Elf Hats<\/h2>\n
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer at medium speed until creamy.<\/p>\n Add egg, vanilla and salt. Continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.<\/p>\n Divide dough into the number of colors you want, and knead the food coloring in until well-blended.<\/p>\n Layer dough in a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan, alternating the colors<\/p>\n Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<\/p>\n Slice dough into strips, and then cut strips into little triangles.<\/p>\n Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on wire rack. Decorate as desired.<\/p>\n Makes 60 cookies. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts and milk. Beat until well-incorporated. Gradually add flour, salt and baking powder, beating until combined<\/p>\n Remove half the mixture from the bowl. Add red food coloring, beating until fully combined.<\/p>\n On a sheet of waxed paper, roll out red dough, dusted with powdered sugar, to form a large rectangle.<\/p>\n On another sheet of waxed paper, roll out white dough, dusted with powdered sugar, to form a large rectangle.<\/p>\n Then carefully slide the red dough on top of the white dough. Trim edges if uneven and patch if necessary.<\/p>\n Roll dough into a log, creating a swirl effect.<\/p>\n Now place a generous amount of sprinkles in a shallow dish and roll the cookie dough log firmly over the sprinkles until it is covered.<\/p>\n Wrap and chill for 2 hours.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<\/p>\n Slice the dough into \u00bd-inch slices and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.<\/p>\n Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. <\/p>\n Makes 48 cookies. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until lightly browned. Refrigerate until cold but not firm about 1\u00bd hours.<\/p>\n In a large bowl, at medium speed, beat browned butter and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.<\/p>\n Add egg and vanilla, and beat until well mixed. Reduce speed and gradually beat in flour, baking soda and salt, until blended.<\/p>\n Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll dough 1\u20448-inch thick. Repeat with remaining 2 portions of dough.<\/p>\n Refrigerate dough 2 hours.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<\/p>\n Remove 1 portion of dough from refrigerator. Peel off top sheet of waxed paper. Then turn dough over and remove bottom sheet of waxed paper.<\/p>\n With a 3-inch holly leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, reserving trimmings. Place cookies on ungreased large cookie sheet. Wrap and refrigerate trimmings to roll out more cookies.<\/p>\n Using back of paring knife, draw lines on cookies to resemble veins. Sprinkle green sugar along lines and press some cinnamon candies at one end to resemble holly berries.<\/p>\n Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.<\/p>\n Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.<\/p>\n Makes 30 to 36 cookies. In a food processor with knife blade, pulse pecan and cornstarch until nuts are finely ground. Set aside.<\/p>\n In large bowl, mix on low speed, butter and 1 cup powdered sugar until mixed. Increase speed to high and beat 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.<\/p>\n At medium speed, beat in vanilla, salt and egg. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and pecan mixture.<\/p>\n Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Flatten each into a dish, wrap and refrigerate 4 to 5 hours.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<\/p>\n Remove 1 dish of dough. On a lightly floured surface with flour-coated rolling pin, roll dough 1\u20448- inch thick.<\/p>\n With floured 2\u00bc-inch cookie cutter, cut into desired shape. Cut out centers of half.<\/p>\n Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until edges are lightly browned.<\/p>\n When cookies are cool, sprinkle remaining 1\u20443 cup powdered sugar through sieve over cookies with cutout centers.<\/p>\n Spread scant measuring teaspoon jam on top of whole cookies, place cutout cookie on top.<\/p>\n If cookies are stored in freezer, you might need to sprinkle powdered sugar again before serving.<\/p>\n Repeat process with other portions of dough.<\/p>\n Makes 48 cookies. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.<\/p>\n Beat in eggs, and then stir in vanilla.<\/p>\n In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir flour mixture into the sugar mixture.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<\/p>\n Place dough into a spritz cookie press and press out dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.<\/p>\n Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Sprinkle with sanding sugar.<\/p>\n Makes about 60 cookies. With hand mixer on low speed, beat sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt until just mixed. Then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.<\/p>\n Divide dough into 3 small bowls.<\/p>\n Add almond extract and red food color to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed.<\/p>\n In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat. Mix melted chocolate into second portion.<\/p>\n Mix walnuts into third portion.<\/p>\n Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with waxed paper and spread almond dough evenly as the bottom layer.<\/p>\n Then spread walnut dough as second layer.<\/p>\n Finish with chocolate dough as top layer.<\/p>\n Cover layered dough with plastic wrap and refrigerator about 4 hours.<\/p>\n Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<\/p>\n Invert pan on a plate and peel off waxed paper.<\/p>\n With a sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half. Then slice each half of dough crosswise into \u00bc-inch slices.<\/p>\n Place slices on cookie sheet.<\/p>\n Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown.<\/p>\n Makes 60 cookies.![\"cookie_elf-hat\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/pgh-food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2016\/11\/Cookie_elf-hat.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n1 cup sugar
\n1 egg
\n1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
\n1\u20448 teaspoon salt
\n3 cups flour
\n\u00bd teaspoon baking soda
\nFood color
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\nPeppermint Pinwheels<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n1 cup sugar
\n1 egg
\n\u00bd teaspoon vanilla extract
\n1 teaspoon peppermint extract
\n3 tablespoons milk
\n2\u00bd cups all-purpose flour
\n\u00bd teaspoon salt
\n\u00bd teaspoon baking powder
\n1 tablespoon red food coloring
\nPowdered sugar, for rolling out dough
\n1 cup Nonpareils (sprinkles)
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\nBrown Sugar Holly Leaves<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n\u00be cup brown sugar
\n\u00bc cup granulated sugar
\n1 egg
\n1 teaspoon vanilla extract
\n21\u20443 cups flour
\n\u00bd teaspoon baking soda
\n\u00bc teaspoon salt
\nGreen sugar for decorating
\nCinnamon candies for decorating
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\nLinzer Cookies<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n\u00bd cup cornstarch
\n1\u00bd cups butter
\n11\u20443 cups powdered sugar, divided
\n2 teaspoons vanilla extract
\n\u00be teaspoon salt
\n1 egg
\n2\u00be cups flour, plus extra for dusting surface
\n\u00be cup seedless red raspberry jam
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\nSpritz<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n2 cups sugar
\n2 eggs
\n1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
\n5 1\/3 cups flour
\n\u00bd teaspoon salt
\nSanding sugar for decoration
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\nNeapolitan Cookies<\/h2>\n
<\/a>
\nPG tested<\/strong>
\n
\n1 cup butter
\n1 egg
\n1 teaspoon vanilla extract
\n2\u00bd cups flour
\n1\u00bd teaspoons baking powder
\n\u00bd teaspoon salt
\n\u00bd teaspoon almond extract
\n5 drops red food color
\n1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened
\nchocolate
\n\u00bd cup chopped walnuts
\n<\/ingredients><\/p>\n
\n<\/recipe><\/p>\n
\n