Preparation:
- 45 minutes
- makes about 5 dozen
- can make 4 separate doughs (2 vanilla, 1 chocolate, 1 pepermint)
- can make 2 separate doughs (1 vanilla, split 2nd between chocolate and pepermint)

Ingredients:
Base Cookie (make for each flavor)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
------
Vanilla Flavoring:
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate flavoring:
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 2 teaspoons almond flavoring

Peppermint Flavoring:
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1/8 teaspoon red coloring (make sure it looks really red when you mix it in. Color fades when baked)

Directions:
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt
2. Mix butter, sugar, egg, and milk
3. Combine dry with wet ingredients.
-----
if you are going to split a dough to make different flavors, do it now.
-----
4. Add flavoring
5. Wrap (separate flavors) in plastic wrap
6. Store 2 hours
------
7. Roll out one flavor of dough
8. Roll out the next (only combine 2 flavors)
9. Place one layer on top of the other
10. Lightly press so the 2 flavors stick together firmly
11. Roll combined dough into a log (about 1 inch log)
12. Wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight in refridgerator
-----
13. Preheat oven to 375
14. Slice logs into 1/2" slices
15. Place on cookie sheet 1" apart
16. Bake 10 minutes (include one turn) until they are slightly brown on the bottom of the cookie

These can be frozen.

Preparation:
- 1 hour preparation(can be stiff and burn out motor's)
- NO REST TIME (overnight refridgeration) NEEDED
- They can be frozen
- Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (or a little less)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup flamed (dark) raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients
3. Blend wet ingredients
4. Blend dry & wet ingredients
5. Roll dough into 2" balls
6. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets
7. Bake 20-25 minutes (with one turn)

Preparation:
- 1 hour preparation
- They can be frozen
- Makes about 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coca powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
- 1-1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
----
- 1 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

Directions:
1. Melt chocolate in microwave under lowest setting (I use reheat #1)
2. Sift dry ingredients
3. Blend wet ingredients
4. Blend dry & wet ingredients
5. Add in cooled chocolate
6. Divide dough into small (about 3-4) portions and wrap in plastic wrap
7. Store in refridgerator overnight
-----
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
9. Roll dough into 1" balls
10. Roll each ball in granulated sugar
11. Roll sugared ball in confectioners sugar
12. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets
13. Bake 14-16 minutes (with one turn)
14. Store cooled cookies between wax paper

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- don't freeze
- Makes about 2-1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound = 1 cup)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (or a little less)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon water
- 2 large eggs
- 12 ounces chocolate chips (or milk chocolate chopped)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla & water)
3. Blend wet ingredients (butter, eggs)
4. Back 10 to 12 minutes (with one turn)

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- overnight refridgeration
- Makes about 2-1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 oz)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or a little less)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 12 ounces white chocolate chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped macadamian nuts
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift all but the last 3 ingredients
3. Stir in the remaining 3 ingredients
4. Refridgerate dough overnight or for at least 3 hours
5. Drop a well-rounded half-tsp about 1" apart
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes TOPS
7. Remove and cool on a wire rack

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- Makes about 1-1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound = 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or a little less)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces milk chocolate chopped
- 4 ounces white chocolate chopped
- 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla)
3. Blend wet ingredients (butter, eggs)
4. Fold in the chocolate chunks
5. Drop a tablespoon of batter leaving 1" apart
6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until the cookies are puffed and lightly browned around the edges.
7. Cool the cookies ON THE PAN for about 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound = 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sugar (for rolling)
- 1 16oz package of hershey kisses

Directions:
1. Sift dry ingredients
2. Add the peanut butter
3. Blend wet ingredients
4. Refidgerate overnight

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
6. UNWRAP THE HERSHEY KISSES NOW
7. Roll a well rounded tablespoon of batter into balls
8. Roll in decorating sugar
9. Place on sheet leaving 1" apart
10. Bake 8 minutes until the cookies are puffed and lightly browned around the edges.
11. Take out cookie sheet and push the solid candy kiss firmly so cookie cracks around the edge.
12. Return to the oven
13. Bake an additional 2 to 5 minutes longer until golden brown.
14. Cool on a wire rack
15. Store in a cool place in a plastic container.

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- Makes about 1-1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound = 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup decorative sugar of your choice (recommend mixing with regular granulated sugar)

Directions:
1. Cream butter with 1 cup granulated white sugar
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt
4. Chill dough preferably overnight

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
6. Roll 1/2 dough between two pieces of wax paper to 1/4" thickness
7. Peal off the wax paper on one side
8. Place exposed dough on the sugared board
9. Carefully remove the other wax paper
10. Carefully flip the dough to expose the other side with sugar.
11. Cut the cookies with a sugared 3" sugared cookie cutter (or smaller or shaped cutter)
12. Carefully lift the cookie and place on a baking sheet 1" apart
13. Bake 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges.

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- make and bake same day
- don't use convention oven setting
- Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1 14oz can of Sweetened CONDENSED milk (not evaporated) Note: for chewier cookies, you can go to 21 oz milk...no more.
- 1 cup chocolate chips (ok, you can go and add more)
- 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut (ok, you can go and add more)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (ok, you can go and add more)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish)
2. Line 13x9 inch baking pan with one solid sheet of parchment paper (this is the trick that works) Hint: dab butter near corners to help hold the parchment in place.
2. Melt butter while pre-heating oven (takes about 5 minutes for the butter to completely melt...don't let it burn)
3. Mix graham cracher and vanilla wafer crumbs
4. Remove pan when butter is melted.
5. Spread butter so the entire pan bottom is covered.
6. Sprinkle crumbs evenly and pat it down.
7. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crumbs
8. Top with chocolate chips
9. Scatter coconut on top of chips
10. Top with chopped pecans
11. Press down firmly
12. Pake 25 to 30 minutes or until coconut is toasted (Turning once in the middle)
13. Cool on a wire rack for about one hour
14. Remove cookie slab by pulling up on the parchment paper.
15. Cut evenly (hahaha) into 1-1/2" squares using a pizza cutter.
16. Store in plastic container with wax paper between layers.

Preparation:
- 1/2 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- make and bake same day
- don't use convention oven setting
- Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose white flour
- 12 whole unwrapped hershey or nestle chocolate bars (when I first started making these it took only 9 bars...the companies have made the bars so much smaller that it now takes 12)
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans...and more than 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line 13x9 inch baking pan with one solid sheet of parchment paper (this is the trick that works) Hint: dab butter near corners to help hold the parchment in place.
3. Blend butter and brown sugar
4. Blend in flour
5. spread in a jelly roll pan with a spatula (If you're having trouble...pull mixture out with the parchment paper...roll with a rolling pin to get a close measurement of the pan...Place back in pan...cutting away any excess and moving it to areas that didn't reach the corners. The goal is to have an even spread and totally covered pan)
6. Prick the batter with a fork (go across the dough in 3 or 4 directions...horizontal, vertical, diagonal left -> right, diagonal right -> left)
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Pull out and place bars on top of the hot cookie
9. Spread with spatula
10. Sprinkle chopped nuts
11. Press down lightly
12. Bake for another 2 minutes
13. Take out and cool on a wire rack while still in the pan
14. Cool on a wire rack for about one hour
15. Remove cookie slab by pulling up on the parchment paper.
16. Cut evenly (hahaha) into 1-1/2" squares using a pizza cutter.
17. Store in plastic container with wax paper between layers.

*** New in 2009 ***

Preparation:
- 1 hour preparation
- not to be frozen
- don't use convention oven setting
- Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablesppon all-purpose flour
- 1-14 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I'd go less as the cloves is overpowering...try 1/8)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 pound (1 stick)(buy a 2" size ginger with less bumps)
- 1/2 cup DARK brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup unsulfered molasses
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoon boiling water
- 7 ounces (oh, go for 8-1/2)best-quality semi-sweet chocolate (I think milk chocolate will be ok too) cut into 1/4-inch chunks (get real...cut into pieces, they won't be exact but good enough...I'm no Martha Stewart)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling.

Directions (my way):
1. Grate nutmeg, set aside
2. Grate ginger, set aside
3. Chop chocolate, set aside
4. Mix dry ingredients (flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, grated nutmeg, cocoa powder, dark brown sugar)
5. Melt baking soda in boiling water
6. Add butter, fresh ginger, molasses in with dry ingredients.
7. Add water/baking soda mixture
8. Mix at low speed until mixed.
9. Refridgerate in plastic wrap over night (or at least for 3 hours)
10. Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls.
11. Roll balls in granulated sugar
12. Place on cookie sheet 2" apart
13. Refridgerate for 10-20 minutes
14. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
15. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (with one turn) until the cookie starts to crack
16. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
17. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
18. Store in airtight containers in a cool place.