Christmas Cookie Week Day 4: Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

We are getting down to the wire and on to day 4. These cocoa crinkle cookies are a Christmas staple thanks to Hershey's. This recipe originally comes from Hershey's but has been shared with me by a dear family friend. Whether it is a traditional chocolate chip cookie or these deliciously rich cocoa crinkle cookies, there needs to be some form of a chocolate cookie on your Christmas desserts table.

Recipe yields 36 cookies

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa and oil. Blend until all ingredients are well combined.

Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture. Continue to beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir until just incorporated, being sure not to over mix. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

With about 15 minutes left, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a cookie scoop, place balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Using a fine mesh strainer, generously sprinkle the cookies with confectioners' sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove cookies from the oven and let rest on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Be sure to serve these alongside plenty of cold milk. Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Week Day 3: Aunt Jennie's Anise Cookies

I know I told you on Monday that this week I will be sharing five of my favorite Christmas recipes, but this one might be my most favorite of them all. Nothing says Christmas like my Aunt Jennie's Anise cookies. Every year, I would sneak around the house to find them and get the first taste. And every year they were even better than I remembered. Thank you Aunt Jennie for this amazing recipe and making all my Christmas memories so delicious!

Recipe yields 36 cookies

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for your hands)
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp pure anise extract
1/4 cup warm water

Glaze
3 tbsp milk
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp pure anise extract

Multi-color nonpareil sprinkles

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Toss lightly with a fork to mix.

Add eggs and sugar to the flour mixture. Mix well until the mixture becomes crumbly. Be sure to incorporate all the flour into the mixture.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Add melted butter, anise extract and water to the batter. Stir until the mixture forms a ball and becomes thicker and easier to handle. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for one hour.

About 15 minutes before the time is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, coat your hands in flour and knead dough for five minutes or so.

Grease your baking sheets. Pinch off about a tablespoon of dough, roll into a log and then form a knot. Place each cookie on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Place cookies in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should remain pale white on the top but will be golden brown on the bottom when they are done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can prepare your glaze. In a bowl, combine the sugar, milk and anise. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Be sure to scrape the sides and make sure all sugar is mixed in.

Hold the cookies upside down and dip into the glaze. Shake off any excess and arrange on a plate to dry. Let the glaze dry for 10-15 seconds and then sprinkle with the nonpareils. Be sure to wait before adding the sprinkles. If you add them right away, the colors with mix into the icing and the colors will run.

Let the icing harden completely before serving. If you are planning to make the cookies in advance, do not ice them until you are ready to serve them. They will keep 3-4 days once they are iced. If you are anything like me, the second these are iced and ready to go, they will not last more than a few hours. Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Week Day 2: Rum Balls

These are the most perfect after dinner treat. They are sweet but salty and flavorful. The best part about them is they are super easy. If you are looking for an impressive dessert for a last minute get together and only have a short time to spare, this recipe will be your go to everytime. Try them once, and I promise you will be hooked.

Recipe yields 16 balls

Ingredients
1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tbsp rum

Place your vanilla wafers in a ziploc bag. Using a hammer of sorts, crush the cookies into fine crumbs.

In a mixing bowl, combine cookie crumbs, finely chopped pecans, cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar. Whisk together to mix well.

Add your corn syrup and rum and mix well. Make sure all dry ingredients are coated.

Using a cookie scoop (or your hands) form 1 inch balls with the mixture.

Roll the balls in the remaining chopped pecans to coat them on all sides. Place the coated treats on a piece of wax paper and put in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or until you are ready to serve.

Remove from the refrigerator and enjoy your perfect bite sized treat!

Christmas Cookie Week Day 1: Layered Peppermint Bark

In preparation of Christmas next week, this week is going to be Christmas Cookie Week on The One Behind the Apron. I am going to share five of my Christmas cookie and candy favorites. These are a few of the Christmas classics I grew up with and enjoy with my family each year. All of these recipes have been passed down from the ladies of my family. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. If you have family traditions that you look forward to each Christmas, leave them in the comments. I would love to hear about your favorites! First up, layered peppermint bark with brown and white chocolate.

Recipe yields 12-15 pieces

Ingredients
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz white chocolate chips
20-25 mini candy canes
2 tsp canola oil

Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. As chips begin to melt, stir the chips to remove any clumps and have a smooth bowl of melted chocolate. Stir in 1 tsp of the oil. This helps the chocolate stay shiny when it hardens and not have a dusty look.

Line a pan with tin foil or wax paper. Pour in the melted chocolate. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the chocolate and fill it into all the corners. Place the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until chocolate has hardened.

While the first layer is in the fridge, prepare your candy canes. Unwrap all the candy canes and place them in a ziploc bag. Using some sort of hammer (I used the handle of my scissors) crush the candy canes into tiny pieces.

Now it is time to melt your white chocolate. Follow the same procedures as with the semi-sweet chocolate. Once all the chips have melted, stir in the other tsp of oil.

Remove chocolate from the heat and add half of your crushed candy canes to the bowl. Mix well to incorporate the pieces in the chocolate.

Pour the white chocolate in the pan on top of the semi-sweet chocolate. In the same manner, use an offset spatula to create an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining half of the candy canes on top of the white chocolate. Use the back of a wide spatula to gently pat the pieces into the chocolate to ensure they stick. Place the pan back in the fridge for about an hour or until all chocolate has completely hardened.

Remove the bark from the pan and peel off the tin foil. Crack the bark into personal sized pieces. Pack up and give as a gift or place on a dish to serve at a party. When not enjoying it, keep the bark in the refrigerator to help it stay. Enjoy!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Nicole D! She is the winner of the Tuttorosso Giveaway. Keep checking out my blog and look out for more giveaways in the future. Thank you to everyone who participated!