Day 6 - Spice Spritz Cookies

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 10 min./batch

MAKES: 30 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Red and green colored sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice; gradually add to the creamed mixture. 
2. Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 5 dozen. 

Originally published as Spice Spritz Cookies in Country Woman November/December 2003, p51

Day 5 - Holiday Spritz Cookies

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

MAKES: 60 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Food coloring, optional
• Holiday sprinkles and colored sugars

Directions

1. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture just until combined. Stir in food coloring if desired. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. 
2. Fill cookie press and form into desired shapes on ungreased baking sheets. Decorate with sprinkles and colored sugars. 
3. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 5 dozen. 

Originally published as Holiday Spritz Cookies in Country Woman Christmas 1996, p31

Day 4 - Holiday Shortbread Cookies

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

MAKES: 60 servings

Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cold butter, cubed

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Prick all over with a fork.
2. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into small squares. Continue to cool to room temperature. Yield: 5 dozen. 

Originally published as Holiday Shortbread Cookies in Reminisce Extra December 1993, p51

Day 3 - Candy Cookie Cups

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling

MAKES: 24 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 package (16 ounces) individually portioned refrigerated white chip macadamia nut cookie dough
• 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions

1. Sprinkle macadamia nuts into 24 greased miniature muffin cups, 1 teaspoon in each. Cut each portion of cookie dough in half; place each half in a muffin cup. 
2. Bake at 325° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately place a peanut butter cup in each cookie; press down gently. Cool completely before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen. 

Originally published as Candy Cookie Cups in Simple & Delicious November/December 2006, p48

Day 2 - Easy Reindeer Cookies

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min.

MAKES: 15 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package (17-1/2 ounces) peanut butter cookie mix
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 60 miniature pretzels
• 60 semisweet chocolate chips
• 30 red-hot candies

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the cookie mix, oil and egg until well combined. Shape into a 7-1/2-in. roll; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. 
2. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using thumb and forefinger, make a slight indentation one-third of the way down the sides of each slice. Press in pretzels for antlers, chocolate chips for eyes and a red-hot for the nose. 
3. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen. 

Editor's Note: You may substitute any peanut butter cookie recipe for the cookie mix, oil and egg.

Originally published as Reindeer Cookies in Quick Cooking November/December 1999, p43 

This Week In Selby - 13 December

Good evening Selby,

I hope everyone is getting into that holiday spirit! It's kinda hard when you're walking around in shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of December!! I have a few short notes for ya this week.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS

In trying to get my own holidays rolling as well as taking care of other family business, I have failed to remind everyone of the Selby Holiday Lights contest. Technically, nominations were supposed to end today, BUT I'm going to extend the time until midnight Wednesday. Please send me your house nominations complete with address and picture and category choice (Classic, Childhood Memory or Total Griswold). Thank you to those who have emailed me their nominations. I've been fighting ants in my kitchen and haven't been able to email you back. I will have nominations up on the Selby website and blog by Thursday to open voting. This year we are going to try voting on the blog and only one vote per IP address. I'll tell ya about that later. Right now, get in those nominations! Email: SelbyBay@gmail.com

CLUBHOUSE RENTAL RATES

The rental rates of the clubhouse have increased by $25 as of 1December. The Selby website now reflects those changes.

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST

For some odd reason I didn't write down the winners of this year's Ugly Sweater Winners. Can someone please provide me with names? Thanks!!

That's it for the moment Selby! Have a great week!!

Day 1 - Chocolate Thumbprints Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 26 milk chocolate kisses

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until or until easy to handle. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; dip in egg white, then roll in nuts. Place on greased baking sheets. Using a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until center is set. 
3. For filling, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spoon or pipe 1/4 teaspoon into each warm cookie; gently press a chocolate kiss in the center. Carefully remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 dozen. 

Originally published as Chocolate Thumbprints Cookies in Taste of Home October/November 1995, p29