Welcome to the 6th issue of the 2003 season for the Christmas-Cookies.com newsletter. Keep reading for exclusive recipes, gift-giving ideas, cookbook reviews, and more!

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• Christmas Cookies Are for Giving
• Recipe: Mint Chocolate Pinwheels
• Recipe: Mocha Cheesecake Squares
• Recipe: Cordial Cups (Liqueur Fudge Tassies)

• Recipe: Maple Walnut Bars
• Article: Low on Cash for Christmas? Try Gifts in a Jar!
• More Christmas Cookie Recipes!

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Mint Chocolate Pinwheels

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
green food coloring
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 Oreo cookies (regular flavor), finely crushed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking powder and beat until combined. Beat in egg, mint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring until mixture reaches a mint green color. Stir in flour until well blended. Divide dough in half, wrap halves in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour or until somewhat firm. Roll one half of dough between two sheets of waxed paper into an 8x7-inch rectangle. Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper and sprinkle half of the crushed Oreo cookies over the dough, to within 1/4 inch of sides. Starting from the short side, roll up dough and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and crushed Oreos. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and stand upright in tall drinking glasses, then chill about 4 hours or until very firm. Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Remove one roll of dough from refrigerator. Unwrap and slice into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with other roll. When cooled, melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Transfer melted chocolate to a resealable plastic bag and with a scissors, snip off a tiny corner of the bag. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Allow chocolate to set and harden, then store in an airtight container in layers separated by sheets of waxed paper for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 50 cookies.

Mocha Cheesecake Squares

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, cocoa and baking soda. With a fork, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 13.9.2-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve coffee in 1 tablespoon hot water and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk. Add coffee mixture and eggs; beat just until combined. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When firm, cut into 1.5-inch squares. Store refrigerated in an airtight container, in layers separated by sheets of waxed paper. Makes appx. 48 cookies.

Cordial Cups (Liqueur Fudge Tassies)

This recipe is adapted from one found in an old 1986 Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon chocolate or coffee liqueur (ie. Kahlua, or any of your
favorite liqueurs such as Frangelico (hazelnut), Grand Marnier (orange), or
Chambord (raspberry) for a different flavor)
2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips

Beat the 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 1/3 cup sugar. Add flour and cocoa; beat until well combined. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until easy to handle. Divide mixture into 24 balls. Press each ball into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased mini-muffin cup. Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Melt unsweetened chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Remove from heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup sugar, egg, vanilla and liqueur. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake about 25 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from pans. Cool completely. Melt milk chocolate pieces in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each cup. Makes 24 Cordial Cups.

Maple Walnut Bars

1 package yellow cake mix, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 large eggs, divided
1-1/3 cups maple syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13×9-inch pan. Reserve 2/3 cup of the cake mix; set aside. Combine remaining cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg in large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Combine reserved cake mix, maple syrup, remaining 3 eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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by Kristin Johnson

Time is money, and right now you don't have either the time or the money to answer the call of the shopping mall at Christmas. The only way you can show your friends love, peace on earth, goodwill
towards men is by shopping at Macy's, so you think.

It's a safe bet that the Three Kings didn't buy the gold, frankincense and myrrh given to Jesus Christ in the manger from Macy's or Pottery Barn.

This year you, too, can give frankincense and myrrh of the tasty kind. The best part is, the ingredients come from your neighborhood grocery store or even your own kitchen. The Three Kings used ornate
containers, but you can make do with an inexpensive 1-quart mason jar to hold your "sand art" cookies, or "Gifts in a Jar."

What do you need to make "Gifts in a Jar"? Let's take, for example, the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal and
raisins. All of these are available for under $5 at your local grocery store. If you buy in bulk, you'll save more time and money-- -just make sure to create your "Gifts in a Jar" as soon as possible before you plan on giving them. The ingredients have a shelf life of 3 months in most cases, so use fresh ingredients.

Layer the dry ingredients in the order listed above, alternating light and dark-colored ingredients for that "art" effect. Your recipient supplies the moist ingredients, and you can attach your favorite recipe or the Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar recipe, printed on fancy paper (such as the kind you'd find inexpensively at Kinko's) with a decorative font from your computer, and tied to the jar with pretty ribbon or raffia (inexpensive at craft and sewing shops). Cover the top of the jar with a circle of pretty fabric--- maybe from a tablecloth, curtains or a dress that's headed for the rag bag.

To turn your favorite cookie recipe into "Gifts in a Jar," just make sure the total of dry ingredients is 1 quart (1 L) or less. You may have to cut your current recipe by half or one third to get the correct amount of dry ingredients but it will work. Remember to adjust the amounts of wet ingredients needed when writing out your directions to place on the jar. Or, rather than cutting your recipe, you can use the larger 2-quart (2 l) mason jars, and if there is any space left at the top of the jar, pack it tightly with tissue paper or add a few extra raisins and a sprinkle of oatmeal--this adds pizzazz!

Your thoughtful, personal gift will delight everyone on your list and save you money when you make "Gifts in a Jar." Besides, you'll no doubt get invited to eat the cookies---when was the last time a
sweater from Macy's gave you that kind of sweet rewards?

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups (500 ml) quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup (175 ml) raisins

Sift together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and salt, then place in the bottom of a 1-quart (1 l) glass mason jar. Tamp down the flour mixture so it is packed in firmly. Add the rest
of the ingredients in the order given, making sure to pack down each layer firmly before adding the
next. Screw the lid on the jar. Attach the following directions:

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

Note: Store this jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months before using.

contents of this jar
3/4 cup (175 ml) butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Empty the jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl, blend the mixture thoroughly. Stir in butter or margarine, egg, and vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Makes 36 cookies.

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Copyright October 24, 2003 --- Kristin Johnson is an award-winning writer whose book, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving, co-written with Mimi Cummins, makes a perfect holiday gift! Order now!

24 No-Bake Recipes
10 Cookies In A Jar Recipes
15 Fudge Recipes

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