Recipes, Tips, and More!

LAST MINUTE recipes, entertaining tips, and gift ideas

Welcome to the fourth issue of the season for the Christmas-Cookies.com newsletter. Read on for new recipes, gift-giving tips, and more!

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View our past newsletters for more tips and recipes

In This Issue:

Last-minute entertaining
This week's Top 10 Recipes
Quick and Easy Recipe: Ricotta Cheese Cookies
Last-minute online gifts - in time for Christmas!
Quick and Easy Recipe: No-Chill Cutout Sugar Cookies

Last-Minute Entertaining
If you've suddenly found you have no time or energy for last-minute party preparations, or you've been surprised with some unexpected guests, here are a few simple tips to help the gathering go smoothly and make you feel like a talented hostess!

Food
So you have to entertain and have no time for shopping. You can throw together some nice hors d'oeuvres and beverages from what you've got on hand.

Slice some French bread and top with cream cheese or ricotta cheese, chopped chives or walnuts, and a slice of olive. No French bread? Crackers will do.
Place a bowl of dip (canned salsa or Ranch dressing will do) on a large platter. Surround with chips or fresh vegetables.
Did you get any chocolates, cookies, or cheese-and-sausage gifts for Christmas? Set them out to share. The cheese and sausage can go out on your cutting board with a cheese plane or slicer and a knife. Set some crackers nearby.
Get out that punch bowl you never use and fill it with a half-and-half mixture of fruit juice (whatever kind you have on hand) and 7-up or Ginger-Ale.
Put on a pot of coffee. Set out cream and sugar plus any additions you may have on hand such as Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream.

Mood
Nothing sets the tone of the party like the mood. These few tips take just a couple minutes and will help your gathering to feel elegant and festive, even if you're feeling frazzled and disorganized.

Quick clean up. Forget the dirt and dust, just quickly breeze through your entry-way, public rooms, and the bathroom your guests will use and remove any clutter. Don't worry about any rooms your guests will not see. Take a clothes basket with you and fill it up with all that clutter, then hide it in a closet or bedroom until you can put it all away - after the party.
Turn down the lights - this will hide the dirt and dust!
Put on some Christmas music
Light candles! The glow is welcoming and festive.
Set out an open bottle of wine (or champagne) and some wine glasses

Gifts
No time to shop for that unexpected guest? It's OK, you've probably got the makings of a beautiful gift right in your home. These can be prepared in minutes but make you look like you had prepared a gift for them ahead of time!

Raid your wine cellar. A bottle of wine tied with a pretty ribbon makes a thoughtful gift. Any unopened bottle of spirits will do! They'll never know it wasn't originally intended for them.
Cookies In a Jar. Layer the ingredients to a cookie recipe in a 1-quart mason jar. Tie on a pretty ribbon and attach the instructions to the jar. This makes a great last-minute gift for kids, too! For Cookies In a Jar recipes and instructions, click here.
Gift certificates. Many online stores offer e-gift certificates that can be e-mailed to the recipient. To take advantage of this service for a last-minute guest who will be coming to your house, have the gift certificate sent to your e-mail address (not theirs) and then when it arrives (usually within minutes), print it out and wrap it up in a box. Your recipient will be able to redeem their gift certificate at the online store using the code printed on the certificate. Try these places: Amazon.com , Cooking.com, Eddie Bauer, Buy.com, Flowers.com, Harry and David.

Quick and Easy Recipe: Ricotta Cheese Cookies

This traditional Italian cookie is quick, easy, pretty, and most of all, delicious! If you have any doubts read our reviews, where 100% of those who made the recipe gave it 5 out of 5 stars. It was recently featured in a press release and a TV news cooking spot with the American Dairy Association.

For the cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
milk
colorful sprinkles, jimmies, non-pareils, or sugars

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all of the cookie ingredients well until the dough sticks together into a big ball. It will be sticky. Drop by teaspoonfulls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until the bottoms turn golden brown. Let cool for 1 minute and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Place powdered sugar in a small saucepan. Add milk, a teaspoon at a time, to make a glaze. It should take from 3 to 5 teaspoons depending on how thick or thin you would like your glaze to be. Stir until smooth. When it has reached the right consistency, stir over low heat for 1 minute, then spread over cooled cookies. Quickly top with sprinkles. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Last-minute online gifts - in time for Christmas!
Don't rush to the mall and deal with the frustration of parking and long check-out lines. Save yourself time and frustration - and embarassment - by buying online and taking advantage of Next-Day shipping offered by the following retailers. Hurry, order by Dec. 22 or 23 (see retailer for exact date)!!

Gifts for her:

Cooking.com (order by noon PST on Dec. 23)
Amazon.com (order by Dec. 22 - products marked "Last Minute Shipping" only)
Uncommon Goods (order by 3pm PST on Dec. 23)

Gifts for kids:

Toys R Us

Gifts for him:

Buy.com (order by noon EST on Dec. 23)
Sharper Image (order by 10am PST on Dec. 23)
Amazon.com (order by Dec. 22 - products marked "Last Minute Shipping" only)

Gifts for anyone:

Amazon.com (order by Dec. 22 - products marked "Last Minute Shipping" only)
Harry and David (order by Dec. 22)
Hickory Farms (order by 11am EST, Dec. 23)

Quick and Easy Recipe: No-chill Cutout Sugar Cookies

In the words of some of our reviewers: "This recipe is very easy to follow and, best of all you can start making the cookies right away." "We all need extra time during the holiday season! This cookie recipe was not only quick and easy, but delicious."

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
colorful sprinkles, jimmies, non-pareils, or sugars (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Dough will be stiff. Do not chill dough. Divide dough in half. Roll each half about 1/8 inch thick. Dip cutters into flour before each use. Top cookies with sprinkles, if desired. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on middle rack of oven for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 24 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

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