Holiday Baking Season is Near!

Welcome to the first issue of the season for the Christmas-Cookies.com newsletter. Read on for new recipes, baking tips, new cookbook reviews, and more!

Take a peek at the newest Christmas cookie cookbook!

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• Chocolaty Cranberry Decadent Cookies (recipe below)
• Colorful Painted Cookies
• Fun Cathedral Windows
• Fudgy Easy Triple Chocolate Caramel Brownies
• Buttery Pecan Tartlets
• Unique Cream Cheese Spritz
• Elegant Pecan Nut Ball Cookies
• Savory Apricot Foldovers
• and more!

Save $60 and get Free Shipping on the KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer
$429.99 $369.95 Buy
For all the cookies, cakes and pastries you'll be making, this 525-watt, 6-Qt. Stand Mixer will certainly come in handy this Christmas. Comes with attachments including a dough hook for making bread. Ten speeds!

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Great price on a 100-piece set of cookie cutters

$14.95 $9.95 Buy
Running out of ideas for cookie shapes? With this set of cookie cutters, you’re more likely to run out of cookie dough first. The next time you bake, skip the round shapes and add some fun shapes to your home-baked goodies.

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Exopat Baking Mat on Sale

$24.00 $19.95 Buy
This nonstick mat, often referred to as "Silpat," browns your cookies without burning and cleans up perfectly. Good for up to 3,000 uses!

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More Cookie-Baking Items on Sale!

Cuisinart Hand Mixer with Bonus Bowl
$105.00 $69.95 Buy

Calphalon Non-Stick Cookie Sheet Set of 2
$47.95 Special $29.99 Buy

Stackable Cooling Racks
$11.95 Buy

Cranberry Decadent Cookies

From Christmas Cookies Are for Giving. Dried cranberries and cinnamon transform this double chocolate chip cookie into a holiday favorite. The bitterness of the coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate.

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) baking soda
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) solid vegetable shortening, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) instant coffee granules
1 cup (250 ml) white chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, and set aside. In a large bowl beat butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined before additions. In a small cup, mix together the vanilla and the coffee until the coffee is dissolved, then add to the butter mixture; beat to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Stir in white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.

Drop 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of dough at a time onto baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until firm. Let cool for 1 minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 month. Makes about 48 cookies. These cookies are excellent for shipping.

For more excellent cookie recipes like this one, get Christmas Cookies Are for Giving today!

Baking Tips: Planning ahead
If you have many different kinds of cookies to bake, set out all your ingredients on the counter and make the dough assembly-line fashion, creating one after another. This will make the whole thing go faster because all your cookies will contain essentially the same ingredients. You will have them all at hand, and in most cases you can re-use the same tools without washing them between batches. Wrap each dough in plastic wrap, place it in a plastic re-sealable freezer bag, and put it in the freezer. When you're ready to do your baking, select similar cookies to bake at one time. For example, if you have dough for gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies, bake those at the same time because you will already have your floured board, rolling pin, and cookie cutters out. Thaw the dough at room temperature inside the plastic wrap. Then, bake as directed and decorate as desired.

For more great tips on holiday baking, get the book Christmas Cookies Are for Giving now!

New Recipes at Christmas-Cookies.com

Thanksgiving Recipes
Black Walnut Cookies
Cinnamon and Hazelnut Biscotti
Pecan Pie Bars
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Pie Squares
Pumpkin Praline Pie
Pumpkin Roll
Refrigerator Pecan Shortbread
Sensational Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Walnut Frosty Cookies

Christmas Recipes
Salt Dough Ornaments
No-chill Cutout Sugar Cookies
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Drops
Hot Buttered Toffee Coffee
Candy Cane Mint Float
Walnut Fudge Pie

Antique and Vintage Cookie Cutters from eBay

Martha Stewart Christmas Cookie Baking Supplies

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